#really brought it all together imo and I do have to thank season four for providing me with clarity on that front

[marypsue]

Ahh I’m so excited to see what’s cooking up with former heroes especially bc I know some of the things that bothered you with season 3 were some of the plot points I have the most so I’m excited to see how you change them. Also I’m excited to see the rise of Joyce Byers, love triangle fiancée who is on fire ! (And hopefully not with a hopper that was s3 Hopper) Robin and Steve still scooping maybe?? Nancy and Mike being peak siblings and also Lucas hopefully getting some time shine.

Also I was wondering you hand any sneak peeks available for the Bodyswap AU or the Vampires+Steve pt3 fic!!

Hello hello nonny!

First and most importantly, I am fistbumping you through the computer screen over season 3. I'm really hopeful that this AU version is going to be satisfying, and avoid the major issues I had with season 3 without being unrecognisable from the canon. While I was considering what changes to make and how, I tried to tie it back more meaningfully to the themes of seasons 1 and 2, and I'm pleased with how that's coming through in the outline so far. Hopefully it'll work in the finished product! (Also, I can promise considerably more Peak Sibling Nonsense, and considerably less of season 3 Hopper. Although I am not making any promises at this time on the matter of dumb teenage romance bullshit.)

Also, because you asked so nicely, from the third and (hopefully) final chapter of don't let the sun go down on me:

“Did you hear? They found the Byers kid.”

Steve doesn’t have any kind of a response to that, beyond a blank stare. It’s too fucking early in the morning for how fucking early in the morning it is. He was up way too late last night, again, thanks to Nancy and Jonathan. The last thing he’s prepared to process is Tommy Hagan’s weird enthusiasm about knowing some piece of gossip Steve doesn’t.

Ordinarily, Steve wouldn’t rise to the bait. He’d play it cool, like he doesn’t actually care. Tommy will fill him in eventually, whether he cares or not.

But ordinarily, Tommy isn’t casually dropping a bombshell that could decide the future of Steve’s sanity. If they’ve found Will Byers – then there’s no reason left for Nancy and Jonathan to stick around. “What? Where?”

Tommy’s shit-eating grin gets even wider, and he slings an arm around Steve’s shoulders, steering them both deeper into the crowded, noisy halls. “Floating facedown in the quarry. Sounds like maybe whatever took a swipe at you decided to go after easier prey.”

Tommy keeps talking, but Steve barely hears him. There’s a weird roaring buzz rising in his ears, drowning out all but the pitch and cadence of Tommy’s voice. Suddenly, the crowded hallway is suffocating.

Steve barely manages to mumble out some halfassed excuse before shrugging off Tommy’s arm and breaking for the bathroom. He tries not to look like he’s running. He doesn’t know if he’s succeeding.

He’s no sooner made it into a stall than he’s hitting his knees on the grotty tile floor, clutching the porcelain bowl as his hasty breakfast makes a surprise reappearance. That bagel hadn’t tasted like anything special on the way down. It’s not improved the second time around.

When his stomach seems to be finished turning itself inside out, Steve sits back on his heels, coughing out the last lingering flecks of vomit as he wonders what the hell just happened. It’s not like he ever actually met Will Byers. Or like he’s known Jonathan for more than two days. And Steve had spent part of one of those days thinking Jonathan was a murderer.

Except. He’d been so angry when he’d thought Jonathan was a murderer. Like Jonathan had personally betrayed him. Steve’s not sure what that means. If it means anything. He’s not sure he wants to think too much about it.

Whether or not Steve actually cares about Jonathan Byers and how hurt he’s going to be by this, though – still. Still. That’s a kid. Will is just – was just a little kid. And – Steve’s memory, unhelpfully, decides to play him the highlight reel of that monster’s teeth, his dad telling him there were bites missing, Tommy saying easier prey, the excruciating pain in Steve’s stomach where the monster had slashed him open –

He wonders, with fresh horror, whether that thing got Will while Jonathan and Nancy were busy taking care of him. Even though that timeline doesn’t make any sense, he still has to dry-heave over the toilet again.

“Stevie?”

It’s the last voice Steve wants to hear right now. He groans as he twists to look over his shoulder at Tommy, and it’s only half exasperation.

Tommy ignores him. “Hey, man, you okay?”

“You look like shit,” Carol says, with a pop of her ever-present gum, following Tommy into the boys’ bathroom like she belongs there. “Rough night last night, Steve-o?”

She’s giving Steve an out. A way to save face. He flashes her a grateful smile, and hopes he doesn’t have bits of upchucked bagel stuck in his teeth. “Guess I must still be hung over.”

“Aww,” Carol tuts, with a sarcastic pout, as Tommy leans over to offer Steve a hand up off the disgusting floor. “And you didn’t invite us?”

“Hey, I know what’ll make you feel better,” Tommy announces, like he’s about to put a man on the moon. “We skip first period and hit the diner. Get you something hot and greasy to fill that bottomless pit.” He thwaps the back of one hand against Steve’s stomach with a grin.

Steve’s stomach gives another lurch. He swallows bile.

“Thanks, man,” he says, when he trusts himself enough to open his mouth. “But the diner’s been closed since Monday, remember? The owner killed himself?”

Tommy’s face falls. Steve swallows around a stab of guilt. Tommy’s his friend. He’s trying to help.

He just – he has no fucking clue what Steve’s gotten himself into this time. Neither he or Carol do.

And it’s gotta stay that way.

“Good idea, though,” Steve offers, an olive branch. “Skipping. Think I’m gonna ditch for the day.”

Tommy doesn’t totally lose the kicked-puppy look, but he does try for a smile. “You want us to tell Sanderberg you’re out sick? Sorry, sir, he was throwing up all morning,” he says, to the absent first-period teacher, voice pitched up and eyes wide in a mockery of innocence.

“Yeah, yeah, sure,” Steve says, knowing Tommy will at least get a kick out of winding up the notoriously suspicious Mr. Sanderberg. “Thanks, man.”

“Don’t mention it,” Tommy says, slapping Steve on the back just a little too hard.

“Are you actually sick?” Carol asks, or maybe ‘demands’ is a better word. “You’re acting weird lately.”

Steve forces a smile, hoping it doesn’t look too much like a grimace, as he shuffles over to the sinks to rinse out his mouth. “Nah. Told you. I’m just hung over. Gonna head home and sleep it off.”

Carol, in the mirror behind his head, does not look convinced. But she doesn’t say anything more, either.

Steve does feel a little bad about leaving her and Tommy behind, as he heads out to the parking lot and his car. But they’d never understand. They’d never believe him. Hell, in the cold, bright light of day, Steve barely believes himself.

And, he thinks, as he peels out of the high school lot, there’s no way he could bring Tommy and Carol with him where he knows he has to go now.

[nebulouscoffee]

For the character ask game: Hoshi Sato, Seven of Nine, and Wesley Crusher!

Hahaha thanks for being my no.1 enabler as usual and sending me such a great triple ask! Prepare for Essay <3

Hoshi

one aspect about them i love

Her whole multilingual thing and having to figure it all out without the Universal Translator was so, so cool to me. Honestly, when I think back to what worked from Enterprise's whole "early days" pitch, it's the first thing that comes to mind. And gosh her backstory with the isolation she felt as a gifted child who spent most of her time in classes... all those languages, and no one to speak to. Really makes her presence on Earth's first deep space mission Hit Different!

one aspect i wish more people understood about them

Well, that she's actually quite a three-dimensional character! Yes, they often didn't know what to do with her and her screentime got reduced later on, but she's more than just the "naive young ensign" archetype- in fact, one of my favourite things about her is how uniquely real she feels (that scene where she had to settle a dispute with some aliens they'd accidentally pissed off and she didn't even speak their language and was straight up on the verge of tears while talking to them, but then gradually gained confidence? That sort of stuff with her was so good!)

one (or more) headcanon(s) i have about this character

Personally I will never be over the fact that in like season FOUR or something they just randomly dropped that she was originally discharged from Starfleet (!!) for getting into a fight (!!!?) over an illegal poker game she was running (iirc??) and breaking her commanding officer's arm (??!?) because apparently she has a black belt in Aikido (!!??!) Good lord, how many other secret skills does she have then? She's literally a prodigy who grew up with no friends I bet there's dozens lmaooo I bet she can pick locks and yodel and swing from a trapeze

one character i love seeing them interact with

She and Phlox have a sweet dynamic- you get the sense that her curiosity and open-mindedness and friendliness really make him feel more at home, as one of the only aliens on the ship

one character i wish they would interact with/interact with more

T'Pol!! T'Pol, T'Pol- the show gave them little to no scenes together, but it really could've been something so interesting, especially in the context of cultural exchange and nonwestern frameworks. And yes, they make for a wonderful ship too- but judging by the state of our dms lately I certainly don't need to tell you that😂

one (or more) headcanon(s) i have that involve them and one other character

She and Phlox have a whole mini zoo of secret and illegal pets.

Seven

one aspect about them i love

The entire premise of her character is fantastic imo, and Jeri Ryan is terrific in the role. Her quest to discover personhood as an adult while also reckoning with all the violence she inflicted on such a mass scale (which itself was a result of horrifying violations of her own body and mind that she can barely remember) while also trying to reconcile the grief of all those lost years... wow

one aspect i wish more people understood about them

... I mean, I wish the showrunners had understood that Seven works best as part of an ensemble, and "ensemble" means occasionally giving the others something to do?😂😂 And that the whole deal with her biosuit and conventionally feminine hotness just didn't match the character; she should've been allowed to look and act WAY more weird and off-putting I think

one (or more) headcanon(s) i have about this character

Ignoring ST: Picard canon (which I always do), I think after Voyager returns to the AQ, Seven would dig deeper into the concept and pursuit of "perfection"- the show painted it as a quasi-religious thing for her, and then never brought it up again! I think now, abruptly ripped from her home and family and confronted with a big scary quadrant to explore, she'd try on spirituality, at least for a little bit- try to reconcile it with her very scientific algorithms of thought, if only so for a brief while she can make the universe make sense

one character i love seeing them interact with

Many answers (Janeway, Tuvok, etc) but I'm going to highlight one I actually didn't notice much on first watch- she and Neelix have kind of an interesting dynamic! They have more scenes together than I remembered, and they give each other some really good advice

one character i wish they would interact with/interact with more

B'Elanna. Their supposed "rivalry" never really made sense to me lol, they could've come up with a legitimately interesting conflict between them, or just made them friends- as is, it just sort of comes off like they're fighting because... women be like that, I suppose? Lol, don't get me wrong- some of their scenes together are great ("We difficult patients need to stick together") but I wish we'd gotten more

one (or more) headcanon(s) i have that involve them and one other character

She and Tuvok sometimes hang out in the mess hall at night, when the whole ship is dark, and quiet, and they can just stare at the stars, help alleviate each others' loneliness, while also giving each other a break from the exhausting ordeal of conventional socialising. Four hours in and not a single word spoken😌

Wesley

one aspect about them i love

Apart from being generally very sweet and helpful, Wes (and Alexander too) is what makes the crew feel like a family to me- like, this kid just has so many sets of parents! (Bev & Picard are his Parents parents, Data & Geordi are his work parents, Riker & Guinan are his weird parents, Deanna & Tasha are his fun parents, and Worf is... ok Worf can just be Worf lol the poor man has more than enough on his plate already)

one aspect i wish more people understood about them

That he's literally just a child, I suppose. Like- he's fourteen, of course he does and says stupid things on occasion! It generally doesn't bother me when people dislike characters I like but a lot of the Wesley hate I've seen across platforms feels distinctly anti-children in a weirdly malicious way

one (or more) headcanon(s) i have about this character

Starfleet Academy must've been a WILD transition for him, I mean sure it's a high-pressure environment and very competitive and everything- but he was on the literal bridge of the flagship of the Federation! All his bffs were highly intelligent and competent (sometimes superhumanly so) adults at the tops of their fields. How much experience does he even have socialising with kids his age? Does he ever feel like he just can't relate to any of them? Probably??

one character i love seeing them interact with

Ooh lots of answers here; I do think he brings out the best in Picard, and I love his dynamic with several others too- but I'm gonna go with Geordi. I know I called him one of Wesley's parents earlier but that was just a joke lol, truthfully Geordi has this extremely chill and almost like brotherly friendship with him, and he always respects Wesley's opinions and hears him out and never really condescends to him and I just think it's neat!

one character i wish they would interact with/interact with more

Lmao, Beverly. It's really weird how little the show seems to care about their relationship! I mean they obviously do have a positive one, and Bev is very loving and protective of him, but they don't actually share all that much screentime per se. So that means I have to headcanon slightly less positive things, like-

one (or more) headcanon(s) i have that involve them and one other character

what if Beverly's absence during such a crucial year in his life (S2) sort of left a gap in their relationship they never quite managed to patch up? No resentment exactly, just... less connection than before. She's still very important to him of course, but not the first person he'd go to with good news. (I don't mean this in a negative way towards Beverly btw! I actually do like that the show wanted to give her more storylines beyond just being Wesley's Mum)

[chonidale]

Thanks for answering my question about watching S1-6 for choni. I started but couldn't stand the cringe that is watching Archie and Veronica together so I ended up just watching compilations on yt and bits of certain episodes.

IMO they get less scenes/development for a 19+ episode show than I was expecting but I love their chemistry. The reason for their break up in S5 so out of the blue and that key party scene was brutal. Mad they never got back together as adults. But you're right the context of their S6 storyline especially has put a new perspective on them in S7 😭 (the journey i went on to figure out who that guy Toni was singing to at the end of S6 was lmao) S6E4 is great! Also, adult Cheryl is the best dressed character on TV period.

More ppl should've been talking about that abigail/thomasina scene last year than Cheryl fighting the comet bc jfc 🥵

Love your page, your gifs of them at the sock-hop are the reason I started watching so thank you! ❤️

they definitely had less than most supporting series regulars would get on other shows (probably on par for other wlw ships tho lbr), but they got much more than any other non core four ship got on the show, though it was definitely in and out. they'd go half seasons with nothing, and then have pretty consistent focus for the next half. but i'm glad they've finally found the balance for the final season and are going out on the highest note for them possible, something that is easier to appreciate when you know how bad we were in the trenches before.

the break up definitely came out of nowhere and was fairly nonsensical, but considering how they set up the core four break ups for the time jump (cheating), i didn't mind the contrived family issues, it saved their relationship from being tainted like the others. i also kinda liked that they brought their long standing, established family feud back and made them kinda star crossed lovers, even if they never did anything with it post time jump because they're hacks. adds a little something to the soulmate reveal later.

the key party scene is by far chonis lowest moment, oof. so brutal, especially considering they started the time jump off so well. they had such delicious angst in those first few episodes and then the writers just took a complete 180 and shit all over them for no reason :/ do feel a little vindication that cheryl ended up being like 95% right in her assurance that it was a mistake to have a kid with kevin and fangs, even if she went about it the wrong way.

but yes! s6 was hard to sit through with how little scenes they got, but it was all worth it in the end. well, not the wedding, that was unnecessarily cruel, since the writers knew they were going back to choni, but whatever. 6x04 and 6x22 are two of the best episodes of the show imo, and changed the trajectory of their story so much and salvaged the damaged they'd done pretty well. also really makes their storyline this season hit so much more than any other and feel so much more relevant and connected to the past than the other characters too. i just need the writers to bring it all together in those last two episodes by having them get their memories back, at least briefly, so toni can find out and finally admit what she always felt. and lmao, the way the show just had toni age that kid up for nothing and not care that she was missing out on his entire childhood, before seemingly erasing him from existence will never not be funny. that kid ruined my life but i got the last laugh.

[samclownchester]

Thoughts on 15x15

Cas and Jack on a job together?? Father-son bonding sans Winchester drama?? I mean we should have gotten this a season ago but I’ll take it <3

Jack is such a precious boy omg

Cas didn’t do the badge upside down but Jack did! like Father like son <3

Anyone else get Hookman vibes?? A pastor’s daughter who is judging the people around her for not being righteous or faithful enough? Only difference is in Hookman she didn’t mean to kill them with her judgement whereas this girl was just … another level of evil already. Like seriously wtf??

Killed off the gay man who believed in a tolerant God and didn’t even like … really condemn the action?? Cas was just like “oh yeah, religious people hate gays, that tracks” Thanks spn, it’s not like I’m gonna take that personally or anything (!)

While I loved the concept of a lot of the episode, I wasn’t too convinced with the script?!? Also in some of the scenes where the energy should’ve been “!!!” it felt more like “…” imo this whole episode needed more work before being released but I’m no expert

Real mad they referenced that “dean and Amara had a “thing”” I was really hoping to go the rest of my life never thinking about that again. 

I LOVED that we got some closure about why Amara brought Mary back, I felt like we actually got to see Dean for a second there so I appreciated that. 

Sam had like … four whole lines this episode?? What was that about? I hope Jared enjoyed the time off I guess

I was really excited when Cas was like “I’m gonna share my faith journey” and then it was like ….??? idk it was too summed up and vague and I didn’t feel enough emotions. Also I maintain that Cas’s whole “I finally have faith again because you’re going to save the world” attitude has got to be putting Jack’s little enneagram one brain into self destruct mode on the daily.

That scene with Jack and Cas in the car at the end!?!? Driving home after a job, confessing dark secrets to each other while the night sky passes in the windows!?!? That’s some REAL Supernatural vibes going on and I loved seeing our angel boys parallel Sam and Dean in that way.

Jack reaching out to touch Cas’s shoulder didn’t work for me though idk that’s nitpicky but it felt weird.

There’s no way they’re actually gonna let Jack die to redeem himself, he’s just following in his dads’ footsteps but they’re all gonna prove to him that he can be forgiven without dying otherwise this show means nothing and I hate it

[actuallylorelaigilmore]

ODAAT S4 POLL RESULTS

thank you so, so much to everyone who answered this little survey!! here’s some basic info gleaned from the 43 participants:

no one said that season 4 is better than seasons 1-3

more than 95% think it’s worse than seasons 1-3

no one said their faves are fully getting the attention they deserve

exactly one person is ‘loving’ s4, another 9 ‘kinda like it’

the remaining 3/4 are indifferent to it, dislike or hate it

slightly more than 1/3 have given up watching s4 already

the final question was What's one of your favorite or least favorite things about S4 so far? 9 participants listed a favorite thing. 37 participants listed a least favorite thing. (some people included both a favorite and least favorite in their answers.)

the most commonly mentioned ‘favorite thing’ was alex’s character development in s4. 

the most commonly mentioned ‘least favorite thing’ was the schneider/avery relationship including the pregnancy, followed closely by s4′s lack of emotional depth, schneider’s previous arc being minimized, and the penelope/max relationship. 

you can see all 43 anonymous answers behind this cut:

Idk 

Alex

i think the problem is they’re starting conversations to then finish them too early. like i was really interested to see where they went with sydlena with elena going to college but then it was just taken back so quickly..

Fave: the show continues; also, Alex’s girlfriend. Least fave: the way Penelope and Max’s characters have been changed to make their relationship fit the new budget

The relapse in Penelope and Schneider’s friendship esp after how S3 showed SUCH growth. Not to mention, the lack of emotional depth. It’s just. Different.

Idk

.

Least favorite:Penelope and Max make no sense??? Explain the kids issue??? Also why is Avery pregnant.......I don’t like her character

they basically took away schneiders character arc

Don't have one

The demolishing of Schneider's characters growth is the most maddening thing

it doesn't have the same feel as the 1st 3 seasons.

My least favorite thing is how rushed some development is, particularly in relationships, to show that everything is fine, but also ignores the issues and struggles we were introduced to in previous seasons regarding characters. For example, Schneider and Avery are all in love and totally fine, but what happened to his addiction? How does he feel about being a father? How did they move past their breakup from when he relapsed? And with Penelope, while I loved that they showed that she could be happy with her family and still want romance, why Max again? How do they resolve the fact that he wants kids but she doesn't want more?

Penelope and Max's reunion was too rushed and Schneider and Avery's relationship is too rushed too

favorite~ alex being given some sort of storyline (the whole clothing thing and feeling insecure in the family) cuz he’s never given attention and then least favorite~ how schneider’s alcoholism has been completely sidelined and max and penny not discussing the whole kids thing. also how cuba wasn’t brought up until the mid season finale when s3 literally ended with that

My least favorite thing about season four is that it doesn’t feel like the first three seasons. I feel like the bonds that the characters have built over the years are breaking.

Schneider suddenly needing to have a baby with avery to have a family when he's been part of the alvarez fam the whole time :)))

i don’t like the lack of emotional stuff and the random bringing back old love interests without explanation

none of the characters feel like the same people or like they've regressed and lost character growth

max and avery least favorite :(

I don't like the fact that it feels like it has to explain a lot about older seasons, it feels a bit forced, but I also understand why it happens, if/when there's a season 5 I think I'm going to like it better than this season (same thing happened for me with seasons 1, 2 and 3, my favorite being the last)

Least favorite: I feel like we've lost Schneider's story. Between retconning aspects of his relationship with Avery (like them saying they've never broken up or that their first fight happened this season). It suddenly feels like he's not a member of the family like he was in S3.

The way they’ve completely regressed all the character arcs and storylines for a lot of the characters, especially Schneider

Character continuity seems to have been thrown out e.g. schneider has regressed a lot and there is no follow up on his s3 plotline

I really wish they could be longer - I do think the episodes need to be longer for storyline purposes. I think that’s why this season feels slightly different to me. Favourite thing is seeing Schneider and Avery be happy. They seem to be moving quick but it also seems to be working for them.

it used to make me FEEL. now it’s flat

That Max came back and he and Pen still haven't addressed the child-sized elephant in the room but that's okay because he's awesome /ends sarcasm. Also the baby pregancy storyline was WAY out of left field. Also what happened with Schneider's sobriety? Is he still going to meetings?

I'm happy Alex is getting good storylines and Elena and Syd are adorable but Schneider and Penelope's relationship with Avery and MaX IS TOO MUCH TOO SOON

Pen had worries about her date and ran immediately to her BFF to help her sort it out. YOU KNOW, THAT SEEMED PROMISING.

Just the overall lack of depth

Everything about Schneider/Avery has been handled extremely poorly imo

My least favourite thing is how they dismissed Schneider’s sobriety storyline

I loved the final live action episode that aired before the pandemic took over (ends on the roof garden not sure the number/title) but otherwise it's been feeling like it's skimming the surface of most serious issues that they used to tackle head on. Hoping this is just an adjustment period/growing pains but we'll see.

The baby storyline is way too rushed, and I really don't like it

Favorite: Alex taking sewing classes, least favorite: Avery/Schneider

Everythings too superficial

I hated that they didn't get to the end of season 3 Cuba reveal until episode 6, and that they've regressed Dr. B & Lydia's relationship again. Either put them together or make clear you never well, damn.

schneider/avery feels rushed and lacks emotional depth. At the end of season 3 they were broken up, barely a quarter into season 4 they've moved in together and are pregnant. It doesn't make sense. Avery is just a cartoon version of Schneider. They don't feel real.

Least favourite: The storylines aren't as deep/handled as seriously. I don't like what they have done with Schneider. I don't think they explored his relationship with Avery well enough for me to be invested in it. I also don't think now is the right time to explore them having a child.

We're halfway through the season and there has been no character growth for anyone. It's a typical sitcom. Every emotional arc has been abandoned or ignored. Why are we not seeing Schneider freak out about becoming a parent, considering his history? Why are Penelope and Schneider not as close as they once were?

The meta/4th wall joke from animated special about tv shows being animated & least them telling Schindler he’s not part of the family.. like wtf multiple times too. Also the dropping of storylines (Sobriety/Cuba) & the ex partners back and everyone is happy

Alex got some much needed character development, but they basically hamstringed Penelope and Schneider

The episodes are shorter and the comedy seems cheaper and easier, the jokes don’t have the depth they used to

[bybdolan]

What did you think of Klaus and Cassandra relationship? I personally liked it, even though I wish it was expanded. I don’t know where it is going to go, especially as their relationship would be seen as scandalous (the restaurant going silent upon their arrival, though accepting them both seats, is an example).

I'm going to answer all the asks that you have sent me about this at once because it's easier for me to touch upon all of my thoughts at once instead of splitting them up.

Klaus and Cassandra were my favorite part of season 2, because I am a sucker for romance and it was a bit of an "escape" from all the bad stuff going on in the show. I also felt that it was a smart move on the writers' part because Klaus' love for her is a very solid reason for him not going back to Germany, not only because that would mean having to leave her, but also because his fondness for her likely made him reconsider a lot of what he was taught and make him doubt the state he was trained to work for. Which brings me to my main issue (that you also mentioned): It all feels a little rushed. The biggest problem Das Boot has imo is that it has too much going on. There are like 20 different storylines and none of them is told in a way that feels satisfying. Klaus falling in love with Cassandra means that he has to deconstruct an entire belief system and while it is likely that his time in the U.S. has started to reshape his views, it's strange how the show is presenting it to us as if he woke up one day and just wasn't racist anymore. Maaaayyybe he was never racist in the first place and he just defended "the fatherland" because that is what he was taught to do, but let's be real here: That scenario really isn't realistic. And that is brought up maybe four times, but never by Klaus himself. You said that it likely was to make him appear very nice, which is probably true and does work, but it's still strange that we never really see him face any inner conflicts.

It's sad that their relationship is not that well developed, because Rick and Rochelle have amazing chemistry and the base of the relationship ("we are both outcasts who are held back by society's expectations") is very strong! I hope we get more insight into that in Season 3, though I have nooo idea where we are going to go from here. As you have pointed out in a different ask: it's a risk for both of them to be together, especially if people find out that Klaus was a german soldier. And what does Cassandra do now? Running away with Klaus would mean leaving her career behind and she doesn't seem to be the type to do that. I guess we have to wait and see.

I'll definitely look into Elinor Powell and Frederick Albert's story now, thank you for telling me about them, anon!

[rachelblairy]

Why do you like Nate and Blair so much? I mean I've only read four books but I really hated the way he treated her in the second one. Their entire breakup was basically just glorified ghosting. Does something super romantic happen between them in later books?

a nair question !!! my heart !!

you raise an excellent point ! i won’t deny that some of it is complete nostalgia - i read the books as they were coming out ( i was in eighth grade when the first couple were released so,  you know, ~ growing up or whatever ) so they’re intrinsically tied to a lot of my own development and shit. that being said.  one of the reasons i liked the books over the show is because the characters were just made to feel more real than they were on the cw. don’t get me wrong ! i enjoyed the show and watched all six seasons and cried every time blair went back to the worst man in the world, but the books gave depth and nuance and allowed them to be kids. they were sixteen/seventeen, and they were trying to figure out colleges and new family dynamics and most of them had been severely neglected by their parents most of their lives and all they had were each other.  the blair/nate/serena dynamic was incredibly nuanced - blair had the most focus in the books ( still convinced she or vanessa were gossip girl the entire time thanks ) and she was allowed to be absolutely fucking insane. at her mothers lamaze class, she went into the bathroom and took a fucking bubble bath because she was on the edge of a mental breakdown. she joined rehab as a way to get back to nate without actually acknowledging her ( very real ! ) problems. she got a recommendation from a doctor for yale when her mother went into labor during a meeting at constance and she stood by her every step of the way. the normally distant blair to tyler and aaron was head over heels for her baby sister yale.  nate, meanwhile, has spent his entire life with really only blair and serena. blair has a family - big and ecclectic and terrible in their own rights, but they’re present. serena has her brother, so even if her parents travel too much, serena and erik were incredibly close. nate’s mother was a french princess, his father was a navy captain and they were never around. it’s not surprising when hormones get thrown into the mix, he gets overwhelmed and confused. nate has no guide for how to navigate intense emotions, and he spends much of his time drowning them out with weed anyways. 

blair helped him be present. he helped level her out. their relationship dynamic ebbs and flows and he was absolutely an asshole for ditching her, on her birthday, on her mothers wedding day. but if he didn’t, it wouldn’t have brought blair and serena back together, which was equally important. while i tend to focus more on blair & nate than serena, the three of them absolutely need each other - they’re the perfect example of a poly trio with blair at the center imo.  does nate ever truly get much better? not really. he does grow, and so does she, but i won’t say anything ‘incredibly romantic’ happens. he and blair get back together in the spring, they have sex for the first time around graduation, and still a few days later blair finds him and serena ( not doing anything, just there if i remember correctly ) in a tub during their big graduation weekend in the hamptons ( nobody does it better ). right now in my own reread i’m only up to ‘i like it like that’ where blair attempts to seduce erik but nate walks in and she says she can’t do it because she’s not ready and eriks response is, ‘you’re ready, i’m just not the right guy’.  to me, their story is classic best friends to lovers, slowburn & angst, 200k+. they have to grow up. they definitely need time apart. but they’re always going to be the ones destined for each other, and not because their parents decided it, or because they ‘look good’ together. it’s because in the end, no one knows nate as well as blair does, and no one knows blair as well as nate does. 

[extreme-technicality]

does talking to an anon help about ninjago help? cuz I'm down

DHDKCKGSC YES IT DOES THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR OFFERING YOUR SERVICES

Okay now that I know I won’t be clogging people’s dashes buckle the fuck in my dude and I should stress that I literally would not be talking about this as much as I will be if I didn’t genuinely enjoy the show. I’m gonna go season by season and just Rant

S1 has the serpentine as the bbeg and like, as far as villains go they’re p lit. They’re early enough that they haven’t been done to hell, things are fresh, the characters and dynamics are being fleshed out, and all in all s1 is a pretty solid season. There’s some fuckery that gets brought up re: how the FUCK aging works and what the actual timeline of Ninjago is and how Wu and Garmadon fit into that timeline, fuckery that LITERALLY NEVER GETS RESOLVED IN A SATISFYING WAY BC ITS REVEALED IN A LATER SEASON (s8, dw we’ll get there lmao) THAT THE ONLY REASON THE FIRST SPINJITSU MASTER, WU, AND GARMADON LIVED AS LONG AS THEY DID IS CUZ THEYRE BASICALLY DEMIGODS AND ITS IMPLIED THAT LLOYD WILL ALSO LIVE FOR A LONG ASS TIME WHICH MEANS ONE DAY HES GONNA OUTLIVE ALL HIS FRIENDS AND EVERYONE HE EVER LOVED WHICH IS A FUN THING TO THINK ABOUT AT NIGHT But anyway I digress, s1 also coincidentally introduces Lloyd (he wasn’t in the pilot episodes that set up the rest of the series) and the existence of Evil Dad Garmadon.

S2 is where Garmadon starts acting a lot more Evil and a lot less Dad. He’s the main antagonist for that season, and I actually read somewhere that the show was originally slated to end after s2 which high key explains the fuckery of literally every single season after this lmaooooo. Much like s1, I really can’t find much to complain about, the first two seasons are pretty decent as far as I can remember

Season. Fucking. Three. Where the fuck do I start??? I hate season three for entirely personal reasons revolving around the STUPID GODDAMN ROMANCE WRITING. okay lemme back up and explain a thing first so, Jay is dating Nya and they’re fine, they’re going steady, aND THEN????? THE BEGINNING OF THE SEASON INTRODUCES BULLSHIT LOVE TRIANGLE FUCKERY FOR ZERO GODDAMN REASON, BITCH I HATE LOVE TRIANGLES AND I HATE THEM EVEN MORE WHEN THEYRE DONE FOR NO GODDAMN REASON!!! AND THEN. AS IF THAT WERENT ENOUGH. THEY SHOEHORNED A ROBOT ROMANCE BETWEEN ZANE AND PIXAL AND I KNOW I RANTED ABOUT THIS A LITTLE BIT WHEN I WAS ACTUALLY WATCHING BUT I DIDNT GO INTO ENOUGH DETAIL!!!! THEY MADE THE OTHER NINJA OOC IN ORDER TO PROP UP THEIR SHIP!!!!!! AND AT ONE POINT ZANE GOES “its like we were…made for each other” AND I HAD TO FUCUCJDHVE I HAD TO SCREAM INTO A PILLOW BRO, IM SO TIRED!!!! NO THE FUCK YOU WERENT!!!!!! YOU WERE MADE FOR YOU AND PIXAL WAS MADE FOR PIXAL AND IF YALLS WANNA BANG BOLTS THATS FINE BUT DONT IMPLY THAT EITHER OF YOU WERE MADE INCOMPLETE!!!! THATS AN INSULT TO YOUR MAKERS AND YOURSELVES, MOVE ON, PLEASE AND THANK YOU. anyway that season also killed Zane (for the first time, but not the last) (spoiler alert lmao) and like, not to be an emotional little shit but I did cry a bit at his funeral.

S4 is honestly one of my favorites, even though the romance crimes continue (the love triangle bullshit is continuing and honestly I maintain that Cole, Nya, and Jay should all have gotten together and in my personal canon they DID, and also Kai has a forced romance) the VILLAIN makes up for it imo. He’s campy!! He’s funny!! He’s a clown!! He’s serious enough that if he says “I’m gonna kill you” HE MEANS IT and that’s so fucking refreshing!!!! S4 is honestly 8/10 just for the villain alone, don’t like that it retconned the SHIT out of the elemental masters and how many different elements there are TO master but eh, it’s ninjago, shit is stupid.

S5 was…interesting? OH WAIT I FORGOT TO MENTION THAT S3 INTRODUCED A GARMADON WHO WAS A LOT LESS EVIL AND A LOT MORE DAD, HONESTLY I THOUGHT IT TOOK A LOT OF THE FLAVOR OUT BUT THATS JUST ME LMAOOO. anyway s5 killed Garmadon, and I was a little sad cuz I like him okay??? I just think he’s NEAT, he’s got big dad energy, he was teaching Lloyd some shit that just got DROPPED and literally was never brought up again which is honestly a theme in Ninjago. Ninjago drinking game: take a shot every time they introduce a plot point or ability and drop it at or before the end of the season. WHICH THEY ALSO DID IN S5 WITH A DIFFERENT POWER ACTUALLY, so all the ninja are masters of Spinjitsu right, well s5 introduced the concept of Airjitsu which only Spinjitsu masters can learn and it lets them FLY and they used that for seasons 5 and 6 and then they nEVER BROUGHT IT UP AGAIN EVEN THOUGH IT WOULDVE COME IN HANDY FOR S E V E R A L DIFFERENT SITUATIONS ACROSS THE SEASONS, ONE OF THEM WOULD BE FALLING TO THEIR DOOM AND MY ASS WOULD BE YELLING “YOU CAN FLY, DUMBASS” - anyway, they do that again later lmao it’s fine. But what’s low key NOT fine is they made Nya the WATER NINJA!!! Like I’m not mad she has powers, except I kinda am, she was doing just fine as Samurai X and honestly the only reason she has super special ninja powers is for plot reasons. Also Cole got turned into a ghost, but by s7 he’s????? No longer a ghost????????? And that’s NEVER addressed or reasoned away, so like. Cool lmao

S6 didn’t happen. Like, canonically, s6 ends with wish fuckery that undoes the entire season and none of the characters remember anything that happened except Jay and Nya because S6 is the season where they get back together so they remember all those events for???? Feelings reasons?????? Unclear, moving on. The actual bbeg for S6 was a djinn with a vaguely Spanish accent, and to this DAY I don’t know why they made him have a SPANISH accent. Djinn are Arabic, not Spanish!! They’re not central or South American, either!!!! Your villain design makes no sense, do better

S7 had MORE time fuckery, and retconned what happened to Kai and Nya’s parents and hmmmhmhmhmhmhm that makes me Upsetti Spaghetti :3 not just the retconning, but the fact that they LITERALLY brought them back oNLY TO NEVER MENTION THEM AGAIN!!!!!! LITERALLY!!!!!!!! Okay so at the VERY very beginning, like pilot episodes beginning, Kai talks about their dad like he died/left fairly recently, BUT s7 contradicts that and claims that both of their parents were essentially abducted when Kai and Nya were little kids, which makes me question what in the fresh fuck two little kids were doing for all those years alone. SETTING THAT ASIDE FOR A HOT SECOND, their parents were also apparently good friends of Wu’s and old war buddies (from the Serpentine wars, which is YET ANOTHER bit of the timeline that doesn’t quite add up but honestly I could make a whole other post about that shit). But if they were such good fucking friends, why didn’t Wu check in every now and again??? What the fuck was Wu doing that was so fucking important that he couldn’t have been assed to visit his friends ONCE in like TEN MOTHERFUCKING YEARS and realize “oh shit, they’re not here and there are two tiny children running around unsupervised…My Kids Now : )” LIKE????? WU YOU LOW KEY SHOULDA LOOKED OUT FOR YOUR FRIENDS’ KIDS BETTER, THEY COULDA DIED BRO!!! Uhhhh the time fuckery also results in Wu getting yeeted ahead in time a bit and the ninja gotta find him

Season. Eight. I have…mixed feelings about this one. The beginning absolutely SLAUGHTERED me, and not in a “this is so fucking funny” way. No, the beginning made me feel like I was being flayed alive with just about every episode because Ninjago was back on its forced romance bullshit and this time it was Lloyd’s turn on the chopping block. That hurt my soul cuz like, look at that mans color scheme, he’s CLEARLY alloaro, why are you forcing romance on my aro man, why would you hurt me like that, BUT ALSO BECAUSE HE AND THE GIRL HE WAS BEING SET UP WITH HAD A LITTLE HEART TO HEART REALLY EARLY ON AND IT WAS THE MOST QUEER CODED SHIT!!!! IT DEADASS READ AS A CONVERSATION BETWEEN AN OUT AND PROUD QUEER AND A CLOSETED QUEER AND THEY MADE!!! IT!!!!! STRAIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!! The only thing that kept me watching at first was wanting to find Wu, and then I started enjoying myself once Cole found a plot-relevant baby and had fatherhood thrust upon him. Everything went from “ehhhhh” to “holy shit this FUCKS” once it was revealed that Rumi (Lloyd’s love interest) wAS PLAYING HIM THE WHOLE TIME AND WAS EVIL AND HAD AN EVIL GIRLFRIEND!!!!!! LITERALLY IMPROVED EVERYTHING ABOUT THE SEASON FOR ME, I COULD EVEN FORGIVE THE WHOLE “let’s resurrect Garmadon, but as evil as possible” BULLSHIT!!!!!!

S9 is a continuation of s8, Garmadon is back and 1000% Evil, 10% Dad, but none of the Dad energies is directed at Lloyd - it’s all directed at Rumi, and honestly I could write a whole ass post on just RUMI cuz that’s honestly my DAUGHTER and I LOVE HER and I’m MAD SHE DIES AT THE END OF THIS SEASON!!!! SHE DESERVED THERAPY AND TO LIVE WITH HER GF AND MAYBE SOME CRIME. AS A TREAT. RUMI DESERVED BETTER AND LOW KEY IM GONNA WRITE A FIC ABOUT IT, BUT ANYWAY WHERE WAS I

Ah right, so s9 has the four major Ninja stuck in the original dimension with no way home, while Lloyd has no powers (cuz he almost died last season) and has to somehow lead a resistance against Garmadon (who has taken control of Ninjago City and is working on the rest of Ninjago). Actually, s9 is pretty cool. Like, the end of s8 and into s9 are low key my favorite episodes, and I kinda wanna rewatch them now -

S10 is a FUN one. Garmadon got got last season, but he didn’t DIE, so he’s in cold storage and now there’s Another Threat and he’s the only one who knows wtf they’re up against so they let him out and he works with them. The funny part is, he is still Very Much Evil and doesn’t quite Get emotions like he did when he was, uh, human lmao, sO HE WOKE UP EVERY DAY DURING THAT SEASON AND DECIDED TO CAUSE PROBLEMS ON PURPOSE. IT WAS THE FUNNIEST FUCKING SHIT. 1000000/10 MY FAVORITE GARMADON, he ended that season by literally fucking off into Ninjago and they never decided to track him down 😭😭😭😭😭and I’m so SAD about it dude

S11 has another Serpentine as the bbeg, though in the setup to that they retconned how the fucking Serpentine tribes and history work??? I think???? Also Wu was a good 150% angrier and generally Done with the ninja’s shit, which was honestly refreshing tho I’m not quite sure I liked what the refreshed view was, but whatever lmao. S11 also had the ninja get yeeted to the dimension farthest from Ninjago, and honestly - okay, so they didn’t all go at the same TIME, Zane left about a week or two before the others did but there was time dilation fuckery afoot which I’m not too mad about cuz low key it makes sense. What I AM mad about is that they didn’t play the angst up to its full POTENTIAL!!!!!! Zane was EVIL in the other dimension!!!! Okay so I’m Ninjago he was only gone for maybe a week or two, but DECADES had passed in the other one, and all that time Zane was alone and disconnected from everyone he knew and loved, with a staff that boosted his power while slowly corrupting him and Turning Him Evil to help him, and like???? The thought of Zane trying to find a way home, trying to get SOME sort of message back, while he has to use the staff more and more to help him survive the long, lonely decades, so that by the time his family DOES show up its too late??? BRO. B R O. THAT JUST HITS DIFFERENT, BUT NINJAGO DIDNT DO THAT!!! THEY MADE HIM EVIL DUE TO MEMORY WIPE!!!!!! MEMORY WIPE IS BABY SHIT COMPARED TO A LONG, SLOW CORRUPTION!!!!!!

S12 was alright. It went into Cole’s mom, touched on some of the adventures she had had, threatened another forced romance (this time on poor Cole, just leave my mans ALONE) but thankfully didn’t follow through this time, introduced cool new powers that honestly hasn’t been elaborated on since that’s the most recent season I think lmao

Anyway thanks for reading and letting me rant!!!! I have,,So Much More I could talk about, PLEASE ask me about Rumi, some of my headcanons re: Garmadon and Wu’s dynamic, the Serpentine, my top five times they butchered Kai’s character for Plot Reasons, or anything else I brought up here that you want me to elaborate on!!!

[mattiassamuelsson]

What do you think about the breakup (first time this season!), and how badly do you want Pilut back in Buffalo?

while i’m emotionally a little sad, i’m not against the break up. sam can drive his own line and he needs to prove it — if only so people on twitter will shut the fuck up. while we’re at it, keep sam at right wing, thank you very much. i also think it’s good that krueger is willing to revisit his thoughts (re: his many many statements about how much he likes playing them together) — @jakemccabe brought it up in the tbb podcast about hoping krueger wouldn’t remain stubborn when pairings he loved didn’t work out. so that is a good sign at least in that front. color me sad that the REO Speedwagon is disbanded for now tho.

i haven’t been able to watch many games since i’ve come home for winter break unfortunately, so i can’t speak to if it wasn’t really working. i think this split is also informed by skinner being out with injury 3-4 weeks now and krueger seeking balance as well as a spark to eek out a win somehow.

as for the resulting pairing from this fall out ( olofsson - eichel - okposo & johansson - larsson - reinhart), let’s just say i’m skeptical. however, i’m not going to pass judgement yet because we all laughed at larsson - skinner and that turned out to be a pretty okay pairing, but it’s looking pretty damn shabby. that being said, i think the way the lines look is less of a krueger thing and more a krueger is just trying to cobble together whatever he has and he needs better material. aka i’m finally jumping on the botterill fucking do something ship...

re: pilut. this falls under botterill needs to fucking do something ship. our blue line is backed the hell up and while passable nhl grade, they’re not backed the hell up with elite players. there’s no reason it should’ve gotten to this point. in practice the sabres can ice four full defensive pairings... that’s insane. (tho i know krueger has taken to 11-7 lately). imo bogosian needs to sit permanently — to hell with the consequence, he was going to be let go at the end of the season anyway. i’ve liked scandella’s play as of late (thanks jokiharju!) but that also ups his value to be flipped or packaged with something else to get us a good forward. honestly flip risto and scandella together  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ let’s have some fun.

pilut is ready for nhl action — he would have been at the beginning of the season if not for the recovery from his surgery. development is important, of course, and the extra time in the minors isn’t a bad thing either, but i feel our defense despite strong in numbers could use the spark he could bring to the ice especially as the sabres have been struggling for weeks on weeks now. it’s still hard to piece together my ideal d-pairings as there’s still a lot of talent, but maybe something like this:

dahlin-montour pilut-ristolainen miller-jokiharju

dahlin-montour is fun and they play well imo. i remember pilut-ristolainen having a lot of success last season because pilut communicates a lot with risto and also yells at him on the ice a ton. and miller-jokiharju bc that’s who’s left but i have faith. joki is turning out to be an absolute stud dman. (mccabe i’m sorry). i just hope pilut has some more patience in him and doesn’t walk at the end of his contract this season. i’d hate to lose such a talented young defenseman at the expense of our gm sitting on his hands.

the last option but possibly realistic one i don’t want to consider is that pilut is the one the sabres trade for a forward. his trade stock is high and most other teams recognize he’s more than nhl ready so he could fetch a talented prospect. but again, i’d hate to lose young good talent. and honestly i’m also tired of my favorite defensive prospects getting traded.

[surveys-at-your-service]

Survey #238

“crimson calligraphy written on the trees, creature from the grave, headless and hellbent for me.”

Have you ever played golf? Like, mini-golf. Is there a lake near your house? No, but there's two small ponds down the road. Have you ever made your own pizza or pasta dough? No. Have you ever watched an entire season of a tv show in one day? Uhhhhh how long are the first few seasons of Supernatural? Because Jason and I fucking binged it, and I honestly think that's partially the reason I don't even enjoy TV anymore. Like I liked the show, but jfc it became torture at some point. Not his fault at all, I just never pointed it out. BUT ANYWAY, it's definitely possible we did. What did you have for dinner tonight (or last night)? A ham and cheese hot pocket. Do your parents do things that ‘embarrass’ you? This is so mean, but my mom makes the cringiest jokes and such imo that gives me mad secondhand embarrassment. Do you like any Bon Jovi songs? Yeah, a decent handful. Who was the last person you were in a car with? Mom. Do you give people second chances? Ha, more than "second." How’re things between you and your most recent ex? We're totally great. Really as if we didn't even break up, considering I mean... nothing emotionally has changed. We just know that being together right now isn't the wise decision. It's frustrating as hell, though. We've already established we're not going to "wait" for each other, but neither of us are actively looking for a new partner, either. I want her, and from what I can tell, she wants me, too. We kinda just... don't talk about how unfair it all is anymore because we both get too upset. I was even supposed to go up there with her and her fam for her birthday and Christmas, but that's changed because she and I agree it's too soon after splitting, making it only more difficult to be around each other. We'd want to cuddle and kiss and such by instinct, so we're trying to wait until the wound isn't as fresh. Though honestly, I don't know how visiting period would go consider as said, there has been zero change in romantic attraction. Ugh yeah I just hope she figures out what she wants and all and we can get back together. Have you been to a wedding this year? No. I'm going to my half-sister's next year, though. Are you an aunt or uncle? Yes, and another niece is on her way. :') Do you expect to be married in the next two years? Probably not. What season is your birthday in? Winter. Have you ever been hunting? Fuck that shit. How often do you walk around barefoot? Always in my own house + in other houses if I'm allowed to take my shoes off. When you eat take-out, do you just eat it out of the containers provided? Usually, but it does depend on what food it is. Ex., those little boxes that have rice in them from Chinese places? I'm using a bowl. From the container is just messy. Would you need to sleep with someone before considering marrying them? Nah. Do you carry condoms? No. Would you date someone who has a hearing aid? ... Yes...? "No" is just... so rude?? Like that is something the person absolutely cannot help, nor is it a HUGE thing. It's just a hearing aid, dude. How organized are the files on your computer? Pretty decent. Folders and such. Could be better still, probably. Have you ever been to a strip club? Nah, not my scene. Have you ever brought home a stray animal? Pleeeeenty of cats. Are you physically strong? No, especially not my legs. I've got a newborn fawn's legs, jc. Still working on building the muscle back up. Would you date someone with braces? Oh my god, fuck off. Yes I would. I was the person with braces dating someone without them, so 1.) I obviously can't say shit, 2.) they're taking care of their goddamn teeth, and 3.) I dunno, wearing braces has no goddamn impact on personality???????????? Does scuba diving interest you? Not to an incredible degree, but it'd be cool. Would you ever ask your parents for relationship advice? Maybe for certain topics. Do you think people look up to you? Y'know that "oh no hunty WHAT is u doin" meme??? That's me if someone does. How often do you have trouble sleeping at night? *blinking* There are people who don't??????? Do you blush easily? Ohhhhhh yes. Do you get angry at yourself or at others more often? Hm. Not sure. Can you name five current world leaders? AHAHA nope. How many times have you had the flu? Zero. Do you think imagination is valuable? Oh hell yes. We would be NOWHERE CLOSE to where we are as animals without it. Who or what are you most impatient with? I don't know. When was the last time you mowed a lawn? Never. Have you seen all of the Star Wars films? No; seen only the first three with a friend and saw zero appeal. He didn't either. How about all of the Harry Potter ones, so far? I haven't even seen one. Jason and I started the first one together but. Paid way more attention to each other than the movie lmfao. What part of the newspaper do you typically enjoy reading? None. I collect my school's papers now though 'cuz I'm the photographer for it. :') Have you ever made a website, even a simple one? Four that I remember. The ancient and now-defunct ones were back when I think this site called Wetpaint was a host for simple sites, and a lot of us RPers posted our mob info and stuff there. I had one for Talons, one for Connrads. Ha, out of curiosity, I think I looked for them not all too long ago since I never actually deleted them, but I think the site itself was re-purposed. NOW, I have a Wix site for my photography, and then Kalahari Manor is a ProBoards-hosted site. Which was better: your childhood or your teen years? Jfc, childhood. Teen years were a chaotic and rancid cesspit in terms of mental health. What was your reaction to your first time falling in love? I truly imagine that realizing I was *in love* with Jason surpassed what a high probably feels like lmao. What does it take for someone to win your heart? I'm actually putting thought into this one and I think what appeals to me in a person most is just being friendly with a good sense of humor and obvious, shameless concern for others. AND JFC, HAVE EMOTION. Don't be a brick wall with me. Lacking an emotional side, positive or negative, is such a turn-off to me. I'm not attracted to robots. Being a gentle person is important, and for me personally, you need to actually act like you're into me. Not just between us. Do not make me a secret. AND BE CREATIVE AND WEIRD AND FRESH!!!!!!!!!!! There's nothing wrong with more "vanilla" people, but just for me myself, I need someone who stands out for some good reason. lol okay this answer's actually getting kinda long, I'll stop. There's a number of ways. What is one thing you would rather be doing? Ha ha yo real talk, Sara and I are getting all emotional and deep into our relationship, platonic or romantic, and I want me and her in her bed right now tearing each other up alsdkjfla;kwejre I love her a lot ok. When was the last time you changed your mind about something? OKAY SO I started a new birth control, right? It. Sent. Me. BACK. With my PTSD. How? Idfk, but I was suddenly obsessing over Him again, badly. I stopped that shit, and wha'd'ya know, two days later, I'm like "lol wtf I don't want him why did that just happen hunty was u ok????????". SO YEAH, that was a trip. Do you know anyone with a lisp? I'm not sure. Possibly. How much weight can you lift at once? No clue. Not a lot. Do you ask guys out, or wait for them to ask you out? I've never asked a guy out, but I wouldn't say I wouldn't. Do you like the last person who showed interest in you? I love her. Describe the last person you stared at? I have no idea. Do you like dating one person at a time, or multiple people? I'm personally monogamous. Have your experiences made you more or less sympathetic to others? MORE. Do you find smoking unattractive? I do. Have your parents ever searched your personal belongings? Mom has. Where did you get your last bruise from? ... Well. This is uh. Awkward. Tying into when I was on that medicine that made my libido fucking uncontrollable (thank the fucking lord I'm back to normal), my breasts are lookin rough, sister. Are you looking forward to anything? Nothing in the VERY near future, I think. A bit further off, Christmas. I can't wait to see the kids so excited again, and for once, we come together as a true family. Plus my #1 wish is to have my Mark tattoo improved at an amazing parlor, and I'm pretty sure that'll be happening, just obvs. not on Christmas Day itself. I'll just be fuckin STOKED when I *know* it's happening. Do you have a good relationship with your parents? Yes. How much money did you spend today? $1.25 for something from the vending machine. I didn't have breakfast, so I was really hungry. When you’re bored in class, what do you usually do? Try to not doze off. If we're not doing anything, then I'll play around with my phone. Have you ever had a song stuck in your head for more than a day? Oh, definitely. Ever walked into the guy’s bathroom? HA as a stupid elementary school with her friends, we sure did during a work day (my mom used to work with special ed kids at school). We thought we were soooo rebellious. How many wives or husbands do you want? One. What happens if you fall in love with your best friend? Ha, did. I still am, and we hope to be back together someday. Has a teacher ever flirted with you? Not that I know of. Thankfully. Is it okay for friends to kiss each other, as friends? It's not my thing, but sure, if it's consenting and both are aware it's platonic. Do your wishes ever get granted in the worst way possible? Probably in some way at some point I don't recall. How do you feel about your naked body? NONONONONONONONONONONONONONONO Have you ever been called obnoxious? I don't think so, anyway. Do you wish you had a bigger family? No. Which friend would you kiss full on the mouth, no questions asked? Sara. Can you do a split or stick your foot up next to your ear? Nope. When was the last time you complained about something? I was venting some mild frustration to Sara earlier tonight. What is your favorite color combination? Favorite is probably pastel orange and light blue. Love it. Then there's pastel pink and purple. Okay pretty much any combination is about the pastels When was the last time you spoke in front of a group? A month or so back when I had to do my Lifeline presentation in FYS. Do you like group projects, or do you prefer to work alone? I strongly prefer working alone. There's no disagreements, compromises, incompetent partners, etc. Have you ever been told you were going to Hell? Yup! (: Indirectly, but. How did you respond? I don't recall, but I wish I did. Who is the most argumentative person you know? She's not in my life anymore partially BECAUSE of that shit. Do you know anyone who is crazy about proper grammar? Yes, but she has OCD as a valid reason. I'm pretty particular about it too to a degree. Who was the last person to make you feel special? Oh my gosh, my therapist told me she was so proud of me and the progress I was making that I just entirely lit up and became a total beaming ball of giggles and "thank you"s. Would you feel funny if you kissed somebody of the same sex? No, I'm bi. If your best friend grabs your hand, what do you automatically do? Squeeze it. What’s something you can cook or bake like a pro? Cheesy and spicy scrambled eggs, man. Also known as the only thing I can properly cook lmao. Do you tend to flirt a lot, even when the person isn’t single? Fuck no, if they're not single. I'll flirt with my s/o when I see it appropriate or relevant, and in a case where we're both single, I'd be very subtle about it because shy. What’s something that you think is really cute? Off the very top of my head, the Ewoks from Star Wars, oh my fucking god. They were the only thing I enjoyed in the movies. What’s a pretty bird? I mean... pretty much all of them. BUT, can we take a moment to appreciate the bearded vulture? like???? they're fucking BADASS???????????? Besides sleeping, what do you do in bed? Almost... everything. It's the reason I endured/am still recovering from muscle atrophy in my legs. Have you ever hacked into somebody’s account? Playfully, back when that was a thing for friends to do and post lovey-dovey stuff about them everywhere. Megan and I, and I believe Mini and I as well, did it to each other. Possibly more. Is having to pee really badly worse than being really thirsty? Oh hell yes it is. The former can get to a point of hurting. Have you ever touched a Qu'ran? No. Do you love animals more than most? Oh definitely. Why do you eat fast food? It's easy to grab when on the run, and Mom has almost zero time to cook. Then we both have school. Most often I just warm things up in the microwave or grab something substantial enough in the fridge. Is there always going to be that one person you and a friend makes fun of? I guess you could say indirectly, yes. Just something she said in a certain way became an inside joke. Her as a person, no, I wouldn't do that. What is a bad habit of yours that you’re actually trying to fix? Having terrible eye contact. I have a very hard time maintaining it, but I've been trying to keep that weakness in mind when talking to people. Do you write out your feelings? That's one reason why I take these surveys, yes. Do you have bills to pay yet? It's embarrassing that I don't. Not saying like, I want to pay bills, what madman would, but I do want to feel more like a proper, independent adult. Will you be changing your hair any time soon? Not the style, but one thing I'm asking for Christmas is a professional to dye my hair silver. I say pro because my hair does NOT hold color, and because of the bleach needed, Mom's concerned I'll damage my hair if I put my trust into anyone less qualified. Does your mom have a celebrity look-alike? I don't think so, but she looks UNCANNILY like her firstborn daughter. It is SCARY. Is there something you wish you could learn to do? There's loads of stuff. Probably above all, cook. Or stop procrastinating. If you could be amazing at ONE thing, what would it be? Drawing precisely what I see in my head. Because of how important they are to me, I would pay BIG FUCKING BUCKS to get how my 'kats look onto paper. What do you wish people would pay you to do? Complain about my weight. :^) I'd be able to just pay for surgery to fix that within a day. Do you take good pictures? I personally think I do. I mean I wanna be a professional photographer. How would one go about impressing you? It depends on the subject and difficulty of whatever. What probably impresses me most would be someone maintaining a mature, peaceful attitude when there is reason to act otherwise. Self-control, that's it. Do you automatically apologize if you walk into somebody? Duh? Tell me a memory of this summer: It was fucking scorching and I hated every minute of it. What’s something that you don’t need, but really want? Hmmmm. OH, HELL YES. IF I had the proper body to even remotely pull them off, I. Would wear. NOTHING. But corsets. Jesus FUCKING Christ they are so hot. What do you draw more than anything else? Just about all I draw is meerkats. What’s the most favorite class you’ve ever had? The Digital Photography course I took in high school. Or Art Honors my junior year. I really enjoyed the stuff I made. For each person you’ve kissed, describe your feelings in one word: Jason: melancholy; Tyler: dramatic; Girt(?): loyal; Sara: ideal. How do you react when you trip or stumble? Gasp and carry on. If it was a more serious trip, I look around at who saw. Are you good at “biting your tongue”? NO. Why do you love the one you do? She's been there for me without fail, has undying faith in me, supports me through everything, is honest, she's funny and very unique, her adoration for animals shows a great level of compassion, she trusts me so much despite her history, she stands extremely firmly for what she sees as right and wrong... okay I can honestly write an essay on why I love her. Would you rather get [another] tattoo or piercing? GIMME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1 THE TATTOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1111111111111111111 Do you have long or short legs? I'd say they're normal, idk. When do you listen to Nickelback? *shrugs* When I wanna? Would you rather make the first move, or your crush? Them. I'm shy.

[repost-this-image]

How the Mass works, for non-Catholics

Yo, @apocrypals!  I'm WAY behind the curve on this one, but I just started listening to your podcast yesterday, and as an ex-Catholic, I can totally break down the Mass for you.  (I was raised in southern AL, so I’m one of the few ex-Catholics who’s also very fluent in evangelicalese.  OMG THE PIZZA PARTIES AND VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL.)  I went almost every week for the first 25 years of my life, so I know the Order of the Mass as well as the priests do at this point.  I can also  point out which things were special Easter stuff, and which things happen every Sunday.  After all, every Catholic church in the world does the exact same stuff in the same order, and has for 1500 years since Pope Gregory standardized things.  (Some places even still do everything in Latin, which...WOAH.)  

And unless you have a very long-winded priest, or something special like First Communion is going on, the whole thing takes about an hour, which is a pretty decent time for a church service, IMO.  Long enough to feel meaningful and get the important stuff in, but short enough that your kids don't go too wild.  (A lot of churches have a "cry room" for folks with babies and toddlers, which is basically a room in the back of the sanctuary with a big window so they can see the Mass, speakers so you can still hear the priest, and some toys to keep the wee ones occupied so you can at least kinda pay attention to what's going on.  This also keeps everyone else from having to deal with crying babies the whole time.)

Unfortunately, I am VERY long-winded, so we’re gonna put the rest of this behind a cut, to save everyone else’s dash.

Because some Catholics, just like in every denomination, only really show up for Easter and Christmas, there's a handy book called a Missal in the pews next to the hymnal so you can follow what's going on and what this week's readings are and whatnot.  The Church goes through the whole Bible in a 3-year cycle called the liturgy, so some churches have permanent hardbound Missals with all three years in 'em and a ribbon bookmark to keep track of which week and year you're in.  But most churches nowadays go with the seasonal Missal that gets swapped out several times a year, because instead of just saying “Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time,” the seasonal Missal has the actual date, too.  It’s a little paperback book, cheaply printed on newsprint, and gets sent back for recycling after the end of that season.  This also means that it doesn’t get all raggedy from 50 years of continuous use, requiring the congregation to shell out WAY more money at once to replace all those hardback Missals.

I grew up with these, and it was sort of fun to see what each new Missal would have on the cover.  They change the cover illustration from season to season and from year to year.  Today’s Missal is the most common brand, and comes in a regular English edition, a large print edition, and a bilingual edition (so if you’ve got a Spanish Mass, you only need one version of the Missal).

So you enter the sanctuary, dip your fingers in holy water, make the Sign of the Cross (don’t forget to genuflect toward the altar, out of respect to Jesus), get to your pew, and pull out the Missal.  Time to get holy, y’all!

First, you have an introductory hymn.  The priest, deacon, and altar servers all process in.  Holy-water-flinging happens at Easter, but not the rest of the year.  If it's Palm Sunday, you got a palm leaf as you walked in, and the kids are probably waving theirs around.  (Not, like, the whole leaf, but a branch of the leaf, if that makes sense.)

Next, the priest does his intro thing.  This is a combination of call-and-response and the priest's personal take on what this week's Scriptures are about.  Unless it's the Easter or Christmas season, the Act of Contrition is next, because everybody's probably done a little sinning since last week.  I personally hate the way they recently changed it, so here's the Vatican II version:

"I confess to almighty God, and to you my brothers and sisters, that I have sinned through my own fault, in my thoughts and in my words, in what I have done and in what I have failed to do.  And I ask Blessed Mary, ever virgin, all the angels and saints, and you, my brothers and sisters, to pray for me to the Lord our God." (The new version brought back the old mea cupla, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa, which is REALLY bad for folks with depression.)

It's followed by the Kyrie, which is SO OLD that the original version of it is in Greek instead of Latin.  The priest makes a statement (depending on the week) that ends with "Lord have mercy."  Everyone repeats "Lord have mercy."  Next statement from the priest ends with "Christ have mercy."  Response: "Christ have mercy."  Then a third section and response with "Lord have mercy" again.

OK.  We've said we're sorry for any bad things we've done, we've asked for God to maybe cut us a little slack on that whole punishment thing, so now it's time for the Gloria.  Text is here, in both English and Latin.  It's left out during Lent and Advent, but it's sung at every Mass the whole rest of the year.  I know both English and Latin versions, because I was in college choir, and most of the long choral pieces for rehearsals are Masses.  But as with the rest of the Mass, most churches just do it in the local language.  A few churches switch to Latin during Lent to add to the solemn feeling.  But only really stuffy, old-fashioned congregations do the Mass in Latin year-round.

The priest says a short prayer based on which week it is, and then it's time for the Liturgy of the Word.  This was my favorite part as a kid, because when you're little, it's easier to follow than the more symbolic and mystical Liturgy of the Eucharist.  It's also the only part where ordinary members of the congregation get to go up and present, but of course you have to make arrangements to be one of next week's Readers in advance.

Everyone sits down.  This week's first reading is read out, and then the Reader says "The word of the Lord."  Response:  "Thanks be to God."  Then the Reader, or the choir director, leads a simple chanted psalm with choral response.  (Which psalm varies week to week; the missal tells you what this week’s psalm is, and gives you a melody to sing your response to, if you can carry a tune.)  Second Reader comes up.  Second reading.  “The word of the Lord.”  “Thanks be to God.”

Now comes the Alleluia.  Everybody stands.  There are 3 or 4 variations that tend to get commonly used, and which tune depends on the congregation.  But there’s really only one word, so you can’t screw up the lyrics on this one.  The priest reads this week’s Gospel section, ending with “The Gospel of our Lord.”  Response:  “Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.”

Everyone sit down, it’s sermon time!  This is just like Protestant sermons, except the priest is required to focus on this week’s pre-set Bible readings for it.  That still gives him a lot of leeway, though, and a really good priest can get everybody engaged year after year.

OK, now we’re standing again for the Nicene Creed.  This, too, was altered recently, which means it no longer has the nice simple language of the Vatican II version.  IDK why they did this, since second-grade kids are required to learn the Nicene Creed as part of First Communion prep, but apparently the translation didn’t feel Latin-y enough to suit the stodgier cardinals.  So now little kids have to learn what “consubstantial” means, instead of just saying “one in being with the Father.”  Whatever.  Either way, it’s basically denouncing a bunch of 4th-century heresies.

Last part of the Liturgy of the Word is the Prayers of the Faithful (sometimes called the Intercessions).  Basically, one-sentence prayers have been drawn up by the priest, and the cantor comes up, recites each one, then does the call-and-response “We pray to the Lord:”  “Lord, hear our prayer.”  The last one is always a sort of “ok, this is your personal, private prayer that’s in your heart.”  So that you can pray for whatever’s been bugging you alongside the congregation, without having to air your private business to the church gossips.

And now, things are about to get all mystical.  It’s the Liturgy of the Eucharist!

First is the Presentation of the Gifts.  The collection plate is passed around.  If you’re an official member of the congregation, you even get little privacy envelopes mailed to your house to put each week’s offering in before you get to Mass, so nosy parkers can’t see how much you just put in the plate.  Once the collection plates get to the back of the church, they’re all collected together.  While the money’s being collected, a hymn’s being sung, and a hand-picked family from the congregation (which is why you don’t sit in the back if you don’t want to present the Gifts) processes down the aisle with a little ewer of water, another glass ewer containing wine, a big basket of unconsecrated hosts, and an empty chalice.  This is gonna become the Eucharist, oh snap!

The priest mixes the wine with a little water in the chalice.  This is probably symbolic, because NOBODY is gonna get drunk of the tiny sip of wine you’re expected to take at Communion.  He symbolically washes his hands, to symbolize that he’s putting off his fallible, earthly self to temporarily become a vessel through which God is working to create a miracle.  He prays over the bread, then the wine.  After each prayer, the congregation says “Blessed be God forever.”

There’s the intro to the Eucharistic Prayer, with its call-and-response, and then the Sanctus, which is so badass the Wikipedia page includes the Greek, Latin, and English versions, including old versions nobody uses anymore.  Whether the Sanctus is spoken or sung depends on the congregation. Everyone kneels, then stands back up.

Then the priest recites one of four Eucharistic Prayers.  Most of the time, they go with #2 or #3, which I’ve got partially memorized as a result.  This is the part where little kids get antsy, because it’s the most solemn and important portion of the Mass.  This is the part where a miracle happens, and the bread and wine become Jesus....somehow.  Yes, they actually become the body and blood of Christ in Catholic doctrine, which was one of the things Luther decided not to go along with.

To close up the prayer, the priest says the Doxology, and the choir’s response is the Great Amen.  The melody depends on which congregation, but as with the Alleluia, there’s only one word over and over, so you can’t screw up the lyrics.

The Lord’s Prayer is next, which is the same as the Protestant version up to “deliver us from evil.”  Then the priest says, “Deliver us, Lord, from every evil, and grant us piece in our day.  In your mercy keep us free from sin, and protect us from all anxiety, as we wait in joyful hope for the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ.”  Then you get to recite the kingdom, power, glory bit.

Next is the sign of peace.  In most congregations, you shake hands with everybody within arm’s reach, saying “Peace be with you” to each one.  Some people give hugs to their family members instead of a handshake.  Very rarely, you see a kiss.  DO NOT kiss a stranger unless you see them coming in with a pucker, and then do it on the cheek!  You do not want to accidentally sexually harass people in a church.  I cannot stress this enough.

Next is the Agnus Dei, which is almost always sung.  As a reminder, everyone is still standing at this point.

The priest then picks up the consecrated host (there’s usually one BIG host among all the little ones) and says “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world.  Happy are we who are called to his supper.”  Response from the congregation:  “Lord, I am not worthy to receive you, but only say the word and I shall be healed.”

And now it’s Communion time!  The priest breaks up the big host into little bite-sized pieces.  It’s usually perforated to make this easier.  The hosts and wine are divvied up for the Eucharistic ministers (volunteers from the congregation) to bring to their stations.  A hymn is sung while people go up for Communion.

You go to the nearest station and get the host.  The minister says, “The body of Christ.”  You say “Amen” and eat the host.  (Used to be you took the host on your tongue instead of your hands, but most people don’t do that anymore.)  Next is the wine.  The minister says, “The blood of Christ.”  You say “Amen” and take a sip of wine.  The minister uses the cloth to wipe the chalice so it doesn’t have as many of everybody’s germs on it for the last few folks to have to deal with.  It’s considered extremely poor taste to take the wine if you’re feeling sick.  Traditionally, if you’re not Catholic, or if you’ve got a mortal sin on your soul that you haven’t confessed yet, you’re supposed to wait in the pew and not take Communion at all.  Older folks especially get POed when you ignore this rule, or if you act less than serious during the Communion rite.  When you get back to your pew, you sit down.  You can also sing along with the hymn, if that’s still going.

This is the point at which some people go ahead and leave, while everyone else silently judges them for not staying to the end of Mass.

Local announcements are made.  Is it time for the pancake breakfast? Time to sign the wee ones up for another year of CCD/PSR?  Is the Knights of Columbus doing their Tootsie Roll drive for people with intellectual disabilities?  Now’s when you find out!

Then comes the Benediction, which I understand is the exact same prayer the Protestants use.  (”May the Lord bless you and keep you,” etc.)  The deacon announces that the Mass is ended.  Everyone says “Thanks be to God.”  A final hymn is sung.  It is OK to leave during the closing hymn instead of after it; unlike leaving during Communion, no one will judge you.

Stuff that happens on holidays:

On Ash Wednesday, there’s a lot more prayers of contrition, and instead of Communion, you get ashes smudged onto your forehead, usually in the shape of a cross.  This is the beginning of the 40-day season of Lent, which is all about penitence.

At Christmas, a new candle is brought out, consecrated, and thus begins its year-long journey of being burned down a little bit every week until it’s a wee stump, at which point it’s Christmas again, so the cycle starts over.  The liturgical candle is HUGE compared to the other candles on the altar, so it can last a full year.

During Ash Wednesday (again) and Good Friday, there’s a part where the priest walks around the church with a censer full of frankincense, and basically spreads the scent of the smoke all over.  Don’t go to these Masses if you’ve got asthma.

On Good Friday, the big crucifix is brought up and everybody bows to Jesus, or if you’re really old-school, you kiss the statue’s feet so you’re symbolically kissing Jesus’s feet.  (We discovered this in the most embarrassing way possible.  Bro was in middle school, and one of our Southern Baptist classmates was curious as to how Catholic and Protestant services were different and wanted to check it out.  Bro got Mom’s permission and invited him to go to Good Friday Mass with us.  We had NEVER BEEN to Mass on Good Friday before.  You can imagine how the statue-kissing came across to the good Protestant boy who’d heard rumors about those Catholics and their idolatry.)

On Palm Sunday and Easter, the Gospel is ALWAYS the Passion of the Christ.  Some churches actually do this as a Passion play, but most just have it as printed in the missal.  Basically, the deacon is the narrator, the priest reads Jesus’s parts, one of the Readers from earlier plays any other individual parts (Peter, Judas, Pontius Pilate, etc.), and the congregation says all the group/crowd parts.  Yes, this means that every year, millions of Catholics are saying “Give us Barabbas!” and “Crucify him!”  Which helps hammer in that however good a person you are, you too probably would have made the wrong call and asked for Jesus to be crucified, so don’t start thinking you’re better than other people.

Advent is the beginning of the liturgical year and is a 4-week preparation for Christmas.  There’s a big Advent wreath by the altar with 4 candles on it (and maybe a fat white pillar candle in the middle for Christmas Day).  Each Sunday, 1 more candle is lit than last week.  Kinda like Hannukkah, only weekly instead of daily and with a totally different meaning behind it.  Weeks 1, 2, and 4 have a purple candle.  Week 3 is Laetare (Rejoicing) Sunday and has a pink candle.  All 4 candles are on the wreath, even if they’re not all lit this week.  Some people have Advent wreaths and candles at home, too.  I still have a very nice pewter one from a couple years before I deconverted.

Some churches have the Nativity scene partially set up before the first Sunday of Advent.  The statues of Mary and Joseph are moved a bit closer to the Nativity scene each week, then at Christmas Eve they’re around the empty manger.  Jesus is added on Christmas morning before Mass.  Watching Mary and Joseph “travel to Bethlehem” like this can be lots of fun for the kids.

[tmk2005]

My full thoughts on ASOUE season 3, cause I’m still bugged by it and need to vent. Spoilers obviously.

I thought the first four episodes were a little weak in some parts, but they were overall consistent with the quality of the prior seasons and they had a lot of heart to them. That moment with Sunny and Violet on the cliff is fantastic, and one of the best scenes all series.

The love declaration scene with Lemony and Beatrice, despite the dumb choices made in the opera scene (why is Olaf’s father’s death an accident? That totally undercuts the idea that Beatrice was a flawed person and the theme that no one is really noble), is really sweet, and Morena Baccarin was a pleasant surprise (although, now I wish she had been in a scene with Jacques, so I could have had more Firefly feels). Likewise, the scene with Beatrice II in the cafe is really touching; I just wish the fate of the Baudelaires had been left more uncertain.

Thank goodness for Allison Williams. In an otherwise lackluster season, she brought her A-game and totally brought Kit Snicket to life. She was as cool but also maternal and sweet as I always imagined the character would be.

As far as acting goes, Malina Weissman really did well this season. She’s always been pretty good, but this season she had some really powerful scenes and she delivered. That scene with Sunny on the slope and that scene with her birthday cake or even her fights with Fiona... she was great.

However, I greatly resent the last three episodes. I don’t know why the writers decided to make up answers for all of the burning questions in the series, especially since the answers were full of plotholes (why would the sugar antidote be made before the mushroom poison was even invented?) and entirely unsatisfactory. But even if the answers had been compelling, it misses the point of the books, which is that there are some questions always left unanswered in life. Also, with a title like A Series of Unfortunate Events, the ending is just way too happy. There needs to be uncertainty about the kids’ fate, not a “they lived happily ever after” ending. I’m also not enthusiastic with the Quagmire’s ending either; now that we know they survive, why don’t we see them looking for the Baudelaires? Why are they content to just be together in a hot air balloon? By answering certain questions, the show raises so many more that it doesn’t bother to answer or even pose.

Also, hot take, but knowing what’s in the sugar bowl actually really hurts the story. ASOUE has always been heavily metafictional and it’s as much a commentary on literature as it is its own story. The sugar bowl is a macguffin; we don’t need to know what it is, as it serves the point of making characters do stuff to attain it. By never spelling out what it contains, the story lets our imagination run rampant with guesses and ideas. By confirming it’s sugar (which is so lame imo), all of the mystery and humourous meta elements are deflated.

Lastly, whoever wrote the last episode with its awful adaptation of Ishmael and the island story line should be ashamed. That sucked and, again, made no sense with the rest of canon.

Okay, rant over. I’m so disappointed in how this series ended, because I totally thought this was one of the better book adaptations, until the last couple episodes. I kind of want to just go reread the books again, since it’s been like 7 years.

[whateverisbeautiful]

Reveling in Richonne

#109: The Determination (8x09)

Since day one, season one, episode one, Rick has been determined to be there for his son. And plenty of times in this series, Rick illustrated how a father’s determination can be an unmatched force to be reckoned with.

So it makes sense that the same determination he’s always had for Carl is on full display in the last few moments of Carl’s life. 

After agreeing to get Carl out of the sewer, we see the scene that we got a glimpse of when photos for 8B were released. Rick and Michonne have to carry a fading Carl through their burning community. And seeing it live is even more devastating than the photos. 😥 

It’s an intense visual and it’s tough seeing this place go down in flames cuz ASZ is where they were able to find a sense of stability. And it’s where the world was able to stop screaming at them long enough for Rick and Michonne to realize their soul mate has been right in front of them all this time. 

But because of a senseless, entitled, immature guy the place they call home is burning down in the same way that the kid who kept them going is slipping away too. It’s a lot of loss going on. 😔 

Seeing the determination of Rick to get Carl somewhere comfortable and comforting is heartbreaking cuz you see a dad who wants to protect and provide for his son for as long as he possibly can. 

Michonne is the first to notice how much this movement is starting to wear and tear on Carl and Carl starts trying to speak to let his dad know it’s okay if they don’t get him to another destination. But Rick is set on it, as the reality of the situation seems to be kicking in for him and shaking him up. 

Michonne is able to step in and let Rick know they’re going to have to adjust. She looks and sees a place in the distance and points for them to go over there. Matriarch leading the way, y’all. 👏🏽👸🏾

So they go and end up having their final moments with Carl in the hauntingly beautiful lighting of the burned down chapel. 

They lay Carl down and he says, “Thanks for getting me here.”

Rick then says, “I’m sorry, I just didn’t want you out there.” The fact that he apologizes just hits me. 😥   

But then Carl lets Rick know his statement goes deeper than just this current moment when he says, “No. For getting me here. For making it so I could be who I wound up.” 

Up until this point in the episode Rick and Carl had dialogue but they had yet to have their heart to heart the way Carl and Michonne had a couple times in the episode. 

But this following exchange right here was Carl and Rick’s moment. 👌🏽

And I love that he thanks his dad for getting him here cuz truly it was Rick’s relentless fight to be a good father and protector that got Carl to where he was and that made him a fighter in his own right.

I especially love this cuz, throughout the seasons, Rick has heard a lot of people express doubt that he could help Carl survive, so it’s meaningful to have Carl thank Rick for defying those odds and those doubts to get Carl as far as he got.

Carl then brings up the prison and that moment when they were attacked. That was one of the times when Carl’s wildn side was at it’s all time high cuz he killed a surrendering kid on the opposing side. 

(Side note: I love that we get a shot that shows Carl holding Michonne’s hand as he speaks. ☺️ You can just feel the strength and comfort he gets from her.) 

Carl says he thinks about that moment even now and “how easy it was to just kill him.” 

One thing I always love and note about Rick and Michonne’s relationship is how they constantly level with each other through vulnerability, and we see Carl do that same thing in this moment. 

In order to communicate to his dad his vision for change, he shares about a moment that has stuck with him and the way in which he personally needed to change and how, with his dad’s help, he was able to. 

Now y’all, so I’m locked into this scene right? Like here’s Carl, the engine of this show since season 1 considering he was everything that motivated Rick from the very beginning, having his heart to heart with Rick, his father and the lead character...but then this episode wants to cut away from this to show Morgan going after Gavin. 😑  

How in the Sway did they think that cutting away from Carl and Rick was a good idea? 🤔 That decision really had me looking at the screen like...

I was not feeling that at all lol. I get they were trying to make a correlation between Carl realizing killing isn’t the way to Morgan and Henry not abiding by that, but nothing could be so important that it could take away from this Carl & Rick moment. They’re the foundation of this show. 

When they do cut back, Rick says through tears, “Carl, no. No. What happened, what you lost (low key glad he didn’t say “what we lost” lol just being honest), all those things you had to do, you were just a boy.” 

It’s really true. Carl was just a boy and he went through a whole lot; like even before the apocalypse Carl was exposed to some tough experiences with stuff like his dad getting shot on the job putting him in a coma. Which is why it’s impressive that he did manage to be the kid he became with such a good heart.

Carl tells Rick, “And you saw it. What it did. How easy it got.” it’s cool to see just how aware Carl was of his father’s decisions in season four and how he now has a final opportunity to express the respect he has for his dad with his decision to stop fighting and focus on growing, pretty specifically for the sake of Carl not losing his humanity back then. 

Carl reminds Rick that he brought those people from Woodbury in and how they were able to live together with people who were once enemies. (Granted, the people at Woodbury never lined Rick’s group up to senselessly bat two of their members heads in…but I get the gist of Carl’s point lol.)

As Chandler said, this episode would be about Carl trying to show his dad the way to a better future and we see that through Carl reminding Rick “You put away your gun. You did it so I could change. So I could be who I am now.” Carl tells him the way Rick stopped fighting was the right approach and he feels “It still is.”

He also tells his dad, “It can be like that again. You can still be like that again.” Now, while I think Farmer Rick might have been too far on the “no fighting” spectrum, I think what Carl really wants is for Rick and everyone to find this balance and to take the peaceful route whenever they can cuz otherwise you can start to instigate more trouble than you should, like he did with the Woodbury kid in season 4. 

And Rick is silent cuz I think it’s hard for him to fully see how exactly he can return to the space he was in at the beginning of season 4, especially considering their currently in the middle of a war.  

And while imo, at that point the fight with Negan was in too deep to just completely put differences aside, the positive of Carl’s words is that it does force Rick to eventually reconsider being consumed with the wrath he might now have towards those who aren’t on their side.

(Side note: I’m here for the silhouetted shots of Rick, Michonne, and Carl in this scene btw. 👏🏽😋)

When they cut back to them, Rick tells Carl, “I can’t be who I was. It’s different now.” And this part felt significant to me because I feel like this is Rick talking to Carl as not just his father but as a person with his own battles, which is nice because it makes them more like equals.

And his statement is especially true because it will be very different now that he’s lost his son. So returning to any form of who he was really isn’t an option. Of course he can keep elements of himself, and it’s Michonne who will be instrumental to helping him hold onto what’s good in him, but losing Carl automatically changes him deeply. 

Carl tells him, “You can’t just kill all of them, dad. There’s gotta be something after. For you. And for them. There’s gotta be something after.”

I’ve come to like this emphasis from Carl on how there’s gotta be something after because it’s him being adamant that they hold onto hope of a brighter future. That they don’t just live life surviving, but working towards making this world better cuz that’s what’s most important and that’s what lasts. 

They then cut to Henry and that’s when I was like; TWD look, I know the thoughtfulness of execution has gone down in this show, but to try and spotlight Henry in Carl’s final moments of his final episode, as if to suggest that he will be Carl’s replacement is a whole new level of misguided.🙄😒 

But back to Carl, I feel like it’s also significant for him to be stressing the need for there to be something after to Rick and Michonne because in 7x08, Michonne expressed something similar to Rick. 

And when Michonne gave her motivating speech to Rick part of her reasoning to take a stand was for Carl and Judith, and now here Carl is saying that he too wants them to keep standing, even if it won’t be for or with him anymore.

Because just like his dad has always been determined for him, Carl is determined for them as well. 😭👌🏽

[janiedean]

Saying Kit/Emilia are on the same acting level as Alfie is a big insult tbh. Alfie didn't spent years acting his ass of portraying 3 Theon/Reek to be put on the same level as them. It's also an insult to Lena's acting.

anon

for the fucking good love of it

now I know I am gonna be rude but fuck that noise I’ve been nice until now

A MONTH AGO SOMEONE CAME INTO MY INBOX TRASHING ON KIT TWICE IN THE SAME DAY AND I LOST MY SHIT BECAUSE

IHAVEBEENSAYINGILIKEKIT’SACTINGGENUINELYANDUNIRONICALLY

*SINCE FUCKING SEASON FIVE*. FIVE. AND IT’S AN OPINION I HAD TO DEFEND MORE THAN ONCE BUT NEVER MIND.

I’m GONNA PUT IT EXTRA LARGE JUST IN CASE YOU CAN’T READ.

I don’t particularly like emilia’s but I thought she was pretty much okay in solo so she obv can do better than got but the point is

IF YOU *KNOW* I LIKE KIT’S ACTING AND NGL I ENJOY WATCHING HIS PERFORMANCE MORE THAN I ENJOY WATCHING LENA’S BECAUSE I CAN’T EVEN STAND TO LOOK AT CERSEI THESE DAYS NEVER MIND THE ACTING SHE CAN BE THE BEST ACTRESS IN THE WORLD I STILL WOULD RATHER WATCH KIT JON SNOW-ING FOR A FULL HOUR THAN LENA SAYING A WORD BECAUSE I HONESTLY CAN’T LOOK AT CERSEI WITHOUT WANTING TO VOMIT BUT IT’S FINE WHATEVER IT’S ALL ABOUT FINE ACTING TM IT CAN’T BE PERSONAL PREFERENCE

WHYDOYOUTHINKIT’SOKAYTOCOMEINTOMYASKBOXTELLINGMEKIT’SACTINGSUCKS

NO HONESTLY now I’m capslocking without limit but honestly WHY. no. EXPLAIN ME WHY. I’ve had this discussion AT LEAST TEN TIMES but it’s not even close to it, I don’t make a mystery that I think kit’s a pretty good actor - not on the same level as some of his colleagues but still good and I’ve seen him in other things and let me tell you imo he was better in brimstone than alfie was in john wick IF YOU REALLY WANT MY HONEST OPINION even if I also think alfie’s better than him in GOT but never mind - SO WHY THE FUCK DO YOU THINK IT’S FINE TO COME HERE AND PUT IT IN THESE TERMS?????

No, honestly. PLEASE send me another anon and tell me why because I’d like to know if y’all have taken me for the fucking cat or something because hey you can tell your cat whatever and he’s going to listen without replying, or if you took me for the fucking wall or your free therapist or your bff or whatever.

I HAVE MY PREFERENCES AND YOU FUCKING KNOW THEM BECAUSE AGAIN, I HAVE BEEN SAYING I LIKE HIS ACTING FOR FOUR FUCKING YEARS NOW and when it comes to emilia I honestly don’t care enough to complain about it outside of maybe the liveblog. WHY. DO YOU FEEL THE NEED TO SEND ME THIS KIND OF ASK knowing you’re trashing on someone I like and knowing I wildly disagree with you? because if you didn’t notice sorry but YOU COULD HAVE CHECKED THE DAMNED TAGS where I put everything.

INCLUDING MY OPINION ON KIT’S FUCKING ACTING.

hey, if you HAPPENED TO MISS IT:

this is why you’re wrong at least re kit

this is the last time someone brought out the IT’S AN INSULT TO ALFIE AND LENA DISCOURSE

this is the second to last last time someone brought out that same discourse

this is the last time someone went trashing on a movie I like because they hate emilia who’s in it before it even came out when I said I was excited for it

AND THIS IS WHAT Y’ALL MADE ME POST AFTER ALL OF THE ABOVE.

now: read the links if you missed them and then come back and please tell me why the fuck you woke up this morning and thought ‘oh hey it’s a lovely sunny day, let’s send tumblr user janiedean the umpteenth ask on about how much I hate an actor she likes a lot and an actress she doesn’t give a shit enough about to complain and see how much she tries to be diplomatic without telling me explicitly to just fuck off already, how fun is that???!’, because that’s how it fucking sounds at this point.

I could also rant you for an entire day about how alfie never got the screentime he deserved and has a what is objectively a secondary role at that point so he worked his ass off but he also doesn’t have to carry the entire thing on his shoulders while kit’s been spending seven seasons doing his stuntwork, actually working at improving and if you could actually get the ham from your eyes you’d notice, IMPROVING THE SCRIPT HIMSELF WHEN HE THOUGHT IT WAS OOC AND HE COULD GET AWAY WITH IT AND HE ACTUALLY READ ALL THE BOOK CANON (while alfie and lena didn’t, not that I blame them but kit and gwen are about the only two major-ish actors who actually read the entire thing in the entire cast and it counts for something) AND PRETTY MUCH SHOULDERING 70% OF THIS CLUSTERFUCK HIMSELF but never mind that, because you obviously don’t care and I’m not even obliged to do it.

but: again, since I’m tired of being diplomatic when you are rude in the first place - bc sorry I DON’T KNOW YOU and you doing this is basically coming into my house barging the door and informing me of a thing I don’t care for - I’ll be rude again: I DON’T CARE. YOU HATE KIT? YOU HATE EMILIA?

I DON’T FUCKING CARE, I ACTUALLY DISAGREE, I DON’T OWE YOU TO BE NICE TO YOU IF YOU ARRIVE HERE AND TELL ME THIS KIND OF STUFF WHEN YOU *KNOW* WHAT I THINK and not even doing it half-nicely, like this is straight up rude because you’re basically telling me that my opinion (ie: kit’s a good actor) is an insult to another actor whose work I love (alfie, or did you forget the time I spent a month putting together signatures to bring him a book with compliments from people who like his acting? BECAUSE I DID, fuck’s sake) without even saying hi or bothering to put it nicely, and it’s rude af because you’re basically assuming that since I’m here and I’m nice to everyone then I’ll listen to whatever fucking thing passes through your head.

I AM NOT YOUR BEST FRIEND, I’M NOT YOUR MOTHER, I’M NOT YOUR THERAPIST, I’M NOT YOUR CAT AND THIS IS MY DAMNED SPACE AND IF YOU HAVE TO COME IN IT TO INSULT THINGS I LIKE WHEN YOU KNOW I LIKE THEM YOU CAN CLICK UNFOLLOW AND IGNORE ME FOR THE NEXT TEN YEARS, THANK YOU.

and since this is the fifth time I had to tell y’all this maybe if I put everything in large af capslock it’s the one time you get it.

I didn’t want to get to this point but y’all brought me to it, thank you.

and before you decide whether you want to unfollow me or whether you want to check on your damned manners before you send people things - again, I’m nice and I don’t mind talking to anyone on here but some basic modicum of respect for my ABSOLUTELY NOT UNKNOWN OPINIONS would be nice -, feel free to send me another ask where you tell me why the fuck you thought sending me this ask was a good idea GIVEN ALL OF THE ABOVE.

I’m listening. No, really.

and if your reply is ‘omg you got hysterical over it chill’, you obviously haven’t read the part where I said I’ve been having this discourse for four years and I think I made clear where I stand on.

again: if I could fucking lie for years through all of high school to all my rl friends about how much I fucking hate harry potter and everything connected to it and if I could watch the movies with them even when they knew I don’t like it and they still insisted anyway and when I don’t go on tumblrs of people who like HP telling them I think their favorite book sucks because I know shitting over what people like is rude and gets them down and eventually ends up with general embarrassment because it’s not nice to have someone talking shit about something you like in front of you, Y’ALL CAN BE HALFWAY CONSIDERATE AND STOP SENDING ME ASKS ABOUT HOW MUCH YOU HATE SOMETHING I LIKE AND ABOUT HOW MUCH MY OPINIONS ARE *INSULTS*.

thanks for coming to my fucking ted talk. fuck’s sake.

[valeriemperez]

The Ladies w Gumption podcast! Will it be up soon? I'm in withdrawal!

Thanks for the reminder! Here you go.

Do you know if there is a gifset with the baby references specifically to do with Iris (that we know for sure)? I think I saw one at some point (glowing, our first child…)

I made you one! But then I realized you’re right one exists, haha. At least one gif is new for me, though!

#CandiceForeverIris is being used for today to celebrate four years of CP playing Iris. I saw ZS and Millicent Shelton liking the tweet. 😍

YAY! Let’s keep tweeting it all day, and tagging Candice with love!

since we are in the week of the anniversary candice was cast, how about a trend for tuesday, i love iris west seems appropriate

since we are in the week of the anniversary candice was cast, how about a trend for tuesday, i love iris west seems appropriate

We Love Iris West for Tuesday? Works for me.

@eboniangelvibez said:

Tati, hope you’re having a great weekend! Do you think the SnowBrats will CHILL when JPK is revealed to be Dawn Allen? I hope they lose their $H!T and stop watching the show. However, I think happening is as big a stretch as SB, so… In your opinion could Don be brought in/mentioned too this season? Or will he and Bart show up in Season 5? I think it would be cool if Bart came to get Dawn and revealed that Iris is having twins. We’re going to need more diapers. Thoughts?

They’re too invested to quit, haha. Which tbh, is good. Flash has a hold on even them. Anyway, I do think Don will be mentioned by the finale if Dawn is revealed. And Bart… Will probably appear whenever Iris is actually pregnant.

imo i wish people would tweet more about having a more believable friendship between iris and caitlin. that whatever it is/work friend thing really needs some help. more help than otf.

Unfortunately, the reason I think they don’t is… Well, let me not get all the way into it. Let’s just say a friendship between the two ladies is not perceived as helping either lady. Or rather, each lady’s fanbase thinks said friendship would only benefit the other lady, so neither advocates for it. More importantly, on our side, specific instances occurred in which DP knowingly or unwittingly erased CP from the narrative. 

Yes #BrigingbackOTF so we can inevitably crop Cisco and Harry out of all of these their scenes and focus on how Caitlin glanced at Barry for 0.5secs while he was talking to the team. Nevermind the fact that they’ve already had scenes together this season and will continue to have scenes together (ie. Paint Billing, picnicking, bachelor parties, etc.)and yes Barry as a newlywed should totes spend as much time with his friends as he does his wife/best/oldest friend. That totally makes sense.

You know them too well.

What’s so funny about the bring back OTF stuff is the “Harry is an honorable member” or something lmao. They act like they are slick 😂. I also find it funny cause Barry always prioritizes Iris and Wests over team SL. Flashpoint? All he needed was Iris and his Parents. When he figured out Savitar he mentioned Joe, Wally and Iris. Like yes they are his friends and yes they help him but they aren’t needed anymore. Sadly the show won’t ditch that hellhole but this “team” has nothing going for it

Even in E2, he was willing to let Jesse fend for herself if it meant he got to spend a day as Iris’ husband. And then he had to go take care of a dying Joe, etc.

Oh Good Lord. Do we need to make a defense squad for Granissa as well? Haters can’t stand interracial couples, whether they’re gay or straight.

All the more reason not to show up and show our support!

[leigh-kelly]

What's your opinion on when people say stuff like they think Santana manipulated britt into being with her majority of the relationship? IMO I literally think they're the most stable relationship that was ever on the show and never got the credit or scenes or lines they ever really deserved.

I think, in large part, those who say that Santana manipulated Brittany into being with her grossly underestimate Brittany’s character and intelligence. It’s funny, I’m actually about to rewatch all the scene with either Brittany or Santana in them from the very beginning--because it’s that kind of rainy day--and I’ll probably have more to say about this later, but I think it was clear from the very beginning that Brittany wanted to be with Santana, and fully recognized what being in that relationship would entail. 

More beneath the cut, because it got very wordy:

For those who have forgotten, it was Brittany, in Duets, who wanted to sing with Santana. They were clearly in a sexual relationship before that point--as “sex is not dating” brings us all the way back to the 13th episode of the first season--but Brittany, who is capable of recognizing cues from the people around her, and from Santana in particular, was well aware that the feelings she shared with her best friend were much greater than just physical pleasure. I think that’s why when Santana says “I’m not making out with you because I’m in love with you”--okay, baby girl, no one said anything about love but you--Brittany doesn’t look surprised, she just looks sad, because she knows it’s the thing they’re not supposed to talk about, but she hopes that maybe in private, they can.

As we go later into season two, we see Brittany and Santana make a mutual decision to talk to Holly Holiday, because the feelings they have for each other are too big to figure out on their own, and there are no other adults in Lima who can really help them. We don’t see Santana push Brittany to sing with her afterwards, she simply says “I have the perfect song,” and then thanks Brittany after they finish. If Brittany was being manipulated by Santana, it would be easy to assume that when Santana cried in the hallway after Hurt Locker, Brittany would have left Artie for her immediately. But Brittany doesn’t. She recognizes that as much as she feels for Santana, they still have a lot of figuring out to do, and she enjoys being with Artie too, where, because of the great big feelings she has for Santana, that relationship is more intense, and at time, much more painful.

At the close of season two, we’re left with an ambiguous Brittana ending. Are they just best friends? Are they dating? Neither of them seem to come to that conclusion, and it’s up to fan fiction to fill in what transpired between them that summer. But when we do finally see a resolution, in Pot O’ Gold, Santana lays her cards on the table at Breadstix, and Brittany is simply like “yeah, we’ve talked about this, we’re both single, and I want to be with you.” 

Of course, season three gives us very limited insight into the Brittana relationship, but we never see any indication that their feelings for each other are not mutual. One of my favorite Brittany lines is “you say the dream and I help build it, that’s what partnership is about, right?” and I think that is incredibly important in describing their relationship. They’re a partnership, they built this together, and they’re true equals. 

Going into season four, their relationship undergoes the stress of many long distance relationships, particularly when one party is away at school for the first time. But if Santana underestimated Brittany’s intelligence, and was manipulating her, I don’t believe that she ever would have been honest with her about the “energy exchange” (rolling my eyes forever) with the girl in the library. She could have proverbially had her cake and ate it too, but because she truly loves Brittany, and knows that their relationship is built on honesty, she told her, and she took a step back in a very mature way, so she didn’t run the risk of losing Brittany forever.

Again, if Santana was trying to manipulate Brittany, and Brittany was falling for it, then her stunt in Diva should have brought them back together. But Brittany, being Brittany, and capable of understanding what goes on around her, knew that Santana needed to be somewhere away from Lima, and knew that getting back together with her was the wrong choice. So she didn’t. This brings her to later say “and then there’s Santana...” because Santana is so much bigger than anything else in the world for Brittany. She knows they don’t need to be together right away to be together forever. She doesn’t subject herself to Santana’s (often capricious) whims, she simply focuses on infinity, and does what she has to do to make that a reality.

There was a lot of chatter when it was announced that Brittany would be in the hundredth episode, about how people wanted to see Brittany make the effort in their relationship, and while I always believe that her effort was quiet and unassuming, but no less real, we can’t forget that it was Brittany who gave the “I really want to be with you” speech in 100. She could sense that the timing was finally right, and while she nudged Santana in the right direction, it was another incident of her allowing Santana to ultimately make her decision. They chose, as partners, to get back together, and to travel together, and then they chose to move back to New York, and finally, to get married. 

When I think of Brittana, I often think of Shakespeare’s 116th Sonnet; “it is an ever fixed mark, that looks on tempests, but is never shaken.” While their relationship may have been stormy at times, the truest thing is that it is built on mutual love, and perhaps, more importantly, a mutual respect for one another.