#tbh when are they never afoot though

[ah-b-plus]

this is all a part of a grand scheme, trust me

[rosewaterandivy]

i. aconite

Summary: there are strange things that go bump in the night, and then there’s steve harrington and his inexplicable nailbat.

Pairing: s.h. x f!werewolf reader

W.C.: 5.5K

Warnings: supernatural elements, questionable bodily substances in the adults only section of Family Video, steve gettin’ the heebie-jeebies

A/N: the thing that has been scratching at the back of my head for months tbh.

m.list | playlist

The woods are lovely, dark and deep.

And if he’d only listened to Munson, he wouldn’t be out here in the middle of the night with a nailbat and a flashlight.

But Steve wasn’t in the habit of heeding the advice of the harbinger of Hawkins from the wrong side of the tracks.

Not when there were things afoot that tended to go thump in the night. Not when Munson’s girl wound up bruised and unconscious on his doorstep.

There had to be a logical explanation, right?

Unfortunately for him, these woods had secrets to keep and you had miles to go before you would sleep.

The moon shone low and lonely in the night sky, illuminating the man in front of you— his coif of hair and lazy swinging of the bat.

The weak yellow beam of his flashlight cast about this way and that with every step he took further into the woods past his house.

Picking your way across the pine needle-ridden forest floor, you trailed him at a leisurely pace. Senses heightened, you could hear the dry snap of twigs under his feet and the soft whistle from his lips; could smell the sweat beading on his brow, his cologne giving way to salty musk beneath.

Even in your sleep, you could track him— never mind how much you wish that weren’t the case.

Not, of course, that he knew any of this. Eddie had seen to that. And yet, despite the warnings, here he was: Steve Harrington ambling about the woods on the night of a full moon, seemingly without a care in the world.

And it fell to your lot to see that no harm befell him, even though he’d cast his crown aside long ago and traded it in for a rowdy bunch of kids and shifts at Family Video.

None of that mattered in the end, because King Steve or no you’d run until your feet were bloody if it meant keeping him safe.

That’s what you’d been born, cursed as you were, to do— protect.

Kill, if the occasion warranted it.

Though, it would help matters if he didn’t get himself into so much trouble.

But hey, we can’t have everything, right?

The first time it happened, it was a coincidence. The house did back up against a forested lot afterall.

The second time it happened, it was an accident. Cutting it too close to daybreak and utterly exhausted from activities hidden under a blanket of darkness.

The third time though…

The third time signified a pattern, and not one you could necessarily recognize.

Because when it happened, the wolf, the beast, the curse, what have you, the world narrowed to a singular point of focus.

Loping in the underbrush of the dense forest, pure instinct called you to follow a scent you couldn’t quite name— sharp, salty, with a tang that lingered on the tongue. Warm like the sun, and beckoning like a raging fire.

Mine, the beast purred from the depths of your throat.

In this form, the rational and logical part of you fell by the wayside as the beast unfurled and stretched to fill the caverns of your mind.

Retaining just enough of your waking self, you paused at the edge of the forest ears attuned to the sounds of the evening air. Radio frequencies, TV static, car engines turning over, water rushing through pipes.

Yet one sound soared above them all.

Stay, the beast hummed as you sat back on your haunches.

Foolishly, a part of you hoped to hear the bright sound once more, to have it fill the well inside of you and overflow into your veins.

A laugh.

“Robin, knock it off!”

The beast sighed as you settled against the underbrush, chest and stomach to the earth.

A surge of longing threatened to pull you under, a low whine eeking from the cavern of your chest. Laying your head down on the cool ground, you swallowed thickly around that hollow feeling.

Wait.

The last full moon had found you alone and waking up in the back of Eddie’s van as he drove down the quiet suburban streets of Loch Nora.

”Again?”

Your voice was barely a rasp, sore from disuse in its normal register, striking a muddled alto in the otherwise silent morning.

Eddie just sighed and reached over to toss an old Hellfire shirt and some boxers your way.

Shrugging off his jacket and the musty blanket he laid on you, you tugged on the worn raglan and shimmied into the plaid shorts. Once decent, you clambered over the console and tumbled into the front seat.

Your body, while sore and aching, didn’t audibly complain. Far used to rougher treatment by now, especially after a full moon.

He lights up a cigarette, not bothering to crack a window or look your way. Just simply and calmly states, “I told you so.”

Fuck.

The chains and aconite were supposed to be enough, that’s what all the books said. At least, all the books you could scrounge up in Hawkins.

A dull ache radiated from your wrists, telltale bruising from the shackles that were meant to contain the beast.

It was you, you were the beast— as if you could ever forget.

Lycanthropy by way of puberty, what a welcome into womanhood, huh?

”The chains are shot,” He says, turning onto the main drag. “Drywall too.”

You rolled your lip between your teeth and slumped down into the seat, heating in embarrassment.

”I’ll pay for the repairs.”

Eddie grunts and takes a long drag from the cigarette. He exhales slowly, rolling through a stop light before pulling off toward Forest Hills.

Silence from your best friend was never a good thing. All it signaled was a prelude to the inevitable rant driven by sheer boredom or hunger. But maybe, he was just tired.

You certainly were.

He parks the van and swings out of the door, loping onto the ground with the grace of a beleaguered old man, his knees cracking and popping like a bag of marbles. You follow shortly after, and no worse for wear, in spite of your bruises.

The comforting scent of tobacco and coffee hits your nostrils and the tension of your body melts away. Wayne left a warm pot on before passing out on the couch, and you tip-toe your way across the trailer as silently as you’re able.

You take a deep, bracing sip from a mug heralding Roswell as the ‘UFO Capital of the World!’ as cinnamon dances across your tongue.

Good ol’ Wayne.

Eddie is in his bedroom, cigarette dangling from his lips as he throws your backpack over his shoulder and eyes you up and down.

“Pants and shoes would be good,” He suggests, brushing past you on his way out the door. “We’re leaving in five.”

Setting the coffee aside, you scramble through piles of clothing, their cleanliness questionable, searching for anything that doesn’t scream ‘freshly fucked by Eddie Munson.’

You chug the coffee on the way to school, the sounds of Dio doing absolutely nothing for the throbbing pain behind your left eye. The van squeals into a parking spot just as the tardy bell trills.

Eddie’s hand braces against your chest, halting your exit from the vehicle and ensuring a pink slip from a hall monitor. The morning cigarette seems to have settled him, his gaze now concerned rather than annoyed.

”I’m sorry,” you say glumly, carding a hand through your tangled hair and tying it up in a loose bun. “I thought it would work Ed, I really fucking did.” Hands scrub down your face, desperately trying to hide your shame.

He pulls you toward him in a loose hug, his chin tucking over your head as it's buried in his chest. Soft, warm, familiar, his scent burrows its way into your consciousness calming the racket of your heart.

”We’ll figure it out, kid.”

And you’re about to laugh, can feel it wet and thick, currently lodged in your throat, when a maroon BMW swings into a spot not five paces away.

Tension cords the tendons of your body, a breath escapes you, as if it’s been forced from your chest. Pulse accelerating, you squeeze your eyes shut and try to just breathe.

Safe with Eddie. Safe with Eddie. Safe with—

A discongruent note of citrus and musk tinges the air. The sound of laughter, a euphoric baritone against a sputtering, higher-pitched explanation churns like magma through your veins.

You shudder in his hold, but it’s enough.

He tugs you closer and drops an affectionate kiss to the crown of your head before saying, “Okay, fuck this.”

The engine roars to life.

Before Eddie can hightail it out of the parking lot, your head swivels back to catch a glance from warm hazel eyes, and you can’t help the pathetic whine that eeks up your throat.

”So,” He clears his throat, hands fidgeting on the wheel, “It’s getting worse.”

Facing forward once the school is out of sight, you draw your knees into your seat and rest your head against them.

”Yeah,” you say glumly, “Yeah, I guess so.”

Later that week, when Steve and Robin are drawing straws for who has to wipe down the 'ADULTS ONLY' room and the crusty questionable remnants found therein, she asks:

”So, anymore of those weird dreams?”

Steve takes his time picking his straw, moving left and then right to gauge length before taking a step back and cocking his head.

Robin has her fingers curled in a tight fist, making it difficult to assess which straw is the shorter of the two. And Steve braved the room behind the little red curtain last week, so he’s not terribly keen to see what fresh hell is back there now.

”Not since I told you last time, no.”

Surprisingly, there is rather a bit of time to kill after the evening rush on a Friday night at Family Video. The girls coming in for candy and movies at their sleepovers, toddlers absolutely wrecking the shelves as they sweep through with abandon, harried mothers trailing in their wake.

As such, Robin has pitched herself as a quasi-dream interpreter after reading some book about the subject, much to Steve’s chagrin and her entertainment.

”Seriously, nothing?” Her eyes blow wide, eager for anything to alleviate her boredom.

Steve assesses his options, eyes narrowing and biting his lip as he goes in for the kill. He pulls a straw from Robin’s grasp just as the bell on the door chimes, signaling a new customer.

”Welcome in,” Robin chirps, unraveling her fingers to reveal her straw.

”Let us know if you need any help!” Steve adds on automatically, holding his straw to hers for measurement.

She groans when she realizes that she’s drawn the short straw, eyes rolling in distaste while Steve pumps his fist into the air in victory. Robin grabs the gloves under the cash register, a spray bottle of cleaning fluid, and a rag.

”If I’m not back in ten minutes…”

”Call the NRA—“

”EPA!”

”Yeah, yeah,” He smirks at her indignant squawk, “I know.” And waves Robin off to the back of the store with a lazy hand.

Steve leans against the counter, hand falling to a slinky resting on the laminate. He props himself up on an elbow, cupping his jaw with one hand, and wraps his fingers around the glorified silver spring.

He nearly forgets there’s a customer in the store until someone softly clears their throat. Letting the slinky drop with a metallic ching, Steve looks up to find a familiar face.

“Hey,” he greets as you slide the tapes across the counter, “Find everything okay?”

You nod, pulling out your wallet out of your pocket to count some bills as he tallies up the total.

It’s quiet, save for the rattle of the air conditioner and sound of plastic as Steve runs the tapes through the machine to unlock the cases. He can see you worry your bottom lip in between your teeth, the raw red of your lips a stark contrast to the white of your teeth.

And it’s not like he’s staring or anything; Steve’s mindful to keep his gaze moving, not landing in a particular spot for too long. That is until your eyes meet his and he drops a tape onto the floor.

“Shit,” He mutters, kneeling down behind the counter to reach it.

Your eyes aren’t normally that bright, are they? It’s just a trick of the light, surely.

He returns, momentarily baffled to find Eddie at your side, because he didn’t remember hearing the bell chime from the door.

Steve nods to Eddie in greeting and slides the case through the machine. He keys in a code on the register before asking, “Weekend rental?”

Again, you nod. Lip popping plump and full as your teeth retreat.

“Okay, so, Sunday night return,” Steve says and rattles off your total.

Sliding the bills across the table, his fingers brush yours just barely, and you retract your hand as if it’d been burned.

The register drawer dings open and before he can give you a receipt, you’re gone.

Eddie stands at the counter, the door swinging in the wake of your exit.

“She had to, uh—“ He begins to say, fingers drumming on the laminate. “Y’know what? It really doesn’t matter.”

He takes the receipt from Steve and shoves it into his pocket, leisurely backing toward the door.

“Dunno if you heard,” He says, voice raising just slightly as his back pushes against the glass and metal. “But there’s a party out on the lake, if you’re interested.”

”Yeah?”

He nods as Robin, dramatically shoves the velvet curtain open, the screeching metallic sound jarring as she stumbles toward the counter.

Eddie raises his brows in interest and bemusement, while Robin peels the yellow gloves from her arms and plops them into a nearby trash can.

”Yeah, some bonfire thing.” He kicks his foot back, the bell chiming as Eddie exits the store, “You should come by, if you want.”

Robin glances between Eddie’s retreating back and Steve, curiosity evident in her gaze.

”What was that all about?”

Steve shakes his head, momentarily transfixed at the memory of your eyes— so bright, they were nearly phosphorescent. Fascinating in the way they captivated him, both alluring and haunting.

He couldn’t recall seeing a color or hue quite like it, except for in his dreams.

The bonfire had been burning for a little over an hour by the time you and Eddie arrived on the scene.

You’d killed the time by categorizing the little baggies of his lunchbox, under the guise of double-checking that he had enough stock from Rick for the evening’s business. When, in reality, you were making sure none of your wolfsbane had made its way into tonight’s offerings.

Not that there would be much of the dried blue petals left to do much of anything to the average American teenager. You’d been pounding the stuff all week, as if it was going out of style.

Anything to keep the beast in its slumber.

Following Eddie as he made his way through the crowd of drunk or on their way to it teens, you pondered the recent uptick in Wolf-like Incidents you’d had to deal with.

Because, while incredibly annoying, the beast used to be reliable. Every full moon, like clockwork, you would up your intake of aconite in the days leading up to it.

And it used to be enough to quell the ache in your bones. Sometimes, if you were lucky, you wouldn’t even transform at all. Just wake the next morning feeling like fresh road kill.

But recently things had been… well, worse, for one.

The tinctures and teas didn’t cut it any more, so after copious research you had added chains to the equation. That helped, for a time. And that time was quickly coming to a close.

Now, even without the ticking time bomb of a full moon, you felt the throb of your canines pushing underneath your gums. You had blood in your mouth, more often than not. And your senses seemed permanently heightened— scent, sound, touch.

It made day-to-day life an over-sensitized nightmare that you couldn’t wake from.

At least under a full moon, the preternatural senses were a boon rather than a burden.

Catching your gaze, Eddie nodded before slipping off with a few customers on the outskirts of the group. You kept your eyes trained on them as they walked further into the woods, even though he said he could handle himself.

Yeah, you could count on one hand the amount of times Eddie had successfully “handled” it. Settling your back against a tree trunk, you cross your arms and wait.

Robin is still fixing her hair when Steve kills the engine of the beemer at Lover’s Lake.

“Seriously, you look fine,” He says, opening the car door and shoving the keys into his pocket.

He can hear the thump of the music and see the golden and amber flames from the fire a ways away.

Robin shuts her door and Steve crosses the hood of the car to sling an arm around her shoulders.

“It’ll be fun,” He promises, breath tickling against her cheekbone.

They shoulder their way through the crowd leading up to the keg, where Steve watches with a smirk as two linebackers haul out a replacement keg.

They stare at each other for a minute, brows furrowed as to how the beer possibly escapes a sealed keg while the line behind them grows restless.

Steve sighs and extricates himself from Robin, “Where’s the tap?”

”What?”

He rolls his eyes, “The tap? The plastic pump that makes the beer come out?”

The linebackers nod and make a show of looking for the elusive tap. After a few minutes of frantic searching, there’s a victorious crow from the crowd when the tap if finally held aloft.

But still, the linebackers seem puzzled.

Steve, having quite enough of their bullshit, takes the tap from their grasp and slams it into the keg, twisting until a soft hiss sounds.

”Great,” He says, taking a step back. “Now, get to pumping. If I’m back in two minutes and you dinguses haven’t figured it out—“

Robin drags him away before he can finish the thought.

They tramp through the woods, twigs breaking underfoot, as Robin drags him along by the wrist. Beer cans skitter with a metallic clink as their shoes kick them along.

Once at the outskirts of the crowd, Robin drops his hand and turns to him with an incredulous look on her face.

“What is with you tonight?”

Her arms are crossed, a sure sign that she’s peeved, and he must be really in for it. She taps her foot impatiently awaiting his response.

“Nothing.”

She balks, “Yeah, sure. Then why the sudden emergence of King Steve, huh?”

“That wasn’t—“ He sputters, carding a hand through his hair.

He fails to string together any semblance of a response. Has no reason or excuse for how keyed up he feels right now. Itchy as if his skin is too tight, an impatient feeling skittering underneath the surface. Something is off, but he doesn’t know what. Which makes him frustrated, hence the scene at the keg.

The dull sounds of the party drown out the strained silence between them, the timber cracking from the bonfire loud enough to startle.

Steve starts to think that maybe, this wasn’t a good idea. But then, Robin’s eyes light up at something behind him. Steve turns to look and sees the copper flash of Vickie’s hair in the firelight.

He huffs a laugh and turns back to Robin with a smile, he jerks his head behind him and says, “Go.”

Robin pulls her lip between her teeth, “Y’sure?”

“Yeah, I’ll be fine.”

A smile breaks across her face as she pulls him into a hug, “You’re the best, Stevie.”

Steve sighs as he watches her go. Luckily she refrains from her typical idiot run— all gangly legs and spaghetti arms— and sends Vickie a shy wave as she skirts the bonfire and makes her way over.

Something tugs low in his gut, snapping like a rubber band. It’s an odd sensation and not entirely unpleasant, and Steve finds his blood thrumming just under the surface.

A languid breeze passes through, carrying on it a smoky woodiness and subtly crisp scent.

There’s something comforting in it, something familiar.

A sudden note of pine and rain steals the breath from his lungs. He exhales as if it was shoved from his chest, a dull pressure on his ribs and something akin to nausea swaying beneath his lungs.

He stumbles back, bracing himself against a nearby tree. Takes slow, deep breaths as the world shifts incrementally.

Steve blinks, his vision going fuzzy at the edges. The glow of the fire seems very far away, the sounds of the party even further.

Stay, says the voice in his mind.

And he readily agrees, swaying slightly as he sinks to the forest floor.

Under the dull roar of the crackling bonfire and whoops and hollers from the party, there’s a distinct sound of heavy breathing.

Your head turns to the left, closer to the party, and you narrow your gaze.

A body falls maybe a hundred or so yards away.

You’re on your feet before you can think twice about it, heart beating a tattoo in the cage of your ribs. Keeping your footfalls soft, you slow to a stop just as Robin’s mouth falls open in a soft gasp.

��Steve.”

He’s conscious but somewhat slumped against the trunk of an old oak tree.

Part of you knows that you should give them space, it is the polite thing to do, after all.

But a larger, territorial part of you snarls to say, “Stop,” as you stalk over to where he is.

Robin, curiously, does what she’s told.

He looks up at you, squinting eyes and furrowed brow, but says nothing. He takes deep breaths in and out, his chest rising and falling in equal measure, while your eyes rove across him.

There’s no copper tang in the air, and no broken skin that you can see.

Steve sits up a bit, appearing more alert than he was before. He scrubs a hand down his face and sighs, cheeks growing pink under your assessment.

“I’m fine,” His voice is syrupy thick and sends your blood surging. “Jus’ light headed is all.”

Robin hesitates stepping forward, eyes falling on you, as if for permission. You nod, not trusting yourself to snap at her, and watch as she crouches next to Steve.

Clenching your fists, you will the burning in your chest to subside.

Everything is fine, you try to reason, Robin’s just helping Steve get to his feet. She offers her hand to him and pulls him upright. He leans back against the trunk of the tree, eyes dreamy and hazy.

His lips kick up in an easy grin at the sight of you. Turned toward him, the firelight illuminates one side of your face, the other cast in shadow. Crossed arms, stiff posture your entire vibe screams ‘fuck off’ yet here you are.

Steve didn’t even realize a rager at Lover’s Lake would be your scene, but then again, where Eddie goes you tend to follow and vice versa. A lot like him and Robin in that respect. Still, it’s a nice surprise to see you there, lip worried between your teeth.

He wishes you wouldn’t do that, has half a mind to pull it from your glorious maw himself. Steve shivers and blinks owlishly at the thought.

“Thanks for uh…” He worries his thumb at the nape of his neck, searching for the words.

“Don’t mention it.” You say, incisors gleaming in the firelight.

Steve swallows, audibly. Blood rushing straight down at the sight of your pretty face, lips flushed, and eyes bright. God, he really shouldn’t have worn the Levi’s tonight— there’s no fucking give in these things.

He coughs and catches sight of Robin’s smirk. As you look back toward the crowd, she takes the opportunity to waggle her brows mischievously. Steve’s about to mouth something like ‘fuck off’ back to her when you turn back toward them.

“Robin!”

She turns and waves at Vickie who has two solo cups in her possession. Her eyes light up at the sight of the redhead, and it’s fairly obvious what’s about to transpire when you clear your throat to say:

“I’ll keep an eye on him, Buckley.”

“You sure?” She looks to Steve, questioning.

“I don’t need a babysitter.”

You snort, “Right, sure.”

Robin’s pointy elbow lands in a patch of soft tissue on his side, just between his ribs. “That’s so nice of you!” She says brightly, “Isn’t that nice, Steve?”

“Uh huh, nice.”

“Be good,” She calls over her shoulder and melting back into the crowd.

An awkward beat of silence passes between you. Steve toes at the pine needles riddling the forest floor and grumbles, “I really don’t need a babysitter.”

“Well,” You say with a casual shrug. “I don’t see any babies that need sitting on at present so.”

He lets out a soft laugh, “Mmm, clever.”

“I try.”

Joining him, you let your back rest against the oak tree, posture much more relaxed than when you first arrived. He can feel your breath as you exhale, the puffs of air brushing against his arm.

It’s a welcome distraction.

Because, let’s be honest, it’s not as if Steve really knows you. He remembers you, fleetingly, from the halls of Hawkins High— you and Eddie, bundles of frenetic energy careening from class to class. Loud, boisterous, and with an ever-present smile.

He remembers once overhearing the tail end of a conversation between you and Higgins about your “less than satisfactory” attendance. He’d been in the office with a doctor’s note or something, bargaining with the attendance clerk.

Higgins has his usual disdain written across his face, the stern line of his lips and arms crossed against his chest. You, however, were less than concerned. You shrugged on your backpack and left his office with a sarcastic salute.

“Aye, aye, cap’n!”

“Chief Hopper will be hearing about this, young lady!”

You turn, incredulous, “Oh," You lob back at him with mock sincerity, "Rest assured, sir, I’m shaking in my boots.”

And before Higgins can go postal on your ass, you dart past Steve and out of the office doors with a swiftness he could only envy.

So, yeah.

Steve and you had exchanged a grand total of maybe a dozen words the entire time you’d known one another. It’s not exactly a ringing endorsement for making any overtures of friendship.

Besides, you’re Eddie’s girl.

Everyone knows that, what with the way you’re attached at the hip most of the time. Your wardrobes are so intermingled by now, that Steve would bet good money you’d be hard-pressed to find a shirt that Eddie hadn’t wormed his way into.

He sighs, it’s better left alone.

Steve figures Robin will hitch a ride with Vickie or some band nerds whenever she’s ready to go and pulls his set of keys from his pocket. Before he realizes it, you’ve snatched the keys from his hand.

“What the—”

“Looks like I’m your chauffeur for this evening, Harrington.” Your tone brokers no room for argument as you twirl them in warm yellow light. “Where to?”

He trails after you, and your strides, oddly, rival his own.

“I really am fine,” Steve points out. “Seriously!”

You round the car and slide the key into the lock on the door, flicking your wrist to unlock the front cab. One hand catches the window of the door, resting casually as you wait him out.

“Sorry man,” You offer a non-apology with a shrug. “I’m not in the habit of distressed damsels driving themselves home.”

Steve colors at that, can feel the heat radiating from the tips of his ears.

“‘M not a damsel.”

“Really?” You drawl as you slide into the driver’s seat and slot the key into the ignition. “You nearly passed out a party, princess.”

And oh, hearing you say that should be illegal with the way it has his traitorous blood flowing due south.

He petulantly joins you in the car, raking a hand through his hair in frustration.

“If that’s not damsel behavior, then I dunno what is.”

The car roars to life, stereo playing a tinny version of “West End Girls” by the Pet Shop Boys as you navigate out of the makeshift parking lot. The sounds of the party fall by the wayside as you pull onto the country road that’ll lead back into town.

Steve resigns himself to his fate and lets his head fall back against the seat.

It’s dark on the outskirts of town, no street lights until you’ve passed the Miller's farm and enter into Hawkins proper.

Your fingers drum absentmindedly against the steering wheel as you drive, the chipped nail polish of your fingertips barely visible in the dim light.

And you’re not… unattractive. You’d just never really crossed Steve’s radar until recently, but that’s probably more to do his own headassery than anything else. You weren’t really his usual type— all closed off with stiff posture spliced and the chaotic stylings that come with being around one Eddie Munson.

Like a shower where you had to move the taps just so for the perfect temperature; sometimes you’re too hot, then in other moments too cold.

Steve could never really get a handle on that, how your demeanor could change in the blink of an eye. There was something more appealing about looking at someone like, say Chrissy Cunningham with her bubbly personality and kind eyes, than catching you in a mood, which can feel something akin to a sucker punch straight to the gut.

He can’t be bothered to make heads or tails of it as you roll back into town, the streetlights flickering through the windows of the car.

It’s there in an instant and gone in the next, and he’s positively sure that this isn’t some trick of the light.

Your eyes shift from their local color to something otherworldly, and he wouldn’t have caught it if not for the streetlight from the next house over.

“What?” Your tone is light, curious and absolutely nothing to be frightened of.

But watching as they shift again, from that luminous phosphorescence back to your normal eye color. It does something to him.

He slams the passenger door shut a little too forcefully and a bit too quickly. You raise your eyebrows at him over the roof of the car, tossing him the keys.

“You okay there, Harrington?”

He clears his throat and smiles outwardly.

“Yeah, totally.”

Because what is he supposed to say?

Actually no, I’m not fine because your eyes just like, changed in front of me? That’s not something that just happens, right? And how did you find me so quickly back at the bonfire— I couldn’t see you anywhere near me. Why is it that you smell so good, kinda how it smells outside after a rainstorm? And why is every instinct telling me to run?

“If you say so,” You nod and step silently from his drive, pink tongue gliding against a pronounced canine with a predatory glint in your eye.

Internally, Steve is both screaming and oddly turned on.

None of which, by the way, goes to explain why it is exactly that Steve is wandering the woods alone on the next full moon.

What could have possibly compelled him from the relative safety of his warm bed and into the cool spring night?

You, unfortunately enough.

It’s all your fault.

Because in an attempt to explain away the bruises braceleting your wrist to Robin, of all people (another go round with the new chains and repaired drywall in preparation for the full moon that weekend), you had settled on the completely rational response of:

“Oh, I sleepwalk sometimes.”

Her blue eyes blow wide, “Like, alone, at night?”

You nod and try to focus on the equations on the chalkboard as Mrs. G. drones on about something or other.

“Oh yeah,” Eddie chimes in from behind you, “Should put a bell on her or somethin’.” And his smile is that annoying one you’d like to smack off of his face, “Like a cat.”

And that was that.

Or, rather, that should have been that.

But Eddie and you were none the wiser as Robin relayed all of this plus the goings on of the band kids to Steve as he picked her up for work that evening.

“Yeesh,” He says, pulling into his spot behind Family Video.

“Yeah,” Robin says stepping out of the car. “And she was so normal about it. Like rambling around at all hours of the night completely unaware of your surroundings is a perfectly fine thing to do!”

Steve locks the car and follows her through the employee entrance to the store. He twirls his keys absently, trying to remember if he noticed any bruises on you at the bonfire last month.

She chats with Keith as he clocks out for the night, and shucks her bag on the sagging couch against the wall.

“What if they’re like, wolves out there Steve?”

So, yeah. In the end, he really has no choice about it.

Because there is definitely something out there.

[galacticnova3]

your tags on the hp post are *chef’s kiss* but also i must inform you that a lot of people consider pcos to fall under the intersex umbrella so i would hazard to say you are affected by her shitty rhetoric, yes (if you don’t identify that way apologies btw - ik it’s not the case for everyone + don’t wanna force anything on you)

Ah shit I didn’t know she went after intersex folks too. Not surprised though. I think we should all get together and throw light blue, white, and pink toilet paper on her house and also leave defrosted shrimp in her walls and go to town on her clothes with a seam ripper and put thumbtacks in her shoes and bring back the guillotine and

Tbh I don’t know what I would describe myself as; I don’t feel like a woman but simultaneously don’t feel like I’m not a woman, so I’ve just been identifying as a demigirl. At the same time I wouldn’t say I fall under the transgender label because. Idk. There was never a moment when I explicitly realized “oh I’m not what the hospital said I am” or “I’m not what a swath of society expects me to be” or “hm calling myself this makes me feel happier”. I’d say I just never felt like a girl™️ to begin with, in a sense. My understanding when I was little(as in, like, Kindergarten-first grade when I first started thinking about stuff without realizing it) was “girls have long hair and like pink and dress up and taking care of things, boys have short hair and like blue and gross stuff and breaking things, but I have medium length hair and like pink and blue and I don’t like dress up but I like gross stuff and taking care of things instead of breaking them, so what does that make me?”

I got called a tomboy a lot so I just assumed Ah Yes, That Must Be What I Am, Nevermind That I Don’t Know What It Means. Girl was a category and tomboy was a more specific thing under that, like animal taxonomy having family, genus, species, etc. Calling myself a girl didn’t feel incorrect for the same reasons calling a cat a feline doesn’t feel incorrect; not wrong, just not as specific as one could theoretically be. There were times when I thought “hm maybe I’m a boy”, but it wasn’t in the exploring gender way so much as being on the playground swing set in 2nd grade and thinking “wait, i like bugs and frogs and mud and those are Boy Things, and I don’t like dolls or makeup or dresses and those are Girl Things, so I have more Boy Stuff than Girl Stuff about me”. Which probably shows the sort of Needlessly Gendered environment I grew up in that complicated things when it came to understanding my own feelings. I didn’t even know what gender was, Girl and Boy were just nebulous concepts to me, like two circles with different traits that weren’t supposed to overlap yet seemingly did for me.

Given my experience I wouldn’t feel right calling myself intersex, to be honest. Other folks like me can and do and that’s awesome, but it doesn’t feel like the right label for me. My PCOS is… idk, minor? Compared to other cases. I get slightly longer facial hairs and have the world’s lamest mustache if you zoom in on my upper lip and boost the contrast, but it’s hardly noticeable when not pointed out or a specific thing I’m looking at. I got the wonky hormone levels but the only thing that noticeably suggested there was Something Afoot with my Chemicals was just the fact that most deodorant brands didn’t work on me(and still don’t, shoutout to ban for doing its job when everything else failed) and my therapist was like “hold on a minute this might mean something”. Other stuff going on with me just seemed like depression and/or symptoms of my ADHD. The most impact it has on my life is just that I always get jumpscared by shark week because it doesn’t follow a schedule, even now that I’ve been on birth control for around a year that was supposed to make The Blood manifest on a monthly basis at the end. I thought I was just unlucky or had an incomprehensible schedule but no the hormones are just bad at driving the car(me)

More or less the only change that’s happened following my diagnosis has just been “oh hey there’s a term and reason for this stuff, neat”. It’s just a thing that is and I don’t feel different from how I was before I knew about it, so identifying differently feels like it’d be… Idk, unnecessary in my case. Plus I wouldn’t exactly be able to talk about it with most of my family, unfortunately. Only two of my sisters and maybe my grandparents, everyone else I have contact with would just think I was trying to be a snowflake and also have transphobia disease.

[since-it-must-be-so]

Choujin X: Chapter 1

So I'm really excited to read more of Sui Ishida's newest manga, and I'm arriving just in time for the front seats! I don't want to let this pass without writing down my thoughts on the first chapter and possibly look at it in the future as the story progresses. You can read it here:

Having said that, please note there will be spoilers ahead!

Tomato Girl

The chapter starts with this cute little girl with that native(?) farmer-like hat, who supposedly grows big fruits (it's huge in Japan, look it up!). I think she will also be a main character since she's the first person we see. From this point I'll call her Tomato Girl. She is obviously from a rural area and is a farmer. We see her motivation is money (and that big dog... which, I think we will see in the future lol). She also wants to marry a "handsome goldilocks hubbie", lol. Wonder if this means she's going to be a love interest of the other cast? She also wants to have 9 kids. Naki and Miza, is that you?! Lol. So here, we have a girl with lofty aspirations! We shall see if any of this will happen or if it will change or if she's lying!

Also an observation - Tomato Girl is also close with her granddad, since she said she's going to the contest in lieu of her granddad (whose back was hurt). She obviously has this strong personality, standing up to the creepy bad guy, who was going to hit the old lady.

Bad Guy

The Bad Guy (since this guy doesn't have a name yet) is obviously a terrorist-for-hire. Also seems to be obsessed with beauty and elegance. I would guess his power lies in blowing things up?

I think, though, that Tomato Girl is a choujin herself, considering she didn't immediately get blown away. Plus, Bad Guy was on fire, and so was she. So, it doesn't necessarily mean Tomato Girl is already dead. She also seems to be reaching out to the Bad Guy as that scene ends.

It's later revealed that despite the plane crash, there were 200 survivors. Hmmmmmmm. Maybe they were turned into choujins?Only the hull was burned but the frame wasn't.

Tokio Kurohara and Azuma Higashi

Yes, the MC! He's notices the plane catching fire. Then, for some reason, Tokio's teacher (Ms. Bazonkas) has a weird voluptuous design. BUT, I think there's something afoot there. She might actually also be a choujin. Possibly a mentor role for Tokio? She seems to be very knowledgeable.

Anyway, going back to Tokio. He's introduced as a sixteen-year-old high school sophomore from Tsuru High. Like any high school kid, he finds studying math to be useless. We're also shown that lives in a district which has destroyed buildings. Possibly dystopian future?

We next find a girl getting harassed by a Mohawk guy and his 2 honchos. Tokio calls for someone, turns out to be Azuma. I just thought it's funny how he called for Azuma, he sounds like a police officer. Haha. But right after, Azuma is introduced, flying from a building.. a very dramatic, heroic entrance. He kinda looks like a hybrid of Haise and Armin from AOT for me. Haha. He's so cute and tiny but he's strong and is apparently the town hero. He breaks the arm of the thug, which Tokio thinks is going too far.

The girl seems to be a pretty girl, and I think she will play a role later on. She's a lot older than them, since she said she's going to an interview. She will possibly a love interest or a villain, but I think more of the latter. I just read CSM so I'm wary of pretty girls lol. Anyway, I think there's something there to link her with Azuma, considering, Azuma introduces both Azuma and Tokio but she only seems to thank or acknowledge Azuma. Tokio even says "don't mention it" even if the girl didn't even thank him, lol.

Azuma and Tokio talk about the plane crash, and it's revealed that choujins seem to abuse their power, and that the attack is kinda normal. We look at their hometown which is really wrecked. Buildings are dilapitated in an abnormal manner -- one building looks like it was done in with a circular force... They live in Yamato Prefecture which is described as an ordinary, self-governed prefecture with some areas partially destroyed. Wonder what self-governed means, but my guess is that it's kinda like a state and the national government is different altogether.

Roly-Poly

Well I never really thought of pill bugs or rolly pollies until I read this. Azuma talks about how roly polies roll around in dry areas and when they find a damp rock, they hide under it. He questions if the roly polies like damp places. And Azuma wonders if choujins are anything like roly-polies. Tokio is confused, so am I. I'm not going to make solid convictions what he means by it, but I think... what Azuma is driving at is that, roly polies and choujins DON'T like damp places. I don't know, I have no reason for this, it's just a guess. We'll see what Azuma means eventually. Haha.

It also appears that choujins are generally bad guys, since Azuma wonders why they don't use their power for good. Maybe something about being a choujin corrupts? Just a guess based on the succeeding events.

They end their conversation with Azuma thinking if he can help with the plane crash. Tokio comments, "seems noble of you" and Azuma says, "it's just a habit". Wonder if Tokio finds Azuma pretentious or if he's genuinely impressed. Azuma's answer is also quite concerning, "just a habit", a question arises if he's sincere in helping in the first place.

The Mohawk Guy

So this guy is supposed to be a funny, evil villain, now bent on exacting revenge from Azuma. Then, a guy (possibly gay guy because he is wearing a lipstick?) with a briefcase offers him an injection.

Tokio's Family

So Tokio has a bigger sister and a dad who seems to be very quiet. Not sure if that's their dad though, it wasn't clear. It's possible they don't have parents anymore and that guy is just an associate. Anyway, it appears that the sister pays Tokio's tuition and she's the breadwinner.

Tokio and his sister talk about Azuma. Azuma is apparently very smart, very athletic (proficient in judo and karate), girls love him, and that his dad is a big shot in the police. The sister questions why Tokio is so proud, and Tokio funnily admits that it's because he feels popular because Azuma is popular. A leech!

Vulture

I just finished re-reading Tokyo Ghoul and :re, and I was blown away by Ishida's art and story. To say I love Kaneki is an understatement. I think I'm going to love Tokio too! I also want to discuss the cover.

So it appears that the cover is the Tokio with an image of a vulture. Tokio is naked and it feels like the vulture is seducing him. From here, I get the vibe that Tokio might be corrupted by the power. "It's something of an affliction" is a dead giveaway. It feels like becoming a choujin or superhuman also corrupts, in a way?

Also since, there seems to be a commentary on the negative view on vultures being scavengers or "steals prey". (Though TBH I always thought vultures wait around for the predator to finish eating and then it eats the scraps??)

On the other hand, Azuma, Tokio's best friend who's mighty strong and brave (almost to a fault), is viewed as a lion by his peers. Also, an uncanny observation is the when Tokio cries about while sitting on the floor, above him is a hyena. Hyenas are known to prey on the carcasses of lions' prey.

It's almost uncanny when Tokio himself says, "I can be a lion too". But Azuma makes Tokio feel better by telling him that buzzards can fly higher than any bird -- telling Tokio to focus on the strength

But even if Tokio admires Azuma, Tokio thinks of telling Azuma when he's going too far. I think this comes from a place of concern. But maybe secretly he's also jealous?

Tokio also even tells Azuma that maybe they should hold hands so Tokio can be more like Azuma, implying that Tokio wants to be like Azuma.

Praying Mantis

Just before Flexi Choujin attacks, Tokio mentions that he bought an insect guidebook and was about to say a factoid about praying mantis near water. I wonder what Tokio was about to say? A search on the internet about praying mantis and water shows this disgusting video of a parasite exiting the praying mantis leaving the mantis to die. Ew. Let's see if this is the factoid Tokio was thinking of. If so, who's the mantis and who's the parasite? Is it Azuma and Tokio, respectively? Hmm. Also, love the insect symbolism. Throwback to Kaneki's centipede!

Flexi Choujin Attack (Johnny Kiyoshi Takeyama)

Mohawk Guy, now a choujin, is a flexi monster who's now more resistant to hits. He attacks Azuma indiscriminately with his new powers. He also kinda goes crazy... His subordinates fear his super violent side, begging him to go back to his "kinda naughty mama boy self", but he ends up snapping their heads off.

For some reason 2 injections fly up into the air?! Maybe someone tossed it. Because as Tokio brought Azuma to the water and brought him back out, he sees the 2 injections. Azuma wants to use it on himself.

Tokio hesitates to have Azuma use it but Azuma insists. Tokio remembers how Azuma saved him from bullies as a kid, and they agreed that Tokio will help Azuma beat the bad guys... Tokio gets the other injection and points to himself. Azuma says Tokio can't but Tokio insists because he feels that it's the only way to stay friends with Azuma. They also promise each other that they will have no regrets over this. This is kinda alarming for me!! Let's see what it will mean in the future.

But instead of both of them transforming into a powerful choujin, only Tokio transforms into one. He looks like a vulture, very beast-like. Looks even like Kaneki's Centipede! I think the other injection might have resulted in a bad/weak power, or maybe it's empty, or maybe Tokio didn't inject Azuma? But I doubt the last one. Anyway, Tokio's choujin look is amazing!

Can't help but feel this scene is related to the praying mantis thing... Maybe my hunch is correct? The parasite exits the mantis when near water, which is why Tokio manages to muster up some courage on his own?

We'll see!! I'm really excited to see this develop. It will be the first manga I will be able to see from the start to finish!

[thoughtfulpaperback]

CHARMED 03X10 REVIEW!!!!SPOILERS AHEAD!!!!!

GENERAL THOUGHTS

Well Damn! This episode was far from perfect, but as far as excitement and moving the plot forward it sure enough stepped up from the last two episodes. Solid 9/10 for me.

Some things to note though are as thus follows:

We might now know who made the Tomb of Chaos and why, but we still don't know how the heck the monsters started getting out in the first place. They could just go the route of the whole fiasco last season (magic dying) caused it but that would mean there is not big bad for this storyline and we'd have to fall back on Abby's storyline for one. Unless the Perfecti are gonna become a problem which they definitely have the potential for.

The writers still can write a solid explanation for how magic works in this world. Josefina obviously is a witch or some magical being (even if she doesn't have a "main" power like telekinesis) proven by the fact she can create spells and apparently is affected by the charmed ones magical allergy. But arguably last season mortals/non magical beings were able to harness magic through combined magical elements and science so maybe anyone can use magic???

The lore is still messy as heck and the effects and vibe still feel more alien/sci-fi than magical. The tallness and the look of the perfecti are giving me star trek realness.

Anyways onto my dislikes ⏭

DISLIKES

1) Effects for Macy's Powers

Last time I mentioned that they changed the special effects for Macy's telekinesis, some of y'all suggested that it was only the force field or magical slow down/motion freeze that had a blue effect. This episode disproved that as Macy threw the dagger and used her powers to push the dagger forward with more force. The effect was blue and again I hate it.

Season 2 motion stop was a whole different color and looked different than this sort of blue force effect. I stand by what I said previously it feels more sci-fi than fantasy and I am vehement against that shift in vibe

2) The writers don't think well clock them for the board?

So the witch board has been programed to find rifts now and we didn't get to see that? I mean Harry said he figured out the calculations to predict where they'd be but not that the board could be programed to figure it out. I mean that would have been a nice feature the episode after he figured it out....I mean come one I know six days have passed but a quick line at least bringing attention to the new feature would be nice.

3) this lore is messy AF

Ya'll i think maybe I need to give up hope that the writers will ever make any of this make sense, but like okay so far we have a source of all magic that apparently isn't affected by a magical tree that -when tainted- can cause magic to die. And now we have advance ancient magic and magical tribes which predate charmed ones. So why are there different lines of charmed ones and when did they come about and why were they needed? Also magical tribes organizing enough to giving up magic to create basically magic AIs to lock up big bads, but apparently in enough chaos to have the problem???? That suggests maybe a time before the chaos of thier were organize tribes. Maybe chaos is subjective here?

Also as far as canon goes, apparently the source of all magic can give people powers (macy got all the powers when she took on the source) and we don't know what the heck happened with that since they used it to fix the tree. Like I'm sure it didn't just go away since it is the source of all fricken magic. Maybe they should look into that or Let Josefina try spending quality time with the tree and some black amber since they cured it.....just saying.

Also I guess the whole consequences for using magic for personal gain is 100% gone because I think self-medicating with your powers would fall under that category.

LIKES

1) Hacy moments that both cure depression and remind me that there are still issues afoot.

I love me those hacy scenes where they support and care for each other as a couple. I awwed, but it looks like Harry got a taste of that mortal life and won't be letting go of it as a possibility, while Macy looked a bit off put by the idea of what mortality for Harry might mean. So there is the promise of some drama in the future.

I love whitelighter Harry. I think that since the show is really shifting vibes Harry's whitelighter status and abilities (which still are vague tbh) still tether it to the OG or at least the idea of it being in the vein of the OG Charmed. If there are no more whitelighters at all then I feel like they might as well have renamed it and or just as easily have it be a different show completely. I hold onto the idea that that fantasy feeling and demons/whitelighters were the core of What made charmed (the og) charmed. So I am glad Harry hasn't permanently lost his powers and hope he never will. I mean the book of shadows had a spell that took away immortality without taking away powers-as seen in season 1- I mean macy used it along with a voodoo spell. The writers mean to tell me that Macy can't remember and rewrite a spell she used but Mel can recreate the book of shadows and possible spells we've never seen them use?!?!?

2) Pacing and energy

I dont know about yall, but the last few episodes weren't very exciting and some felt like they dragged on without moving the plot along. This epsiode was actually quick paced and I felt there were actual stakes here.

3) the messages

Love anytime a show advocates for people getting help with thier mental/emotional health. Love that the show hasn't said that Josefina isn't a witch without powers, love that they are pushing the message of not needing to prove what she is to anyone.

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS

So the Board detects rifts now...

Maggie forgetting the Marble

Mel being the new Harry as far as overprotective of Josefina and her "readiness"

Dagger dripping green ooze

Perfecti coming through the portal

"I am never gonna stop fighting for you..."

Perfecti coming in to solve all the problems

[whateverthedragonswant]

Hi, I recently came across your post talking about dark Daenerys always being the end game. I thought you did an excellent job showing the foreshadowing fans missed from the show. What surprised me on the show was JonxDany. I just couldn't wrap my head around the "romance". It felt out of character and illogical. As someone who loves Daenerys as a character and seems to really understand her, do you think they were in love? Is it tragic or political? I can't seem to reconcile it. Thank you!

Hi Nonnie! Thank you so much for the compliment, oh my goodness! And thank you for the ask!

Tbh with you, I never quite wrapped my head around the Jonerys romance either. I know a lot of people thought it was due to the lack of chemistry between Emilia and Kit on screen (I disagree, that dragon riding scene in 8x01 proved they did which makes me think their lack of romantic chemistry was intentional on the show’s part through the writing and editing), or that it was rushed (this part could be possible since they rushed her dark turn as well). But I honestly think it was meant to be tragic for both Jon and Daenerys, but more political on Jon’s side, at least in the beginning. 

I know a lot of people don’t agree with the pol!Jon theory and think it’s just that, a theory, but looking at the time from when Jon has met Dany through to the end, I find it hard to think anything else. Because that certainly would have explained away the receding of Jon’s POV/character after he and Dany met. It also would have went in line with what Kit had said before the beginning of season 7 about Jon being more political that season, possibly manipulating (I don’t think he used that exact word but I’m paraphrasing for him), but doing it kindly. Even though GoT blew up everyone’s arcs at the end of the last season, at the time, we knew there was a reason that Sansa said the line to him in 7x01 “You need to be smarter than Father. You need to be smarter than Robb” and we had seen Jon listening to Sansa by him deciding to leave the North (and organizing their defense for the upcoming battle) in her hands, asking Sansa what she thought when he got Tyrion’s scroll in 7x02, and what he says to Tyrion in 7x03. So, I personally think they were gearing up for Jon to do whatever it took to get Dany and her dragons up North for the battle (while probably not feeling all that comfortable about it but knowing it had to be done), which is why I think we see him and his band of men go on that quest in 7x06 & meet with Cersei and Co along with Dany in 7x07. 

There’s just too many questionable moments that happen from 7x03 to 8x06 that prove Jon was not as smitten as Dany was with him: 

The way he studies Dany reuniting with Jorah, the fact that he seems almost uncomfortable when Dany says in 7x05 “I’ve grown used to him” & his response “I wish you good fortune in the wars to come, Your Grace” and he doesn’t look back once as they push the boat out into the water (I think they purposely showed the contrast between Jorah saying goodbye to Dany vs Jon saying goodbye to Dany, there was definitely a reason they show Jorah looking back and not Jon but they play Jon and Dany’s love theme in the background - x)

Jon’s “what did I do face?” after he bends the knee figuratively in the boat cabin (3:23 - x) (though to be fair, the 7x06 script confirmed this is when Jon realizes he has feelings for her after seeing Dany mourning Viserion so this reaction of Jon’s could be that he basically just gave the North away)

Jon’s reaction and looking over at Varys and Missandei after Dany blows up on Tyrion in 7x04 and says “Your family, you mean? Perhaps you don’t want to hurt them after all” (1:11 - x) - which is really foreshadowing that Jon will have to make the same choice eventually, that Dany will give that ultimatum, me or your family, which she does in 8x04 and then inadvertently continues to in 8x05 and 8x06 - then Dany pushes him for advice, he gives it to her, and she doesn’t completely follow it to the letter, and then eventually she disregards it completely when she burns down KL in 8x05

Jon not showing any emotion when he receives word that Arya & Bran are alive & back home while in front of Dany though we see his reactions in 8x01 when he’s reunited with them (7x05) (8x01)

Jon’s reaction to the Northerners’ not so great reaction to Dany that was cut (0:43 - x)

Drogon watching Jon and Dany make out in 8x01 and Jon keeping his eyes open as he kisses Dany & keeping her in front of him (a very common trope, if that’s the right word, to indicate that something shifty is afoot or there is distrust - 4:11 x)

the infamous squint Jon has in response to Dany talking in response to Tyrion (x) which they definitely included for a reason and this for me solidified Kit as one of the Masters of Microexpressions

Jon’s reactions to Dany (that she can’t see) when she visits him in his room after the Feast in 8x04 (x)

Jon’s immediate whiplash worried turn to Dany when Tormund says proudly “or a King!” to check her reaction (x) plus the framing in this scene is not only meant to show the increasing isolation & paranoia Dany is feeling but for Jon to have his back to her (after they shared that warm smile no less which she realizes in 0:45 - x) I think it speaks very loudly that he is not as head over heels as people think he is but that he is placating her while also caring about her (she is family to him, the last of his real father’s family, & he’s also still attracted to her)

his glare to Sansa while planning the assault on KL to get her to shut up for lack of a better way to put it (2:36 x) which Tyrion later confirms in the same episode with his line to Sansa “why provoke her?” which leads to Sansa realizing Tyrion is afraid of Dany and then she also realizes Jon is too (Jon’s fear is not confirmed in dialogue in this moment but the ones seeing the writing on the wall for this whole thing, it wasn’t a large leap for them to make, knowing the characters they way they do) which then leads to her telling his secret

Jon giving himself up basically, to go South, I think he’s very aware he will not be coming North again once Dany wins and that is why he asks Tormund to take Ghost with him - you see him saying goodbye to Sam and Gilly, finding out about their child on the way, to Tormund, to Ghost (I know people were mad that Jon didn’t pet Ghost, I was too, but I think he honestly couldn’t handle it at that moment and I’ve seen brilliant metas circulate that talk about how Ghost is an extension of Jon and his injuries and look echo how Jon really feels - & if you see the sliced ear, it’s very possible that they are fully correct in that reading, Jon has stopped listening, he’s doing what he thinks is right, what he has to do, his duty, he’s not listening to Sam or Tormund or Sansa or even Arya) - this whole scene is meant as a goodbye to Jon Snow as a character (his Night’s Watch arc, his Wildling arc, even his bastard/Stark arc (and his wants that he has, his response to Gilly when she tells him they want tto name their child after him: “I hope it’s a girl” is just heartbreaking, Jon wanted a family someday (5:08 - x, notice how the Stark theme starts up subtly in the background) & he always wanted to be a Stark and in his mind, he is getting neither one nor does he think he deserve them at this point) and I think that’s why they don’t have any other Starks in that scene (& plus they had the Starks in that other scene in 8x04) (x) -- this whole scene really is the proof in the pudding for me regarding the whole duty vs love debate, coming down on the side of duty

Jon’s “I love you” in the fireplace scene seems to be more an answer to not just reassure her but tamp down any growing fury after just witnessing Varys’ execution (1:11 x) immediately followed up by his usual line “you will always be my queen” and then when she asks “is that all I am to you? Your queen?” notice that he doesn’t answer but lets her kiss him which he then doesn’t return and she realizes (notice his loud breathing too, it’s not passion, it’s fear, fear of what it might mean that he is not returning her affection so to speak, sadly for Dany I think she realizes this too and that’s why she subtly shakes her head, steps back and says “alright, let it be fear”, the part of me that loves Dany truly felt horrible for her in this moment though she scared the crap out of me too lol, it’s harsh because she really does love Jon, not enough to give up the IT and her destiny, but enough that she wants their relationship to work, that she did go up North to fight for him, delaying the attack on KL, she lost Jorah and Viserion, her forces were depleted, idk I just have some sympathy for her here because I still love her, and this is before she went full on dark, and Jon’s “I love you” was said softly with some measure of warmth in his eyes I think but I don’t believe he meant it the way she wanted him to)

Kit had this to say right before season 7 aired which I find fascinating because yes while he can’t give away spoilers, he didn’t need to answer this so definitively. And while he didn’t know what was going to happen in season 8 yet, I think this lends creedence (is that the right word?) to the fact that Jon was not head over heels in love with Dany (not like he was with Ygritte)

But saying all of that, I think by the end, Jon definitely cared for her. I don’t think he wanted her to die or even go bad. I think he was ready to give himself up to be with her to protect his home, to placate her, but also so there would no longer be a Targaryen living alone in the world. I think he remembers Aemon’s words all too well. However, I don’t think he could reconcile himself to a full on romance (which I think incest did play a part into it, but I think had that not been a factor, he still wouldn’t have been head over heels for Dany, incest with cousins and uncles/aunts was common in the GoT universe, Starks in history married their cousins at times [look back at their family tree, they were no strangers to it], and we all know about the Targaryen inbreeding, but I really think it has more to do with who Dany ends up being in the end than anything, and that’s why we see some moments that could be misconstrued as romantic and some warm, I would almost say tender, like the waterfall scene in 8x01 before Drogon enters the frame so to speak). I think, like every other character in the show that came into her orbit, Jon had feelings for the same Dany that they all did, that Jorah was in love with, that Tyrion believed in and was also in love with, that Varys supported until he couldn’t: the breaker of chains, the girl who walked into a fire with three eggs and out of the same fire with three dragons, etc. But once the curtain was pulled back and the Wizard was revealed, after he was around her long enough, I think Jon knew who she really was becoming and I really believe that played a major part in the portrayal of their “romance”. I also think that when Jon left to go to KL in 8x04, a part of him planned to take up Jorah’s role in Dany’s life. Not to say that he could replace Jorah or become a full on advisor to her, but that he would join Tyrion, Varys, Grey Worm, and Missandei in helping to win Dany back her IT like he promised but also to keep her placated, maybe help steer her in the right direction. And be someone who genuinely cares about her, another Targaryen (though no one knowing he was one had Sansa not told Tyrion). Until she tired of him or decided to kill him to end the threat his birthright posed. He says as much in 8x06 to Tyrion “That’s her decision”. I don’t think he ever thought Dany would actually ask him to join her on the IT and it definitely wasn’t something he wanted.

I did mention tragic for Jon, too, and I think that’s where the tragedy comes in. He has now become the Targaryen alone in the world, he is now a queenslayer, a kinslayer, and he is exiled back to the Night’s Watch. He had to kill someone he cared about, he had to kill a woman (he couldn’t do it twice before, with Ygritte and Melisandre), he had to kill his last living Targaryen family. And he had to do it while deceiving her in that last moment (which is why I think they dialed back the whole pol!Jon thing if it was ever on the table, which I definitely believe it was at some point) and watch her die. It wasn’t something he wanted to do as we know, but he had to, and we see him questioning himself even after she’s gone. (x) So I feel it was more political (in the beginning), complex (middle), and tragic (in the end) for Jon but for different reasons than Dany.

As for Dany, I think from her end, it was meant to be more of a tragic romance. In the books, I believe, there is a prophecy that Dany will know three betrayals and love is one of them. I don’t know if they carried that into the show here exactly, but there is a common theme of betrayal among Dany’s arc as we all know. I think she truly loved Jon and hoped he would be what she could never find before, had never seen in Viserys (not that she considered him romantically but I mean since he was the only other Targaryen she knew about at the time, and she knew the Targaryen history of siblings marrying siblings), or Drogo, or Daario, or even Jorah. Regardless of her feelings for any of them, regardless of their feelings for her, I think she thought she found what she wanted, what she needed, in Jon. Though I think finding out about Jon being her long lost nephew (and rival claim to the IT) deterred it maybe for a moment (or make her at least second guess it), but she still loved him and felt just as strongly. Not enough to deter her from her goal and her destiny (after the Great War is over, I mean), but as much as she possibly can. I think she really thought Jon was it for her. I also think she expected betrayal from Jon as she states in 8x05 to Tyrion (x), and then the look she gives Jon after Tyrion is taken away to a cell in 8x06 (1:50, you can also see Jon’s shock here because he wasn’t expecting her to be watching him so closely & he realizes oh crap, don’t blink, while they play the love theme in the background, she’s waiting for him to “betray” her too and had he defended Tyrion then and there, I have no doubt she would have thrown him in a jail cell, too, waiting for judgement aka execution x) but when he doesn’t “betray” her and she’s attained her goal, she is ready to make plans to rule together and be with him completely. It is definitely tragic for her end because here she expected him to betray her (like everyone else has at some time or another except Missandei, GW & Daario) twice by then, and the one time she doesn’t expect it, he does (no matter how it might have been justified & Jon’s only option) and it means her end. I’m not justifying her actions at all but I can see where they attempted to portray this as a tragic romance for her but only for her. Dany’s POV ends up swallowing most of the show in season 8, to the point where her story line becomes basically the show’s story line. Her arc becomes the sun that all other arcs are orbiting around and this is because she’s the other Big Bad after the Night King. Plus, I also think they were planning something big with Jon and that’s why they removed most of his story (so to speak) and important moments with the Starks, etc, for the big reveal in the end (it’s common in other shows I’ve seen and they did everything the same way they did in those other shows until 8x06 when they abandoned it). I don’t know what changed in the end, but that’s what I truly believe was what they were going for when it came to Dany herself. Tragic romance. I don’t believe it was ever political for her, in any way, shape, or form. I think once she fell in love with Jon, that was it.

The love theme itself “Truth” if you listen to it on the S7 soundtrack (Ramin Djawdi is a master btw) has an epic feel to it but almost a tragic one (though tragedy takes a back seat to the epic). It’s more Targaryen theme in nature (I have no idea what specific instrument you would call it) and you can hear it coming from Dany’s side almost, if that makes sense. And I think that’s because not only does it refer to the scene where Bran reveals who Jon is, and the boat sex is happening, but also because I believe it was only meant for Dany to experience this great romance. It does start out Stark-y just a tiny bit but then turns into something more, swells, and you can hear a slight Targaryen tint coming to it. After the first swell of music, you can almost see the boat scene happening in your head, whether you’ve actually seen it or not, and there’s almost a trepidation in the beginning, a contemplation, and then it’s all in, both feet over the edge and all hands on deck, pardon the pun. (x) This music plays as we know during the bending the knee scene in another song “See You For What You Are” (x), more subtle, but it’s there. And I think not only is it because it’s the moment where Jon realizes he has feelings and this leads to opening the door for the boat bang, but also because it’s what Jon says (this song, to me, sounds even more Targaryen-y to me) to Dany after he bends the knee, “see you for what you are” not who. And I know I mentioned it above, but it also plays during certain moments in season 8 that really make you question that romance, like that scene in 8x06. I think it’s all very telling. 

I have to be very honest, I’m not pro-Jonerys at all. But it’s not because I hate Dany or Jon or hate the idea of them together or get squicked by the family angle, it’s because the relationship was not good for either of their characters in the show. 

I remember watching 7x06 for the first time and seeing her reaction (or lack thereof) for Viserion’s death. I think she was in shock when it happened but who does she stand on the wall waiting for after? Jon. And that bothered me so much because she was the mother of dragons and they were the only children she would ever have. (and I might be more slightly biased towards the animals on the show) Yes, she did cry for Viserion on the boat later, but it’s almost more muted I feel because it blurs with her concern for Jon in that moment. That bothered me tremendously. Little did I know this would become a recurring theme for the last season as well: Jon comes first to everything else except the IT. (and I personally can’t stand it when this happens, I’m sorry, I’m all for love, but when you lose who you are, when you sacrifice yourself, I just can’t get past that) We do see her pain in 8x01 when Bran tells her about Viserion, and her pain at Rhaegal’s death in 8x04, but this is a strong female character who has proven she doesn’t need a man to run things. She is not someone who would get so besotted with someone that she would push everything else to the back burner and allow whatever is happening with him to color her decisions (I know, we all fall in love and it can happen, especially if it’s a first love or something akin to what one can feel as true love, if they’re convinced it’s that, but damn). Daario made suggestions to her but in the end, she made her own decisions. Drogo told her how to be but in the end, she figured out a way to appeal to him to do as she wanted (as we see in that scene where she takes the women into her care). Jorah advised her, so did Tyrion, but in the end she made her own decisions. 

I hate it when they do this to strong female characters (which is why I despised the whole Sansa vs Dany thing, I get it story wise but here were two arguably incredibly strong women going head to head over a man most of the time or at least they tried to show being a factor in Dany’s fall and it just... ugh). So not only did Dany falling in love with Jon lead to her fall, her demise, but it wasn’t good for Jon, either. He had to keep who he was a secret, he had to placate her, give himself up and over to duty, the table was not tilted towards him really in their relationship, not in season 8 at least, the power dynamic was all screwy (as shown in that bedroom scene in 8x04 & the fireplace scene in 8x05). I just don’t think they made a good couple to be honest, not one that could have worked out long term I think, despite what happened in KL & Jon feeling uncomfortable. Personally, not that I’m the show or GRRM, but I think eventually, had Jon not married her and ruled with her, there would have been a Dance of Dragons 2.0 with Jon possibly losing in the end. It depends really on if anyone else found out about Jon’s parentage and how much of a threat ir would have become. And I love both characters too much to see either of them go that route. But then of course, that happened so... 

Anyhoo, I’m so sorry for the 100 page essay in response lol. I swear I didn’t mean to get so wordy. I guess I still have a lot of thoughts where this show is concerned. This was my first ask, thank you so much for being it and for such an amazing question! <3

[internetkatze]

Tagged by @obstinaterixatrix !!

Rules: List the first lines of your last 20 stories (if you have less than 20, just list them all!). See if there are any patterns. Choose your favorite opening line. Then tag 10 of your favorite authors!  

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I have fewer that 20 published, But I guess I can list some of the unpublished ones too ;) 

1. Untitled WIP (Wandersong, unpublished 2021) The flight home was long enough that, despite Miriam's unease, by the time they had made it to her house, the worst of her anxiety had been replaced by a heavy blanket of exhausted resignation.

2.  Echoing Notes (Wandersong 2020) The world was ending, until it wasn’t. The sun rose again, against all odds, casting its beams of light across an improbable planet, bathing its inhabitants in the most welcome daybreak.

3. Still The World Keeps Turning (Doctor Who, 2020)  She sees the world afire, again.

4. OSTINATI (Wandersong, unpublished 2020)  An unfamiliar face greeted the Bard as they made their way up the hill towards Langtree Village.

5. Split Complementaries, And Other Approaches to Musical Composition (Wandersong, unpublished 2020)  Kiwi rose with the sun, impossible though it was to see through the Chismest haze; the date on the calendar hesitantly suggested it might have been early summer, although the weather all but shouted otherwise.

6. What Do You Want To Hear? (Doctor Who, 2020) "So, Doc, any thoughts yet?"

7. Untitled WIP (Doctor Who, 2020)  The wonderful thing about time is that it never stops, so if you happen to find yourself in a bad situation, eventually you will be carried away from it into hopefully a better situation.

8. An Urgent Request (Good Omens, 2020)  The door crashed open, jangling the entrance bell with all the alarm of an air raid siren.

9. Fracture (Doctor Who, 2020)  He scans the horizon, under the Australian sun, brimming with anticipation.

10. New Year’s Fic (Good Omens, unpublished 2019)  And now it was 2009.

11. As a River Flows on a Pathway to the Sea (Good Omens, unpublished 2019)  Geological timescales are a funny thing, to angels.

12. Black Magic on Mulholland Drive (Lucifer/Good Omens crossover, unpublished 2019) A sunny morning in LA is par for the course. A rainy morning in LA, while uncommon, isn't entirely outside of the realm of possibility*. A foggy morning in LA, however, suggests something surreal is afoot.

13. Heaven’s Over Us (Good Omens, 2019)  Aziraphale stood at the edge of a precipice.

14. Aziraphale Gets A Smartphone (Good Omens, 2019)  If one were to believe that the universe isn't just one single instance of existence created by God according to the ineffable plan, but rather a collection of several universes—a multiverse, if you will—one might believe that each of the other universes contains something almost, but not quite, entirely unlike any other.

15. About Face (Good Omens, 2019)  By the time they arrived at the front door of Crowley’s flat, it was the dead hour, too late to be night and too early to be dawn. 

16. Identity, Ineffability, and Other Things we Don’t Understand (Good Omens, 2019)  "Crowley."

17. V1 (Good Omens, unpublished 2019) The problem, Crowley had decided, was feelings.

18. Hard Landing (Good Omens, 2019)  The problem, Aziraphale had decided, was feelings.

19. Adventures in Attempting to Purchase a Book From that Weird Old Soho Bookshop, A.Z. Fell & Co. (Good Omens, 2019)  [New Topic] Does Anyone Have A Copy Of Clockwork House Vol. 6?

20. The Question of Who (Sherlock, 2012)  "I've told you before. You see, but you don't observe."

Also as a bonus have two original stories:

1. Untitled WIP (original, 2019) A star shot through the sky and landed right outside my window, at a horrible hour of the morning.

2. Untitled WIP (original, 2019)  There was a witch at the top of the mountain, or so I had been told; I had never been there—I had neither the means nor inclination.  

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Patterns, hm... Well, I certainly like to go for either a highly descriptive line that establishes the scenario right away, or a short and catchy line that’s intriguing enough to make you want to read the next line, which is then usually the highly descriptive line. Generally speaking I do favour a compact writing style that fits as much information as possible into as few words as possible in each sentence, so it’s not surprising my opening lines are like that too.

I’m often tempted to open with a line of dialogue, but I’ve heard that’s offputting, so I try to avoid it. Still, there are some cases when that works best, usually when the dialogue itself establishes some important information right away. (In the case of #16, that’s an entirely dialogue-only piece, so the first line establishes it’s Aziraphale who speaks first.)

It’s kind of hard to pick a favourite because I’m very fond of all of these for different reasons. For example, 4 looks very plain, but leads into scenario where the “unfamiliar face” is quickly established to be someone the Bard should know, but doesn’t. And then later the same line gets repeated again in different contexts, developing the theme further. I love 9 because not only does it quickly locate where in the timeline this canon divergence begins, it also establishes a metaphor that, when combined with the next two lines, becomes relevant to the entire fic. 12 and 14 were both jokes I wrote to myself to make myself laugh and fell in love with especially as I developed the jokes further. 17 and 18 make a pair.... except I never actually published 17 so the joke is lost too RIP

Honestly I think the main takeaway here is I should actually finish my WIPs sometime lmao

TAGGING: @wyvernquill @fremulon @gottagobuycheese @theoldaquarian @theplatinthehat @picnokinesis @maskedhero 

IDK HOW MANY MORE FRIENDS WRITE FIC TBH and i dont remember everyones usernames either if you’re reading this and u write stuff consider urself tagged

[freddyjoncs]

what’s your favorite scary movie?

t a g g i n g : mystery inc, mayor jones & freddy’s real parents

t i m e f r a m e : february 2020 - august 20th

l o c a t i o n :  freddy’s apartment

n o t e s : it’s about time i wrote this haha. it’s trash tbh anyways

Freddy had been in Elias for a while. By this time he had hoped that he would have known more. that the answers he was expected to find would already be laid out before him crystal clear. But that hadn’t been the case. The trail had run cold and Freddy was running around trying to make up excuse after excuse to the gang as to why they were here. Freddy was amazed his web of lies hadn’t unraveled yet. Then again, if there was one thing his father had taught him it was how to keep a facade going. 

but could freddy really even call mayor jones his father anymore?

The letter he had received on his door that day detailed the life of someone that was supposed to be him. of a sweet baby boy named Robbie Chiles who was taken from his parents too soon. Freddy wanted to believe it was some sick prank. Someone who wanted to send him on a wild goose chase since he was known as the paranormal investigator in Coolsville. His infamous role as the gang’s leader had gotten him mocked by school makes and people within the town which he found absolutely funny considering everyone knew there was something off about Coolsville. The paranormal happenings, the dark past no one spoke of. Everyone liked to turn a blind eye to it in hopes that it would go away but Freddy knew better. 

This letter told him that Brad Chiles and Judy Reeves were his real parents. But it couldn’t have been true. He was Frederick Herman Jones, Jr. His father was Frederick Herman Jones Sr. His mother? Well she was long out of the picture before he arrived. His father gave very few details as to his mother was. All he had was one picture of her and her alone. Not her holding him as a baby. Not her with his father. Just her. Freddy didn’t want to believe his entire life had been fabricated and that the note that sent him here to Elias was true.

Maybe that’s why he had held off on research - he was afraid. Of afraid of the truth that settled in the pit of his stomach. The truth that something more malicious was afoot in his life. That the man he called father had lied to him his entire life. 

The need for the truth gnawed at him for a year until Freddy finally gave in to do his own research. He couldn’t let the gang in on this one. This is something he had to figure out on his own. Their trip to Gravity Falls could wait for another minute. Freddy needed to do this for himself.

He had gone off the grid the same he had many times before. Not answering calls and locking himself in his apartment. A note of his own was pinned to the door to let the gang know he was fine but busy. He didn’t need distractions right now. In due time he promised himself he would let them in and tell them everything he found something. until then this was his secret to keep. 

Freddy knew one thing about Coolsvilles history. It was a tale parents told their kids to scare them. A cautionary tale to keep them safe and to learn from the mistakes people in the past had made. Besides the paranormal happenings it what put Coolsville on the map. That story happened to be the Coosville slasher. It’s not a story his father told him of course since his father hated that people made a spectacle of his beloved town but Freddy had heard the story for other people. It had been a while since he heard it but one name stuck out.

Judy Reeves.

The same that had been detailed on the note. His research lead him to many articles of the 1994 Coolsville prom that left five dead. Judy was the center of it all. Well, she wasn’t the slasher. That case had been left unsolved. It was one Freddy wanted to solve but he left it on the back burner as a case for another day. Judy was the quote on quote final girl of that story. So he had a final girl and a real life horror movie.

Great.

But why did it involve him?

The more he researched the more Freddy found out about Judy. Her boyfriend being Brad Chiles. The other name depicted in his note. Another step closer to the truth. After graduating high school it seemed the two had turned into paranormal hunters themselves starting their own group. 

A coincidence. One that was eerily similar to him but a coincidence nonetheless in Freddy’s eyes. He knew he wasn’t the first to form a group of ametur sleuths and he knew he wouldn’t be the last as long as Coolsville was still standing. After a week of research it seemed as though Freddy’s trail had run cold once more. It seemed as though anything regarding Judy and brad had been erased after the year he was born. It was as if someone was trying to erase their existence. He had come this far he couldn’t give up now.

It would have been easier to ask the gang for help. Velma was a whiz with this sort of work. He probably would have had answers sooner if he would have just asked for help but Freddy couldn’t bring himself to ask them. He refused to. Call it his pride or the fact the case was all too exposing for Freddy’s liking. Whatever it was that was holding him back from asking for help he didn’t. Instead, he decided to put himself in Velma’s shoes (he never thought he’d be doing such a thing) and think where the brainiac would go next for research. The answer was so glaringly obvious he almost wanted to hit himself for not thinking of it prior. 

The coolsville archives.

As the mayor’s son he had certain perks that he used to his advantage all too often. So much to his dismay Freddy took an impromptu trip to Coolsville. Freddy had been so certain that the coolsville archives would hold the key to this note that haunted him for so long. Sadly, they couldn’t help either. There was absolutely nothing on Judy Reeves or Brad Chiles. Again, it was as if someone was trying to get rid of their existence completely. That when the knowing feeling residing in Freddy’s gut became unbearable to deny. He had to go to the one place he never imagined this case would lead him to: his own home. To be more specific...

his father’s office.

Freddy knew well enough his father was never home. He was practically raised by the nannies and butlers that frequented the Jones household. So when he returned home he wasn’t greeted by his father as suspected. Instead he was given warm greetings from the very people who did raise him. They were just as shocked to see Freddy homes so soon. if it was up to freddy he wouldn’t have returned home at all. the relationship between him and his father was practically nonexistent at that point. after failing to live up to his father’s expectations and running off to Elias to form Mystery Inc once more Mayor Jones had practically disowned his son the day he left. Sure, it stung at first but time soon helped Freddy heal from that wound. Besides, it’s not like he hasn’t disappointed his father before. All freddy ever lived in was his father’s disappointment, expectations and shadow. 

Although he father was never home, Freddy knew that this wasn’t something he had all day to do. His father could return at anytime so he decided to make this as quick as possible. Mayor Jones office was always something that was prohibited to Freddy when he was younger. He could roam any place in their mansion expect for that office. It was off limits. Mayor Jones was an extremely private man. Freddy knew his father had secrets. He just wasn’t aware of how deep these secrets were he harbored. 

Freddy’s hand lingered over the gold doorknob, fear piercing his core. He was afraid if his hand made contact with the knob he would be electrocuted or some sort of security precaution would be set off. freddy wouldn’t have put it past his father to take such extreme measures to keep what needed to be private just so. but when his hand made contact and a shock wasn’t sent through his body, Freddy relaxed just a little. When the door finally opened and freddy stepped in his was paralyzed once more as he took in the surrounding that had been forbidden to him for years. The space practically radiated his father’s energy: cold, unwelcoming and dark. 

As much as Freddy wanted to peek through everything his father had been hiding from him he knew he was here for one reason only. thus, he started rummaging through the desks and drawers, making sure not to leave any trace he had been here. When he found nothing he sat there defeated thinking where else there could have been something to tell him the truth. Lifting his blue eyes he came face to face with a mural of him and his father above the fireplace. It felt too obvious for something to be there but Freddy believe just about anything at this point. carefully taking the painting down Freddy came face to face with a safe. God, this was too predictable. 

As expected the safe was coded. Freddy thought it was wishful thinking that his birthday would have been used as the password but he also knew his father all too well. So when the safe opened after entering his father’s birthday Freddy wasn’t too disheartened. 

And there it was.

Staring back at him was a folder titled ‘freddy’ in black cursive writing that was his father’s hand writing. His heart stopped for a moment as he stared back at the folder before picking it up and shoving it into his backpack he had carried with him. Freddy wasn’t an ametur anymore. He knew exactly what to do to make the scene look less incriminating. Heading back to his father’s desk he searched for a folder that looked similar to the one he was taking. Thankfully Freddy learned how to forge his father’ signature long ago so he had his handwriting down pat. After making sure everything looked as if it was still untouched Freddy left his father’s office. Before leaving the house completely he begged his butler, Wadsworth, to not let his father know he was here. Wadsworth didn’t argue, if anything he seemed to comply with fReddy’s request which gave him peace. His stay in Coolsville was short and soon Freddy found himself in Elias once more with the evidence he was looking for this entire time.

His heart was pounding hard against his rib cage as he got back to his apartment. Nothing else mattered to him expect for what was contained in this folder. Sitting at his messy desk that was covered with various clues he had gathered over the past few months Freddy opened the folder and came face to face with his worst nightmare.

After reading letters after letter and various documents Freddy came to the conclusion he hoped he wouldn’t have.

The note was all true.

Frederick Herman Jones, Sr was not Freddy’s real father. 

[wingedtacoearthquake]

A little piece of appreciation for the Good Omens title music

The music of Good Omens is just too good to ignore, and David Arnold has made a masterpiece

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_q57nJwt4A

To begin with, the whole piece is written in 3/4 time, giving it that waltz effect, and is further emphasised by an ongoing swung rhythm, feeling like how a rider moves on a cantering horse, because, you know, angels don't dance (demons don't dance either, tbh). Most, if not all of the time, the first beat of the bar is emphasised by something, stringing the whole piece together to give each little bit at least something in common while exploring new melodies.

The whole piece, from what I can tell, is written in arch form, or A1 B1 C B2 A2, even if the repeating sections vary.

A1: 0:00-0:16

The music opens up with four layers of sound, but somehow Arnold manages to make it sound eery in its quiet nature. The melody and the first bar-keeper (that's what I'm calling the part which highlights the first beat of the bar) are blended together to just create the atmosphere of an other-worldiness. The liquid nature of the sound of the fist bar-keeper almost replicates dizziness, and Arnold uses it just like an author would use a quick change into another, unknown and unfamiliar setting; it confuses you just enough to hold a suspension of belief to accept what is to come in the show. The baseline (played by the xylophone) and the first beat-keeper (because they signal every beat of the bar) are quiet, but enough to add more eery texture to the beginning of the music. And then vocals are introduced at 0:08. Arnold doesn't us lyrics in the piece, but rather has male and female vocals mixed together, and he allows the mixture to add to the music and let the music speak for itself, rather than complicate it with lyrics. He also uses a quiet harpsichord to add runs just to add more to that eery atmosphere that has taken root in this music. The timbre off this whole part suggests the harmonies of Heaven, but the accents in the vocals give it a forcefulness that only Hell has, and there Arnold introduces us to Heaven and Hell in one small opening.

B1: 0:17-0:51

This part, I've decided, is Crowley's melody, and it is just as iconic as he is. The harpsichord and the cello work together to give the melody, the harpsichord being metallic and clear and the cello giving warmth to the melody. A piano takes over bar keeping in its bass half, and a harp is added to do some stepwise runs to add some texture. At 0:36 the melody moves higher in pitch, arguably in the treble clef, and varies a little bit before building higher into Aziraphale's melody. The heavy use of the bass clef in Crowley's melody just signifies his origins; the bass clef is sexier and more 'bad' than the treble. But Crowley's melody does use the treble clef, and this just reflects his softness within the show; he would never see a hair harmed on Aziraphale's head.

C: 0:52-1:24

This bit is Aziraphale's melody, and it's only right that Arnold uses some celestial harmonies. Arnold uses a child's voice, not those of adults in the beginning, and it symbolises the purity and softness within Aziraphale. It also shows Aziraphale's need for peace throughout the show. Neither he nor Crowley want to see Earth destroyed in a fight that doesn't need to happen between Heaven and Hell, just like a child would not want anything more than happiness within their lives. There is a harp that keeps the baseline and a cello keeping the beat. Aziraphale is just like Crowley, in that he is neither all Heaven or all Hell, but is a mixture of both. Violins take over the child singing at 1:08, playing smoothly when not swinging the melody, allowing the notes to flow into each other. Adult singers take over the counter melody with plucking strings to aid the harp and push the baseline forward a little bit.  This all makes the section more heavenly, but it is smoother than the section at the beginning which separates Aziraphale further from Heaven, Gabriel and the war they want just like Crowley's melody does for Crowley.

B2: 1:25-1:59

Crowley's melody returns, but with a twist. Arnold uses cymbals throughout this section. It's for thunder and lightning, great powers are afoot and all Hell and Heaven is breaking loose onto Crowley, and Aziraphale for that matter. Crowley's melody is now higher in the treble clef with the violins taking the melody, signifying the unity of Crowley and Aziraphale. Bass vocals are added o emphasise the beat and give a whole package of menace to the section because Crowley and Aziraphale are in trouble now. The harpsichord still has the melody as well as the violins, and the cymbal crashes become regular at 1:51. Arnold could do this to start building to the war atmosphere that is developed in the last eleven seconds of the piece, or he could be doing it to show that the danger Crowley and Aziraphale is becoming either clear or under control.

A2: 2:00-2:11

This last section is the war section. Arnold uses chromatic violins and the bar-keeper cello to add all the drama of a war between Heaven and Hell. The use of both the treble and the bass clef by Arnold just shows that both sides are just as eager to start the war as the other, and both sides are just as eager to win too. The short and staccato vocals contrast the violins as the melodies move in separate directions on the pitch scale to show how they are still enemies, even though each side does the exact same thing as the other. Arnold ends the piece on a cymbal crash and silence follows to let the music settle in our ears; Earth will never know what happens when Heaven and Hell clash, and they won't now as Crowley and Aziraphale make peace, for now.

In short, I love the music and I've been singing it for a week now.

[welcometoteamz]

I’ve ranted about what I didn’t like in iZombie S4 and what I would do differently, but tbh, I would go back and apply a lil bit in S3 tbh as well.Most of it involves my trash boi Blaine.

I had multiple verses set during the year long hiatus between S2 and S3 where I wrote Blaine’s amnesia as being legitimate. That said, I’ve made my peace with the fact it became a lie. It honestly makes more sense for him to try to turn his life around, but get caught in a lie and fuck it up for himself due to his own insecurities and fear of rejection. I’ll stand firm on that.

Which is why the reveal of having him be the one steal the cure irritates me.It’d honestly would have more tragic if he still tried to behave himself even after his lie was exposed, and it was the hit from Angus that dragged him back into his old life after he got his retribution.The fact he was with Peyton while lying is no doubt problematic and I’m mad at them for getting me on board with that and then pulling the rug out from under me... but in my mind?He was still going to try and start anew even if she chose Ravi. If Ravi hadn’t slept with Katty Kupps, and Pavi sailed in S3, and Blaine continued to be a lounge singer while working at Shady Plots…I think he would have been content.

Which goes into ways he could have gotten out of his lie, which someone as cunning as Blaine should have thought about.Like. Why not get out of the lie, with another lie? Say that Ravi’s memory serum works? That way Major is injected with both at the same time, and no one suspects anything is afoot when his memories came back? Then they do the same thing to all the other zombies when it is possible to mass produce the cure.Blaine gets his fresh start, a new job, and to be happy with Peyton.

Sure, he loses the brain business, but I think he’d give all that up for being actually truly content and happy. Let’s not forget, that was the same episode Angus took his inheritance back. Had that not happened, would that be something Blaine would have done? Knowing that even if he didn’t have the business, he had those millions to fall back on? I think so.Going back to his stealing the cure, though… and why that doesn’t entirely work for me…

Let’s be honest. There was a lot of inconsistency. At the end of episode six Blaine apparently is cooking up blue brain juice, and you may think ok, he is still thinking about the brain business. It may be possible he stole the cures after all.

The very next episode, though. He was in a depressed funk. He had caring about the business when he was in his depressed funk. Candy had to get on him about the orders. When Don E. and Dino show up at Shady Plots to tell him they’re taking his brain supply and customers, he’s visibly angry, but also looks defeated before Dino shoots him. Like he’s just so broken down at that point that he’s just accepted it. Would that guy even have bothered to steal the cures, if he didn’t care about the business?

Hell, if you hadn’t seen the prior episode, would you have thought that Blaine bothered to cook up blue brain juice before going to drunkenly sing at his lounge gig?It’s not until his sense of self preservation kicks in when he’s shot, that he has a sense of what to do with himself. First things first, that’s revenge.

Then he discovers Angus’ plan to team up with Fillmore-Graves (WHICH DOESN’T EVEN COME INTO PLAY AT ALL IN S4 WHEN FUCKFACE RETURNS. NO ONE CALLS HIM OUT ON HATING FILLMORE-GRAVES, REMINDING HIM OF HIS PLAN. HOW AWESOME WOULD IT HAVE BEEN IF THIS WAS EXPOSED TO HIS CHURCH AND THEY TORE HIM APART LIKE THE HYENAS DID SCAR IN THE LION KING) and that’s what reinvigorates him.

Now there are two tangents I could go into here. So I will.

The first is how Blaine’s storyline in the back half of S3 may have suffered due to Andrea Savage leaving the show for her own series, I’m Sorry. It’s possible we would have seen her and Blaine face off if she learned he presumably killed her husband Harrison.Which. Is an issue I have with S4 as well. Chase is Harrison’s brother. He works with Blaine.

Upon meeting him, he would be smart enough and would easily be able to figure out that Blaine was the OG brain supplier and would have been the one to kill his brother.Once he no longer needed Blaine, i.e. was done with his blackmail? He would have put him in the guillotine. I expected this, honestly. I expected Blaine to pull the same card he pulled on Liv in S1. That without him, they have a zombie apocalypse on their hands. There was a brain shortage prior to the outbreak when Blaine approached him in the S3 finale. In S4 it’s even worse than it was then. There’s even a plot about Major tracking down watered down brain tube dealers.

Chase is a proud man, he wouldn’t have gone back to Blaine automatically… but after the US Government cuts off the brain supply in the finale, Major enlists Blaine to increase his operations.You don’t think that in the middle of the brain shortage crisis, Chase would have bitten the bullet and remembered Blaine’s proposal? Ok, at this point, you’re probably asking yourself. “Mmhm, okay, so maybe that’s a better plot for Blaine… but then who did steal the cures?”

Osborn Oates.

Don’t remember him? Yeah, neither do any of the characters, apparently.He was the guy who was Natalie’s captor. Who apparently had the the influence to bribe Max Rager guards under Vaughn Du Clark’s nose. He was described by Ravi as being like a Bond villain.Natalie warns Major that wherever he goes, he’ll find her, but then… he doesn’t. She travels the world. He doesn’t track her down. Even when she herself would have been vulnerable and amnesiac.He doesn’t even try to track down Major and find out what he knows, or if he was responsible for her escape. We know he is aware of Major. Major and Ravi followed he and his body guard.His body guard even checked Ravi’s morgue ID, and would have known where the cures were kept had he known about the cures.

Which… I think, Natalie might have told him about, in an effort to barter her freedom.Remember when we first met her? She said that since she was paid in brains by Blaine, who had become her pimp after turning her, that she ran through her savings and was broke.Yet… when she returns in S3, she tells Major that she traveled the world and had a place in Italy that she got thanks to her savings earned as sex worker.So… what is the truth?

I don’t want to speculate about a villainous lying Natalie. I actually liked her character, and she was certainly victimized and I don’t want to take away from that at all. Given her desperate situation though, might she have made some choices out of self preservation? Her own best interest?I think there was more to the Natalie situation than we got. I think it suffered because they went from 19 episodes in season 2 back to a 13 episode order. I don’t know if her exit had more to do with propelling Major’s character’s decisions, or if because Natalie’s actress Brooke Lyons had gotten work as a series regular on the show Life Sentence. Maybe a bit of both?

Maybe they did plan to kill her at the end of the arc, but the arc happened sooner than anticipated due to the shortened season? Knowing that they’d be losing her, they couldn’t carry that thread over to S4? So instead they just dropped Osborn Oates, and over the summer Rob Thomas decided to change it to Blaine in S4 because no one would question it?

Sorry Rob, I question it. You said in post S3 interviews that you planned to reveal who stole the cures in the finale, but there was no time so you’d get to it in S4.Really? That’s why? No time? If you had the time, how would it have come into play? The way it did come into play was Blaine seeking out Mama Leone, because Chase was blackmailing him. Are you telling me Chase would have done so in the S3 finale? That you would have seeded Renegade as a plotline even then?

I’m calling bullshit.I think it’s far more likely that your plans fell through, and you needed the time over the hiatus to do a rewrite.Even if Natalie had nothing to do with the cures being stolen, if it was planned to be Blaine all along…

You kill her off, and she doesn’t even get to confront Blaine? They never have a scene together? He’s responsible for her being a zombie, which led to her being kidnapped, and then held hostage.Yet he helped Major find her when he could have pleaded ignorance. He gave him Oates’ address and let him know when he was back in town.

He didn’t have to do that. He could have said that it’s not the address on record, said “I guess Oates is thorough and has someone else handle his pickups” and Major wouldn’t have questioned him.

He could have elected not to tip Major off that he was back in town. To stay out of it. Had he done so? Major wouldn’t have been able to find Natalie and give her the cure when he did.I’m not saying this excuses Blaine of what he did to her at all, or that the two would have been “even” or made peace. Not at all. There is no retribution for what he did to her.It does however, go back to my belief he was legit trying to change.

As for why Chase never mentions or figures out Blaine killed his brother? Why wasn’t that a thing? Why didn’t we get more time to know Chase and see his conflict, rather than having it rushed to him buckling under the pressure of the job?

In hindsight, knowing what we do about the actor who played Blaine’s father… I kind of wish Chase had gotten that series regular promotion instead. What did the Angus stuff really add to the season, at the end of the day? Blaine would have taken Major’s deal regardless, whether or not he was in debt. He would have done it just if it meant he wouldn’t be put in prison, and because he’d get a kick out of having Major at his mercy.

Which… he shouldn’t be in debt right now either... because now Angus is dead for real and he should have those millions. Or did he spend those millions, when he came back, to feed his flock? I imagine someone else took over his business, but he still had all his personal accounts.

At the end of the day, all the Brother Love stuff was just a bunch of filler. You know what would have been interesting? If Brother Love used Enzo to reach out to those remaining dissenting Fillmore-Graves employees that Carey Gold told us existed but we never saw in S4. We saw corruption in S4 with Russ Roche, but the only real zombie supremacist within the organization was Enzo himself.

Speaking of which, what happened to Enzo? Did he die along with Angus’ flock? It seemed like they were building to a big finale that was going to be Angus’ church throwing a revolution against Fillmore-Graves, with Liv and her Renegade folks stuck in the middle.By the filming of the last episode, did they just decide they didn’t want to give Angus’ actor any more screentime than it would take to organically write him out? Cause his exit was anticlimactic. I mean, the actor didn’t deserve any more screentime. I wouldn’t want to see him on my screen, but...

It happened in a news report.Thing is though, I don’t know if that was why. I mean, they made Angus a regular, and he only interacted with each series regular save Blaine once. He interacted with Peyton in 3x03, before he was even a regular. His only conscious interaction with Major was when he and his squad checked out the church. He interacted with Liv when she and Levon went there seeing if he could help them get more brains. Another thing which is never touched upon after that episode.His only interaction with Ravi and Clive took place at the same time in the interrogation room

.Yet we had that whole subplot of that kid Tucker who was a zombie hater who became a Brother Love devotee after being kicked out of the Romero’s basement by Blaine? Okay, what happened to that kid? Did he die with the flock as well? We never saw him. We spent all that time with him, and why? Just so he could kill someone and Enzo could let him go, and pass word on to Angus?

…Enzo couldn’t have just approached Angus himself, after attending his sermon? Or did he feel like he needed to prove himself, considering Angus’ distrust of Fillmore-Graves? Ok, but then...

Again, Angus himself wanted to partner up with them in S3. Inconsistent. Yes, you could say he changed his mind after seeing their regime and how Chase led them. That he lost his mind in the well, which he did.…but in hindsight… given what they did with him, and the fact he was played by a man accused of multiple accounts of sexual assault?

I wish we hadn’t seen him come back at all. He should have been left in the well to turn into a Romero. Blaine should have just not fed him. All that extra screentime, we could have gotten Blaine vs Chase (in the wake of Vivian) with Liv caught in the middle and just trying to help people. Instead we got… a mess…

In my personal opinion.

[macdentrash]

what do you think will happen with macdennis this season?👀

WARNING: I went off on this I’m sorry, I’m just a passionate macdennis stan trying to make a living in this cold cold world

I honestly don’t know and it’s got me all stressed lmao but I can give u my absolute best hot take👀*warning I’m about to go off* so let’s start at the beginning of s13 to look at the dynamic™… so we’ve obviously got Mac sad with Dennis gone, Dennis left a number for a mental health clinic and Mac’s gotten as he says “super ripped” which probably has something to do with his body issues (esp in relation to Dennis and his masculinity). Anyways we obviously have MAC getting a fucking sex doll of Dennis and when Dee asks him if it’s Dennis he’s just like “Yeah? Of course” like who else would it be? But even MORE interesting is the fact that Cindy tells Mac she wanted him to start dating to fill the void losing Dennis left in his life… like at this point it’s just obvious that Mac is DEEPLY in love with Dennis and that just keeps us wondering if Dennis reciprocates. In the strip club scene during ep 1, Mac just seems mad at Dennis (”Dennis is a bastard man!”) and encourages the gang to try to move on (this is important to my theory so hold onto that my dudes) which means that Mac has the potential to get over Dennis eventually if he gets to that point of frustration... but either way when Dennis comes back Mac is still all like :’) all smiley and happy, and Dennis is looking at Mac like That™ and immediately makes a comment on Mac’s appearance. So after the first episode it’s still like... what’s the fuckin VIBE RCG hmm? Because I didn’t know what was gonna happen after that first episode but hopeful because even those few seconds they were interacting were so...gay... like wtf and then they come for MY SCALP in MY HOUSE by BLASTING the BOYS ARE  BACK IN TOWN? 

Lmao...anyways after the fucking chaotic nut bust that was s13 ep1 I was really keeping an eye on episode 2 for the Macdennis vibe of the season because ya girl did NOT know what to expect. And what do they do? HMM? They let Megan Ganz clear my skin and feed my crops by giving us the fuckin Sherlock based Macdennis au we never really asked for but desperately needed (mostly because of the fuckin pipes they have later cuz that shit is so funny to me)... anyways episode two was gay, we know this. Like? They kept looking at each other like That, the fuckin HEART LOCK (there was absolutely no reason that it needed to be heart shaped, RCG explain), fuckin “let’s keep this between us”, “the game is afoot”. Woo hoo anyways, they were just acting like they used to and it was nice okay? Also the Denny’s t-shirt and Dennis looking at Mac all love sick at the end when they go see Dee... 

So after episode 2 I’m like okay GAY, it’s gay folks! That’s the vibe! And I was so ready for Time’s Up because at that point all we’d really seen was Dennis with the UGLY up on the projector and them sitting next to each other like That. So originally I thot that it was just gonna be like a low-key Macdennis ep and I so ready for that and just seeing the gang all together... and then Megan Ganz came for us all and TIMES UPPED the gang and we were all so shook. Megan Ganz giveth and Megan Ganz taketh away as they say. I know this episode is NOT about shipping but this post is and so I’m gonna analyze, don’t come for me. So Dennis obviously told Mac to “stop kissing him” (which is different from saying “stop TRYING to kiss me” but anyway) and that it “was never gonna happen”. Mac looked hurt but seemed to be ok, he still called Dennis out on that fucking picture (”what year was that taken?!”) and was still joking around at the end. So i was obviously fuckin SHOOK by this whole thing and was really excited to see what happened in New Wheels because I felt like their dynamic could go in any direction @ that point.

Wow this is long but I’m already this far so :) let’s keep it rollin (get it? like WHEELS? I’m here all week folks). So at the beginning of New Wheels Dennis is obviously trying to get the gang to talk to him about going to ND and nobody really seems interested. What I thought was interesting was the camera angle, for the majority of the time Dennis is talking the camera only shows Mac and Dennis in the frame, it almost looks like they could be alone? Which is not a mistake, there has to be some reason they edited it that way. But more importantly Dennis is saying like “I appreciate you respecting my privacy by dancing around the subject” etc and he keeps looking at Mac. Also when Dennis says “you guys want to ask about my family” Mac’s just like “I don’t” which is what Dennis deserves tbh. Anyways Mac kind of seems to be keeping his distance from Dennis in this episode which is interesting after the events of Times Up, maybe Mac’s just listening to what Dennis wants, he’s backing off maybe? I don’t know but when they’re in the car dealership Mac and Charlie leave in the middle of a conversation with Dennis to go look for bikes and Dennis looks a little confused (again it’s what he deserves). Later, when Charlie asks Mac why he doesn’t do better, as in find someone to date, Mac just says “it’s hard out there”. I want to focus on this because um? Mac’s fuckin built and looks like a fuckin walking ray of sunshine so I don’t think it’d be that difficult for him to find someone, just saying. Is it hard out there for him because he’s in love with Dennis? Yeah, probably. Mmmm moving on, Mac and Dennis aren’t together again until the end of the episode and Dennis is all happy and singing Rick Astley, he still gave make a Look through the mirror and all seemed to end well.

WOW so based on all this evidence I’ve brought to you in this Paddy’s Pub tonight, this folks is my theory:

Mac and Dennis will be ok and probably acting like good friends™ in The Gang solves the bathroom problem. Probably no major developments but most likely some pure macdennis content. I think things will get more intense in the Superbowl episode. And I know what you’re going to say: “But Kaitlin... it’s a flash back episode so Dennis probably won’t be in it” and to that I reply that with Charlie gone they will be down to 3 members of the gang so I feel like Dennis is going to pop up at some point. He probably won’t be there in the beginning but maybe half way through? Idk. I love the idea that Mac and Dennis get caught on the kiss cam and they just do it cuz fuck it but Dennis is way too into it for it to just be like a “haha i kissed my gay friend on tv lol” kind of moment so he freaks out (which could go back to Times up and Dennis saying “stop kissing me” etc). 

Now! For Mac Finds His Pride I have some BIG IDEAS folks. So Frank is going to try to get Mac a man and Mac might be hesitant at first but warm up to the idea. How I picture it going down in my mind’s eye (yes, my 3rd eye is open) is: Mac is at the bar flirting with a good looking guy and they’re talking/laughing, standing really close and leaning in to each other (sound familiar?). Dennis is having fun at the party they’re having in the bar for pride (boys are out tonight huh?) until he turns around and freezes when he sees Mac and this dude. His face just goes stone cold and he is the embodiment of a jealous gay (think of the gang misses the boat and all of his mascara Dennis glory). The guy leans closer in to Mac and looks like he might kiss him, now Dennis can’t let that happen can he? So he goes over to the bar and just goes “hey Mac!”, Mac spins around and Dennis does some gay shit right then and there either kissing him (I think I would have a heart attack if that actually happened though) or giving him some “I HAVE BIG FEELINGS” type speech. Either way BOOM Macdennis is canon. This is how they leave it for the season and we’re all forever shook to the core.

Now, I know that it becoming canon wouldn’t fix their toxicity and problems but that’s for season 14 me to analyze (we’ll hope anyways!).

*DISCLAIMER: if you got this far, I love you and we can all get through this trying time together*

[mdwatchestv]

The Magicians 3x08: One Very Long Blog About Magicians

The day has finally come when The Magicians has begun formatting itself for maximum ease of blogging. Thank you writers of the Magicians for making this possible. You never cease to surprise and delight me with your innovation, and thoughtfulness for my blogging plight. My wedding vows to the Magicians aside, what a fantastic episode this was. The Magicians has essentially established that the standard rules of television and narrative don't apply, and that allows them to do things like have an episode of vignettes, or a musical episode, without disrupting the arc of the show. In fact, it would be more noticeable if the show didn't take these kind of risks now and again.

But let's talk about these Six Short Stories About Magic, and the larger story they came together to tell. The overriding action of this episode was the Library Heist Plan, as hatched last week. We begin with Penny, who travels via Little Book Dragon (that we never get to see! What a rip off!) to the Underworld Branch of The Library. Penny journeys out into the larger world of the undead into a spillover area which looks like it could have been ripped from Fyre Fest's Instagram.  There he bribes guards with the ending of Game of Thrones, which honestly sounded pretty exciting despite the clear liberties. Penny finds Benedict hoping he is still in position of the key which drove him to taking his own life (grim), but Benedict claims The Library took it, and please can he and Penny be best friends forever? It's a little thirsty tbh. 

So Penny heads back to The Library where he runs into Sylvia, his sassy Librarian supervisor from last season! As a Librarian she's still serving out her billion years even after death (as Penny is technically supposed to be doing), and she takes Penny to the one person who she thinks could help. That person is Cassandra, who looks like, and sounds like, and who probably is, a very ancient Alice. Cassandra is the author of the destiny books in The Library, blessed/cursed with Future Sight, she spends her days scrawling out the stories of everyone ever. Sylvia denies Cassandra is really Alice, but she totally, definitely is. Cassandra greets Penny by giving him her fanfiction about Quentin, which I'm sorry, is pure Alice. The subsequent stories she writes and gives to/throws at Penny make up the framework for the rest of the episode. 

After Penny we get Poppy. In Poppy's story she finishes knockin' boots with Q, and gets on to the business of Library heistin'. The plan is the other traveller, Victoria, is going to form a "mirror bridge" using, what else, her own blood. Our merry band of thieves will use it to travel to the Underworld Library, retrieve the key, and then return to good old planet Earth. In addition to the key, we learn Harriet is after the supposed Giant Magic Battery the Librarians have that is powering their abiltiies. Alice points out some obviousproblems in their plan, then refuses to help. I'm really into her black dresses and tops recently though, may we never see a Peter Pan collar again! Poppy is not thwarted Alice’s obstinance, and responds by stealing Alice's Niffin Notes (tm) in order to get the proper spell for the plan. Kady, Harriet, Poppy, and Quentin travel through mirrors to the Library and split up. Despite her happy-go-lucky demeanor and "can-do" attitude, there is something not quite right about Poppy. She claims she is going along with the quest in the self-interest of getting magic back, but this is also the chick who tricked Quentin into taking what was in essence a suicide key. The fact that her storyline acted more as exposition, and less as a deep dive into her character (as we see later with Harriet), suggests to me that there is something else afoot. Also she did try and convince Victoria to cut and run early, thereby trapping everyone else in the Library. It’s red flags like that that have me a skosh dubious of her moral fiber. 

Next we go to Alice. After refusing to help the Library robbers, Alice has a good ole sit and sulk. That is until Fen stumbles out of the Fillory transport clock, bringing with her a serious reality check. Fen has had about enough of her Fillory life, and has peaced out to find better company and better alcohol. However what she finds instead is Alice, moping about her lost knowledge, when Fen has lost actual children. It was nice to see another character give Alice a kick in the butt and get her out of her self-pity. I don't remember half the things people tell me any given day and you don't see me complaining! Alice takes the advice to heart and goes to The Library to apply for a card aaaannndd maybe/maybe not get in on that giant magic battery goodness. The Librarian says she will give Alice access IF she agrees to help the Library first. This has to lead to her becoming Cassandra in some time loop or something, but I can't quite see how....yet!

Meanwhile, Eliot and Margo seem to be in a spot of marsupial trouble.

Fen, still passed out in the Physical Kid's Cottage, oversees Jaime Ray Newman asking Julia for help. Jaime (too late to learn her character name) has developed some oozing sores from overuse of the mysterious white powder she has been snorting to gain magic. Don't do drugs kids. Unseen by Julia, but of course by Fen, is that Jaime is being waited on by a fairy. Fen convinces Julia this needs to be investigated as fairies are capital b Bad news. However Fen makes an unexpected connection with Skye, the shy young fairy in service to Jaime. Skye seems to be serving Jaime in exchange for protection, and surprisingly has no idea other fairies exist. Things take an even more shocking turn when Julia and Fen later discover Skye in Jaime's house with an amputated leg! Nearby Julia finds vials of the white powder Jaime had been dosing with. Ergo, the white magic powder is MADE OF fairies. Considering what we know about fairies (evil, tricksy, luminescent, mildly fabulous), this is a maj twist. Also I love the idea of pairing Julia and Fen together, both are resourceful problem-solvers and clever thinkers, and both have struggled with extreme trauma and abandonment. Honestly, I just want Fen to have a friend. 

The final short story belongs to Harriet. In a series of flashbacks, we see Harriet growing up in the Library as (another twist) the daughter of the Librarian! Unlike her mother, Harriet longs to see the world, gain experience, and share the knowledge of the Library with others. This eventually drives a rift between them, causing Harriet to leave the Library for good. Of course because this is Harriet's story, the entire sequence is in ASL, in almost complete silence. With a few exceptions, a scene like this featuring three deaf actresses that is not explicitly ABOUT their deafness, is all too rare. Moving on to present day, the adult Harriet and Kady split off to look for the giant battery the Librarians have supposedly created. Instead of an enchanted energizer bunny, they find a suitcase filled with (bigger twist) hundred of vials of the white powder made from fairies! Of course only we, the audience, know this because we have been hopping around in the narrative structure. What this reveals though is that The Library is much worse than we thought if they are slaughtering fairies and grinding them up for magic powder. If the fairies of Fillory are privy to this knowledge, it gives their quest to take over a whole new light. Instead of malicious conquerors, perhaps they are merely trying to save, and if not save then righteously avenge, their murdered people. In the end, everyone escapes back through the mirror bridge except Victoria and Harriet who are trapped between worlds if not dead. 

Finally we come back to Penny, who rereading Alice's fanfic realizes Benedict had the key all along. Big duh Penny. Penny is able to feed the key to the dragon, where it is retrieved successfully by Quentin and Kady. However, the seemingly helpful Sylvia betrays Penny himself, handing him over to the Librarians to presumably resume serving his billion year sentence. Ice cold.

With our presumptions about the fairies up-ended, next episode is anyone's guess. At the very least we know it will be a musical. That feels right.

XO MD

[saanphoenix]

“So I’d take compilation (and anything compilation related tbh) with a grain of salt personally, especially when it contradicts OG.”

See, that’s why I stated that OP plucked stuff from the Remake, ergo I was going to do the same. Once someone brings information from the Compilation into the argument, we’re dealing with Compilation lore. You have to include Compilation lore when you’re discussing Compilation lore. You can’t pick and choose with that without poking holes in your own theories. If we’re just discussing OG, then yeah, I’d need to toss out anything not from it, but even then, there is evidence of fuckery afoot.

Yes, Cloud’s memories are about Sephiroth, which Sephiroth can manipulate him into seeing via their connection, and which he does at the beginning of the game with Nibelheim, where he makes Cloud hallucinate himself being back in Nibelheim, on the ground, crawling towards his burning house. But, and this was the thing I was trying to point out, his point-of-view in that scene is looking through his past self’s eyes. The point-of-view with the elevator is through Sephiroth’s eyes. The point-of-view when Sephiroth is talking about being an Ancient should be through Zack’s eyes. Cloud seeing Sephiroth in the flames as he did should be through Zack’s eyes, as Cloud was on the ground when that happened.

In the Remake, these are deliberate directing choices. I expect them to mean something.

I also never said that Cloud became Zack. That was never an interpretation I had even in the Original, because Cloud’s personality during the first part of the OG is nothing like it was back in the Nibelheim flashbacks, which was Zack’s personality. If other people thought that, that’s on them.

Regarding Aerith, again, I never said he was Zack. Aerith knows he’s not Zack. Aerith, in the Remake, has clearly not moved on from Zack as she’s constantly grilling Cloud about him. She wants Zack. But Nojima has stressed that Aerith is very important and thus the way she words shit needs to be put under a microscope.

“But like, everything you’re saying can be explained by Jenova messing with Cloud’s mind (as in OG), which would make sense as it is a remake of FF7, not compilation.”

I got some bad news for ya:

“The Compilation of Final Fantasy VII has seen a shakeup, as the recent Final Fantasy VII Remake Ultimania guide has confirmed that the Last Order movie is no longer considered part of the line-up, and Final Fantasy VII Remake is now the fifth entry in the series.” [x]

Now, that article says the novels aren’t considered part of the Compilation, which would yeet my examples above into the cosmos, I suppose, but I can still argue my point without them, so.

Remake is Compilation. Meaning all those wiggles they did with OG lore are in. Advent Children is in. Crisis Core is in. Before Crisis is in. Dirge of Cerberus is in, though my heart hurts when I think about that. Hold on to your butts because shit’s gonna get weird.

“CLouD HAs ZAck’S MemORIEs”

please... shut up

Why doesn’t Cloud know who Aerith is then? Why doesn’t Cloud recognize Gongaga? Why doesn’t Cloud have Zack’s personality? We all know Zack is a very upbeat and caring guy yet Cloud acts nothing like him. You’d think that everything Zack told him on their 10 month trip (I think that’s how long it took but I could be remembering it wrong) to Midgar, Cloud would know everything about Zack considering Cloud was really the only person Zack could talk to on this trip so he could’ve told him anything.

Yet we see that when Cloud falls down the roof in Aerith’s church, he doesn’t even know who she is and doesn’t act any different towards her even after finding out her name and their very first meeting at sector 8 after blowing up the reactor he still acts the same, which when you think about it is very very very weird, you say he has Zack’s memories and can remember things he wasn’t present for, okay then he must’ve seen Zack’s or his memories with Aerith right? But how come she’s like a stranger to him when they first meet? Wouldn’t Cloud know who Aerith was and what she looked like? Yet he never acts like this when they first meet.

Because he doesn’t have zack’s memories. You can probably debate the personality thing when I think about it because having someone’s memories necessarily doesn’t mean you will have their personality as well but even when you take that factor away it still doesn’t add up. because at the end of the day Cloud had no idea who Aerith was, nor what she looked like. Considering Zack had a crush on Aerith, he would’ve talked about her a lot to Cloud (hell he had 10 months to do so) and yet Cloud doesn’t know who she is. Which begs the question did Zack talk about Aerith to Cloud? Or did he avoid doing so because it made him sad to talk about her?

And with Cloud remembering events he wasn’t present for (e.g. Zack and Sephiroth at the library in Shinra manor.) he’s not remembering events he’s interpreting events. He interpreted the interaction between Zack and Sephiroth at Shinra manor and he interpreted Zack and Sephiroth’s stand off at the Nibelheim Reactor. All in all Zack was just a template, nothing more, nothing less. Cloud still acts like Cloud, but he acts like what he THINKS a SOLDIER should act like and uses the stories Zack tells him as his own!

He even states this very clearly here that he himself created this illusion:

I mean it can’t get more obvious then this really....

[sage-nebula]

PokéAni Office AU

So it’s 5:30 in the morning and I’m about to go to bed because I’m tired / have work tomorrow, but as I was eating a very late dinner I was watching some webisodes of The Office that I had somehow never seen before (including a music video made by Kelly, Ryan, and Erin, and a series of ten short webisodes in which the accounting trio tried to find a missing $3000, pure gold), and that got me thinking about a PokéAni AU of The Office.

Now, to be clear: When I went through and made these selections, I was not matching characters by personality. In other words, when I picked three accountants, I wasn’t trying to pick three PokéAni characters to be Angela, Oscar, and Kevin. Rather, I picked three PokéAni characters that I felt would make good accountants. This is a bit silly in that I included both Max and Bonnie in this AU, even though they should be way too young---but then, pretty much all the characters in this AU would be too young to work in an actual office, so. You just kind of have to roll with it.

My idea for this is---somehow, all of these characters got roped into office jobs, in which they are also being filmed as part of a documentary (mockumentary, in this case ;D). Maybe they somehow got roped into working for Silph---or Devon Corporation, like, somehow Steven Stone roped them all into working at one of the Devon Corporation’s branches. That would also allow him to make appearances from time to time as a member of corporate, yessss. So they’re all working in an office, and pokémon still exist, then (good, because honestly, Pokémon AUs without the pokémon are just not for me), and they’ve all been given jobs that, in theory, they should be able to do well. I say “in theory” because, well . . . 

Co-Manager: Jessie

Co-Manager: James These are the two that are probably the most unqualified for the position they hold, tbqh. (And yes, pokémon still exist and so Meowth is there as well, he just doesn’t officially hold the position of third co-manager.) How or why they were made the managers of this branch no one is really clear, but you can imagine how they’re running this place. I mean, sometimes they do a halfway decent job! Sometimes! Aaaand other times they spend a decent amount of time throwing things at Ash because his desk is right in front of the door to their office. :/ Either way, there needed to be some way for shenanigans to be afoot in this office, and what better way than to make Jessie and James co-managers? (Though to be fair, the shenanigans are why I put them in that position. Who knows why Steven gave them this position. Steven, what were you thinking?! Unless . . . unless it wasn’t Steven, but was his father instead. That makes more sense. In that case, Mr Stone, what were you thinking?!)

Office Administrator: Alan As the office administrator, Alan is the one who actually keeps the branch afloat while Jessie and James . . . be Jessie and James. (And again, sometimes Jessie and James can do legitimate work, but like . . . those times are rare.) Office administrators have a pretty wide arrange of duties, which can include everything from coordinating office operations (particularly in ways that ensure efficiency), to supervising staff (including administrative staff, and god knows Jessie and James need someone to at least try to keep them on track), to giving support for bookkeeping and other accounting duties. Alan would have a lot of responsibility around the office (particularly given who the managers are), but I think he’d be a good fit for handling it. I also think he would be one of the most frequent offenders of giving deadpan looks directly at the camera. He also facepalms as a result of the shenanigans around the office (he facepalms in PokéAni canon, so it counts), and is definitely a member of The Coalition for Reason™ when things get really out of hand. (The Coalition for Reason™ doesn’t really have a leader, per se, but since he’s office administrator it often falls to him anyway.)

Receptionist: Bonnie Bonnie is a bright ray of sunshine and I think she’d make a fantastic receptionist. She always gets really excited whenever she gets to put new candy out on the desk, but she has a bad habit of asking visitors to the branch if they would care for her brother by marrying him. Clemont’s desk is right on the other side of the divider from reception, so he overhears this, and he is never amused.

Salesman: Ash

Salesman: Gary

Salesman: Misty

Salesman: Dawn

Salesman: Iris Our all-star sales team!! A few quick notes on them: - Ash is the other most frequent offender for looking straight at the camera when things are happening in the office. The main difference is that while Alan’s looks are usually deadpan, Ash’s tend to be more sassy. (So like, think of all the times Jim looks at the camera on the office; Alan has Jim’s deadpan looks, while Ash has Jim’s little grins and whatnot.)  - Gary is top salesman; he brags about this with fair frequency, especially to Ash. - Ash and Gary prank each other. A lot. Things escalate very quickly. Sometimes others in the office get in on it. Iris frequently teams up with Ash to double team Gary. - Iris and Misty are two other members of The Coalition for Reason™. (Usually, anyway, because there are occasions when they get wrapped up in the shenanigans, too.) - While Gary is top salesman and he often brags about this, Ash and Misty get in more friendly, heated competitions over sales than anyone else. They’re also one of the best sales teams in the office (though Ash and Dawn are also fantastic at sales, and Arceus help any client who happens to be met with the Ash - Misty - Dawn triad. They have no hope of avoiding closing). - Likewise, Gary and Iris are a very adept sales team. Something about them just clicks.  - Since Misty, Iris, and Dawn are all in the same desk clump, they coordinate Halloween costumes together.

Quality Assurance: Cilan Cilan is the perfect person for the quality assurance job because he can tell you exactly what flavor the products need to be, and if the flavor is working, or if the taste is all wrong, et cetera, you get the idea. He is a connoisseur, this is what he does. 

Supplier Relations: Serena Likewise, Serena is great at supplier relations because she can always get suppliers to give them discounts on product, and yet at the same time is great at finding deals and seasonal bargains, et cetera.

Accountant: Clemont

Accountant: Max

Accountant: Tracey The accounting trio, and not just because two of them happen to wear glasses, haha. Rather, it’s because they’re all smart and on top of things, and I think they’d make great accountants therefore. A few notes: - As mentioned, Clemont’s desk is right on the other side of the partition dividing accounting from reception. He always hears when Bonnie is trying to find him a spouse and he often has his Aipom Arm reach over the partition to pick her up by the scruff.  - Max is actually the head of accounting, technically, and he’s very particular about his books, even as he tries to find shortcuts to get things done faster. Clemont usually suggests they invent a new calculation device and Max has to put the kibosh on that. To that end, Max is another member of The Coalition for Reason™. - Tracey would much rather go to art school than be an accountant. His books usually have doodles all over them. He and Max have agreed that this is fine so long as the numbers are still legible. 

Human Resources: Brock I mean, who better to be the human resources representative? Brock is great at settling quarrels around the office (usually) and does his best to keep the peace. He also does his best to rein in Jessie and James, but. Well. You know how that goes. He’s the final member of The Coalition for Reason™ provided there isn’t a very pretty girl visiting the office, but at that point either Misty or Max (who, if you’ll remember, are also part of The Coalition for Reason™) will drag him off by his ear, so. Don’t worry, the Coalition keeps its members in check. =P His desk is in the annex.

Customer Service: May May tends to be rather upbeat and positive (if a bit eccentric), as well as sensitive to others’ feelings, and so I think she’d make a great customer service representative. As the CS rep, she’s also the one in charge of managing the sales team’s customer reviews. She takes full advantage of this fact and reminds everyone what her favorite types of cookies are whenever it’s time for reviews to come through. Her desk is in the annex, next to Manon’s.

The Temp: Manon As the temp, Manon handles whatever extraneous tasks around the office need to be handled. Team Rocket sometimes tries to take advantage of this by trying to send her off to do ridiculous things (such as fetch them breakfast at ridiculous hours). Alan usually puts a stop to that by giving her something real to do, and then reminding Jessie and James that they’re supposed to be running the office. Alan also gives her real work to do when she decides that, instead of doing work, she’s just going to wander around, help create shenanigans, and also bug him tbh. Her desk is in the annex, next to May’s.

You’ll notice I talked about desk positions, and I’ve drawn up floor plans! These are based exactly on the floor plans for the Dunder-Mifflin office in The Office. They’re not the prettiest in the world, but:

Here’s the first one. I forgot to add it, but the door to enter the floor is straight down from Bonnie’s reception desk. Anyway, so there should be a bit more space between Alan’s desk and reception / the partition (that’s where the printer goes, in that space, and there’s also space to walk), but you get the general idea. The accounting cluster is on the other side of reception; Cilan and Serena are desk buddies; Ash, Gary, and Alan are all in one desk clump, and Ash’s desk is in the perfect position for Jessie and James to hassle him during the day (at least until Pikachu shocks them to get them to knock it off); Dawn, Misty, and Iris have another; and the conference room is where pointless meetings, parties, and talking heads / confessionals with the doc crew are usually held.

Then you have the kitchen (which is right behind Dawn’s desk), which also leads back to the annex:

There are only three characters back here (as in canon), so it’s a lot smaller, haha. The break room has the vending machines, and yeah, Brock is separated from May and Manon by a partition. It doesn’t matter, they all still chat anyway. 

At any rate, this was just a silly little thing I drew up real quick. Idk about you guys, but I would watch this show. Imagine all the talking heads / confessionals. The conference room meetings. The very heated Serious Business™ debates over things. All the birthday parties. It would be awesome. Even if it was just, like, a special they did, instead of a full series. Hell, make this a 20th anniversary special. Would it be silly nonsense? Yep. Would it be entertaining to see these characters in this kind of setting, trying to run a company? You betcha.

Anyway, this was just a silly little thing. I need to go to sleep now. =P

[survivornavarino]

Episode #8: Stop Worrying About the Kickback and Just Fire Your Shot Already -Autumn

I was worried for what over that last tribal lol. So Tyler was blindsided and it was kinda heartbreaking espicially when Mitch said "he really loved this game" like I was genuinely sad. But it's time to smile now cry later because holy moly I just fucking did that. I think at the moment, I am golden. I have bonds with everyone BUT Mitch. And I know Mitch isn't going to fall for my tricks if I tried it with him. So my only other option is to kill Mitch. And hopefully we have this last round before we merge because, I really wan't Mitch gone at this point. He is first of all amazing a competetions, and he is smart. And I don't wanna have to deal with it when it's going to be harder to get done. 

Operation get Tyler out was a success. But now the hosts want to kill me with flash games. HOW RUDE!!

Okay so Tyler got voted out andddd i'm upset cus I wanted to take it to the end with him. The other tribe is shady as fuck and Heather is clearly with those faves. The fans are horribly outnumbered now so I need to put my trust in Eddie, Drew, and Autumn going forward so that I'm not a sitting duck at merge. If I can stay close with my alliance with Eddie and Autumn, and stay close with Drew/Trixie/Shoib, then hopefully I'll be in a good position. 

So I am doing Casanova but I don't know what a good score even is.

I'm starting to become good friends with Julia and I'm really hoping I can get past merge with her, she's super supportive and has helped me out a lot. Also how the flappy flying fuck do I play Wings Over Water?????

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MiZsS9sqPiw ________________________________________________________________ did we just fucking tie again

I love Mitch that’s all I gotta say

I can't remember if I submitted a confessional so I'm gonna write one just in case!!!!! So today autumn and Eddie messaged me saying that people are trying to form an alliance without me autumn or Matt in it. So the goal rn is to get the 4 of us together on this vote. Unfortunately that means I have to vote drew, who I really did want to get closer with this game but he not against voting me out so I can't feel too bad.  Oh well, hope this works fingers crossed.  Hoping that by the end of the night I'll be in a new alliance called BEAM- Bec Eddie Autumn Matt!! BEAM MOBILIZE ON 3. 1 2 3 big moves only playa playas!! 

Okay so we lost the challenge sadly. I'm nervous this round just because I think we're merging next and I really want to make merge. My alliance of Eddie/Autumn were indifferent to voting out Trixie or Matt, but I am pushing for Matt to go. I trust Trixie way more than him and I can't have another fan leave pre-merge. I talked to Drew about it and he doesn't seem too close to Matt, which is good. But he keeps bringing up the fact that Autumn/Ben are close, and Autumn somehow knows he was talking shit, so there's animosity there. Matt going is the best outcome this tribal for me. I think he has connections with the other tribe who I do not trust AT ALL besides Shoib. I am not going to let that tribe gain another number if we merge next. It still seems up in the air though, how the others want to vote. So I'm seriously just going to hope for the best and that they listen to my reasoning for voting out Matt over Trixie.

So we are down to 4 fans and TBH I am not worried. I trust a lot of the faves especially Mitch and Julia. I just hope that Trixie survives tribal on the other side, I trust her 100% and as much as I don't want the idol played I hope she does play it if she is in danger.

SO MUCH HAS HAPPENED WHERE DO I BEGIN!!! First of all, rip my baby Tyler he was swapfucked and I know that life all too well. Second of all I'm so happy we're going to tribal so I can do what I've been waiting to do for the past 5 rounds and clock Drew haha. Third of all everything is falling into place and I'm so excited I just need everyone to stick to the plan. Ok here we go: Last night, I had a group call with Jake and Eddie; Jake was very adamant that we keep Trixie and Drew. So naturally I didn't talk any shit I was just like oh I know Drew thinks me and Ben are close when we really are not but otherwise he's cool. So we hung up and we said we should discuss tomorrow but it'll probably be Matt. Morning comes and Eddie tells me that Jake and Drew are creating an alliance w/ him and Trixie. So I was like oh really? Well let me fuck it up real quick https://media.giphy.com/media/CpxCYD0Or2Ty8/giphy.gif I then hit up Rebecka, we start talking about the vote, how there's too many men, and I tell her about this new alliance/ that she, Matt, and I are on the bottom. Rebecka is like damn ok well I really like Matt and Eddie is spilling tea so I think we should go for Jake or Drew. This sends at the exact same time that I say "highkey we should split up Jake and Drew." So Rebecka tells the tea to Matt and asks me if I want the three of us to be in a group chat. Obviously I say yes so now me, Matt, and Rebecka are in an alliance called BAM trying to stay alive. Eddie then works to gain the trust of Rebecka and Matt so now they're cool with him and know that he's with us. Now we have a new group called BEAM with Eddie so we out here. The vote is going 4-3 Drew leaving, all 3 women are staying, Jake is being a snake and will fall to the bottom of the tribe, and (with Eddie's help) I did what I always do: THAT https://78.media.tumblr.com/ba82bcc0d2aac3bd1cd4731bb379c2bb/tumblr_inline_odvxu5m7lz1tbz32w_500.gif The only issue is Trixie. We finally bonded last night and had a great convo but then I went to bed and didn't see her say that we should work together and with Julia at merge. So when I saw it this morning I was like YAAAASS let's do it but Trixie hasn't been online yet to reply. Meanwhile, Jake and Drew are hitting her up to work with them and she hasn't replied to them either. SO everyone is nervous about a) what Trixie knows, b) who Trixie will vote with, and c) which deal will she expose (if any at all). Half the tribe thinks Matt is going home while the other half knows Drew is actually going home and I'm nervous that Trixie could blow it all up, especially because we don't need her vote. Soooo who knows what she'll do but if she does vote Matt and rolls with the mens, I'll just do damage control. Anyway, Rebecka and I are finally succeeding at working together, my target is leaving, me and my homies making merge, another man isn't, and I'm one step closer to beating my placement and taking that title. Last night Jake was like I wanna see cracked messy Autumn so bad and I just laughed and here we are a day later. Ask and you shall receive https://media.giphy.com/media/OTbo92zetdsha/giphy.gif

WOW OH WOW WE WON IMMUNITY. this swap is so equal its crazy but its cool. Gives me time to rest and not worry about being booted. 

https://youtu.be/wd8UusiRUbA

Hey I'm in class but like I'm super glad I won the tiebreaker for our tribe!! Aaaaaaa

https://www.gofundme.com/help-my-ass-get-another-idol-2night

yo dog!! finally some craziness is happening and the game is afoot. I was totally willing to be Nice Matt to merge, just do as I'm told and chill in the background, but for WHATEVER reason these bozos thought it would be a great idea to form a 4 person alliance, leaving 3 people on the bottom, right before merge. Like, the entire point of a merge is to have numbers!! For the my third straight tribal council I do believe I will be getting some votes thrown on me, but I'm down to clown and ready to save myself. The beast has been awaken and the game is on! This blindside attempt on me could actually end up being an ideal situation, given that I can make it out alive. It brings me closer to Rebecka and Autumn, who are without a doubt my two favorite people in this game (along with Julia), and pushes forward the alliance that I wanted once we started. The only thing that's questionable is that my fate is resting in the hands of Eddie. In Emathia, our roles were basically flipped; I controlled his fate, and I'm a big reason he ended up getting blindsided pre-merge. Right now I just have to put all of my trust into him, but I'm hoping that his willingness to work with Rebecka and Autumn will bring him closer to me and prevent any sort of "revenge" vote from happening. If all goes well, we're sending out a big threat right before the merge. I have a great track record with turning the tables back around on Drew after he tries to blindside me, it's actually one of my favorite hobbies, so I'm anxious to see if all of this is going to work out!! If not, rip 2 me, it was litty.

Eddie: is on board all day with the Drew plan and kicked off the domino that started it all Also Eddie (@ 6:01): "oh btw should i ask jake if he would vote drew?" https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/degrassi/images/a/a0/Da%27vonne_6.gif/revision/latest?cb=20170224230229 Naturally I say um fuck no keep your mouth shut and don't tip Jake off cause he will snitch/ if you really want to tell him do it right before tribal. Eddie goes "yeah I just feel like he'll never fully trust us again. idk what to do ._." http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/holleratalex/11490921/84927/84927_600.gif Ok how about STICKING TO THE PLAN???! Like I'm sorry but Jake didn't give a fuck about me when he blindsided Rebecka in Crossroads and sent a novel after tribal explaining himself. And he sure as hell didn't give a fuck about me when he created an alliance behind my back and lied about it. Also Drew would use this entire situation to send me and Eddie out, seeing how WE are at the center of the plan. Sooo Eddie needs to get his shit his together and stop about Jake's feelings and start about the hell that will unleashed if he botches this and Drew stays. Like why have me work so hard to pull this blindside off if you're just gonna ruin it 2 hours before tribal? That's that shit I don't like. He wants to be Aubry Bracco but he playing like fucking Joe and Debbie and I don't have time. Jake is at the fucking movies and the last time someone was at the movies in Athena it wrecked my game so Imma need Eddie to be sedated. Like snap out of it- stop worrying about the kickback and just fire your shot already

Can somebody tell me how the hell I became the swing vote? All of a sudden Jake, Drew, and Trixie want me to vote with them and Autumn, Rebecca, and Matt want me to vote with them. I'm siding with Autumn Rebecca and Matt and I'm voting out my good buddy Drew and I do really feel bad about it. I was hoping we could either win or I could spare him until the merge cause I definitely wanted to get him there but the cards didn't fall the way I wanted them to. I think this is like highkey messy cause I really don't think Jake is going to trust us anymore after this and it's almost like a damned if you do damned if you dont kind of situation. No matter what I do here there will be some sort of aftermath that comes with it. I just have to hope and pray for the merge because I don't feel comfortable on this tribe cause Jake is going to be pissed and Autumn and I might become targets for playing the middle this round. It sucks that I have to lie to Jake because I consider him one of the people that I am closest to in this game and I really want us to have full trust for one another but now I feel like that's damn near impossible. Autumn wanted to just completely blindside him but I pushed her into agreeing to at least tell him before the tribal because we have a merge coming soon and we can't afford to be making enemies. I really hope that my damage control with Jake will work. But I'm smart enough to know that he's smart enough to know we're bullshitting him. He doesn't seem like the kind of player to give you another shot. He'll definitely play like he's going to give you another shot but once you betray him once, you're over to him. I really don't know how I feel voting Drew over Matt. I kinda really just want to vote Matt out but I'm already way to deep into this plan to blindside Drew that I will be exposed for being a double crossing snake for flipping on both sides at one point nofnfnkls. Matt seems to have a lot of connections on the other tribe which is trouble and I think will definitely bite me in the ass come merge. Autumn seems to think she's 100% totally in with them but we'll see how that holds up come merge. We have know idea if they're just going to ditch us for their old allies, a scenario which could very well be the case. I feel that Drew does trust me and that he wants to work with me going forward in this game but I'm not sure how far he'll let me get into the merge. He knows I'm a dangerous social player and he knows what I'm capable of. I'm ready for the fire works tonight. I honestly wouldn't be surprised if I was blindsided, but that's just my paranoia. That's all and if we don't merge next round I'll be fighting one of the hosts!

So my ass goes to tribal twice this premerge. Both times I vote out a Favorite. They are the only two tribals where a Favorite will be going home premerge. I love being the champion of equality and justice in this world. If you're looking for the reason why a fan won this game, it's me. It's right here. I am doing that and will continue to do that.