#that funny little series changes my brain chemistry and who i am as a person
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I DONT CARE WHAT ANYONE SAYS. FREELATTA WILL ALWAYS BE AT THE TOP OF MY FAV SHIPS OF ALL TIME !!!!!!
#ive been thinking about hlvrai again recently#its about time for my annual rewatch.#I DO NOT CARE That its cringe to like hlvrai in 2023#that funny little series changes my brain chemistry and who i am as a person#i still quote it constantly even tho its been years#anyways back to freelatta#something about gordon and tommys chemistry throughout the whole series is just top notch#YES IK YHE SERIES WAS JUST FRIENDS FUCKING AROUND#but the characters that were being played obviously cared about each other a lot#blah blah blah people have talked about this already in the fandom#But i will be real with you. gordon and The One guy are funny together#But it will never be as good as what freelatta has#theyre just built different#one day ill finish my freelatta fics i promise#but if prompted i could talk about these two forever#the coworkers to friends to lovers is just. Its just so special to me#WAAAHHHHHHH#cole talks#Um anyways#hlvrai
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Akiâs P5RÂ fanfic recs! (part 2)
Hi and welcome to another one of my recs posts! As you can see, this is part two: part one of this post can be found HERE and includes fics I bookmarked between April 2019 and December 2020. This second post will deal with everything I bookmarked during 2021 and 2022 (... so yes, part 3 is bound to happen some times in the future)
Here a brief disclaimer:
Everything in here is spoiler for either P5 vanilla, Royal, or Strikers;
I wonât report the tags, as it would take too long, so if youâre interested in a fic, please open the link;
Fic recs obviously reflect my tastes and preferences. For example, I love suffering and I donât like fluff or domestic works, so browse this list knowing that;
The stark majority of the works here is shuakeshu
If you want more recs you can find them in my bookmarks, most of them are public!
MY ONGOING RECS Again, I don't read a lot of ongoing works (although, admittedly more than in the past) and these are the ones I'm subscribed to that I'm adoring!
The Lovers, Reversed by salexectria, Terra5 (E) | Royalty a/b/o AU | akeshu | series in three parts, ongoing "A Thief is caught stealing from the Northern King, and is sentenced to death for his crimes. The Alpha Prince intervenes, but at what cost to them both?" What I love about this AU is the amount of politics and worldbuilding put into it, as well as the uniqueness of double povs who constantly switch from Akira to Goro creating one back and forth that acts literally like poking into their minds. Plus the slow burn and the pining are just on point.
never die when I'm dead by threerings (E) | Royal & post-Royal | akeshu | series in 2 parts, ongoing Two one shots featuring one of my absolute flavors of this ship: sad, intense and unhinged
IDC FOR UPDATES I resolved to defeat my abandoned-wip trauma one excellent fic at a time so here's a list of works that haven't been updated in a while or the author straight up confirmed they won't keep writing them, but they are so good you just have to read them and let them remodel you. Do it. Do it now.
the year of the knife by theexistentiallyqueer (M) | No powers AU | shuakeshu | 2 chapters "The plan for Akira's junior year of high school was to keep his head down and his nose clean, but he hadn't counted on his new high school having more trouble than it was worth--and he specifically didn't plan on Akechi Goro, the haughty, machiavellian vice president of Shujin Academy's student council, dragging him face-first into political scandal and a series of encounters that would change his life." Please let teq bring you through a journey of spot-on characterization and stunning prose that will rewire your brain chemistry completely. Their take on machiavellian Akechi is really good, and the snark Akira spits in this fic is really something I cherish.
kiss & cry by MajorGodComplex (T) | Figure skating AU | shuakeshu | 2 chapters "Goroâs first thought when he hits the ground is some combination of the words âshit fuck hell fucking bullshit bitch fuck motherfucking hell.â His next thought is wondering whether Akira Kurusu, senior debut, constant thorn in Goroâs side, and the only person anyone this season seems to talk about, is also trying to land a quad axel at the moment." I don't know what to tell you, the prose of this one is so witty and funny you just have to read what's published of it as of now!
honeybrains by succubused (T) | Time loop | shuakeshu | 4 chapters "a chronicle of the twenty-fourth time akira kurusu lived through the month of january 2017" What can I say, I am really a sucker for time loops and this fic took me by the heart. Tagged as character study and with rights because the characterization here is very interesting!
in the snow globe by aminami (E) | Time travel | shuake | 1 chapter "Itâs your heart,â Joker says like itâs the most obvious thing. âYour desires, your hopes, your fears. Iâll carry them with me always. My little snow globe." This fic will hurt you so badly but it will be so worth it, I swear. It's just so melancholic and tender and angsty and it carved a place in my heart.
my love has never lived indoors by rhodophytae (E) | a/b/o | shuake | 1 chapter "Ren Amamiya knows he's an alpha, and he's comfortable with that, but he's pretty sure that being an alpha is, well...different for him than it is for other people. He resigned himself a long time ago to the fact that he'd probably go his whole life without finding anyone else like him. And then he meets Goro Akechi." This fic has such an interesting take on omegaverse! Paired with a stellar characterization and delicious pining, it's no surprise it's a fic I will never forget.
GENERAL RECS The fics Iâve enjoyed the most and that I go back to reading sometimes.
how joker and crow survived the coronavirus pandemic of 2020 by shntlvs (T) | Royal | shuakeshu | series of 2 works "Escaping from Maruki's false reality gets interrupted by the Coronavirus pandemic." Could you have ever imagined reading a fic centered around the pandemic? Me neither, but this one and its sequel work so well and have very compelling bits of characterization for the boys. Unexpected premise, but I utterly loved it.
straw house, straw dog by caelam (T) | 3rd sem | gen | one shot "In the saccharine utopia of Marukiâs reality, Goro Akechiâs mother is still alive." I admittedly don't read too many fics with mamakechi so I won't claim to be an expert, but this one really left me impressed with how clear and tangible the tangle of feelings is.
Knight of Pentacles, King of Spades by Naometry (M) | Medieval AU | shuakeshu | 11 chapters "âHifumi passed on your greetings,â Akira Kurusu says, fury simmering beneath his conversational tone. âAnd Iâm polite enough to give you my own in person. So greetings, General Goro Akechi. I am the man who will kill you.â" I started reading this fic for the war captive trope but this story has so much more to it than just that. Nao's superb skill with writing violence and viciousness will have you thrust into a cruel world where two boys seem to be bound to kill each other... unless?
Ripples by Riona (T) | gen | canon compliant | one shot "Ten people know exactly who the news is talking about, and now theyâre going to have to deal with that." A peek into the heads of 10 of Joker's confidants upon learning about his death. The fic I would never imagined myself reading, but I did because it was recced to me, and now I'm recc'ing it to you, too.
When Your Eyes Meet Mine by seths_dream (E) | no powers AU | shuake | one shot "The way the bellboy lingered on him made his heart jolt, made him think that maybe, maybe the bellboy was looking at Goro the same way Goro was looking at him." I've lost count of how many times I read this fic because the horny is just so juicy, it's unironically one of the fics I come back to when I need to remind myself how to write horny stuff. (the same author also wrote this delicious pegoryu that you have to read)
a study in what not to say by succubused (T) | 3rd sem | shuake | one shot "Akira has finally had enough of Akechi's bullshit; they resolve it the only ways they know how." If you like the boys being really nasty to each other, this fic is a must. It has excellent dialogue, dynamics, and a tad of homoerotic wound tending which can't hurt no one!
MY ALL-TIME FAVOURITES The fics that rewired my brain chemistry, took my heart out, slapped it, put it back, and left me a whole new person.
27 steps to seduce a crow by relationshipcrimes (G) | Royal | shuakeshu | one shot "A handy bullet-pointed list on how to flirt with, seduce, and keep your local Akechi Goro." Still to this day, I think of this fic in terms of Goro's characterization. If I have a thing for post-canon shuake chasing each other, it's probably due to this one.
The Brigverse by TzviaAriella (E but most works are M) | Pirates AU | akeshuake | series, ongoing I admittedly don't care that much about pirates but the og fic from this series (A Brig Too Far) was being passed on so much that I gave it a try and. Oh boy. Not only is the characterization impeccable, the story compelling, and the action thrilling, but at least one scene and/or line from each work in this series has altered my brain permanently. I am a new person after reading Brigverse.
wild and free by bangandawhimper (E) | a/b/o | shuakeshu | one shot "Akira Kurusu hasnât always been an omega. But now everyone he meets in this city assumes heâs an omega. Heâs treated like an omega. He feels like an omega. He knows he feels like an omega because he remembers what it was to be an alpha." This work might have my favourite take ever on shuakeshu omegaverse, it's so fitting for them, so thought out, and the characterization is so on point... my god. Read this fic now.
The Diamond Chest by kinneas (E) | post-Royal | shuakeshu | 3 chapters, complete "Who says you have to see Morgana speak in the Metaverse before you can hear him in the real world? Not the few hundred officers who arrested Ren in Saeâs Palace two years ago, thatâs for sure." Honestly everything kinnes writes is gold but I'm shouting this fic out because I reread more than a few scenes from this fic more than once, and it's a 100k-words baby. I am a sucker for heist stories, I am a sucker for dealing with trauma in very tangible ways, and I'm a sucker for kinneas' characterization of the boys.
before midnight by specterthief (Not rated) | 3rd sem, canon compliant | gen | one shot "âIââ Swallowing past the lump in her throat, Sumire sets down her chopsticks and rubs her face with both hands. âUmâwho told you I was going to training camp?â (On January 9th, Sumire goes home.)" This is the stellar Sumire characterization fic you're looking for. Read this. Read this right now.
I HOPE THIS DOESN'T AWAKEN SOMETHING IN ME (DELUSIONAL) I clicked on these fics solely due to my trust in the authors/the summary/one rec and now I find myself with a new kink. Thanks.
Containment Breach by salexectria (E) | Space pirates AU | akeshu | one shot Akira gets stranded on an abandoned spaceship seemingly infested by a terrifying creature. He finds the lonely survivor of the crew and they begrudgingly start to work together to contact help and survive. I am just going to say that I clicked for salex's name, I stayed for the stellar characterization, pining and top-tier bantering, and got overwhelmed by the tentacle sex. (/pos)
it takes two by lumensd (E) | 3rd sem | akeshu | two-shots By all means, this series has some things I usually am not interested in (phone sex, degradation) but Jay is so skilled and his akeshus are so fucked in the head that now I've signed up for the masochist Joker agenda. Hurray!
i dream of you draped in wires by rime (E) | 3rd sem | akeshu | one shot "Maruki's Shadows don't want to fight; they just want to collect data. Wait, are those cat ears?" You would think a work with the tag "catboy shibari gunplay fuckordie" can't be too serious. Wrong! Excellent character study attack đȘđȘđȘ (from the same author there's also this P5 vanilla fic that is excellent)
Darken my doorway by EnlacingLines (E) | 3rd sem-post canon | akeshu | one shot ""I donât need to test my theory. You should be thanking me, really. Opening this door for you.â âA door to what?â Akira says, exasperated by just how self congratulatory Goro still sounds.â Submission.â Or: I am a firm switch shuake shipper, I don't vibe with too-extreme dynamics *proceeds to go ballistics over this fic regardless*, *awakens to the wonder of d/s a lil fucked up dynamics*
#persona 5#persona 5 royal#p5#p5r#p5 spoilers#p5r spoilers#shuake#akeshu#shuakeshu#akeshuake#fanfiction recommendation#fanfic#p5r fanfiction#p5 fic rec#fic rec#fic reccomendations#p5r fic rec
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Five 1-season series I watched recently, and why I recommend them/liked them:
Lessons in Chemistry
About the trials and tribulations of a woman who both fails and refuses to conform to the expectations of 50s-60s USA. The show is primarily character-driven and works on a rather⊠somewhat simplified and exagerrated mindset? It took me offguard at first, but was fine once I settled into the groove. My favorite part was, as I later found out, an addition for the show (compared to the book, which I havenât read) â the neighbor being a black woman fighting for civil rights. Thereâs that one chunk that mixes the psychological/personal aspect of getting involved with the socio-political reality of asymmetrical struggles and I⊠loved how clever that was⊠Iâll be honest, in that the show is mostly a sort of drama/character exploration and the political painting part of it is secondary. But I mean, the drama is good, I bawled my eyes out a bunch of times, and itâs visually compelling. The protagonist reads somewhat as a modern woman dropped into the fifties and her relentlessness is actually refreshing. Itâs a power fantasy in that sense â watching someone smart, fully confident in her own abilities, and what sheâs worth, and owed⊠Itâs nice. Just so that weâre clear â this show is the one Iâm least confident pitching, because itâs odd in many ways and questionable in some â but I really enjoyed it and I wonât lie about that. I thought it was very good on the moment hahahaha
So give it a go if it intrigues you!! and come chat with me about the neighborhood subplots.
Cherry Magic (anime version)
About an unremarkable salaryman who starts being able to read othersâ thoughts because heâs a 30 y/o virgin â but really, itâs actually about someone finding both love and confidence in himself. This is so, so sweet. Pretty funny, too. For all the silliness of the premise, the more profound core of the story is very nicely-wrought, itâs painted with a delicate touch and subtle hues. There are aspects of it that I think will hit harder if you are not a child anymore. I think I would have enjoyed it when I was sixteen, but probably not as much as I did being a worn-out adult, lol. I binged it while I was insomniac with dread, and it made me laugh like a teenager. Itâs sincerely very fucking great and if you enjoy romances at all youâll love it.
Scavengersâ Reign
About a handful of scattered space castaways on a beautiful, wonderful and terrifying planet. If you enjoy science-fiction for any reason whatsoever, I can only make this a very ardent recommendation. It has it all: the alien planet, the machines, the creatures, the cast of characters; but also the wonder, and the fear, never too far from one another. This show is a real underrated gem and I am very serious. For you, tumblr, my beloved freakopolis, it also has it all. I wonât say it â but it has what you want. [âŠ] This show is so beautiful. The planetâs ecosystem feels tangible and coherent and new and itâs beautiful and frightening most of the time. Thereâs something of the primordial awe of coming into contact with the intriguing unknown. Did I mention that this is an animated show?? Itâs very good visually too.
Andor
About the birth of revolution â accross the galaxies, people getting tired of imperial abuse, and in the heroâs heart and mind. What I loved most was how grounded it was. This isnât the usual star wars with god-elect heroes with a destiny. Itâs about the sorry little bitches who look at their increasingly corrupted world and decide to try to do something about it. Or end up in there by accident. SO, so good. For that only I thought it was a banger. But then thereâs everything else!! The worldbuilding (that prison!!)! The practical effects! The janky-looking tech everywhere! The gorgeous sets (the senatorâs house HELLO <<33)! Heartwrenching details! An essayist! Not joking it changed my brain chemistry and thereâs a bit of text I want to write down on paper for myself.
Machine
Mandatory « Iâm sorry for all you bitches that donât speak French » because I doubt itâll get translated, or even subbed, anytime soon if at all. But god yâall are missing out. Machine is a freakishly fun take on the figure of the white woman being kickass through « kung-fu » (looked like every technique under the sun to me lol), yknow, Kill Bill-like? Itâs also a very, very fun series about freaking Karl Marx and class struggle. Not joking, literally some fighting interspersed with karl marx quotes and also cycling. Again with a show that lays it on thick and, at first, it takes me off-guard, but I go with the flow and then itâs fucking fantastic. Suuuch a coup de coeur for me. Canât think of a translation for it, but it means that it struck a chord and became a favorite of mine. Also made me realize I was less aware of where dreadlocks discourse is currently at than I thought (topic for a research afternoon for when I can catch a fucking breakâŠ) (bc the heroine has them). Et je mâen remets pas de lâinfluenceur gilet jaune lol, quelle pĂ©pite. Very mad that no one around me watched it.
Honorary mention: Jujutsu Kaisen s2
Total banger. You don't need me to recommend it to you.
#lessons in chemistry#machine arte#cherry magic#scavengers reign#andor series#chatterbones#this is basically what i've watched since december esbcdfvjkgb i've been putting off reviews#'reviews' in the loosest sense.... merely my abridged opinion. my onion if you will.
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TOP 9 BOOKS
tagged : @hmsharmony ty jennifer this was SOOO hard oh my god like. genuinely agonized me for days to think about what to choose but it was SOOO fun tho <3 tagging : @rosesau | @evcndiaz | @pendrgcn | @gayarthur | @the-tenth-arcanum | @oretsev | @wherepoetsdie | @bellamyblakru | @ryekat & anyone else who wants to do it !!! rules : list your top 9 books obviously. i cheated a little and put series as as one option because that's just who i am as a person. most of these i chose at random from my 5 star reads from the past few years btw
1. percy jackson and the olympians (series) by rick riordan
i was never a big reader in elementary schoolâor at least not to the extent that my classmates had been. my sixth grade english class required us to bring a personal book from home for silent reading and i stole my brother's spine-cracked copies of pjo and brought them to class. i finished the whole series in less than a school week (i had to scramble to the library to pick up another series because the single novel should have lasted me at least three weeks). pjo literally kickstarted my love for reading as a hobby and i truly don't know how to state the importance it had on my little ten-year-old brain fr
2. on earth we're briefly gorgeous by ocean vuong
i have never read a book more beautiful in prose and so uncommonly human than this. there's just something so incredibly heartbreaking knowing this whole book is the narrator's letter to his mother who can't read! like what the fuck
3. alone with you in the ether by olivie blake
this came as a surprise to Me when i first read it. i meandered through the first quarter, loving the writing style but feeling disconnected from the characters until the Church Hand Sceneâą and it was hook, line, and sinker at that point (i have since come to love the disconnectedness in subsequent rereads, knowing that the feeling was the Point). i have read this book four (4) times since i read it first last year. LAST YEAR!!! olivie has like... fundamentally altered my brain chemistry or something because i feel like everything i have written since having read this book has been somewhat influenced by it.
4. much ado about nothing by william shakespeare
what can i say! this is theeeeeee romcom ever. i have watched so many adaptations of this play, read it countless of times and can recite some iconic lines, and still the banter between benedick and beatrice is sooo elite. cannot be topped!!
5. a place for us by fatima farheen mirza
fun fact: seed rec'd this book to me and has been reccing it to anybody who would listen. the prose is so lush and melancholic. it's one of those books where nothing Really happens, but you feel Every Emotion Under The Sun and you're just like. altered by reading it
6. the song of achilles by madeline miller
obviously.... OBVIOUSLYYYYYYY this had to go here. if i had two nickels for every greek myth retelling i read during school that fundamentally changed me etc etc u get it. i read this as a junior in high school when we, yet again, had to bring a personal book to read durin class. i think at that point of my life, i've never read something that tragic yet so beautiful at the same time and now i am always looking at the beautiful and tragic in media. so! there u go! brain cells rewired and whatnot!
7. the grisha trilogy by leigh bardugo
this is funny because i . technically did not rate any of these books 5 stars i'm sobbing. but like, considering the fact that my url is what it is and the way i always have them in the back of my mind, it's no wonder that i put them here. i have such an odd attachment to these books and these characters. i had copies of these books since their release but didn't touch them until ... before the sab tv release which is so fucking funny. like i don't know what i would be like if i read this as a t(w)een. i would've been so fucking insufferable ngl
8. when my brother was an aztec by natalie diaz
i actually read this for an assignment and had to write a report on it and i had SO much fun doing it. diaz plays a lot with hunger and her imagery is literally unmatched. i think about the way she contructs sentences and am filled with such envy. my beginning sentence for my paper was a nod to her style (though i failed miserably). it was: "in a paradoxical sleight of hand, hunger feeds in natalie diaz's debut." she is just. so fucking good at words i need to CHOMP on it
9. sharp objects by gillian flynn
you know the thing where you see a really popular author for a really long time and they have their work adapted to the screen and it's so good but you still haven't read their actual writing? yeah, that was me with gillian flynn (specifically about gone girl). i read gone girl, i read sharp objects, i read her short story the grownup, i'm currently reading the last novel of hers that i haven't read, dark places, and flynn is just so... incredibly good at constructing harrowing stories. it's no wonder why all three of her novels got adapted to the screen! her prose is so grounded. vivid. there's this ease to her writing that, whenever i concurrently read another novel, i always find the other piece to be lacking. i slink back to flynn's prose and immerse myself in her awful, human worlds.
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a video of supergirl grabbing lena luthor's ass starts circulating and it's very embarrassing for sc but extremely funny to their friends
(I am SO sorry. Where do these hide? Why do I never see them? How long has this been here?!
Anyways, have some cute nonsense!)
The day starts like any other, honestly.
Like, sure, Karaâs never thrilled when she wakes up 20 minutes late and has to use superspeed to get through her morning routine and into the office on time, but it happens regularly enough that sheâs just sort of used to it by now. Like, the sky is blue, the grass is green, she manages time poorly. Whatever.
But she does get to work on time, with just enough to spare that she can make a brief detour to Niaâs desk for the coffee her protege has already bought for her, thank her profusely (with perhaps minor promising of firstborn children), and slip into the morning meeting just as Snapper, James, and Lena start handing out assignments for the day.
âWell, well, good of you to join us, Ponytail. Let me guess, a family emergency kept you out all night again?â
âI mean, that Abraxian wasnât my family, technically, but someoneâs family, soâŠâ âSomething like that. Sorry.â
Lena catches her eye and quirks a brow in question, but Kara just shrugs easily and sips her coffee, pulling a silly face at her friend when Snapperâs attention moves away from her. When her eyes uncross, she can tell Lena is fighting not to laugh, eyes sparking with mirth as she bites her lip. Kara takes another sip of coffee, feeling a bit smug that she can get Lena to smile without even having to say anything to her. Thatâs real talent, right there.
Especially since Lena has to stand up at the front with James, who has been by turns cold, dejected, and surly toward her since their breakup (a big, real, final one) a few weeks prior. Lena had said that the whole thing was a mistake, that she shouldâve never gone for it in the first place because sheâd been right the first time- theyâd had some chemistry, after all, but it certainly wasnât compatible long-term.Â
Which⊠Kara can certainly relate. Like, a lot.
Especially about the whole⊠James being kind of wounded about it part. That part had really sucked- when heâd done it with Kara, who heâd gone on like, a date with, itâd resulted in him deciding to become a vigilante. Rao only knows what heâll do when itâs someone he dated on and off for over a year...
âPonytail!â
Kara jumps, realizing too late that her wandering attention hasnât gone unnoticed. âYes, sir?â
Snapper rolls his eyes. âGreat, now that youâve stopped orbiting Saturn, you wanna go get that article started?â
Karaâs eyes widen slightly in a panic as she realizes that she has no idea what heâs talking about. âUhâŠâ Behind his back, Lena catches her eye and nods subtly. Thank Rao. âYes. I super do.â
Lena snorts, James sighs deeply, and the meeting is adjourned.
**
âSo what exactly am I supposed to be doing today?â Kara asks Lena as they stroll out of the conference room together.
âWell unfortunately for you, you have to interview a big-time CEO. You have a meeting scheduled with her in three hours.â
âYou?â Kara asks hopefully.
âYouâre very sweet,â Lena chuckles. âNo, Elena Watts. Sheâs a real estate developer, and she runs a nonprofit organization for homeless youth. Itâs one of the articles weâre doing for next monthâs spread. Contrary to popular belief, Cat and I werenât the only women with high-profile jobs in this city. â
âOh, thatâs pretty cool! Have you met her?â
âNot personally, no, but I have donated to her charity- itâs a very good cause, especially the outreach they do with queer youth.â
Kara elbows Lena gently. âYouâre such a softie.â
âMmm, maybe. But if you tell anyone, youâre fired.â
Kara clutches a hand to her chest, feigning horror. âWhy Miss Luthor, what a blatant abuse of power!â
Lena shrugs. âIâm a Luthor, darling, I have to keep up appearances somehow.â
âOuch,â Kara laughs. âSee you at lunch?â
âOnly if lunch includes a milkshake- I have a teleconference with both boards today. Unless you feel like joining me?â
âWow, well as fun as that sounds, Iâm gonna go do literally anything else.â Her comms crackle to life, alerting her of a hostage situation downtown, and Kara sighs. So much for a work day. âAlright, well, Iâm, um, gonna go⊠see what I can find on Elena Watts. Maybe over another cup of coffee at Noonanâs.â She widens her eyes a bit, trying her best to convey that sheâs going to be on Super-duty for a little while.
Thankfully, Lena picks up on it and grins. âYou just want sticky buns.â
âLena, I always want sticky buns. Theyâre like, my second favorite thing to eat.â
âOh? Whatâs the first?â Lena asks, voice just a bit lower than usual.Â
Kara opens her mouth and closes it, flushing slightly as she averts her gaze and adjusts the laptop bag on her shoulder. Stuff like that has been happening more and more, and sheâs not 100% sure what to do about it. Because on the one hand, it makes her stomach do flips and tie up in knots and makes her brain do this⊠staticky thing where nothing filters in or out, just a pleasant buzz of how funny and smart Lena is and how much Kara likes hanging out with her and being flirted with (because thatâs definitely whatâs been happening, even if neither of them is really ready to address it) and just generally looking at Lena.... who is currently biting her lip and grinning up at Kara, and that buzz makes her kinda dumb, which is just really unhelpful. But on the other hand, itâs also kinda awesome and Kara really enjoys it, and-
âKara?â
She spaced out again. Crap.
âUm. What time are you free for lunch?â
Lena sighs, seeming slightly disappointed that Kara isnât flirting back at the moment (and thank Rao Lena canât read minds), but she smiles back easily enough as they step off of the elevator. âI should be done by two.â
Feeling emboldened, Kara turns so sheâs walking backwards in front of Lena and grins. âItâs a date,â she says with a grin, ducking forward to press a quick âfriendlyâ kiss high on Lenaâs cheek. She whirls and jogs out the double doors, leaving Lena smiling exasperatedly after her.
**
It is genuinely baffling to Kara that people still commit crimes in National City. Itâs not even an ego thing, really, since Kara tries to keep herself humble (even when she manages to wrap up a hostage situation within twenty seconds of arriving on-scene without injuring any of the criminals or damaging the building too badly). Like, yeah, she gets that thereâs a certain element of crazies who just sorta gravitate to places with a local hero, the big-bads who have their own suits and geek-toys and abilities. Them, Kara gets. Kinda sorta. But the regular ones, who are armed with like, pistols? Or knives? Just regular man made stuff without even the benefit of magic or kryptonite or something?
Why?Â
Sheâs sure that if she asked, Lena would have some sort of statistical thing about large cities and poverty and all sorts of other factors that would end up making Kara feel like a jerk for being uncharitable to the criminal element of her city, but at the moment sheâs mostly too annoyed by the fact that she has to spend her weekdays chasing them around instead of chasing stories.
Once all the hostages are freed and the cops secure the scene, Kara departs, flying into the alley behind Noonanâs and changing into her regular clothes before she heads inside to do a bit of research before her meeting with Elena Watts in a few hours (just because sheâd used it as a cover doesnât mean it was a bad ideaâŠ). She finds her favorite little two-person booth tucked into a quiet corner, plugs in her laptop, and gets to work, asking the waitress to please keep both the coffee and the sticky buns coming.
She gets a surprising amount done by the time she needs to leave for the interview, having a good foundation for what she wants to write and who Elena Watts is.
Ms. Watts turns out to be a pretty nice lady around Elizaâs age, if a bit busy and distracted by the steady flow of people in and out of her office. She answers all Karaâs questions with aplomb, happy to elaborate on most every point and eager to draw attention to the rising issue of homelessness among children and teens in the US.
âWhen I was young, my dad lost his job at the auto plant. It was supposed to be a temporary layoff, but the factory never reopened. We ended up losing the house, and we lived so far from our extended family that staying with them wasnât much of an option. We lived in our SUV for six months, sleeping at shelters every now and again, if we could find one that allowed families to stay together. We showered at the local YMCA. Five people and a dog, living and sleeping in an old station wagon- even now, it sounds ridiculous. Eventually, we got back on our feet, but I never forgot that. It was just six months, but it was- and remains- the scariest, most uncertain time in my entire life, and it shaped me in a lot of ways I didnât expect. And there are kids and families who do that for years. I just want to help them the way I wish that someone had been able to help us.â
At the end of the interview, Kara thanks her profusely for her time and for sharing her story before hurrying off to CatCo to type up a draft for Snapper (âWhatâs wrong with you, Ponytail, why is everything you bring me sappy and sentimental?â), which she finishes an outline of just in time to send it off before running to Big Belly and L-Corp for lunch with Lena.
She greets the newest in a series of secretaries (Anna? Amy? Ava? Lenaâs really missing Jess, these days, but from what sheâs told Kara, Jess is kicking butt in her new role as VP of Operations and will probably take over for the COO when he retires in a few years), and the girl waves her in distractedly.
And thatâs when Karaâs day goes from normal to not, because inside the office are two masked men holding a stone-faced Lena at gunpoint on her balcony and demanding⊠something, probably. Karaâs a bit distracted by the loaded gun aimed at Lenaâs head.
âHey!â she yells, attracting both their attention. They whirl on her and Lenaâs eyes widen in alarm, and Kara suddenly realizes three things- 1) sheâs in her Kara Danvers clothes, not the supersuit, 2) she canât speed into the suit now that theyâre both looking at her, and 3) she has no plan.
Crap.
âWho the hell are you?!â one of them demands.
Kara⊠doesnât have a good or snappy answer for that, and instead does the only thing she can think of- she throws the large milkshakes sheâs carrying at them as hard as she can.
Which, in retrospect, is too hard, apparently because while yes, it is both funny and gratifying to see two grown men get absolutely leveled by a tasty dairy treat to the face, the one closest to Lena manages to elbow her in such a way that she falls backwards over the rail with an instinctual scream that makes Karaâs heart fly into her throat. She whips off her glasses, and by the time sheâs out the window and speeding toward Lenaâs flailing form, the suit is materialized. She gets under Lena, catching her carefully and dropping a bit further before slowing down (because sheâs been made aware that when she doesnât, the people sheâs saving may as well be hitting the pavement), finally coasting to a stop about 20 feet from the ground.
Lenaâs face is screwed up in a forced sort of focus, her hands clutching tightly at Karaâs shoulders and cape as she holds her breath.
âAre you okay?â Kara asks quietly.
Lena swallows thickly and nods, eyes still firmly closed. âIâm alright. Thank you- Iâll admit, I wasnât quite sure how to get out of that one.â
âWhat was that? What did they want?â
Lena cracks an eye open. âOh. you know, just my quarterly assassination attempt. I think my mother was starting to miss me, so she wanted to reach out.â
Kara snorts. âThat really shouldnât be funny.â
âMaybe not, but here we are.â Lena shifts a bit in Karaâs arms, cheeks a bit flushed from the adrenaline rush, and clears her throat. âNot to be rude, Supergirl, but do you think that perhaps we could continue this conversation⊠on the ground?â
âOh. Oh! Yeah, sorry. I forgot we were, uh, flying.â
Lena chuckles as they ascend slowly back up to her office. âYou forgot you were flying?â
Kara shrugs with an easy smile. âI guess you have that effect on me.â
Lena huffs a laugh against Karaâs neck, eyes squeezed shut again. They alight on the balcony, finding the two men still unconscious, covered in Kara and Lenaâs lunch. Lena sighs as Kara sets her down, pinching the bridge of her nose. âWhat a mess.â
âYeah, sorry, I sorta⊠panicked.â Â
âI was so looking forward to a milkshake tooâŠâ Lena laments playfully.
âWell, then I have good news and bad news,â Kara says. She reaches out and gently wipes a bit of her own chocolate shake from Lenaâs cheek with the pad of her thumb, tucking it into her mouth on instinct to get a taste of it. âThe good news is, you do, in fact, have some shake on you!â
âWhats the bad news?âÂ
âAlso that you have some shake on you.â Kara laughs, gathering the two men in her arms and hefting them a bit so theyâre easier to carry. âIâll get you another one. Be right back.â
She drops the men at the police station with a brief explanation before flying back into the office. Lena hands over her discarded glasses with a wry grin.
âI figured youâd need these before the police arrive.â Sheâs putting on a brave front, but sheâs clearly still more than a bit rattled, if her too-bright eyes and thundering heartbeat are anything to go by. Kara steps closer and opens her arms in invitation, and Lena doesnât hesitate to step into them. âThank you,â Lena says fervently, tucking her face into Karaâs shoulder and wrapping her arms tight around Karaâs waist.Â
âAlways,â Kara promises, daring to press a reassuring kiss to Lenaâs temple (and getting a bit of Lenaâs strawberry shake for her troubles) before wrapping her up even tighter in her arms. âAre you actually okay?â
âI mean, my fear of heights has been reaffirmed,â Lena jokes, âbut aside from that, Iâm not hurt.â
âGood. I donât like, love people pointing guns at you. Just so you know.â
âIâm not a fan either, for the record,â Lena drawls, burrowing even closer. âEven though I know youâll save me, it still puts a damper on my day.â
Kara huffs a laugh. âSame.â
They stay like that for a few minutes, until Lenaâs calmed down enough to stop shaking and calls her assistant (Audra, apparently) in, telling her whatâd happened and that the police would be arriving shortly to take her and Karaâs statements, and please advise the security team to let them up discreetly. After the cops arrive, itâs a blur of questions, and Kara has to concentrate on telling the story of how sheâd panicked and thrown the milkshakes at the men, and one of them had knocked Lena over the balcony (all true), and Kara had yelled for Supergirl, who had knocked the men out on her way to Lena (also technically mostly true. Technically. Mostly.). The police are sure to tell Kara that next time, she shouldnât throw things at people with guns, and also to tell them both how lucky they are that Supergirl had shown up when she did.
âSheâs always there when I need her,â Lena agrees, throwing a sly wink over the officerâs shoulder at Kara.
Kara just shakes her head and smiles. Even almost dying isnât enough to make Lena not flirt with her. The woman is truly a marvel.
Karaâs comms crackle again, accompanied by Alexâs custom ringtone on her cell, and after assuring the police that she has no issue with giving another statement if they need her to later, hurries over to the DEO (making a quick stop in the back alley to change into her suit).
**
When Kara arrives, sheâs told that Jâonn and Alex are waiting for her in the Directorsâ offices. She makes her way there, waving to the agents and scientists she knows. But itâs very weird, because every time one of them sees her, they start giggling before quickly hurrying off in the opposite direction. Like, literally everyone is whispering and pointing and giggling, and itâs giving Kara such visceral flashbacks to high school that itâs all she can do to not check her cape for a taped on sign that says âKick meâ or âFreakâ.
(Kids are mean.)
By the time Kara gets to her destination, sheâs fully paranoid, sure that someoneâs playing a prank on her, somehow, and that everyone but her is in on the joke. She opens the door with more force than intended and catches it just before the handle puts a hole in the wall, throwing Alex and Jâonn a sheepish smile. She closes the door extra gently and leans against it heavily. Jâonn and Alex just stare at her, looking thoroughly unimpressed.
âBusy day, Supergirl?â Alex asks, and after half a lifetime of spending time with her, Kara recognizes that she, too, is trying not to laugh.Â
Karaâs had enough. âOkay, do I have something on my face? Or on the suit? Is someone messing with me?â
Jâonnâs brow furrows. âNo.â
âThen whatâs the deal? Why is the entire DEO like⊠laughing at me? Did someone accidentally vent the lab fumes out into the main hub again?â
âNo.â
âDid someone see me crash into that billboard last week?â
Jâonnâs frown deepens. âWhat?â
âNo,â Alex answers.
âThen why is everyone laughing at me?!â
âI mean, if I had to guess, Iâd say itâs because of that,â Alex muses, nodding toward the big TV on the wall beside Kara.
She steps back to watch the news coverage of her dealing with the hostage situation this morning and frowns. âWhat, those guys? That was routine, whatâs so funny about tha-â
âNo, no, not that. That,â Alex clarifies, cranking up the volume.
â...reports are saying that the CEO of L-Corp, Lena Luthor, experienced an attempt on her life early this afternoon. Sources claim that she fell from a considerable height-â
âHey, she was pushed,â Kara corrects.
âShh!â
â...caught by Supergirl, who may have gotten a little⊠familiar with her.â
And thereâs a video (clearly recorded on a cell phone but not the worst quality Karaâs ever seen) of Kara catching Lena and slowing to a stop above the sidewalk, of them talking quietly, of Karaâs hand definitely on Lenaâs-
âOh. Oh no.â
âOh yes,â Alex drawls, clicking the TV off with relish, a large, evil-big-sister grin spreading across her face. âCongratulations, Supergirl- the world just watched you grope Lena Luthorâs ass.â
âBut Iâm not- I wasnât groping, I was catching! My hands werenât⊠If it was groping, Iâd be all up on her, and I wasnât!â
âCamera begs to differ. Itâs already trending on Twitter in National CIty.â
Kara puts her head in her hands and groans. âWhy?! I was trying to save her!â
âYou were definitely trying to save part of her,â Alex agrees. âGranted, itâs a very nice part...â
Karaâs head pops up, and she shoots Alex a look thatâs between a pout and a glare. âYouâre not helping.â
Alex feigns confusion. âAm I supposed to be helping?â
âAlright, enough,â Jâonn cuts in before Kara can retort. âWe just wanted you to be aware. I donât think that this is going to be taken for anything more than it is- a humorous moment in the middle of a successful rescue. You shouldnât worry about the press.â
And truth be told, Kara isn't worried about the press- sheâs worried about the fact that sheâs going to have to face Lena after this. Lena, who she knows for a fact has google alerts set for herself, Kara Danvers, and Supergirl, a gesture which is normally actually sweet and kind but is right now definitely gonna bite her in the-
âOkay! So, is that all?â
Alex blinks, looks over at Jâonn, and shrugs. âI mean, yeah. Try not to make a habit of groping your crush when youâre in the suit.â
âI wasnât groping her-â
Alex grins. âSo you admit you have a crush? InterestingâŠâ
âAlex!â
**
Jâonnâs prediction is mostly right- no one seems to be taking the shots of her grabbi- saving Lena as anything other than a funny blip of a moment in their coverage of it.
He was wrong about the sheer scale. The clip had gone totally viral in a matter of hours, and seemingly every major network in the country has run the clip at least once as a bit of filler-fluff, and almost every major network anchor (including the ones at CatCo, the traitors) has made at least a passing joke about Supergirl being âSuper-Handsy'.
Which means that Kara is very late getting back to Lenaâs office with replacement food. But like, sheâs been busy, okay? Itâs not like sheâs avoiding Lena, or something, because sheâs embarrassed- which she isnât, because she didnât do anything bad or wrong and-
Anyways, itâs well past sunset by the time Kara gets to Lenaâs office door again. She hesitates outside it for just a moment before shouldering the door open and knocking tentatively.
Lenaâs attention jerks from whatever sheâd been absorbed in to Kara, and a relieved smile blooms across her face. âHey there.â
Kara finds herself equally relieved to not experience a repeat performance of earlier scary situations. âHi,â Kara says, unable to resist smiling back. She raises the bags and cup carrier. âI bring grease and milkshakes. Again.â
âOh thank god, Iâm starving,â Lena says, rolling her chair away from her desk and rising into a deep and probably much-needed stretch. Kara very determinedly does not stare at the slight sliver of soft tummy that appears between her blouse and skirt at the motion. âIâve been staring at this screen for several hours. And Sam called to yell at me- she says hello, by the way- she and Ruby are in town next weekend.â
âGood!â Kara crosses the room to the couch as Lena does, easily spreading out the veritable buffet of fast food sheâd brought over the coffee table. âI mean, not good that she yelled at you, or that youâre still at work, Miss Luthor,â she says pointedly, receiving only an unapologetic shrug in response. âBut good that, um-â
âI get it,â Lena chuckles, resting a hand lightly on Karaâs knee and boy, if that doesnât make Karaâs brain go fuzzy and dumb again⊠âThank you, for checking in.â
âOf course I was gonna check on you, Lena,â Kara huffs. âPlus, I know you probably didnât get lunch, soâŠâ
Lena hums around a mouthful of burger, chewing until she can politely speak again. âWell itâs delicious. Did you make it yourself?â she teases with a sly grin.
âOh, yeah, totally. Slaved away over a hot stove for this- I just wrapped it in Big Belly wrappers so you wouldnât feel bad about it.â
âVery clever.â Lena pops the lid off of her milkshake and drags a fry through it (an advanced culinary delicacy Kara had horrified her with initially but had eventually become a bit of a guilty pleasure). âAlthough I have to say, traditionally youâd have to buy me dinner before you grabbed my ass.â
Kara chokes on a pickle. âOh no,â she groans, dropping the burger onto the wrapper on the table and dropping her very red face into her hands as Lena laughs beside her. She peers out from between her fingers. âI am so sorry, I was just worried about you hitting the pavement and like, catching you in the least jarring way and I wasnât paying attention to where my hands were and I didnât even notice until I got back to the DEO and-â
âWell I have so say, I feel a bit offended that you didnât even realize you were copping a feel...â When the only response is another groan and a deep flush spreading from Karaâs neck to the tips of her ears, Lena relents. âKara, Kara, itâs fine!â she laughs, pulling Karaâs hands away from her face and giving them a grounding squeeze. âNiaâs been sending me memes about it all day, which has improved my mood significantly. On the grand scale of fallout from assassination attempts, this one was at least funny.â
âI know thatâs supposed to be comforting, but all it makes me wanna do is wrap you in bubble wrap forever,â Kara informs her.
âPass on that. But seriously, donât worry about it- I know it wasnât on purpose- unfortunately for me, youâre too noble to do something like that,â Lena laments playfully.
And whether itâs the knowledge that Lena is not, in fact, upset, the overall weirdness that has been this day, or this delicious burger fueling it, Kara feels a bit emboldened. âHey LenaâŠâ
âYes?â
âWhat if I wanted to grab your butt? Just, yâknow, as a hypothetical. For future reference.â
Lena quirks a brow at her, fighting a smile as she contemplates this. âHmm. Strictly hypothetically?â
Kara scoots a bit closer on the couch. âSure.â
 âWell, youâve already bought me dinnerâŠâ
âAnd lunch, technically. Even if I gave it to the bad guys.â
âTrue. Plus you saved my life, so that gets you some points, probably.â
Kara pauses in her sly scooching. âOh, hey, wait, no, thatâs not-âÂ
âKidding, Kara. I know youâd never use that to your advantage. I, however, have determined that strong moral fibre and nobility do, in fact, earn you more points, which is my choice on the matter and you get absolutely no say in it.â
âOh. Um, alright, I think.â
Lena stares off into the middle distance, tapping her forefinger thoughtfully against her chin. Finally she shrugs. âYes, I think youâre fulfilled the prerequisites for a bit of grab-ass today.â
Kara snorts, Lena laughs, and soon enough Kara takes her up on the offer.
**
âHey Kara, remember that time you grabbed Lenaâs ass and it made international news?â Nia asks around a mouthful of mushu pork.
âYou mean last week? Yes, I remember,â Kara drawls. Beside her/halfway sitting on her lap, Lena snorts.
âThat was the best.â
Alex glares. âUm, excuse you, no. No it was not. I had to sift through so much thirsting over my sister on like, every social media platform. It was the worst day of my life.â
Brainyâs brow furrows. âSurely that cannot be correct, Alex. Statistically speaking-â
Alex holds up a hand, cutting him off. âTrauma canât be measured, Brainy.â
Kelly chuckles and presses a consoling kiss to Alexâs cheek, and it makes the tough agent melt into a doe-eyed puddle of mush that Kara snorts. And she says theyâre gross... Kara sneaks a glance at Lena from the corner of her eye, and she catches Lena looking at her. She leans close and jostles her gently as she drops her head onto Lenaâ shoulder. âWeâre never gonna live that down, are we?â
âProbably not.â
âWe have the worst friends.â When this elicits nothing but a chuckle, Kara tips her head back to see Lena still looking at her, a soft smile playing at her mouth and shining in her eyes. And like, this whole thing theyâre doing is new, with the kissing and the actual dates and the... everything else. But the thing where Kara catches Lena looking at her and she doesnât look away? That freakinâ knocks her out, every single time. âHey,â she manages.
Lena grins down at her. âHi.â
So yeah. Maybe the initial circumstances werenât ideal, and she doesnât love the mockery thatâs been heaped upon her by all of her friends and loved ones (including Winn, whoâd sent a missive from the future that literally just said âLOLâ). But the fact is, Kara muses as she surges up just enough to kiss the corner of Lenaâs mouth, that she doesnât regret a thing.
#supercorp#prompts!#asks open#ask response#supergirl fanfic#kara x lena#humor#idiots#international news about idiots#kara danvers#lena luthor#i'm also deeply sorry that this is so long on mobile#i swear there's a read more that's supposed to be there#but alas
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Okay I'm finally done the Bridgerton books, here's my official ranking, a guide, a best and worst aggregate, a post so I don't forget these books in a month
The good ones
These books are all great and could easily be my favorite depending on my mood
The Viscount Who Loved Me (Anthony and Kate) the closest Bridgeton gets to enemies to lovers, with a compelling and funny hero and heroine. Best moment? Bees baby! Their wedding night! They're obsessed with each other and they hate it! That's my jam Worst moment? Kate loses a bit of personality after she gets married, the dick literally can't be that good.
When He Was Wicked (Francesca and Michael) in love with your best friends girl! this is the hot one! Also the saddest one! Francesca is the best Bridgerton sister by a lot. Best? Michael is doing the most in this book guys, also this book made me cry? Fran, love of my life Worst: it's sad. It's not the one I would pick if I want to turn off by brain, which is not bad! But it's a consideration
Romancing Mr. Bridgeton (Colin and Penelope) proving that friends to lovers can occasionally have rights. Best? The carriage scene/trophy husband Colin/etc they are crackling. Worst? Colin sulking about Pen's success. Also stop mentioning that Penelope is thinner now I hate-
The ones that are fine
Not bad! But not great
It's in His Kiss (Hyacinth and Gareth) this books is kind of a redo of The Duke and I? Gareth has a messy family secret and needs a Bridgeton to make it better. Hyacinth is much more interesting that Daphne, there's this almost heist thing going on? It's fun Best? Just generally Hyacinth is good fun, and they've got chemistry. She wears pants at one point. Worst? This book is in offensive to the extreme, it's just kind of dull.
On the Way to the Wedding (Gregory and Lucy) le grande finale, lots of references to other books. Lucy is a nerd and Gregory has not read any of the Bridgerton books. Best? Kate is there :) Worst? BORING
The Duke and I (Daphne and Simon) le grande beginning! A kind of lackluster start but you gotta start somewhere. You can picture how pretty everything is in the show so that's a plus. Best? Fake dating got them again Worst? You know what's worst :/
The ones that are bad
I know I'm burning bridges here, this is my personal taste, but, I mean, is it surprising that these are the 2 in the show that have the most not hetro implications?
An Offer from a Gentleman (Benedict and Sophie) the Cinderella story. Sophie (imo) is the most boring heroine and Benedict lacks either Anthony's burden and angst or Colin's humor and self assurance. He's boring and a dick. Best? Violet and Sophie have a really cute mother daughter relationship, legit made me emotional. I like Cinderella too I mean I'm not heartless Worst? Benedict and Sophie have the worst sex scene in the series.
To Sir Philip, With Love (Eloise and Philip) look, Quinn seemed to want to change things up a bit after the whistledown arc concluded. Both Eloise and Francesca's books take place far from the London season (the county somewhere I don't remember for this one, Scotland for whww) dealing with heavier themes (depression and being a step parent here, miscarriage and grief in whww) both have non standard courtships even for this series. For me, when he was wicked is wholly successful, and to Sir Philip with love fails. Eloise and Philip have very little chemistry, Philip is supposed to be our manly man but not in a hot way ladies! It's not like he's a wild mountain man, he's an intellectual who just treats people poorly. Best? When the brothers come. Which says a lot about our couple tbh. I also liked benophie better here. Worst? Everything about how they treat Marina. I just hate Philip tbh.
So my ranking is 2 6 4 7 8 1 3 5 please send me all the reasons I am wrong besties
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Another Saturday, another episode! Let's take a look at Keeping Up A-fear-ances!
(Good lord I'm starting to make myself sound like some sort of content creator)
Oh, okay, we're just starting at that level of intensity, huh?
Chest gem origins
Gwendolyn not being satisfied with managing the curse and determined to cure it? I'm sure this won't be a real world allegory in the slightest.
Oh, so Eda literally just stumbles upon the portal? I could call that contrived, but honestly it's not dissimilar to how Dipper found Journal 3. For that matter, the entirety of Lord of the Rings is predicated on an accidental discovery like this and nobody gave Tolkien shit about it.
Was the eye on the portal cracked in previous episodes? I don't remember.
Seems like Gwen is the "well-meaning but ultimately misguided" flavor of mom.
As an aside, I am now quite curious about how Eda's first trip to the human realm went. Maybe a future episode will cover it? At any rate, I smell a new favorite fic prompt.
The screaming alarms in the Demon Realm will never not be funny to me.
Also, that is a worrying number of hearts. Eda is straight up murdering these poor creatures.
For some reason the gold fang being removable never occurred to me as a possibility, and now I feel like a kid who's discovered that Santa isn't real.
Oh hey, the new outfit! I'm also impressed how close to symmetrical that tearing was.
I need to get a screencap of Luz sleeping on that stack of books because she is adorable.
Also, staying up all night researching? This season seems determined to completely eradicate the notion of Luz being dumb, and I am here for it.
I have a feeling the Hexside mug will be making its way to The Mystery Shack in the near future.
Lilith's first experience with transformation and she seems understandably horrified.
The curse acting stronger when stressed? That seems...important.
Ah, so the dismemberment is from the curse! A surprisingly useful side effect from what we've seen so far.
Can I just say that I appreciate how Eda's reaction to Lilith's first taste of transformation is immediate remedy, explanation, and reassurance? And doesn't make any snarky comments along the lines of "now you know what it's like?" Whatever happened in that week and a half must have been cathartic as hell.
"Always. Always curious." Luz is the TOH fandom.
(Also, Eda, you know she is, considering how much she went on about your "mysterious past" at the Covention)
"Magic bird tornado?!" Luz has a way with words that's just *chef's kiss*.
"Gwendolyn." Eda is already just fucking done.
"MOM?!?!" Jeez, Lilith, you're just now hearing all this?
I was charmed by how motherly Gwen was acting toward Eda, but then she kinda just...dismissed Lilith, and now I'm somehwat less charmed.
(Sweet flea as a term of endearment is kinda cute, though might have some unfortunate implications depending on how you want to interpret it)
"Who knows what they put in those nasty concoctions?" OH WE GOING FOR THE ANTI-VAXXERS NOW YESSSS
Luz and Lilith's reaction to that whole exchange is priceless.
Everyone's perspective here makes perfect sense for who they are and what they've been through.
Poor Lilith. Her cursing Eda is beginning to make more sense.
Ah, thus begins the collaboration.
"We'll be consulting someone very special." Why does that seem so...ominous?
Is there anyone who watched this episode for the first time whose bullshit detector didn't go off immediately when Gwen mentioned finding someone who promised a cure?
Heh, Palm Stings.
Nonbelievers will be blinded by the power of the tome? I'm sure they will be, Wartlop.
I must say, as something of a scientist myself (okay that's not true, I'm a QA tech for a food manufacturer, but I do have a chemistry degree), I am 100% here for the swings being taken at faith healing/"miracle" cures/anti-vaxxers in this episode
Oh, we Wile E. Coyote now, huh?
Also, interesting how much apple blood is being played up in this episode.
Lilith please you're projecting your mommy issues on a literal child
OH WE REALLY JUST WILE E. COYOTE HUH?
You're right, Luz, Gwen's bicep game is goals.
(Somewhat disappointed the scars are from questing and not beastkeeping, but eh)
Why do I get the feeling there's gonna be a future episode where everybody stages an intervention for Eda's apple blood problem?
"Those feathers mean we're driving the beast out" Gwen no
Hooty is holding the brain cell? Oh no...
If that ice cream came from the Night Market it would explain why Lilith sounds drunk.
(Side note: I can't be the only one getting flashbacks to Mermista's ice cream binge, right? Different context, but still)
"Abomi-berry" "Franken fruit" "Key slime pie" These are A+ flavor names.
Oh, there's the transformation...
I must say that whole segment kinda rubbed me the wrong way. The way King's opinion on his dad was changed seemed...I don't know how to describe it. I get that they needed a trigger for Lilith's transformation, but honestly if any part of the episode is contrived it's this.
"ÂĄIt really is that good!" So that's what an accent slip in written form looks like. (The upside down exclamation point is used in Spanish, in case anyone didn't know)
I keep half expecting Eda to say "Beep! Beep!" at this point.
Luz is finally asking questions. Took long enough.
Ah, the classic "moving the goal posts to extract more money from a desparate family member" technique.
Luz channeling Scorpion, we love to see it.
There is an exquisite irony in Eda's mom being scammed, I must say.
Ah, so that's where the elixirs went. Dammit, Gwen.
Luz is definitely thinking "Are you fucking kidding me right now?!"
Beast!Lilith is massive.
"Sweet flea?" Gwen just realized she done goofed.
"I can see you still need a little time." God Luz is so fucking smart.
The con revealed.
OH DAMN SCARY MAMA
(Also I am terrified of bees/wasps, so extra scary mama in my book)
The scam is revealed, goblins, getting back into the Wartlop disguise is kinda pointless.
She joined the Beast Keeping coven entirely to cure the curse? That's dedication. A shame you couldn't have spared some of that for Lilith.
Still, I do like badass scary mama Gwen. I'd be down to see more of that.
Owl Beast fight!
I am slayed by the fact that the portraits are now officially a recurring gag đ
Aw, here's The Momentâąïž
"My turn to drive" Does this imply cars are a thing on the Boiling Isles after all?
Lilith crying almost immediatelyđ She was holding onto a lot of pain.
Yes, King, she was trying to do her best. I mean, road to hell or whatever, but at least Gwen got there in the end.
WHAT?! YOU'RE BREAKING UP LULU AND HOOTCIFER?!?!?!?
Terrace, that's just cruel. (Worthless brownie points for whoever understands that reference)
No, seriously, you can't just give me my favorite inter-character relationship in the series after Lumity and just...take it away like that, come on! đđđđđđ
I know I should remark on how Lilith told Gwen about the circumstances of the curse, how Gwen rightfully accepted responsibility for the whole situation, and how Luz finds the big hair aspirational, but...NOOOO DON'T END THE ADVENTURES OF LULU AND HOOTCIFER WHYYYYYYYYYđđđđđđ
"BUT I CAN'T HOLD A PEN!"
I will never emotionally recover from this.
Okay, I think I got that out of my system. Anyway...
Not the only human, huh? Cue the "Belos is a human" theorists going into maximum overdrive.
That said, a tantalizing lore dump.
We certainly do have a lot of garbage. Some of it even holds office. HEY-O!
Setting up the next episode, too. Continuity!
Camp's over, huh? That means it's been three months.
Way to misdirect with Camila, guys. That said, we have now seen Camila cry and I HATE it. (In the right way, I think)
WHAT THE FUCK
HOLY SHIT
CREEPY LUZ IS REAL WHAT
OWJEIWHQGIWWOPQ
(It's hard to keysmash on a phone, even with autocorrect off)
That wraps it up! The flaws in this episode seem more pronounced than any others in the season so far, but the good stuff was really good! Overall a solid episode! I know everybody's looking forward to library Lumity in the next one (so am I), but I'm personally eager to see what they do with Gus. His part is the A plot, after all.
Anyway, I'll be back at this next week! Still hard to believe this is a thing, but that's life, I guess.
#the owl house#eda clawthorne#gwendolyn clawthorne#luz noceda#lilith clawthorne#king of demons#toh king#toh s2 spoilers#the owl house s2 spoilers#the owl house season 2 spoilers#toh spoilers#the owl house spoilers
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Batman Movie Villains Ranked from Worst to Best
Recently, a YouTuber I follow by the name of Mr. Rogues released a list of Batman villains ranked from worst to best. I have nothing but the utmost of respect for Mr. Rogues as a content creator, but I took issue with his list because his long-standing biases were often the deciding factor in many of his rankings. So, I decided to do a list of my own.
Iâll be going over every Batman villain to appear in the movies, briefly analyzing their portrayals and ranking them on a scale of 1 to 5. To prevent the list from being too cluttered, Iâll be separating the villains by which movie series theyâre part of. Here we go!
Burton/Schumacher Tetralogy
Bane: Perhaps the only villain in this series Iâd call âbad.â The calculating tactician of the comics is nowhere to be found here; instead, heâs reduced to a monosyllabic, brain-dead stooge for the other villains. Overall, he does nothing that couldnât be done by a random henchman. 1/5
Two-Face: A deeply layered villain in the comics, Two-Face sadly gets upstaged by the other major rogue in the movie, but thatâs not to say he doesnât leave an impression. Tommy Lee Jones gives him a manic and mercurial demeanor that, combined with his colorful design, wouldnât be out of place in the Adam West series. The size and scope of his criminal organization make him a genuine threat, and thereâs something darkly fitting about Batmanâs former ally being responsible for the creation of Robin. 3/5
Poison Ivy: Mr. Rogues for some reason ranked her as the worst Batman movie villain of all time, and frankly, I donât see why. Like Tommy Lee Jones as Two-Face, Uma Thurman gives this character a delightfully over-the-top demeanor that combines with a colorful, comic-booky ensemble to make for another great âwhat-if-this-character-appeared-in-the-Adam-West-seriesâ take. She does a good job juggling the differing facets of Ivyâs character: sheâs the put-upon cynic, the craven opportunist, the radical eco-terrorist, and the suave seductress all in one package. 3.5/5
The Penguin: Fuck the Razzies. Danny DeVito made this role his own and set the stage for the character for years to come. Heâs a bit of a departure, but a welcome one: far from the refined gentleman of crime Burgess Meredith portrayed, this Penguin is an animalistic thug warped by a lifetime of anger and hatred of the society who rejected him due to his deformities. His signature wardrobe, trick umbrellas, and Penguin gimmick are all there, but DeVito sells the role by showing amazing versatility: he can go from a comical and pitiable weirdo to a terrifying sociopath at the drop of a stovepipe hat. 4/5
Mr. Freeze: I honestly canât say much about this character that my mutual @wonderfulworldofmichaelford hasnât already. Arnold Schwarzenegger perfectly encapsulates both popular versions of this character: the flamboyant, pun-loving criminal genius from the Adam West series and the Animated Seriesâ traumatized scientist desperate to cure his loving wife of her terminal illness. Sure, the puns and hammy one-liners are what this version character is known for, but Ahnold definitely knows when to apply the brakes and give a greatly emotional performance as he tries desperately to cure his wife. 4.5/5
Max Shreck: Probably the only time youâll see a movie-exclusive character on this list, and deservedly so. Corrupt businessmen are dime-a-dozen in Batman stories, and most of them have little personality outside of being greedy scumbags who either get defeated by the hero or betrayed by the other villains. Shreck, however, is different. Not only does he have an eye-catching fashion sense on par with any of Batmanâs famous rogues, but Christopher Walken brings his signature manic intensity to the role, creating a character thatâs as wicked and sinister as he is cool and stylish. You totally buy that the general public sees him as the good guy. His warm relationship with his son is also a delight to watch. 4.5/5
Catwoman: Michelle Pfeiffer does a lot to really make the character her own. She gets a lot of genuinely badass moments, but underneath all of her coolness lies the undercurrent that sheâs a broken, traumatized character lashing out at the people who abused her and took her for granted. Even when she takes these ideals to unreasonable extremes, you never stop feeling like the retribution she brings on her enemies is at least a little warranted. Also, she has amazing romantic chemistry with Batman and her costume is fucking metal. 5/5
The Ridder: Itâs Jim Carrey. 5/5
The Joker: This role is perhaps the one that set the standard for future Jokers to follow: Jack Nicholsonâs humorous yet unnerving performance signaled to audiences early on that this would not be the goofy trickster of the Silver Age, but a different beast entirely. This Joker is a film noir gangster on crack: a disfigured mob hitman who quickly takes the entire criminal underworld by storm and unleashes his special brand of chaos and destruction across Gotham. Heâs an artist, a showman, a charismatic leader, and the man responsible for ruining Bruce Wayneâs life. 5/5
Christopher Nolan Trilogy
Talia al Ghul: You know that recent trend in Disney movies where a side character we thought was harmless and inconsequential turned out to have been the villain all along in a twist with no buildup or foreshadowing with the reveal happening too late in the movie for this character to really do anything cool or impressive before being unceremoniously defeated? Thatâs Talia. DKR is the weakest of the three Nolan films, and I feel like it wouldâve been much better received without this twist villain contrivedly shoehorned in. Also, while I could kinda forgive the trilogyâs whitewashing of other villains like Raâs al Ghul and Bane due to the talent their actors display, Marion Cotillard doesnât get a pass because she just doesnât have the charisma or screen presence needed to pull it off. 1/5
Victor Zsasz: While the idea of redefining Zsasz as an over enthusiastic mob hitman instead of a serial killer is very interesting, itâs ruined by the fact that he barely even appears in the movie and doesnât really do or say much of anything despite the buildup he gets. 1.5/5
Two-Face: Aaron Eckhart portrays Harvey Dent as a character of tragedy in a slightly different way than other tragic villains in superhero movies: heâs lashing out at a society he feels wronged him, but instead of being a lifelong outcast or put-upon loser, he was a handsome, successful crusader for the common good who lost everything he once held dear all in one fell swoop. You really feel for him even as he does horrible things. If I had to nitpick, though, I am slightly bothered by the fact that he plays some comic book movie cliches straight (i.e. they never call him by his alias and he dies at the end,) but itâs a solid performance overall. 3/5
Scarecrow: Iâll be upfront and admit that Iâm more than a little annoyed that certain facets of the character had been changed in the name of ârealismâ â once again, they never call him by his villain name and he never wears a comic-accurate costume â but other than that, I canât complain. Cillian Murphy plays the character with a smarmy, eerie charm that really makes his scenes stand out, his willingness to ally himself with other villains suits his character well, and the fact that he appears in three consecutive films with a different evil scheme in each really helps tie the movies together. 3.5/5
Catwoman: Much like other secondary villains in this trilogy, she really doesnât get a chance to shine compared to the main antagonist â and, once again, it pisses me off a little that they do the whole ânever refer to her as Catwoman but vaguely hint at itâ thing â but sheâs everything a modern Catwoman should be. Sheâs sly, manipulative, really holds her own in a fight, has great chemistry with Bruce Wayne... itâs all there. Itâs also great to see Anne Hathaway break away from her usual type casting to play a role this dynamic. 4/5
Raâs al Ghul: Heâs a character that was in desperate need of mainstream exposure, and by God thatâs what he got. Making him Bruce Wayneâs mentor adds a layer of personal tragedy to the climax where our hero has to stop the man who made him who he is from destroying Gotham with his admittedly brilliant plan. Add in a strong, captivating performance from Liam Neeson before we found out he was a racist asshole, and weâve got one hell of an overarching villain. 4.5/5
The Joker: Everybodyâs already discussed this version of the character to hell and back and likely will for years to come, so Iâll keep it very brief. Heâs funny, heâs badass, heâs terrifying, he has great dialogue, it sucks that Heath Ledger didnât live to see his performance reach the audience it got, and he basically makes the entire film. 5/5
Bane: Mr. Rogues actually ranked Bane higher than Joker on his list, and keeping it 100, I actually agree with him here. Finally, after decades of being dumbed down and misrepresented outside of comics, Bane is finally portrayed as the tactical genius from the comics. Tom Hardy plays Bane to perfection, being very believable as the peak of human physical and mental achievement, the man who broke Batman physically and emotionally. His design is iconic, his every line is quotable, his voice is weirdly fitting, and the memes are funny. 5/5
DC Extended Universe
KGBeast: Another point where I agree wholeheartedly with Mr. Rogues. He is absolutely wasted in BVS, being nothing but a generic henchman for Lex Luthor. He doesnât wear his costume from the comics, heâs never referred to by his alias, he doesnât have his signature cybernetic enhancements, and he never does or says anything noteworthy. 1/5
The Joker: Ugh. I donât know whatâs worst: the tacky clothes, the stupid tattoos, the weird Richard Nixon impression that passes as his voice, the fact that promotional material hyped him up as a âbeautiful tragedyâ of a character even though heâs only in the movie for like 10 minutes and barely does anything, Jared Letoâs toxic edgelord behavior on set done with the flimsy pretense of âgetting into character,â or the fact that heâs just trying to copy Heath Ledger instead of making the role his own. 1/5
Victor Zsasz: Chris Messina proves undoubtedly that Zsasz CAN work as a secondary villain in a Batman movie. Heâs once again a mob assassin who enjoys his job a little too much, but unlike Batman Begins, he really gets time to shine. Heâs just as sadistic and depraved as in the comics, but he also has this disarming, casual demeanor about him like heâs just indulging a hobby instead of slicing innocent peopleâs faces off. His close friendship with his boss Black Mask adds some depth to the character as well. 3/5
Killer Croc: Sadly, he doesnât get much time in the spotlight, but heâs pretty cool nonetheless. The makeup and prosthetics used to create him look amazing, and Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbajeâs deep voice and imposing body language make him really stand out as an intimidating presence. Heâs often in the background, which fits his role as an outcast by choice and a man of few words, but whenever he does get focus, he has everyoneâs attention. It really would be a shame if this characterâs only appearance was in a mediocre schlock action movie, but he makes the most of what he has. 3.5/5
Deadshot: Another highlight of what would otherwise be a forgettable film, Deadshot is just as cool and competent as heâs always been in other media, but this portrayal stands out for one simple reason. Will Smith was a very odd choice to play the role, but it worked out for the best here because you get the sense he truly understands the characters. Heâs ruthless and pragmatic, but has just as enough charm and depth to make him likable. 4/5
Black Mask: I, like many, was skeptical when I saw early trailers depicting Roman Sionis as a foppish weirdo who doesnât wear his signature mask, but upon seeing the final movie, I really feel like he has the high ground over other DCEU villains. Ewan McGregor is endlessly captivating in the role, portraying him as a swaggering dandy who is nevertheless dangerous due to his boundless narcissism and explosive temper. Sure, those who deal in absolutes would be put off from the differences with his comic counterpart â who is far more cold and humorless â but from a certain point of view, this flamboyant take on the character isnât so much a departure as it is an addition to make him stand out while keeping his role the same. Black Mask has always been a middleman between the traditional mobsters of yesteryear and the colorful rogues that plague Gotham today, and this portrayal perfectly encapsulates that. He works in the shadows, but isnât afraid to get his hands dirty; he flies off the handle and gets reckless at times, but thereâs no question that the whole operation was his idea. 5/5
Harley Quinn: Margot Robbie owns this role. Sheâs unbelievably dazzling as a badass, funny, sexy antihero who deals greatly with tragedy and proves that thereâs always been more to her than her initial role as the Jokerâs sidekick. Again, not much to say, but sheâs almost perfect. 5/5
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My 2020 in K dramas (+1 J drama)
I began watching k-dramas in 2018 but Iâve never watched as many shows, Korean or otherwise, as I have in this one. 2020 ¯\_(ă)_/ÂŻ. I think what helps me really enjoy this over Bollywood+Malayalam+ American pop culture I grew up with is that a smirk on the wrong characterâs face doesnât make me seethe with rage and want to burn everything down. Itâs not like growing up with SRK on screen and then having SRK wannabes leave you with lifelong trauma in reality. I can just move on. Itâs removed enough from my everyday life but still familiar in a generic Asian family way. Does that make sense? Itâs not perfect and itâs not free of its own harmful stereotypes and narratives, but thereâs enough of the good stuff to make you stick around. This year I fell in love with Nana, Kim Hye Soo, Han Yeri, Park Eun bin, Ahn Eun jin, Kim Bum, Kim Yong ji, Flower Boyâs Go Dok Mi and Search:WWWâs Bae Tami. Cancelled Ji Chang wook (bye). Desperately missed Kim Jae Wook. Had thoughts on Hwang In Yeop, which were mostly heart eyes. Discovered J dramas and fell in love with Cherry Magicâs Adachi.
My year-in-review below:
LOVED
Into The Ring - I am so glad I saved this for a rainy day because itâs exactly the kind of upright citizen shenanigans my unemployed ass needed at the end of the year.
Goo Se Ra thinks the govt should work for the people but that doesnât mean her own moral compass always points north. Her purpose is to make steady money, and I love seeing her go hard to survive and cobble together what she needs. The thing that really works for me is that she wants to be good, but she isnât always. And you get to see her be disappointed, upset, embarrassed and hurt from being publicly kicked in the gut as she navigates a job where she appears, on the surface, to be a supremely confident, self-serving, accidental politician. What you see as her naivetĂ© is mostly just her being a regular person in an environment dictated by backhand deals and rich people politics. She gets hit again and again, and you see what it does to her sense of worth to get back up again, how she grapples with her self. And through all this the show is funny?! Se Ra is what writers of manic pixie characters think they are doing and not doing at all. Love her friends, and Jang Hye-jin is *chefâs kiss*!
Hyena - Kim Hye Sooâs Jung Geum Ja is perhaps Se Raâs older and darker contemporary. Geum Ja is a survivor and will get what she wants and where she wants to, however many hells she has to cross. Sheâs single-minded about her success, ruthless and has no qualms about bending morals to get the outcome she needs. Sheâll never compromise on who she is or justify how she lives, can build people up and also tear them down, but she also knows care and kindness.
I turned to Signal for more Kim Hye Soo but was disappointed in how the first few episodes seemed to shortchange her. May try again in 2021.
(Highly recommend @saltr0seââs fic series which just GETS Geum Ja so well. Fic writers are the best)
Search: WWW (Finished in 2020) - It took me half a year to finish this. I started watching Search in Oct 2019 and raced through the first 6 episodes because I couldnât take my eyes off the rollercoaster of Bae Tamiâs life. And then I had to take a break because it was a little too close to the frenetic pace of my own industry. As @drivingsideways wrote, a lot of Search is premised around âpatriarchy? who dat?â, which is why watching its politics play out is so fascinating. Itâs also deliciously turmoil-y to watch a very clear-sighted, weathered Tami put on rose-tinted glasses for her romance and then frequently peer over them to evaluate whether it could actually meld into her life.
Catch The Ghost - Kim Seonho oozes charm and perhaps Startup was a showcase of how effectively he can be a typical male lead. But Catch is exactly not that. Go Jiseok and Yoo Ryeong have moulded their lives around to meet their most desperate wishes in life and in the process also left parts of themselves untended. There is guilt, pain and need. Now guess who will tend to whose wounds? Their dynamic is electric even when the central mystery flags towards the last few episodes of the show. I really hope Moon Geun Young is doing well and gets more amazing roles soon. She is so good here.
(Highly recommend @melonaturesââs fic for putting that sizzling on-screen chemistry into words. HOW?!) Cherry Magic - Stories about painfully awkward people are my jam and Eiji Akaso gets Adachiâs shy, nervy energy so right. Cherry Magic is straight up just 12 hours of đ„șđ„șđ„ș.Â
Stranger/Secret Forest -Â Iâve been devouring the entirety of Agatha Christieâs work this year after Stranger reminded me how comforting murder mysteries can be. I love Bae Doona. I also love characters who donât get social norms, not always because they are out to flout them but because thatâs just not how their mind/brain works. (have to watch S2)
Flower Boy Next Door -Â Honestly, the opening scene introducing Park Shin Hyeâs character Go Deok Mi sold me on this immediately. An introverted, penny pinching copy editor living alone and working from home thanks to extreme social anxiety? Love. All the side characters are a lot of fun and Iâve never loved Kim Seulgi and Go Kyung Pyo more. Itâs a warm show, slowly rounding off the sharp edges of every character.
JUST FUN
The Spies Who Loved Me -Â Itâs been a year of disappointing rom-coms and Spies kind of quietly turned it around for me. I want to be the fly on Yoo In Naâs wall as she figures how to play her characters. Iâve only seen her in 3 roles but somehow she always manages to be in character arcs that donât short change her. Spies couldâve been and sometimes is the regular heterosexual fare, but In Na ups the ante over and over again, coming out on top as the smartest person in the room.
ENJOYED WITH *RESERVATIONS*
I have to watch A Piece Of Your Mind again because I donât understand how Jung Hae In and Chae Soo bin built SO MUCH warmth and crackling chemistry with barely a kiss. I was iffy about how the whole AI thing started off and the tortured musician plotline (angsty male artists will forever be an eyeroll for me).
Park Min Young is a queen who never disappoints and When The Weather Is Nice is everything you want in a winter romance. My reservation was in how they explore so much of domestic abuse and the complex ways its traumatised the women in this family. Iâm ok with the characters having imperfect ways of processing and understanding the violence, I welcome it. Iâm not ok with the show dancing around whether the pivotal crime was justified/ self defence (it was).
A lot of dramas did this. I loved Han Yeri and Choo Ja Hyun in My Unfamiliar Family, I didnât like the free pass the show gave their dadâs abusive character.Â
Hwang Jung Eumâs comedy style is generally not my thing but she was pretty great in Mystic Pop-UP Bar. But Iâm side-eyeing the sanctity surrounding motherhood. Maybe I should read more about babies and Korean folklore.
Hospital Playlist was my comfort watch through June and July. I think its wholesomeness and non-plot writing came at a good time for me. But I noticed then that the throughline for all main characters was moral superiority and hence what I then saw as *wholesomeness*. Itâs kind of what makes it a grating rewatch in parts. Plus the real life of misogyny of Yoo Yeon Seok makes me want to push his angelic catholic character off a cliff. (For context, i was raised catholic). I want to continue loving Chae Song Hwa, and for that the showrunners need to stop cornering her with overbearing romantic interests (let that woman breathe! she literally ran away to another city!)Â
Hospital is good at creating moments of comfort, so much so that I went to watch Reply 1988 after it, but had to drop it coz I couldnât get into it. Maybe Iâll come back to it next year.
Once Again is what I call joint family propaganda. What it does well is lay bare the mechanics of living in a society that prizes the heterosexual family structure, the loops you have to jump through to hide when you break its rules and what happens when you are found out. I love the characters, their fights, their frustrations. I just donât love the validation of joint families. (context: i grew up in an oppressive joint family lol). In my au, Nahee and Gyujin donât get married again or immediately have children, but take the long route to figuring out how to love the person the other is. Gahee is openly dating Hyo shin and her parents have to figure out how to process her success and her romance. Young dal and Ok boon have to learn to stop dictating their childrenâs lives. Joon sun runs his company from home, so his wife Hyun kyung can work on what she wants. Choyeon, Joori and Ga-yeon go back to being flamboyant AF and the market learns to not judge. Gyujin and Jaesok have to actually work on the relationship with their mother and what sent her into depression. Just a lot of learning involved.
Just Between Lovers was a nice watch, i just donât get how Kang doo and Ha Moon Soâs relationship will survive his constantly simmering anger.Â
Crash Landing on You was so much fun until the main romance turned angsty, but it gave us North Korean soldier shenanigans and the epic romance of Seo Dan and Alberto Gu that we needed more of.
Tale of The Nine Tailed is probably what Goblin wished it was. I, however, will never be over Lee Rang. (Also, when can gods stop meeting their love interests as babies? Asking for my sanity)
I literally ignored everything in Oh My Ghost except Park Bo Young and Kim Seulgi and it was amazing.Â
NOPE
Goblin, Dinner Mate, Oh My Baby and My Secret Romance were a whole lot of NO, NAHI, ILLAAA.Â
I loved hate-watching The King:Eternal Monarch with the rest of k drama tumblr but someone please take away Kim Eun-sookâs access to gigantic budgets and all-star casts.
It was painful to watch Do You Like Brahms squander away its potential but Iâm glad to be introduced to Park Eun bin. Age of Youth is next on watchlist.
More than Friends to me is only Ahn Eun jin. Someone give her amazing lead roles asap.
Why did Record of Youth do that to Park So Dam and her clothes? Just why
WANTED TO WATCH, BUT COULDNâT BECAUSE *INTENSE*Â
World Of The Married, Itâs Okay Not To Be Okay, Sweet Home, Extracurricular, Penthouse, Flower of Evil, Lie After Lie
WILL WATCH NEXT YEAR
SF8, Stove League, Birth Care Centre but Iâll start the new year with School Nurse Files coz it looks very good.
#long post#kdramas#review#2020#A DECADE#Goo Seraâs and Yoo Ryeongâs are the kinds of stories I wish Iâd watched through my late teens/early 20s#Jung Geum Ja and Bae Tami are who Iâm taking into my thirties.
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a bio for my xiaolinsona! sheâs a work in progress so iâm bound to come back and change it. trivia and more in depth information is under the readmore :)
continued trivia:
sheâd show up somewhere near the start of season 4
sheâs used a LOT for slapstick. in fact sheâs mostly a comic relief character
sheâs guided mainly by emotions, is right brain oriented, and is a hands-on learner
there is a running gag where she frequently has bandaids on her fingers, hands, arms, or anywhere really
sheâs a massive funk junkie. LOVES disco. sheâs also a great dancer
when she comes up with xiaolin showdowns, sometimes sheâll base it off of fun recreational activities or things that seem harmlessly mundane, like mini golf..... tic tac toe.....dance-off...... rock paper scissors..... the showdowns themselves obviously end up being high-stakes and lethal as they always are, except theyâre based off of goofy premises
sheâs probably musically accented by grunge thatâs slightly funky
when itâs funny, she occasionally will use huge words or make jarringly philosophical statements, eg patrick starâs âthe inner machinations of my mind are an enigmaâ cut to footage of milk spilling
shes a lot like charlie kelly. in general. any charlie moment is just. Her. sheâs a wild card and screams every line and huffs glue and tries to get the honey out of a hornets nest outside of jacks house because she thinks hornets make honey and she likes ghouls and she genocides the rats in his basement and sleeps ass to ass with him and is illiterate
she likes to do arts and crafts but they almost always come out as abominations. sheâll occasionally borrow some of jackâs tools to construct her latest atrocity, and sheâll refer to them by a wrong/made up name while sheâs at it. âthe hacksaw dueyâ, âthe electric hole puncher,â âthe automatic pizza cutterâ, etc. yes the projects and the bandaids have a direct cause and effect relationship. please refer to this video (and this channel in general)
youtube
imagine her sitting at a table and just doing this in jackâs lair... this video alone can be used to sum up so much of her. the technique. the bandaids. the blatantly wrong information thatâs said with such conviction. the dark turn towards the end of the video. âsuperfluous protrusion.â the way it ends
continued trivia pt. 2, taken from my instagram
(iâll get into this more further down the post)
fighting style because this is xiaolin showdown:
she has a very nimble, disorienting style of combat. using pokemon stats as an analogy, her highest would be speed by far, followed by attack, with her lowest stats being defense and special attack. this combined with her unrelenting nature makes her an excellent distraction and a general nuisance, but she doesnât fare well in prolonged head to head battle.
favorite shen gong wu:Â
monkey staff, mikado arms, fancy feet, neptune helmet, hoduko mouse, woozy shooter (on herself), tongue of saiping, longi kite, indigo pyramid (on jack (cause itâs funny))
*the shen gong wu sheâs most skilled with in battle are ones that trip up her opponents and cause status ailments. kinda like a prankster
backstory/analysis:
at her core, sheâs a jolly, optimistic, humorous person, but her unruly, isolating childhood put a blow on her psyche. much like jack spicer, sheâs been virtually alone her entire life - she was rejected by peers and adult figures alike since earliest childhood, and her home life was turbulent at best.
to ease the pain, at some point, she took on resenting and judging those around her as a means to cope. she has a holden caulfield-esque defense mechanism in play where if everybody sucks for this reason, or that reason, or those reasons, then she has justification for detaching herself from others, and she can derive her only source of self esteem from being better than them. this hurts far less than the devastating truth that she cannot connect with people on account of feeling so worthless and estranged from other human beings that she could never have the chance to be cared about by anyone. deep down, sheâs in desperate, thrashing need of support and genuine human connection, and she has a warped perception of how she can achieve that.
sheâs taken up evil as a hobby because it nurtures her desire to be destructive and, again, just like jack spicer, she engages in it as a way to feel seen. all press is good press, and the best way to make the headline is to cause some damage. what sets her apart from him in this regard, though, is that she takes all of her pain out on her enemies (in this case, the xiaolin monks) because she canât stand how well off they are - instead, on the basis of their acceptance of one another, she sees them as goody two-shoes phonies who ought to be knocked down a peg. while evil to jack is both a means of getting much needed attention and a convoluted way of spending time with friends, to sid itâs a way to vent frustrations and a way to, well... still garner attention, but also spend time with a friend, except the friend is jack.
the other half of the reason she partakes in petty villainy is that itâs just... fun. she only got wrapped up in all this because sheâd been restlessly putzing around somewhere remote, found a neat doohicky she planned on keeping, and when one thing led to another she wound up in a xiaolin showdown against jack. experiencing the chaos unfold revealed a golden opportunity she couldnât pass up, so she asked jack to let her come with, debuting their partnership (i talk about this in further detail at the end of the post). goofing off and doing evil with him is so much fun to her! it makes her feel alive, a sensation and state of mind she never could fully achieve before.
noteworthy relationships:
jack:Â
they have a team rocket thing going on. not in terms of their interpersonal dynamic, but rather their role in the story, how much of a threat they pose as, their schemes, and even their overall attitude are reminiscent of the iconic duo; theyâre petty, recurring villains with hearts of gold who arenât above occasionally siding with the good guys.
even though they both are on the same tier of comic relief and general foolishness, the metaphor i like to draw is that jack is the left brain and sid is the right brain.
their personalities have such chemistry and theyâre both so goofy that they effortlessly sync up. everyone thinks itâs REALLY annoying
theyâre best friends! they actually care very deeply for one another, even if they might have funny ways of showing it. they may be evil, but theyâre mutually the only and closest friend the other has ever had, and with that carries a lot of weight. think of it - the first person you meet who hasnât been nothing but awful to you likes you and wants to be around you. What a concept
while their relationship is platonic, there are several gags implying a romantic element, even though nothing is ever outright stated. kisses on the cheek, bashfulness, other characters making fun of them (âwhereâs your DUMB little girlfriend?â â..........sheâs not DUMB!!!!!â), domestic references (âam i sleeping on the couchâ)..... itâs left ambiguous because itâs hetbait plain and simple. somebody asks them what they even are and they say Partners In Crime wym. jack asks sid What Are We and she fist pumps the flat of her own chest twice, throws a peace sign and says Weâre Bros
their nicknames for each other include but are not limited to âjackass, jacky-boy, jack-o-lantern, smarty pants, wiggles, spack jicer, spack, mr spack, spackleâ, and âshortstack, pipsqueak, sid the kid, champ, funky monkey, foxy (in a funny way, heâll say it like Whatcha Up To Foxy ? while sheâs like making a mess doing an arts & crafts abomination or just vibing bein her weird lil self.... it comes from a place of playful sarcasm and affection) (champ, funky monkey, and foxy are courtesy of @currentlyfallingthroughspace)
to piggyback off of the left brain vs. right brain metaphor, âheart vs. brain is how they think, right brain vs. left brain is how they act, and two halves of a heart represents their natural dispositionsâ is how my aforementioned friend put it. they both have a lot of heart and are ooey gooey on the inside, but the difference is that sid can grasp the intricacies of emotional/psychological matters while jack canât (actually knowing how to EXPRESS this is another topic). itâs in the same way that jack can effectively plan ahead, use logical reasoning, and know where to go and how to get there, but sid is shabby in this department. âone is aware but doesnât address it until itâs too late, and one canât see it and doesnât ask until itâs too late.â Â
another feature of potential conflict in all incarnations of them is the juxtaposition of sid actually being more down to earth than jack in the grand scheme of things. jack has the potential to go completely overboard, and whether or not he demonstrates the ability to catch himself on the event horizon will ascertain the outcome.
deep down, neither of them are truly evil, and they bring this out in each other as they ultimately contribute to the redemption of one another. how this actually happens is a lot rockier. sid has the intuition and self awareness to become increasingly cognizant of the fact that she engages in schemes as a way to bond with her friend, and, over time, sheâs able to recognize that sheâs simply been acting out, and she consequently softens up over time - but jack is much denser in this regard. he doesnât consciously pick up on the same things she does and still believes that sheâs drinking the koolaid as much as he is. the crucial dissonance in what matters most that had been incubating under the weight of things left unsaid emerges in a major falling out that challenges the nature of their entire dynamic and respective moral codes. i had a lot of help from the same friend with the following series of events and itâs really something that ought to be gone into detail on its own post, but a whirlwind brief summary is that jack becomes desperate from losing over and over so he comes up with this sinister plan thatâs just too far, sid tells him to stop, they get into a nasty fight, sid leaves and makes it clear sheâs not coming back, she goes to the xiaolin dragons for help, jack goes on an evil rampage but also loses his grip and has this mental breakdown because he lost the one person whoâs ever cared about him (or so he thought), sid has the same brutal separation pangs but it doesnât change the fact that jack is still doing what heâs doing, sid gets a firsthand view of a fight breaking out between the monks while sheâs working with them and has a moment of clarity when she observes how they resolve it in such a healthy way, as they continue to work together and help her through the whole fiasco she realizes theyâre not so bad, an entire excruciating series of events thatâs genuinely too large to fit on this post unfolds and it ultimately ends with jack actually having to team UP with the good guys to stop what he started, and it ends with them breaking down, apologizing, and beginning their redemption BUT not without the illustration of several lessons that arose out of the complications of the entire thing...... the overarching lesson thatâd been entrenched in their entire dynamic from the start, albeit corny, is that caring and being cared for was all they ever needed, and they learn to cultivate that within each other right under their own noses. it would be fun to have them stay as recurring villains forever, but seeing how much good is in their hearts is enough to make you wonder how they were ever evil.
xiaolin monks:
she thinks she hates them, but she doesnât really. while her opinion of them is marked by resentment and distaste, she also holds them in high regard. a part of her wishes she could be friends with them, but the mental landscape sheâs paved for herself doesnât reveal that as an option. in her mind, sheâs already been rejected by them. so why try?
the way she takes her pain out on them - people who had nothing to do with her traumas - can be summed up by the spinel su quote, âwhy do i want to hurt you so bad? iâm supposed to be a friend. i just want to be a friend.â
she gets chummier with them upon her redemption. out of the group, she gets along best with clay and dojo :)Â
bonus origin episode
this would be the imaginary early season 4 episode i mentioned at the beginning of the post. itâs more of a loose string of ideas tied together with reckless abandon but hey. the episode would open with jack feeling lonely and down on his luck to establish the theme that he kinda needs a friend (âwuyaâs gone, chase trained his cats to get surly with me if i show up, my evil dream team wonât answer my calls....â). his sulking is interrupted by a shen gong wu alert and heâs like. whatever. i donât need them. iâm still gonna do this on my own. even if itâs. ËĄá”âżá”ËĄÊž. fastforward to the scene i described where sid is putzing around with her doohicky (which iâm considering might be the neptune helmet) all by her sad miserable lonesome when suddenly some flying bloke in a trenchcoat who looks like he hasnât seen the sun in years shows up telling her sheâs got something he needs. she of course responds with something along the lines of âyou know what? why donât you try to take it from me since you want it so bad, mr big stuff,â triggering a xiaolin showdown. this is around the time the xiaolin dragons show up too late - but theyâre grateful for somebody having been there to fight jack in time, even if they have no idea who they are. she has no clue whatâs going on, but whatever it is, she LOVES it. she goes buckwild. she has a time. jack, on the other hand.... well, understanding how badly he needs that wu is certainly throwing a wrench in it, but he canât help but feel like heâs having a bit of fun too. well, up until he loses. post-showdown, the monks kinda count their chickens before they hatch so to speak and they rush over to this new kid with a shower of praise, thinking they have a friend on their side. instead, she cuts them off, shouts to the guy whoâs gathering his bearings (or lack thereof) - âhey! jack was it?â - and playfully tosses her shen gong wu in the air, catching it. âyou look like you need this thing way more than i do. tell you what! take me with and iâll let you borrow it,â is what she follows it up with, implying she wasnât really that invested and only saw the whole thing as a fun game. jack and the monks are flabbergasted. whatâs more bizarre is she did in fact ask to join him, something nobodyâs ever done out of their own volition before. she talks about how boooooooooooring it is here and how that was soooooo much fun and to pleeeeeeeease take her with. heâs really iffy about it and doesnât know if itâs such a good idea. he tries to make himself look cool, telling her âas IF, shortstack..........im afraid The Jack Rides Alone................................................. but-â and ultimately buckling because he canât deny that it would be nice to have someone around.
#IM PROBABLY GONNA COME BACK AND CHANGE SO MANY PETTY THINGS BUT I HAD TO RIP OFF THE BANDAID#xiaolin showdown#xiaolin showdown oc#xiaolinsona#draws#btw her last name is question marks because i havent come up with anything yet#i have utmost confidence about this i literally think of her and jack as a duo even though shes not a real character#also it's important to add that i hope it goes without saying that a lot of her qualities arent direct translations of my own#her qualities are based on my own and are in some cases translated to represent how it would manifest in this narrative#sonas are tools u know. not being like THIS IS LITERALLY ME!!! cause its a bit different#for example my own opinions of the other characters and her opinions of the other characters differ. u kno for tha story#xiaolinsonabio
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quest of the spear live rewatch!
i already spewed my pre call to adventure flynn thoughts all over a text post but I would like to repeat: pre-canon flynn my beloved <3
yes he is a bit of a bastard but he just loves his books and heâs so genuinely just like. passionate and likeâŠ. Big? does that make sense? like i mean inside. not literally. bright
flynnâs mom is so fucking funny
and sheâs Trying Her Best
you know one thing I donât understand, I assume that flynn could afford to keep going to college because of like grants and scholarships since heâs all smart and like, even if his mom is well off, no one below the morally bankrupt millionaire line can pay for 22 degrees and not die of no-money-itis otherwise known as Starving
but like. why not become a professor or some other academia position?
youâd be incredibly overqualified and youâre a white dude, so while academia isnât exactly bursting with new spaces to fill Iâm sure you could find something???? and like. a professor in particular, while baby flynn might not be great at the connection part, seems like a natural progression to at least try for considering it keeps you in that comfort zone and familiar space just in a different albeit familiar role, and allows you to go on long lectures people canât interrupt. and like, professors literally like, part of their job is research and to continue learning, so like. it seems like the natural choice for him to go for?
donât get me wrong, baby flynn in particular might not be extremely well suited considering his lack of people skills, but plenty of professors are brilliant slightly odd smarties who give long, super engaging theatrical lectures (sounds like him!) but suck at one on one meetings and talking to people or may be accidentally insulting, but like, their class is genuinely interesting and they grade decently so like, I think he could get past that hurdle is what Iâm saying
obviously heâd have to work at it and get the skills necessary but you know what that means? MORE SCHOOL, BABY! just in a different direction! like just? it seems like the obvious choice for his situation
ah yes!!! magic letter!!! itâs kind of funny they do this, itâs a great hook and way to make applicants go Uh Excuse Me and want to know more but also like, thereâs no proof magic happened either?
although youâd think some people would get obsessive like let me tell you if i encountered real ass magic like that i wouldnât stop until i had an answer
ah the Incredibly Long Interview Line. itâs kinda how funny how like. Not Special he is but at the same time he is?
ânever been treated so badly in my entire life!â what did you say to him charlene
iâm sure he deserved it i just want to know
wait oh no i just realized
all these people are dead
every single one of them got murdered in the first episode of the series
jesus thatâs dark
not gonna be able to stop thinking about that one huh
also love how itâs pretty evenly men and women
although itâs still mostly white
fuck that lady just left crying I know theyâre doing this to turn up the drama but DAMN, charlene
god he almost gave up. remember the timeline episode where he never became the librarian? weird.
Gkjlfkgjhfglh Where Do You Think Youâre Going? (weak gesture like âme?â) Yes You. Get In Here amazing how can she even see him sheâs around the CORNER. camera? magical surveillance? why? just to freak people out? amazing.
i do so love charlene, itâs a shame she wasnât in the show more
also she literally never explains shit. What Makes You Think You Can Be The Librarian he doesnât even know what that means, charlene
He Doesnât Even Have A Library Science Degree
oh wow he does actually have librarian qualifications lmao
why did i not remember that
DLKFGJDFG I did remember him sherlocking her tho
wait her MARRIAGE? to WHO?
i thought her and judson were a thing despite jenkins being into her or something?
huh
also why does this qualify him to be The Librarianâą like oh he can sherlock? ok?
maybe itâs just bc he had the balls to do it
well, the sherlock thing is also not completely unhelpful it just doesnât seem central to his skills, or at least, not the way he uses it (do we see him use it like this again? he usually applies more obscure knowledge then ye classic deduction sherlockian skills if I remember correctly which I may not because my brain is smooth)
judson is such a fucking drama queen
LKDJFGLKDJFGLDKFJG I FUCKING FORGOT HE LITERALLY JUST FUCKING REPEATED HIS MOMâS LITTLE PHRASE AMAZING
also why did he seem to think her sending everyone home meant he didnât get it why would she stop all interviews because you fucked up
he just fucking walked out of a wall judson you are so dramatic
also warehouse 13 vibes huh. welcome to a world of endless wonder
I could do a whole fucking thesis on warehouse 13 and the librarians orâwell thatâs a whole other tangent
anYWYA
this interview was remarkably easy tho, itâs not like he wasnât impressive but it wasnât mindblowing either????? this coming from a big fan of flynn
the big shiny wonderous eyes as the library lights upâŠâŠflynn my beloved
also his floofy hair ldkfgjdlkfgj
heâs like this is too good am I being prankâd
why the mona lisa?????iIs the mona lisa magic??? It only became famous because it got stolen why would it be magic??? Is this one of those we make it magic by believing it or some shit things???
Flynn Do Not Open The Random Box In The Library Of Incredibly Dangerous Artifacts
oh hello excalibur !!
oh rip flynn immediately being like âoh im not worthy, trust meâ with 100 percent certainty im hurt oof
KSJFLGKDJGLKDJG THE APPLE âthe apple from the garden of edenâŠâŠ.â *judson takes a bite* âactually I just left this hereâ
excalibur hello properly!!!!
judson is such a fucking DRAMA QUEEN heâs so casual!! and cal you too you slippery bitch! Â
ah the jetpack.
DLFKGJDLKFGJ âit usually takes a new librarian four hours to find the jetpack. you did it in three! congratulationsâ love the implication that every librarian (at least since it was added to the library) has done this no matter how serious like the bad guy of this movie⊠*checks notes* edware wilde? jetpack. darrington dare, probably? jetpack. i like to think jenkins did it too (not technically a librarian, but you know)
flynn thinking of himself as embarrassing⊠âč
HIS MOM IS SO PROUD OF HIM
part sweet, part funny, part rip
I donât know what she was expecting when he said librarian tho like. originally he literally looked at shit for FRY COOk degrees donât always mean shit you know
and librarian is up there with professor in Perfect Jobs For Flynn like what did you expect??? Like even if heâd become an archaeologist (a âcoolâ job) itâs not like that pays super well either as far as I know??
he was never going to be Traditionally Successful
heâs still the same person he still has the same strengths and passions of course he would go into academia and do something like librarian like????? her reaction saddens me.
just be happy for him!! look at him!!!
ok first of all even normal non magic librarians donât just put books on shelves and thatâs a condescending reduction of the job, and second of all, he is so happy!! he has a job, heâs taking responsibility, heâs meeting people, isnât that enough??? isnât that literally what you wanted??? even if it WERE what you think it is why couldnât it just be a good first step??? like??? fuck??? you did been know that he was doing all those fancy degrees because he loved them not because theyâd get him some super fancy job??? I mean egyptology is not the most profitable field you know this isnât med school or whatever
god.
flynnâs mom, visibly not proud and very upset: of course im proud of you!
ok im being a little unfair, sheâs trying and clearly sheâs been supportive of him, if not straight up enabling of him, but like this is clearly being presented as like. normal person who is normal forced to take care of freakish strange son who is so nerdy and strange and a loser and she is so tired of his shenanigans and all that WORK she put in and heâs NOT FANCY AND CHANGING TO CONFORM TO HER IDEALS OF A GOOD SUCCESSFUL SON/MAN?
and thatâs just all very. sigh.
the snake brotherhood are such obnoxiously cheesy villainous villains theyâre even called the snake brotherhood
also I think weâre supposed to recognize him as the previous librarian from the painting but if I didnât already know that I for sure would not know that
smartass flynn is a smartass
I never got people bringing someone coffee to impress them unless they knew their order like thereâs no way you know who she likes her coffee so you could so easily get it wrongâlike even if you donât know exactly how much sugar she wants, you could also just get it entirely wrong like assume she likes black coffee but she likes it super sweet, or vice versa, or whatever. it can go wrong so easily!
or she could go âI Hate A Kiss Assâ
she did take it anyway tho so.
ah i did forget (or just not actively think about) how much like⊠christian mythology there is in this show :/ I mean we did been knew (excalibur and arthurian legend are pretty important to the mythology)
not that christian mythology is inherently bad it just gets a) annoying, b) boring, and c) yâknow, very western centric and all
but then trying to reconcile diâyou know what thatâs a tangent for another time
then again I do assume no one is going to read this
the library really does just throw new librarians into death and go âhope this is fine!â huh
did they just imply god is canon in the âthe librarianâ universe
you were so cryptic with the no one thing!! just say NOONE
heâs scribbling in his notebook and mumbling out loud what a mood and I love him. what a nerd
ldfkgjdlkjg god sexy jazz music and a breeze this is so dumb
I do hate the forced love interests in all these movies itâs always like Some Hot Girl Is There And They Get It On!
like he really had chemistry with eve and banter but here it kinda feels like that wish fulfilment and then the nerd gets the hot chick the end and im saying that as the nerd
it doesnât help that each movie has a different one who immediately is dropped as if she never existed afterwards
maybe itâs not as bad as I remember but. sigh
my instant impression of her is to not like her sorry nicole :/
sheâs just so rude? sheâs like. hot (derogatory)
i get thereâs gender politics here with like. sheâs used to being treated like a piece of meat and generally like, why not reap the benefits when you are going to get the creeps too, but like, also sheâs just so unnecessarily rudeâI mean rejecting his clumsy flirting is one thing but you knowâok I wonât even get into that the point is I just donât really like her that much even tho I donât think sheâs necessarily a bad person or anything you know
but to be fair I think she got better and I remember her being compelling in her return to the show
and like. I do like how the trend in this franchise is âsmart little nerd librarian and badass lady guardian kicks assâ but I do wish that it turned around occasionally. we do get cassandra but like. more lady librarians
wow an air marshal? arenât they rarely even on flights?
sorry im being nitpicky there for sure lmao. please delete the cinamasins ding my words probably summoned from your brain
I get why shoving him out was necessary but also Wow
Gjklhkjfgh imagine sitting next to some mumbling nerd the whole flight and then you see him fly past the windows
LFKGJDLKJDFG he brilliantly lowers our expectations then jumps without a chute! remarkable!
hilarious or commentary on men getting credit for womensâ competency? why not both
i really thought that she was going to be a lying liar the first time I watched this
ah naĂŻve boy. âuh thatâs against the lawâ
flynnâs greatest strength isnât just his knowledge but his like. breadth of different topics, just like, passion for learning of any time, and like. the ability to not just know a lot of different things but cross-reference and apply them to each other and use them in tandem to understand a greater whole
and we love that for him!
ah flynn therapizing himself lmao
why would she take him going âthis bridge is rotting and physically cant support our weightâ as a challenge
or him being cowardly like THE STRUCTURAL SUPPORTS ARE ROTTING
YEAH WHAT DID YOU EXPECT OF COURSE HE FUCKING FELL
ok i lied i like nicole i just donât love their dynamic
i get what theyâre going for i just. not my thing
like with eve there was still a clear mutual respect? i guess? idk
maybe itâs just because iâm more sensitive to mean banter? i donât like mean banter, even when itâs like, def 100 percent well meaning and not mean spirited and no one is actually offended or hurt
although despite not liking their Thing I do a) think itâs very cute how he looks at her, b) their vibe as they start to get to know each other is Better, c) the end of the movie scene where she rides in for maximum drama? now that was good shit.
oh heâs sherlocking her in a shy attempt to impress her but itâs only going to piss her off, right?
oh sheâs just sherlocking him back
KSGFJLDKFGJ LMAO ânerdâ and thatâs it. fair
Cutting Off His Head damn thatâs hardcore
hmmmm cringe,
and more cringe
and cringe.
her waking up to him gone right after telling that story about waking up to her librarian gone and then killedâoof
love the serpent brotherhood lady being like wow!! heâs SO COMPETENT!! (cuts to him screaming)
do these ancient traps just have infinite arrows?
also I do love the whole waltzing across trope what can I say im a sucker
DFLKGLDKFGJLDKJG fucking CHUCKS SOMETHING AT IT and immediately where he would be standing is crushed by a huge rock amazing
he literally just chucked a rock at it and it fell over
ah the classic âlet the hero get it for usâ move
oh there he is! rip
why does he look like macpherson
not really but kind of
also contrast between the lady always being like âomg the librarian is so smartâ and him assuming nicole is the one who did the smart thing
âyour tears were perfectâ how much more of an asshole can you get
They really could have played him as more sympatheticââoh, weâre always around these powerful artifacts but we never use them for good! I had to do it, I was sick of sitting back and doing nothingâ or like âall those years of danger and guarding powerful things and what good did it ever do me? what do I get for my service?â or anything but nah hes just like âmm power good babes. anyway I love sex and being meanâ
to be fair flynn he was the librarian tooâa real librarian? I mean yeah edward was corrupted and ultimately failed his duties but he had to have been qualified and actually got the job for a reason
flynn I know you think you sound badass but you really donât
god not shangri-la again. everything the show did with that was. Bad. yikes
why isâgod, I should really learn her name [checks notes] lana fangirling so much?
also following the lamia tradition of âserpent brotherhood second in command who is more interesting than the main evil white guy and also a pretty wocâ huh
never got like âthis is literally impossibleâ âwell do it or I [generic bad guy threat]â like usually that means nothing lmao
LDFKGJLDKFJLDKFGJ ok first of all god is me? bitch?
second of all. me in english? on this fucking ancient very much not english thing? I mean I guess a) it might not be literal, even though he did say âm, eâ by letters, b) it is a christian myth so maybe planted later??? but like?????
dude. giving the super powerful artifact to your prisoner? bad idea. if youâre worried about booby traps have a minion do it.
oh yes your gun is so scary in the face of a temple collapsing
why do heroes always think the whatever is safer with them than the temple thatâs guarded it for a thousand years
I get itâs been discovered but like. fuck. still
You Are Going To Crash This Helicopter
SLKGJ HORRIBLE HIGH VELOCITY PIE OF DEATH
flynn and judsonâŠ..wholesome
oh here comes more forced romance
just let them be friends who grow to mutually respect each other blease
it is very fucking funny that the mom is like âŠ.. oh my godâŠ. oh my god,,, a WOMAN AJUST ANSEWREDM Y SDONGS PHONE?????????OH MY GOFD?????
he is bisexual. but itâs good heâs getting out
ah floofy hair
cahooting,
Yes You Do Need Clothes
thatâs a teleporter sir
god eddie wild is such a boring fucking villain and person
and his plan SUCKS
also the serpent brotherhood (why BROTHERhood?) sucks and hates the library why would they just let this guy, a librarian, literally be their new leader
wow he just stabbed a guy on his OWN TEAM for no reason
great going asshole
love how lana is just likeâŠ. O-O
we stan lana. she hasnât done much and sheâs technically a bad guy i just love her
âat last we can be oneâ what does that even mean
why would lana or any of them want to help him he just killed one of their own for no reason hes clearly tripping on power and leaving yall to die
lfkgjdlkfgj flynn dodging so hard while the others is fight and then PUNCHING A GUY
dfglkjdflgkj wait itâs the professor dude why is that so funny
is he WITH THEM??? I think I just missed something
hold on a sec
yeah I think he just appears??? And flynn just fucking broke his nose iconic
wait so was he with them or is he just here going WHY ARE THERE RANDOM PEOPLE IN MY PYRAMID????????????
oh right he built theâok I got it
Wait what
I mean I did think lana was neat and she seemed impressed with flynn but what shes just like, in love with him now? that makes zero fucking sense why would she want them to Be Together
Is it just so there can be a catfight between the two hot chicks?
seriously tho? morally pure blonde blue eyed girl versus Evil Asian Chick? really?
for the record NOT THAT IT MATTERS but lana is way cuter im just saying
ah badass judson
THE COMEDY OF THE CAPSTONE CRUSHING HIM DLFKGJDLKFGJ
ohâŠâŠâŠâŠ.pulling out excaliburâŠ. predicable but so good
oh the paintingâŠ.the very Parenty way of revealing itâŠâŠ wholesome
oh did NOT like that transition
oh here comes the badass fucking entrance with his gf busting in on his mom trying to set him up with girls
HER ENTRANCE IS SO UNNECESSARAILY DRAMATIC I LOVE THEM
I just love the momâs face ldfkgjldfkgjdlkfgjdlkfjgd shes like WHAT THEGUFVCJK
again I donât love the vibes of âoh my weird loser son is finally normal!â but to be fair im exaggerating a bit from just facial expressions itâs just. sigh
but ngl the vindication of him being able to be like. yeah thatâs right im a badass now and my gf is cool as fuck is still good
him and nicole do have not terrible vibes at the end but if I remember correctly that mission (time travelling ninjas and hg wellsâs time machine) is the one that separated them so rip I guess
overall: good movie! as cringe as I remember but I still love flynn so much
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A Ponderous Rewatch: Prologue
You know, I didnât think this would happen. I didnât go into bingeing the 2020 renewal of Animaniacs with the thought âIâm going to watch this and then go and watch the original Pinky and the Brain shorts and spin-off show and do a rewatch and loose analysis on the whole franchise with special attention on queer subtext and themesâ. What I initially set out to do was simply watch the renewal and see if it lived up to the show I watched pretty regularly as a kid in the 90sâŠor at least what I remembered of it through the haze of decades worth of time.
Pinky and the Brain was my favorite set-up on Animaniacs back in the day. Back then I probably wouldnât even have been able to tell you why beyond âI think itâs funny and the characters are fun to watch as they screw up trying to take over the worldâ. Other segments were funny to me back in the day, too. Slappy the squirrel was great in that she was basically just like the classic, near-timeless Looney Toons a la Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck, but as an old lady toon whoâs seen it all and tries to relate to the changing world while proving that the olâ slapstick ways still work. The Goodfeathers were entertaining despite the fact that I was a literal child and didnât even know that it was a big olâ spoof of Goodfellas. Hell, Iâve still never seen Goodfellas, but three pigeons trying to carry themselves like macho tough guy mafia folks while being goddamn pigeons is still funny with or without that context. And as for the Warner siblings themselves? Their skits were pretty consistently great as well. Lots of that Bugs Bunny-like energy of putting terrible folks in their place when they annoy you while coupling it with the dynamic of three child siblings who are very, very active and much too clever for the average person. It was fun!
But as I watched the 2020 reboot with its stripped-down cast now largely consisting of just the Warner siblings and Pinky and the Brain segments for the season (And Iâll be honest, some of the segments from the 90s like Katie Kaboom, Buttons and Mindy, and the Hip-Hippos are ones Iâll be happy to never have return because they were godawful even back then), it brought into focus the strength of those segments compared to most of the others from the old 90s line-up: The strong dynamic and chemistry of the relationships between the main characters of those skits. The Warner siblings are a trio of kids who, despite being truly cut from the same wacky cloth as the most beloved of Looney Toon characters, also very much tap into a very realistic depiction of sibling relationships. Sure, they get on each otherâs nerves sometimes. Sure, sometimes they have disagreements on how they view a certain situation. At the end of the day, however, they care about each other more than anything else and work in such perfect sync despite differences in who they are individually. Â Sure, Yakko is a talkative theater kid jackass who sasses back at the drop of a dime. Sure, Wakko is kinda quiet and spaced-out and he has the appetite of a garbage disposal. Sure, Dot is adorable and witty and loudly and proudly feminist with an oddly feral streak. But if any one of them is inconvenienced or picked on or threatened in any way by someone, even if that someone is a powerful celebrity of some sort? You bet your ass the other two will immediately back their sibling up and make their tormentorâs life a living hell for the next however long the skit lasts. Theyâre little gremlin children who love one another, and have a surprisingly tragic backstory that actually speaks to a lot of fans on several levels.
But, okay, the bond between the Warner siblings is great and fun. What about Pinky and the Brain? What makes their dynamic stand out?
Folks, thatâs where things get a little moreâŠinteresting. To me, at least.
So, watching the beginning of the 2020 reboot got me to slowly remember the parts I loved about the Pinky and the Brain skits from AnimaniacsâŠwere actually from their spin-off show. And the things I remembered most clearly from the spin-off were the more heartwarming moments that showed how much they cared about and loved one another, despite Brain being exhausted by Pinkyâs dimwitted antics at times. And for a supposedly continuity-light cartoon show, there was a surprising amount of consistency to the main duo and their motivations. There was even a handful of reoccurring side characters the audience was expected to recognize from past episodes, as well, which is a bit strange to have for a show that initially seemed to aim to be strictly episodic. I remembered the odd amount of depth there was to the series. Nothing groundbreaking, mind you, but definitely something more than the average comedy cartoon.
So after watching the first few episodes of the reboot, I took to Tumblr to see if anyone remembered the old 90s show and to see how they were reacting to the new one. In doing so, I came across this post:
âi love that ppl make jokes abt a pinky and the brain version of the destiel confession because that. already happened....... the only difference is that brain pulls pinky out of superhell instead of dying on a barn nailâ
Now, look, Iâve never watched Supernatural and only know it through Tumblr cultural osmosis, and at the time we were all riding off the high of the madness that was the finale of that show and the fallout from it. But ANYWAYâŠ
This piqued my interest because 1. I didnât remember watching an episode of Pinky and the Brain where anything like that happened, and 2. I was already picking up strong gay vibes from the reboot only a few episodes in. So, basically, I just had to hunt down this episode to sate my curiosity and see for myself if there was subtext in this 90s cartoon that I hadnât quite picked up on as a kid.
I found the episode and started watching it. âWow,â I said to myself, âthis is a lot gayer than I rememberâŠâ And after finishing the episode, memories came flooding back to me:
That time the Brain fell for a girl mouse that was looked and acted lot like Pinky.
All those moments where Pinky would wear drag to disguise himself as Brainâs significant other in one way or another to further their plans for that episode, and how I could never remember it being ridiculed.
That one time they accidentally had a child together via a science mishap.
The ending of the Christmas special!...
And as I sat there, dumbstruck and searching Tumblrâs tags to see how far this particular rabbit hole (mouse hole?) went, everything finally clicked in my little bisexual mind.
This was one of the big reasons as to why I loved the Pinky and the Brain skits so much above all the others on Animaniacs all those years ago when I was a kid. It was the same sort of thing that subconsciously drew me to many of the cartoons and anime and media in general I loved as a child, back before I had the proper knowledge and self-awareness to know or express it.
Looking back on my life, Iâd always gravitated to and resonated the most with stories and media with queer content in text or subtext. And sure, this cartoon was/is no Sailor Moon or Revolutionary Girl Utena with explorations of gender roles and queerness. Itâs no Steven Universe or She-Ra with out and proud queer characters. Itâs no The Little Mermaid or The Happy Prince where the stories were made by queer authors and subtextually about queer experience.
HoweverâŠ
HoweverâŠ!
I was surprised to find how deep the gay subtext went with Pinky and the Brain. Hell, I still am. This little Warner Brothers, Looney Toons-pedigree, continuity-light show about two lab mice trying to take over the world in bizarre, hilarious ways has such a weirdly continuous, heartfelt, touching, engaging, and sometimes outrageously raunchy queer undercurrent to it. All done in the 90s! Itâs kind of baffling.
This is not to say that the creators and writers of the shows deliberately set out to do this. I donât believe that anyone involved sat down and said to themselves âIâm going to make this so fucking gay!â. Sure, the voice actors of both Pinky and the Brain have said that they played the dynamic with âthe energy of an old gay coupleâ and theyâve said plenty of suggestive or outright not safe for work things in the characterâs voices in interviews and at convention panels. I firmly believe that theyâre just having fun as the characters, just as much as I believe the writers were probably just having fun and putting in the gay subtext and suggestive lines as a kind of long running joke and seeing how far they could take it.
(By the time of the Pinky and the Brain comics, however, Iâm not so sure. Some of the stuff they got away with in those issues isâŠamazing, to say the least.)
Regardless of actual intent, I think the writers of Pinky and the Brain (both old and new), have accidentally created a sort of subtextual, yet pretty powerful love story. And you know what? I want to rewatch this story for myself and write down my thoughts as I go along. I tried something similar quite a while back with Droids, and while I kind of ran out of steam as my life got busier and never finished, I have time now for something like this.
I should also say that Iâm not out here to, like, convert anyone into shipping cartoon mice together. I imagine most people see Pinky and the Brain as nothing other than very close friends, and thatâs a completely valid viewpoint to have. I doubt there will ever be some sort of canonization of a gay relationship between the two, as I imagine most of the writers on the new show (and hell, on the old one) are heterosexual themselves and would view such an idea as âruining the comedy and the dynamic of the charactersâ or something similar. Iâve been in the fandom game long enough to know better than to hope and expect any media to sincerely tackle queer relationships in stories that only have the subtext there, especially in comedies.
I guess Iâm doing this more to explore something I loved as a child and to see if I can find just as much if not more enjoyment from it as an adult, albeit maybe for different reasons. Hell, itâs also an opportunity to peek into a kind of time capsule from the 90s regarding how far queer subtext could be pushed back then, even when heavily couched in comedy. This is just a little project I wanna do for fun in my spare time. And hey, maybe a few of you out there will have some fun reading it too, who knows?
Either way, see you sometime soon in the new year.
#Pinky and the Brain#PatB#A ''little project'' I say as I look at the 65 episode list of the spin-off series...#What have I gotten myself into?
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Falling For You.
â Chapter 11
Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Fem!Reader
(Modern High School AU)
Warnings: Swearing, some angst, finally some real Fluff between these two!!
Synopsis: Unlike most teenagers, you had your life completely mapped out. Youâd graduate high school, go off to the university of your dreams, and live the life that your parents always wanted you to. That was always the plan.
Falling for Bucky Barnes, however, was never part of that plan.
Being âjust friendsâ isnât enough. Becoming anything more is too much. But suppressed feelings canât stay ignored forever, and you were about to learn that a lot sooner than you thought.
A/N: ok so i havenât been writing as much recently so this has took me so frickin long to finish and iâm sorry!! i think this fic is gonna finish at around 15 chapters?? iâm not so sure yet but thereâs still some story to happen after they finally mf kissed so weâll be exploring that as we go! anyways, please enjoy :)
Series Masterlist
âBucky?â
âYeah?â
âAre you listening to a word Iâm saying?â
The boy was sat on the wooden chair next to you, chin resting in his palm against the table in your dining room. An array of papers spread in front of him, dozens of questions and chemical equations scattered across the sheets, yet his dazed blue eyes were looking at anything but them.
School soon came back around after Valâs party on New Yearâs Eve, which was unfortunate for you and Bucky, who had been joint at the hip since that night. Yes, youâd agreed to take things slow, but youâd finally gotten to a point where you didnât feel the need to pull away from each other, where you could spend all of the time that you wanted together because your feelings were now out in the open, and you didnât want to end the blissful honeymoon phase any time soon.
The two of you had yet to tell your friends about everything thatâd happened; youâd barely even picked up your phone since spending so much time with Bucky. It was comforting in a way, nobody but you and him knowing about it, not feeling any pressure to answer the million questions you knew that Wanda would have, and Bucky not having to deal with all the teasing heâd get from his group of friends. Theyâd probably figure it out in time, considering you werenât exactly hiding it at school. Until then, however, you were going to savour the last bit of peace you and Bucky had before the questions rolled in.
The new year had began, the cool January weather making it difficult to leave your home in the morning to get to school, and the dreaded last few weeks before the application deadline for universities had came around too. That was a topic you kept pushing out of your head, though you knew youâd have to face it soon. At the moment, you were focusing on helping Bucky with chemistry, after the teacher had informed him of his low performance in the subject over the first half of the year. Though the boy frankly couldnât care less, the teacher had told him that if he didnât pass the next test in class, heâd have compulsory tutoring after school for three days a week, which he definitely did not want to endure. So, who better to ask for help in passing the class than you?
âItâs too hard.â Bucky groaned, slumping in his seat. âThis is pointless; Iâm never gonna understand this shit.â
You rolled your eyes at his pessimism, nudging him with your foot under the table. âYouâre not even looking at the sheet, or listening to me, for that matter. Câmon, Buck, Iâm trying here. Can you at least try the first question?â
The boy felt a little bad, you were trying, and he was letting himself daydream like an idiot.
It didnât mean he couldnât have some fun with it, though.
âYou know,â He started, the smirk pulling at his lips indicating for you to prepare for whatever sarcastic comment was about to leave his mouth. âI think Iâd feel a lot more motivated if we made out a little first. Might get my brain workinâ some more.â
The boy had the nerve to lean in, expecting you to follow along with his attempt to try and distract you from tutoring him. Poor kid, he was going to have to try a bit harder than that.
You let his lips get within a couple of inches of yours before you placed your hand flat on his chest, his disappointed pout making your chuckle against his lips. âYouâre not smooth, James. Sit your ass back down.â
Plonking back in his seat, Bucky let out a dramatic sigh. âTease.â He mumbled under his breath, reluctantly picking back up his pen.
âIdiot.â You mimicked his tone.
Not that youâd admit it aloud, but making out with Bucky was something you were definitely missing out on while denying your feelings for him. Youâd never kissed someone so passionately before, and it wasnât long after your first kiss before the two of you had to fully restrain yourselves from taking the making out any further, not wanting to rush into things just yet.
He was a good kisser, you had to hand it to him. Obviously heâd had more experience than you in the past, which made you a little self conscious initially, but Bucky somehow managed to make you feel anything but insecure when he kissed you.
âHow am I meant to know what the structure of a diamond is?â His voice brought you from your thoughts.
âYou use the textbook thatâs an inch away from your hand on the table, thatâs how.â
âSweets, canât you just tell me the answer?â
âThat literally defeats the whole point of me trying to tutor you.â
âLike I said! Itâs all pointless.â
âBucky Barnes, youâre the most frustrating person Iâve ever known.â You stated, narrowing your eyes as the boy laughed.
He took your hands in his, pulling you closer to him. âI think what you meant to say was âBucky Barnes, youâre the hottest person Iâve ever known... and I really wanna make out with you right nowâ.â
Well, he wasnât wrong.
You shook your head, biting back a smile. âYou donât give up easily, do you, Buck?â
âNever gave up on you, did I?â
God, he was so annoyingly perfect. With his stupid sarcastic comments and his stubbornness that drove you up the wall, with his fluffy hair and his âcarved by Lord himselfâ bone structure, with his soft lips that you really wanted to kiss. Fuck.
Maybe he gave up way too easily on the chemistry work, but that was beside the point. He never gave up on the things he cared about, and you were lucky enough to be one of them.
âFucking hell,â You murmured, making Bucky smirk. âJust... just kiss me, Bucky.â
The boy didnât have to think twice before putting his lips on yours, the euphoric sensation from being so close to him one that youâd never get tired of.
It was safe to say that those chemistry questions werenât completed that day, but it didnât matter in that moment. You were savouring every second that you spent with Bucky; you both owed the time to yourselves and each other after hiding your feelings for over a year.
Things with Bucky really seemed to be looking up, and you couldnât imagine that anything could get in the way of the two of you, not after everything youâd been through to get to where you were now.
Unfortunately, things werenât going to be such smooth-sailing for much longer.
* * *
The revving outside of your front door caused you to audibly groan. That damn fucking bike.
You didnât even have to open the door to know that Bucky was sitting outside on his motorcycle, waiting for you to come outside and plant a kiss on his lips, not having a single care in the world.
Apparently, he didnât seem to care that you hated the bike. Hated.
The last time youâd ridden on the back of his bike was when you visited him at the auto-shop after your mild dispute, and he drove you home where he ended up having dinner and watching Grease with you.
Oh, how times had changed.
Bucky would never put you in a dangerous situation, you knew that, but riding on the back of his bike was basically asking to leave Godâs earth early in your eyes.
With a sigh, you tugged on a pair of ankle boots and hiked your bag on your shoulders, before making your way out of the front door.
Bucky had hopped off the bike as you walked towards him, the evident reluctance in your expression causing him to scoff. The idiot knew you hated the bike, but that didnât stop him from trying to help you get over your irrational fear. Well, he thought it was irrational, you thought it was perfectly normal.
âYouâre hurting her feelings, you know.â The boy stroked the seat of the bike, a mocking frown on his lips. âLookinâ at her like that every time I pull up on her.â
So the bike was a her now. âIf youâre so concerned about her feelings, then why donât you date her instead?â
Bucky smirked, stepping towards you. âDo I sense some jealously, sweets?â
âNo.â You answered firmly. âIâm sensing something, though. I think itâs... someone being an asshole.â
âJesus Christ.â He let out a breathy laugh, slinging an arm over your shoulder and directing you over to the bike. He grabbed his helmet off the handles and passed it to you. âAs long as youâre wearing this, youâll be fine.â
You raised your brow, eyeing the bike for a second helmet, which didnât seem to be around. âOkay, well whereâs your helmet?â
Before he could even finish the sheepish shrug he was giving you, your hands began gripping your helmet in frustration. This guy still hadnât bought another stupid helmet for when he made you ride his bike with him. âJames Buchanan, if we crash and you die-â
âSweets.â He warned, a stupid smile on his lips. What did he find funny about this? Youâre were shitting yourself thinking about getting on his bike and he was smiling. Reassuringly, he pressed a kiss to your temple. âStop freaking yourself out and get on the bike, please.â
âPromise youâll get a helmet for next time?â You uttered, beginning to slide the helmet on your head. He was lucky that he was undeniably cute, otherwise heâd be having a lonesome ride to school that morning.
âCross my heart.â Bucky grinned in satisfaction, fastening the strap under your chin and then holding your hand to help you swing your leg over the bike.
Once Bucky had sat in front of you and started up the engine again, you circled your arms tightly around his waist and pressed your cheek against the cool leather of his jacket.
Again, Bucky Barnes was the most frustrating person youâd ever known, but you wouldnât have him any other way.
* * *
âMiss (Y/L/N), can I speak with you for a moment?â
A pit began to build in your stomach as you approached your teacherâs desk, eventually being the only student left in the room after everyone had left to head home.
Mr Pym looked up from his computer as you stood awkwardly a few feet away from him, knowing what he wanted to talk to you about.
College.
The word alone caused goosebumps to rise on your arms and your smile to drop. Not because you didnât want to go to college, of course you did, thatâs why youâd worked so hard in high school. However, which college you were going to was a whole other story.
Your application was ready to be sent off, but you hadnât had the courage to actually send it anywhere before the new year.
âThe deadline for submitting college applications is in three days, and itâs come to my attention that you havenât submitted yours yet.â The chemistry teacher stated, a furrow in his brows. âYou are planning on applying, arenât you? You have a lot of potential, (Y/N), I wouldnât want to see it go to waste.â
âYes, of course I am.â You nodded nervously. âIâm just not sure where to apply, thatâs all.â
You werenât sure how your parents would react if you didnât apply to Harvard, that was the issue.
Sure, you could submit an application to Harvard to make them happy, because you didnât have to go if you didnât want to. But if they found out you sent out applications to places other than their previous Harvard University? Well, that just wouldnât go down smoothly.
Your father wasnât even the issue here - he didnât mind which college you went to. Your mother on the other hand... youâd already heard her opinion on the situation enough times.
Mr Pym continued speaking, suggesting a few places he thought would fit you for your subject choice, and while you appreciated his concern, your mind couldnât help but drift off to your mother. You had to talk to her, at least once more about college. It had to be made firm to her that you werenât applying to Harvard, and that you wouldnât be working for their company after you graduated. She couldnât have that control over you anymore, and you had to at least try and make her understand that. She was still your mom, you still cared about her, even if she didnât exactly reciprocate the feeling.
You just wanted her to be proud of you, but at this rate, it didnât seem like that was ever going to happen.
The teacher eventually let you go, and with a weak smile, you thanked him and proceeded to leave the room, and then proceeded to almost crap yourself as you walked directly into Bucky standing outside of the classroom.
A low chuckle left his lips as you placed a hand over your chest; he definitely enjoyed scaring the shit out of you like that.
âYouâre an ass.â You murmured, but still leaned into him as he wrapped an arm around your shoulder.
âI was just waitinâ for you.â He rolled his eyes, but the amused expression faded from his face as the smile you gave him didnât quite reach your eyes. âIs everything okay? Whatâd Mr Pym want?â
âHe was asking about my plans for college.â Your gaze dropped to the ground. âI havenât submitted an application anywhere yet.â
âYouâve still got time though, right? Are you still thinking about going to Colombia?â
You had mentioned to Bucky about applying to Colombia. It was an Ivy League school in Manhattan, only a short distance away from your home in Brooklyn. Really, there was no reason for you not to apply to go there. It wasnât exactly a secret that Bucky was hoping youâd apply to Colombia too, because if you moving to a new state for college could possible put a strain on your relationship, then that was the last thing he wanted.
âYeah, itâs the only place I can really see myself at. I, uh... I think I need to call my mom today though. Tell her once and for all that Iâm not going to Harvard.â
Unease flashed in the boyâs eyes. Heâd only ever had one experience of your motherâs wrath, but it was something that even he was afraid to witness again. âDâyou want me to be there with you? Just for moral support?â
You shook your head, heart warming at his concern as you eventually approached the school gates. âThanks, but Iâll be fine, Buck. You should get home, and for the love of God, please do some studying.â
The grin creeping back onto Buckyâs lips eased your anxiety slightly. âIâm not going to college, I donât need to worry about studying.â
âBucky,â You sighed, shrugging his arm off your shoulder with an eye roll. âThatâs a terrible mindset to have.â
Bucky had never planned on continuing his education, the thought of doing so alone made his brain ache. It wasnât that he wasnât smart, because you knew that he was, he frankly just didnât care. Working full-time at the auto-shop, living in a small place in Brooklyn, and being around the people he loved was all that he wanted for the future.
And now that he had you, his future was looking pretty promising.
âJust let me know how it goes with your mom, alright? Then I might consider whipping up some flash cards.â
âBut I literally bought you your own set of highlighters to try and motivate you! And coloured pens, and-â
âAlright, alright.â Bucky let out a laugh. Heâd found it cute when he entered your dining room one day to see three new packets of pens sprawled out across the table, an excited smile on your lips as you watched him use them for the first time when making notes on organic chemistry. He had to admit, the colours did make studying more bearable. âIâll make the prettiest flash cards youâll have ever seen, I promise.â
âThey wonât be as pretty as mine, but Iâll appreciate the effort.â You smirked as the boy scoffed before tucking a piece of hair behind your ear and kissing your forehead, a gesture youâd gotten so used to from him over the past couple of weeks that you werenât sure how you went for over a year without it.
With a reluctant goodbye, you watched Bucky head towards the parking lot over to his bike, and you hesitantly picked your phone out of your pocket. There was no point in wasting time worrying about the inevitable; if you were going to call your mother, you had to do it as soon as possible.
Your thumb hovered over the âcallâ button next to your motherâs contact, and with a deep exhale, you hit it and pressed the phone to your ear, beginning what mightâve been the worst walk home of your life.
â(Y/N)?â Your momâs voice sounded through the speak monotonously.
âMom.â You swallowed. âLook, I know we havenât spoken since the last time we saw each other-â
âSince you accused me of not caring for my own daughter.â She interrupted bitterly. You had to admit, you were harsh during your argument back before Christmas, but could she really blame you for feeling that way? âIâm surprised you even called again, I thought you wanted nothing to do with us.â
âWell, I thought the same of you. Were you planning on calling me?â
âAs a matter of fact, yes.â The woman stated. However, she didnât exactly sound like she wanted to make amends, so you werenât quite sure what she actually wanted to talk about. âYou wouldnât talk about it then, but we are discussing it now whether you want to or not. College, (Y/N).â
âThatâs... what I was calling to talk about.â Well, here goes nothing... âI want to go to Colombia, Mom, and I know youâre not going to like that but... you donât have to. You donât have to pay my tuition, Iâll get a loan and I can keep living at home and you donât have to have anything to do with me if you donât want to. Iâm not calling to ask for your permission to not go to Harvard; Iâm just asking for you to be happy for me, or to at least accept that this is my decision to make.â
There was a few moments of silence, before you heard a deep sigh through the speaker. âWeâre selling the house, (Y/N).â
â...what?â
âThe plan has always been for you to go to Harvard, and when you did, your father and I were going to sell the house in Brooklyn and move across the country to expand the companyâs clientele.â
You stopped in your tracks, clutching your phone so tightly in frustration that your knuckles ached. âY-you canât just sell our home, Mom.â
âWe already have a buyer, theyâre ready to take the house as soon as possible. Thereâs no point in keeping it if it wonât be if use-â
âBut it will be, I can still live there if I go to Colombia-â
âYouâre not going to Colombia.â
Jesus fucking Christ. Every time you talked to your mother about college, you swore you lost a thousand brain cells. Well, if she was selling the house, then that was fine. You could live on campus, and then your parents wouldnât have to worry about you at all, which is clearly what they wanted.
âIf I want to apply there, then you canât stop me.â You bit down on your cheek, awaiting her response.
âAnd then what are your plans? To graduate with a business degree? To work for the company?â
âThatâs not what I want.â
âThen what do you want?â
You bit down even harder, your voice coming out in a timid manner. â...I donât know.â
âExactly.â You could tell by your motherâs voice that she was speaking through gritted teeth. â(Y/N), I know whatâs best for you. I wouldnât be so adamant on you going to Harvard and working for us if I didnât think it was the best plan for you. You have a secure place working at one of the most lucrative companies in the country, do you know how many people would kill to be in your position?
Listen, if you choose to go to Colombia, then weâre... we are done with you, because we have not worked this hard to give you the promise of a successful life for you to selfishly cut us off and do your own thing. Youâre right, this is your decision to make, and youâre choosing between making your parents proud of you, or being a disappointment.â
Before you could even begin to come up with a response, the line went dead.
And for the first time in what felt like forever, you felt your eyes gloss over, blurring your vision of passing by cars and pedestrians walking towards and away from you.
You shoved your phone back into your pocket, wrapping your hands around the straps of your bag tightly as you continued your walk home, your pace considerably faster than before. Head lowered, eyes blinking away some of the tears and prompting the release of others down your cheeks, hands never moving from your bag straps to wipe them away as you continued pace quickly to the home you wouldnât have for much longer.
Yes, your parents were selfish. From a young age, youâd known that your education and future contribution to their company was their priority over anything else concerning you. But you thought when it came down to it, when the time came that you had the power to choose the future that you wanted, that perhaps theyâd support you, their daughter. Instead, they were selling your childhood home for money to put towards a new house in God knows where, forcing you to have to find a new place to live, ideally the student accomadation of the university you desperately didnât want to go to.
It hurt - you couldnât lie to yourself and say that it didnât. You thought the constant suppression of your emotions had made you numb to the feeling, but hearing your own mother call you a disappointment for only wanting to choose a path that made you happy... it really fucking stung.
As soon as the front door clicked shut, you let out a heavy sob, throwing your school bag to the ground next to the bottom of the staircase.
You hated that it hurt so much. All your life, you just wanted your parents to be proud of you. To get good grades, go to the university of your dreams, and allow them to feel accomplished knowing that their daughter was successful in the life that she wanted.
Before Bucky, before Wanda, before high school completely, you only really had your parents. Making friends in middle school was hard when you were a certified nerd in the eyes of your peers. While those of your age put you down for being smart, your parents praised you for it, and that was more important to you than the occasional crap you got from your classmates.
If going to Harvard meant you could feel that again, the praise, if it meant your could see the pride in your mom and dadâs eyes at your graduation ceremony, if it meant that you had your family back, would it really be so terrible to go there?
But Brooklyn was your home. Bucky was your home. After everything youâd been through to finally be able to feel freely for each other, you couldnât just jet off to Massachusetts and risk it all.
Another choked out sob slipped from your lips as you climbed the stars, and hot tears dampened the fresh sheets as you fell on top of your bed with a strained sigh.
Everything was supposed to be better after you opened up to Bucky, everything was supposed to start working.
It seemed that luck just wasnât on your side when you needed it most.
* * *
Taglist:
@americas-ass-assins @stevieboyharrington @itz-kira @broco8 @bxrnsfeyson @lovvliies @peterparkerbabyyy
#bucky barnes x reader#bucky barnes#bucky x reader#bucky barnes au#bucky barnes x fem!reader#bucky#high school au#bucky barnes reader insert
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Younger post-ep ramble 6x09
After the very public outing of Lizaâs real age last week, it was no surprise that this weekâs Younger episode, âMillennialâs Next Top Modelâ, was all about the fallout. In true Younger style we were treated to some unexpected twists and turns, saw Kelsey take control at work and in her personal life and welcomed back my #1 mega-villain who I hate-love fiercely, Quinn Tyler. Â This ep was written by Grant Sloss, who is responsible for a number of my favourite episodes and lot of my fave moments in the series and one thing I am always blown away by is his ability to craft character interactions in which the sentiment and emotion are really palpable (plus the one-liners are always top of the game) and we certainly saw a number of those this week. Â Even though Liza is 100% responsible for the position she now finds herself in, my heart went out to her this whole episode and Kelsey, Charles and Dianaâs show of solidarity right from the get-go pretty much sums up everything I love about this show.Â
I need to say upfront that while I know this episode is all about Liza, it is hands down my favourite episode of Kelseyâs in the series. In a time of real pressure and stress, we see Kelsey step up in the role of publisher, starting with the damage control team meeting in her office. I have big feelings about this opening moment, in which Diana proves why she is an actual Queen who rises above past grievances and now offers unwavering support of Liza while continuing to have zero time for Zaneâs bullshit (the âwell mercifully they have a paywall nowâ to Zaneâs New York Magazine tidbit was all of the yes). We learn of the deal with Infinitely 21 (was it just me or did anyone else get heart flutters at the thought of Kelsey, Diana and Liza being their brilliant selves and brokering that arrangement? Just me? Cool) and I have spoken of my love for the way this show parodies real life things but this might take the cake. Alexa, what are synonyms for âforeverâ? I just adore that it is very clear that Kelsey is in charge and that Charles and Diana are offering up potential solutions (Dianaâs ârest her a bitâ is so in character I cannot. Between that and Charlesâ thoroughbred thighs from season 4 I fully expect her to have a couple of horses upstate somewhere called Charles and Liza by the end of this series), meanwhile Zane clearly still hasnât caught on to the fact that these three are not going to throw Liza under a bus.
Enter Liza as heâs ending his tirade about her poisoning the company (and lbh, what he is saying isnât actually ridiculous from a business p.o.v but heâs talking about the best friend, girlfriend and (old) maid of honour of the people in the room) and itâs awkward af and pretty awful and I want to climb through my screen, wrap Liza in a blanket and tell her itâs all going to be ok. Zaneâs extreme over-estimation of his importance in Lizaâs life continues when he tells her that what heâs saying canât be personal because âI donât know who you areâ (worth it for Charlesâ âZaneâ reprimand though amirite) and as I said after last weekâs episode, I canât even count on one hand the number of interactions Zane and Liza have had so yes Zane, that is accurate and nothing to do with her age reveal. At least once he discovered that Kelsey has known about the lie he FINALLY has a reason to be hurt (maybe? Still a little fuzzy on this one) and look Zane saying theyâre all insane might be somewhat accurate but everyone in that room loves Liza and I love all of them so I felt personally attacked tbh.
Keeping with the stellar guest star casting this season, Shelly Rozansky (played by Annaleigh Ashford) is every kind of irritating as brand rep of Infinitely 21. Kelsey and Lizaâs meeting with her, in which Shelly explains that 'the teaâ is that their authentic brand cannot be associated with Millennialâs inauthentic one (I love the moral high ground re: brand but Iâm pretty sure Millennial doesnât have factory workers making less than a living wage soâŠ) and this very real ramification of Lizaâs lie paves the way for one of Lizaâs best moments on the show to date.
Taking that tea of Shellyâs and throwing it in her face, Lizaâs monologue that 'everyone is pretending to be youngerâ reaches itâs climax with the zinger, 'Millennial is not an age, itâs an attitude and if you canât sell that, weâll go somewhere elseâ, and Kelseyâs look of pride, same girl SAME. One thing I have commented on in the past is that as a '26 year oldâ Liza rarely, if ever, really stood up for herself. The few times weâve seen her do so have been as the forty year old who takes no crap from anyone (David, Charles, Don) so I am here times a million for strong ass Liza to finally shed that guilt, know her worth and be able to show this side of herself now that the lie is no longer in play (I feel like Diana will dig this very much).
Turns out Shelly was quite into Lizaâs feisty outburst too ('what you screamed at me today, justifiably, weâre still friends promiseâŠit resonatedâ = award winning line/delivery combo), as she calls to let Liza know theyâre going to unfreeze the partnership and asks Liza to be the face (and legs) of Infinitely 21âs Spring campaign. This phone call takes place in a very delicious looking cupcake shop where Liza and Charles are playing cards with his daughters in an all round delightful family situation that gives us a glimpse of the Miller-Brooks dynamic and makes the point that after a pretty terrible day, Liza is grateful to have this in her life to counter all the drama. I am also pleased to see that Bianca and Nicole have been located (meanwhile Caitlin, Beth and all of Joshâs friends remain stuck in the Upside Down or have become bunker people or something equally ominous I fear).
I am very into a number of aspects of this entire scene: a) Charles eating candy just up and gets me for some reason. I donât know why, I canât explain it, but itâs akin to seeing him walking round barefoot, it confuses my brain but Iâm pretty sure I like it; b) Bianca is clearly the fave child with her cute little, 'I wonât take your last bag of candy Lizaâ (lol at Charlesâ 'wowâ when Liza offers that up for the taking btw, he knows thatâs a serious gamble) though I was 100% Nicole as a kid; c) those kids are so not sleeping after all that sugar so I hope theyâre staying at Paulineâs, while Charlesâ dad game is strong with the breakfast cupcakes and; d) Charles kissing Liza on the cheek as she takes Shellyâs call is so damn sweet (pun intended) and supportive and I love that Liza suggesting he go stand with the girls in case she starts crying again indicates she has been an open mess around him. Itâs writing like this that I really appreciate when there is so much to fit into an episode, because it provides insight into the kind of relationship Liza and Charles have when there simply isnât time to show it.
While Liza is drowning her sorrows in candy and cupcakes, Maggie is at the brilliantly cringy art exhibit, 'Masculinity Detox: A Softer Male Gazeâ. Look I have to be honest, I was really happy to see Oded Fehr because he can play a skeeze with charm like no other, but I donât know how I feel about this entire plot. I can only comment on it from a straight perspective, so I am aware that Iâm not really in a position to express an opinion in relation to the impact of showing a gay character thinking itâs a good idea to sample a penis every ten years or so, but I certainly feel like itâs problematic. In relation to this character though, it is consistent with Maggie sleeping with Tommy Minetti (and his sister Tammy) as a result of Berlinâs 'Take my Breath Awayâ (I donât know why I remember that, I canât remember what month it is yet this stuff is right there) and there is no denying that there were actual sparks between Maggie and Rafael in the loft, the palpable chemistry that Grant Slossâ eps seem to draw out on full display.Â
Another dimension of Maggie that I love seeing emerge in this ep is that while she is usually a total badass in absolute control, every now and then we see that her judgement of character is just way off. There was Montana, those weirdo art collectors who actually collect artists and now this guy. I love that thereâs a side of her that gets a bit blinded by flattery so she thinks 'what the hell?â and the inevitable 'oh I CAN-NOT with this bullshitâ that follows, usually very publicly - Exhibit A: Maggie countering dirtbag Rafaelâs, 'Iâll change you mind, Iâm a flipperâ with a literal flip of the restaurant table once she realises she was simply another conquest. She seems so unflappable that these reminders that sheâs fallible (I legit sometimes forget sheâs not an actual super hero) are really great and maintains the 'flawed humanâ aspect this show does so well. Honestly, other than Liza in a full tracksuit (sweat clothes?? I donât know what it is in American but that cute pink sweat top and sweatpants combo) thinking they were being robbed and very confused by what had happened (so were we all lbh and Kinsey 9 LOL), it was Maggie equating sex with a man to being suffocated by a damp rug that was the highlight of this entire storyline for me. So damn funny.
Diana continues to have Lizaâs back as she heads to the photo-shoot to steer her away from anything pleather (I may need a spin off of these two or some kind of one off special episode thatâs just an elaborate Diana/Liza adventure, maybe rescuing Caitlin and co. from the bunker??), but not before we catch Kelsey still slaying it as a boss as she leaves a voicemail for the increasingly petulant Zane. Hearing her so firm and sure of herself is brilliant and the friendship vibe between Diana and Kelsey is peaking and I am loving every bit of it. I am so glad we heard Diana asking Kelsey how she took the lie, while Diana was able to forgive and move forward it would have been strange if we didnât see her still processing some of it this week. Plus itâs Diana who points out that Zaneâs tantrum is not because Liza is who he is upset with (and THANK YOU Kelsey for pointing out that Liza and Zane hardly know each other).Â
Rather than letting the whole Zane thing fester away, Kelsey continues to impressively show initiative by going to Zaneâs and offering to cook dinner (which Zane knows is a lol and itâs not long before heâs cooking, so well played Kels) to give him the opportunity to ask anything he wants and she will answer honestly. Once a proper explanation of why Liza lied and why Kelsey kept it from him is given, Zane suddenly reverts back to being a rational human being which is a relief because he was fast becoming the worst (though his comment that they were all bad liars, what now?? Yes they be cray but their lying game is strong friend). I am not particularly invested in Kelsey and Zane as a pairing but I always appreciate good storytelling and writing, and revisiting the fact Zane told her he loved her in past tense was an example of both of these. In order for any kind of relationship between these two to progress believably this needed to be addressed and hearing Kelsey call Zane out on his shitty and manipulative behaviour was great, but even greater was seeing Kelsey drop her guard.
Opening up about being mad at herself too and that maybe if they were both more open about their feelings they wouldnât have wasted so much time denying how they really felt; that she felt, no, feels, the same way, present tense; the resetting of the timer so she can finish what she was going to say instead of taking the option of backing out; the honest conversationâŠyou know what all this is? Growth. Kelsey Lorraine Peters, I am just so damn proud of you because I am the first to admit that I was not sure this character could be redeemed for me after last season but here we are. The emotion for this whole scene, you could feel it and Zaneâs, 'oh that timer was for foodâ was fab, before he just casually drops in, â I love you, but stay out of my kitchenâ. OK.  Smitten mode activated.
Meanwhile, Diana is no doubt enjoying Shellyâs disbelief that she and Liza are almost the same age about as much as a root canal and Lauren appears with a 'bowflex for your faceâ to combat the 5 o'clock jowls. Side note: Lauren and Liza really need to have a convo asap because I definitely feel like Lauren is not ok with the lie since itâs been revealed. Scene of the ep goes to Charles walking into the trailer (with flowers for Liza *swoon*) while Diana is flapping that contraption, before he slowly backs away and I tell you, I was howling so hard I almost ruptured something. Lizaâs hideous romper/scooter combo is just no on many levels, she clearly feels super unnatural and the photographer snapping Charles and Liza, who are not expecting to be photographed while her being made up to look so young obviously makes them look very far apart in age and a bit awks means that yes, the daddy/daughter dance vibe is strong, though that line made me vom in my mouth a little bit.
Between shoots our extremely excellent villain Quinn pays Liza a visit to show her support and her well-polling glasses. Her real talk that the good news about the publishing reaction to Lizaâs lie is that 'eight blocks outside of midtown, nobody caresâ, is what we were all thinking and is def to be filed under 'Gâ for Gold. So naturally Quinn drags her into a completely self-serving NY1 interview (bless Liza for thinking they wanted to interview her) and I freaking love Quinn, sheâs such a delicious character coz sheâs awful and funny and pretty and a total smart ass. I stan.
Before we jump to the second part of the photo-shoot I have to say that the very obvious ploy to try and juxtapose Lizaâs relationships with Charles and Josh felt like it was trying too hard and was mostly disappointing to me because it felt so forced. I want to be very clear that it has nothing to do with who I like Liza with romantically, it would have felt contrived regardless and was the only aspect of the episode that I felt could have been crafted with a little more nuance. Or maybe that was the point? Perhaps the obviousness was part of the humour of it *shrug emoji*Â
Either way, Liza is looking pretty exhausted when Josh turns up at the bar photo-shoot for reasons (whose name I am betting is Lauren Heller because there is no way he would just turn up and it is 100% in her wheelhouse to send him along after seeing the expressions on her face at the earlier shoot. I feel like this will def come out at some point and that really this whole shoot is serving to bring about stuff in future eps) and he doesnât get to explain why he is there because heâs teasing Liza about being a model and I really do love their banter. Shelly has no idea whatâs happening but she likes it and is thirsting pretty hard as she shakes his hand and I enjoyed hearing Liza talk about Josh as patient zero, her 'would you correct him?â as she squeezed his cheeks made me smile. I know there have been a LOT of feelings about this scene expressed on social media, but I found the reminiscing, as Josh talked about how when he first met Liza he thought she was smart and sexy and he wanted to keep talking to her, really sweet (and quickly countered by his joking about being really drunk and it being dark). Â
I actually love this dynamic so much and if this show had moved these two properly into the friendzone I would be celebrating this as a pin-up example of how to show romantic-platonic relationship transition. I still may, because at this stage there is nothing to indicate that Liza is anything but committed to Charles and Josh gave no impression of pining for her IMO, but as an experienced TV connoisseur (aka obsessive tv show watcher) I am not naive enough to think that this interaction mightnât be setting in motion a resurgence of the triangle. By the same token, I do not see any triangle in play at the moment and one thing this show does excel at is surprising us, so time will tell, but I am going to keep my faith in the writers to tell good, compelling stories that stay true to all the excellent characters and narratives they have in front of them, as they have done up until now.
While Lizaâs colleagues arenât going to throw her under a bus, Quinn is not only more than happy to, Iâm pretty sure sheâd drive the bus herself if it served her own self interest. Â Quinn saying that she found out about Lizaâs lie the week before in The New Yorker article, ooomph, did you feel that? It was the wind being knocked out of all of us, along with poor Liza, as Quinn counters Lizaâs suggestion that she knew the truth before she invested on live TV. It was evident fairly quickly that Quinn was using the interview as a campaign platform and Lizaâs expression as Quinn betrays her so publicly is yet another credit to Sutton Fosterâs incredible talent.
My Kelsey love was brought home this week when she met Quinn following the NY1 interview. She is unrelenting in her backing of Liza and unwavering in her stance to Quinn when she is asks her to fire Liza. From the moment she arrives Kelsey is so kick ass, she sees every one of Quinnâs attempts to bully her into getting what she wants and Kelseyâs, 'please donât minimise the strength I bring to this meetingâ was such a hell yes moment. There is something so satisfying about seeing Quinn in a position where she needs something from Kelsey and Kelsey standing so firm. Kelseyâs 'are we done here?â before walking away was such a power move and the transition into her own office the next day, with Charles reassuring her that she did the right thing, was wonderful. Seeing these two as equals, talking business with a bit of a mentor/mentee dynamic is a dream. It was on my season 6 wish list and I canât wait to see more of it.
It is upon discovering that Audrey Colbertâs manuscript delivery cheque bounced and that Diana just heard one of the Jenniferâs, the sloppy one from publicity (this line, I swear and also I need to meet her), say her direct deposit didnât go through that we discover Quinn has thrown the ultimate tantrum and pulled her funding and Mercurennial is broke.
Poor Liza feels that itâs all her fault, Iâm sure partly because of the way her colleagues turn and look at her when she walks in the office and partly because it is, but Charles continues to play the role of ultimate supportive partner as they stroll down the street after work, pointing out that Liza attracted Quinn to the company in the first place (and we ALL know it was not the company she was attracted to). I am simple folk and Charles saying heâs spoken for as he put his arm around her made me melt into a puddle and if anyone is feeling concerned about Lizaâs level of besotted, watch this final scene as Charles reassures her that, 'you know whatâs great about the worst thing happening? Thereâs no place to go but up. Only good things aheadâ. I may have actually died from the sweetness of the entire thing and Liza does exactly what any self respecting person would in that situation and kisses him before they walk off hand in hand. To live happily ever afterâŠjokes LOL I mean itâs television and it turns out Infinitely 21 has the most efficient marketing team on the planet because their campaign is launched and whattya know, it looks as though Liza and her ex will be plastered all over the city.Â
File under 'Oâ for OF COURSE.
#youngertv#younger tv#ramble#review#younger season 6#6x09#liza miller#charles brooks#diana trout#kelsey peters#team charles#tv
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574.
Do your eyes change colors? >> Not that I know of. Why do you hate your ex? >> I donât hate any of my exes, I just donât want them back in my life. Do you think good things come to those who wait? >> Sometimes they do, sometimes they donât. Waiting isnât a condition for guaranteed future happiness, but then, nothing is. Are you sad? >> Yeah, seasonal depression is moving in for the winter. Have you learned from your past mistakes? >> Iâve learned from some of them, Iâm sure.
What do you want to be when you grow up? >> --- Do you hate when people lie to you? >> Iâm sure a lot of the time Iâm not even aware of it. But if I am, then yeah, it can be annoying. Are you fond of anyone? >> Sure. Do you like being single? >> I havenât been single in a long time, so I donât remember what it was like. Do you want to move out of the town youâre living in when you turn 18? >> I did move out of the town I was living in when I turned eighteen. Do you show your feelings? >> I strongly prefer not to. Do you think you push people away? >> I think I just donât make myself available to begin with. If you could have any celebrityâs hair, who would it be? >> --- Are you above the influence? >> I assume Iâm not above any influence. Are you happy with life at the moment? >> Yes. Iâm fighting the crushing weight of gloomy skies and the promise of more of the same until April, but Iâm glad to be in a position where I can fight (instead of being overwhelmed by it). Are you nice? >> I donât think âniceâ describes me too well. I donât really think âniceâ means anything, anyway. There are more specific descriptors out there. When do you graduate? >> I graduated in 2004. Do you worry a lot? >> No. Do you think youâre smart? >> I do. I also think Iâm dumb in certain areas, which is only logical. Itâs like D&D stats -- if youâre high in some areas, youâre going to be low in others by default. What do you think about girls putting out too soon? >> I think a lot of that can either be prevented, or the repercussions can be less damaging, if the adults in girlsâ lives were open and honest and did not heap unreasonable expectations and misogynistic social conditioning upon them. (To say nothing of the conditioning that the boys are often receiving from the male figures in their lives, which leads them to pressuring girls for sex...) Obviously kids will make mistakes and do things without thinking of the consequences, but learning those lessons doesnât have to be a horrible experience if they feel supported and have access to the resources they need. Do you get annoyed easily? >> When Iâm already at a low mana level, yeah, I get irritable. When Iâm feeling more like myself, then I can be pretty chill about shit. Do you like talking on the phone? >> No. How much do looks matter? >> Most of the time all Iâm doing is looking at people, so it matters to my eyeballs, which like to see pretty things. If it comes to befriending someone, then no, their looks arenât the criterion I use. Do you find yourself thinking negatively often? >> Only when Iâm depressed. Would you date someone outside your race? >> Itâs been done. Have you ever seen the Passion of the Christ? >> No. Donât you hate it when people assume things? >> Well, sometimes, sure. If it affects me, especially. Would you like to read minds? >> Absolutely not. Are you funny? >> Sure, I can be. Where are you ticklish? >> Iâm not. How do you feel about death? >> Awe. A lot of awe. What hurts your feelings more than anything else? >> The last scene in the series finale of Hannibal. How long has it been since you were single? >> Uh... at least eight years or something like that. Do you want to get married? >> I already am. Do you think you have a deeper insight on life than most people? >> I think this is worded in a way that suggests superiority, and thatâs not something I agree with. I think my insights are unique to my experience and brain chemistry/development, but I donât think those insights are necessarily âdeeperâ than anyone elseâs, and I think believing that makes one uncharitable and contemptuous towards others -- which prevents any possibility of learning from anyone elseâs insights. Have you done something just because you felt bad? >> Yeah, Iâm an impulsive self-harmer, so. Has peer pressure ever influenced you to do something? >> Probably. Itâs difficult to avoid social pressure entirely, unless youâre a bona-fide hermit. Do you often get confused about life, and frustrated with yourself? >> Yeah. Can people really be high on life? >> I assume so. When you look back, do you think your life story will be a good one? >> I think it will be beautiful and terrible and awful and exultant. I think it will be a lot of things, and evoke a lot of feelings, and reveal a lot of insights, which means, yes, it will be a Good Story. Do you like being praised for your hard work or go unnoticed? >> Iâm a little avoidant about this -- I donât always like people to notice when I do things. Itâs definitely nice to feel appreciated, and all, but thatâs not always the feeling I experience when Iâm praised for things. Sometimes it just feels like being a bug under a magnifying glass on a sunny day. I donât know why that is, but it is, so. Youâd agree that everyone makes mistakes and makes some stupid decisions in their life, wouldnât you? >> Absolutely. Reading a lot makes you smarter, does it not? >> Iâd assume that depends on what youâre reading. Reading a lot of Daily Mail isnât going to do much for your intelligence. Does it make you sad to think about the things you want but canât have? >> Yeah -- intangible things, usually, that I canât experience because of how Iâm wired. Have you ever had to swallow the lump in your throat, to keep from crying? >> Yeah. How do you feel about the people who have come and gone throughout your life? >> It really depends on the day. Have you gone out with someone you didnât actually like? >> No. Iâve gone out with a lot of people Iâve had no feelings about one way or the other, though. Can a good relationship make your whole life seem better? >> Probably. Are you quiet or loud? >> Iâm more quiet than I am loud, in general. I just donât like loud, even if the loud is me. What would you change about yourself if you could? >> *shrug* Is summer your favorite season? >> No. Do you smoke weed? >> Not at present. Do you think it makes you weak if you cry? >> Sometimes I feel that way, but thatâs because I was taught very badly, not because itâs the truth. Do you think youâre emotionally strong? >> I donât know yet. Are you an open person? >> Iâm an open-minded person, but not always an open person. I feel a strong impulse to keep myself close to prevent injury. Do you dwell on the past? >> Not so much. Iâve usually got my hands full enough with the present. Do you think itâs better to be honest with yourself and everyone else? >> Sure. Is there someone you wish you were closer with? >> No. I canât really fathom how that would work. Do you hate being the first person to start a conversation? >> No. Are there certain things that canât be joked about with you? >> Mm... itâs usually just a matter of trust. Like, Sparrow can make fun of me for just about anything and Iâll let her. But if some rando that Iâm only vaguely acquainted with tried to joke with me about the same thing, Iâd shut them down. I donât know you like that, donât get too familiar. Do you trust your gut instinct? >> Meh. What do you think about cheating? >> I donât have any personal thoughts about it because it isnât really relevant to me. Is it a good idea to run away from your problems? >> Well, I mean, you canât run away from them... theyâre like that creature in It Follows. They always catch up. And by then, youâre tired and weak from all that running, and thatâs when they really get you. Do you deal with more things than people think they know you do? >> Sure. Do you help people with their problems? >> If Iâm asked, if I have at least a passing fuck to give about the person, and if I have the ability to help. Are you hard to please? >> In some ways, but in most ways not. Are you close with your family? >> --- Have you ever been so hurt that you wanted to stop feeling completely? >> Yeah. Thatâs mostly why Iâm the way I am now -- too much mental anaesthesia. Do you honestly think age is nothing but a number? >> Sometimes it is, sometimes it isnât. The thing is, when it isnât, it really isnât. Do you hold things back? >> Yeah. Do you really care about someone? >> Probably. What state were you born in? >> New Jersey.Â
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@padfootagain
After a delay for the holidays, Iâm excited to share the lovely Carole @padfootagain is this weekâs writer of the week! So excited to share her story with you all. Check out her blog and read some of her wonderful writings. Send some love this week as January is @faficowrimo as well!
An admin note as well: wotw will be posted Sundays each week from now on.
Tell us a little about yourself.
Well, hello! Thank you for doing this, this is so much fun!
So, my name is Carole, aka padfootagain. I am 23, Iâm French and I am doing a PhD in nanomaterials (basically, chemistry). I have a Masterâs degree in Physics and Chemistry, with a specialty in Nanosciences and I am doing a PhD because I want to be a researcher :) Â I love cinema in general, books, music and drawing. And obviously, I love writing :) I have fallen a few years ago in the pit of fandoms, and I donât think Iâll get out of it, not that I want to, to be honest. Which explains why I write fanfictions!
What do you currently write?
Oh dear⊠I write for quite a lot of fandoms. It started with the Marauders (so HP) and it got completely out of hand and now I also write for Narnia, the MCU, Star Wars, Doctor Who, Sherlock, Stranger Things, Poldark, LOTR and a handful of characters played by Ben Barnes (yes, Iâm a fan of this actor). I also write for a few actors. I write original stories that are not fanfics as well. And I write both one-shots and series, long and short. I have a tendency to write more than I intended to at first :) I write with reader-insert and OCs alike.
When did you start writing? Do you remember your first piece of fan fiction? What was it about?
I donât remember a time when I wasnât writing, really. I think that as soon as I was able to use a pen, I started writing. Iâve always loved stories and had a wild imagination, so it was a good way to control my crazy brain (it still is).
The first real piece of fanfiction that I posted is a Jily, Sirius Black x OC fic that I posted on fanfiction.net (I wasnât on tumblr yet at the time), and it is a very long one⊠70 chapters. I liked it very much tbh and I took around a year and a half to write it. It was basically about their 6th and 7th year at Hogwarts.
But if you want the real funny story, then the first piece of fanfiction I wrote was when I was seven. And I had no idea what a fanfiction was, at the time, obviously, but without knowing it I actually wrote one! We had to present a book for school, and I wanted to present Peter Pan, because it was my favourite book. But one of my classmates stole my idea and presented this book first, and I was very upset about it. I tried to negotiate with my teacher, but he didnât want me to present that book, saying that I couldnât present the same story as one of my classmates.
Huge mistake from my teacher here. He said I couldnât talk about the same story, not the same characters! So I wrote a story with Peter Pan and I presented it to the class! It was about a treasure hunt and I did drawings for it and everything. I still have it. It was ridiculous but I reckon the story is funny. And that was my first fanfic!
Why reader insert?
I find reader inserts very interesting. When I started on tumblr, and learnt about that way of writing, I had spent around two years writing for OCs, and I was looking for a challenge, honestly. So I started to write one-shots, when before I had only written very long series. And I also tried reader inserts as another challenge. It requires to change your style of writing quite a lot and to be careful not to reveal details so readers can identify with what youâre writing. And I love doing it! Iâve never liked very much describing my OCs in terms of appearance, so it was quite liberating, as with reader insert I had to avoid that. Also, I write series with that style, because even if you have to try to not describe how this Y/N looks like, Iâve never considered that I shouldnât develop her/his personality any less than for an OC. So I still have fun creating characters, I just change my style of writing, really. And even if now thereâs not really any challenge in that anymore for me, I still use it all the time. Also, on a purely practical way⊠I donât like choosing names for my OCs and this is the best solution! Especially for one-shots. I have more than 200 stories on tumblr, I would have never been able to choose so many names!! So⊠there is also this lazy part of me :)
If someone wanted to get into your writing, what piece would you have them start with and why?
Ooooh⊠that is a good question⊠I write quite a lot of fluff. I donât write any smut at all. I do write some things with angst too (Iâm a writer, I like torturing my readers from time to time, like any writer), but I also love writing fluff. I think that lots of people are snobbing the sweet stories nowadays, but I love a good happy ending, and some cute moments, and a love story that is sweet and ends with a âand they lived happily ever afterâ. Call me cheesy, if youâd like, Iâm proud to be so!
So⊠I guess that a good one to start would be a series that I wrote for Caspian (Narnia), called A Recipe For Love. Itâs pretty popular, amongst my readers, I think. Itâs very cute, and has a bit of angst too. Itâs about Caspian falling in love with a cook working in his Castle. I think itâs a good start for my stories.
You are currently working on a winter event filled with delightful seasonal themed prompts. Tell us more about that!
I very often organize events on my blog, because I love talking with my readers and I want to make them happy! So, to celebrate the winter season and the fluff that goes with it, I wrote a list of prompts, and my readers can pick up a few of those prompts, and a character from my masterlist, and I write a little one-shot for them :) They canât send requests anymore, it was for a limited time, but Iâm writing the stories now! Iâm going to keep doing this for a few weeks. I just love writing cute stories, really⊠;)
What are your goals for your writing moving forward?
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Iâd like to finish the series Iâve started⊠Is that a goal? I donât have goals when it comes to writing tbh. I just write what inspires me and makes me happy! I donât pretend to be talented enough to be published, and I only write because I love it. So, I donât have goals. I just want to enjoy myself, and I hope that the love I pour into my stories transpires enough to make a few people happy too :)
What are you currently reading?
I am reading a very cute book called Let It Snow, which is composed of three love stories taking place during a blizzard. It was written by John Green, Maureen Johnson and Lauren Myracle. Itâs very sweet and very funny, I like it! It goes with the season :)
Do you have any advice for new writers?
Several people asked me for advice before, and I even made a few posts about that, but tbh⊠the best advice that I could give is to know when you should not care about advice.
When I started to really write a lot and to create long stories (not as fanfictions, but other stories) I was on my own. And I loved writing them, but as I could feel that it was a serious thing to me, I looked for advice on the internet. I thought that it couldnât hurt, and that having advice from professionals could help me getting better. But actually, I realized that my way of writing was completely different from the advice I read! Especially, Iâve always hated to plan my stories. And everyone will advise you to plan your story. So, I tried to follow this advice, and a few others, thinking that I was doing it all wrong before. But it completely killed the joy I had for writing. I was asking myself tons of questions, and trying to apply rules that clearly didnât fit me, and I ended up stopping to write for more than a year. Until one day, I started to write something else, deciding not to take into account the advice that I had seen before. And here I am. Not planning my stories, and having no clue of where Iâm going, and having too many ideas for my own good, but Iâm writing. And Iâm enjoying what I write and I love writing these stories.
Now, Iâm not saying that all advice are bad. But I think that when you just start writing, you look up to other writers and try to use the same techniques as they do, which is normal. And itâs important at the beginning to try tons of styles and ways to write to find your own way to write. But you shouldnât forget that you and this writer you admire are different people, and your brains donât work the same! Thereâs no shame in writing your story your own way, even if your favourite writer doesnât write like that at all! On the contrary. I think itâs important to stop torturing yourself trying to get something perfect, and just actually write something you want to write and, more importantly, the way that makes you the happiest. And if you have to write your story without any plan and make a mess to do it, then I think that you should do it. Writing is such a liberating thing, itâs a shame to lose this freedom and joy because youâre trying to fit in categories and techniques. Just write what you like, the way you like, and youâll be a happier writer :)
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