#theyre so pretty though thankyou both

[stuffedsand]

wahh thankyou for the drawings...theyre so prettyy

[esfordays]

should really ignore and block that elio (whatever the rest of his url is) guy though because he's been actively seeking out and harassing anyone who posts in the jayroy tag and anyone who mentions anyone other than bette being flamebird btw. like i know you were friendly with them in the replies of your pub jayroy post but theyre genuinely a hateful person to anyone who doesnt comply with their specific way of thinking. of course youre allowed to not block them, but i thought you might like to know anyway. (you also dont need to answer or post this if you dont want to either btw) and i actually would like reading the pub au jayroy thing you were talking about tho because it sounds like a pretty interesting fic idea

Thankyou for making me aware of this, anon <3 I’m glad to hear that you are interested in the au, and any suggestions/thoughts you (or anyone else) have about it are welcome and appreciated! [I still don’t understand though how that specific comic line has anything to do with pubs and tradies? So there’s that as well lol

Just as a little treat for your interest, take some notes I’ve accumulated about the au!

Roy despises being outside during the day, because he prefers being in places where he can have some control

Jay has been banned from the jukebox after a very memorable incident involving a cat, a corkscrew and a flowerpot

Due to that same incident, he is also not allowed to start any betting pools

No one speaks about the “jukebox incident”, or anything else that happened on the 17th of October

Roy has also been banned from the jukebox, by patrons and staff alike, after putting My Sharona on repeat for an hour

Jay drinks beer like water, while for some reason Roy can’t stand it

Roy is a whisky man through and through

Both of them can agree that wine and spirits are neutral ground

Jay has been the unofficial cause of 8 workplace safety incidents

Take this, and don’t expect more another week or something

EDIT:

Okay yeah I looked at his page and woah

Uhm

That was a bit of an experience, although I guess I’m just thankful he was civil on my post, because ohhh boy

[moss-flesh]

6 and 19 from the ask game thingie for aila and alistair? <3

THANKYOU FOR THA ASKS ! <3

6. When did they realize they loved each other?

SOBS !!! Alistair sustains that he loved her the whole time but Aila calls bullshit and always tries to get him to tell her when it happened exactly. He did say one time that he hadnt realized it until after they went to redcliffe. He told her he was a royal bastard and she still liked him, she barely gave a shit in fact. she even went out of her way to protect Arl Eamond and his family, though she had a blatant dislike for them. Once all that was over and he got back to camp his brain would not leave him alone and just kept replaying their interactions together and it was like he got punched in the face. He knew he liked her but thats when he was like oh maker im so SCREWED! According to Aila it happened to her around the same time. Heres this guy that she thinks is handsome and funny, oh whatever might as well flirt and enjoy his company while we go through hell together, its not serious. But then they just have the best chemistry and begin to develop something more, which she has literally never experienced as circle mages tend not to risk love. Still shes lying to herself like “hah i totally could stop if i wanted to.”

And then they went to redcliffe and she continues lying to herself like “yeah sure i could do this an easier way but that would be dumb haha, going back to the circle is much smarter haha..” so then she returns to the circle relives some trauma, and oh yeah kills a specific abusive templar who was being attacked by demons in front of everyone and then doesn’t let anyone ask about it. ANYWAY she gets a little unhinged during the circle quest, but she realizes he still sees her the same way. Hes not scared of her, he doesnt think shes cruel, he still looks at her adoringly, and then he gives her the rose and its all over for her. Thats when shes like oh no… i love him.

19. How do they deal with being away from each other for a long time?

Its very hard for them, but they have to be apart so often now that theyre use to it. Ive mentioned this many a time but they both wear their wedding rings on their wardens oaths and it like their own little connection to eachother. They write letters constantly even if they arent able to send them they just save them up to send next time they can. Aila usually sends some kind of pressed flower or leaves and gives him a little information about what it represents and its uses, like :

“This is embrium also known as Salubrious Embrium, though im never going to bother remembering that. im sure you recognize it as we had to drudge through miles and miles of wilderness many times together. The smell of these little beauties apparently cured some Orlesian lords daughters illness. The healers must of felt right stupid. I hope you can still smell it as it is a lovely smell. I think of you too often, such a headache. Let me know what you think of these when you write back so I can add it to my notes. Love, your beautiful charming Wife.”

He honestly has a more difficult time than her, she misses him dearly but has always been more comfortable in solitude so its easier for her to distract herself. He saves all of her letters and rereads them often, always replying as soon as he possibly can. He tends to be occupied by worries of her safety, he knows she can take care of herself, he knows it well. BUT he also knows that she tends to put herself in danger OFTEN and sometimes his brain just becomes an anxious mess. His worries are always resolved with one of her letters telling him to “relax his pretty head” and that she will be safe for him.

[possessedartist]

aaa thank you so much !! i've been playing p1 for about four hours now, going through the SEBEC route first (i had to do a lil backtracking with saves cause i messed up some of Reiji's recruitment thing) and i really enjoy it, the p1 cast is so fun theyre lovable dorks and i actually really enjoy the combat system!! thank you so much again, your instructions were really straight forward n really helpful !! its been ages since ive emulated anything (literally like its been four years since i last emulated anything and it was like. with bluestacks) so your guide was really helpful im really really excited to keep playing and i cant wait until i finish p1 so i can move onto p2!! ive been wanting to play p1-p2 for so long after playing p3p and p4g-p5r so thankyou for getting back to my ask so quickly too!! also wanted to say i hope you have a good day n that your awesome!!

OMGGG YAY IM GLAD YOU GOT IT TO WORK!!! :DDD AND YEAHHH i messed up during reiji’s recruitment as well you definitely aren’t alone, it’s pretty easy to mess up 😭😭 for me, i accidentally recruited elly and didn’t realize she was a permanent party member until i got to the sebec building, and i had to backtrack a bit :’) IM SO GLAD U LIKE IT THOUGH AND I AGREE!! honestly, imo i enjoy the combat systems in p1 and p2 more than p3-5, i’m glad i’m not alone lmao .

ALSO YESS I LOVE THE MAIN CAST they’re so fun and kinda dorky <3 BOTH THE P1 AND P2 CAST MEMBERS ARE SO FUN ESP WHEN THEY INTERACT IN P2 they all just mesh so well!! I’m super glad my guide helped!! I wanted to make sure it was straightforward but a bit in depth cuz there’s a lot of stuff guides (esp the p1 ones) don’t really mention and it’s just better to know what you’re getting into out the gate in my opinion lol

I HOPE UR DOING AWESOMELY AS WELL AND THANK U SMMMM FOR UR ASKS UR SO KIND <3 😭😭

[mouse507]

Hi there! could I get a beatles ship? I'm class president, and in a crap ton of clubs and stuff at school but I'm literally a mess all of the time lol. Music is my "niche" and I've learned 3 instruments so far. I want to learn to speak so many different languages bc theyre so interesting to me, and I love love love classic literature. I'm a super sarcastic person, with Sagittarius sun/ Aquarius moon, and can become pretty insecure though Ive gotten good at hiding it. Thankyou♥️

I ship you with John Lennon! He teaches you how to play instruments, or helps enhancing what you already know, and even asks if you'll play some extra parts in the studio. He's very impressed with your academic career, and always asks "where do you get the time?" You both always talk about what book your reading, and how it fascinates both of you. Every time he comes home, you're sitting on the couch reading or trying to teach yourself a new song on the guitar. (idk what instruments sorry) He'll always ask for your feedback on his art work or poems, he wants to make sure you like them before anyone else can have a say.

[laurenpandora]

ScoobyNatural

So, I loved this episode. Honestly one of the best episodes ever. I know it's had mixed reviews from some people who really dislike Scooby Doo but the rest of us loved it and I really think they did a fantastic job with this. The animation was so good, the characters look like them, and although their movements are a lot more cartoonish it's still believably them which I'm really happy about. I've been hyped for this episode for weeks and honestly it was worth the wait.

So this episode starts and we're launched straight into the episode with no recaps or 'previously' scenes. Which is jarring enough in itself, but we're also launched straight into the middle of a fight scene. This kinda messed with my head a little as SPN doesn't usually start with them already in the middle of a case, fighting the monster. The next confusing thing is the fact that they seem to be fighting a human-sized plush dinosaur in the middle of a store. Bit weird but we go with it. Dean commenting that "killing Barney" was pretty satisfying made me laugh.

The store owner offers them something from the store to say thankyou and of course Sam is very humble and refused, but Dean can't miss an opportunity like that. "Take it easy, she's delicate" They carry out a large TV and of course Dean personifies the thing, calling it a 'she' which is what he also does with his car so we can tell he's already quite attached to the Television.

"Be like Elsa. Let it go." Sometimes Dean's references show a very different side to him. He wants Sam to drop the case because 'it's over' but Sam obviously knows something is wrong about it. Dean distracts Sam though because he's so excited to show him what he's been doing with one of the rooms in the bunker.

"The Dean cave.. or.. Fortress of Deanitude.." That's actually kind of adorable. He's so happy about it and I love that. Dean being at home in the bunker is my jam. He never had a home for so long, sleeping in the car and cheap motels and living on the road for years, and now that they have the bunker, and he can decorate, and make it his, he gets almost domestic and this is just so good for him. The rare happy Dean moments seem to be increasing and that is so beautiful.

He makes a big show of turning on the TV, and something isn't right. It sparks purple and they're both confused. Dean actually tilts his head and I'm instantly reminded of Castiel. I wonder if Dean picked that up from him?

Then they're both sucked into the TV.

They freak out because they're suddenly animated, and they do it in such a cartoonish way both at the same time saying "you're a cartoon! I'm a cartoon!" it's very funny.

"Maybe this is an angel thing. Or the trickster." "No, he's dead." "Or is he?" No! He's not! It's almost like they know. Dean even said it really ominously. This makes me so happy. Dean calls out Sam for being confused about the car getting there, like as if everything else about this is just mildly weird, but the car being there is just not possible.. XD

They drive to a Malt Shop - I have no idea what one of those is - and see the Mystery Machine, which is how they figure out they're in Scooby Doo. Then we get the ScoobyNatural title scene, which seems pretty late on in the episode but I guess it wouldn't have made sense to have it at the beginning.

Dean fanboying over the Scooby Gang is so childlike.. but then he's instantly after Daphne which I find a bit creepy. I know it's a cartoon, and I know that it's all meant to be fairly innocent, Dean has been a fan of this show since he was a child, but it's still weird to me. Canonically Daphne is in her late teens. Dean Winchester is in his late 30s. That's a little weird to me. But since his Daphne crush probably started when he was a child himself, and the characters are just animations.. I'll let it go for now I guess.

"I dunno. Cas is kinda like a talking dog" Dean compares their lives hunting to Scooby Doo and it's kinda cute. He sees the characters as 'role models' which is kinda funny because the Winchesters have literally saved the world so many times, and the Scooby Gang.. not so much. He even seems quite nervous to meet them.

Scooby is apparently the heir to a fortune left to him by an 'Old southern Colonel'. Please tell me this was an intentional reference to Asmodeus? Even Dean called the guy 'Evil Colonel Sanders' earlier this season, and we've all been calling him that since before then, so this can't be a coincidence, right?

"There are no words in this newspaper, Dean" This really got me. One of my favourite things ever is when cartoon characters point out stuff like this. Even though obviously Sam and Dean do know theyre in a cartoon, the 4th wall breaks like this still make me laugh. Dean decides they have to play along because he assumes it's like the Changing Channels episode and they have to 'play their part'. Honestly a lot of us were hoping that Gabriel had something to do with this episode, but I guess we're waiting for the next episode to see him again.

The part where Dean eats the giant sandwich actually reminds me of Changing Channels:

Dean really dislikes Fred and I'm guessing it's because he's jealous of him? Not just the FredxDaphne thing but his, and I quote: "perfect hair, his can-do attitude, that stupid ascot". The way Dean talks, he's so needlessly angry at Fred just for being Fred, he either low key wishes he was more like that, or he's got some weird crush on Fred too?  I wont read too much into that right now. I did notice though, that as they speed off racing the mystery machine, there is a large sign that just says 'LUBE'. I'm sure that's just a completely innocent background image but what can I say, my mind is often in the gutter.

So they get to the house and yes the late Colonel is actually called Colonel Sanders, which Sam and Dean both notice, but I think it was more as a 'thats kinda stupid' reaction than anything. "Spend a night in a haunted house for a million dollars? That can't be legal." Trust Sam to think of it that way, but he's got a point. But then, it is a classic movie trope. Velma points out that 'things like this happen all the time' because obviously in cartoons, in her universe, they do.

Dean doesn't want to tell them that they're in a cartoon, they're innocent and pure and he wants them to stay that way (despite flirting with Daphne, ahem) which seems like a good plan until crap starts getting real. "Oh Dean. Boys and girls don't sleep in the same room, silly." Yep, Dean is right, the Scooby Gang are definitely innocent and pure. Daphne calls out Velma for being interested in Sam, which I thought was a bit of an unexpected development but kinda funny.

Then one of the background characters is killed.

"Jinkies" "Jeepers" "Zoinks" "Ruh Roh" "Son of a bitch." This really got me, just all the Scooby catchphrases and then Deans which is just so wildly different.

"We should look for evidence. Like fingerprints. Or fluids." This sentence is where it starts to get a little uncomfortable. It's a little like watching the first 'Don't hug me I'm scared' episode. It's slowly pushing the boundary of not so happy and innocent. They're still so chipper though, someone has just died and they're all like 'ooh a mystery'. That's not normal, guys.

Then they see an ominous figure at the window in a trenchcoat and I think we're supposed to think it's the ghost but everyone I watched this with already knew it was gonna be Castiel. "Castiel? It sounds like a great italian pizza place." I'm dying. Actually dying of laughter. Poor Cas.

Cas explains how he got there and we get a scene where he's at the bunker talking about getting the fruit of life. He didn't check they were there before launching into his story about the fruit, which is good because it means we get to hear about it. Apparently he had to make a deal with some Djinns and he may have technically married their Queen?  This particular scene was hilarious and was what sparked the tweet from Rachel Miner that I posted the screenshot of the other day.

"Killer stuffed dinosaur?" "Uh I didn't mean a real..." "It's a book we're writing. Yeah. About Killer stuffed Dinosaurs. It's called-" "The Killer Stuffed Dinosaur..In Love." The hell kinda books has Cas been reading? I hope someone writes this book though. SPN Fandom, don't let us down. I would do it but I can't write. Which you can probably tell from my posts..

They try to fight the ghost but quickly realise that it's definitely not a person in a costume. Velma's levels of denial are almost impressive.

Then they find a chopped up guy and it gets pretty disgusting. "That's not good." Really, Fred? Really? "Do they always just.. walk away from dead bodies? or?" Sam is the cynical commentary I didn't know I needed for this episode, I love it. Also Fred cockblocking Dean at every turn is magical.

"Wonderful. I once led armies and now I'm paired with a scruffy philistine and a talking dog." Sassy Castiel is my favourite. <3 Velma is still insistent that the ghost is just an 'unscrupulous real estate developer' or something similar, even when Sam tries to explain the truth. I know I'd have trouble believing in ghosts in her position, but the stubborness is quite painful. Dean tries again to flirt with Daphne by asking what she looks for in a guy, and she basically just describes Fred which is hilarious. Dean notices a book "The one that isn't painted into the background of the car- hm - library" and there's that cartoon 4th wall again. Pointing out how the important props are always so obvious in cartoons. They fall down the secret passage and Dean is trying to get handsy with Daphne in the dark. Yeah ok Dean that's definitely creepy, stop it.

Now we've got the obligatory Scooby Doo running about the house scene, complete with music and doors and popping out of vases. And Scrappy Doo randomly even though he wasn’t even there. Fantastic. Love it.

"We have to stop this ghost" "We almost did. Dean had him by the thigh" "He what?" I don't even know what to say about this so I'm just gonna leave it here.

Scooby and Shaggy falling off the building, being saved by Cas with his coat as a parachute is possibly the best part of this entire episode. This was the point where I started wondering if Castiel still has his angel powers inside the cartoon. Shaggy gets badly hurt which just doesn't happen in Scooby Doo episodes, as pointed out angrily by Shaggy: "I have jumped out of a biplane in a museum and was fine!".

This I guess is the final straw and they decide to tell the gang the truth. Which seems like a good plan on the surface but then they all start having a mass existential crisis. "We've been stopping real estate developers when we could have been hunting dracula? Are you kidding me? My life is meaningless!" "If there are ghosts.. that means theres an afterlife! Heaven! Hell! Am I going to Hell?!" ..Daphne, what did you do?

"Scooby Gang does not have nervous breakdowns." Yeah you tell them Dean.. Like, you just ruined their lives, ripped apart their entire concept of reality, and they're all scared teenagers but yes lets tell them to pull themselves together. He does make a damned good motivational speech though. He tells them how they're heroes and honestly, even I felt better after this speech.

"We can help. We have to." "F**king right you can." Dean swore. And they bleeped him. This doesn't even happen in regular Supernatural episodes. Like holy crap. I think I heard somewhere that the F word wasn't in the script but when Jensen said it they just left it in? I've been watching convention videos on youtube so it was probably at Paleyfest or something?

Their weird rube-goldberg style trap for the ghost is.. inventive? The salt and the coconuts and the soap and the washing machine.. They send Shaggy, Scooby and Castiel to sneak around the house and the animation of them sneaking is just gold..

I cannot imagine Cas walking like this and that just makes the whole thing funnier. And of course the three of them end up in the washing machine instead of the ghost. Because Cartoon logic. "Freds traps never work" of course they have a plan B which seems to be some kind of glowing salt circle. I wish salt circles were that pretty in real life. It's kinda sparkling.

The ghost turns out to be a child, who is being controlled by the pawn shop owners friend, Jay. When they go back in the other room the Scooby Gang are freaking out, yelling about shotguns and traps and panicking about the ghost, so the boys decide they need to get the kid to fix the episode. "Kill it with fire!" is not something I ever thought I'd hear from Daphne.

Sam seems to be in pain trying to tell Velma she was right. Which is understandable, as she's been so smug about him believing in ghosts for the whole episode. It's gotta be difficult to tell her she's right when she isn't.

They finally get to do the whole pulling the mask off part, completing the episode, and Castiel sneakily fixes Shaggys arm, which I guess answers the angel powers question I had earlier. Everything is back to how it should be.

They say goodbye to the gang and Cas saying goodbye to Scooby and Shaggy is so beautiful but so funny at the same time. Velma kisses Sam, which is weird af and then she wanders off talking about his shoulders... I don't even know what to make of that.

"That was the coolest thing that's ever happened to me. And that includes the Cartwright twins." "What did you do with the Cartwright twins?" For gods sake do not ask, Cas. Sam doesn't want to know either.

They're all back in the real world and Dean has to smash his TV open. I kinda wonder if he couldn't have just taken it apart to get the knife out? I guess that would have taken time but it seems to me that would have been the better option? He could maybe even have just tipped it upside down? Seeing as it was just dropped into a hole in the top of the TV. Maybe I'm overthinking it. Maybe I'm just upset about breaking electronics. Either way, they set the spirit free, and it's super emotional.

They go to confront the 'bad man' as the kid called him and Dean is wearing an Ascot scarf thing over his jacket and plaid shirt getup. It clashes badly and does not suit him at all to be honest. They expose Jay for what he's been doing, but of course no one but them is going to believe it, so they also have some convenient tax evasion dirt on him so that the police can take him in.

"Velma was right. It was a shady real estate developer after all." That is such a twist ending. That's hilarious.

Then the guy says the 'meddling kids' line, even though Sam, Dean and Castiel are not kids? They're grown men. Bit confusing but I guess it had to be done? Dean doing the impression of Scooby Doo was a little cringey though. "Dean. You're not a talking dog." That.

He's right that red is his colour. But the ascot is not a good look.

This was a really fun episode and I really enjoyed it. I rewatched it to write this post and I am half tempted to watch it a third time already... Very impressed.

[robbinsarizonas]

Not A Baby

An anon sent this prompt into @omeliafics ‘Prompt: Amelia and Owen and their kid are driving and the kid has to go to the bathroom and ends up wetting their pants and crying and saying theyre a baby, Omelia comforts them and says its ok. Cute fluff’ but unfortunately there’s no Owen in this fic, because of my Omelia family timeline, but it’s the same general idea, and it’s pretty cute. I’d imagine Owen and Amelia would probably talk about this, either via text or over the phone.

“I gotta go I gotta go.” Charlotte said from the back of the car, wiggling as much as she could in her car seat, legs jiggling up and down. “Mommmyyy I gotta go.” She said again, not thinking her mommy was listening.

“Honey I can’t stop the car yet, but if I find somewhere to pull over.” Amelia said, looking in the mirror so she could see into the back of the car. Charlotte looked like she was about to burst.

“But mommy I gotta go.” Charlotte said, moving even more than she had been before. If they didn’t stop, she was definitely going to pee her pants and no one wanted that.

“She’s gonna pee.” Maddie said, looking over at Charlotte and then at the back of her mommy’s head as that was all she could see from the back of the car.

“Try to hold it, I’ll pull over as soon as I can.” Amelia said, considering it was unlikely there were any actual toilets nearby, pulling over was the best she could promise in this situation.

“Moooommmmmmyyyyy....” Charlotte moaned. She couldn’t hold it, it was coming, she needed to pee and she needed to pee now, she didn’t want to be in this car anymore.

“Charlotte, there’s nothing I can do.” Amelia said, wishing there was something she could do right here and right now.

There was silence for a couple of minutes, and then the sound of quiet sobbing.

“Look, here we go, I can pull over here.” Amelia said, pulling the car over and turning off the engine. Unstrapping her seatbelt to look around at her girls.

Charlotte’s entire face was as red as a tomato, and there were tears streaming down her cheeks. She wasn’t making much noise, she wasn’t usually a wailer, but she was definitely crying, and a lot.

Amelia got out of the car and opened the door on Charlotte’s side, putting an arm around her daughter and giving her a sideways hug, squeezing her gently.

“I peed mommy.” Charlotte sniffed, looking up at her mother with absolute sadness.

“Oh honey...” Amelia sighed, looking down at Charlotte’s car seat and noticing a definite wet patch around where she was sitting. “Okay, come on out.” She said, lifting Charlotte out of the car and putting her down on the ground behind where their car was parked so she was safe from passers by. “There’s a towel in the trunk, but we don’t have a change of clothes...” She continued, wracking her brain for any kind of solution.

“She can wear mine.” Maddie suggested, leaning out of her car seat so she could see what was going on.

“Then what would you wear?” Amelia laughed, even though it wasn’t a bad suggestion, and a nice gesture.

“I’m fine.” Maddie said, not at all bothered.

“I don’t think that’s going to work, but thankyou Mads.” Amelia said, pushing the button to unlock the trunk of the car and reaching in for the towel they had lurking.

“I’m not a baby.” Charlotte said, still crying. “I’m not.” She said again.

Amelia bent down so she was at Charlotte’s eye level, directly facing her, and took both of her little hands in hers.

“You’re not a baby. This, this happens sometimes. Doesn’t mean you’re a baby. You had an accident, and that’s okay. That’s perfectly okay. Did someone at school tell you wetting yourself meant you’re a baby?” Amelia said, giving Charlotte’s hands a little comforting squeeze.

“That boy.” Maddie shouted to be sure her mommy could hear her from all the way in the car. “The boy I don’t like.” She added, just so her mommy knew who she was talking about.

“What boy?” Amelia asked, no idea who Maddie was talking about.

“That boy. The boy with the yellow hair.” Maddie said, not understanding why her mommy didn’t know who she was talking about, he was only the worst boy in the whole entire world.

“Do you know his name?” Amelia asked, there was more than one boy in their class that had blonde hair, which was what Amelia assumed Maddie meant by ‘yellow’.

“Stupid.” Maddie said, because he was.

“Honey, that’s not nice.” Amelia said with a disapproving frown.

“But he is! He makes me wanna hit his face.” Maddie said, scrunching up her little fists into tight balls. “He saw when Charlotte wetted herself when we had school and he pointed and he laughed and he said ‘baby’.” Maddie continued.

“And did you tell the teacher?” Amelia asked, standing up and putting the towel down on Charlotte’s car seat for her to sit on.

“No.” Maddie said, letting her fists loosen.

“Next time he says something not nice, you’ve gotta tell the teacher.” Amelia said, lifting Charlotte back up into the car and watching as she got into her seat and put on the straps. “Hitting, that’s not okay, even if someone is not being nice.” She said, hoping that Maddie wouldn’t actually hit him if it came to that.

“The teacher tell his mommy he’s been bad?” Maddie asked, he was always bad, always always always.

“Yes, the teacher will tell his mommy.” Amelia assured her, checking Charlotte was strapped in properly. “Okay, you’re gonna have to be a bit uncomfortable until we get home, but once we’re home we’ll get you changed.” She said, patting Charlotte’s knee before pushing the door closed and getting back into the drivers seat.

“I don’t like boys. Boys are stinky.” Maddie said, folding her arms tightly.

“Okay.” Amelia smiled, starting the car up and taking a quick glance into the mirror.

[arplis]

Arplis - News: Great seat, so-so service: A review of KLMs business class on the 787-9 from Amsterdam to Toronto

TPG Rating

80 100

Pros

Beautiful, comfortable seat and bed; ample options for inflight entertainment; greatly improved lounge at Amsterdam airport.

Cons

Slow, disjointed meal service.

16/20 Ground Experience

26/30 Cabin + Seat

12/15 Amenities + IFE

15/20 Food + Beverage

11/15 Service

Dutch flag carrier KLM is a major presence in the U.S. and Canada, with year-round flights to Amsterdam (AMS) from 14 cities. It sends across the Atlantic pretty much all of the airplane types in its long-haul fleet: the Airbus A330 and Boeing 747, 777 and 787. The last one is the only one offering business class with direct aisle access for all seats, while the other types feature configurations with seats in a 2-2-2 layout.

Its a much different story on the 787s, which began joining the fleet four years ago and sport a 1-2-1 configuration in business class, with seats laid out in a reverse-herringbone pattern. On paper, its a totally competitive offering across the Atlantic, at least in terms of seat.

KLM is also a member of SkyTeam, the alliance that includes Delta Air Lines, so flyers can earn and redeem Deltas SkyMiles on all flights, as well as Air France and KLMs own Flying Blue miles.

For more TPG news delivered each morning to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter.

Weve reviewed KLMs business class before several times, including the classic upper-deck experience on the 747. Every time, we found it to be a good, but not great, way to fly at the front of the plane.

What would we find in 2019, which also happens to be the 100-year anniversary of KLM, the worlds oldest airline?

Booking

The Flying Blue program has become complicated lately, but youll be able to navigate it easily using our guides. You can also get Flying Blue miles by transferring points from Citi ThankYou Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards, American Express Membership Rewards and Marriott Bonvoy.

When we found a great award fare from Amsterdam to Toronto (YYZ) for 45,375 Flying Blue miles plus $226.15 in taxes and fees, we went for it without hesitation. We value Flying Blue miles at 1.2 cents each, making this a transatlantic flight in business class for $750.65. You can pay a lot more in coach!

On the KLM app, I was able to select my seat in advance not my meals, unfortunately and I was off for one of the cheapest premium-class Atlantic crossings of my entire frequent-flyer career.

Ground Experience

TPG Rating

16/20

PH-BHP

Tail

1yr

Age

11%

Late

h 16m

Avg. Delay

17:45

Departure

7h 37m

Duration

Amsterdams Schiphol Airport is one of the easiest airports in Europe to navigate. Connections are a breeze compared to Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG) or London Heathrow (LHR), getting there from the city is easy with plenty of trains and the airport itself is well designed.

When I arrived at the departures hall at 2:40 p.m. for the 5:35 p.m. departure to Toronto, I found the check-in area and departure gate already displayed on the monitors.

Biz-class passengers and elite members of the SkyTeam alliance could check in using a separate gated area, indicated by the SkyPriority logo.

Within this area were both traditional, staffed desks and self-service kiosks, useful if you dont have baggage to check. KLMs institutional blue color, with accents of Dutch orange, appeared in tasteful touches.

Despite having already checked in on the app, I got a paper boarding pass from a desk employee you never know when you might need it. Then I used the priority access to security and the departure gates, clearly indicated within the gated area.

After a quick and painless security and passport check, I was out in the departures area, headed to a duty-free shop for the delicacies I always make sure to bring home from the Amsterdam airport stroopwafels, salty licorice, Gouda cheese and then to one of the KLM lounges.

Even without lounge access, I would have had plenty to see and quiet areas to sit in. Schiphol is a nice airport to be in if you dont have lounge access. Its also a quiet airport, with no announcements on loudspeakers.

TPG contributor Eric Rosen has reviewed in depth the renovated KLM Crown Lounge, one of the two at AMS (the other one is within the area restricted to flights within the European Unions passport-free zone.) Eric explains in detail what you can find there, but I can sum up my time in it with one word: Wow!

This was a far cry from the cavernous, rather boring space it used to be. It had been completely transformed into a large, world-class lounge.

Immediately upon entering, I could see things had changed from my previous visits.

As befits the name, it now had lounge chairs. And much, much better food options, including an la carte restaurant on the second floor, called Blue. (Too bad it was not free, unlike the food and drink in the lounge.)

I spent a delightful hour exploring, and liking, the buffet food and the decor. Another reason to pick a transfer at AMS over other European gateways.

Monitors in the lounge included a mention of how long it took to walk to a specific gate. Armed with that knowledge, I could maximize my time in the lounge and timed my arrival at the gate just four minutes before the start of boarding, long enough to admire the beautiful blue 787-9 that was to fly as KL695 to Toronto.

KLM names its 787s after flowers, and this one, a year-old Dreamliner, was called Tulip. How much more Dutch can you get?

Priority and general boarding lanes were clearly marked, and nobody was crowding the boarding area. At 4:50 p.m., boarding began right on time.

Cabin and Seat

TPG Rating

26/30

1-2-1

Configuration

81in

Bed Length

2

Lavs

KLMs 787-9 has 30 business-class seats, in a single cabin. The longer 787-10 has 38.

It was, even at first sight, a huge improvement over the 2-2-2 biz classes of previous KLM birds. The reverse-herringbone layout and that particular seat type have been around for years, but in KLMs incarnation, they exuded quiet elegance.

Of course, as is usual on this aircraft: No window shades! 787 windows are dimmed electronically, with the touch switch under them.

The inflight-entertainment screen swiveled out with a press of the blue button to the left.

Headrests were adjustable in height and angle, and had adjustable wings. The seatbelts had airbags, as happens more and more in premium seats.

In the lie-flat position, the 22-inch wide seat turned into an 81-inch bed. Though a mattress pad for sleeping was not available, the bed offered enough space in the footwell to move comfortably. The only thing I didnt like about it in bed mode was the clunky airbag belt, and the pillow could have been firmer, too.

When sleeping under a blanket or comforter, fasten your seat belt over it. That way, if theres turbulence and flight attendants come to check if youre buckled in, they can just take a look and not bother you and youll make their job easier, too.

The armrest on the aisle side could be lowered with the blue button. Flight attendants asked passengers to keep them in the lowered position for takeoff and landing.

It would not have been possible to store large electronics like laptops or tablets anywhere other than the overhead bins, but the closed storage cubby next to the IFE remote was ideal for wallets, phones and other small items. Headphones for the IFE were hanging in it from a hook.

I especially liked the clever mirror inside the door, in classy KLM blue.

An international power outlet and powered USB outlet were under the armrest by the window, with a sign indicating their location.

The tray table extended from the same armrest with the press of another blue button. It was a bit small, but still OK for a 15-inch laptop, and once extended it could slide forward, letting the seat occupant get up during meal service. This is a key element that not all airlines get right; for example, Virgins swanky new Upper Class forces you to stay seated when the table is out and a meal is on it.

The seat controls were intuitive, and I didnt see any other passenger have to ask a flight attendant for help figuring things out. From the top, the four buttons are: slide seat forward and back, bed mode, seat back up and overhead light.

Besides the overhead light, which could be controlled from the remote too, there was a reading light built into the seat. Two adjustable air-conditioning vents were above the seat, the latter a feature not found on all aircraft. (Some European airlines, like Lufthansa, are notorious for keeping cabins far warmer than what Americans are used to.)

The bathrooms were more or less normal, save for a KLM classic, the Delft-house decorations. Theyre found all over its branded materials, and even on the escalator to the Crown Lounge.

Amenities and IFE

TPG Rating

12/15

16in

Screen

250

Movies

200

TV Shows

No

Live TV

No

Tailcam

As customary, I found pillow and comforter already on the seat, and headphones in the mini storage locker. Amenity kits were distributed later.

The amenity kit by Dutch designer Jan Taminiau, featuring the colors of the Dutch flag, was distributed to each passenger just after flight attendants closed the overhead bins prior to pushing back from the gate. It had the basics for a long-haul flight: socks, toothpaste and toothbrush, eye mask and earplugs, moisturizer, lip balm and a pen useful for immigration forms.

More toiletries were found in the two bathrooms exclusive to business class, which were spotless throughout the seven-hour, 40-minute flight. Hair gel, body mist and hand-and-body lotion were a limited edition by Rituals for KLM. Besides the pillow and comforter, I didnt receive any other amenities like slippers or pajamas.

These KLM aircraft feature crisp, 16-inch screens, with about 250 movies to watch in at least 14 languages, and a gorgeous moving map: this was a good IFE, and I enjoyed it thoroughly.

The Wi-Fi internet disconnected a few times, but was otherwise quite usable. I paid 18 euros ($20) for the whole flight, a much better deal than the other choice of 8 euros ($9) for one hour. (If you just wanted to send or receive text messages, that was free.) The Speedtest app kept timing out, but the internet was fast enough for videos, albeit with some buffering.

The headphones supplied by the airline were of the fairly rare three-prong kind, with OK not outstanding sound quality.

The beautiful 3D moving map could also be loaded on the smaller display in the remote, which retained full pinch-and-zoom functionality.

The cockpit-view function is increasingly popular in IFEs, and for aviation geeks its a delight every time. After our takeoff on schedule at 5:45 p.m., I followed on the screen our climb from sea level straight to our initial cruising altitude of 36,000 feet in 25 minutes which happened in near silence, despite my position just in front of the righthand engine.

The flight unfolded entirely in darkness. In late June, say, the views out of the window would have been spectacular, one long sunset seen from the edge of the stratosphere, but in early November we flew at night from start to end.

Food and Beverage

TPG Rating

15/20

2

Meals

Nicolas Feuillatte Brut Rserve

Champagne

No

Dine on Demand

Are you even flying on a Dutch airline if youre not offered a Heineken? Of course not, and a can of the national beer of the Netherlands was on the tray that a flight attendant brought down the aisle as boarding finished. There were also Champagne, orange juice and water. (Incidentally, the two stripes on the flight attendants sleeve identified her as a senior cabin attendant in the KLM rank insignia system.)

At my seat, I found a menu and wine list, with the KLM logo inside a Delft-porcelain motif. The airlines Champagne may have been a midrange Nicolas Feuillatte Brut Rserve, but its taste in graphics was impeccable.

On the wine list, I noticed a cocktail described as a special lighter, crisper version of a Negroni, with Dutch genever (a typically Dutch kind of gin), chosen because both KLM and the Negroni were born in 1919. When the drinks cart arrived at my seat, half an hour after takeoff, I asked for it, with a small bowl of nuts and sparkling water.

The nuts should have been warm and the drink in a wider glass, but those are minor quibbles to have at 36,000 feet, and the Negroni-ish was indeed lighter and crisper than the original, a true pleasure.

For dinner, I could choose among two appetizers, three entrees and two desserts. For the appetizer, I had tomato soup over the other choice, salmon and spicy mango with hazelnut-cucumber-pepper-and-mango dressing.

All three main courses featured potatoes, in an apparent nod to a classic Dutch staple food. My choice was panfried cod and Dutch prawns with herb potatoes, roasted sweet potatoes and broad beans in a mussel gravy. The other two entrees were miso-marinated chicken thigh with carrots, potato puree, Brussels sprouts in an orange beurre blanc sauce; and beef stew with red cabbage, potatoes and cornichons.

For dessert I could have a cheese plate blue cream cheese, Klaver Roem and Leerdammer Caractre, all Dutch cheeses, served with crackers and grapes or sweet bites: brownie with ganache, a chocolate-caramel tartlet and a lemon cheesecake with raspberries. I went with the cheese, and a glass of New Zealand riesling from a simple, five-wine list. It also featured a Chilean chardonnay and three reds: a grenache from France, an Argentinian malbec and a South African shiraz.

Things sounded promising on paper. But when dinner service began, they went awry.

The galley ran out of the salmon appetizer for everybody who wanted it, and flight attendants proposed alternatives to at least two passengers. This happens, I said to myself, no biggie. Space on board is limited, and not everybody gets their first choice on every flight. In any case, I had the tomato soup, which was very good, and though the salad was a bit wilted, it came with a zingy beetroot dressing that was as cheeky as the salt and pepper shakers in the shape of Dutch clogs.

But then I waited 30 minutes between the appetizer and entree, and the flight attendant assigned to my aisle got confused and thought I had ordered the chicken, not the cod.

They hadnt loaded enough cod anyway, he said, seeming a little confused about what was going on in his galley, but after some inquiry he turned up one stray cod entree for me. And good thing he did, because it went beautifully with the riesling.

The silverware had pretty inlaid handles, and the carts were ornamented with the same motif as the menus.

With dessert, the flight attendant brought around a box of chocolates in the shape of, you guessed it, Delft houses. I had two, and I could have had more. They were excellent, and so were the cheeses. By the time I was done with all of it, though, it had been a 90-minute dinner, and when your flight is under eight hours and at night, you may want a service flow that maximizes sleep instead of time spent eating.

A half hour later it was lights out in the cabin, when we were already nearing the southern tip of Greenland, four and a half hours out from Toronto.

Ninety minutes before landing, after some sleep, it was time for the second meal service. The appetizer was a sweet-potato salad with white cheese and pomegranates, followed by either a cheese quiche or an Angus beef burger with cheese, and then by an apple pie. The meal was served with pepper jelly and deep-fried onions on the side. I got the burger and a Coke, which proved to be a good choice. And the apple pie that followed was perfectly warm.

KLM did not let me go hungry. It wasnt top-quality, but it was perfectly competent airplane food, in abundant amounts.

Service

TPG Rating

11/15

No

Extra Pillows

No

Turndown Service

Would you like a house, Mr. Riva? the flight attendant asked me after the last dish had been removed from my tray. On any other airline, I would have thought that a weird question, but in KLM business class it could mean only one thing. It was time for the distribution of the miniature Delft porcelain houses filled with liquor, which the airline gives away as souvenirs to business passengers.

The one distributed on KL695 that day wasnt any old house, either.

Its the house where our king and queen live, he said.

According to the booklet that came with it, Huis ten Bosch is the residence of King Willem-Alexander, Queen Mxima and their children. Thats the very king who occasionally moonlights as a KLM pilot, but there was no royalty at the controls on my flight: His Majesty is qualified on the Boeing 737, not the 787.

That very nice interaction with the flight attendant and the story behind the Delft house ended the flight on a high note for me, but overall, the service was OK, not great. There were moments of slight confusion during meal services, and dinner lasted way too long.

Overall impression

You dont need to be an aviation enthusiast to see how pretty this 787 was on the inside and out, and even a casual flyer notices the Dreamliners smooth, quiet ride. Add a very good biz-class seat, and you have the makings of a very nice Atlantic crossing.

Coming off the flight on a cold night in Toronto, I reasoned that Id just flown in a better biz seat than most Delta One seats, certainly better than any Lufthansa seat short of first class, and on par with the best seats offered on KLMs sister airline, Air France. It would just have needed better service to compete for greatness. That said, you would not be disappointed if you redeemed a reasonable number of miles for KLM biz class on the Dreamliner.

All photos by the author.

Arplis - News source https://arplis.com/blogs/news/great-seat-so-so-service-a-review-of-klms-business-class-on-the-787-9-from-amsterdam-to-toronto