#shes funny and id love to see her gain some new fans

[the-power-of-stuff]

i’m going back and forth between heavily disliking live action sukka (or rather, how their relationship plays out) to appreciating it.

but it definitely added some amazing moments that were worked in with the benefit of foresight! and i love that they fleshed out suki more. i have more of a problem with the execution than the intention behind it.

more than anything though, i miss their banter. but now suki has kissed him and gotten over her awkwardness, maybe she’ll resemble the more sassy suki next season? bc i get it - i’m SO awkward around new people, but once i’ve gotten to know them and are comfortable with them i’m the complete opposite.

anyway after rewatching last night i couldn’t help but bullet point how i think it should’ve gone for them - a mix of both the live action and og show:

1. “you are trespassing on sacred ground”

2. meeting, convinces yukari to let them stay

3. walk with sokka -

* he says something along the lines of “suki, right? well thanks for what you did back there… …you should really put a sign up or something”

* “if you’re a protector of your village, then why are you here?”

* kiyoshi warrior rant - sokka affronted

4. sokka goes to dojo and is sexist, says something along the lines of “I was trained by real warriors with real and dangerous weapons” and suki asks him to demonstrate in fighting her, beats his ass as per

5. he comes back, apologises and asks to be trained - to which suki agrees on the condition that he dresses up

6. tells him the significance of the outfit and makeup while she does his makeup

7. they train and fight, with suki being a strict teacher

8. she bests him, but then he gains the upper hand quickly and lands on top of her and brags, she flips him over and says “there’s no time to gloat in combat”

9. they finish their training and sokka starts (and struggles) to wash off the makeup, suki tells him about the details of outfit

10. sokka, with makeup smeared on his face, looks up and asks “did i miss any of the makeup?” suki lies and says “no”

11. she heads over to the sink on the other side of the room and asks about his warriors clothing customs, to which sokka replies telling her about them briefly, but that he’s not in reality a warrior himself

12. suki, without makeup, looks up and sokka is taken aback at seeing her without makeup for the first time

12. “i think you’re a warrior… …us non-benders… …truth is, i envy you… …you’re out there, trying to make a difference. here?” “you’re protecting your village” “we’re hiding away”

13. smiles after her speech and wipes the remaining makeup off of his cheek

14. bell rings and they go and fight together side by side

15. watch together as kyoshi appears

16. zhao’s troops retreat and yukari thanks aang, while sokka and suki talk

* “i’m sorry”

* “you’ve already apologised”

* “no, i’m sorry for treating you like a girl. i should’ve treated you like a warrior”

* “i am a warrior. but i’m a girl, too”

17. looks like they’re about to kiss, but suki spots zuko over sokka’s shoulder and tells him to leave

18. she slips her fan into his pocket before he flees

19. once on appa leading zuko away, sokka feels something in his pocket and pulls it out, realising it’s suki’s fan

20. last see suki waving and smiling wistfully at them flying away, while yukari looks at her with a small yet worried smile

id love to know how you think they’ll handle them next season!!!

I love that you mention the LA writers having the benefit of foresight because I have been thinking the same exact thing! They already know how much people like Suki and Sukka, they already know the role Suki plays later in the story, so they can be much more deliberate about laying the foundation for her character. 

(It’s funny, though…I feel like the LA was straddling this line between setting things into motion for later seasons and not wanting to miss certain opportunities in case the series doesn’t get renewed (why else include “Secret Tunnel” in season 1???). Thus they went ahead and had Sukka kiss for realsies.)

And oh my gosh, thank you for sharing your thoughts on how you think the LA should have gone!! There's so many things I love about your ideas...

First, it makes sense for Sokka to confront Suki and be a sexist ass after she challenges him about what he's doing there if he's supposed to be protecting his village. The pride she feels about being a guardian for her village ends up damaging his pride, and so he lashes out by being like, "Oh yeah? Well I fight with actual weapons, not silly fans!"

Second, not only would it have been better for us to have seen Sokka in the Kyoshi Warrior uniform, but 100% we should have seen the process of putting on the makeup. Sooo much opportunity for romantic tension and character development there that we missed out on. And I love the idea of them connecting over their respective cultures' warrior outfits. I'd like to think that Sokka would see similarities between the Kyoshi makeup and the SWT face paint he wears in the first confrontation with Zuko (which we also didn't get in the LA smh) and that this could be a nice segue into them connecting more deeply as warriors in general.

And then, yes, drawing out the tension and development of their romantic relationship by not having them kiss right away is an angle I really enjoy. Slow burn, baby. *chef's kiss*

I’ve had a lot of fun thinking about your question of how things might go for them in season 2. I’ve been thinking about how the differences in Suki’s characterization and her relationship with Sokka might change things, but I’ve also been getting wrapped up in all the cause-and-effect in season 2 and wondering what the LA might bother to keep. (Under the cut though, cuz I am incapable of being succinct!)

For instance, the whole reason the Gaang ends up crossing the Serpent’s Pass is because they lost Appa, and the whole reason they lost Appa was because they went to Wan Shi Tong’s library. Season 1 already introduced Wan Shi Tong, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they don’t intend to use him again. Although I could see the LA coming up with some other way for the Gaang to find out about the eclipse in order to cut down on time. But! I think they would be incredibly remiss to abandon the storyline about losing Appa, however it happens (and I also think the tone of the story after the Gaang loses Appa fits very well into the more grim tone the LA seems to have adopted overall, so it feels to me like something they’d be interested in keeping). 

Anyway! Let’s assume they still lose Appa and they need to get to Ba Sing Se on foot. I could see them reuniting with Suki at the ferry station the way they do in the animated show, but I could also see them learning about the ferry from Suki by chance encountering her on the road. Either way, Sokka will of course recognize her. And I think the two of them would have an enthusiastic reunion. Since they’ve already kissed and basically admitted they have feelings for each other, I imagine they would both want to kiss in this moment, when they first see each other again. And this is where I could see Sokka having that hesitance brought on by the memory of Yue. So they see one another, embrace, look deeply into each other’s eyes, lean in—and then Sokka pulls away. “I can’t.” Suki is even more hurt and confused than in the animated show because she doesn’t even have the context yet of Sokka having lost someone. 

I’ve debated whether the LA would stick with Suki accompanying the Gaang across the lake, but given how much Sukka they gave us in season 1 when they definitely didn’t have to go that hard, I’m inclined to think they’d milk season 2’s Suki encounter for all it’s worth. So she’ll go with them, and Sokka will be awkward and avoidant, or he’ll be overprotective, or some combination of both. I could see them having a late-night conversation of some sort like they do in the animated show where Sokka half-admits what’s on his mind, but LA Suki definitely won’t do her sly “I lost someone once…” not only because I don’t think it’s in her nature, but because there’s no need for a confession of romantic feelings anymore. So I could see this conversation going a couple different ways: either Suki attempts to comfort Sokka and he’s too in his head for it to work, so he leaves; or they end up talking about how Suki came along to make sure he and the others were safe, and she and Sokka have their breakthrough moment right then. Even if it’s the latter, I could still see Sokka needing a moment to process and leaving before they have a chance to kiss again. 

If they don’t kiss that night, I could see the next day going similarly to how it happens in the animated show, except I’d bet large sums of money that they wouldn’t have LA Sokka interrupt Suki with a kiss while she’s in the middle of talking. Instead I think they would just talk, and Sokka might apologize for how he’s been acting rather than having Suki apologize, and then they’d have another look-deeply-into-each-other’s-eyes moment before they finally kiss (again). 

One thing that's kind of throwing me, though, is the idea of a time skip between seasons like the creators have hinted at, to account for the cast aging. If it's been years since Sokka and Suki have seen each other rather than weeks or months, then 1) their reunion might be a little more restrained, and 2) I'm not sure it would make sense for Sokka to still be as consumed with guilt and fear as he is in the animated show. Heck, maybe over the course of the time that gets skipped, Sokka and Suki will have already reunited several times and established a relationship and now she's part of the Gaang. ;)

I'd love to know what you think might happen too, anon! (And anyone else, for that matter!)

[deathweak]

my review (ish) of whole cake island saga/one piece until chapter 902 (obv spoilers until then)

originally my fav arc was alabasta. then water seven/enies lobby. then it was impel down. then it was punk hazard/dressrosa. but then...whole cake island... actual emotional rollercoaster

the best part of this arc was definitely how human some of big moms kids were. my fav new characters introduced in this arc were pudding, chiffon, brulee and katakuri. i wish that big moms kids will all escape from her.. oda writes abusive families a lot, even the 'good' parents will beat their kids in one piece, i guess thats just the world they live in... but when it's a bad parent... oh man.

i managed to somehow not get spoiled about sanjis family at all, i was pretty shocked abt the reveal. i love reiju, even tho she was complicit in/a bystander to a lot of the abuse sanji suffered, i dont think there was anything more she couldve done. she saved his life multiple times over. i really hope we get to see her again.

but the best character in this arc was pudding. her mood swings/evil personality/tsundere gag wasnt the funniest ever but she was genuinely so human.. the way i kept going back and forth like.. is she just pretending to be evil? is she pretending to be in love with him? is she gonna betray him?? AND THE KISS... i actually ship sanji and pudding just a little ..

like i actually cried here. her arc was just chefs kiss(lol) amazing.

my other favourite antagonists were brulee and katakuri. at first i didnt like either of them, but after how much the gang bullied brulee i started to feel sorry for her and grew fond of her. i also always end up having a soft spot for odas 'ugly' female characters since it's just such a breathe of fresh air inbetween all the uncomfortable fan service (honestly the fan service kinda ruins a lot of scenes)

i didnt think there would be any deeper connection between brulee and katakuri until the very last moment, and this scene is one of my favourites in the whole series

like. brulees SMILE. the scar. katakuri was just defending his sister.. also the way flampe thought she was the favourite sister. nah!! thats brulee!!! i fucking ended up really loving her. i mean without her powers being abused by straw hats they wouldve all died. sorry brulee, you didnt deserve that... i hope mama didnt punish her after. also the way that katakuri was glad luffy got away!! he gained so much respect for luffy during their fight. Also i love how hes lowkey a jojo reference (and your next line will be...)

the way that a lot of big moms kids think theyre monsters is so sad.. but these three are just my favourites. i honestly love them. this arc is really about family bonds.. blood family and found family especially.

like sanji calling zeff his father multiple times and denouncing judge, but still hes such a kind person he had to save his blood family anyway. SANJIIiii. man. the way he really is. truly. KIND. i hate whenever hes being a complete pervert, sometimes its funny when hes in the respect women mode but when hes just being a creep i hate him. but this arc made me appreciate him a lot more, and i can kinda forget abt all the weird stuff.

when he was crying in the rain, lost all hope, and luffy gives him the light again..

i like that men are allowed to cry in one piece. like kyros cried all the time after being turned human again, and sanji cried multiple times in this arc. i cried at this scene as well.. luffy really out here saving the lives/souls of his whole crew. hes such a pure bright star..

lastly this scene!! CORAZOOOOONNNN!!! luffy didnt even know about that..the way he held his mouth shut and forced a smile to make sure his crew wouldnt be worried.

if i didnt know that he was gonna survive i might have actually thought he was gonna die

the annoying part about one piece for me is the plot armor tbh. theres no stakes, bc i know none of the straw hats can die. idk if id want one of them to die but it would bring some real shock to the readers. like the gang will pretty much always win by some trick in the end, sometimes its funny like how usopp defeated sugar, but sometimes it feels like a bit of a cop out. but i think luffy and katakuris fight was believable, the only gripe i have with it is that it was dragged out a biiit too long. this arc couldve been a good 5-10 chapters shorter if oda hadnt dwelled so long on things.

also i love love love how lola became relevant again and chiffon wanted to repay the debt of nami saving her twin sister, also mamas vivre card coming in clutch lmao. nami was epic in this arc, she went up against big mom without losing her shit too badly. i love her sadistic streak lolll. cant forget brook in this either, he was hilarious.

finally. RIP pound. a great father. also RIP pedro. two good guy casualties in one arc, is oda finally permakilling people?

overall id say this arc was a 9/10. -1 point for being a bit dragged out and the fan service with reiju.

[glitterghost]

Okay friends, here we go. I recently stumbled upon author Claire Cray. Their slogan according to the official website is "Gay Romance On The Weird Side". And let me tell you, it's pretty fitting for their content.

I came across their most recent release, In Strange Woods (published August 28, 2020) on Kindle unlimited & decided to give it read. It's an m/m mystery/thriller and I found myself throughly enjoying the story and the characters. It's not really lengthy & it kept me engaged the entire time! Honesty, I fell in love with the two male leads. Both their personalities and their dynamic together. The romance spans only over a week or so, but the tenderness and organic growth between them is something I was & still am weak for.

(Ps. I absolutely adore one soft, flannel wearing, Nirvana listening, heart of gold boy, named Hunter!)

Another thing I loved about this book is that the romance didn't overshadow the plot, but accented it. It gets woven into the already ongoing story and I truly appreciated that. I don't want to say too much about the plot itself but I will pull the description and add it below!

In the stormy coastal woods of the Pacific Northwest, roots run deep and passions run wild.

Reeling with grief and hounded by the press after the mysterious massacre of his wealthy family, moody New York photographer James Worthington Crane decides to take his downward spiral somewhere far away: to the rural Oregon Coast, where he’s just inherited a random piece of property hidden somewhere in the woods upriver.

But when James pulls into the decaying seaside town of Brooks, everyone thinks he’s someone else—an elusive local rebel named Beau. Now James must fight through his own grief to unravel a tangled web of family secrets, mysterious doppelgängers, and forgotten history...with help from a soft-spoken local hunk named Hunter Quaid.

Hunter’s been on his own since he left his fundamentalist family at the age of fifteen. It’s taken years of hard work and healing to build the steady, stable life he has now, fixing up seaside houses while living alone in a trailer by the river. Then James blows in like a winter storm, disturbing the peace and stirring up a hunger like nothing he's ever felt.

As Hunter helps James search for the truth, their lives intertwine in unexpected ways—and they begin to discover what it means to find out where you really belong.

From the author of Merrick and Hidden Talents comes a sensual and emotional story inspired by the rugged beauty and offbeat history of Pacific Northwest timber country. In Strange Woods moves through ancient old-growth forests, abandoned logging roads, ramshackle seaside towns, decaying homesteads, coastal highways, and the stories hidden in the trees.

For me, this book hit a lot of things that I love seeing in stories and especially in m/m. Claire's pacing and writing style, for me, was pretty solid. So much so, that I delved into looking more into other works she's published previously, just to continue enjoying the writing. Though I still consider In Strange Woods my favorite of all I've read so far. I feel you can see the writing evolve more strongly than in some of their past titles. That and I just really am in love with James x Hunter! ♡

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Freebies

Many titles such as Thirsting For More & Backwoods Beast are free on Amazon. Both are paranormal shorts. Both published in 2012. The writing isn't as strong to me in these as it was in In Strange Woods but that's also an 8 year gap in writing. However, I like Claire's story ideas and to me it was still worth checking out!

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Classic Tales Gone Gay

I also just finished Spooky Smutty Stories, (also available on Kindle Unlimited) which highlights a handful of classic tells, well, gone gay, just as it says! This collection also features Backwoods Beast as the first entry but there is also a sequel of sorts in it, with the last story being Backwoods Boomerang.

Each story (seven in total), are uniquely written but also familiar to most of us. They hold just enough eerie, spooky and sometimes frightful content to maybe give you a goosebumps or two. Definitely a delightful read just in time for spooky season right around the corner!

Ever wished your favorite scary stories had more steamy gay scenes? Now they do. This collection of seven creepy, delicious m/m stories is filled with ghostly hitchhikers, haunted ships, seductive witches and more classic tropes from urban legends and oral traditions around the world. There's a tale here for everyone who likes it weird, so dive in and treat yourself to a good shiver.

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Historical

Oh, did I mention Claire's also done historical as well? I've yet to read Merrick & William but will definitely be making my way to them in the future.

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Spooky Season Newsletter Event 💀

I'll leave you all with one last bit of information. Since spooky season IS right around the corner, Claire is holding an event for newsletter subscribers and y'all should sign up for all the free spooky content to come! (I swear no puns but, well, yeah 🙃)

"Stories will be written in real time as Spooky Season goes on, and I’ll consider any prompts and ideas that come my way on Twitter!"

So be sure to sign up for the newsletter, as not to miss out on this event. You can do so by going here

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Links

For more information on Claire & Claire's books, as I'm sure I could go on but this is already a long post. You can find Claire at/on:

Claire's offical website

Twitter: @claire_cray (give a follow!)

Goodreads

Amazon

Tumblr- @clairecray-blog (but not sure if active)

[sanchoyo]

danny phantom, season 3 episodes 3-6 thoughts!

see prev episode thoughts in this tag <3

-johnny was actually pretty civil with danny and left when he asked! thats nice. also, SKULKER?? HAD A FRAMED PICTURE OF EMBER?? oooo fuck wait had they established they were a Thing Before?? I dont think so. thats weird. its like that country boy/goth girl meme lmfao. I think i am going to choose to ignore this new info and pretend I didnt hear it. 100% unrelated to the jazz/ember fanart I already drew and posted....😳

-LADIES NIGHT EPISODE THIS IS WHAT ITS ALL ABOUT. wish it didnt really center around the guys or them being pissed at them, but. willing to bet this was written by men lol

-THEY ERASED ALL THE MEN??? meanwhile, jack and danny are fishing at. silent hill or something. im glad jack is trying to read a parenting book and making an Attempt. (theyre at lake erie, but, they made it actually eerie...thats fun)

-the girls alt outfits...cute. EMBER MADE A NEW SONG TOO!!! kinda. jazz being one of the backup singers and being AWFUL. NOOOO

-'how are we going to get kitty to blow a kiss?' 'she'll have to think there are still some males in town!' ...i dont know how to break it to you, but I dont know that a 100% het girl would wish for all men to Begone. I think. I mean im not a het or a girl so I dont really know for sure. she Is probably Bi tho. esp having the other ladies in town chanting NO MEN!!! excitedly............(then again, the kiss is to get Rid of men, so, she probably would have blown it at the ladies only if they were actively trying to attack/stop them, so...I MEAN. THE DRESSING LIKE DANNY BIT WAS SO EXTRA)

-I feel like an all female cast ep couldve been way way way way cooler than that was. like. why was it still somehow all about Men. ...anyway. (where was valerie...)

-next ep opens with the observants, and, way way more of them than I expected...existed? I mean I guess them being a council/jury of some kind is what I expected from their first appearance (bc at that time they were basically TELLING clockwork to kill danny, not asking,, so I figured they had SOME kind of authority) but. there were so many. anyway, here goes vlad! letting his own hubris go brrrr. releasing a weather ghost for political gain! #justvladthings

-okay say what you will about him (he IS an asshole) but having an umbrella with his own face on it and more prepared to share is SUPER FUNNY. and him being fanned by huge wads of money by his bodyguards. SO ineffective but so Dramatic. He UNDERSTANDS that if youre rich you need to be. you know. obnoxious and kinda eccentric about it! fuckign hate when rich people are boring about it. I would trust vlad with nothing except to not be a boring rich asshole who wears...fucking khaki or some shit. man knows his Presentation Skills. and that 'V' chair in his mayoral office. is that fucking embroidered?

-maddie get your MAN PLEEEEASSSE. IM SO EMBARRASSED FOR HER. the way jack stays simping for this man. in FRONT OF HIS WIFE!!!! ...my god its like a love triangle. jack clearly loves vlad, who loves maddie, who loves jack. jack fenton is at the very least bi, right................. this is an OBSESSION . 'THE V MAN COMETH'???? i...my god. (also, on a serious note, to have a friend THIS SUPPORTIVE...and still be SUCH A DICK TO HIM (TRYING TO KILL HIM AND STEAL HIS WIFE??) NOT COOL VLAD. JACK IS YOUR 1 AND /ONLY/ HYPE MAN. if someone loved and supported me THIS HARD...LIKE. CMON DUDE.

-STOMP the fucking GAS, JACK

-this would make a great shirt design, looks like a metal band design! we love The Maelstrom

-oh, so vlad did in fact get a mansion in amity park. and its purple! good color choice! not as flashy as a CASTLE or MURDER CABIN, but still pretty eccentric, which I appreciate.

-...vlad knows the difference between picasso and da vinci? in the ep last post where we were watching him fail at conquering every historical time ever he didnt seem to know history well enough to like. be effective...was vlad taking art history at college?? (was he an art MAJOR??? we never DID KNOW WHAT HE WENT TO SCHOOL FOR. I kinda assumed business because in the masters of time ep he was still rich without ghost powers so he had to have..known something about business or something, right...but also, art and or theater FITS HIS PERSONALITY. possibly also something science-y, I guess, but I always felt like he got roped into that, esp how pessimistic he was about the ghost portal in the flashbacks to college, like, i felt like he was just there for maddie and was uninterested/un-invested at the time...)

-THIS GHOST JUST ELECTROCUTED MADDIE (THE CAT) BITCH!! THATS MY FAVORITE MADDIE!!! vlad going after vortex and being ~shocked~ .....WHEN. WHEN WILL YOU LEARN. THAT YOUR ACTIONS. HAVE CONSEQUENCES!!!

-the way this random man with a camera sees the mayor laying in an alley covered in TRASH AND DECIDES TO TAKE A PICTURE HAHAH

*snap* this ones going in my cringe compilation!

-vlad 'if we're going to defeat vortex, we're going to have to do it together!' *immediately dips after dropping danny off in front of vortex* JKASDFHKJHJKN

-DANNY CAN DUPLICATE!!! ...he couldnt even attack with it, but he DID IT!!! INTO (4) OF HIMSELF!!! SO PROUD!!!!!!!!!!

-'THE ROLLER COASTER EMOTIONS OF A TEENAGER THREATEN MY PLANS!' ...0 self awareness of his own dramatic moodiness. incredible, how dumb this man is. its very close to circling around to endearing, if he was less of an asshole. at least its very very funny to see danny shooting him with tiny lightning bolts anytime he's even slightly irritated! vlad you should be nice to danny anyway. this is what you GET

-...making sandwiches and ice cream and playing video games with your nephew is a totally normal thing. WHY is vlad acting like this is the end of the world. if you were a GOOD UNCLE YOU WOULD ALREADY BE DOING THESE THINGS!!! bitch I make my nephew food all the time and dont forget what he does and doesnt like. if u didnt know danny didnt want tomatoes, thats on u. if u, a grown adult, are gonna piss of the 14 yr old by not letting him win, u deserve to have to pay for the arcade machines he ruins because he now has uncontrollable storm powers because YOU THREW HIM INTO A FIGHT WITH THE STORM GHOST. fuck u vlad. paypal me $400,000 while ur at it tho. (also, gamer vlad confirmed)

-VLAD CAN COOK THOUGH???! I assumed he had...people working for him that did that. I mean. billionaires usually dont do that. then again, we've only seen those vultures working for him (and I guess the dairy king was AT his old mansion, but it was never really clarified if he worked there...I think he probably just Hung Out and they Enjoyed Cheeses Together. thats what I think, I dont think a KING would be working for anyone and also the dairy king was nice <3) but then again he would be a private person and we cant have anyone accidentally finding Ghostly Things, so...still, that's hilarious. pour one out for that really cute banana split that got ruined 2 seconds later

-vlad just fucking picking danny up and THROWING HIM AT VORTEX TWICE WITHIN LIKE A MINUTE. JUST ABSOLUTELY LAUNCHING HIM. BITCH THATS MY SON BE CAREFUL!!! HES GOT ORGANS AND THINGS!!!!

-danny seeing those animal commercials and feeling sad is the biggest 2000s throwback so far. i legitimately had to change the channel or walk out of the room when those came on bc id CRY AND BE SAD ABOUT THEM FOR DAYS AFTER. fuck those commercials and fuck that IN THE ARMMMS OF AN ANGELLLL song 😭

-'vlads ego almost got the town destroyed!' yes danny thats the entire episode. the entire series anytime vlad shows up honestly. this episode was just him being really embarrassing the entire time, and, me laughing about it. 10/10 would laugh at him again

-NEXT EP WE HAVE A SHAPESHIFTING GHOST?? I've said it before but shapeshifting is the power I would want when asked those 'what superpower do you want' questions...its the Best power! this guy looks like a homestuck character. ive never read homestuck but thats the vibe

-I love every time we see tuckers family, they are by far the most functional family. and dash has a lil chihuahua!!! named pookie!!! i am crying (I've had 3 chihuahuas, so I am very biased, but...) AND HE WATCHES THE ROMANCE CHANNEL WITH POOKIE. POOKIE I WILL DIE FOR YOU YOU SWEET LITTLE BABY.

-danny can lift a bus! I shouldn't be surprised, but i am proud of my son. hes got lil kid fans. i am going to cry about this

-JAZZ KEEPS A SCRAPBOOK WITH DANNY'S LIL HEROICS AND NEWSPAPER CLIPPINGS!!! we've actually seen it on her floor before, but I didnt realize it was a scrapbook!! thats sooo cute.

-...and danny has to stand there listening to his parents saying danny phantom sucks and is a 'filthy ghost' and calling him egotistical...i am once again stealing their kids!

-THIS GHOST RIPPING JAZZ'S SCRAPBOOK!!! ILL KILL YOU. SHE WORKED HARD ON THAT!!! BITCH

-yes, maddie, the one with red eyes is For Sure Actually Your Son. ignore the, red eyes... (CLEARLY she hasnt watched the other 2 eps where danny has been evil, she doesnt know red eyes= evil!!!)

-'billy fenton'.......................

-danny being stuck as phantom in his own house, no way out is a fucking NIGHTMARE. his parents pointing giant weapons against him and SHOOTING AT HIM. THIS IS A HORROR MOVIE.

-NINE INCH NAILS POSTER.

-this is the most screenshot of all time

-amorpho turning into mr. lancer because hes 'someone no one will want to be around' BUT HES WRONG, I WOULD BEFRIEND AND HANG OUT WITH MR LANCER SO FAST.

-tucker dressing as danny, now I have the full Tucker set of him being sam and also being danny. also saying 'the ghost...uh...RIPPED MY FACE OFF.' and then running. SMOOTH. NOT AT ALL CONCERNING TO ANY PARENTS.

-sam accepts the toast from jack. and then 2 seconds later is like 'why am i eating this.' THIS SHOWS HUMOR IS SO UNEXPECTED SOMETIMES ITS REALLY GOOD. and then the scene after, mr lancer running into his ghost doppelganger and being like 'YOURE GORGOUS' THEN FAINTING. I AM CRYING. AND DASH FAINTING TOO.

-sam disguising herself as danny again to help tucker run from the fentons. but leaving him shirtless in the streets. incredible. 'plEASE DOnt NOTice MY FACELessNESS I MUST LIVE IN EXILE' this episode is destroying me the humor in this show is exactly my brand of corny and cheesy

-the impromtu story made up by danny and amorpho to explain stuff to the fentons. my god they are both such bad liars. but amorpho is a good egg. wish danny wouldnt have said he didnt wanna see him in town again!! I want him to be reoccurring. not that thats gonna matter since I'm almost done with the series, but the idea of this being the Only Time We See him is :(

-NEXT EP SAYS STARRING MARK HAMILL??????!!! hello ! mr . joker....mr. star wars.... I feel like I should be. idk. taking off a hat im not wearing in respect. I shouldnt be surprised tho bc hes in a lot of cartoons as a very good voice actor, and dp has already had a lot of talented ones so I've been looking out for ones I might know, but....mr. hamill....

-sam has her own greenhouse, names all the plants, and says thank you to them (in the languages from where the plants are from) whenever she harvests from them. thats SO cute. and her lil gothy lunch box...

-and danny's lil red fuzzy lined jacket!!! ive said it before but every time the characters get alt outfits im like :D

-danny has ice powers now!!! THATS WHAT FROSTBITE MEANT. HE KNEW SOMEHOW WAY BACK THEN

-THIS SHOW NEVER LETS YOU FORGET VLAD IS A BILLIONAIRE, HUH.

-danny's lil 'holy hibiscus!' first off the 50s batman swearing is hilarious. 2nd. my username is from the flower sanchoyo hibiscus, so, shoutout to ME this ep. hi :)

-EURGH UNDERGROWTH MAKING EVERYONE PLANT ZOMBIES. HIVEMIND PLOTS SCARE THE SHIT OUT OF ME. and this dude made the city SO overtaken so quickly like how long was danny asleep?? oh god

-evil fucked up sam! now the whole trio has gone evil at some point! the voice actress did a really, really good job with making her sound like a zombie...

-frostbite's paws are so so so big compared to danny. oh my god. i want to hug the snow dog...

-the far frozen has an advanced medical stuff!!! very cool. very smart snow dogs

-im so glad danny has a friendly ghost snow dad to explain this new power and teach him!!! this is so sweet. DANNY'S GHOST SENSE WAS A PART OF HIS ICE POWER?? OOOH. COOL. we love a training montage!!!

-danny saying if he cant defeat overgrowth, that he'd want to stay with frostbite...oh my god...do you think this is the first real supportive adult figure in his life (I am NOT counting his parents because they threaten him on the daily even if they dont realize it.) I mean mr lancer is a Teacher, but he was also nice but this is different, but this is a GHOST WHO IS WILLING TO HELP HIM with his powers and also will help him when hes injured and is so so nice and comparatively so much more mature than 90% of the adults in this show!!!! god. dad frostbite is my everything.

-the framing and lighting this episode, and all the angles...they went all OUT and it looks really really good. this is my nightmare scenario, tho. like, FUCK zombies and dead city zones and hivemind shit. and using the humans as 'nutrients for the children' i am going to THROW UP.

-MALEFICENT VIBES WITH THE HORNS AND GREEN EYES! this costume kicks so much ass. sam is now mark hamills daughter, I guess.

-danny's ice powers making his eyes blue!!! thats neat. and him going for the roots underground was SO SMART. i will not stand for danny ever thinking hes stupid, hes SO smart.

almost done with the show... :"( thats a sad thought!!!

[kalinara]

I love your Witcher meta posts, especially the ones about Geralt. You also helped me gain a new appreciation for Yennefer and her relationship with Geralt. Good meta for Geralt is sorely lacking on the Geraskier side of fandom. In fact, it kind of puts me off the ship since most Geraskiers are primarily Jaskier fans that don't really seem interested in Geralt outside of him being a romantic prop. Btw, what were you going to say about the apple in that Stregobor scene?

Aw, thank you.  I have found some pretty good Geralt meta on the Geraskier side of fandom from time to time, even though the pairing is only occasionally my thing.  (I’m VERY picky when it comes to characterization.)  Yennefer/Geralt totally hits my femdom loving id, so that’s where my heart lies.  :-D

So, the apple thing is kind of a seed of a meta that I’ve been toying around with.  I’ve noticed apples playing a role in three different scenes: Geralt’s discussion with Stregobor, when Stregobor tries to manipulate him into killing Renfri, Baby Geralt on the cart with Visenna, when he says he’s hungry, right before she sends him off for water, and then apple juice, which Geralt brings to Yennefer for their first meeting.

I’m not entirely certain what I think it says.  But I think it’s interesting.  The next time I rewatch the series, I want to keep an eye out for any other apple sightings and see if I can’t see some interesting correlation for temptation, knowledge, distraction or some other thing that apples generally represent.  

It also has inspired a really weird crack theory based on the fact that Stregobor, in the books, only appears in Lesser Evil.  The show combined him with another dude in order to give him a larger role as the head of Ban Ard.

Visenna’s role in Geralt’s backstory seems enlarged too.  She appears in a short story similar to the episode (though from what I understand, her appearance is confirmed there, where she might just be a hallucination in the episode), but in that, she’d given Geralt up as a baby.  So while her screen time doesn’t appear increased, her role in Geralt’s life seems much more significant (and traumatic).

So based on the fact that both characters have increased roles, both characters have significant scenes in which there’s a big red apple, and both characters are kind of terrible, I’ve adopted a crack theory that Visenna is Stregobor’s daughter.

I’m sure I’m wrong, but it would be pretty funny/horrifying!

[the-stories-in-my-head-95]

Butterfly Wings and Guitar Strings- Part One

Bucky Barnes x Plus Sized!Reader

Summary- The Avengers are the biggest rock band in the world, but you’ve never been a fan. That is until your best friend Helen Cho wins back stage passes to their concert in Vegas. While she’s making heart eyes at the drummer Thor, you’re falling for their lead guitarist Bucky Barnes.

Message- If you want to be tagged send an ASK! Also not my pictures.

Word Count- 1534

“I won!” Helen screeches as she comes running into your room.

“What did you win?” You ask, jumping off of your bed. “The Nobel Prize?”

“No, I won’t be able to win that yet. I haven’t finished my thesis, so maybe next year.” Helen rambles, smiling at you.

“So what did you win?” You ask.

“We’re going to Vegas, all expenses payed!” Helen says.

“Oh my God! Really!?” You squeal.

“For The Avengers Concert, I won back stage passes!”

“Great.” You say, instantly becoming less excited.

“I know you’re not a fan, but still! It’s a free trip to Vegas a-and you’re my best friend. I don’t want to go with anyone but you!”

“Of course I’m coming, Helen. I know how much you love that boy band.” You say.

“They’re a rock band, not a boy band.” Helen huffs.

“I know.” You say. “I’m just messing with you.”

“Well stop.” Helen says, glaring at you.

“Alright, sorry!” You say, chuckling. “When do we leave?”

“Friday.” Helen says.

“Don’t you have office hours on Friday?” You ask.

“My thesis advisor is covering for me.” Helen says. “Can you get out of class?”

“Yeah, I’ll just email my Professor. I’m sure once they read ‘once in a life time opportunity’ and ‘free trip to Vegas’ they’ll have no problem with me missing class.”

“This is going to be so much fun!” Helen squeals, then she gasps. “We need to go shopping!”

“Tomorrow, we’ll go shopping tomorrow after my classes.” You say, laughing.

****

“Are you sure I look alright?” You ask, fidgeting with the denim crop top you were wearing.

“You look hot!” Helen says, taking your hand. “Now come on, we’re going to be late!”

“Alright! Alright! Geez, stop dragging me! Plus we’re an hour early, there’s no way we’re going to be late!”

“But we have to pick up the passes, if there is a line it could take a while.” Helen says as she continues to drag you through the parking lot, towards the building. She only lets go of you when the two of you get close to a ticket window.

“Hi, can I help you?” The worker says through the microphone.

“I am Helen Cho, I’m supposed to pick up two back stage passes.”

“Can I see an ID?”

“Of course.” Helen says, passing her student visa to the employee.

“Alright, here you go! I hope you enjoy the concert!”

“We will thank you!” Helen says, as she takes the passes and hands you one of them.

“Now what?” You ask. “We’re still an hour early and there wasn’t a line.”

“We can go buy some merch.” Helen says.

“Okay.” You say. “I did promise my professor that I would bring her back a t-shirt.”

****

“Did you get everything you wanted?” You ask.

“Yes.” Helen says, nodding. Then she stops and hits your arm.

“Ow! What was that for?” You ask.

“Oh my God! That’s Natasha Romanoff!” Helen squeals.

“Wait, I thought this was a boy band?” You ask.

“Y/N.” Helen huffs.

“Sorry! So who is she?”

“Natasha Romanoff, she’s dating Clint Barton.”

“And that is?”

“He’s a member of The Avengers. He plays Keyboard.”

“Cool. Do you want to go backstage now?” You ask.

“Yes!”

“Let’s go!” You say, laughing as Helen starts to pull you along.

“I can’t wait to meet Thor!” Helen says.

**After the concert**

“Alright, I’ll admit that was pretty amazing!” You laugh as you lean against Helen.

“See! I told you, they’re so talented!” Helen says.

“Absolutely!” You say, smiling. “They’re the best boy band ever!”

“Actually we’re a rock band.” A voice says from behind you.

“Oh my God! You’re Bucky Barnes!” Helen says. “I’m so sorry about my friend, calling you guys a boy band is her idea of a joke!”

“It’s alright” Bucky says, chuckling. “I like a Doll who has a sense of humor.”

“Do I look like a doll to you?” You ask, crossing your arms over your chest.

“You know most girls would be swooning right about now.” Bucky says, smiling at you.

“I think you’re overestimating your charm.” You say, grinning.

“Y/N!” Helen says. “I’m sorry about her, she’s-uh-not exactly a fan.”

“Oh?” Bucky says, cocking his head to the side. “How did somebody who is not exactly a fan find their way to one of our concerts? With a backstage pass?”

“I won two passes and I asked Y/N to come with me.” Helen explains.

“Helen here is my best friend, so of course I agreed to come with her, she also happens to be one of your biggest fans.” You say.

“Well it’s always nice to meet a fan.” Bucky says, smiling at Helen. “Would the two of you like to meet the rest of the band?”

“Will Thor be there?” Helen asks, eyes going wide.

“Yes.” Bucky says, chuckling.

“Then yes!” Helen says.

“They should be down that hall, last door on the right.” Bucky says, pointing in the direction of were the rest of his band should be. At that Helen was off, practically skipping down the hall.

“Thanks for this.” You say.

“No problem, Doll.”

“She’s been under a lot of stress lately.” You sigh. “It’s nice to see her this excited and carefree.”

“Work?” Bucky asks.

“Kind of.” You say, nodding. “Helen is getting her Ph.D. and for her thesis she’s created this thing called a Cradle, it prints living tissue, basically it can heal anybody who is put inside it.”

“That sounds revolutionary.” Bucky says. “Why haven’t I heard about this? Why isn’t it in every hospital?”

“It’s still in its testing phase.” You explain.

“Are you working on the Cradle too?” Bucky asks.

“No.” You laugh. “I’m getting my Masters in Photography.”

“Are you going to be a member of paparazzi?” Bucky asks, nose scrunching in disgust.

“God no.” You say. “Right now I’m more focused on photographing nature, last month I was able to photograph the monarch butterfly migration, and it was amazing.”

“Do you have any pictures with you?” Bucky asks.

“You want to see them?” You ask, shocked.

“Yeah, Doll, I do.” Bucky says, smiling.

“I have some on my phone.” You say as you take it out of your pocket, you quickly unlock it and go to your photos app. “Here.”

“Wow, these are incredible.” Bucky murmurs as you show him some of the pictures you took.

“Thank you.” You say, smiling.

“Do you have any more?”

“Not of the butterflies.” You say, shaking your head.

“Well then, show me something else.” Bucky murmurs, shifting so his body was closer to yours.

“A-Alright.” You stammer. After that you and Bucky spend the next hour talking about photography, music, places the two of you had been and places you both want to go.

“Let’s run away and get married.” Bucky says, suddenly.

“Are you serious?” You ask, mouth dropping in shock.

“Yeah.” Bucky says, nodding. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

“Aside from the fact that we literally met an hour ago?” You ask. “I’m not exactly what a wife of a rock star should look like.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Bucky growls.

“Come on, you have eyes.” You say, putting your hands on your hips.

“Yeah and you’re gorgeous, Doll.”

“Is this some sort of publicity thing?” You ask. “Marry the fat girl to gain sympathy from the public or some shit like that?”

“What?! No!” Bucky says. “This past hour has been fun! You’re fun and funny and literally the most genuine person I have ever met! I wanna marry someone who isn’t scared of calling me on my shit and you literally said I was a member of a boy band, to my face!”

“Well it’s not like I knew you were standing there.” You huff.

“You can say no.” Bucky murmurs. “I-I know this is crazy and sudden and we’ve only known each other for a-.”

“I want to finish school.” You say, cutting Bucky off. “I only have this semester left, and I’m not going to drop out just because we’re married.”

“Alright.” Bucky says, nodding. “I-Is that a yes?”

“Well we are in the land of stupid decisions and when in Rome.” You say, waving your hand about.

“I think you mean when in Vegas.” Bucky says, smirking at you.

“Haha.” You say. “I’m going to need to buy some new clothes if we’re gonna do this tonight.”

“Why? I like what you’re wearing, Doll.”

“I am not getting married in a denim crop top.”

“Alright.” Bucky chuckles. “Let me make a couple calls.”

“I know this is going to sound crazy, but you just asked a literal stranger to marry you, so I’m assuming this is a safe space for crazy. But I-I think I’m already falling in love with you.”

“Me too, Doll.” Bucky murmurs. “Us together, it feels right. Like its destiny or something.”

“We’re insane, aren’t we?” You ask.

“Maybe a bit.” Bucky says, chuckling. “Now come one, let’s run away and get married.”

“Just us?” You ask.  

“Just us, we’ll take picture to show our friends.” Bucky says, stretching his hand out for you to take.

“Alright.” You say, taking his hand. “Let’s get married.”

@loneliestlittlerainbow @jenniegs @thedoctorscamanion @loveisfriendship @mymourningtea @cassiopeia-barrow @marvels-ghost  @fandoms-fandoms-everywhere99   @loverbug1123 @pleasantdreamqueen @pbandj14 @itsintothegreatbeyondstuff @princessleah129 @courtneychicken @battlebunnyteardropsinthesun @that-one-book-girl @yipthegoddess @brooke-supernatural16 @ailynalonso15 @thefangirlliveson @conspiracy-teen  @thegoddessofvampire @the-butterfly21 @theshortegg @witchseer25607 @bee-wrecker @precious-cinnamon-roll666 @destiel-artemis @jackles-jadalecki @thisismysecrethappyplace @marvelismylifffe  @kanupps06 @okayputta @geeksareunique @mummy-woves-you @crazy-little-thing-called-buck  @writing-red  @leticiakael @tabziecat @ravenclaw-fangirl-7 @huntermichelle @learisa @cutie1365 @msmaximoff @kitkatgaming @writings-and-stuff @xxashy999xx @sebba-hiddles @slashheartlover @scarlettsoldier @ladysergeantbarnes @i-just-wanna-run-hell @tonystarkismyboy @bestillmystuckyheart @musedhufflepuff @dontevenblink-badwolf-tardis @iamwarrenspeace  @supernatural-strangerthings-1980

[whitewolfofwinterfell]

My favourite Charmed episodes - season 1

Since Charmed is my favourite show and basically owns my heart I wanted to create a little mini meta series to it where I write about my favourite episodes from each season. It’ll be divided into eight parts (one for each season) and will reflect on why these episodes are my favourites and so special to me. As I post each season, I’ll try to include links to all the other posts for the series, but I’ll also tag them all under favecharmedeps, so you can find them all in one place.

Season 1 overall is a decent first season to the series. It doesn’t stand out to me as being the best season (in my ranking of my favourite seasons, it takes fourth or fifth position) and is definitely stronger in its second half, but it has some great episodes, very consistent character development for the sisters and the added bonus for me that it’s the only season that has Andy Trudeu, who I adore. I’ve chosen 5 episodes from the season as being my favourites - From Fear to Eternity, Is There a Woogy in the House?, Which Prue is it Anyway?,That 70s Episode and The Power of Two - so let’s dive right into it. 

From Fear to Eternity (1x13)

This episode is generally a fan favourite and for good reason. It’s the first episode we’re introduced to Barbas aka. The Demon of Fear, who is arguably one of the most terrifying demons from the entire series (he’s also a fan favourite). It’s also a great episode for character development and strengthening the bonds of sisterhood, which is why I love it so much.

Prue undoubtedly has the most significant character growth, since this is really the first episode that delves into her lingering trauma of Patty’s death which manifests itself in a fear of water and her inability to say ‘I love you’. Since Prue is my favourite character, it’s so important me to see the journey Prue goes on in this episode. Not only does she manage to overcome her greatest fear - drowning - in doing so, she defeats one of the most powerful demons in existence, comes face to face with her trauma, conquers it and is finally able to  tell Piper and Phoebe she loves them for the first time (x). 

Phoebe has an important arc in this episode since she gets a new job and is faced with a genuine dilemma - whether to prioritise her morals or her need for a job. It’s an important lesson for Phoebe, who at this point is still young and perhaps a little naive and inexperienced in the world of work. In the end, she of course, stands by her morals and leaves the job. The most important aspect of Phoebe’s arc in this episode is her greatest fear - losing a sister. Much like Prue’s fear of drowning and inability to say ‘I love you’, Phoebe’s fear of losing a sister (although it’s not explicitly confirmed) undoubtedly comes from the fact that she lost most of her family at such a young age - Patty died when she was 2, Victor abandoned her when she was a young girl and Penny died when she was only a young adult. Prue and Piper are the only family Phoebe has, they’re her entire world and although losing a loved one is a common fear for most of us, losing one of them was definitely more significant for her due to the circumstances of her family. Scene with Prue, having lost her accidentally foreshadows Prue’s death where Phoebe actually handled losing her quite well. 

Piper has a more minor role in this episode in comparison to Prue and Phoebe, but she still learns an important lesson about her attitude. Naturally, Piper is a pessimistic and anxious person (also, becoming a witch amplifies that in season 1), and her fixation on superstitions in this episode demonstrates this. She’s worried about supernatural forces that she can’t control so conforms to these little ritualistic actions in order to protect herself and the ones she loves. I’m currently doing a module at uni about myth and religion, and I’ve looked a lot at the meaning of ritual, so this is particularly relevant to me right now. But despite the fact that Piper doesn’t come face to face with Barbas so we don’t get to literally see her greatest fear, Piper shows fear in this episode as much as Prue and Phoebe, just on a subtler level. In my opinion, at this point, Piper’s greatest fear was the supernatural world and her inability to control it. From the second she discovered she was a witch, Piper was always the one that expressed her anxieties about it and worried about what it meant for her and her sisters. Piper’s experience in this episode, and her encounter with Josh in this episode, enabled her to come to the realisation that spending her life taking actions to prevent something that may or may not happen was a waste of her time and only going to negatively impact her. So although it’s not quite as clear, I believe Piper went on her own mini journey in this episode. 

In terms of the sisterhood, Prue finally being able to tell Piper and Phoebe she loved them enabled their to be a new level of openness between the sisters. Phoebe’s fear of losing a sister and nearly losing Prue reinforced their bond, which was particularly important since their sister relationship was the one that needed the most development based on their estrangement at the beginning of the season. Also, even though Prue survived in this instance and Phoebe’s worst fear wasn’t realised, the possibility of losing Prue foreshadowed her death at the end of season 3. What’s significant about this is that Phoebe expresses that she doesn’t know what she’d do if she ever lost Prue, but when he greatest fear came true and Prue died, Phoebe was ultimately able to go on without Prue. Although I don’t think this was intentional foreshadowing (since there were no plans to kill Prue in season 1), they make for interesting parallels regarding Phoebe and her relationship with Prue. 

Is There a Woogy in the House? (1x15)

I love this episode because it’s a great exploration of Phoebe’s character and the theme of good vs. evil, which I’m a sucker for in any show (or film). It’s the first time one of the sisters comes up against turning evil which is recurring theme throughout the rest of the series. Although Piper was turned into a Wendigo a few episodes before, it wasn’t exactly the same as what happened to Phoebe whereby she was targeted by the Woogyman because she had darker tendencies than Prue and Piper and was ultimately seduced by the evil. She even admitted afterwards that she enjoyed the power. What makes this episode so great is that it taps into Phoebe’s insecurities that she’s not as good as her sisters and she is seduced by evil but overcomes it to save Prue and Piper. It’s fantastic character development for Phoebe but also a good lesson for the sisters, who learn that in reality there is no clear cut definition of good or evil - human beings are capable of going either way, it is their choices and the actions they take to enforce those decisions that establish whether someone is good or bad. 

Which Prue is it Anyway? (1x16)

I should probably mention here (if it’s not already obvious), that any Prue-centric episode tends to be one of my favourites and this episode is no exception. From the opening scenes, I adore this episode because it has one of my favourite sister moments (x), but mostly I love it because we not only get one, but three Prue’s! 

On a basic level, I enjoy this episode because of the interactions between the Prue’s which are pretty damn funny - “Phoebe, I’ll call you back, I have to go yell at myself” is a classic - but mostly because of the insight we gain into Prue’s character in this episode and the great development she has. The three Prue’s were the literal representation of the three levels of conciousness/personality as proposed by Freud - the id, ego and superego - with the real Prue being the ego, blue!Prue the id and pink!Prue the superego (we see this again in Just Harried with astral!Prue). Since on the surface Prue (particularly in season 1) may have come across to some as boring, judgemental, responsible and emotionally closed off (btw, I feel strongly that anyone that thinks this is wrong, but that’s because I will defend Prue to the ends of the earth), this episode shatters that perception by showing that Prue had many sides to her personality, just like we all do, but that due to the circumstances and realities of her life, those sides to her don’t always get to come out. Blue!Prue (much like astral!Prue in season 3) shows that Prue has a wild, fun and free-spirited nature which she has been forced to suppress (like most of us are) in order to get by in the real world. But the point is that perhaps Prue has taken it too far and her ego (real self) is closer to the superego than it should be, which is demonstrated in the scene between Prue and pink!Prue at Bucklands where she questions Prue checking in with Piper and Phoebe saying that she does that a lot. This is an insinuation that being the overprotective big sister and taking on a motherly role within the family has led Prue to lose the balance between her superego and id, tipping the scales towards the superego and completely suppressing the id (which is why pink!Prue seems much closer to Prue than blue!Prue does, who Piper even points out is nothing like the real Prue).  

Whilst the Prue’s provide interesting questions and food for thought about Prue psychologically, the clones were important in providing Prue with clarity about an important aspect of her personality - her pride/arrogance. Prue has a tendency to think she always knows best and in a bid to protect Piper and Phoebe will make decisions on her own, and this episode demonstrates that very clearly. Both clones attempt to kill Gabriel on their own, believing that they are capable of doing so and even Prue herself believed the same. It was only through witnessing the deaths of her clones that Prue came to realise she couldn’t do it on her own and that she needed her sisters (again, this is an issue for Prue that comes up again in Sin Francisco). It was only by working together with Piper and Phoebe that Prue was able to defeat Gabriel and in the end, it was The Power of Three that defeated him, not the three Prue’s. 

So, Prue learned two vital lessons in this episode - to find the balance in her life and not let the superego aspect of her personality become too dominant and that even if she thinks she knows best, she, Piper and Phoebe are a team and should always work together to bring down the forces of evil.

That 70s Episode (1x17)

This episode is another fan favourite, so I’m sure no one will be surprised to see it on this list. What makes this episode so special is that it’s the first time we get to meet Penny and Patty, but also that it’s the first time-travelling episode and who doesn’t love a good bit of time-travel? I, for one, am a sucker for time-travel.

I feel like it’s already so obvious what makes this episode so great - meeting Penny and Patty, the sisters interactions with Patty (especially Phoebe who hasn’t even had chance to really meet her mom until this episode), little Prue and Piper (aw, so cute!), seeing the Halliwell women working collaboratively and just getting to see what could’ve been if Patty and Penny had survived. I love that there isn’t just one sister that is the focus of this episode, but that it’s about the family. It explores Prue, Piper and Phoebe’s feelings about their mother’s loss and shows how it impacts each of them differently and the first and last scenes begin and end this episode perfectly. It ends in much the same way it begins - the sisters looking through photo albums - but whilst at the beginning a photo of Patty brings upset (particularly for Phoebe), by the end it brings happiness and you can feel that all of the sisters have gained a level of closure on Patty’s death. Phoebe wanting to change the past and save Patty is understandable and something I think any of us would want to do if we had the opportunity to travel back in time, but ultimately, she realised that regardless of how much she might wish that her mom had lived, she didn’t and trying to change that could have consequences that no one could have foreseen. If Patty hadn’t of died when she had, their lives would have unfolded in a completely different way and who’s to say Patty wouldn’t have died in a different way the next day (particularly since we know that when death has latched itself onto somebody, it won’t stop until it has them because that’s their destiny). There’s a huge emphasis on the show about destiny throughout, and I strongly believe the purpose of this episode was to allow the sisters to finally accept that Patty’s fate was to die, no matter how tragic or unfair that might seem. 

The Power of Two (1x20)

This is an episode that never used to be my favourite, but that I’ve come to appreciate as I’ve gotten older for the simple reason that it provides fantastic development for Prue and Phoebe, both individually and within their relationship. I also love Andy’s involvement in this episode and how he is actively involved in saving/protecting the sisters in this episode since finding out they’re witches. 

As I’ve already mentioned above, at the start of the season, Prue and Phoebe were estranged and their relationship was the weakest of the sister relationships. This episode shows that despite how much closer Prue and Phoebe had grown over the season, their problems were certainly not gone and that rebuilding their relationship wasn’t something that was magically (excuse the pun) fixed by finding out they were witches. Yes, being witches brought them together as sisters, but ultimately, they were still human women who had deep seated issues and fundamental differences. 

Prue’s dismissal of Phoebe and remark that she has time to do household chores because she doesn’t work irks Phoebe and the argument they have about it is very authentic and taps into the unresolved issues between Prue and Phoebe. Prue views Phoebe as irresponsible and immature, and although she doesn’t actively recognise it, she devalues Phoebe because she doesn’t work (again, this is an issue that crops up in Power Outage, so is very important to explore). Phoebe is right to call her out on it and Prue gracefully realises her mistake and apologises to Phoebe. It’s a huge step for them and the resolution they reach allows them to work together to accomplish what needs to be done. This episode is so vital to Prue and Phoebe’s relationship, because Prue and Phoebe have both had plenty of time to bond with Piper alone, but Prue and Phoebe have never had that same opportunity. They needed this time to be alone without Piper to mediate between the two of them so they could hash it out in their own way and get it all out in the open. 

Andy is also great in this episode and I love his arc. The fact that he helps Prue and Phoebe solve the case of Ward, quits his job to protect the sisters and saves Prue’s life demonstrates the potential that Andy had within the show. Although he was a recurring character throughout the season, him knowing the truth was so pivotal to the place he had on the show. His relationship with Prue also had some particularly great moments in this episode, which hinted that there may be potential there for them to be together again. 

Overall, this episode is one that I think is generally forgettable to most people but that had some brilliant character and relationship development for Prue, Phoebe and Andy, and for that reason I love it.

And that’s it for season 1. Keep your eyes peeled for my favourite season 2 episodes, it should be up within the next week or so. Feel free to share your favourite episodes with me and why, I’d love to hear people’s thoughts :)

[360degreesasthecrowflies]

FarscapeWatch 04: 2.03 ‘Taking the Stone’

We’re back in business, people! Apologies for the long wait, but into season 2 we go for this reaction/review! See notes at the bottom for a full list of my FasrcapeWatch reactions so far :D

2.03 Taking The Stone

Open on Chiana (bestfave) IS THIS A CHIANA EPISODE?

No kidding I ship Chiana and John a lot. I feel it's probably unlikely to happen but ohmy they bring out the best in each other.

He calls her "Chi" uwu!

Uh she literally cut herself open because he said he was busy wow. Crichton is a twat.

Ooh she stole Aeryn's ship and Aeryn is PISSED. I love how she and Chiana just don't get on. Drama is the best.

So Chiana goes down to a planet by herself to investigate. Aaand she gets ambushed. Hmm but I'm not sure I buy her not taking a weapon. Altho. She is also impulsive and id-ruled.

AAAH into the episode and John and Aeryn are in THE LONG COATS.

Rygel is also there lol and John and Aeryn give no shits.

Ofc they're going to go look for Chi although Aeryn cannot b a with that.

So they run in thinking Chiana is held captive but actually she's doing some kind of sport test of strength lol. Her hair is pink now and looks A MAZING. Aeryn is so aggressive off the bat lol I love it.

Hm so. First time back seeing John and Aeryn's S2 dynamic and once again...he's not asking things of her, he's giving her commands, and I'm not super comfortable with it. It feels a bit imperialist. e.g. here John feels Chiana is mad at him so he tells Aeryn to talk to her to try and bring her back, even though Chiana has said she doesn't want to go back with them, and Aeryn and Chiana already evidently don't really get on or see eye to eye. That's a bit much from someone who's meant to be the emotionally intelligent core of the crew.

So Rygel has fucked off and left JohnAeryn and Chiana on the planet..which seems like a funeral/cemetery, or at least it is where they’ve landed. Thematic, hm. He's robbed some graves too, as you do.

So Aeryn catches up with Chiana, naturally we’re all underground, hmm, with death as a theme, I wonder if this is going to mirror a death-and-rebirth story, and Chiana asks her to stay! Ah I love how impulsive and nutty she is. Also needy. Possibly actually damaged. This character speaks to me so much. Hah. Aeryn responds a bit like Supernanny just going along with it to let the child wear themself out.

[A note on taking the stone - it’s a jump into a deep pit, using the power of faith/science/a technological trick to save your own life in a parachute before you hit the bottom. The society on this planet do it when they reach a certain age as a coming of age ritual, and Chiana has changed her style to look like them, and is learning to do it too (with the help of mind-altering drugs and mediation, colege much?), either as a test to herself, or as a maybe-suicide/danger/devil-may-care exercise, as she has just lost her brother, that was her realisation that John had no time for in the beginning of the episode.]

So we're on a bit, and hmm. I'm getting a parents and kids vibe with this episode. I genuinely can't tell though who we're supposed to root for. John is central, but is it John-was-right-Father-knows-best, or will it be John-has-to-learn-different-POVs? I'm hoping the latter, but I'm wary, Farscape has pulled the rug out from under me before. Aeryn has argued that if Chiana wishes to stay in this new society, it's her choice; to me, that's reasonable, but is the show framing it as something only an alien woman who doesn't understand how Rational People work would think? Hmm. I wish Zhaan was here, she's a character who generally can overrule John instead of being pushed to the back by him as Aeryn and Chiana sometimes fall into; ironic, of course, as they are physically strong, martial women. Chiana too has brought up her captivity trauma and that John said she could leave at any time and now appears to be reneging on that, and that's portrayed as the sneaky, silly young character trying to trick and twist the words of Our Reasonable Hero. I'm wondering if it's just a values dissonance between '99 and 2017.

Cool plot though. A suicide cult where people get high and risk their lives rather than die at 22, as they do, starting to waste away and rot while still living due to radiation in their natural habitat; perhaps a bit of a drug 101 afterschool special vibe to it, but executed well and with great sets. Interesting to see plots shifting to focus on the three humanoids too, I wonder if this will become a trend this season. D'Argo, Rygel, Pilot and Zhaan really don't have a lot to do this time round, although I guess they all had significant focus in the previous episode while Aeryn and 'Chi' were somewhat neglected.

Ultimately of course Chiana is successful and comes out gaining a new lease on life. John has gained some perspective, though it’s unclear if he actually understood Chiana’s POV or not, and the three stooges up in the ship managed to convince Rygel to give back the treasure he stole. Uh...great, I guess? Solid episode in general though, production values feel to be up, Chiana’s new design and in fact most of them are pretty solid - and throwback, watching in 2017 - and the interplay between the actors and characters seems more fitting than it was in the first season. Ace.

Some general points: John is starting to become a little more convincing as a lead again, among stronger personalities. This was most convincing in 1.16 A Human Reaction and the last four-episode arc of season 1, and at brief points earlier in that season, but it's been very iffy. I'm unsure, because I don't know the writing/writers so well yet, whether that's intentional, or just a sign of the times on writing focus. I don't feel, that is, that the kind of character that John is would be *the* obvious focal character if the show was made from scratch and debuted in 2016-17 - it's a bit as if, say, Agents of Shield had debuted as a show centered around and focused on Fitz rather than how they actually did it. Still, in any case, it's interesting to see the evolution of character.

Some brief points from season 1-2, as this will be my first comeback reaction I'm posting in the new order: A Human Reaction, Durka Returns, and Nerve were my big turning points as to how I was reacting to the series. Introducing Chiana was a big plus; instantly becoming one of my top 2 favourite characters, and immediately coming up with ways to make her central - even at the apparent expense of fan fave and seeded lead woman Aeryn! - was a brave and risky strategy on the part of the showrunners that I was pretty impressed by. Again to analogize to shows I've also seen, it was as if upon first introducing Faith to Buffy season 3, they pushed Willow back from the off in favour of focusing on her and what she could do. She fits neatly into the credits, too, here's hoping she sticks around for a long time.

D'Argo has gone up in my estimations, actually, all the characters have. They'd probably at least average on a 5-6 out of ten now, which is a big step up from the 2-3 D'Argo and Rygel were on earlier in season 1.

Things I don't like as much: the Talyn (sp?) and Crais stuff feels a bit Xena and a bit overdone, though that could be a case of the Seinfeld is Unfunny trope (side note, I actually have never found that show funny tho...awks), that is, aspects of a show seeming unoriginal now because since it aired - or even debuted - such elements, they've become much more common as to seem stereotypical and tired in many forms of media. I don't like the Crais/Aeryn ship teasing, especially in light of the recent Hollywood developments, it seems a little close to the bone and aggressive, one-sided, and presumptive of Crais. Presumably he's going to reform and win me over, but I'm not on team Crais right now. I'm also slightly alarmed at where Zhaan's character arc seems to be going, though unsurprised that she had to be nerfed, she was pretty great at everything in season 1, with even her shades of not quite sanity proving to be an advantage in some situations. Also, I'm unsure if it's intentional or symbolic, but her new costume is hella ugly.

Right, those aside, recap time then!

CHARACTER BEATS

JOHN

Lots of stuff here. For John this episode is a lot about leadership and personal connection. John must learn that one leadership style does not work for all - not that I would even say this John IS the leader, although he's the show's designated lead and does TAKE the lead. I'm not 100% on whether we're meant to root for John or not. This episode sees him acting somewhat parental towards Chiana which I - and she, probably - find a bit patronising given that as far as has been established thus far, they're both adults of a similar age. For me, this episode is John learning socialisation and how people of different kinds tick, as well as that sometimes you just can't win people over or bend them to your will - quite a good lesson to see our white male lead learning.

CHIANA

Lots of stuff in this one for Chiana too, which is good, it is a Chiana episode after all. A few early notes on Chi - easily my favourite character right now, being exactly the kind I root for in general. I love a wildcard, and Chiana thus far has been about the definition of a chaotic neutral, with occasional shades of broken bird thrown in, hinting at a traumatic past to make her become this way. Or she could just not be neurotypical, or just an alien, who knows. Now, I definitely didn't think Chiana wanted to kill herself in this episode as it was hinted at and discussed by some of the characters, she just didn't care, she was a risk-taker and upset and traumatised. It's slight, but there's a difference. Chiana realises in this episode her brother has died and reacts by acting out and essentially going on a bender with drugs, getting high, and essentially changing her whole style and motivations, culminating with a risky athletic feat that could kill her if she failed. Aka, textbook response to trauma by certain extroverted and already risk-taking individuals. It was great to see, and also unexpectedly positive to see Aeryn sticking up for her - of course, just using cold logic, rather than emotions - and Chiana, too, showing willing to make a connection with Aeryn, after generally the two being mutually hostile these last few episodes so far. Great stuff.

ZHAAN

Zhaan's a little quiet on this one, still inside herself a bit, or trolling? She seems more content to let a snarky, bitchy side out this time round - perhaps due to a season of people generally not taking her advice and then winding up in the shit.

D'ARGO

D'Argo really doesn't do much here, slipping back to season 1 characterization a bit. I'll give him a pass, as he's perhaps recuperating from the previous episode's traumatic experiences.

RYGEL

Rygel really doesn't have a lot to do here. Stealing is wrong, and he likes eating bugs. I wonder if this subplot was shoehorned in at a late stage because the actors complained, or something else fell through? On the plus side, it leaves main focus unequivocally on the Chiana storyline.

AERYN

A good storyline for Aeryn too, she gets to be athletic with a mini fight scene, she gets to be the voice of reason, and she also makes a mini connection with Chiana, after a while of the two sniping at each other. She and John also work well as friends, comrades - just as a two, not as part of a larger unit - and maybe something more? This episode has shades of a buddy-cop drama with John and Aeryn as detective partners, as well as hints of them being dysfunctional parents to an acting-out and rebellious kid. Aeryn is moving to be more central in this season, and I'm intrigued to see what comes of that change.

PLOT POINTS AS OF 2.03

A little confusing. Everyone is dealing with their own trauma while still running away from the Peacekeepers, led by new creepy (telepathic?) baddie Scorpius. We've had a D'Argo episode so far and a Chiana episode, so perhaps everyone is up to have solo episodes for a while to get this season established? Not much hint of an overarching plot yet which is nicely lampshaded by Chiana in-episode when she asks Crichton what they're even doing up there on Moya - smooth. This feels a little like a re-pilot, repositioning who the characters are and how they relate to each other.

WHAT THIS EPISODE ADVANCED:

Chiana's trauma. Chiana's character development. Chiana's relationships with John and with Aeryn. Aeryn and John's relationship. Aeryn and John's norms, ethics, and approaches to problem solving differing. John revealing himself to have a reckless side, which seems role reversal from earlier in season 1 wherein John was cautious and reserved and Aeryn cold but quick to use violence and inflicting her will as a quick-fix solution.

CHARACTER RANKING AS OF 2.03:

1) Chiana 2) Aeryn 3) John 4) Zhaan 5) D'Argo 6) Rygel 7) Pilot 8) Crais

And that’s it for this episode of FarscapeWatch! Check back in my Farscape reviews masterlist section on my blog or follow my farscapewatch tag to catch my episode reviews, as they come! Or feel free to give me a follow to catch all of my stuff ;)

Also, if you’re enjoying these, feel free to shoot me a message or comment :3

[askguyslikeus]

oh shit yall send lots of questions hoo nelly answering almost all of them under the cut ,,, im gunan try and answer more technical ones first then fun ones and ones about the mod later so u dont gotta scroll all the way to the bottom for the good deets

Hi! I'm still kinda new to the blog and I was wondering what are the 'do and do-not' kind question I should do? Because im sure theres always that one ask thats just Innapropiated, like that one of Michael 'taking advantage og high Jeremy' that was just not cool.  i got this ask a lot so ill be clear with yall. im just not a big angst fan? so sending michael asks about his anxiety nonstop and about how he had a panic attack in the bathroom over and over again wasnt that fun. usually if it pertains the musical though you should be find sending an ask about it? but sometimes i get asks that are like “jeremy ur nothing and how does it feel knowing u fucked everything up” like homie how i think its feels? how u think hes gunna react to that? i made this blog to negate a lot of negativity in my own life so i can promise u im going to be answering asks mostly positive always forever. that being said tho i sometimes get asks pertaining to a few things that ive dealt with in the past and these topics make me very very uncomfortable. dont send asks about these topics please. this is the no no list

-self harm, cancer, suicide, rape, parent death, car accidents, sudden death.

What was your inspiration for this blog? hoo boy well,,, ultimately i thought of them rooming together and got emotional and made a huge list of headcanons and was like ,,, why not run an askblog for a bit ill just abandon it after three asks lets have some fun. but somehow im still here and i got sucked in by the complexity of michael and jeremy. i know that sounds kinda silly but just, as someone who is dealing with a lot of similar things, like dependency issues and abandonment issues and depression and anxiety, having these fun functioning character to explore was such a gift for me. i believe honestly thats why im still here and doing this. being able to try and portray a healthy relationship and a healthy way of coping and growing has helped me a lot this past month and given me an outlet i didnt have before. TBH THO the main reason i made this blog if imma be real with u guys id because i didnt like the treatment of a lot of these issues in the fandom. it made me very upset to see depression used as an plot device and michaels dependency issues treated as romantic so i wanted to make a blog that had little to no angst. ANYWAYS somehow im still here ,,, gvrkjvrnkjfd sorry i rambled

honestly I just wanna say first that I love his blog and your art and you're so cool and kind!! a question would be (I'm not sure if you've answered this before or not) but is there like an on going story here, or is it mostly just answering questions with the characters set in this universe? (if that makes sense I'm sorry!) thank you, you're super awesome! ❤️  djrnjg first off thank u so much aaaa,, ive kind of answered this before but its ok its been a while since then! but um i do kinda have a story but how howdy i sure am dragging my feet. the story isn a hUGE OVERARCHING EPIC OF WOE AND THIS PERSON IS UPSET AND THIS PERSON IS MAD AT THIS PERSON its just michael and jeremy getting together. i have a plan and ive talked to a few people on how i want it to happen but ive gained like ,,,, 6,000 followers since then and im kinda nervous BUT ILL DO MY BEST but also please understand that i do this for fun for myself and if i dont get to it im so so so sorry woops

i know this has been said before but i'm really really happy w how you're handling so many aspects of their characters. i.e. michael being trans, michael and jeremy's anxiety, michael's dependency issues, and other stuff i'm too tired to think of. you made the characters have even more depth than they did in the play and i'm rly grateful for the way you're dealing w my favorite boys. (also your richjake is suuuper adorable) ahhhhhh thank u so much? i talked a bit about this on my main but im really glad people are happy with my decision on this blog because im suPER SUPER NERvous anytime i post an ask dealing with these things. (ask hachi or nate i always message them like freaking out and send them my scripts and asks and wait for them to tell me its ok before i post it omg) also like i talked about before i love,,, having these fun stoner gamer boys to explore these issues with. im honestly shocked by how many people also deal with dependency issues because when i first listened to the musical i was so overwhlemed by the song michael int he bathroom because i had never heard someone basically write “dependency issue: the song” and it felt so so so good to realize i wasnt alone in this pit of despair i fall into so easily aha. but im!! glad everyone is ok with this wild ride im on right now (also thank u so much i struggle writing rich and jake but i get so emotional cause they would TOTES call each other babe)

how come you just use sketch form for most of your drawing (sketches and uses sketch for the final result)? im ,,, not really sure what this is asking but i thnk its along the lines of why do i only sketch my answers?? and i do that because dude do u see how often i post and how lONG some of them are. i made this blog for fun and i love doing comics but i hate lineart and coloring and if i tried to churn out finished pics for every post id defs have given up a few asks in,, shrugs

I want to say I love your little comics they're so funny! How long does it take you to make a comic? Are any of them based on your experiences? Ok have a nice day!  thank you! i love my little comics too! it usually takes me anywhere from an hour to five hours if im dragging my ass or talking on discord while im drawing. it can be kinda exhausting but since i took my break ive also been like, starting long comics one day and finishing them another day which, before i would do it all in one sitting then post it hahha. AS FOR EXPERIENCE the first half of the lifeguard comic was based on real life! we were stuck stoned up there for like an hour or two? but we didnt have anyone to help us but we got down eventually!! the wendys comic is also something i did because man!! i need to compliment food workers if they do a good job!! ummmmm just like jenna i also have a friend that said HAHA BYE and moved to cali and she is also lIVING IT UP and doing really well for herself and shes very independent and shes very inspiring to me! hmm i think thats it besides i used to have movie nights with my dad all the time too except we would watch my fave animated movies and sometimes lord of the rings cause my dad loved that

What kinds of things can we NOT ask ? What kinds of things do you WANT us to ask ? i covered the what not to ask in the first question so!!! um if my askbox is open and u want to respond to previous asks ive answered for the boys that would be so so so rad. sometimes im done with a certain ask and i have nothing to add but sometimes ive got more to say but am looking for an opportunity! that being said it made me really happy that i got a lot of asks about pj? shes not going to the main focus of any more asks but!!! i was nervous to introduce her and im glad u guys like her shes fun to write. but overall just general asks i can make a big ol fun story out of so!! dont worry too much about what to ask, if its something ud ask a real person and not like “lol what if ur dad died” ur gunna be fine probably

Hi! Not a question but your blog is so sweet and refreshing! I actually really appreciate that you refuse angst, that stuff tends to rub me the wrong way in fandoms... Keep taking good care of these boys ! gggg thank u!!! it means a lot to me that a lot of people are backing me up on this! i mean if u are an angst fan there are a lot of askblogs that explore that!! so its not in short supply bmc askblog fandoms got something for everyone

Which drawing program do you use?? i use paint tool sai and my tablet is a cintiq !!

this isn't really related to the faq but that bakunawa boy reference was great I LOVE THAT FIC MAN!!! the line was originally a little diff in that ask but i changed it cause ,,,, i could,,,,

an art style question. how do you keep the design of characters consistent from frame to frame? my characters they look a lil different every time I draw em (or a lot different) and it tends to disrupt the flow of my comics/animations ohh boy hoo wee props for doing animations im too scared to give that a whirl but!! it helps that i draw all the panels for an ask on one canvas! so if my next panel is going to be the same character in the same spot just in a diff pose i keep the lower layer on just at low opacity so i can use it as a ref! that helps me a lot!

Sorry if I'm nosy or rude, but are you reflecting Micheal Anxiety, Panic attacks and depence? iii think this is asking if i reflect my own issues onto them boys? and if so then yes i do. i dont place any of my own personality or anything on the boys but i do use them as a way to help me learn how to cope with my own shit and i try to deal with their issues in the healthiest way possible while also keeping in mind they are flawed individuals aaa

what are your pronouns??? and maybe your main blog??  im a cis girl so she/her is good! and my main is squigglegigs! also that being said IF YOU SEE THE USERNAME SQUIGGLEGIGS ANYWHERE JUST?? ASSUME ITS ME?? i have a twitter and an instagram and my tumblr account 

((Hello mod will Michael and Jeremy eventually someday get together. I love them.)) if all goes according to plan yes! if i get overwhelmed and stop having fun on this blog then no! sorry thems the breaks but! i do want them to get together so HOPEFULLY

going off on that confrience on pornogrefy for birds, Im geussing jeremy has played Hatoful Boyfriend. am I wrong? well it wasnt intended as that ref and i dont know anything about hatoful boyfriend but i can see jerm finding it and playing it so, sure homie! the pornography for birds thing is a my brother my brother and me reference! i love that show and them boys so give it a scope!

I'm crying bcuz Michael said he's in love with Jeremy and it's beautiful yeah that boy is DEEP IN love with his bro bro

Any advice for running an ask blog?? (Ps i love this blog keep it up) personally whats worked for me so far is doing just sketches for art. honestly ive been able to work so much more and post so much more often while also trying to work on my expressions and poses! also taking my own experiences and shaping them to fit the characters has been SO MUCH FUN. th most important thing tho is,,, dont overwork urself dude. if ur having a fun time it shows. if ur just forcing urself to churn out material and its not fun? like shit we doing this for free dont push urself? idk idk overall being looser with my art and writing the dialogue before hand has been the most helpful for me for this askblog! ive run a bunch before including @ask-maz and ive run that sporadically for ,, three or four years? its so funny cause u can see my art style juMP AROUND SO MUCH but i love that blog and i only update it like every other month or so but?? i still like doing it and no on likes those posts but it makes me smile so ANYWAYS

~ok from here on its mostly just me replying to nice messages or people asking me personal questions that dont pertain to askguyslikeus so!!~

I just wanted to say I really really love your blog and just your art in general!! Keep up the good work and hope you're having fun! thank u!!! i am having fun and im glad u enjoy it!!

What other musicals do you like? :0  i really like heathers A LOT. i also like doctor horrible i know thats not technically a musical but i just relistened to it and im emotional. i like dear evan hansen but it makes me really sad so i can only take it in moderation! ummm rent? chicago?? music man? now im just naming musicals i was in rip. being in a musical fandom is a new thing to me? i was really into heathers last year but didnt really interract with the fandom at SO THIS IS SUPER NEW?? ive never been into a musical as much as im into bmc and heathers tho

tell us a little bit about urself!! u seem v cool i am squigs or fork!! im 24 and work fulltime as a barista at starbucks! i get high on the beach with my friend gwen a lot and drink wayy to many slushies, my tv shows are brooklyn nine nine and bobs burgers right now! i table at conventions sometimes and sell my art as merch and whatnot and i cosplay as a hobby as well. im pretty boring but i draw a lot and always carry my big sketchbook with me and im pretty sure its given me back issues BUT OH WELL HAHA also i am very not cool THE TRUTH COMES OUT

Who do you most relate to from bmc and why? like ,,, a mix of michael and christine with a sprinkle of jeremy i guess ahaha i relate to michaels dependency issues and overarching positive attitude and love of music, i relate to christines bright disposition and the need to not stick to one set thing? like she loves theater cause she can be sO MANY PEOPLE and like same homie thats why i cosplay. and jeremys need to be likes while also ability to put himself out there is very relatable. i also identify strongly with his dad issues idk idk whats good

Also -- just thank you for how you handled all the panic attack and anxiety attack asks. I used to deal with anxiety attacks multiple times a day and it just was really nice that it was positive and not them having one. Thank you, sincerely. ahhhhhh ur so welcome i,,, have anxiety and it sucks and i deal with panic attacks like everyday at work so i dont really wanna come home and draw someone having one i guess? im glad its helping other people too tho!

Dude- I love your art? Actually so much? It's... I love it. The whole sketch-ish way your art style is, and the way you color, and the expressions! I'm so glad I found your work - you've given me so much inspiration. Keep doin what you're doin and I hope you have a good day! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH ANytime any one compliments my expressions i die cause i legit made this blog to help with that as well ,,, like dam

im lvoe ur art style b o i :0 !!!!!!

Mod, I love you so much I love you you have my soul and my love and my eternal gratitude thank you and I love you (This is the guy who was excited about PJ on your ig live stream a while ago and I love you) !!!!!!!!! im so happy u like my content omg and that u like pj im so glad!! shes a good bean

I just wanna say... I'm crying over that post about Michael and his anxiety? cuz I know how it can feel that you're only your flaws and weaknesses, but Michael just tells that to screw off in the most wonderful way and I'm?? thank you so much for that post, I bookmarked it for future times when I can't look past my depression... honestly, that post made my day (along with every other post on this blog), thank you for being such a lovely part of this fandom ,,,, im,,,, im scared of a lot of this fandom tbh but if i can be something good that come out of it and my love of these boys and desire to show them functioning together in a healthy way can help other people its so much more than i ever thought id ever be able to do. i am blown away everyday by the support ive been given on this blog and i might be crying right now because i never thought id be able to touch other people like this and i just. im really glad yall are here with me for all this.

(To the mod: You are a beautiful person that I highly respect. I love this blog and what you set out to do. thanks for giving something that makes me smile and gives me something to look forward to everyday, keep up the good work! ❤ ) hey im still crying from the previous ask aaaaa im honestly so emotional

what are ur true feelings for wendy's??? i fucking love wendys man thats some top tier fast food right there

what fast food restaurant do you think has the best nuggets WENDYS HANDS DOWN

do you have a favorite movie? paranorman makes me very nostalgic and ive seen it like eighty times and used to watch it with my dad a lot and i love it

I would just like you to know that your Wendy's comic prompted me to pull the same thing with a bakery in the town I'm visiting and the baker got so excited and happy, so thank you for making that comic because I made that woman's day. GOOD GOOD GOOD GOOD GOOD I LOVE WHEN PEOPLE COMPLIMENT ME WHEN IM WORKING DUDE LIKE IM SO GLAD IT MADE U DO THIS!!! IM SMILING REALLY BIG!!

chocolate milk or strawberry milk? or plain? woops i hate milk im so sorry

do u love michael mell with all of ur heart, mod?  i really truly do man what a fucking good ass character

hi squigs i love you! i love your content too and i hope u have a good day pal :>  WHAT A SWEET BEAN!!! THANK YOU?? OMG

I'm just saying that recent ask you did with Michael really hit me hard because I really related to it and I started crying because it made me realize that I've been pining my self worth on everything my anxiety causes and I'm so much more than that. Thank you, so much for that I really needed it because I'm in a really bad place right now. <3 -for the mod i legit cry everytime i get asks or dms like this cause once again the idea that im helping other people is so ovwehelming i love you??? i let myself just be”depressed” for ahwile and by that i mean i just,, let my sadness consume me and i was scared of getting better cause the sadness was all i knew for so long and just. its so easy to think u are ur illness but you are so much more. soooo much more man.

I relate A Lot to Michael so the way you portray him in the blog is really good, and I think it's really awesome you refuse to like?? do terrible stuff and answer bad questions just bc people wanna see that. You run this blog really well 👌  AHHHH THis is the biggest compliment thank u so much ,,, i get real anxious bout this blog soemtiems but then yall send me sweet things like this and its worth it man

Hey mod, just know you're a really cool person. Thanks for running this blog in the first place. Keep doing the great work.  thank you!!!! for ur support!!!! 

not really a question!! i just wanted to say your posts on this blog always brighten my day and you're really an incredible artist and person, keep rockin on my dude!! *clutching my heart* the fuck this is so sweet

1 .I just wanted to say your blog is really awesome! It's very lovely. I also like how you made michael trans and like handled it? (just with how all the characters treat him and stuff its v nice). Your art is super duper! Thanks for running this awesome blog! 2. Hey! This isn't a question but I wanted to say that I appreciate michael being trans!! As a trans boy it's just rly awesome to see something like that casually thrown into an ask blog without making it a huge weird deal :D immm,,, i kinda really love the idea of michael being trans cause a lot of my trans male friends are actually pretty confident in their skin and michael is a very confident character? and u rarely see that with trans representation and its so refreshing to see it portrayed well. im trying to do that here but again if! i do anything wrong let me know!

how did you first get into art? (also i really love your blog, it's amazing!) ive been drawing as long as i remember! ive got mad adhd and wasnt diagnosed until late in ym life so i would just draw nonstop in my classes ahaha i used to read the sunday comics a lot and they really inspired me to try and make comics of my own too!! (and omg thank u) 

someone also asked me if i went to church or was religious but tumblr ate the ask but i used to go to church a lot as a kid but im currently not religious at all aaa

ok holy shit that was a lot but thanks again to everyone i legit cry a lot about how supportive u all are thank u so much aaaa

[msbigredmachine]

The Sweetest Thing (A Roman Reigns Story) - Part 1

Raising children is a lot tougher than it looks. And with two babies in the picture and one parent virtually out of it, things are twice as difficult. So how have Joe and Sasha coped? Or have they not? Mini-sequel to 'Into The Deep End' and 'Nothing Better'. Two-shot. Roman/OC.

Comments are greatly appreciated!

"Damn. You look crappy."

Frowning at his smirking wife through the iPad screen, Joe rolled his grey eyes. "Our first FaceTime session in a while and you had to start with the negatives." Huffing with annoyance, he picked up his bottle of water and chugged down half of it, then tossed it aside. "Glad to know you find my broken nose funny."

Sasha sighed, fighting the urge to roll her own eyes. Ever since he lost the World title for the second time, her husband of over a year had become the crankiest motherfucker on the planet. The past week had been even rougher for him and she was only trying to lighten up the mood. However it was clear that he had little appreciation for her effort. Again. "I didn't say it was funny," she said.

Was he sure about that? From the way they'd been bickering lately, barbs and jibes seemed to be all they had for each other these days. "Right," he murmured, sitting up straighter on his way-too-small hotel room bed. "So what's up? How are the babies doing?"

"They're good. Asleep for now."

A small smile spread across his face at the thought of holding his infant twins in his arms again. "I can't wait to see them. I miss them so much."

It no longer surprised her when he made no mention of missing her, like he used to before. "So...how are you doing?"

"Tired." Lifting his tattooed shoulder, he rotated the appendage gingerly. "I've been up since the crack of dawn working on this new toy ad. Took photos all damn day in this hot-ass warehouse. I think I did the same damn pose for about five hours straight," he grumbled.

"A lot of people would be happy to do the same pose for five hours straight," Sasha pointed out, "Especially if they're doing it for something they love to do, like you are. You should appreciate it."

Joe raised an eyebrow, not liking the tone she used to address him; the tone she would use on her daughter Mia when the pre-teen was being stubborn. But he forced himself to let it slide. Again. Steering down a calmer path, he said, "So what are you up to right now?"

"Just got out of the shower," She waved the towel she was using to dry her short hair, "The yoga session was great today. I feel so much better after every class," she added, her voice lilting with enthusiasm.

For the past number of months, Joe noticed that the gym had become one of Sasha's favorite places to be at. Every time they spoke she was out running. Every time he was home, she was at one workout session or another at Pam's gym. It was great to want to stay in shape but he couldn't help but believe that this was now a bit of an obsession for her. "Where were the babies while you were out?" he asked.

Sasha's brows furrowed. "With Gin's folks like always. Thought you knew that."

Joe frowned. "I don't like when they're so far away from you."

"It's Elgin's parents, babe. And it was only for a couple of hours. Relax."

"I am relaxed," he shot back.

Raising an eyebrow of her own, Sasha scrutinized her husband. "You sure about that?"

His reply was terse. "Yes."

Sasha pursed her lips at his attitude. It had been like this for some time now, the sniping and the arguing and the overall tension between her and Joe. Both when he was at home and on the road. Every time her iPhone or iPad rang and it was his caller ID, she found herself cringing with trepidation as she didn't know what mood he would be in. It was difficult enough dealing with two infants on her own and running low on sleep and energy every day as a result. The added drama did not help matters and it certainly was not welcome. He obviously was not relaxed, but for the sake of peace she let it be, because asking questions led to more unnecessary drama. Maybe for once they could have a conversation that didn't end with them blowing up on each other. "When will you be home?"

"I'm back Wednesday like always, and lucky for me, I get to stay home till Sunday since the house shows are cancelled," Joe said.

"That's nice. I'm sure you're looking forward to coming home."

Honestly...if it only meant getting into more meaningless fights with her, then not really. He spent most of his time with the babies and Mia mainly so he could avoid getting into it again with her. Ninety percent of the time, the plan failed. It was the story of their lives as a couple lately and it was starting to get tiresome. Joe cleared his throat, about to bring up a particularly prickly topic of contention. "By the way, I got a red carpet event next Thursday in New York." He paused, wetting his lips briefly as he met his wife's gaze through the screen. "When can you fly out? I want you to be there with me," he asked, but the moment he saw her gaze shift from his, he knew what her answer would be.

Sasha swallowed. Oh no. Not this again. Joe was, by all intents and purposes, the number one guy in WWE right now. That honor came with a lot of responsibilities, mostly involving the media, and in the times when her presence was required, Sasha was happy to accompany him. She was well aware that her status as his wife meant she was under constant scrutiny no matter what, but it didn't make her any more comfortable. Things started to escalate after she had their children, Giselle and Micah, and gained a few pounds in the process. Last time she checked, it was perfectly normal to carry a bit of extra weight after childbirth. But Joe's fans didn't seem to agree, judging from the way they trashed her when a picture of her surfaced a month after having the twins. She'd pretended to brush off that little incident but it ate at her every day from then on. She couldn't bear the thought of accompanying her husband somewhere again and have people tweeting about how fat she had become. She feared that Joe himself also felt the same way and was only asking her out of obligation. Like now.

"Sash?" As if on cue, his deep voice prompted her back to reality, and she cleared her throat.

"I um...I don't think I can make it," she murmured.

And he was right on the money. Again. "Here we go. What's your excuse this time?"

Refusing to meet his gaze, she picked at her towel. "You sayin' I had an excuse before?"

"Please. You always got some excuse. This is like, the third event you've turned down. Are you gonna keep backing down every time I wanna take you somewhere? I can count how many times you've come out with me in the last couple of months with one hand. What are you hiding from?" he demanded.

Sasha crossed her arms petulantly. "Fine. You wanna know? I'll tell you. I'm not going anywhere until I get rid of this baby weight."

Joe gave her a strange look. "What are you talkin' about? You ain't even that big," he said flippantly.

If that statement was meant to make her feel better, it didn't work. In fact it had the completely opposite effect. "Gee, thanks, Joseph. And you should tell that to your lovely fans," she retorted, "Did you read what they were saying about me last time we were out together?"

His free hand clenched into a fist as he felt himself get angrier. "Who the fuck cares what the fans say? You're the one who tells me to ignore them. How about you follow your own advice for once?"

"It ain't that simple, Joe."

"Yes, it is that simple Sasha. Stay off the fuckin' internet. I've told you that a million times before," he responded harshly, thoroughly irritated now.

Sasha blinked rapidly, shocked. "Are you kiddin' me? What the hell is your problem?"

"You are!" Joe shot back harshly. "You are my problem, Sasha! You don't listen to me anymore. When I wanna talk you either avoid me or start a fight with me! You always gotta have everything your way. When's the last time we did something I wanted to do? You never want to do anything except work out." The words continued to tumble out of his mouth in a heated, angry rush. "I'm sorry but I don't see why you should be going to the gym so much. Your job is to stay at home and take care of the babies, not spending all your damn time exercising."

It was like watching a clip from a movie, the way Sasha's face transformed at those last words. She looked like he'd slapped her.

"Excuse me? What is that supposed to mean? So me going to the gym trying to get back in shape, trying to feel better about myself, makes me a bad mother? Makes me a problem? Is that what you sayin'?"

"What? Of course not! I-"

But it was too late to backtrack. All hell had broken loose, and Sasha was in a complete rage. "I am at home taking care of your children, barely able to work, and you got the goddamn nerve to utter that bullshit because I don't wanna go to your stupid party? You asshole!"

"For fuck's sake Sasha, I didn't mean it like that! Will you just-"

"You never mean anything 'like that'!" Her hands flew up angrily to make sarcastic quotation signs. "That's always your fuckin' answer for all the dumb shit you say! I always knew you could be an ass but I didn't know you were an insensitive ass."

Hurt stabbed the Samoan's insides at her stinging words. "Oh, we're calling each other names now? How mature."

"So I'm the one being immature? Of course! Pin it all on the useless wife and incompetent mother!"

"When did I even say any of that? For fuck's sake Sasha, you are completely overreacting as usual!" He realized he should be placating her instead of fanning the flames, but he really didn't appreciate her putting words in his mouth.

Sasha shot him with an incredulous stare. "Overreacting? After the way you been treating me, the way everyone else has been treating me like I don't know what the hell I'm doing, like I can't handle the babies? You think I'm overreacting? We can't even talk without gettin' into a fuckin' fight, so you can kiss my black ass with that mess!"

Joe groaned loudly, exasperated. "This is insane. You are being completely asinine."

"Go to hell." Her voice broke at the last word, and Joe felt his heart splinter as he watched the tears spill down her cheeks. His heart lurched at the look on her face, a gut-wrenching mix of pain and fury that made him suddenly uncomfortable. "Sash...come on, what the hell are you cryin' for? Sasha, stop it," he attempted, cringing when she pinned him down with another murderous glare.

"Don't tell me what to do," she snapped, "Why does everyone keep trying to tell me what to do?" Taking yet another deep, ragged breath, she turned away and wiped her face with trembling fingers, unable to look him in the eye any longer. "I am so sick and tired of your shit. You don't even give a damn."

"Babe-"

"Do you know why I'm in the gym so much?" she interrupted him again. "Why I care about what your fans say? Because I have to care. Because I have to look and act perfect for you and for them and when I don't, I make you look bad."

"That is not true...Sasha, listen to me-" He was close to pleading now. This was nothing like their previous squabbles; this was much, much worse. He cursed inwardly, wondering how this conversation had spiraled out of control.

The mother of four started on another heated retort, but was distracted when something across the room hijacked her attention. The baby monitor was on and the sounds of crying filled both their ears. Exhaling tiredly, she pushed the tears from her face. "Gotta go. I'm off to take care of your kids like the good little wife I am," she said, her tone clipped and bitter, and as she rose to her feet, she jabbed her finger forwards, turning the iPad screen black.

"Fuck!" Joe knocked his iPad aside, too incensed to worry about where it landed. "Fuck, fuck, fuck!" He pressed his fists to his face, his whole body heaving. What the hell just happened? He closed his eyes only to force them back open a second later, because all he could see were the tears on her beautiful, heartbroken face. How had it come to this? What was happening to their marriage?

"You dumbass."

He twisted around on his bed and found his colleague and one of his closest friends, Trinity Fatu, at the door of his hotel room, the expression on her pretty face like thunder. Her husband Jonny stood meekly behind her, looking rather fearful for his cousin. Joe could tell they'd caught part of their conversation, if he could call it that, but he was not in the mood for any lectures.

Clearly not getting that memo, Trinity crossed her arms and shook her head. "Let me guess why y'all fightin'. You've stopped paying attention to her," she said, her tone accusing. "Every time you call her it's only to ask about the twins. You barely ask how she's doing. You return home and it's the same rodeo all over again. Am I right?" Clucking her tongue, she leveled him with a glare very similar to the ones Sasha had been giving him for months.

"That is not true!" the Pensacola native retorted angrily. He didn't ignore Sasha, not at all. If anything, it was the other way around. At least it felt that way to him. "And frankly, ain't none of your business. This is between me and her."

"Like hell it is. Not when we can all see what's going on between y'all two," Trinity countered smoothly. "Did your little pea brain not learn anything from what happened with Andrea? Hey, I couldn't stand the bitch, but you pretty much told her back then that you were only keeping her around because she was carrying your child. Look how that turned out. You're about to replicate the exact same thing with Sasha. She had two babies...two...for you! She risked her body for you-"

"You think I don't know that?" Joe threw up his hands in exasperation, feeling ganged up on. "I've tried talking to her, Trin! But she don't wanna talk to me. I ask her about stuff and all she does is shut me down. I'm not a fuckin' mind reader so what do you want me to do?"

"Try harder," said Trinity, "You have to talk to her. Not at her, and not in a bored or aggressive tone either. Dude, she's going through a rough time. She thinks she's fat and she's feeling insecure about her body. You're gone for weeks on end and she has to deal with the children by herself. She feels alone and suffocated she wants support and reassurance from you. I understand that you got a lot on your plate too, but you've let it completely take over your life and pushed Sasha out in the process." Clasping her hands together, Trinity's eyes were imploring as she added, "Joe, I am begging you. Do not make the same mistake you made before. Sasha ain't just some random baby mama, she's your wife. Call her, do whatever the fuck you gotta do to fix this. Otherwise trust me when I say you're gonna have a problem with me as well."

She let the threat hang in the air, allowing her in-law to absorb it a little longer. Then, shooting him one last scolding glare, she marched out of the room, leaving the two cousins alone and swarmed in the palpable tension. Joe glared at Jonny, who looked about to speak. "Don't you start," he warned.

"She's right though," Jonny countered, shaking his head. "But damn man, I thought I told you not to mess up with Sasha when she's around," He stabbed a finger in the direction Trinity had stormed out from. "It affects me too." He shook his head and sighed heavily. "I'm willing to bet you right now, she's gonna go and and on about it all night and I won't get any damn sleep. Fix it, Uce. Please. You know she ain't playin'." Rolling his eyes dramatically with another shake of his head, he disappeared through the door after his wife as he braced himself for a long night ahead.

Blowing out a breath, Joe ran his hands through his hair. He had to admit, Trin was right. Though Sasha wasn't completely innocent, he knew he'd crossed a line with the things he said to her, and he needed to find a way to make it up to her. He could only hope and pray he was not too late.

-----------------------------

Three days later, Joe returned home. He was welcomed by the sound of complete silence as he stepped through the doors of his lavish Tampa abode. Though it was only about eight p.m. the lights were already turned off, all the windows were closed and locked and the alarm system was on. There was no one downstairs in the living room or in the kitchen. It was rather strange for his household, and he wondered where everyone was.

Dragging his suitcases as quietly as possible upstairs, the first thing he did was to check on the twins. He strolled past the master bedroom and towards the nursery. Abandoning his luggage at the door, he gently pushed the door open and turned on the little lamp in the corner, which gave a soft, dim glow to the lilac-colored room that he really liked. However, he was surprised to find both cribs empty. Curious, he crossed through the connecting door and into the master bedroom, and a smile of relief tugged his lips at the sight that greeted him.

Lying in their king-sized bed was Sasha, flanked on each side by their twins; Giselle on her left, Micah on her right, all three of them fast asleep. The volume of the television was turned down low, with Mickey Mouse Clubhouse showing on the flat screen. Both babies' heads were turned towards their mother while she lay on her back, an arm wound protectively around each of them. It was a beautiful, Kodak-worthy moment that could not be ignored. He whipped out his phone, quickly putting it on silent before immortalizing the image on his device. He moved to pick up the children, but then remembered that he had to wash his hands. Germs around the babies was a huge no-no. Sasha read him the Riot Act every time he forgot. He dashed into the toilet and back, then, ensuring not to wake any of them, he carefully extracted Giselle out of Sasha's arm and rested her little head on his broad shoulder. Wow, she was so big now. He stuck his hand inside her diaper to see if she needed to be changed and was glad to find out that she did not. He loved his children to death but changing diapers had to be his least favorite thing to do. He nuzzled the baby's soft dark hair and kissed her forehead, breathing in her fresh talcum-powdered scent. "Come on Princess, let's get you to bed," he whispered.

He walked back to the nursery and found the crib on the left side of the room, and carefully, he lowered his daughter inside, making sure she lay on her back. He pulled the baby blanket over the baby, and after ensuring she was safe and sound, he exited the room to retrieve his son.

As he reached for Micah, his heart lurched a little when he saw Sasha start to stir, and she absently ran her hand over the spot on the bed where Giselle had been sleeping beside her. "Gigi?" she breathed, her eyes cracking open.

At that moment, Joe felt his anxiety melt into a warm pool of pride. His wife may have been half-asleep but her children were always on her mind, always her top priority. There was never a time she didn't realize when one of her babies was no longer near her. Joe decided to ease her fears. "I got her. She's in her crib," he said.

"Joe?" She would have opened her eyes a little more but she was just so tired. His hulking frame looked familiar but she couldn't really tell because the comforting haze of sleep still surrounded her. For all she knew, he was still on the road and this was just another vivid dream she was having of him.

"Yeah, it's me." Beside Sasha, Joe could see their son start to squirm. "I got Mike too. Go back to sleep." He watched as she relaxed and shut her eyes, then he reached over her body to pick up Micah, gently resting him on his shoulder like he did with Giselle. "Hey buddy," he cooed, rubbing his tiny back as he left of the bedroom. He'd since learned that Gigi was the lighter sleeper of the twins, often waking up at the slightest sound, while Micah was the one that slept like a rock. Either way, the last thing Joe wanted was Sasha being woken up by the babies' cries when it was evident how tired she was.

It wasn't unusual to find Joe sitting in the nursery for hours, doing nothing but cuddling his children. He always tried to reacquaint himself with their environment as much as he could before he had to travel again. Pulling Sasha's nursing chair between the two cribs, Joe settled down and lowered the side of Giselle's crib facing him so he could touch her. He wedged his littlest finger through her tiny fist, and smiled when the baby subconsciously grabbed it and held on. Micah was tucked underneath his chin, and the Samoan lightly swayed back and forth in the chair, giving his son a kiss on top of his head, basking in the child's smell, his softness, his innocence.

"I've missed you both so much," he whispered.

He couldn't believe they were five months old already. He still remembered it like it was yesterday, the day when he and Sasha found out they were having twins. Etched in his memory were the wide-eyed, shocked expression on his wife's beautiful face and the sound of his own pulse hammering in his ears...

"I'm sorry, what?" Joe gaped at Dr. Sawyer like she had two heads, which at this point, was a rather appropriate expression. Because unless his hearing had become fucked up by all the beatings he'd endured in the ring, it sounded a lot to him like she'd just said that there were not one, but two babies inside his wife.

Mona laughed at his expression. "You heard me right." She pointed at the screen showing the ultrasound. "See? Over here is the head of the first baby and over here...is the second." She turned back to the couple and smiled. "Two heads means it's twins. So congratulations."

Emotions of every kind swelled inside Sasha, threatening to burst from her chest. "Twins," she murmured, shock and euphoria and fear flitting across her face all at once. Shaking her head at her husband, she said, "How did I forget that twins run in your damn family?"

Joe laughed, as did Mona. "Would you like to know what you're having?"

The couple looked at each other, and Sasha squeezed Joe's hand as they exchanged knowing smiles. They had discussed this over and over without coming to an agreement. Joe looked back at the OB-GYN. "Well, we already know we're having twins," he said. "The genders don't really matter to me. I can wait until they're born. I just want them to arrive healthy."

"You sure?" asked Dr. Sawyer, noting Sasha's skeptical expression. "Some couples decide on one thing and then change their minds quickly. If you want, we can wait until your next appointment to find out, or I can write it in an envelope for you. Many couples usually prefer that."

"An envelope will be fine," Sasha piped up. She knew her husband. There was a high chance he would be unavailable for the next appointment, and it wouldn't feel right if she found out on her own. Besides, even if she did, she couldn't keep it from him. The suspense would kill them both. Personally, she preferred to find out the sex of their babies together, and sooner rather than later.

Sooner came much quicker than later. Two days barely went by when both of them bit the bullet. Unable to hold out any longer, the couple rummaged through the kitchen drawer they'd buried the envelope in and tugged out the paper. They were on the floor for an hour after that, hugging each other while crying tears of joy. One baby was already a blessing, but having two, a boy and a girl for that matter, was an incredible miracle.

Despite being born premature, the twins were as healthy as ever. Micah Morgan Sika was the younger twin but he was slightly bigger than his sister – Sasha blamed it on his Samoan-inherited penchant for food – and looked exactly like Joe, from his wavy black hair to his tan skin and slanted charcoal-grey eyes. Giselle Maeva Josephina was the apple of her father's eye and already a little diva. She demanded his attention and he surrendered it to her without question. Like her brother she took most of Joe's gorgeous looks but her smile was a carbon copy of Sasha's. Their parents were overjoyed when they arrived, but honestly speaking, it was more because it meant her pregnancy was over. By no means had it been an easy eight months. If carrying one baby was tough, two had been a nightmare. Sasha struggled throughout, and even ended up needing a walking stick to move around during the latter stages of her term. It broke Joe's heart to see her in such pain and discomfort and it hurt him more that he couldn't be there with her all the time like a normal father-to-be. It was such a relief when the babies were delivered safely and Sasha turned out okay. It was by far the happiest moment of Joe's life and he did his best to be as hands-on as possible with the babies, looking after them when he returned home and bonding with them.

However, as his connection with his children strengthened, the one with his wife started to diminish. Neither had much time for the other as the twins became top priority. Soon the arguments started, and Sasha fought with him over the pettiest things like cleaning up the house and taking out the trash. He figured she was acting out because she couldn't return to work and was stuck at home while her body continued to heal. But she stopped wanting to go out with him, preferring to go to the gym than spend time with him. And then, to his chagrin, she began to spurn his advances when he wanted to make love, instead putting all her attention on the babies and losing weight. When he realized her fears over her body image had skyrocketed, he'd tried to be understanding, but Sasha did not seem to see that. To add to the turmoil at home, he was having a less-than-stellar period at work. The higher-ups in the WWE kept playing hot potato with their decision over whether to give him another title reign, and feeling frustrated and yanked around, he started to lash out at the people closest to him, most notably the woman he called his wife. And just like the woman he knew and loved, she lashed right back, making his life one big giant clusterfuck.

It was all very frustrating; his kids were growing up and he wasn't there to witness it. He was constantly arguing with their mother. It had reached a point where he internally timed how long their attempt at conversation would drag on for before it broke down and they were yelling at each other again. There were days he would come home and immediately wish he was back on the road so he wouldn't have to deal with her, and though he knew it was wrong, he couldn't help how he felt. It wasn't healthy at all, especially not when there were small children involved, and after replaying their last heated exchange over and over in his head and going over Trinity's advice, the Samoan decided it was time for the fighting to come to an end. It was all a huge mess over nothing. They could not carry on like this, and he vowed to resolve their issues on this trip home.

Kissing Micah's head one more time, Joe placed him in his crib and drew the covers over him. Once he checked that the baby monitors were on, he left the nursery and checked on his sleeping wife again. He noticed she was wearing a robe and her hair was tucked haphazardly underneath a satin hair cover, and he guessed that she was in bed when the twins drew her attention. Seeing it from her perspective, Joe felt bad for her. She hadn't got a break in over a year, and with T.K. off touring the independents and Mia being more and more occupied with school, Sasha was stuck with the babies with very little help. His parents occasionally stepped in, but it wasn't often as they themselves were getting on age-wise. No wonder she'd exploded like that. It was a lot to take on. He probably would have too if he'd been in her shoes.

Deciding to be of use while he was at home, he unpacked his bags and gathered his dirty laundry. Heading downstairs to the laundry room, he added a load of laundry to the washer, separating the babies' clothes and handwashing them himself. He then wiped down the kitchen, put on the dishwasher, and took out the trash. Afterwards he made his way to the den to tidy up Sasha's laptop and paperwork. He picked up the toys strewn around the living room and took them upstairs to deposit in the little toy box in the nursery. It was the least he could do. Sasha always kept the house in impeccable shape all by her lonesome and it was his responsibility to maintain that standard.

When he was satisfied with the state of the house, Joe returned to the master bedroom and climbed into bed next to his wife. Staring at her for a long, forlorn moment, he tentatively weaved his arm underneath her head, and his hand was halfway across the pillow when she moved. But instead of shifting away from him, her body relaxed and she snuggled into his embrace, all without ever opening her eyes. Expelling a huge sigh of relief, Joe wrapped his arm completely around her, then reached for the remote to catch up with his favorite TV shows. Sure, she was cuddling with him in her subconscious, but it was better than her being awake and hating him. This way he could pretend that things were still normal and all was well between them.

-----------------------------

As another manic episode of How To Get Away With Murder flew by, the gentle movement of his fingers in her hair ceased when he felt her shift next to him. By now she was practically glued to his side, with her head tucked in the crook of his neck and her arm around his middle. He glanced down at her as her eyes finally opened, blinking slowly. She rolled away from him, rubbing her eyes, and a soft smile tugged at his lips at her adorable expression as consciousness slowly returned to her. He could see the proverbial lightbulb flash in her mind as she realized something was off. Fully awake now, she sat up and looked around the bed.

Joe instantly read her mind. "They're in the nursery, safe and sound," he told her, and he felt his heart grow when she slid down beside him again, resting her head on his shoulder as her attention turned to the TV.

"When on earth did you start watching this show?" she asked, causing him to chuckle and reply, "There was nothing else on TV and I wanted to find out what got you and Pam trippin' so much." He shook his head. "I get it now. Man, they crazy. Every single one of them." He smiled when Sasha laughed, the sound vibrating against his skin soothing him.

"Trust me, this episode is just the beginning," she said, her fingers idly stroking his pectorals. "How long have you been home?" she asked.

"About three hours, four tops. You three were out like a light."

It had been quite the crazy day for Sasha. The twins had cried all day for some reason, and she was forced to cancel all her plans for the day, including working from home. "Not gonna lie, it was a rough one today. They were super cranky. I think they knew their Daddy was coming home so they decided to give me a hard time," she quipped, not bothering to stifle the yawn that escaped her.

She looked so exhausted. Joe felt like shit. "I wish I'd been here to help."

"Don't worry about it," she replied, yawning again.

Joe stared at her, a million thoughts flitting through his mind. There was so much he wanted to say to her, so much he wanted to apologize for. But he didn't know if words could fully articulate how truly sorry he was for his part in the turbulence of their relationship. "I got you something," he said. Twisting his upper body towards his side of the bed, he reappeared with a long stemmed red rose wrapped in transparent paper.

Sasha raised an eyebrow. "There's hundreds of flowers in the garden outside, Joe," she informed him, the small smirk on her lips telling him not to take offence to her comment.

"I know. But that woulda been lazy of me."

Giggling at his statement, she took the flower and held it to her nose. "It's beautiful. Thanks," she murmured, sincerity shining in her eyes as she looked at him.

The air crackled with tension as Joe watched her intently. "I've been thinking...Can I take you out to dinner tomorrow night?"

Sasha lowered the rose, waiting for a beat or two. "Like a date?"

"Yeah, like a date." He could sense that she was trying to play it cool, but her anxiety was written on her face. "Don't worry. It'll be just you and me, alone and in a relaxed environment and we'll get all the privacy we want. I'd really like it if we sat down and talked and caught up with each other's lives. I think being stuck in this house all the time with only the babies for company hasn't been much fun for you."

Frankly, he was right on all fronts. Especially with the notion that they desperately needed to talk. Shifting to lie on her side, she nodded her head in agreement. "Okay. I'm fine with that. Where are we going though?"

His serious expression turned playful. "Sorry baby girl. You'll just have to wait and see."

Sasha grinned. "Ooh, a surprise, huh? What about the twins?"

"We can drop them off at my parents' place. Or Elgin's parents'. Or Mia will take care of them. She'll probably ask to be paid though," he chuckled, grinning when Sasha joined him.

"I'm sure we can negotiate something," she answered.

Joe smiled at his wife, watching her laugh, and decided to take advantage of the lightened mood before it slipped away for good. Gently stroking her hip, he said in a soft voice, "You probably don't believe me, but I've missed you. I...miss you," he corrected himself, locking eyes with her, his own swirling with apologies.

It was so difficult to stay mad at him. Even when she gave him the silent treatment to teach him a lesson it required all of her willpower because it was miserable not talking to him. Despite all the conflict they put each other through, she loved him to death. She always would. "I believe you," she answered, inching closer to him. "And I miss you too." And wanting to show him rather than just tell him, she tilted her head and gently placed her lips on his for a moment. Pulling slightly away, she watched his grey eyes, wide with surprise and hope and longing, and she gave her reassurance with a small smile. Emboldened, she leaned in and kissed him again, her lips parting wider for him. She moved, climbing slowly on top of his body, and she sensed his relief as he wound an arm around her, holding her tight to him while he massaged her scalp with his other fingers. This was so much better than arguing. Unfortunately they couldn't help themselves sometimes. They fought each other as intensely as they loved each other, probably always would, and both of them would have to come to terms with that fact and put up with it.

Trying his luck, Joe tugged off the robe Sasha was wearing, heartened when she made no protest. He pushed the clothing down her arms and pressed his lips to the exposed skin on her shoulder. Gently, he rolled her onto her back, delighted to feel her legs instantly slide up around his waist. Brushing heated, suckling kisses over her neck, his hands ventured upwards, closing over her naked breasts, which were larger and more sensitive now due to breastfeeding. Giving them a small squeeze each, her soft moan was encouraging, and he happily repeated the action. He bowed his head and licked her nipple, the faint taste of breastmilk coming away on his tongue. His name was a breathy moan on her lips, her hips lifting to grind against his crotch. Joe growled in reaction, tearing his mouth away from her chest to crash back against hers. They kissed desperately, and his hands continued massaging her breasts, his fingers tweaking and teasing her nipples. He was about turning his attention back to them when a small cry pierced the air out of nowhere.

"No," Sasha whined. Joe's forehead dropped onto her chest with frustration. "Fuck." The baby monitor had come alive and was indicating that one of their children was now awake and very upset.

Sasha exhaled heavily. This was one of the reasons she didn't bother with sex anymore. "That's your son," she informed Joe, patting his shoulder so he could move off of her.

"How do you know?" he asked.

"There's no frills with his crying," she explained, sitting up and tiredly drawing her robe back over herself. "Your daughter always whines first, always makes a dramatic entrance. With Micah it's short, sweet and to the point most of the time."

"You know them well." There was envy in his voice.

Sasha smiled tenderly and caressed his face. "You will too, baby. They recognize you now. That's a start." She started to get up but Joe stopped her. "I got him." He pulled himself up and kissed her lips. "Stay put. I'll be right back."

Getting off the bed, Joe crossed the room and towards the adjoining door, the baby's cries getting louder as he neared the nursery. Taking a second to look at Giselle's crib, he was relieved to see her slumber on despite Micah's noise. Reaching into the other crib, Joe picked up his wailing son and patted his back. "Hey little man. What's the matter?" he asked, walking out of the nursery. "You were right. It was him." He sat down on the bed, not taking his eyes off his boy as he began to quieten. "Gotta say nani, we got some good-looking kids," the Samoan remarked.

"Well, they got Samoan, Italian and Negro blood. They don't have a choice but to be good-looking." She carefully took their baby son. With her other hand she pulled her robe open and adjusted him in her arms, then guided her nipple into his mouth. Watching the baby suckle for a few moments, she then looked over at her husband, propped up on his elbow as he looked on with a soft, almost dreamy smile, and smirked. "Take a picture babe, it lasts longer."

His gaze zeroed in on her chest. "It's beautiful to watch."

"Or you just like that I whipped out my naked tits."

At last, his eyes flickered to hers, familiarly dark and suggestive. "Maybe."

Her face warmed instantly. "Pervert." But the smile on her face was wide and genuine, and the Samoan was glad to be the one to put it there. Glad that they were back to this, the playful banter between them. He shifted on the bed so he was facing Sasha properly, and he played with Micah's toes while he reveled in the sight of his wife feeding their son.

-----------------------------

What's date night gonna be like? Hmmm. ;)

Let me know your thoughts with comments! And let me know if you want to ne tagged in the next chapter. Thanks guys!

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[fan-tastic-fiction]

Fanfiction Author Profile Friday

This is the seventh interview in what I hope will be a long running series! I think people need to feel more connected to the brilliant authors behind their favorite fics, I also feel that fic authors need to be taken just as seriously as published authors and treated with respect and admiration in the same way. Making money should not be the only way to gain prestige! Some of the best peices of writing I’ve ever read have been fanfictions and they are often equal or superior to published stories. If you have a story or author recommendation, let me know! And if you have a question you’ve always wanted to ask your favorite author, message me and I’ll try to make it happen!

Pen name: The Moonmoth (fun fact: I shudder at the “The” every time I write it out. Thirteen-year-old me thought it made me sound very serious and mature, but thirteen-year-old me was Pretentious with a capital P!)

Age: 33? I think? I am at that stage where I have to count up from my date of birth D:

Is English your first language? No. At home, we talk in Baby

How long have you been writing? There’s a beautiful self-insert Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles story in a primary school exercise book that my parents have kept, from when I was about 5. I was kidnapped and the turtles came to rescue me. I like to think of that as the start of my writing career.

What do you think your strongest piece of writing has been? If we’re saying completed piece, it’s The Lady of the Gift. I think the story is tightly written, well-paced and plotted, and has lots of nice world-building. It’s also, to date, the longest thing I’ve ever written – as a slow writer, I take quite a bit of pride in that :)

http://archiveofourown.org/works/325083/chapters/523878

If we’re allowing WIPs, then it has to be The Soul Lies Down, which is possibly not at all well-paced or plotted since it keeps growing like a hydra, but has been so successful for me (so far) in terms of exercising The Craft that I feel like it’s brought me on a huge amount as a writer.

http://the-moonmoth.livejournal.com/200408.html

Your weakest? Well, I have (perhaps unwisely) uploaded fic to my AO3 account dating all the way back to 2004, so it’s a fair bet some of that is a little sketchier in quality than my more recent stuff…

What is your favorite website for posting your writing and why? In general it’s AO3 because it’s just so user friendly, but for Spuffy stuff, Elysian Fields is where the main action (read: comments) is.

What do you find most challenging about writing fanfiction in particular? The actual writing part! I have a six-month-old who, one could say, is occasionally healthy. The 5% of my day she doesn’t currently take up I spend eating or taking “me time” locked in the bathroom with the fan on (sometimes together)

In your opinion, what can the fanfiction community do to encourage fanfiction writers to continue their art? Cheer, cajole and bribe new writers to pick up their metaphorical pens and join the ranks of the obsessed. Once they’re in, it’s a drug – there’s no going back! Oh, and leave essay-length comments describing in detail what’s awesome about the fic, highlighting favourite lines and analysing the author’s clever allusions, symbolism and foreshadowing :D

What was your favorite review or comment? I’ve been very lucky over the years to have received some wonderful and often inspirational comments, but the one that springs to mind is the one that @yavannies left on The Lady of the Gift. It was the start of our friendship, which has lasted many years, changes of fandom, (very occasional!) differences of opinion, foul language, cross-continental moves, and child rearing.

What type of fanfiction do you enjoy reading? One of the wonderful things about fanfic is that you find yourself reading and enjoying genres you wouldn’t normally touch with a punt pole in the mainstream. For example, I fricking HATE zombies. HATE THEM. And yet one of the best fics I’ve read in recent years is Solstice’s “A Home at the End of the World” (linked below). So pinning it down is hard, but I suppose in vague terms it’d be something along the lines of anything well-written, with good characterisation that drives a compelling plot, a romance with a well-paced and believable arc for my OTP, and, yeah, teh hawt sex ;) Also, anything that works with fandom tropes is like catnip to me, whether it’s inverting them or gleefully and unabashedly running at them headlong, I LOVE that shit.

What are some of your favorite fanfictions or fanfiction authors?

Bearing in mind this is just some from two decades of voracious fic-reading.

Solstice, A Home at the End of the World http://dark-solace.org/elysian/viewstory.php?sid=4155 (I love Sol’s take on S4 Spike, and the domestic element as he’s forced into protecting Buffy’s family)

FlightsofFancy, Accursed http://dark-solace.org/elysian/viewstory.php?sid=4465 (this story is just plain beautiful, with delicious plot in an alternate S6, vivid prose, and a really refreshing take on spuffy)

St Ephiny, Ever Sun, Ever Moon http://dark-solace.org/elysian/viewstory.php?sid=4762 (I have some quibbles with the author’s style, but her storytelling hits me square in the id, mmph)

Rahirah/BarbC, The Barbverse http://archiveofourown.org/series/514 (Barb has, imo, the best take on Spike in the fandom, and plenty of incisive and witty insight into the rest of the cast. Her writing ticks every box for me, plot, characterisation, storytelling, pacing, and just all round craftswomanship in the construction of a good story. I envy and admire her skill in equal measure)

Bewildered (aka, my partner in grime), if I have to pick one then Restfield Irregulars, which I believe right down to my slippered feet she is writing just for me :D http://archiveofourown.org/works/9257948/chapters/20986136 (I have never laughed so much as I have reading, beta-ing and corresponding with Be, but underneath the funny, fluffy romance is a rich core of feeling and writerly skill that is easy to overlook but hard to pull off. And she gives woooonderful Buffy)

Yavannie, The First Day of Spring http://archiveofourown.org/works/966791/chapters/1897169 (Yav excels at subtle symbolism, subtext, and a lovely, spare writing style. This fic in particular is perfection)

Seperis, You’ll Get There in the End (It Just Takes a While) http://archiveofourown.org/works/20274 (this fic is basically pure, distilled fanfiction – it revels in its tropeyness and NC-17 rating with the original OTP, Spock/Kirk. Can’t count the number of times I’ve read it)

What are some major influences on your writing? That pretentious inner-thirteen-year-old :D No, okay. (Well, yes, but moving on). It’s a total cliche of course, but: life. I’ve reached an age now where quite a lot of Stuff has happened to me. Bad stuff, good stuff, passing the time of day stuff. The last five or so years have been particularly packed with stuff-ness, and so most of what I write is drawn from my experiences in some way. I am also very influenced by visual media, and I think it was @kimberlite8 who once pointed out to me that my writing is packed full of descriptions of body language, which I hadn’t noticed before, but yes, I see the scenes in my head like a film reel, and then try to describe what I’m seeing. And of course, the way I frame these mind-movies is shaped very much by the movies and TV that I watch.

Anything else you would like to tell people about yourself? I have a personal vendetta against phonetic spelling of accents. It makes my eyeballs bleed. I think it might be an allergy or something. One day, when I have some free time again, I’d love to take some poetry classes.

I would like to thank The Moonmoth so much for their time! They are one of my personal favorite fanfiction authors. I would like to encourage you to go and read their fanfiction! Remember to leave comments and kudos in support!

[momentsofmendes]

Do ya? Part One

“Do you remember your first big heart break?” “First, last…latest. Yeah that sort of pain never really leaves you. You’ll know what I mean about that one day.” I answered her. “Latest? Ah.” she smiled at me knowingly. “What?” I laughed. “I wondered why you were suddenly free and eager to come over here on vacation.” “It’s not a vacation, as you yankee-doodles say. It’s a holiday. An eight week long holiday which I am using to forget the boyfriend that just left me. We lived together, so I’m now homeless until I start university in approximately 10 week’s time.” I tried to sound jovial about the whole thing, was pushing the whole ordeal to the back of my mind and trying to focus on the positives which were a) a whole summer in New York with a friend b) freedom c) I was finally starting university in September - about four years behind the rest of my friends who had always known what they wanted to do. I hadn't been so lucky. I had to venture out in the scary world of work to discover what I really wanted to do with my life. “Guessing you don't want to talk about it, but I really want your advise. I haven't even had my first kiss yet and its so hard to meet guys. Especially now that I’m in college, they all want one thing.” she rolled her eyes. I loved that she still had something innocent about her. He had yet to experience a lot of things, but that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. She hadn't experienced the heart wrenching experience of someone leaving you, falling out of love with you. I had one guy I was seeing for a few weeks cheat on me with one of my best friends. The funny thing about that ordeal was that if she’d just told me in the first place I would have told her that I wasn't that interested in him. We haven't spoken since. “One of the positives of this break up is that I can now put the money I saved for a house towards university. 10 weeks to go.” I raised my glass. “To new beginnings, and to my stories putting you off men forever.”

~

Vanessa’s idea of cheering me up was steering a semi drunk me to what looked like a concert venue. “Who’s playing?” I asked. “I cant tell you.” “I need to know, if its someone hot you’re supposed to throw your knickers at them in appreciation. What do I throw at this person?” The knicker throwing was an old saying, pretty sure it was something my mum’s generation did back in the Rod Stewart days. She laughed, a bubble forming from her nose. I erupted into uncontrollable laughter in unison. “Throw whatever you brits throw at each other.” “In that case I need to crack into my emergency tea supplies and load up on ammo.” I dug around in my hand bag before I came across what I was after, not really sure why I had packed them in there and not my carry on, and pulled out my box of Dorset Tea. “I’m sure that this mysterious person will appreciate my efforts as I’m sure they too recognise how hard it is to get a decent cup tea here. “You’ve been in the country for four hours.” she laughed. “Precisely, I’m gasping.” It quickly became apparent that the person who's concert we were attending was a big deal, the queue outside extended way down the street. “You don't mind waiting here while I grab the tickets from over there do you?” she pointed towards the end of the line and then over to the box office. I shrugged. “We love to queue.” She didn't get that I was making a joke, but I didn't expect her to either. I observed the other people in the queue, a mixture of ages and both men and women. All were dressed pretty normally, no band shirts in sight to give away who it was. I wondered who she liked and tried to work it out. It couldn't be one direction due to the current hiatus and the fact that the queue was relatively calm and not awash with screaming teen girls. She came back over a few moments later which surprised me, brandishing what looked like VIP passes. “For you.” she said, passing me one of the neck worn passes. “Wow, fancy. Where do you get the money for this stuff?” She tapped the side of her nose and whispered. “My dad’s in the garbage disposal business.” “I think I’ve worked out who it is, and he is definitely going to appreciate my tea bags.”

~

“Give me love like her. ‘Cos lately I’ve been waking up alone.” We sang along loudly, every word felt like it was stretching my lungs to capacity, and by the end of the concert I was hoarse and a little dizzy and hot from being packed in so close to everyone else in the crowd. “There’s a bar in the VIP area, I’ve been here before.” she guided me through the crowd, most were dispersing out into the foyer of the venue to go home, but not us, oh no. Vanessa was resourceful. I’d have to ask what she meant about her dad later on, it was probably an inside joke that I didn't get, just like she didn't get so many of mine.

“So what is a cheeky nandos? Ed mentioned it between drunk and don’t.” “Why don't you ask yourself?” I giggled, pointing in the direction of the very bar we were heading for that she had turned away from to question me. “He’s right there.” “I can’t!” “Why not? Take a tea bag with you for a conversation starter.” I was half joking but thought it would actually be the sort of thing he might find funny, or at least memorable. I could imagine him going on the Graham Norton show and being questioned about the craziest things fans have ever done, giving him a tea bag in a New York concert venue had to be up there with some of the craziest things he’d ever experienced, surely. “Fine but I’m approaching it from the ‘my friend is a crazy weirdo from the uk that carries tea around in her purse’ angle.” “Fine but remember, never put the milk in first.” I shoved her in Ed’s direction, watching closely as she tottered off towards him, her heels making herself head and shoulders above most in the room, she really didn't need them. I positioned myself at the bar and looked at the tender, wondering if he was going to ask me for ID and if he would accept my UK driving license as proof enough of my age, or whether I should have brought my passport with me. I ordered a cocktail, something with a weird name, it was the only thing on the menu without a rude name. “You don't look old enough to be drinking.” the voice came from behind me, it was accented but not one that I could place. I was terrible at recognising regional accents. I knew for sure that he wasn't from Jersey like Vanessa, she had a very memorable twang to her voice. I turned and looked at him. Tall, slim but well build, very handsome with dark brown hair that quaffed up at the front, and a strong jaw that wore a goofy smile. I sized him up. “Neither do you, does your mum know you're out?” “She does actually, she’s here.” he laughed. The tender came back with my drink and I turned fully to the guy and held out my hand. “I’m Elle.” “Shawn.” she shook my hand, somewhat awkwardly which made me feel like a nutter for even offering it. “Which one’s your mum then?” I asked, sipping my drink. It was fruity, and way too sweet. “That one over there.” He pointed then laughed awkwardly. “She’s a brit too.” “Ha that’s funny, I didn't expect to meet quite so many while I was over here. I was here for some escapism.” “She made me come over because she noticed you getting teabags out and giving them to that very tall girl. Looks like she's making a big impression on Ed by the way.” I leaned onto my tip toes and peeked over his shoulder at Vanessa, who was in hysterics, as was Ed, both bent double. “I knew that would work.” “Are you from the same place as the tea?” I shook my head, snapping back to our conversation rather than spying on my friend over his shoulder. “Yes - well where the brand is from. Tea isn't really grown in the UK, everyone knows its all imported. We like to pretend that we invented it though.” “You’re kind of funny y’know?” he smiled at me, a really big smile and I went all melty. Forgetting that I had vowed to be a boy free zone for the rest of my life, or just the next three years while studying. “Funny looking?” I probed. “Definitely not - you’re hot.” “Wow you american guys are forward…” I laughed, widening my eyes. “I’m Canadian.” his cheeks gained a blushed hue and I smiled. “My apologies, I don't have a good ear for accents - and all I know about Canada is hockey, maple leaf, moose, cold, Justin Bieber…” I laughed awkwardly. “Well Elle. I’d like to give you a lesson if you have time. How long are you on vacation for?” He looked hopeful, reaching into his pocket and fishing out a phone. “I’m on holiday over here for 8 weeks, pretty much the whole summer. Do you live here?” I asked. “At the moment.” he nodded, running his hand through the back of his hair, making it stick up even more. “I’m doing some work here, a uh project.” “You’re old enough to work?” I joked. “Hey - I’m probably no younger than you are. You’re what? 19?” I laughed. “Try 22. You’re 19?” “18 - but I’m very mature for my age.” he assured me. I wouldn't have been able to guess that he were only 18 if he hadn't said anything. He had soulful dark brown eyes that seemed older and wiser than their years, like they had really seen the world and had a story to tell - I liked that. “I’m sorry to dash Shawn but I think my friend just did something embarrassing and needs a swift escape. I’m going to go and save her.” I smiled, touching his wrist, the hand that still clutched the phone. “Wait - Elle. Can I- Can I have your number?” I took the phone from him and typed my number in, ensuring to include the +44 prefix at the beginning and advised him to whatsapp me so that I didn't get a horrendous roaming bill from O2 higher than my student loan. He just smiled, shaking his head lightly with a suppressed laugh. His parting words as I brushed past his shoulder were “She’s different.”

[misterbitches]

Im not intelligent at all. In the conventional sense. The ramblings of a girl who just has sooo much going in in her head it's constant. But im not a genius. Or that confusing.

It just sounds like I am bc fandoms have this issue where they can JUSTSO point out the issues in soletiing. They can pick and prod and go oh problematic! But then you go to name the problems and the difficulties within society like for ex: the idea of representation in general. Salivating over it. How fucking sad that is. How we are trained to accept it. So in a BL and also RACE in the bl genre they exploit viewers naivete both domestically and internationally. Ive seen tons of people liken being asian to being a person of color. However, in their predominantly homogenous society (or intentionally publically homogenous society), they are not "poc" (also name the of color; i dont use bipoc idc if u do but it's called being asian guys cos yall aint talkin about black ppl lmao)

They as humans seeing other humans who look like them everywhere, engage with the world differently than an american in asia or asians living outside of their home country (like bae doo nanwhen she worksnin the US is not the same as the bae doo nanworking on a korean program) I dont complain about it in everything i see bc ppl say it ALL THE TIME. but it is NOT the same. Being a person of color is very distinctly an american concept. This is all stuff people will get to know on their own if they choose to dig more.

I do my best to underline what my ugly little eyes process. How i figure things out as a black female american artist too! Im hard on shit cos i should be. I take it seriously. And even if i dont take it seriously bc THEY dont then thats their problem.

I know this is a complaint that I am not alone in. I know it's the internet. I just don't get how people can write really heavy analysis but they refuse to actually probe the underlying issues. Not everyone is me, or like my friends, but if there's way fewer people talking about this stuff it seems absolutely glaring when theres few people engaging in the way i do. It seems like im the glitch but I am thinking just as much just differently.

I really loved where your eyes linger but there was little deep class analysis. I remember few convos a bout it. I know a lot about korea (sigh being a black ex kpop fan lol mess) and i love the history but all ofnit matters! Korea's relation to labor!

People bringing up thai actors snd actresses leaving the industry and doing acting as something quick. As an artist~ who went to film school with insanely wealthy ppl and isnin tons of debt you have to understand how shitty that is. People have monetary access and they just fucking do whatever just because they want to. Meanwhile you have young people being coerced into this bullshit mainstream life to LITERALY just make money bc they dont come from a rich background. The wealth gap in thailand is BAD, theres a dictatorship, they had a fucking coup. The governments like here do not respect their people. Their marginalized groups. Trans thai women, black thai ppl, poor thai ppl. And it LITERALLY CANNOT DO ANYTHING EFFECTIVELY IN CAPITALISM. No nothing can be perfect but if it's going into our eyeballs and we can view the worlld critically then why the fuck not!???

I dont say the things i see are wrong always. I reply when i think i need to. I try and engage with others but not to kuch avail. I just want to rb stuff and tdhink lajfhhdjwhjej.

But like yea theres a lot of just wrong or misguided stuff. A lot of the times it is just historical inaccuracy in framing or idk. A refusal to think outside the box. I dont care. Theres more to life than just sort of looking and not thinking especially for othrr artists.

Idk im sorry. I dont see how i can change how i view things. I really wish people would expand their palettes too and go deeper into other means of art from places! Things not in the mainstream! Theres a lot of good thai artists and a lot of them critical as fuck about their country as they should be. Authority, austerity, patriarchy, capital, racism etc like that is central to a power thats interested in growing gains and fiscal and social power. Theres rly radical or left leaning etc ppl out there in the world and these countries in these communities. So they exist. No people in these countries dont have NO clue whats going on. Cultural relativism is alsos something people should understand. I had a good talk with ppl on here a while ago about that. Talking about shit, critiquing, but being respectful to a group. Part of thay is realizing these groups CLEARLY know their own issues and all our cultures share the same goal. Guess what it is. It rhymes with acquiring wealth. Money means you hurt people. In the post, we talked about use of "wife" and "husband" which is a stupid joke that has been "explained" a billion times and yet the explanations still dont seem to answer or justify a minor problem (it's very funny to me that a language that doesnt have gendered pronouns is now very specific about two men. Hmmm wonder why. It is annoying.)

So im not the only person on the planet doing this. Or the few ppl ive seen that do. Im not new my thoughts arent new. Ive gotten to see another side to a culture i knew not much about and that means i can put the context of my beliefs and life and try and understand thheirs. For ex i learned from ITSAY because of a sign that said 'french food' that they were the only country to not be colonized back then. Do you know how integral that history is to their region? That was an interesting detail (i didnt finish itsay bc ihad a lot going on and i was rly upset that i would see hownrich they are and i hate that.)

Anyways thats my complaint. It used to feel like a sting of rejection. I left online for months in 2019, i started organizing more, joined a union, trying to do some panther work shit like that. I learned a lot in those months and it changed my life! But when I came back, I felt so isolated. It wasnt my true friends tho sometimes theyre ANNOYINGGGGG (love u) but it was me being like "if we are going to complain guys then lets put our money where our mouth is" lets be fucking serious about it then. No say it with your chest dude. It isnt difficult. Go with the fucking flow, talk about it, critique it, think. You can still fucking like itnor love it.

I am BLACK ok and i love rap. I am a black woman. I will continue to clown black men that cant seem to not clown themselves and listen. No i wont support monetarily: drake is a creep and i hate him but i bump that niggas song. Thats fucking LIFE. I got so sick of hiding myself and it became clear that it wasnt that i wasntthinking well or hard enough. They just didnt like that i said we need to commit class suicide and inspect out middle class sensibilities and middle class wealth hoarding (google it) if thats what we engaged with. Every part of you, antagonize it. I still have my privileges; class, skin color, even my father being a nigerian immigrant, me being cis, im not str8 but not a lesbian and those are differences.

Insecurities in general but some shallow thoughts (?) on discussion in "fandom" space. FYI, this will most likely stay the same. I tend to stay in my own bubble socially IE me and my friends are similar in our views. During this awful year while running my union's account, im surrounded by like minds. Me and my friends? We changed together. We grew up and saw what we didnt like and what we want. We do our best.And i CHOOSE my life to be that way bc it should be. There is no solution. I dont believe in solutions because the solution is to abolish capital or just divest. Abolishing capital and labor are a huge one and i will die before that happens (but so help me as long as im alive? Black women to FREEDOMMMM is my motto!) so making your own path in life is the best thing an artist can do IN MY OPINION.

However with technology and stuff this puts another layer onto things. Tech, social media, this shit....it THRIIIIIIIVESSSSSSS off of conflict and shallow readings of the world. We are literally primed for it. Engagement in bites. Impossible for me with my brain; i got used to it and i paid for it by limiting my scope. Not being encouraged to THINK AND READ before just speaking

(For ex i am in iww, i helped form a branch here. It is a radical union. Unionism is imprative to me-if ur interested u should read up on some. Look up peter cole! Google inthesetimes Ilwu. Gives you some understanding. Ive always been progressive and now i am....very left idk ic ant label myself. But even in my progrssiveness i had the gall to tell my white friend, whoa has her privileges but i had mine with our class disparity, that we dont need unions, i have WORKED retail. Ive done barista work for sonoing and i do gig work. So i wasnt out of touch. I had been stiffed even with a shoot i was working on by rich kids. So i had a frame of reference . But i didnt know what the FUCKa union was and why it is imperative. Then learning about anarcho syndicalism and all these other things. It changed my fucking life but two years earlier i was this idiot spouting shit like that making one of my best friends fucking upset. We DO AND CAN CHANGE. Think!!!!)

So were i a creator for tv id just constantly try and push the buttons if i need big money. Make them sell into me (thank you sonic youth!) theres Endless possibilities guys which means theres SO MUCH TK EXPLORE!!!! When i wanna have fun with it i just have fun. When i want to think i do. I dont understand why we are so dedicated to upholding things and doing mental gymnastics to end up in a space you dont need mental gymnastics for. What about these critiques makes you uncomfortable? Saying we're all part of the problem as spectators? Im sorry but we will always be. Thats LIFE. God fuck. Fuck me. I feel so fucking worthless and stupid sometimes. I know I am not. I know i am talented and intelligent. I know my friends and family. I know how to approach ppl. I know how to tell people if they are rich but want to be progressive whatsup. I choose how i live part of that is being ok to say what i want.

Ironically consrrvatives say this shit alot. But they arent ever alone bc their ideology is default. But yea it does feel shitty. It even feels shitty when ur in left circles but people STILL dont even wanna do that. These perspectives really arent ss many as they should be. I dont want to feel so alone with it. I know there are more. I just love art and the world so fucking much, endless possibility. Endless pain but endless good.

[andymull]

WWE Money In The Bank 2018 - Preview & Predictions

AJ Styles (c) vs Shinsuke Nakamura: WWE Championship Match - Last Man Standing

I love both guys but the WWE need to be careful at how much they are having these two face off without a title change occurring, some of these current younger fans may start to get bored of them together very soon I sadly think.

Some good build here to the Last Man Standing (LMS) stipulation especially from Nakamura, who looks to be having soooo much more fun currently than he has for the past few years in the company. Styles hasn't really had the material to really push this match to the same level though sadly, there was ZERO point to having Jerry Lawler do his interview this past week, apart from the fact it was near his home town but didnt really help provide over the top fan reactions. 

In truth it really feels like AJ needs a new opponent as he feels alittle tired in this feud, and really that’s down to how its been handled since the turn at Wrestlemania and not down to Styles showing a lack of intent. Nakamura needs the win and the title, this week they quietly built up a quick feud with Jeff Hardy if he does win the title tonight which should be interesting and new.

In terms of the finish I dont see anyone interfering and it should be fairly clean at the end, with the LMS stipulation I feel it coming down to either Styles going for something big and costing his-self the match or Nakamura being clever to get the win. Infact, ill go with a combination of both to see the title change - NAKAMURA

Samoa Joe vs Kevin Owens vs Bobby Roode vs Braun Strowman vs The Miz vs Rusev vs Finn Balor vs One Member Of The New Day: Men’s Money In The Bank Ladder Match

The first of the MITB matches and we’ll be looking at breaking down each of the competitors and analysing their chances of winning as well as where the briefcase could take them.

Samoa Joe, one of the top guys in the match who has been on a roll lately in the ring and seems very ready to make the move higher up the card. Him winning would be a popular decision with the fans and would provide an interesting situation as the holder of the MITB briefcase, usually the winner develops into an opportunist (Rollins,Carmella,etc) just waiting for the right opportunity to run down and cash in. But here Joe would bring someone who wont wait infact he’ll be someone that will make the current champion be worried about their arrival instead of being surprised by it. Whoever the champion is on Smackdown the addition of Joe into the title feud will be greatly welcomed.

Kevin Owens, another guy that just feels ready for something bigger than what they are currently serving him, the same as Joe here in a way where Owens will become a bigger threat if he takes the win here, mainly as the stipulation works best for heels and not always faces but more on that later. A win here for Kevin will make for some fun tv too with him and Zayn, as I can see Sami getting extremely excited for his best friend and maybe even going off on wild plans for Owens to cash in with Kevin standing there trying to take it all in. Not sure he takes it though sadly, I also dont think the company are ultra interested in a quick Lesnar match with Owens anytime soon.

Bobby Roode, for me the guy with the lowest chance of winning the match, yes even below the New Day member. I dont see him winning in the slightest, even if Vince changes his mind today for a surprise. He hasn't lit the world on fire since being promoted to the main shows and truthfully without his entrance theme he wouldn't be near a push on Raw.

Braun Strowman, the favourite for most people to take the case down and lead the charge to taking the belt from Brock Lesnar. He’s been made out to be the biggest threat with his push, even going as far as having Owens admit on Raw that he couldn't beat Braun alone and neither could Finn or Bobby. The big momentum they've given him over the past few weeks feels like a red herring for me, I see him being the carnage maker for this bout but ultimately being eliminated by the others in a big spot. He will survive a defeat here no problem so that’s not a worry but I do feel he’s the best option to go after Brock next.......but does he really need the briefcase to be the next contender????

The Miz, one of my own personal favourites for the win tonight, and its not down to his current form or character its purely down to the potential cash in idea for him to take the world title on Smackdown, and remember, they have made it clear that the winner can ONLY cash in on their brands champion so dont worry at the idea of Miz having to beat Brock Lesnar. The idea is that they continue building Daniel Bryan up to the point he gains a title match at SummerSlam, where he successfully wins the belt and the crowd goes wild in celebration.....only to have Miz appear and cash in the case to win the title from his hated enemy. Would be a brilliant idea to gain the strongest crowd reaction as well as catapult Miz back to the title picture in the biggest way possible.

Rusev, someone id love to see receive the big push towards the world title as he has deserved it for months, from his crowd reactions to him just seemingly waiting there patiently with a mega hot face turn just bubbling to happen. The problem is that I only see him winning if they decide to go with him AND Lana winning their respective matches for a husband and wife MITB winners pair, and I really dont need Lana being put in that position, more on that later. 

Finn Balor, for me Finn is perfectly ready to step back into the Universal title scene and take the belt and get a good reign to see if he can swim with the big fish, but it still doesn't feel like Vince see’s him in that position, mainly for me its down to him getting injured when put into that slot before as its a issue that Vince dislikes and makes him think he cant trust investing in someone if they may break down again. Which really could happen to anyone in the sport at anytime doing any spot, hopefully they decide to go with Finn and he gets the chance to shine. The other issue to look at is one of having a face be the one to cash in as its usually suited best to a heel, for it to work here it needs to be the one to step up and announce his cash in beforehand to the champion. That way he looks the confident good guy with the fans behind him in finally taking the belt away from the absent champion in Brock Lesnar.

The New Day, one member of the team will be in the match and will most likely be announced just before the match begins. For me, and mostly everyone else its between Kofi and Big E as to who (who) enters the match, for the team its Kofi they want but for me this is the opportunity that Big E needs to separate his-self from the pack and push on big time. The option of E winning also presents him and the team some great opportunity for using their backstage promo abilities to help build up their boy, have them spend afew months focusing on different aspects that E can improve on leading to funny segments of E ‘catch the chicken Rock!’ or even trying to have be more aggressive and serious to take to matches. Then you can progress things to the point where he’s ready for it but it makes him realise he’s outgrown the other two in doing so, you then have him make the ultimate decision in choosing between his best friends or the title with the fans super behind him all the way, he chooses the big dream and his team mates are happy to see him on his way coming off of it looking and feeling to viewers as a bigger name/threat/challenger which is vital.

After looking through them all most of them offer really viable opportunities to have them win and progress to the title scene, providing some good tv along the way as well which is a vital tool in making yourself a hotter commodity. 

If I had to limit it to three potential winners it would be Miz, Braun and.....Big E, yeah you didnt think I would did you, but he really does offer them alot on different fronts that would sound like a dream to the people that have to put together weeks of television as he brings ready made ideas most weeks on how to develop his-self. But, out of those three ill ultimately go with Miz, as that cash in idea is golden and cant be beaten. Braun is a really strong option but truly he doesn't need the briefcase to interrupt a Lesnar promo and challenge him to a title match does he? - MIZ

Lana vs Natalya vs Alexa Bliss vs Charlotte vs Ember Moon vs Becky Lynch vs Naomi vs Sasha Banks: Women’s Money In The Bank Ladder Match

The second of our MITB matches with the winner currently being able to to go after Nia Jax or Carmella depending on their brand, lets break them down:

Lana, no, just no. They dont trust her in long singles matches, as evident in her qualifying match with Billie Kay, so instead here they decide to put her in a MITB match?!?! Good luck on anyone having to bump off of a ladder and expect her to be the person to break the fall. Her winning would ONLY be down to a novelty idea of her and Rusev holding the briefcase together, she’s not good enough to take this sadly.

Natalya, the intriguing option for victory, having built up her friendship with Rousey it provides the perfect situation for her to turn on her friend and cash in TONIGHT during the Jax/Rousey match to steal the win from her friend. That would explain the fact that the wrapping on her ‘injured’ knee was on the wrong knee on Raw, with it being a lie leading others to doubt her chances only for her to take the advantage from it. Now only if she was any good at applying her own finisher....

Alexa Bliss, she deserves to be around the title scene but it feels like she’s being rested currently after her reign earlier in the year, plus they seem to be trying to save their heels from facing and losing quickly to Rousey so that they dont run out of ideas for her.

Charlotte, whatever happens please dont call her ‘THE QUEEN’ 40 million times during the match again, please?

Ember Moon, a fun candidate to take the win tonight, she’s only recently moved to the main roster and has looked good in her matches so far so why not go with her. The win here provides them the chance to work and develop her for upto another year before having to cash in, to me that sounds like a no lose situation, if she fails you can still make a good story out of her losing the chance or even have her drop the briefcase after being challenged by someone else.

Becky Lynch, I dont know how much longer they can go without using Becky again as the main woman on Smackdown, she really has been going nowhere fast the last who knows how many months. Not to say she’s perfect as her ring has seemed to have slowed down slightly since her NXT work, but she still presents one of the best all round wrestlers they have.

Naomi, the Wrestlemania women’s battle royal winner.......remember? Naa me neither, its not like she’s done anything good with it since. Very similar to Becky in that regard in that she feels like shes been treading water for awhile awaiting something to come her way. She’s the level below Becky and some of the others so doesn't rank highly for me in potential winners.

Sasha Banks, is it just me that has lost any interest in her and Bayley since they started their stop/go feud? They went to go heavy with it then didnt as they couldn't find a spot at Wrestlemania for a singles match with them, then tried to explain that was the plan to have a long,slow feud as if anyone believes that seriously. Banks will always get a good reaction from the fans as they know she’s talented but needs to be a solid heel, not so sure she’s high up on the list of people that are due the big push.....plus her Bayley feud is slowly moving along isnt it....

After looking at them all and picking three potential victors ill go with Lynch, Moon and Natalya, with Nattie being the favourite, but, only if she cashes in TONIGHT otherwise my interest lowers in her having the case for long - NATALYA

Nia Jax (c) vs Ronda Rousey: Raw Women’s Title Match

I still cant believe they had Jax tap on Raw to the arm-bar, she shouldn't have been anywhere near put in that move until this match, then she had to go on Twitter and suggest that Ronda’s shoulders were down for a three count while attempting to apply the move, all just to not look weak before the match because of the poor booking. 

This match will go in one of two ways, either a quick 2 or 3 minute match with Rousey going over QUICKLY and taking the title, or, they have a longer, slower match with Jax using her power and size advantage with Ronda gradually working over the arm to finally apply the arm-bar for a win.

If they go with the second option that could lose the crowd very quickly and see him them chanting things they'd rather not air on the network, plus I dont think a long singles match would suit either especially with each other. The first option is probably where they go and put all their energy into the Rousey push, then deal with defeating Nia later and focus on rehabbing her momentum at a later date. - ROUSEY

......... Unless Nattie cashes in and win the title first.........

Roman Reigns vs Jinder Mahal

This match is actually on the PPV? Really?

The highlight of this will easily be the crowds reaction to it, both guys are hated by the majority of fans but they will most likely end up cheering Jinder to mess with managements love of Roman. Expect the announcers to very quickly jump on it during the match and say that the crowd are ‘having fun’ but really dont mean it.

Truthfully this bout also needs to be quick with Reigns demolishing Jinder as well as his boy-toy Singh, hell id expect the other Singh to return as well to get involved, it would be the only way to have Mahal win, but I doubt it. Roman punches everyone and has to cock his wrist everytime as usual - REIGNS 

Carmella (c) vs Asuka: Smackdown Women’s Title Match

Here the big question seems to be how to screw Asuka out of the win and title win without harming her the most, and the answer to that seems to be the rumour of James Ellsworth returning to Carmella’s side, urgh.

If her and Cass hadn't have broken up id been saying for ages that they needed to be together on tv with him as her bodyguard intimidating the other women, which would have worked well in adding another dimension to her act that no other women on the show has. But, I dont need Ellsworth returning to the company to be the one to fill that role.

If you cant have Carmella beat Asuka then dont put the match together, I hate it when they book theirselves into a corner when there’s no need as it just shows they dont plan things out with enough foresight. Carmella retains and Asuka comes out of it looking poorer than she went in. - CARMELLA

Seth Rollins (c) vs Elias: Intercontinental Title Match

I actually cant wait for this match, with Rollins receiving a great push lately in getting the ring time to show what he can do, as well as Elias progressing really well in the ring since being put in matches with talented wrestlers which is great to see. 

Rollins is an interesting factor, with how he’s been performing lately and his crowd reactions he deserves to be alot higher up the card in the Universal title scene. But at the same time he’s doing great in working with other guys that need the higher level of competition to help develop some of the talented mid-carders the company has. If they want to act on his popularity he’ll drop the belt and move on though im not sure that’s whats best for Elias and the others around that spot, it could see them having to have long Raw matches over the title featuring two guys that arent upto the level they need to have good matches leading to poor reactions and a halt to Elias’ push.

Personally I dont think they've made or are in the position to make that big decision just yet, so the safest option is to have Seth retain and continue on this course. If they change their minds it wont take much to move him up but more focus is needed on who can replace him as the developer around the IC title. - ROLLINS

Bobby Lashley vs Sami Zayn

From the WWE website:  Bobby Lashley and Sami Zayn will clash at WWE Money in the Bank in a highly personal showdown for family honor and vertigo retribution.

Vertigo retribution? Oh joy.

I love Sami and also think they could be handling Lashley alot better and taking advice from how he was booked in TNA/Impact, but this feud really hasn't clicked for anyone and doesn't feel like its going to anytime soon, not sure they see it the same though.

I hope they can have a really good match together and change the viewers minds on this whole feud, but it seems like this could end up being a match where Sami is running away from him as much as possible until getting caught. I predict a Lashley victory then they decide tomorrow if the feud continues or stops dead before Raw - LASHLEY 

Daniel Bryan vs Big Cass

Poor Bryan, comes back from years away and gets stuck in a feud with Cass trying to help him develop his game on tv when he really isnt tv ready for the level they want him at. And worst of all is that Daniel won the first time they fought and this company loves 50/50 booking so I fully expect a Cass win, leading to them having to have a third rubber match down the round.

Can we not just have Bryan win and move him into feuds with the likes of Styles/Nakamura/Joe/Rusev please? - CASS

The Bludgeon Brothers (c) vs Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson: Smackdown Tag Titles Match - Kickoff Show Match

Poor guys got relegated to the kick off match due to so many matches being booked for the show, with some not needed whereas this would have provided something to the main show for me. 

The Bludgeon Brothers reign so far has been pretty unimpressive, and that’s mainly down to their lack of tv time and worthy matches, im glad the guys involved are getting time in the ring but we got on Smackdown recently the match id prefer in Harper/Anderson. Harper should really be a singles guy around the US title or higher and Anderson is really under-rated and may surprise alot of people if given the chance and a run alone. To replace them just put Lars Sullivan with Rowan and find a partner for Gallows or try him out on commentary?

In terms of the winners it has to be the champions, there’s no point having a title change on the kickoff show as its pointless and will nearly 100% result in a rematch on Smackdown anyway- BLUDGEON BROTHERS 

Wow this show feels LLLLOOOOOONNNNNGGGGG and full of matches that dont need to be on PPV or those that need to be over quickly and dont add much to the show. Its amazing that they can book NXT Takeovers so well in 2 and a half hours with around 5 matches, yet the main show PPV’s go on forever with too many matches on the card with people on them that feel like they HAVE to be on the show rather than a valid reason to actually be involved on the show.

The crowd will be one of the most talked about aspects of the show, they are going to boo who they want, cheer who they want and also shit on alot of the results because of the decisions made.

Good luck getting through it in one sitting folks lol

Bye for now

Andy