#this churro scene is truly something so personal

[coldblooded-angel]

My thoughts during the Churro™ scene as a professionally licensed Yapper:

SPOILERS UNDER THE CUT:

While they’re in the canteen, there’s a moment where Art looks at Patrick and you can clearly see the relief in his eyes that he has his friend there with him. (Or does he??)

I don’t think Art was lying about not keeping in touch with Patrick. In between his tennis career and his relationship, Patrick has neglected Art (which I think is because he’s so used to him being there that he just never fathomed him not being there which makes him complacent in their friendship).

But when Art realizes that once again Patrick has been taken away by just the mere image of Tashi, he’s hurt. I think in that moment Art wanted to feed that hurt, lash out and make Patrick feel the pain he feels for being left out.

Art jokes about Patrick not being there to visit him because he misses him. He misses his friend, his constant and yes, it’s in a joking manner but Patrick sees thru him (as he always does).

(The fucking head tilt took me out because it screams fond like ‘aw baby u really did miss me ure so cute when ure jealous but wont admit it’)

The entire scene (for me) turns into reassurances and doubts. Their friendship was being tested to see if it could withstand having to share their love and space with a third. Having to make concessions and space around their new desire and jealousy.

When Art tries to downplay his thoughts, trying to twist Tashi’s words to manipulate he was clearly being petty but I also think there’s some truth to his statement of not wanting Patrick to get hurt. He is his friend first but he also knows him (the same intrinsic way that Patrick knows Art) and how his friend will be able to bounce back from any relationship because Art truly doesn’t think these two are that serious (blinded by Patrick’s history and his own feelings). So Patrick sees the manipulation for what it is.

(The fond look in his eye when Art isn’t looking. That man is in love your honor!!!!!)

Patrick knows Art was trying to manipulate him. He knows it and he likes it, encourages it even. He looks at him like he’s proud of Art. The fact that it mattered more to him that Art was actually being vocal about his own wants instead of repressing as he always did, even if it was through breaking him and his girlfriend up. He didn’t even see it as a threat because it never occurs to him that he could lose Tashi to Art (or vice versa) because at this point, he’s secure in his place within the triangle. But also reveals how insecure Art feels within that same triangle because of his perceived isolation.

[harmonyowl]

What was Birdie up to during the Shadow Company Betrayal-Debacle?

Thank you for asking hun! 💙 Haha you picked probably one of the more exciting moments for Theodora 😂

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Why, in the holy hell, did Johnny want thirty churros!?

Theodora had seen him do some pretty spectacular things in the time she had known him, but putting away a meal alongside thirty churros was something that even she thought was a stretch.

Tapping her thumb on the steering wheel to the music from the radio, Theodora glanced over at the food sitting in the passenger seat and debated whether Johnny would miss a churro or two, the smell permeating the car was really starting to make her mouth water.

But when Theodora came around the bend back towards the base's checkpoint, what she saw made her quickly press her heeled foot onto the brake. The car slowed to a stop and something about the scene made her stomach drop.

Theodora never claimed to be any better at reading people than the average person, but she did know her boys, and right now their stances made the little hairs on her arms stand up. Something wasn't right about where Shadow Company was, or the tenseness of Simon and Johnny's backs, or the fact that Alejandro looked like he was in the middle of an argument.

The slow stop of the car got their attention for a moment, and when Johnny and Simon turned their heads towards her, Theodora got the sense they were trying to convey something to her but she was too far away to truly discern it. Very discreetly she moved her hand down to the gear lever and put the car in reverse, hoping that the white lights on the back didn't show up too brightly.

But Theodora realised quickly she wouldn't have to worry about that, because all hell broke loose once Alejandro lurched forward to attack Phillip. She didn't even waste time to stay and watch what happened, once the first hit was thrown Theodora slammed her foot back onto the accelerator and turned over her shoulder to try and navigate herself away.

Admittedly, Backwards Getaway Driving 101 wasn't a class Theodora had ever taken in her life, and in her rising panic she misjudged the bend and slammed the back of the car into the road guard.

'Fucking shite!' She muttered as the back of her head smacked the headrest, her stress growing at the sound of gunfire. What the hell was going on? Everything had just seemed to go so wrong so fast, and just after their win with the missile. Quickly shifting the lever back to drive, Theodora turned the steering wheel to try and get as far away from there as possible.

But despite being well away from all the chaos, bullets tended to close that distance well, and car doors were the furtherest things from bulletproof.

And God did that bullet burn.

Theodora cried out and instinctively grabbed her left thigh, causing the car to swerve slightly. She drove down the road for only a short while longer before she had to slam on the brakes and put it in park, her thigh was absolutely throbbing and hot blood was flowing out over her hand. Her panic was turning into full on terror as she thought about the location of her injury, was she going to bleed out? Was she going to die here?

With shaking hands Theodora slid the hem of her dress up her thigh, pained noises escaping her mouth as the fabric pressed against the wound, blood making the fabric sticky. She was sucking in tears as she pulled her cardigan off her shoulders, taking a deep breath and closing her eyes briefly to psyche herself up, Theodora lifted her bleeding thigh with a cry and shoved her cardigan underneath it. Taking the sleeves she tied a knot and pulled as hard as she could, it was agonising but it kept a constant pressure, and she knew the worst part of it hadn't even started yet.

Blindly reaching under the food bags with one hand Theodora grabbed her tablet while the other was trying to unlatch the door, the slippery blood on her hand made it harder. Stumbling out onto the road was the worst part of all this so far, other than actually getting shot, her thigh burned and stung every time she had to step on it and her heels made it pure agony. Kicking said heels off Theodora stumbled towards the gap in the road guard, limping as fast as she could, she didn't want to deal with Shadow Company or whatever the hell was going on behind her.

She was just a technical analyst, she'd never been shot before, she shouldn't have to deal with this shit!

Hopefully she'd find someone who could help her soon, or Johnny, or Simon, or anyone that knew what to do in these kinds of situations.

Through the trees Theodora could see some lights in the distance, and with an agonisingly throbbing thigh, she stumbled her way towards them. Hoping and praying for another little miracle of luck.

[drpg-global-archive]

DRPG - EVENT - NETHER ATTRACTION! LOVE LAB'S HUSTLING

4/5 The Ideal Male Cast

The last male casting candidate is a real beauty! They seem excited, but there's a big problem...

(Note: The orc brothers from D3 appear here, but their speech patterns do not use their English version quirks of 'ese,' 'homes,' and 'weddo.' Instead, here they end their sentences with their own names.)

Come Out, Ghosts!

Rozalin: I saw something good, but I wasn't able to put it into the cast.

Sweet Omega: Our back is already to the wall! Please, Merome!

Merome Romero: Leave it to me! Don't be startled, ok everyone? The person I chose wants to join the Love Laboratory's activities.

Tria and Sweet Omega: Whoa!

Rozalin: Maybe it's already in the works. It looks like we're secure from the get-go.

Merome Romero: Yes! The preparations were perfect! All that's left are final checks and actually getting them to play the roles! So let's go!

(Fade to black, begin scene)

Merome Romero: The first day at a new school makes me nervous. This area is known for ghosts, so I guess I'm a little anxious.

Chewie, who plays a hoodlum: Look, Chewie! A zombie girl is walking alone, Chewie!

Cholo, who plays a hoodlum: You just enrolled in the school, Cholo? Skip school and play with us, Cholo!

Merome Romero: Aaaah, it appeared! A ghost!

Rozalin: (whisper) Is that... a ghost?

Tria: (whisper) It's supposed to be a ghost and a hoodlum.

Sweet Omega: (whisper) Just this once, overlook the little things, Master!

???: You, wait!

Churro, who plays a hoodlum: Who is it, Churro?!

Mid-Boss: Baring fangs at a frail mademoiselle is outrageous! If you continue to approach her, I'll stand in for her.

Churro, who plays a hoodlum: Coming out all of a sudden and causing trouble is unforgivable, Churro! Boosss! Booooooossssss!

Stage 1 - New Extra Hoodlums 1 Stage 2 - New Extra Hoodlums 2

Mysterious Brotherly Figure

Chewie, who plays a hoodlum: Though he looks like a Mid-Boss, he's surprisingly strong, Chewie! I'll remember it, Chewie!

Mid-Boss: Stop with the Mid-Boss stuff! Even in a script, I won't allow it!

Sweet Omega: (whisper) T-those are the cast candidates Merome chose!

Mid-Boss: Are you hurt, Mademoiselle?

Merome Romero: Uh, no. Thank you for helping me. I'm so scared......

Mid-Boss: It's OK. No need to worry anymore. If I see the thugs who can't show respect to women, I'll defeat them all.

Merome Romero: Mysterious brotherly figure...

Rozalin: (whisper) Look at that! Actually an engaging conversation!

Tria: (whisper) It's moving along very steadily. My hopes are high for this!

Mid-Boss: Oh, look at what time it is. I have to head to school. Maybe we'll meet again somewhere, Mademoiselle.

Merome Romero: Ah! Wait... ......He's already gone. I didn't have the chance to ask him his name... But wait? "School" in this area would mean... Ok everyone! After this we go to their reunion at school, so everyone please move!

Stage 3 - Bosses at School

Destined Reunion

Merome Romero: Ahem! I just transferred to this school today. My name is Merome Romero...

Mid-Boss: Oh hi, Mademoiselle. Nice to see you again.

Merome Romero: Mystery man! I thought you might be a teacher here! I'm happy to see you again!

Mid-Boss: Me too, Mademoiselle. This might be fate.

Merome Romero: Fate... ♥

Mid-Boss: It is fundamental that Netherworld students have the ability to protect themselves, as they could be attacked anytime. However... actual ability varies from person to person. I value all students. Merome, if you need anything, you can count on me.

Merome Romero: Ok... I'll ask for your help a lot!

Sweet Omega: (whisper) I didn't expect him to get so involved! You can bet on it! That man is truly talented!

Tria: (whisper) Even a weak demon would admit the power of pure magnanimity! This might be the ideal cast!

Rozalin: If I ask Adell, I wonder if it should be for the physical education teacher? Or for the student guidance role?

Merome Romero: Brotherly... sorry, Sir! Please tell me your name!

Mid-Boss: Oh, where are my manners. How rude of me, not telling Mademoiselle my name. Beginning today, I will be your class teacher! I'm Dark Adonis. Bye...

(note: he was introducing himself as 'The Dark Adonis, Vyers' but. they screwed it up lmao)

Etna: Ah, there you are!

Stage 4 - The Love Event Now Playing

Those Who Love

Mid-Boss: Well isn't this Etna. What's going on?

Etna: "What's going on" is my line... What are you doing, dressed up like a Mid-Boss? And with the Love Laboratory crew...

Mid-Boss: Heh. I'm glad you asked. Right now, I'm on the glorious Beauty Cast, designated by Merome of the Love Laboratory for my beauty.

Etna: Ahhh, I see. In a sense, that's normal operation.

Rozalin: And? Etna, why have you come here?

Etna: Oh, right. Sicily was looking for you. She wants you to try a new dish she's prepared.

Mid-Boss: What?!

Merome Romero: Huh? Uh, Mr. Dark Adonis?

Mid-Boss: ...Forgive me, Mademoiselle. I must return to the place of those I love. Right now.

Merome Romero: Those you love?!

Sweet Omega: What does that mean?! Those you love? Your wife?! Or children?!

Tria: Of course! Now that I think about it, an older demon who is strong and polite to women would never be single and without a girlfriend.

Rozalin: So he already has a family... That poses difficult problems for the Love Laboratory as well.

Merome Romero: No, not yet!

Mid-Boss: Merome?

Merome Romero: We've come so far, so I won't let him go! He's a collaboratorwe finally found! No matter what, I will get him on our team!

Mid-Boss: Really? I am touched by your words. Good, Merome! It was a short duration, but this was the last class! Tell me what's in your heart, and hold nothing back!

Etna: The food's going to get cold, so keep in short, please.

Stage 5 - Teacher Mid-Boss's Final Lesson

Boss - Mid-Boss: Tell me what's in your heart, and hold nothing back!

Until We Meet Again

Mid-Boss: That's wonderful, Merome! I have nothing left to teach you. I can proudly send you out into the world.

Etna: That was a fast graduation.

Merome Romero: Sir! But still, when I think of you, dear teacher!

Mid-Boss: Merome. Just one last thing. Please remember it. Love is not just yearning after the other person. Another form of love is wishing for the other person's happiness. I am always wishing for the happiness of mademoiselles like you. Those are my last words for you, Merome. Well then, Merome... See you again someday.

Merome: Mr. Dark Adonis! Mr. Mid-Boss!!!

Etna: Well then, I'm going home too. [Player], you too should come back right away when things settle down, ok?

Merome Romero: The teacher remained firm in love and beauty till the end, and went off into the sunset. Goodbye, Mr. Mid-Boss... Until we meet again!

Rozalin: Hmm. That was a moving tale of education.

Sweet Omega: It's not a love story, but stories like these are good too!

Tria: He was a gentleman to the end. It solves nothing on the issue of getting visitors to the Love Laboratory, though...

[true-blue-megamind]

FAN THEORY THURSDAY: Is Minion the Real Hero?

It’s that time again… SPOILER WARNING!

We all know that Megamind becomes a hero by the end of the film—that’s basically the point of the plot, after all—but is he really the only hero?  Many argue, with good reason, that the answer is no.  This is not meant to discount Megamind’s turn around and selfless actions, of course, but rather to illustrate that, like most successful people, he didn’t do it alone.

I’m referring, as many may have already guessed, to Minion. In fact, the aquatic henchman’s contributions are so great that some have argued he is the real hero of the story.  This is for several reasons, the first of which is rather obvious: Minion is the one who, disguised as Megamind, rescues Roxanne, helps fight Titan, and distracts the incel-turned-villain long enough for the real Megamind to put his plan into action. (Presumably, Megamind needed someone to buy him sufficient time to return to Wayne’s hideout and scan the former hero’s likeness and voice into his holowatch.)  Minion does this despite the danger, and in fact nearly dies keeping Roxanne safe, showing that he has a truly heroic heart.

This, however, is not the only way in which Minion displays the selfless concern for other that is the hallmark of a heroic heart.  Upon seeing the destruction of his home town on the news, Minion is the one who swallows his hurt following he and Megaminds argument, returns to Metro City at significant personal risk, and breaks Megamind out of prison so that the blue alien can defeat Titan. Given both this and his aforementioned role in the fight, it’s not an exaggeration to say that the city wouldn’t have been saved without Minion’s help.

That’s not all.  The aquatic henchman makes Megamind’s turn from supervillain to superhero possible in other, smaller ways as well. There is the fact that he always supports his friend, from helping him with his schemes to apparently returning after there argument and completing the Black Mamba.  (You can read about the latter in the post What’s Hidden in the Animation?)  Furthermore, one fan theory states that the psychological effect Minion has on Megamind is vital to the blue man’s turnaround.  Minion is more than a helper or an employee; he is Megamind’s lifelong friend.  Constantly amicable and upbeat, he is likely the only positive influence his companion had throughout much of his life.  The bond between the two is obvious, with teasing, cheerful banter, and even occasional pet names (such as Fantastic Fish) being regular features.  Indeed, Megamind even refers to the fish as his “best friend.”  Clearly their relationship is deep and sincere, and many fans suppose that that helped Megamind hold onto an innate kindness and empathy, allowing him to care about the people around him.  Without that, he might never have stepped into the role of Metro City’s Defender. Given the fact that he was disdained and distrusted from an early age by most of the people around him, Megamind could have easily fallen into hardened bitterness if he had not had a companion to care about.

Finally, there is the simple fact that Minion truly does care for Megamind, literally as well as emotionally.  (And, yes, I know that doesn’t sound very heroic, but hear me out.)  Although we never see Minion cooking or tidying during the movie, a widely accepted fan theory is that he is the one who keeps the Lair clean, supplied, and running smoothly while his friend focuses almost solely on the calculations, schematics, chemistry, and engineering involved in creating his inventions. 

Indeed, by this point the majority of the fandom has agreed that Minion is an excellent chef as well as a quintessential Mom Friend.  (Minion’s culinary creations could put Michelin Star restaurants to shame, and you can’t convince us otherwise!) These suppositions are not without basis.  While we never see Minion in the kitchen, he does have a “Kiss the Cook” apron—something one would hardly expect a person with no interest in culinary pursuits to own.  In the film, he is also the only one we ever see providing Megamind with food—once with coffee and donuts, and once with churros—indicating that part of his job may be ensuring the blue genius eats something now and then.  We know Minion makes Megamind’s clothing—refer again to the Black Mamba—and we also see Minion doing laundry in the post credit scene, further illustrating his role of domestic caretaker.  Then there is, of course, the fact that, at the beginning of the movie, Megamind’s mother literally informs her infant son that Minion “will take care of you.”  Finally, in the Megamind comics, Minion is clearly portrayed as cleaning the Lair, running errands, and performing other necessary chores.

So what does all this have to do with heroism?  It’s simple, really: Minion’s support once allowed Megamind to focus on being a supervillain, and presumably serves the same essential function now that the blue man is the Defender of Metro City.  The henchfish is basically Alfred to Megamind’s Bat Man—a parallel that a Bat Signal-like beacon seen at the end of the short Megamind and the Button of Doom hints may not be coincidental.  Like the Dark Knight, Megamind has no superpowers, relying instead upon fighting skills, intelligence, and a plethora of really cool gadgets.  But inventing and maintaining all of those crime-fighting tools would take time, making Minion’s role vital to Megamind’s success.  If the blue hero had to dedicate part of every day to things like cooking, house keeping, and laundry, along with the patrols, investigations, and battles that presumably make up the bulk of hero work, he wouldn’t have enough hours left over for designing, creating, and repairing the things necessary to do his job.  Minion’s role, therefore, while not glamorous, is undeniably important.  Fans theorize that Minion makes it possible for Megamind to be a the Defender in the first place, making the fishy sidekick an unsung hero in his own right.

So, while Megamind is the Defender of Metro City, and certainly performs acts of heroism starting with his defeat of Titan and continuing in the comics, he doesn’t do it alone.  He needs Minion to help him be the best he can be.  Indeed, the two of them are a team, and neither could successfully protect their home town without the other.  This means that Minion is, at the very least, Megamind’s sidekick, but many fans argue that his role is even greater than that.  Minion is, according to several fan theories, just as much a hero as his blue friend.

[dialovers-translations]

Diabolik Lovers VANDEAD CARNIVAL ;; Reiji Route ー Chapter 2

ー The scene starts in front of the trailers

Yui: ( Fufu...I’m so happy with this necklace I got from Reiji-san. )

( I have to take good care of it so it doesn’t get damaged. )

Reiji: ...I must say you look rather creepy, grinning to yourself this whole time.

Do you like said necklace that much?

Yui: Yes. I got it from you after all.

Reiji: Hmph...You sure love making a big deal out of everything.

Well, this sort of trivial happiness suits a human such as yourself very well.

Yui: It isn’t trivial happiness. I’m extremely delighted.

Reiji: ...Is that so...? Women of your sort truly are simple-minded and easy-to-understand creatures.

Yui: Fufu, you might be right.

Reiji: Good grief...It seems like you are truly beyond saving.

...Oh well, if you happen to ruin my mood in some way, I will be taking it back at once.

Yui: Eh...!?

Reiji: What are you so surprised about? That should be a given?

Well, if you behave as a proper lady fit to walk by my side, there should be no proーー

*Grooooowl*

Yui: ( Wah...! My stomach!! )

Reiji: ...

Yui: ( Uu...Right as we’re having this kind of conversation too! )

( Reiji-san must be disappointed in me, huh...? )

Reiji: Good grief...For my companion to be hungry at this exact timing.

Yui: I-I’m sorry...Come to think of it, I haven’t eaten since breakfast.

Reiji: Haah...

Yui: ( Uu, how embarrassing... )

Uhm...Are you perhaps confiscating my necklace...?

Reiji: ...Yes, exactly. You have gravely disappointed me after all.

As I explained, I shall be taking said necklace back.

Yui: ( I finally got Reiji-san to gift it to me as well... )

Reiji: ーー Is what I would love to say at least.

Yui: ...?

Reiji: I do not like the idea of my personal luggage increasing because of you.

Therefore...I shall allow you to hold onto the necklace for a little longer. Understood?

Yui: ( Eh...? Really? )

Reiji: No complaints?

Yui: Y-Yes...!

Reiji: Phew...That being said, I simply cannot stand having to hear that unpleasant sound again.

Yui: I-I doubt it’ll growl again. ...That’s only a guess though...

Reiji: Really? Can you guarantee that you will not disappoint me any further?

Yui: Well...

( However, if we end up going somewhere to eat, that will for sure waste Reiji-san’s time so what should I do...? )

Reiji: This isn’t something that will get solved just by saying that you are fine, right?

Yui: ...Yes...

Reiji: Good grief...You truly are hopeless. ーー Please wait here.

Yui: Eh? Where are you going?

Reiji: No complaints. Just stay quiet and wait. I shall be back in no time.

ー Reiji walks away

Yui: ( ...There he goes. )

( Uhm...I guess I should just wait here, huh? )

*TIMESKIP*

Yui: ...

ー Somebody approaches Yui

Yui: Hm...?

Vampire male A: ...

Yui: ( ...I feel like that person has been looking my way this whole time... )

( What should I do? Reiji-san won’t be back just yet, will he? )

( He told me to wait here as well... )

( I’ll look away and pretend not to notice. )

Vampire male B: ...

Yui: ...!?

( T-This person is staring at me intently as well...! Is it because I’m human after all? )

Vampire male A: ...

Vampire male B: ...

Yui: ( Uu...Oh no... )

( Reiji-san, please come back soon... )

ー Reiji returns

Reiji: ーーMy apologies for the wait.

Yui: Reiji-san...!

( Thank god. Now I’m safe, right? )

Welcome back.

( Huh? He’s holding something in his hand...? )

( It looks a lot like those churros you often find sold at theme parks... )

Reiji-san, what’s that thing in your hand...?

Reiji: Oh dear? This should be a food item originating from the human world. Do you not know it?

Seems like you are poorly informed not only in regards to the Demon world, but about your own world as well.

In that case, I shall teach you. This is a food item called ‘churros’. 

Yui: So it really is a churros? So there’s human world food to be found here as well, huh?

Reiji: Yes. 

Upon Father’s wish, the Demon World has been taking its first step towards humanization.

This was sold at one of the food trucks over there as well.

Yui: I see...

Reiji: ...Well then.

Eating while standing is simply too disgraceful. Let us move to the plaza over there.

Yui: Yes.

ー The scene shifts to the plaza

Reiji: ーー Well then. Shall we take a seat on this bench?

Yui: Good idea.

( Sitting next to each other on a bench at the park feels kind of like a date, I’m happy. )

Reiji: Well then, go ahead. I had one freshly prepared for you at the store.

Yui: Thank you very much.

...Huh? But where’s yours? There’s only one...

Reiji: Did you truly think I would eat such a thing?

Yui: Uu...Right.

( Now that he mentions it, I can’t really picture Reiji-san enjoying this kind of snack. )

In that case, I’ll gladly take iーー

Reiji: No. Actually, you wait after all.

Yui: Pardon...?

Reiji: It may have adapted parts of human culture, but this is still the Demon World at heart...

On top of that, you are the star of today for some reason.

We do not know which kind of traps might be laid out for you by some mischievous fiend.

...There is a possibility said churros has been poisoned.

Yui: P-Poison...!?

Reiji: Give it to me. I shall test it for poison.

Yui: P-Please wait! If it’s poisoned, then you too will...

Reiji: ...Nn...

Yui: ( H-He ate it... )

Reiji: Seems like it is fine. Totally safe.

Yui: I’m glad.

Reiji: In fact...This is rather delicious.

I’ll have another bite...Nn.

Yui: ( Huh...? )

Reiji: ...Hm...

Yui: ( Reiji-san ate the whole thing... )

Reiji: Rather than poison, it had a complex sweetness and greasiness.

I shall ask the shop owner for the recipe later. The secret ingredient (1) is...vanilla, I believe...?

Either way. As to be expected of something introduced to the Demon World by Father.

Yui: ...I-I see...

Reiji: ーー Oh dear, my apologies. You haven’t gotten a single bite. What a shame.

Yui: ( Uu...He did it on purpose... )

Reiji: ...Fufu. What seems to be the matter? If you have something to tell me, please go ahead and do so.

Yui: No, it’s nothing...

Reiji: Does not sound very convincing with that pout on your face.

Aah, right. Humans become grumpy when they feel hungry, do they not? How miserable.

Yui: I-I’m not grumpy.

( Uu...I feel my stomach is going to growl again after it was expecting that churros... )

*Grooooowl*

Yui: Ah...!

( I knew it... )

Reiji: Fufu...

...Well then. I suppose I should stop teasing you now.

Please do not seem so disappointed. I have a second one prepared.

*Snap*

Yui: ( Wah! Amazing! The churros appeared in his hand out of nowhere...! )

Reiji: Well then, go ahead now. You should eat it while being grateful for the extends of my generosity.

Yui: ( His words are no different from usual, but he can be kind when he wants to be... )

Well then, I’ll have a biーー...

Hot!

Reiji: Haah...I told you they are fresh from the fryer, did I not? Don’t try and scarf them down like that.

Yui: R-Right.

...Nom nom...Ah, they really are delicious!

Reiji: I told you, no? Did you not trust my words?

Yui: I’m sorry, that’s not what I meant...It’s just, it tastes even better than I expected.

Thank you very much for buying this for me.

Reiji: ...Hm, more importantly...

Yui: Yes?

Reiji: You sure are troublesome...Please keep still for a second.

ー Reiji leans in

Reiji: Nn...

Yui: ( Wah...!? )

Reiji: You ate in a hurry, so you’ve got some sugar on your face.

Come on, like thisーー

...Nn...

Yui: R-Reiji-san, uhm...It’s okay, I can do it myself...

Reiji: It’s already gone.

Yui: S-Sorry. Thank you very much.

Reiji: ...Fufu...Rather than having you express your gratitude...

ーー Nn.

...Haah...Sucking your blood like this is much better.

Yui: ( Right here...!? )

Reiji: Nn...Haah...

Yui: R-Reiji-san, uhm...!

Vampire male A: ...

Vampire male B: ...

Yui: ( Who knows who could be watching us...! )

Reiji-san, why here...?

Reiji: You do not know a thing, do you? ...Nn...Nn...Phew...

I’m doing this exactly because we’re here?

Fufu...Nn...

Yui: ( No way... )

Reiji: I should show those Vampires over there just how shamelessly you have submitted yourself to me...

Nn...!

Come on...Become your usual, obscene self...Nn...

Yui: ( ...Reiji-san...? )

Reiji: ...Nn...Haah...

ー The other Vampires walk away

Reiji: ...

...Well then, I suppose I should leave it at that.

Yui: Eh...?

Reiji: Let’s go already. Get walking.

Yui: Ah, yes...!

( I’m glad he let me go, but I wonder what that was about just now...? )

ー The scene shifts to the Carnival’s main road

Reiji: I suppose we’ve come far enough.

Yui: Uhm...What do you mean?

Reiji: ...Haah, just how foolish and defenseless are you?

Did you not realize that you were targeted by the other Vampires,

from the moment I left your side,

Yui: Ah...!

( Could he be referring to those people who were watching me while I was alone...? )

I thought something was off but a human is probably a rare sight so...

Reiji: Is that all? You truly are gullible...

If you had not been perceived as my companion,

you nearly found yourself left for dead after having your blood sucked dry.

Yui: Eeh...!?

( I didn’t realize it was that dangerous... )

Reiji: Seems like you do not understand the natural instincts of a Vampire thirsty for blood yet.

Yui: ( However, I was by myself back then because he told me to. )

Reiji: ...You just thought that you didn’t end up alone because you wished so yourself, did you not?

Yui: U-Uhm...

Reiji: Well, you are correct though.

Yui: Eeh!?

Reiji: Lately you’ve become somewhat accustomed to the existence of Vampires after all.

I suppose you could say I wanted to see your fearful expression for the first time in a while.

Yui: T-That’s horrible!

Reiji: I was thinking of punishing you thoroughly after you had crumbled under the stress and ran away...

But you actually kept your promise and remained standing there, it was hilarious.

Yui: N-No way...

Reiji: Well, I shall give you credit for obeying my order at least.

Yui: T-Thank you...?

( I don’t know if I should be happy or not... )

Reiji: Well...Either way,

Your blood is special to us Vampires. ーー Especially right here.

Although I do believe they now realize who you belong to after I sucked your blood like that right in front of their eyes...

But avoid letting your guard down.

Yui: Y-Yes...I understand.

Reiji: ...If you truly do, you obviously know what you should do in the future as well, right?

Selection

→ I won’t leave your side (☾)

Yui: U-Uhm...

I won’t leave your side.

Reiji: I am glad you seem to understand. Now make sure to live up to those words.

Yui: Yes...

→ I’ll run when I encounter one

Yui: I’ll make sure to run when I run into a Vampire.

Reiji: Have you lost it? This is the Demon World. Do you have any idea how many Vampires live here?

You’ll run out of places to run, don’t you think?

I would rather not be a witness of that.

Yui: R-Right...

Reiji: Either way...You should be by my side at all times. Understood?

Yui: Yes.

Reiji: Well then...

We’ve come all the way here to the Carnival, so let us visit many more places. 

Yui: Yes...!

( I have to be careful not to stray from his side... )

ーー TO BE CONTINUED ーー

Translation notes

(1) 隠し味 or ‘kakushi-aji’ which literally means ‘hidden flavor’ is an ingredient added to something to create an undertone flavor, but often is not relieved to the customers/public. 

← RETURN TO CHAPTER 1

→ PROCEED WITH MAIN STORY [CHAPTER 3]

→ SUB-SCENARIO #1 [W/SHUU]

→ SUB-SCENARIO #2 [W/ SUBARU]

→ SUB-SCENARIO #3 [W/ YUMA]

[rochellena]

What makes Quentin different and lesser than the others? Why is this being done this way? Why won’t they ask the questions of him, they’ve asked of Alice and Eliot? Will I ever be ok?

So, I’ve been trying to find the words to explain what is upsetting me most about the way the Q story is being handled in s5. I won’t lie, there are some things that hitting the right notes for me (I’m easy person to win over. I won’t lie. My standards do not exist.), but at the same time, I keep coming back to how quickly this has been wrapped up. Julia was sad for about 5 minutes and Margo acts like she doesn’t know who this Q person was. I heard there had actually been a touching scene where Kady showed some grief, but it was cut, which is a shame --I always thought the Kady/Q almost friendship was interesting (I loathed that the only thing she could think of to bring to the finale fire was the autographed book that had been one of the final straws for breaking Q’s spirit. Anyway not the point, but boy I would love to do a whole write up about that), and with how detached Kady’s story is from EVERYTHING ELSE, it would have been a good way to incorporate her into this bigger story of mourning and grief (though it also just goes to show how much of the glue that Q was to these characters).

The only characters who actually seem affected by what happened are Alice and Eliot, which while not surprising, it kind of hurts a lot to see the memory of Quentin Coldwater reduced down to his two major romantic partners. And after the newest episode, it hurts more to see how these two have officially given up on him now too. These two that he fought so hard to save. I mean, you can even compare the s2 arc of saving Alice to the s4 arc of saving Eliot, and they’re almost beat for beat the same--the initial denial and hope that something can be done (going to the flying forest, helping the monster in hopes he’ll release El), some outside force assuring him that it can not be done as they’re dead dead (the questing beast and the monster), he believes it for about a half second before something happens (ghost|niffin!Alice haunting him, El breaking free from the monster for a moment) and then he gives every ounce of energy he has to saving them-- some of them silly (interpretive dances and talking to mummies), some of them painful (niffin!alice doing everything she can to emotionally hurt him, the monster constantly touching him and using Eliot’s body as a tool to keep Q in line), hell, he even visits Mayakovsky for help during each of these arcs. All of this to say, there’s no one who could deny that Q did not give up on Alice and El, never, and definitely not so easily or quickly. 

So to see these two people, the two that at different points of his life, he gave everything to bring back from death, it hurts. And that’s what it was, Niffin!Alice was not just another version of Alice. Our Alice died that day. Q brought her back, but she died the day she became a niffin. Now because she was a niffin, it was a whole different life, kind of like Fred becoming Ilyria on Angel. Niffin!Alice ended up having her own set of experiences (good and bad) and her own life, and the question of whether it was right for Q to strip that away from her to bring back our Alice was the entirety of their s3 story, but at the end of the day, the answer settled on yes, it was right to bring her back because no matter what she experienced as a niffin, the power she had, it only happened because a 23 year old girl was tragically killed. 

El was a little different, but at the same time, as time went on, we saw the Monster developing his own views and thoughts. For the first time since his creation, he was able to act on his own accord and he discovered he liked churros and television and touching and Starbucks and Quentin and those quiet moments in the forest under an old tree. I mean, that last moment of the monster, sitting under that tree, demonstrated that to get Eliot back, they had to eliminate this new existence. Again, this isn’t the same as niffin!Alice because even post-rehumaning of her, there was a part of her that enjoyed that other existence (but it was still the right thing to do) while Eliot was invaded and did not like it. But in the end, the similarities of what Q did, what Q gave up, and what Q destroyed to bring back the people he loved are present and strong. 

So, it brings me to this thing I’m really struggling with-- every one keeps saying that the reason they can’t/shouldn’t bring Q back is because it was his choice. But it was also Alice’s choice to go niffin that day. She admitted it; she let herself burn so she could destroy the beast. Eliot might not have known he’d get possessed, but he knew he was putting his life in danger when he pulled that trigger, but he did so he could try to protect Q. Just like Q doing what he did to defeat Everett (which there is so much stuff to support that this was NOT THE ONLY OPTION but that’s not the point here), Alice sacrificed herself to defeat the beast and save her friends and Eliot was willing to sacrifice himself to kill the monster and save Q. 

So why is Quentin’s choice the only one that sticks? Why his “sacrificial choice” more concrete than theirs? Why does it need to be respected? All three of them would sacrifice themselves to save the people they love. The question at the end of the day is though, would they like to save their friends and also be alive themselves? Alice and El (except for Q) both got to answer that question (and from what we know about this season, Eliot will become more sure on this part, much like Alice over s3 and 4): though it’s rough, though it’s painful and messy and dirty, life is worth something. But for Q, this isn’t a question that’s being asked. The idea that they can’t change time because it has to have happened for them to be alive now doesn’t hold weight when Q brought back Alice and Q saved Eliot. 

And this gets to the crux of my issue: If you ask that question, and the answer is yes, saving your friends is important but so is being alive, then everyone giving up on him and not reciprocating what he would do for them, is terrible and heartbreaking and basically an affirmation of his every negative thought--disposable, useless, unnecessary, unlovable, he breaks things. But if the answer is yeah saving my friends is important but my own life is not, then it’s canon confirmation that his death was a suicide, and then the question of choice becomes void, and they should be doing everything they can to save him a la What Dreams May Come. 

If they aren’t going to bring Q back (and I truly dgaf about bts stuff, as how this is all being handled rests squarely on the shoulders of the people writing it. And honestly if this is the result of JR leaving because he wanted more creative control, than they should have probably given it to him because he would have done a lot better by Q-- end snark), then it should be a bigger impact than 2 characters being sad, but accepting with very little pushback, and moving on. Or at the very least, give better reasons why beyond “it was his choice.” This is magical fantasy world where anything can happen and no one stays dead, give me something with meat. Q deserved better than that, and it’s really breaking my heart that in universe, no one else thinks so. 

[omnivorousshipper]

12 Days of Shobbs: Day 10- Christmas Decorations

Summary: This is a serious of prompts following the relationship between Luke Hobbs and Deckard Shaw through the twelve days of Christmas.

Day 9              Day 11

On the tenth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me… 

The airport was crowded to the point Luke was sure that there was going to be a fire hazard. Gently as possible, he navigated through the crowds, thankful that he was much taller than most, and could see over everyone else to spot Hattie.

Jumping out of the way of large family, Luke finally made it to her, his patience frayed thin. 

“And here I thought the LAX was horrible,” he said in lieu of a greeting. 

“Lots of people would prefer flying than driving here,” Hattie shrugged and led the way outside to her waiting car. 

“So, what do you and your brother need help with?” Luke asked, once they were in the car.

“Nothing too exciting,” Hattie replied as she effortlessly made her way out of the airport parking lot and into traffic. “Mum got into it with the local mafia. Now they put a hit out on me and my brother, so we decided to take the fight to them first.”

“And where’s you mom?”

“Not completely sure. India maybe?”

Luke stared at Hattie. She was wearing a thick sweater and a grey beanie, and looked way too casual for someone talking about a hit being put on her. After a minute of silence, she final glanced away from the road and sent Luke a confused look. 

“What?”

“Let me get this right,” Luke started to rub his temples. “Your mom pisses off the mafia. The mafia puts a hit out on her children. And then she runs off to India, leaving you guys to fend for yourselves?”

“This isn’t the first time,” Hattie said, confusion coloring her voice. “We’re able to take care of ourselves. Mum doesn’t need to protect us.”

“I get that,” Luke sighed. “But, it just seems a little…”

“Unmotherly?”

“Yeah.”

“Mum’s always been there for us. She’s not your stereotypical mum, but she loves us and trusts in our abilities,” Hattie explained. She sounded far too casual about the situation in Luke’s opinion. On the other hand, Luke knew he didn’t truly know all that much about the Shaw family, so maybe being hunted down by the mafia really was common place for them.

“Wait. Do you even need help? Sounds like you have it covered,” Luke asked and could feel a sense of dread. “You don’t need me here. Why did you ask me to come?”

“Fine. You’re right,” Hattie admitted. And it seemed like the fight went out of her as her whole body slumped. “Deck’s been mopey lately. Usually he’s in a good mood around this time of year, but lately he’s been melancholy.”

“And you want me to do what?” Luke narrowed his eyes at her.

“Just stay for a few days. He seemed happy when he came back from your last mission.”

“He survived getting crushed by a building. I would think he would be happy.”

“I mean,” Hattie emphasized. “He seemed to have enjoyed his time with you and your daughter.”

“And? I don’t understand what you’re saying.”

“Obviously,” she muttered under her breath. 

“Hey!” Luke glared. “I just don’t see why it’s my problem that your brother is being a mopey idiot.”

The only response he received was an eye roll. Luke was about to continue, but Hattie was pulling off the street and parking. Getting out of the car, Luke looked around.

“Uh, Hattie? Is your brother homeless?”

“What?” She looked at him like he had grown two heads.

“We’re at a park. Does he live here?”

“For the love of…” Hattie said exasperatedly. “We’re here to do some Christmas shopping. There’s a Christmas market not too far away.”

“But I thought we were going straight to your brother’s?”

“No. We’re currently banned from his place until he’s done decorating.”

“Why?” Luke asked, not understanding how everything Hattie said kept confusing him further and further.

“Says we’d just get in the way,” Hattie shrugged and ignored the odd look he was sending her. “Now come on, I need help buying a present for one of my coworkers. She’s always a pain to buy for.”

“For the record, I have no idea what is going on anymore,” Luke responded, but followed after Hattie anyway.

“You get used to it,” a voice said next to him.

Jerking forward in surprise, Luke whipped his head towards the person who snuck up behind him. Standing there with a smug smirk on his face, was Owen Shaw. He was dressed similarly to Hattie with a thick blue sweater, but was wearing white earmuffs with cat ears on top of them. 

“Why the hell are you here?” Luke grunted, glaring at the other man, who’s smirk grew wider.

“Enjoying the market,” he said simply and gestured down to the small tray of fries he was holding. “They usually have the best food.”

“What the bloody hell did you put on those chips?” Hattie demanded, her disgust obvious as she scrunched up her nose. 

“What? I usually eat them like this,” Owen said defensively. 

“Doused in motor oil?” Luke joked.

“It’s only ketchup and barbecue sauce,” Owen glared and held his fries away from the other two.

“And what’s up with the earmuffs?” Luke gestured to the top Owen’s head. 

“They were a present from Mum.”

“She thought they were cute?” Luke deadpanned.

“Yeah,” Owen said slowly. “Why?”

“Nothing. They look great on you,” Luke answered sarcastically.

For the next hour, Luke and the siblings wandered around the market, making comments about the countless stalls of food and homemade goods being sold at them. Several times, Owen would disappear and reappear with a different food item, and even brought a churro back for Hattie at one point.

Spending the afternoon with the two Shaws was almost surreal for Luke. To see two dangerous people so relaxed and comfortable in his presence was a new phenomenon to him. He had fought both of them and knew just how much damage they could do to him and all the stalls around them. But, watching as Hattie stole the cat earmuffs off Owen’s head without him noticing, Luke couldn’t wrap his head around how he ever saw either of them as a threat. 

They were about halfway through their second lap around the market when Hattie stopped suddenly, looking down at her phone. 

“Deck says we can come back to his flat,” she said, but her eyebrows were furrowed as she reread the text. 

“What?” Owen asked and looked over her shoulder. After reading the message, his face mirrored Hattie’s.

“What’s wrong?” Luke asked, not liking the way both siblings were standing perfectly still with looks of confusion.

“Well, the text says: ‘you better come back’. Not that he’s done with the decorations,” Hattie explained. “Do you think something happened?”

“Well you did say that the mafia was after you guys,” Luke mentioned. 

“Oh. Those were the guys that attacked me earlier?” Owen asked.

“When did you get attacked?” Hattie asked, eyes wide with shock.

“Right before I met up with you two,” he replied casually.

“You got jumped by some random people and then went and bought food?” Luke nearly shouted in surprise.

“Yes?” Owen sheepishly glanced between Luke’s look of disappointment and Hattie trying to stifle her giggles. 

“You know what,” Luke finally said, shaking his head. “Let’s just go check up on Deckard, ok?”

~~~

 It only took ten minutes before they were in front of Deckard’s apartment, Hattie leading the way, until a noise caught Luke’s attention. It sounded like a hollow knocking, and set alarm bells off in Luke’s head. Quietly, he tapped Hattie’s shoulder, catching both her and Owen’s attention. Bringing a finger to his lips, Luke slowly drew his gun and ushered the other two behind him. Not noticing their twin looks of surprise, Luke crept towards the door, that he noticed was slightly ajar. 

Looking back at the other two, he saw that Hattie had her own issued gun out, while Owen had a knife in each hand. Nodding, Luke turned back to the door before placing his foot flat against it and shoving it open. Storming into the apartment, he saw a scene he never imagined he would ever witness in a hundred years.

All around the living room were unconscious bodies scattered amongst upturned boxes of Christmas decorations. On a few of the bodies were shattered Christmas tree ornaments, while another had tinsel wrapped around it, and in the corner, a body was tangled in a half decorated Christmas tree. At the epicenter of the chaos, stood Deckard, who was fighting the last attacker off.

Well, more accurately, Deckard was choking the last attacker, who Deckard had pulled to his chest and had Christmas light pulled taut around their throat. Hearing the door open further, Deckard jerked his head up to stare at the three standing in the doorway. All the while, his grip on his attacker didn’t loosen as he stared like a deer in headlights. 

“I can explain?” He joked, a small smile on his lips. 

Luke stood frozen to the spot, gun still pointed straight ahead. Behind him, he could hear Hattie and Owen laughing. In Deckard’s arms, the attacker finally went limp, and Deckard let him drop to the floor with a thud. 

“What the fuck happened?” Luke finally found his voice. Putting his gun away, he entered the apartment further and counted ten attackers in total scattered across the room. 

“I’m guessing they’re part of the mafia,” Hattie commented as she pulled her phone out and dialed a number. “I’ll call the agency to come pick them up.”

“And you accuse us of breaking your Christmas decorations,” Owen called out to Deckard as he pulled the body out of the tree.

“And I still hold to that,” Deckard huffed, taking in the damage he had done by himself. Seeing the nearly forlorn look on his face, Luke felt his heart twist. 

“Don’t worry, I’m sure we can salvage most of it,” Luke assured, walking up to Deckard. 

The smaller man looked up at him, eyes searching Luke’s. Confidently, Luke looked back, willing the other man to believe him. 

“As long as we keep those two out of the way,” Deckard smirk and gestured to his siblings. 

“I fully agree with that,” Luke smiled, and felt his heart twist in a different way at the large smile Deckard gave him in return. 

… Ten assassins a-killing

Nine buildings exploding

Eight racers a-racing

Seven criminals a-stealing

Six missiles incoming

Five grenades!

Four stab wounds

Three fast cars

Two loaded guns

And a punch to the face!

[redandfranticfeelings]

in light of the final trailer finally dropping, i should finally post some of my bojack season 6 part 2 theories/predictions/guesses/hopes/etc.

warning: this gets very long!!! also, spoilers for everything, obviously.

the moore-carsons have to return. in fact, i think it’d be really interesting if the cold open of the first episode in part 2 was about charlotte. after all, there’s going to presumably be a flashback to bojack during the time when he was friends with charlotte and herb...

given that season 6 overall opened with a flashback to sarah lynn’s death, maybe season 6 part 2 will open on what happened in the moore-carson house after bojack left penny and charlotte behind? since those are the two major incidents that part 1 set up to bite bojack in the ass. however theyre also not anywhere in the trailer, meaning they might not physically show up, or maybe something about their appearance would be a huge spoiler.

we also see bojack return to the club where he did stand-up during the 80s. this is probably what triggers the above flashback. maybe this ties into the charlotte thing too, as mentioned above?

that scene of bojack with the letter from hollyhock has a lot of people talking, with how last season ended and how his hands shake holding it. interesting that it’s a letter and not a phone call or online message. this leads me to believe something physical must be in the letter, like money or some sort of memento or personal record. or maybe she just wants to be old-fashioned. it seems there is some issue b/w hollyhock and bojack because there’s an empty seat when he invites her to some sort of show he’s in, maybe with his wesleyan students. (also diane looks very unamused, even though she and bojack ended on a good note, which feeds the idea that this is after bojack did something bad or something bad about him came out. also, who are all these people in tuxes? are these waiters? is this tied to mr pb buying elefante?)

i actually believe hollyhock will learn about maddy but not about penny, and bojack will assume she knows about penny and forget completely about maddy. this will lead bojack to realize something i don’t think he really has even after all his development: he needs to care about the people he hurts who were never close to him, because they’re still people even if he didn’t want their attention and didn’t “lose” anything in hurting them.

many people have noted that doctor champ isn’t a legal therapist and thus might not be under disclosure agreements, which leads me to believe that he will release information about bojack out of pure spite. i also believe maddy could be doctor champ’s daughter, which would give him even more reason to hate bojack.

however i believe that if everything about bojack does come out...the public won’t really care. it feels within the show’s nature to make a story about how “cancel culture” doesn’t really hold up well and how people will learn about a celebrity, but not care about what they did as soon as some other news overshadows it, and the celebrity won’t really lose anything in their career most of the time. bojack will suffer personally but his career won’t suffer as a result of being “cancelled.” this might actually send him spiraling and maybe he will try to convict himself or something, if he’s still at that level of self-punishing behavior.

something really interesting is that bojack is talking to biscuits braxby, the host of the talk show where he and gina covered up the strangling story. the fact this is the person to whom he’s dumping all his angst...concerns me. is he coming clean about that? does gina know he’s coming clean about that?

speaking of gina, i think she will connect with kelsey after all, maybe even work on the movie. i think kelsey will see past the hollywoo bullshit and suspect gina isn’t being given a fair chance. idk if it’ll work out but it feels in-character for her. i just really hope we see more about kelsey’s movie and i hope it’s a success.

somebody else had to point this out for me to notice, but bojack appears as a...corpse?? in an episode of birthday dad. this means he must lose his teaching job somehow, or at least goes back to acting in LA during his break.

on the subject of mr peanutbutter, i have a lot of thoughts about where his plot is going to go. for a while i thought pickles was going to leave him for joey pogo because of how episode 7 seemed to imply mr pb would set them up and joey is a lot like mr peanutbutter except close to pickles in age and spirit. i assumed this would send mr peanutbutter into a deep depression due to being truly alone for the first time in his life, which would ironically get him fired from making speeches about depression because he becomes unmotivated and irritable, which are symptoms of depression considered “too ugly” for the mainstream (bjhm is just the show to drop that sort of message on us). however, this theory is muddled by both this and the netflix january trailer showing them still together. so if the above does happen, it probably won’t happen right away. (maybe pickles will propose a polyamorous relationship but mr peanutbutter will feel actually jealous?)

and while i don’t like the bojack suicide theory at all, if i have to pick a main character to die, i would put my money on mr peanutbutter, or at least that he’d get really badly hurt after putting on an impulsive grand gesture. his path in life is self-destructive and reckless in its own right, and when he loses everybody, i think he’ll lose himself. i picture him waiting outside diane’s old apartment not realizing she’s moved away for good, possibly getting sick on the sidewalk, hachiko style. however i’m not married to the idea of killing off any character.

on the subject of diane, i really like that we’re seemingly getting more focus on her issues again, and we get more art styles to demonstrate her angst. this one actually resembles the teenage diane from “the dog days are over” which means it could be a flashback. more info on diane’s childhood!

i also think guy’s son is going to muddle things for diane. as good as guy treats her, the son seems to be a major issue with guy, and diane has made it clear she doesn’t want kids so any long-term commitment probably won’t work out. i do hope things don’t end badly for her, and i really hope she doesn’t run back to mr peanutbutter or bojack. maybe she’ll take time to focus on herself and finish that book?

another interesting turn would be if maybe diane’s book ends up being about something that makes her happy rather than something that she thinks is important but stresses her out. or maybe she finds people who will listen to her and actually help her make change in the world, maybe not immediately, but in the long run.

as for princess carolyn i think her plot seems pretty straightforward. the only thing that seems to be implied is a stronger relationship with judah. i wonder if he’ll move in with her, since he’s in her apartment in one of the trailer scenes? she also goes to see him play in a band which seems to suggest we will learn more about judah and PC will get to know him as a person. i wonder if they’ll tease the idea of them as a romantic item, but i don’t think that would stick, though judah is a great man. (maybe we’ll learn he had a partner all along, or maybe he’s aromantic, or maybe he simply doesn’t want to date PC and make things weird knowing how her other work romances blew up in her face.)

as for todd, i’m wondering what’s up with his mom. i wonder if she gave him shit for his asexuality? all we know is she kicked him out of the house and he has some issue with her that makes his sunny attitude sink very quickly. i’m assuming she must have been cold and judgmental towards him like bojack used to be, but maybe even moreso. she probably wanted him to be more serious or something and he couldn’t follow through. i assume she’ll recover fully from her ailments (because they probably don’t want to try to top free churro) and maybe try to become close to todd again through some zany adventures (maybe tied to the reason she was in a coma). i feel like it won’t perfectly work out, though. todd and his father might be able to become closer, though.

i don’t know why margo martindale is threatening todd either, maybe she needs him for a caper? that’s bound to be wacky. imagine if margo is somehow tied to his mother?

todd’s bunny gf looks adorable, and i hope this relationship goes well. i notice maude has some family pictures up and i wonder if her being a rabbit will be relevant, because of the stereotype of rabbit families being so big. maybe her parents will want her to have kids but she’s unsure because she’s asexual. maybe she and todd will evetually have kids through nonsexual means, like adoption or sperm donation, if only because he’s so great with ruthie and the exploration earlier in the season of his family relationships might add some fuel to an arc about him as a father. however i wouldn’t die on this hill, though i do feel like maude and todd will work out.

in fact, i noticed todd is in formal wear during part of the promo and a lot of people from todd stories are there like emily’s firefighter boyfriend and the assistant from when todd was a ceo. initially i thought maybe this was a wedding party but then i realized maude is in the background talking to princess carolyn. i wondered if maybe this is for the peanutbutter and pickles wedding. however since todd is schmoozing and mr pb is giving out drinks, i think it must be something tied to both of them, so maybe a pb living related party?

(the following shot has pickles in formal wear but mr peanutbutter isn’t, and pb looks sad, so she’s going somewhere fancy without him which interests me, maybe connected to the above “pickles tries to date both joey pogo and peanutbutter but pb is jealous and depressed” theory)

i have a feeling they’ll do a time skip of substantial length for the final moments of the show. something that show’s bojack and his friends’ legacy or lack thereof. we can see an older ruthie, and how hollywoo changes, and how people remember bojack if they even do. it could end very bittersweet this way. but that’s just a wild guess, lol.

[teamironmanforever]

Marvel hasn't done Iron Dad right, tbh. That relationship was all Tom and Robert. Literally half of their scenes were improvised. If anything they did it dirty by having Tony have another kid while he shouldn't trust himself with another one. It's good that they eventually made it the reason why Tony wanted to fight again. But he really shouldn't have ever quit fighting. At the beginning it sincerely looked like he'd given up on Peter and I hated that to the bottom of my heart.

Imma have to disagree with you there, bud. Like really REALLY strongly. 

I may have a lot of issues with Endgame and with Marvel as a whole - but Ironfam is not one of them. The ONE thing they have been driving home since Homecoming is the parental/father figure role Tony has been stepping into with Peter. While yes, they improvised a few scenes, the guidance came both from the directors and from the script (s). 

Homecoming was a whole ass movie pal, and they didn’t improvise that. They were given a script and were given guidance and direction from Jon Watts and - more importantly - Kevin Feige.

Watts has spoken about how in Homecoming the relationship starts as Tony becoming the reluctant/out of the blue mentor because after CACW Tony begins feeling personally responsible for Peter. BUT Tony has his own issues and getting too close freaks him out. He is there for Peter, but he does so in helicopter mode. 

AND YET, the script is the one that lets us know that Tony has been hearing all of Peter’s voice messages and knows about the churro lady. The script is the one that let us know that Tony knows Peter’s schedule down to the hours of when he has band practice. The script is the one that has Tony be there again and again to catch peter every time - so by the end of the movie there is a natural relationship evolving. 

In Infinity War, we get tidbits as well - peter telling Tony he was at “the field trip” meaning Tony already knew what field trip, which lets us know they have been in constant communication. Peter understands Tony’s sarcasm in battle - something that was scripted - which in turn lets us know this is a)not their first time doing this b) they are very comfortable with one another. 

The Russos have been saying over and over again how they envisioned Tony as this father figure for Peter, and that this kid was the closest Tony had to a son. If they tell US that then I can assure you they told their actors BEFORE filming their scenes. RDJ and Tom are good - they are very good - but they work with what they are given. 

Meaning: if the director tells you that you are filming a scene where the kid you view as the closest thing you have to a son, is dying, then you are gonna take that into consideration when performing. Similarly, the Russos told Tom that they wanted him to showcase that Peter was just a kid, scared, crying out for help - and since Tom knows the importance of Tony Stark in Peter’s life, he was able to channel all that into the performance. 

Directors aren’t just there to get the actors to read the script; directors often let actors improvise after telling them what they (the director(s)) want to see. 

As for endgame: Why wouldn’t Tony have more children????like wtf does “he shouldn’t trust himself with another” even mean??? Tony is not to blame for Peter’s demise. Even if he had stayed in New York he would have been snapped away. And while I am sure Tony felt crippling guilt and depression for losing Peter that doesn’t suddenly mean he is not worthy of having other children. 

Also you can love more than one child!!!at the same time!!!! Tony having a beautiful relationship with Morgan is not a dig against iron dad and spider son, if anything it enhances and pays homage to that relationship. why? Because Peter helped Tony grow. Peter made him try to be better - as a father figure, and as a person as well. Peter made him realize what it is like to love unconditionally and to be afraid for one’s progeny. Peter made him remember that there is still good in the world at a time that Tony was very jaded (re: Steve’s lies). 

So the fact that Tony is great with Morgan only solidifies the fact that he cared for Peter. 

“he should have never quit fighting” Why??? Why the fuck shouldn’t he have quit fighting????? Thanos ERASED the stones. There was NO WAY for them to do ANYTHING. Tony did the ADULT thing and moved on as best he could because he had a wife and a daughter to take care of. We know FOR A FACT that he was still mourning Peter - he had a picture of the kid in his kitchen for fuck’s sake, a picture which he clearly treasures and looks at. 

Accepting that someone is dead does not cheapen one’s love for them. 

There was NOTHING Tony could do. literally absolutely nothing he could do. Peter was gone and that was the reality Tony had to accept. Him not looking for ways - when there are literally NONE - does not mean he did not love Peter. Scott gave them new hope - a hope they hadn’t even thought about because. time. travel. did. not. exist. 

Tony grieved and missed Peter for 5 years, but he had a daughter to take care of and a daughter to love. He did the right thing. There was NOTHING left to fight. Thanos was dead and the stones were gone. Tony was DONE. His job was DONE. 

Why didn’t Tony want to help them? Because the chances of everything going to hell were too. damn. high. Tony, at first, truly believes Scott’s plan is absolutely insane and has 0% chance to succeed. 

HOWEVER, We see Tony looking at the picture of peter and only THEN does he decide to try to crack time travel - for Peter. He makes a message for Morgan - because he truly believes he might die BUT he goes on this mission ANYWAY for Peter. 

When they get the stones, he only asks that they spare his daughter by bringing them back to the present time. The ENTIRE fucking movie is about Tony’s sacrifice and ultimate love for his children. His character arc is that of selfless love - and that includes the love he had for his children. He loved them and protected them both. We see his pain over Peter’s death - which hello was scripted - and we see his love and joy in BOTH his kids. 

He smiles and his eyes get teary as he hugs Peter TWICE because he has his kid back. And he loves and smiles and dotes on Morgan because she is the miracle he always wanted. 

So in conclusion: One of the few things Marvel has done right is the relationship between Tony and BOTH of his kids and you cannot tell me otherwise. 

[absolutelybifurious]

homecoming feelings inc (spoilers: most of them will look something like i love tony stark i LOVE tony stark i loVE TONY STARK I LOVE ad nauseum) 

peters video recording of civil war what an absolute babe

“thats not a hug im reaching for the door” (yeah right tony we all know you crave human contact)

why does peter know spanish?

peter taking time to pet the cat *_*

peter desperately looking for ways to help and giving that lady directions,,,, my son

“why did i mention the churro”

peter saving the cat and handing it back to the shop owner LIKE OH MYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY GODDDDDDDDDDDDD I LOVE HIM 

michelle doing situps with her book

no one will convince me flash doesnt have a massive gay crush on peter parker yall, i mean cmon?? HE MAKES EVERYTHING ABOUT HIM CLASSIC CRUSH SIGNS,,, hes legitimately obsessed with him, like i’m not kidding i can’t remember the specifics but several times i was like ok this is just kinda coded like hes into peter actually?

“you’re here too” “am i?” truly the best scene in the film michelle is a gift and zendaya is our glorious goddess who has bestowed this wonder on us

god the van scene, i immediately loved donald glover but that could be bc hes cute. but the thing is, this movie did such a Job of making peter immature. like i was continuously frustrated with him bc he was so markedly different and less mature than any of the other heroes. he screwed up again and again and again and the kidness of him was so well done. like it infuriated me half the time. but damn it was well done

TONY INSTALLED A HEATER IN PETERS SUIT

TONY WAS PAYING SO MUCH ATTENTION TO PETER THAT HE NOTICED WHEN THINGS WENT POORLY

TONY LISTENED TO THE PROBABLY HUNDREDS OF REPORTS PETER SENT AND REMEMBERS THE FUCKING CHURRO

tony wants to talk to peter about his college plans

tony stark is the best dad ever, and really in general he is the best person ever and no one will ever tell me that there is a person with a better heart in the MCU BECAUSE THERE IS FUCKING NOT 

TONY STARK IS TOO GOOD FOR ALL OF US WE DO NOT DESERVE HIM

poor ned :( “that hats not working” i was really mad at peter for the way he kept ditching all hsi real life friends

kinda glad vulture killed that guy what a disrespectful douche

“i thought that was the anti gravity gun” “wHAT NO” hmMmMmMm I LOVE

also he treats his other ppl with a lot of respect and later the ppl still think they can leave and like, thats cool

michelle noticing what peters quit already

i have a hot date with black widow later

that is false

another long one: i didnt super buy peters crush on liz. it felt really faked because he never really made choices for her, and i get that he was more into spiderman but i never felt the significance of the crush... i think that was played over a little bit too much

also i dont think ive been this impressed with a villain in the marvel franchise since loki. vulture was so compellingly realistic. i know they tried that shit with whats his face from civil war but he was so irrelevant i didnt care. vulture was relevant, scary, but also emotionally compelling

fucking taser web

you jumped off the sign and landed on your face

i love karen

i read a post about tony coding an AI thats emotionally encouraging and invested in peters life bc tony is invested in peters life and like iw ant to die

i just dont want to celebrate something built by slaves

THE GUARDS LIKE PREACH

michelle is a gift

“kiss her peter”

“thank you”

donald glover I HAVE A NEPHEW YEEEEEEEEEE BOY GIVE ME MILES I DESERVE IT

the whole interrogation scene was golden,,,, “NEVER DO THAT AGAIN KAREN” 

you’re a criminal!!! you deserve it!!!!!!!!!!!!! bye!! criminal!! i love peter so much

TONY STARK CALLING TO TELL PETER WHAT A GOOD JOB HE DID IN DC TONY STARK BEING A SUPPORTIVE, GOOD PARENT AND WANTING TO MAKE SURE PETER KNOWS HE IS PAYING ATTENTION 

peter just keeps causing disaster after disaster 

that whole ferry scene had me cringing

but he tried so hard to help everyone!!

tonys anger after it was totally warranted. i dont blame him for taknig the suit. 

MY FAVORITE LINE: if you really cared you’d be here AND TONY MOTHERFUCKING STEPS OUT OF THE SUIT

and god rdj brings the fuCKING PAIN you can see how panicked he is how muc hhe doesnt want to hurt peter but how SCARED he is bc peter isnt listening to him and god!!! what if something happened to peter!! you can hear the self loathing and the pain that hes carrying from all the other movies all he wants to do is make sure nothing happens to peter or anyone else

tony listened to peter to try and stop the vulture, tony takes him seriously!!!!!!!!!!! tony is such a good dad and such a good person and HOLY SHIT!! TONY STARK!!!!!!!!!

hes hurting so much in that scene he doesnt wanna be like howard HE DROPPED EVERYTHING TO GO HELP PETER IM UNDONE

also look how well peter got back on track after he lost the suit

still ??? at the liz scene tho?? i just didnt feel that relationship much at all, there wasnt anything there

PLOT TWIST PLOT TWIST PLOT TWIST 

MMMM THATS SOME GOOOOOOD SHIT 

and once again vulture is incredibly compelling bc that brings a whole new context to why his face changed re: dc and why he didnt try to kill peter on the ferry

michelle doing the casual flip-off, god i love her so much??

holy shit peter in the wreckage, tom holland go off that acting tore my heart in half AND THEN HE REMEMEBRED TONY WORDS

CMON SPIDERMAN I AM SOBBING

FLASH ASKING DO YOU REALLY KNOW PETER PARKER HES IN LOVE

vultures desperation in this final scene is,,,wow, you fucking feel it, it makes sense. hes such a compelling villain.

peter saving vulture what a fucking babe

liz really is a sweet girl i wish i’d believed the crush more bc she deserves all the love

my friends call me mj YISSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS gimme that michelle/peter RN

michelle acting like she doesnt care and then THAT LOOK THAT LOOOOK OMG ZENDAYA KILLED ME HOW DID SHE CONVEY SO MUCH ACTUAL LOVE AND COMPASSION AND CRUSH 101 IN A 2 SECOND CLIP YALL

happy in the bathroom. goodbye to me.

can we talk about tony? being so ecstatic that peter did all this? tony saying thatw as the tough love moment you needed and being so convinced that it wasnt and so convinced by his own acting that he could never actulally ahve inspired anything like that so hes just going to blaze ahead and not even acknowledge that yes!! it was actually!!!!!!!! he was a great father figurei n that moment and in this whole movie 

but he doesn’t believe that so he’s just going to keep being sarcastic to cover up for the fact that he doesnt think any of this had almost anything to do with him and everthing to do with peter

bc he has no concept of his own self-worth and yet to contrast that he directly inflates it and is so used to ppl disregarding it and accusing him of having an ego that even in this moment when he does something really amazing he makes it about his fake-ass ego and doesn’t let anyone actually give him credit for anything bc he is too busy giving himself fake-credit that he uses as an excuse in every other scene to call himself a piece of shit,,, that other ppl use to call him that bc ppl cant see through it bc he doesnt actually WANT anyone looking too closely, and yet, in this scene, he seems to be using it to exempt peter from actually acknowledging what he did was good bc hahaha im a self-congratulatory egomaniac

anyway hahahaha i love tony stark

also he is sad, he wants peter to stay with him, but he lets it go bc he recognizes it was the mature choice (and probably not the one he’d ahve made) 

hes so proud of peter i want to die

PEPPER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

THE RING!!

they’re both so confused about happy and the ring i love it

PEPPER!!!!!!!!! THEY’RE BACK!!!!!!!!! THANK FUCKING JESUS BC IF SOMEONE DIDNT LOVE TONY STARK IN THIS DARK TIME THEN IW OULD HAVE FOUND A WAY TO BREAK INTO THIS FICTIONAL REALM AND DO IT MYSELF

that little kiss was everything she lvoes him i love them

ugh

this movie was gr8 a++++

i love my son tony stark and his son peter parker and his future wife michelle

[poetspade45-blog]

THE ANGELENO’S GUIDE TO MEXICO CITY

If you were to ask me what my favorite city in the world was – besides, LA, of course – Mexico City would be somewhere in my top 3 choices. I have always loved visiting Mexico, but Mexico City is on a whole other level of culture, fun, and beauty. The Mexico most of us are familiar with are the typical beachside towns, where you hardly even get to experience the actual towns outside what ever resort you might be enjoying. Mexico City is bustling, it’s sprawling, it’s eclectic and its popularity amongst travelers only seems to be growing. It may be another big city – in fact, it’s the largest city in the world – but there is absolutely no where on earth quite like it in my opinion.

I cannot tell you how many friends I have that unanimously didn’t just enjoy Mexico City, they loved it. Friends of all types from all backgrounds. I honestly thought that there was absolutely no way this city could possibly live up to all of these insane expectations, but alas, they did. And then some. I am not a paid Visit Mexico spokesperson, but I will say with complete confidence that if you go to Mexico City – and you do it right – you will without a doubt fall  in love. (And it wont even cost you that much!)

I did my fair share of research before my recent trip to Mexico City, I have had several friends go before me who gave me the full rundown. If you’re looking to visit Mexico City soon, here’s what you need to know:

EAT

Contramar

Arguably my personal favorite restaurant we went to in Mexico City – a very likely story it turns out. Contramar is known for its incredible seafood spread (think ceviche, fresh grilled fish, etc) and their primo people watching scene at lunch time. You cannot visit Mexico City and not go to Contramar – I demand it. Make sure you make a reservation and make sure you order the tuna tostadas!

Máximo Bistro

Another restaurant that came highly recommended was Maximo Bistro Local. They’re open for lunch and dinner and from what I’ve heard you’re fine either way you choose. I happened to go for lunch (couldn’t get a dinner reservation in time) and it was everything everyone said it would be. Did I know it had a lot of Italian influence, nope, did it make it that much more fun and interesting, yep. Their known for their ox tail gnocchi – split at your own risk because it really is that good.

Pujol

YES! I can now say I’ve been to one of the top restaurants in the world! Pujol is the crown jewel of Mexico City. Chef Enrique Olivera truly helped put Mexico City on the map in terms of the city being a desitination for distinct food and dining. So as you can imagine, Pujol is realatvely difficult to get into. Most people book quite far in advance. Sometimes you get lucky like we did but it’s definitely advised to book as far in advance as possible. Pujol is an absolutely stunning space, the experience is as you’d expect – different and incredibly special – the staff is out of this world, and it truly exemplifies and amplifies fine Mexican cuisine. I will say, Pujol is as expensive as you’d imagine it to be so come prepared for that.

Lorea

Lorea was our first dining experience in Mexico City and it completely set the tone for the rest of our trip. Mexico City is quickly becoming one of the top dining destinations in the world and restaurants like Lorea truly put it on the map in terms of fine dining. Fine dining in Mexico City is a trip though, Lorea for example offers a 14 course tasting menu at just $70 per person. If you’re a foodie traveling on a budget, your one splurge should be Lorea. You’ll never forget it.

Taqueria El Califa

Did someone say tacos? Finally? Yes. If you are in the mood for tacos and a sit down restaurant type of situation, El Califa is your destination. Not only is it your destination, it will also totally blow your mind. I think I ate about 8 tacos that night and I regret nothing. They are open all day long but their late night scene seems to be where it’s at. The one thing absolutely worth trying here are their “costras” – which are like tacos but the tortilla part is made of cheese… #mindblown. And I’ll just let you in on a little secret, the best tres leches cake I’ve ever had in my life is at Califa. It was also my favorite treat I had in Mexico City period – I said it!

La Capital

For Mexico City being a city of late diners, a lot of the restaurants close surprisingly early! La Capital was somewhat a happy accident while we were trying to find a restaurant open past 10pm, but it ended up being quite a number of our favorite restaurants in the end. La Capital is a great “happy medium” restaurant – it’s not too fancy, not too casual, but the food and the ambiance is absolutely fantastic. They offer truly incredible and what you’d think of as “authentic” Mexican food, so if that might what you’re looking for, you’ve found it.

El Moro Churreria

Is it really a trip to Mexico if you dont eat a churro? El Moro isn’t just any churreria though, it’s the OG of churrerias. They’ve been dusting delicious carb sticks with cinnamon and sugar since 1935, and today they have 9 locations all over the city. I visited the location at the Mercado Roma, which is a fun place to go for all kinds of things, it reminded me a lot of the Grand Central Market. But it’s better because… churros. Duh.

El Cardenal

This is the only restaurant on my list that I sadly did not have the time to go to but want to recommend regardless. I have a few friends who cannot visit Mexico City without having a traditional Mexican breakfast from El Cardenal. When I requested something that had some history, something that had stood the test of time and was still beloved by all, El Cardenal was always the answer. I cant wait to go myself on my next trip, but if a big Mexican breakfast speaks to you, white table cloths and all, please try El Cardenal (and tell me what you think!).

OTHER RECS: Yuban, Lardo, Rosetta, Zoku, Lalo!, Quintonil, Casa Virgina, Tori Tori, La Docena, Huset, Mero Toro, Bravo Lonchería, Dulce Patria, Azul Historico,

DRINK

King Cole Bar

King Cole Bar to my delight was located inside of our hotel, the St Regis. Much like its New York City counterpart, the King Cole Bar is an absolutely stunning work of beauty, style, and class. We were at this bar more than I’d like to recount – shout out to Alejandro and Pepe – but it’s because it was consistently fantastic. Definitely the local meeting place for big timers, I fit right in obviously, but not at all intimidating or unwelcoming. The opposite in fact. Ain’t nothing wrong with a classy joint here and there, especially one with indoor/outdoor seating, great cocktails, live music, and decor fit for royalty.

La Azotea De Barrio Alameda

This place was recommended to me by a new friend on Instagram who’d been kind enough to message me her Mexico City favorites. She lives there after all so she was definitely one to be trusted. La Azotea is located in Centro, and is just a 5 minute walk from big sites to see such as the Palacio de Bellas Artes. Climb about 100 steps (which is like 300 steps at sea level) to the rooftop to find an absolute GEM of a little hangout – fresh air, views, cocktails, delicious food, friendly faces and all. My friend instructed me to order a Carajillo  and if you’re like me and love a good espresso martini when desperate times call for desperate measures… then you are going to love a Carajillo.

Fifty Mils Four Seasons

If you thought the King Cole Bar at the St Regis sounded bougie, Fifty Mils at the Four Seasons might have them beat there. Between the absolutely stunning courtyard setting, the fancy “a-la Four Seasons” cocktails, and the fitted waitstaff, it’s definitely an experience. And I was so here for a bougie moment – and a solid Instagram post of course.

Condesa DF

Who doesnt love a good rooftop situation right? Located in the heart of Condesa, CodesaDF is one of the areas most popular boutique hotels. Their rooftop is open to the public and definitely caters towards the young more hip crowds. So naturally I went, and naturally I loved it. If it’s a nice day or night out, stop in – it’s usually open.

Hanky Panky

Per my previous confession about basically never leaving the King Cole Bar… I dissappointingly did not make it to a number of bars I had intended to visit. Hanky Panky being one of them. I cannot speak from personal experience but I can say with quite a bit of confidence that this bar IS an experience. First off, you have to have a reservation – it’s that kind of bar. Secondly, it’s a speakeasy. Lastly, it sounds so “LA” it hurts my feelings I cannot wait to come back and see what this place is up to.

La Clandestina

I am a huge fan of Mezcal, in fact it is easily my spirit of choice. La Clandestina was another bar that came highly recommended that I regrettably did not get to, but I am told if you too are a fan of Mezcal then this is one place on earth you need to experience to confirm your appreciation for the beverage.

Loup Bar

For my fellow wine lovers… meet Loup Bar. Loup Bar is known for their incredible list of natural wines, as well as for their great food menu to pair. You know I will travel for wine and food, so Loup came highly recommended by several friends; I love that this a more low key yet chic spot. A great place to go when you’d love a glass of wine with a side of warm and cozy ambiance.

OTHER RECS: El Bosforo, La Lavanderia, Limantour, Pata Negra, Cicatriz, Gin Gin, Felina Bar, Aurora, Xaman, Baltro, La Ópera,

DO

Lucha Libre

What about men in fringe, tight pants, and colorful masks doesn’t already sound appetizing as hell? Throw in spotlights, a hugely enthusiastic crowd, cheap cold beer, tacos, and you’ve got yourself a night at LUCHA LIBRE! I am not kidding you when I say Friday night Lucha Libre was my favorite part of the entire trip, and arguably one of the best nights of my whole life. Take that and do what you will.

Xochimilco

I honestly barley know how to begin trying to explain the experience that is Xochimilco. It’s hands down one of the wildest, strangest, most unique experiences I think I’ve had in all my 30 years. What I want to say wont really make sense, but Xohchimilco doesn’t really make sense either, so here goes nothing. Xochimilco is a place you go *with a group* to float down canals on very colorful gondolas that are all packed like sardines on the water  where there is zero traffic regulation, there is a lot of booze, there are mariachis on boats for hire, delicious food and trinkets on boats for buying, and a lot of other strange yet entertaining activity.  Here’s the deal. It was cool… but it was wild. If you’ve got kids, or if you’re just a couple without a guide, I actually would not recommend Xochimilco. But if you’ve got a group, or a friend/trusted individual who knows the ropes, DO IT. Be careful, I would personally hire a driver to get you there and back (it’s about 45 minutes outside the city center), don’t be an idiot and you’ll have an absolute blast.

Chapultapec Park

Unsurprisingly so, Chapultapec Park is one of the largest city parks in the world. Really though – this park is never ending and it’s absolutely GORGEOUS! Chapultapec Park is very central, and the best of what it has to offer – including the Chapultapec Castle and the Museum of Anthropology – are very easy to access. Besides museums and the castle, Chapultapec Park includes a zoo, botanical gardens, walking trails, vendors, several man-made lakes with pedal boats, and so much more. You could spend a whole day strolling through these gorgeous grounds, and so you should – with some stops along the way.

Castillo de Chapultapec

One of those stops should definitely be the stunning site that was once the home to Mexico’s one-time emperor, Maximilian. Chapultapec Castle, now the Natural Museum of  History, overlooks the entire city below and it’s an absolutely fascinating and beautiful place to visit. It’ll take you a minute to hike up the hillside, and you will run out of breath thanks to that altitude, but boy is it worth it! (It’s also not literally a hike, it’s a walk uphill, it just seems to go on for forever when you’re out of breath.)

Museo Nacional de Antropología

If you have an interest in learning about the history of pre-hispanic Mexico (Aztec, Mayan, etc) the Museo Anthropolgia is an absolute must. We spent hours walking through each time period if you will, looking at pieces of history you can hardly fathom being as ancient and beautiful as they are. This was one of my personal favorite parts of the trip, so if you have time on your walk through the Chapultapec Park, stop in at the museum.

Mercado de Artesanías la Ciudadela

There are a couple of amazing Mercados to visit in Mexico City, but the one we ended up visiting was Mercado de Artesanías la Ciudadela – a market known for it’s more locally crafted and more traditional goods. They offer all kinds of Oaxacan textiles, blankets, silver, jewelry, bags, leather, housewares – anything “Mexico” you can think of they have. I have to admit, I typically hate the idea of “things” or “trinkets” but this market was incredible! I ended up with some beautifully embroidered bags, and so wished I’d had enough room in my suitcase for some of the glassware and housewares. Next trip. 

Palacio de Bellas Artes

Whilst meandering through Historico Centro you will find it damn near impossible not to run into the massive architectural masterpiece that is the Palacio de Bellas Artes. It’s here inside the marbles walls that you will find gorgeous and expansive murals from several artists including Diego Rivera, David Alfaro Siqueiros, and Rufino Tamayo. Wether it’s a new exhibit, a concert, or an event, there is always something fun and interesting happening here.

Teotihuacan

Want to see those mysterious pyramids you learned about at the Museo Anthropolgia IRL? You can! Teotihuacan is admittedly a pretty far drive outside the city center (about an hour), but it’s another absolute “must” according to most if not all who have visited. This was another spot I didn’t personally make it out to this trip, but I am told it’s worth noting to go early in the morning while the sun isn’t too hot and the tourists are at a minimum.

Museo Frida Kahlo

The Frida Kahlo Museum is kind of a non-negotiable. It’s a completely one-of-a-kind experience, and I promise you will be glad and grateful to have gone. The Frida Kahlo Museum, aka Casa Azul, was Frida’s beloved home for twenty years. Located in the colorful and charming neighborhood of Coyoacan, you immediately get a sense of the appeal. When Frida passed away, Diego Rivera donated her house to the government and turned it into a museum. The home has been in the exact condition she left it in since the 50’s, and it’s a surreal thing to experience in person. I personally loved seeing her clothes that were put on display (that were just discovered in an untouched room in 2004!), and how so many designers today are still inspired by her stunning style.

OTHER RECS: Museo Soumaya, Museo Tamayo, Museo Franz Mayer, Palacio Nacional, Museo Jumex, Casa Barragan, Museo del Tequila y Mezcal,

STAY

St. Regis

Just going to call it like it is, the St Regis Mexico City is the best hotel I’ve ever stayed at. The truth is I probably wouldn’t be able to afford a stay at a St Regis in most cities, but in Mexico City rates at this property start as low as $269 a night. For the St Regis. If you want to do a bougie hotel stay, with unparalleled service and accommodations, stay with the St Regis.

Hotel La Valise

Hotel La Valise is THE hip/chic/expensive spot to stay in Mexico City. They have a very popular property in Tulum as well, and their Mexico City location is just as stunning. It’s also located in a great part of town that is accessible to fun restaurants and areas to walk.

Hotel Condesa DF

Hotel Condesa DF is one of the best boutique hotels is one of the best parts of town – Condesa. I have had a few friends stay here who loved it, plus their rooftop – as mentioned – was one of my favorite stops on the trip.

Four Seasons

The Four Seasons Mexico City has a similar story to the St Regis; if you want to do a bougie stay, this is another great option to consider. Especially if like me, there’s no way in hell you’d be able to afford a Four Seasons vacation anywhere else. Why not do it in Mexico City!

OTHER RECS: Hotel Carlota, Four Points Roma, Roma MX, Hippodrome, Downtown Mexico, Casa Nuevo 120, Los Alcobas, Hotel Habita, Camino Real

TIPS

consider taking a street food tour! I’m actually quite sad I didn’t go on one myself, as the street food was the one thing I feel like I missed out on, but you’ve gotta have something to go back for right? My friends recommended this one to me: Club Tengo Hambre

prepare for the high altitude. Mexico City is about 7500 ft above sea level, and it can affect you if you’re not used to it like most us Angelenos!

take Ubers! For convenience, safety and reliability reasons.

get money from a bank ATM for a lower exchange rate. Most people/places will take American dollars, but try not to use them if you can avoid it. Pesos or credit cards are definitely best.

if you plan on visiting the Frida Kahlo museum and you want to take photos, be sure to purchase a photo pass in the coat check room! This is not advertised, but it’s available and it is affordable. Als0 – buy your tickets online ahead of time, save yourself the time you’d have to wait in line.

there are two airports in Mexico City, make sure you remember that when scheduling your flights and pickups/dropoffs

getting reservations at the popular Mexico City restaurants like Pujol, Maximo Bistro, Quintonil, Contramar, Rosetta, etc are difficult on short notice. Try to book the ones you really want to go to as far in advance as possible. This can be done directly on their respective websites, and you have the option to waitlist should your first choice not be immediately available.

lastly… don’t try to do too much. Pick 1-2 “must-see’s” a day, let the rest fall into place, and enjoy yourself!

Source: http://loveandloathingla.com/2018/10/angelenos-guide-mexico-city/

[ceasarslegion]

I went back and watched s6e07 again because there was something about that specific episode that really... hit me hard

I could feel myself starting to tear up when Take Me Down Easy started playing in the background, and then lo and behold I ended up instantly bursting into hard ugly tears at the line "looks like you found some solace in our show. Stay if you like; in 30 minutes, we start over."

I think I just realized the double-meaning in that line, spoken at Bojack's last little bit of screen time at the end of the part 1 finale, and it really just summed up what this show's been for me.

It never treated mental illness like a joke, or trauma like a personal shortcoming. It centers around them in all the different forms they can take, and doesn't shy away from how issues like emotional abuse and unhealthy coping mechanisms can effect people. Not just Bojack's abusive parents, but PC's overprotective mother's wishes that just weren't compatible with what she needed (which was to keep moving forward), and Todd's complicated relationship with his parents that he doesn't know what label to put on, and Diane's fear of seeking help for her clinical depression, and even Mr. Peanutbutter's forced optimism and active shutting down of any negative emotions that were heavily implied to finally strike him all at once and have him break down sobbing in a moment that was supposed to be happy for him (the crossover episode scene in DC).

The whole show has been an exploration of the ugly parts of existing, and just being human, and what contextualizes who we've become vs. how much has truly come from ourselves. And the entirety of s6e07 was about, well... recovery. Moving forward, forgiving yourself and fixing the broken. Bojack driving by all the images of failures throughout the series and just moving forward, flying across the country to fix things with the people he's closest to. He leaves Diane in a better place than he left her last, he helps Hollyhock fix her falling out with her best friend and takes a job at her college just to be closer to her and give himself a fresh start, he stops dyeing his hair and just accepts every part of himself, even if it is as "ugly" as his grey hair. He remarks that he looks old, but he doesn't sound disgusted by it. It felt more like "oh, I've been through a lot, but I made it out okay." He even helps Todd, even if their relationship has been kind of strained and broken since the "it's you" scene in s3. Even if it's on his way onto a plane without any plan to ever return to LA again. Because Todd was once his best friend, for better or worse, and he won't leave him on a bad note. The last person Bojack helps is himself, but he still helps himself.

And then the music started to play, and what do we get but a montage of the ripple effects. The whole series has focused on almost nothing but the exploration of vicious cycles and toxic relationships around characters who don't know how to recognize or get out of those vicious cycles. And to beat a dead horse (lol) I think those characters made me feel seen (war flashbacks to the Free Churro episode). Even subconsciously, I could project the ugly parts of myself onto them, I could see my own flaws and work through them throuh THEM. And s6e07 was the first one that felt like, well... a happy ending.

And what made me cry so hard so fast and for so long after I heard "looks like you found some solace in our show. Stay if you like; in 30 minutes, we start over" was the fact that the first time I saw this episode I got such a feeling of calm solace that I couldn't really label until now. I was seeing all those characters I've come to subconsciously project myself into recover, and become better versions of themselves after 6 seasons of either static or regression. And that made me think that hey, maybe I can be that too. After all, if I can so deeply see the flawed parts of myself in all of them, and they're becoming better, and recovering, is it really that impossible for me to do that too?

So anyway, I think I'm gonna download Take Me Down Easy, because I seem to have developed a psychological response to it where I can't stop myself from crying quite cathartically in that way where you smile and sob at the same time when I hear it playing, and I'm gonna use it to remind myself of that when it gets bad.

Because I did fins solace in your show. And I think I'm gonna stay for a while.

Yknow im getting in a real shaky mental place lately

I was suicidal when i was 15 so i recognize the signs leading up to ideations happening in me again

But honestly?? I wanna see how bojack horseman ends

Thats whats keeping me going right now

Im having bad thoughts and im starting to wish i just didnt exist again but as long as i do my favourite show is going to end in january and i want to see how it ends

And ill never get the big last stand of the story ive loved since the first season if im not here

So it gave me the motivation to book an appointment with a therapist today because i might need it if i want to see how bojack ends

And i think thats okay because it gives me at least some amount of a foothold to get my balance again

For now my goal is january

And when that comes i can look a little bit farther forward

But im taking it in baby steps

And i think thats okay

[dexi-green]

Spiderman: Homecoming thoughts

Spoilers!!!

·the 60s spider-man theme during the marvel logo ❤ ·i loved the “friendly neighborhood spider-man” scene. Him getting back the bike and leaving a note, the lady and the churro. Loved it. ·"aye, you're spider-man from YouTube. Do a flip!“ And he does the flip for him. ·Dad Tony. Annoyed Uncle Happy. ❤ Seriously. Like everyone who got mad that "tony is taking over” i hope you went back and shame deleted your posts. ·pepper cameo, like yooo, so are her and tony back together…? And the fact that tony bought an engagement ring for pepper all the way back in 2008 c: ·of course, Stan Lee cameo. Pretty early in the film and funny as always. ·the ATM robbery and peter tries to figure out a cool line to start the fight. ·all the times he falls on his face. ·the iron spider outfit. I’m so mad peter didn't wear it at all. But hopefully in infinity war. ·Flash being a more modern, honest depiction of a bully. Just a ‘flash'y rich kid, not necessarily a jock or anything. Honestly everyone being more honest and modern depictions of high school kids. No makeup on Michelle, the awkward school news casters, still playing with legos, playing outdated (but not really because it had to be filmed in like 2011-2) cliche celebrity videos for the students in class, jokes like penis parker, Seniors hanging out with sophomores and not just other upperclassmen. Not the weird stereotyped stuff we get in a lot of other films and media. ·Captain America videos + 2nd after credits scene. I love when he motioned to the side in the video to the gym teacher but Hannibal was on the other side. That little thing made me laugh. Also we left the theater and then came back for the last after credit scene and i felt so betrayed. ·Chess! ·For whatever reason near the end i kept expecting the credits to roll, but then there was another scene which was a delight for me. Maybe i’m just bad at knowing when movies end. ·no buildings so he has to run and cant use his web shooters. ·Ned Leeds. The guy in the chair. ·Learning Curve. I love that there were consequences to turning off the training wheels protocol. He didn't just get a whole bunch of cool features and became amazing. He turned it off and he messed up. He didn't know how to use things and it got him hurt. They were put there for a reason. It showed that Tony planned on training Peter for a while. All of the features Tony put on the suit to seemingly “limit” peter, were put their for his protection and come in handy later. The tracker allows Tony to save him after the parachute thing. The “baby monitor” lets him find out the identities of the arms dealers. Its just like actual parents and teenagers. Teens think the parent is being unfair and just trying to stop them from having a good time (and sometimes it is just unfair) but its for their own good. ·Learning curve again. He also just didn't always make the best decisions, even if things turned out alright. Like think about. Every time stuff got destroyed it was his fault. He tried to stop the arms deal under the bridge and ended up being dragged down the street. He kept the piece of alien tech, which caused the accident at the Washington monument. He tried to bust the arms deal on the ferry and it got cut in half. He tried to stop vulture again and crashed a plane. Which i think is actually great because remember vultures origin story of being the guy who has to clean up after that type of stuff. But anyway, Peter makes mistakes and messes up. He doesn't even have a cool sequence of transforming into spider-man, he has to undress in an alley. Like he isn't this effortlessly cool and talented superhero which is so incredibly true to the character of Peter Parker. ·michelle tells their teacher the Washington monument was built by slaves. ·Martin Starr ·Zendaya ·this entire cast really. Even Karen is Jennifer Connelly!!! ·Peter bonding with Karen. ·OMFG Aunt May! ESPecially at the end. Like i cannot wait to see her reaction more in depth. ·we got passing comments about the spider bite and uncle Ben. Which is fine, they basically skipped the first half hour of the other first spider-man movies, but i did wish that we would've gotten a flashback or something small. So i’m just going to put this out there for marvel, flashback to uncle ben (or possibly peter’s parents/father) in infinity war or something for just a hot second, maybe even just a picture of him maybe? and the actor, Tobey Maguire. I’ll leave it to you. ·Tony just wants to clean up his messes but he cant even do that without there also being a problem. He just cant win. But i guarantee that if Tony was there when damage control told them they were taking over, he probably would've tried to hire those guys instead of just telling them to beat it. Also… Vulture just trying to support his family and all, and we don’t know what his life was truly like before damage control stepped in. But… He seems to speak like hes still on rough times but…look at liz’s house.like it seems like he got money. ·i think its liz’s drawing of the avengers at the beginning. · When they are in the car, driving to homecoming, and Vulture is slowly figuring out who Peter is (kinda like the dinner scene with the green goblin in the first spider-man) and when he figures it out, the green from the street light is on his face, and just...symbolism. ·i think i missed the part where Harrison was dressed up instead of tom. Did they actually put that in because or maybe i just cant remember the scene right now. I know it was sometime when he had the decathlon jacket on. I think it was when he was stuck in the damage control facility. But for some reason my mind is blurring it. He was just running. ·when tony asks peter to stay at the avengers facility i kinda got the feeling that while tony was proud of peter for knowing what he wants he was kinda sad to know he wasn't going to be staying. Especially after what happened in civil war. He obviously thought it all out and planned things. Kinda like after Avengers, he kinda got excited and attached to everyone, got them their rooms in the tower and all. So kinda sad… · the nod towards Miles Morales and just Donald Glover in general is great. I wont lie that i would've loved more of him and maybe an actual cameo from miles but this was great. Maybe in another film.. · “Come on man, i got ice cream in here.” ·the principal is a descendant, i think grandson, of Jim Morita and played by the same guy, Kenneth Choi!!! Yaaaaasss! Like no wonder this guy is still playing these Cap videos in the school even if he is “technically a criminal” ·Bruce Banner and Howard Stark pictures in the school 😊 ·he isn't driven by romance. Saving or wooing Liz isn't his main goal in the story. There isn't even a kiss (like was teased in the trailer). ·i kind of wish instead of scorpion, the next villain tease would've been for doc ock, or sandman or green goblin but that’s purely personal preference. A black cat hint would've been cool as well, but i understand why they didn't do that. They did hint at the sinister six so they kinda did hint at doc ock and them. ·the video diary bits ❤ and just how well it fits into civil war like a puzzle piece, not just tacked onto the end. · I know some people complained about too many references to other parts of the marvel universe but I liked it. I love references and easter eggs personally, but also this is suppose to be an cinematic universe. everything is suppose to be connected. Why wouldn’t we see descendants of characters, or hear about the sokovia accords in class, or have pictures of notable inventors/scientists in schools, etc.etc.

·”Oh shes not playing mary jane.” “My friends call me MJ.” OMG fight me marvel!

·seriously i did not see the twist coming. Vulture is liz’s dad… Whaaattt? Honestly i loved it. Plus mixed girl representation✊and i like the timing of it. Peter really just defaults back into normal high schooler life. Is so down about what happened and then boom! Cant escape it. ·when the vulture is stealing stuff he has like…a duffel bag. Like they aren’t seemingly stealing that much stuff. Its not like they kill the drivers and steal the entire truck…they just want a little bit. ·"im trying to save you!“ Like yo…almost cried. Seriously. I wanted to scream at the screen. stop! Let him help! Listen to him! I was freaking out. ·"i wanted you to be better.” I know they showed this in the trailer but it was just as impactful this time round. Same with the “if you're nothing without the suit you shouldn't have it.” Like i cannot handle these Tony feelings. ·honestly the part at the end when he is looking at the reflection of himself, half masked, and the line from tony is echoed was…kinda cheesy. But it was still pretty impactful. Especially considering tom holland’s acting at that part. Nearly crying and yelling for help and wiggling around under the concrete, just so down on himself… almost made me cry. ·Just an overall amazing representation of “with great power, comes great responsibility”. There are consequences to his actions, he isn’t just amazing right from the start, he makes mistakes, and has low points and although he doesn't grapple too much with whether or not he wants to be spider-man (he pretty much always picks spider-man over anything else) he still struggles with how to do it and how to balance it. And its important to him that he does a good job, not just because its cool to be a superhero but because he feels the need to. He obviously doesn't brag about it and even chooses to not even come out as an official avenger. He knows where his heart is, where his home is, and by the end of the film he is pretty sure on where his responsibility lies. He realizes that there are big avenger level problems going on, but there are also small jobs to be done. Helping the little guy. He turns down a cool new suit, staying in a facility with the avengers, his own safety and life, to help out those in need.

[myautisticpov]

I’m back with another review of the School Daze series. This time, the third book, AUTISM BELONGS.

You can support my autism-related ramblings and reviews on Patreon for as little as $1 a month, and right now you'll get access to some behind the scenes stuff on my upcoming video essays (the first of which will be on Reginald Barclay, Sherlock Holmes, and Accidentally Autistic Characters, with the second being on Why Social Skills Training is Bullsh*t).

Script below the cut.

Back into the School Daze series, is the third book a return to form for the series?

-Intro-

Spoilers: Yes, but let’s see why.

Overall Opinion

**** - As always, the book was a generally enjoyable read.

Clarity of Autism

***** - As always, the characters’ autism is stated in the text.

Stereotype or Person

***** - So, this book, as with the other two, introduces a new autistic character to the neighbourhood. Manny is from a Latinx family - though there’s no specificity here, all you know is that they’re Spanish-speaking immigrants and his mother makes churros sometimes. Idk, they could be, like, Spanish, but the book is set in the US, so I guess Latinx is more likely.

In case my accent doesn’t make it clear, I’m British. Spanish + churros would normally mean Spain to me. But again, the book’s set in the US, so I’m gonna assume Latinx.

Side note: There’s stuff with his family and, like, the enforcement of traditional gender roles in immigrant families and stuff that someone who is way more qualified than me should be commenting on. I’m just here for the autism. But I feel like I should at least mention that it is something touched upon in the book.

So, why does this book get five stars for not relying too heavily on stereotypes? Well, Manny meets up with Jeff and Kyle, meaning that we now have a pretty solid look across the spectrum. Not complete, but enough to reinforce the idea that autism looks different in kids of a similar age, in a way that was lacking in the first book with just Kyle and Jeff. And the fact that Manny is from a working class, Latinx family also works against the middle-class white boy stereotype.

But wait, I hear you say. Didn’t Ethan reinforce that same idea in the second book? You gave that book two stars for the Jeff Problem. Did this book solve that?

Eh, not entirely, but Jeff was much more of a background character, so his teachable moments weren’t as constant. Plus, when he was doing stuff, there was quite a bit of standing up for the kids, which was super relatable and made him more human.

You might also notice that I didn’t mention Ethan being in this book. That’s because he wasn’t. And he also wasn’t mentioned, which after the end of the last book…

#IsEthanOkay2k17

Accurate Autism

***** - Back to five stars for this one.

Again, what truly dragged down the second book was Jeff and a lack of nuance when it comes to how the expression of autistic traits change as autistic people grow into adults. But in this book, he goes back to the background and Manny is allowed to the foreground.

As with Kyle, Manny’s story revolves around his parents misunderstanding his attempts at communication or them simply not having the tools and knowledge to communicate with him in a way that works for him. As the book goes on, they meet the characters from the previous books and they get that help and support. As with the first book, it’s clearly evident that the author knows what she’s talking about when it comes to autistic children.

Storylines

**** - The autistic characters have story and plot, but it primary revolves around their autism.

As I said with the first book, that’s fine. That is what these books are about, after all. It would be nice to see them branch out, but the parents are the main characters, so it’s understandable that they don’t.

It’s worth noting that this book really hammered home the problems of the second book. As I said in my review of AUTISM RUNS AWAY, all of the attempts to get Ethan’s mother to relax and start supporting her son kind of fall flat, and before she makes any real progress, Ethan runs away and gets hit by a car, almost validating her viewpoint that her son was too much of a danger to himself for his teacher’s methods to work.

It was a total downer ending and lacked the hopefulness of the first book.

#IsEthanOkay2k17

I started to read the third book before I went on hiatus, and then I put it down quite quickly. When I went to read it again once I was back, I started from the beginning and quickly remembered why I had put it down so quickly.

Manny starts in a bad place, and after the downer of Ethan’s ending, I wasn’t ready to subject myself to that kind of downer message again.

But this time I pushed through the beginning, when Manny has destructive meltdowns that often hurt those around him. And then I got to the parts where the characters from the previous books helped Manny’s parents to figure out how to reduce the number of meltdowns he had through better communication and allowing their son to have a normal life.

Where the second book ended on a downer note, this one ended on a hopeful one. I don’t need to ask if Manny is going to be okay. He’s in pretty good hands.

Now, side note, I’m going to contradict myself and say that if anything, there was a touch too much positivity, but that’s not to do with Manny’s circumstances, but the fact that this book is sending a message to parents.

A common line throughout the book is other characters asking Manny’s parents why Manny’s not in school, and they come back with perfectly reasonable fears.

Except in this circumstance, their fears are unfounded because the local school is so great with disabled kids.

I do think that it is important to appreciate that these kinds of schools are rare. There’s an optimism to the way kids behave and treat each other, and that can be very true in the right environment. I would argue that it’s not in the majority of environments, and I think for a lot of disabled kids, while it’s not easy for parents to do, homeschooling can still often be the best route to take. Hell, for able-bodied, neurotypical kids, homeschooling may have a bad reputation for making kids socially isolated and unprepared for the adult world, but studies have shown that the opposite is actually true and that homeschooled kids tend to lack the trauma that most schools still inflict.

Idk, maybe I just went to really shitty schools up until sixth form, but my middle and high schools were regarded as the best high school in the city, so…

Maybe that’s just living in Newcastle… *insert Geordie Shore clip*

Respect

***** - While this book still has the problem of the second, where autistic characters were shown conscious and deliberate respect, but not really given it by the narrative through having stories of their own, the fact that the characters are in more secondary roles, like in the first book, makes that easy enough to forgive. After all, allistic characters in similarly secondary roles got the same amount of character development, so it’s not a huge issue.

This book also dropped both Asperger’s and functioning labels. I tend not be too lenient on stuff for being written in the past, because the point of these reviews are to educate allistic people and to warn/recommend stuff to other autistic people, but it does occur to me that this change probably coincides with the release of the DSM V, which makes previous uses slightly more forgivable. Not that the autistic community didn’t object to these things before the DSM V came out - where do you think the changes came from? - but it’s a more understandable oversight that’s righted in this book.

Overall, that brings AUTISM BELONGS to a near-miss 4.5 stars. It would have been nice to see an autistic character have a storyline outside of their autism, but other than that, it’s a solid book. The only question now is if the second book was a one-time misstep, or if, like the Star Trek films, you’ll be able to identify the good ones based on their divisibility by two. I guess we’ll find out two weeks from now when I review AUTISM TALKS AND TALKS. In the meantime, however, I have some things to say about the overuse of mentally ill villains. See you next week!