#what in the (end of the) world were those hands during ep 22 though

[universalthaumaturge]

ok i get why anthy has creature of delirium now

[cxhnow]

Chloe x Halle Are Ready to Reintroduce Themselves

The sisters' latest collaboration with Fendi is a testament to their infinite creative potential.

Chloe and Halle Bailey, the sisters behind the R&B duo Chloe x Halle, are at a point in their careers where they're completely and confidently in control. It was evident from the moment they teased their debut single, "Do It," from their second full-length studio album, Ungodly Hour, that the two sisters who were once known for their dazzling YouTube covers of precious pop songs were entering a new and more grown-up musical era.Following the back-to-back releases of stunning music videos and accompanying awards show performances for the singles "Do It" and "Forgive Me," the sisters forayed into another artistic realm—this time, creative direction—displayed in their new campaign for Fendi. Handed complete creative control, the duo showed off the brand's beloved Peekaboo bags with ethereal imagery that is simultaneously sexy yet subdued, much like the sisters' own aesthetic as they enter young womanhood and reintroduce themselves to the music industry and world at large. And by catching the eye of an iconic fashion house, they further proved they aren't kids on YouTube anymore."We've always loved Fendi. I feel like everyone does. And we were really excited when they approached us to do this campaign and how we were able to do it all from home," Chloe tells BAZAAR.com. "We wanted it to feel really flirty, like the Peekaboo purse. We thought, What song do we have that really feels playful and fun and it's teasing you at the same time? And we ended up on 'Busy Boy.'"

In the Chloe x Halle-curated campaign video, the two pose on their now-familiar backyard tennis court (the setting of most of their at-home performances and photo shoots amid the coronavirus pandemic), as well as in the pool and behind a lush tablescape. They wear frilly ruched maxi dresses, platform heeled loafers, and printed boxy blazers juxtaposed with layered nameplate necklaces, chunky belts, and, of course, Fendi's Peekaboo handbags.

"We were like, 'You know what? Let's do it in our backyard, let's make the tennis court more of the aesthetic this time.' Usually, with our live performances, we'll just convert the tennis court into a live stage or something," says Chloe. "But this time we said, 'Let's just take advantage of the tennis court theme and our pool.' And we just had really a lot of fun. My favorite part of the shoot was putting the purse in the water, and then still being able to use it now, because it's dry and all right."

Fashion has served as a vital tool for the sisters in helping curate the sleek and futuristic feel of their new Ungodly Hour era. Their style, their music, and the album's overall narrative all needed to be cohesive and relay a similar message: that young Black women are beautifully complex. It's an ethos that is equally evident throughout their art, minds, and beauty.

"For Ungodly Hour, we realized when we finished it that the messages are much more grown," explains Halle. "We now officially feel like we're coming into our own as young women. I'm 20, my sister is 22, so we wanted to reflect that we are young women and be in the looks that we have for this album. That's why there was latex.

"And even for the album cover—I don't know if you could see, but the chrome wings were very important to us, because we wanted to show that even though women can still be angelic and fragile and beautiful ... we can also be strong and sexy and all of those beautiful personalities that come with being a woman," Halle continues. "So we just wanted to show both sides of everything, that we could be multilayered."

Chloe and Halle say they had zero reservations when it came time to release their new, more mature music into the world. If anything, their revamped image and sound organically reflected the growth and changes they were experiencing as artists, sisters, and Black women.

"When it came to this new album and this new look ... we did not really have any fear when it came to it," says Halle. "Because honestly, this all feels like such a natural transition for us. It's just like us turning into butterflies. We're going through these things, the experiences are actually happening to us.

"You know, we grew up on YouTube," Halle continues. "People have been watching us sing since we were 10 and eight years old. So I can completely understand how people would be like, 'Oh, my goodness, I'm just now realizing they don't stay 10 and eight years old forever. They're actually now 20 and 22 years old.' I think it's a beautiful transition that's happened, and I think it's really exciting and encouraging to hear from our peers and our supporters that they understand it and that they are proud of us."

It's evident that Chloe x Halle's new work is resonating too. Just this week, a group of dancers performed breathtaking, socially distanced choreography to the duo's track "Baby Girl" in honor of the countless number of Black women whose lives have been lost either to police brutality or domestic violence over the years. Both sisters were in awe that a song they wrote about heartbreak, vulnerability, and loneliness would translate to such a meaningful soundtrack for a larger movement.

"[The video] was one of the most incredible feelings," Chloe says. "We were on Instagram and Amandla [Stenberg] DMed it to us. She was like, 'Did you guys see this?' So I watched it, but then I kept going back to it. I remember the first time I saw it, it made me cry. Seeing the mural of all the beautiful women who have lost their lives. And it just was really inspiring.

"Now, 'Baby Girl' has a completely different meaning to me, even when we were the ones who wrote it," Chloe continues. "And before, I would listen to that song and I would feel really discouraged and I'd need to uplift myself and remember, no matter what you go through, no matter the trials and tribulations, you will rise on top. It's your world. It's okay."

"I remember when we made 'Baby Girl,' in Malibu, and we were just emotionally feeling insecure and needing just words of encouragement," adds Halle. "So the words in that song became a mantra to ourselves, to our hearts, our own hearts. The fact that people can feel lifted up by those words and create something that beautiful, it blows my mind every time. And it makes me so grateful and blessed to be able to be a storyteller.

"When you're trying to release art and music during a time like this," she continues, "it's very interesting, because you think to yourself, 'Will this be healing? What can I do to use my voice? What can people take out of this? How can this make them feel better?' I feel like collectively as a Black community, we are all grieving together. During [times like now], music has always been our savior. "

These new chapters in Chloe and Halle's work represent a new era of growth. Their success thus far stems from their inner confidence; they look to themselves as the ultimate sources of inspiration.

"I love how you can see how [we've grown] through the art. With our first EP, Sugar Symphony, we were so young. We were just getting our little feet wet with actually being proud of the original music we were making," says Chloe. "And then up to now, we're feeling competent in who we are as young women and when it comes to our artistry. But now we're learning about ourselves internally and what makes us tick, what makes us happy, and knowing that it's okay to be multilayered."

These recent undertakings serve as a reminder that the sisters are only just getting started. And we're eagerly awaiting the fruits of their endlessly artistic and innovative minds.

[spaceorphan18]

how would you rank the glee seasons (by personal preference) and why?

I hope you don’t mind that I’m copying and pasting from the last time someone asked me.  You can find the full reply here - where I get into some objective rankings, as well. :)  

Subjective Glee Season Rankings:

And here is a list totally based fully on my own opinions and what I personally enjoyed from the show.

1. Season 5 - This season I can fully just sit down and watch pretty much all the episodes and most of the story lines without wanting to skip around.  It’s a warm and happy place, that has a lot of love and brings back some good comedy.  It’s what I most want to pop if/when I want to just watch an episode of Glee.  I also listen to the music from this season a lot.

2. Season 2 - NGL, the Kurt/Klaine story alone is what brings this up so high, and it’s nice that there are so many edits out there that I could get my hands on if I really wanted to watch just that.  I kind of think the rest of the season is garbage, but Kurt’s story on the show is my favorite thing, and season 2 was really the best he ever got.

3. Season 6 - I think it’s underrated.  Even if the botched the ending a little, these episodes are incredibly entertaining, and I’ll stand by that.  

4. Season 4 - Yeah, the Newbie stuff kinda drags it down a bit.  But there are a lot of fun episodes in here, and I don’t mind all the angst now that we’re long past it.  

5. Season 1 - It’s not that I find the Front 13 bad.  I don’t.  I find it boring.  Really. It’s so boring.  The second half of the season I really enjoy, though.  

6. Season 3 - No surprise to anyone, this season is terrible.  

So, to get a better feel about how I really feel about the seasons, I’ve broken them down a little more.  This is still a more subjective list than objective, but no list is going to be perfect.  

1. Season 2′s Kurt/Klaine arc (various episodes) – it is, arguably, the best thing the show ever did.  I’d almost want to combine the back half of season 1′s Kurt arc to this, too because it’s like a story and a sequel that gets even better.  This is my absolute favorite part of Glee, and works so well as just a great stand alone story (which almost does lift right out of everything else going on around it).  

2. Season 5′s New York Arc (eps 14-20) – There’s so much delicious Klaine during these episodes.  The stories are solid, the small cast makes the show engaging in a way it hadn’t been for a long time, and the focus on letting the kids deal with adult issues let’s the show grow in a way that it hadn’t been allowed in a long time.  

3. Season 5 Front 13 (eps 1-13) – I think this part of the season is a bit messier than the second half.  It’s drawn out too much, and Finn’s death kind of leaves a dark cloud over a majority of it.  But there’s a lot of fun in these episodes, and while a good half of them are filler, at least they were entertaining filler.  

4. Season 6 (all of it) – For a long, long time, I didn’t want to like season 6. Yeah, it’s not the most satisfying ending that could have happened.  Yeah, there are a few episodes near the end that shouldn’t have happened.  But I keep coming back to season 6.  There’s a lot of good stuff here, and it’s the tightest the show had been written in a long, long time.  The world of season 6 does feel detached, in a lot of ways, from the rest of the show, but it’s been inspirational for a lot of my own fanworks, so it has a special place for me.  

5. Season 1 Back 9 (eps 14-22).  This is when the show really picked up the pace, and got into its groove.  They shifted towards stories about the kids, and there’s a ton of focus on Kurt’s story, which I really love.  (I call Home, Laryngitis, and Theatricality the Kurt Trio.)  Plus, the show was able to balance comedy and drama in a really intriguing way, while getting rid of some of the baggage that bogged down the first half of the show.

6. Season 4 (everything but eps 18-20)  I know season 4 has such a bad rap, but a lot like season 6, but also like season 6, fandom grew some really fantastic things out of the cracks in the season.  Not only did the second half of the season have some really strong episodes, and the season as a whole have some great Blaine development, but I’ve grown fond of the conflict the season lets the characters have.  Sure, it’s a bit messy all the way around, and neither Brody or the Newbies worked all that well, but this season had a lot of potential, and the fandom ran with it, much to my enjoyment.  

7. Season 3 Arc 2 (eps. 9-17).  Okay, so technically, the middle arc only goes through ep 14, but I’m attaching on some other episodes there, and am about to give season 3 some credit.  The middle section of season 3 isn’t so bad.  There are some quirky and fun episodes here.  Sure there are a few terrible ones in between those, too, because this is still season 3, but every season has something enjoyable in it, so I’m giving credit where credit is due.

8. Season 2 Everything Else (various).  Look, I’m going to be honest.  A majority of stuff that isn’t Kurt/Klaine just isn’t that interesting to me.  And really, I’d argue that there are a lot of crappy story lines in here as well that kind of get ignored because Season 2 was Glee’s golden age – and when fandom really came together to be the ‘olden days’ everyone seems to remember so fondly.  But every time I come back to it, there’s a majority of stuff I’d rather skip than sit through during the none-Kurt focused season 2 stuff. OOps.  

9. Season 3 Arc 3 (Eps 18-22).  A lot of people like the end of the season.  I think this starts the stuff I find really terribly bad.  Finchel blows up.  Will is getting teacher of the year.  Nationals has literally no plot or tension.  There’s virtually no Klaine.  I realize this is my issue, because a lot of people don’t mind these episodes. But I just can’t.  There are very few things that truly annoy me still about Glee.  I’ve forgiven the break-ups and Blainofsky and the amount of Sue on the show, but I can’t forgive that damn Tongue Tied montage.  Sorry.

10. Season 1 Front 13 (eps 1-13).  Yes, I know, I know, this is Glee at its most classic.  And people seem to be nostalgic for this time period for reasons I don’t fully understand.  I’ll keep it simple.  This is low on this list not because it’s bad but because I find it terribly boring.  Everything to do with the adults is boring now that I’ve seen it a hundred times, and I honestly don’t want to go ever go back to it.  **Shrug**

11. Season 4 The Nighttime Trilogy (eps 18-20)  These episodes are very much not great, and kind of take away from a season that, while very messy, is pretty entertaining.  Yes, I know why they’re here – behind the scenes forced them to change it up, and that ended up not going so well, but I feel like lifting these episodes out of season 4 makes the season better.

12.  Season 3 Arc 1 (eps 1-8)  Which should not be a surprise to anyone.  Let’s get something straight – The First Time is a gem in a turd pile, and that’s because the story lines have virtually nothing to do with everything going on around it.  These episodes are truly horrible, and have some of the worst story lines the show has to offer.  Rory? Quinn going crazy? Shelby and Puck? Finn outing Santana?  Mercedes being called lazy constantly? Sue and Beiste in a love triangle? These episodes are tedious to get through. I don’t even find Purple Piano Project as engaging as I used to.  So when I say I can’t stand season 3 – this section is responsible for most of my distaste.  

Alright.. so there you go, that’s how I feel.  And as always, these are my opinions.  I don’t expect anyone to agree, so just play nice, this is the internet after all <3

[onestowatch]

Maggie Lindemann Releases Thrillingly Magnetic Debut EP ‘PARANOIA’ [Q&A]

Rock, alt-pop songstress Maggie Lindemann has finally dropped her debut EP, PARANOIA. The EP is comprised of eight dark and enigmatic tracks that show Maggie coming into her own as an artist with a thrilling alt-rock sound. Having accumulated over a billion streams since she began her career in 2015, the 22-year-old is finally ready to present her highly anticipated first official body of work to the world.

We had the chance to talk with Lindemann about the creative process behind PARANOIA and how she's finally making the music she's always wanted to make.

In an interview with TMRW mag, you mention that you were a different person growing up in Texas and that you developed into a new and more open-minded person in LA. It feels like since 2015 your music has also transitioned into a very experimental sonic space. Looking back, did you ever think you'd be making the music you're making now?

I've always wanted to make the music I'm making now. When I first started making music, I was making alternative pop, so I knew I always wanted to be in the alternative lane. I never really thought I was gonna be making mainstream pop. So yeah, I've always wanted to make the music I'm making now. At one point, I didn’t it was going to be possible because of how far into the alt world I was. I felt like it would look fake or just wouldn't look good if I randomly transitioned into rock music. But I listened to a lot of pop-punk growing up and this is something I've always really wanted to do.

Who did you listen to from the pop-punk world growing up?

My favorite band hands-down was Sleeping with Sirens. They're still my favorite now, honestly. I also listened to a lot of Black Veil Brides, Alesana, and Bring Me the Horizon. I would even wear this Bring Me the Horizon pendant all the time!

From the singles that have been released so far from the PARANOIA EP, you dove into many themes of loneliness, power, and paranoia. Can we expect similar themes throughout the rest of the EP?

Yeah, I would say so. All of it is pretty much following the theme of paranoia. Each song is a different form of it. "Gaslight" is obviously about that feeling of being gaslighted and wanting to hit them back harder. And with "Knife Under My Pillow," obviously it's about the paranoia I feel having to sleep with a knife under my pillow because I don’t feel comfortable in my own house. So, with the songs that'll come out when the EP drops, it follows that same theme but dives into other feelings you may feel in that headspace. “It's Not Your Fault" is about feeling like you're not enough in a relationship and how you end up self-sabotaging yourself.

So, it's safe to say this is a pretty dark record?

Yeah. I think there's only one kinda different song and that's "Love Songs."

The collaboration with Siiickbrain on "Gaslight" felt like such a great fit for the EP. What was it like working with her and can we expect any more collabs in the future?

She's literally my best friend in real life. I love her music and I think she's so sick. Just everything about her is so sick. I just said to her, "Dude, we should do something," and we immediately got into the studio with Cody [Tarpley] and made this track in literally a couple of hours. It was super quick. She's just so talented and I'm glad we were able to make that song. Hopefully, there will be more in the future. We've already made a couple of songs and she's helped write a couple of songs. We're definitely in the studio a lot together.

Which songs on the EP are you most excited for people to hear that haven't been released yet?

I'm probably most excited for people to hear "Crash and Burn" and "It's Not Your Fault." They're both such high-energy songs and I love when I can belt really high in songs. I put a lot of energy into those songs and I think that's why they're my favorites.

Your lyricism is not personal but extremely relatable. For me, the lyric "It's so loud inside my head," on "Knife Under My Pillow" really spoke to me and I'm sure many people with anxiety can relate. Are there lyrics that still stick with you from the EP?

On "It's Not Your Fault," there's a lot of strong lyrics that really hit me. I wrote that song when I was really struggling with my life. I was like, "Oh my god I'm sabotaging myself. I'm sabotaging my relationship." I felt like I was going crazy. A lot of the lyrics from that song have stuck with me. And I think on “Loner,” one of my favorite lines is, "I don't need permission to feel sad."

You had an amazing team help bring this record to life. You had John Cunningham (Halsey, XXXTENTACION), Josh Murty, and Cody Tarpley (Lauren Jauregui, SoMo) produce the record and you had Alex Lahey and of course Siiickbrain on as co-writers. What was it like to make this record with your team while dealing with COVID? Were some of these songs already recorded before lockdown?

Luckily, a lot of this was already recorded in 2019, which feels like so long ago at this point. I added "Crash and Burn" and "It's Not Your Fault" last year. To avoid multiple people at the studio, it would just be me and Josh or just me and Cody. And for the song I worked on with Caroline [Smith] (aka Siiickbrain), it was just me, Cody, and Caroline. We just worked in really small groups. It's crazy though, I was actually in the studio with Cody when we got the news that we were gonna go into a lockdown and that things would be closing. We freaked out because at the time we didn't know that it meant we could still go pick up food at restaurants, so we were just like, "We need to get home! We need to go to the nearest grocery store right now!" In hindsight, it was a little funny.

What has kept you grounded during lockdown?

I've still been doing sessions, but just over Zoom. I started them last year and I had never done Zoom session before so that's been a weird shift. I'm still just working on the album I want to have come out eventually and playing a lot of video games. Like A LOT of video games. I started streaming on Twitch so that's been fun! I also got a car over lockdown. I've never had my license and I had been saying "I'm gonna get my license" since I was sixteen and I'm twenty-two now so I'm happy I finally have it! It was a huge thing for me because that was my biggest procrastination ever.

When the world finally opens back up, whenever that may be, and live shows return, what would be your dream show or tour post-COVID?

I want to headline a tour so bad. I've done a few tours where I'm a guest or opening up, but I want to do a headlining tour. I want to bring Caroline with me. I feel like that would be amazing. That's what I was planning on doing last year after the EP's initial drop date, but obviously, stuff changed, and everything got pushed back. So yeah, I hope to do a headlining tour when things open back up.

Be sure to stream Maggie Lindemann's debut EP PARANOIA below!

[doomdays-a]

i changed up laura’s background slightly to fit with new details of her apocalypse origin,  so the  most important stuff is under the cut  (spoilers for ep 22) ---

she has two fathers. franklin was a doctor, and owen made cars.  because franklin worked odd hours, she wasn’t as close with him pre-apocalypse,  and she often bonded with her other father more because of it. 

from a really young age, laura became interested in cars because of owen, and he taught her everything she knew about them. she loved franklin too,  there just wasn’t anything for them to bond over,  so they were kind of disconnected most of her life.  

she and owen built her own race car together.  she started racing on dirt tracks for a few years,  traveling to various tracks + races across the country,  and then eventually moved up to nascar racing,  now spending most of her time away from home.  though she wasn’t the best racer,  she was well known because she was a nonbinary lesbian in a sport that had primarily been about cis men.  people either hated her or looked up to her ( more on this later. ) 

when the outbreak starts,  she, her pit crew, + others started to fortify the speedway.  her parents know where she was, and before communication systems fell, they devised a plan for her to wait for them to get there so they could all be together.  her father didn’t want her to get caught in something on the way to them.

the speedway wasn’t as great as it the vision was --- because it’s a big, central location, various families and groups tried to find safety and protection there, causing many rifts between everyone.  still, laura was determined to make it work so that her parents would have a place to live once they got there.

two months into the outbreak, laura’s girlfriend was killed by an invader, beginning to make laura feel like it wasn’t the best place stay  ---  but she was too scared of leaving just in case her dads still showed up.

franklin showed up shortly after,  and he was alone.  he and owen had built a medical clinic out of a mobile home and were stopped many times along the way,  but owen died in the chaos of everyone trying to get out of town,  and franklin fought to get his way to laura as soon as he could.  

as the two of them are grieving their losses, they decided to leave the speedway and embark on their own adventure,  continuing on with their mobile medical clinic.  it was the first chance that laura and franklin had ever really had the chance to get to know each other personally,  and they finally got the chance to be closer.  they really lean on each other during this time as they learn about their new world and try to save as many survivors as possible. 

n*gan finds them 6 months after the outbreak began.  after they give him the meds he needs and let him go,  he gives up their location to bad people,  and those people ultimately take franklin and laura because of it.

though n*gan does come back to help them out,  they have no desire to leave there with him  (  i know that the episode alludes to them being together after that,  but i just don’t see the steels wanting to join him after what he did to put them in that position in the first place,  despite being thankful for his return.  )  they part ways again after,  and laura and franklin try to continue on,  but they’re more hesitant about who they’re helping now.

three months after parting ways with n*gan,  franklin is killed when a small herd surrounds their clinic. laura is forced to ditch the clinic and move along on her own. 

both of her fathers’ deaths hit her at the same time,  as she realizes she never truly processed owen’s death when she learned about it,  since she hadn’t been there when it happened.  grieving them both at the same time made her turn more apathetic and a little more ruthless,  just to try to keep herself safe.  

she eventually stumbles upon the sanctuary,  where n*gan has already taken over.  recognizing her,  he immediately makes her one of his lieutenants.  given her loss of direction and how she doesn’t know what to do from there,  she commits to the job completely,  leaning into this  new persona that she forms while she’s there.  portraying herself as tougher and harder makes her feel more comfortable with life around them, and she tries not to question the way they’re sent to terrorize others -- despite it being everything that she and her father were fighting against.   she and n*gan are not friends,  they just work together.  he respects her for their history and she’s loyal to him because she has nothing else.  he uses that to his own advantage.  

as the war between the saviors and other communities rages on, she continues to try to fight for the sanctuary  --- even though she barely knows what she’s fighting for anymore. when the opportunity to surrender comes,  she takes it immediately,  realizing in that moment that she doesn’t want to be who she is at the sanctuary anymore,  and she doesn’t want to fight for a community that treats people the opposite way of what her father would have wanted.  

she tries to make the sanctuary work after the war ends,  because she wants to believe it can be something better.  but when arat dies,  she no longer has any reason to stay there,  and eventually moves to alexandria.  

while in alexandria,  she has no contact with n*gan nor does she have any desire to speak with him,  because that portion of her life is over and she’s trying to work on herself, discover who she really is beyond all of that, and work towards something better.  though they have history,  she doesn’t believe he’s ever going to change.  he’s still the man that handed her and her father over to ruthless people,  leaving them to be tortured,  all for his own selfish gain after they helped him first.  she only saw him get much worse after that.  that doesn’t mean she doesn’t understand she’s done things wrong too;  she does,  but she chose to change,  and she’s proud of that.  she knows too much about him and the things he’s done that most of alexandria doesn’t even realize,  and as a council member,  she’s honest about what she thinks he deserves.

laura is the kind of person who is passionate and does whatever she’s doing at 100% always ---  even if it’s the wrong thing, and even if she knows it’s the wrong thing.  she’s lost her path many times and leaned a little too far in the wrong direction,  but she actively works to take better routes in alexandria. 

i still won’t ever write with any n*gan ever and i still hope he rots <3

[letterstothemidnightsociety]

THURSDAY OCTOBER 8, one of the longest running television shows of our time begins airing the final episodes of it’s final season. Guys, Supernatural is 15. FIFTEEN. It can practically drive a car now. As one friend put it, “that show had a Quinceañera.” And if you don’t know how significant that is, think of the last show you know of that made it to season 10. Take your time, I’ll wait. 

Whoever I stole this birthday invite from, they are probably older than this show.

I started watching Supernatural in 2008. I was 19, I had just begun my journey towards Over-Worked, Under-Slept Millennial, and my best friend recommended it. I can’t really remember how the conversation went, but I’m sure at some point it was “It’s scary, and it’s got these two brothers, I’ll send you a link!” cuz we were trash and we were broke and Netflix...existed? Hulu existed, but not in the way that either of those sites work now, so we watched by...ahem...other means. It is probably why my first laptop stopped working after 3 semesters of college.

And damn, I was hooked. I don’t do scary movies and honestly, I was legit creeped out by a lot of these episodes, but it had two hot dudes who took down a monster every week and then (the real kicker) had a bigger, season-long mystery they were trying to solve. And occasionally, they got punched in their big dumb beautiful faces. If I had known what a kink was at the time, I would have said that someone was reading my dream diary. 

Over the next 12 years - Let me say that again for those of you in the back - TWELVE YEARS - I had an on-again-off-again relationship with the Winchesters. It was pretty hot and heavy in the beginning. I was jumping on the back of this 67 Chevy Impala 3 years in, so I had three seasons that I bought on DVD that I binged and was caught up with season 4 by the time the midseason started to air in late January of 2009. I was introducing all my friends to Supernatural, I made several people watch the entire first disc of season 1 with me, irregardless of whether they’d asked or not. Things started to cool down towards the end of season 4 as life started picking up and I know...I caught...the tail end of season 5? I think? I distinctly remember the final scene of the final episode, but honestly, I can’t remember how much of that season I actually watched.

At that point, I considered Supernatural to be a weird pseudoaddiction. I’d be clean for a while, years even, and then Netflix caught up with consumers and I could binge whole seasons in a weekend. It’d be, oh, I could just watch an episode. Just one episode. Maybe two. And then the weekend is gone in a blaze of classic rock and rock salt and I’m left with something like but not necessarily a hangover where my feelings live. I think I did this for seasons 6 through, like, 8? Eventually, Netflix stopped putting it at the top of my dashboard and it was easier to avoid. And I said to myself, well, when they finally get to the last season, THEN I’ll go on one last run, one last big score, and watch the whole series again in one go. 

But the seasons kept coming?? And they?? Didn’t stop?? Guys, I don’t know how many of you care about this but, Friends, one of the most popular sitcoms of all time that defined an entire generation had ten seasons. TEN. Supernatural is ending with fifteen! For an industry where most shows don’t make it past a pilot, let alone a season 1, this is INSANE. 

But now it’s ending. Even though a pandemic halted production just two episodes away from the finale, Supernatural is finally outta cassette tapes. The Wayward Sons may finally (??) be laying their wearied heads to rest (?? lol, I know).  

And frankly, 2020’s been a real sh*tshow so I thought “Why not?” 

And if I’m doing this and I’m not interacting with anyone on a human level, I might as well chronicle this epic dive into a time capsule of television because frankly, what the hell else am I doing? 

Cuz that’s what this is guys. 15 years in TV time is multiple lifespans. Shows are born, grow into something Emmy-worthy, and die in less time than Supernatural has been on the air. You know what else aired their pilot episode in 2005? The American version of The Office. You know when The Office ended? 2013. 

So let’s talk about pilots because that in and of itself may be a thing of the past not too far from now. 

Guys, I love pilots. I will probably say this a lot over the next, uhhhh...many months, but I love pilots and I love season ones, especially for a sci-fi and fantasy shows because that’s where your characters are at their most vulnerable, their most unsure. The writers and producers are really digging around, trying to figure out what the groundwork for this world is and there’s something so exciting about exploring it with them, as an audience. 

Pilot’s are great, pilots on spec are even better, and that’s a lot of what the Supernatural Pilot feels like. It’s got a real indie/guerilla-style horror movie vibe, like the crew scraped together just enough cash for that one special effect scene but had to skimp out on a lot of the other production stuff, and still managed to turn something around that is totally, 100% watchable and somehow more charming than if they’d had the budget to make something really polished? Go watch Night of the Living Dead (1968) and tell me that movie would have been better if they’d had a bigger budget. You could, but I won’t agree. 

Ok so a quick break down of technical terms. A television pilot is basically the first episode of a TV show. Well, that’s not exactly true. A pilot is kind of like making a sample or a blueprint of your show that you hand over to the television networks and say, here! This is what my TV show will look like. Will you pay me money to continue making it? And the networks (think ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX and The CW - remember, this is Network, not cable) will spend January through April of every year reviewing pilots and deciding if they want to pay you money to make more episodes. Well, every year except 2020. See: sh*tshow. Sometimes the network comes to you with an idea, or maybe, you’ve pitched your script/show to some executives and they buy in for that first pilot episode to see where things will go. Neither of these scenarios are a sure thing, and pilot season is always rife with will-they-won’t-they tension. In fact, if you’re working on the show, there’s a real possibility that pilot will get re-shot after studio notes, you’ll lose your job to someone the studio liked better, and then the show still may not get picked up. A pilot shot on spec is in even more of a limbo scenario because nobody asked for this! And just to follow through on Pilot Season - after the networks decide to buy your pilot, they then air the pilot at Upfronts (usually in May) where their many ad companies decide if they will pay money to air their ads during those shows. This is where we get things like prime time and key demographics - if you thought TV was all about the art, you are very wrong. TV, like most other industries, is still a business that’s about making money. 

Back to the Supernatural pilot. Now, from my research, series creator Eric Kripke had been working on the concept for 10 years. He was big into classic rock, big into urban legends and big into cowboys and all those things get married ever so neatly in this show. A lot of his initial ideas remain unchanged, at least for the first season - he wants two brothers, traveling across the country, facing off with America’s Spookiest Myths and legends. A lot of it did change. I honestly feel like I remember reading an early draft of the pilot where Sam and Dean are cowboys? But I’m also pretty sure I’m imaging that. What I’m not imagining is this ridiculous early draft where John’s been locked in an insane asylum, dies before the first episode starts, and Sam’s been living with an aunt and uncle his whole life and knows nothing. They still use something close enough to the La Llorona legend as the catalyst for the episode, but a lot of other things are changed. This is not the Sam and Dean we come to know and love. This is also a good example of when you SHOULD listen to notes, because this draft was rewritten after executive producer McG and his Wonderland Sound and Vision production company signed on, but before they actually shot the script. 

Now from what I’ve read, the WB picked the show up for (4) episodes initially, and ultimately picked it up for a full season of (22) episodes. This was, at the time, a pretty standard season and a pretty standard way to get it. They had a better deal than The Office, anyway, which only got picked up for (6) episodes in their first season, then got picked up four episodes at a time for season 2. 

Now let’s go over that paragraph one more time and talk about what a hecking DINOSAUR this show is - 

FIRST off - Supernatural premiered on THE WB. It PREDATES The CW!!

Man guys, you remember they had a frog as a mascot? Oof, that would not work today.

Secondly, it got 22 EPISODES. We’ll get into this some more when we talk about that evil bugs filler ep, but think about how many episodes were in the last show that you binged on Netflix? 8? Maybe 10?

Welcome to the exciting world of GRAPHS brought to you buy https://www.theringer.com/tv/2017/8/4/16094348/inefficiency-week-mourning-the-lost-long-tv-season

OH! And SPEAKING of Netflix and streaming services like them, they’re kind of killing pilot season AND upfronts. They pick up shows when they want to. They “air” them when they feel like. There are no ads because you pay for that content on a monthly basis and also they don’t even have commercial breaks. I am slowly seeing the passage of time in one (1) episode of television and I think I’ve aged 100 years. 

Here is just one of MANY articles about the death of Pilot Season 

Finally, and most importantly, this show got a better deal than The Office. And that show was an NBC primetime show. 

This show was nominated for 193 awards and won 50. And it ended when my nephew was still in kindergarten. He’s gonna be in high school next year. 

So what about this Supernatural Pilot? Was it any good? Honestly, I’m gonna say yeah. This is some very solid Hero’s Journey here. I think the only weird thing about it is that Sam is our Hero, our point of contact character that gets us into this world. And I only say that because I’ll be real up front and say that I’m a Dean girl through and through. I don’t hate Sam, but because we live in a world where we have to choose, it’s Dean 4Eva. 

From that early script draft, we learn the plan was for Sam to be in the dark and essentially be our audience stand in so that Dean can explain all the backstory. I think the decision to make John Winchester raise his kids as a weird fringe paramilitary outfit and establish Sam as the brother that tried to get away is a good one. It’s a very “Arrive Late��� (or if you’re fancy, in media res,) sort of attitude and it works and you’ve already started building in the Atonement with the Father. There’s still some pretty excellent exposition dialogue, but what are ya gonna do. Sam, did you really need to explain to Dean that your collective father “raised you like warriors”? Or that you “kill everything we CAN find?” It’s fine. You’re beautiful and I love you. But also, he knows all that.

You have the Call to Adventure - Dean showing up and saying “Dad hasn’t been home in a few days.” You have the refusal of the call (“He’ll sleep it off”). You have your supernatural aid (hah!) giving Sam a push out the door - that’s Dean. You have your famous line that I quoted along with the TV - Dad’s on a hunting trip. And he hasn’t been home in a few days. 

The dead mom backstory seems pretty on the nose, but the “burned on the ceiling” concept was new and unique enough that I was intrigued to find out more. Listen, I’ve already admitted I don’t watch a lot of horror so if this has been done before, don’t @ me. 

La Llorona or Woman in White or Weeping Woman was a new trope to me at the time, so it too seemed fresh. I see that myth show up in a lot more Supernatural-type shows now, but in 2008, at 19, I was like, oh this is different. Not to mention - this definitely leaned in to the horror aspect. I know I’m a baby, but it aired at 9pm, which is the more adult side of Prime Time, so the WB thought it was too spooky for kids who had early bedtimes. So there. 

I HATE when they do this cuz it freaks me out EVERY TIME and THAT’S NOT EVEN HOW THESE MIRRORS WORK??? SHE’S NOT EVEN IN THE BACK SEAT IN THIS SHOT!

And then at the END, when Sam STILL refuses the call to adventure, you have the real Crossing of the Threshold - Jess is ALSO stuck on the ceiling, dead, and on fire. Spoiler alert, but they had to fridge her early to make the rest of the season work and so it shouldn’t be a big surprise. Sam’s all in and we get 21 more episodes of him and Dean and that car. 

Is it technically fridging if she’s lit on fire?

And let’s talk about Jess for a second cuz actress Adrianne Palicki is giving a LOT more in this performance than a fridged girlfriend should be required to. She’s likeable, she’s down to earth, she’s crushing it and and all this with only, like, two scenes of dialogue. I say this even though we meet her in a slutty nurse costume - COME on WB. 

WB what the hell is this wardrobe. What the HELL is THIS. 

In fact, all of the extras in this show are crushing it? Louis is instantly likeable and he disappears after his first scene, never to grace our TV’s again. And these extras in the town in Jericho, California - I kind of love them. As CW (or I guess, WB) as Jessica is, these extras look like they found them at the local highschool and I LOVE THEM FOR IT. They probably came to set already in makeup and wardrobe! They POSSIBLY brought their own jewelry! They’re weirdos and they are GREAT. I’m pretty sure this will NEVER happen again on this show because once the $$ came in, so did the more polished-looking one-off characters.

 Lookit these magnificent goth weirdos! And great news, both these actresses have very full, non-goth careers after this. 

Also, heckin’ Joseph Welch is just crushing it. This man has NOTHING CW about him and that’s maybe why I like him so much? Everything about the scene with him and Sam is pretty heartbreaking, from his rundown car graveyard to his rundown physique with his rundown accent to the fact that we never actually see his face. Seriously, really LOOK at this scene - WHAT is going on with this cinematography? Is this a reference to something? It’s SO bleached out and SO stark and WHAT is going on???

WHAT is this lighting? And also this guy was played by Steve Railsback was on X-Files!

You can’t talk about Supernatural without talking about the chemistry between Sam and Dean and that’s probably the real hook here? I mean a) very beautiful. I will probably talk about this a lot. Let’s call it what it is here, they’re beefcakes and they’re made for me and people like me. It is weird that this show is so macho but their primary audience was mostly there for the babes. And by babes I mean Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki. And b) they REALLY sell the whole brothers thing. They’re both from Austin, TX which feels like a weird coincidence. They were both already on WB shows before this one, also a weird coincidence. And they just click. They just do. It’s impressive, and occasionally creepy when we start to get into the Wincest of it all, but lets not talk about that.

Oh, and the MUSIC! The music just makes it. If you don’t believe me, watch the Netflix version of the first season and then find yourself a DVD version. See, TV shows need to acquire a license to play popular music during the show. Nowadays, the CW actually tags their songs in the episode so you can find and presumably buy it later, but they still have to pay royalties for using those pop songs. When Netflix acquired Supernatural, they did NOT acquire the licensing to use the classic rock songs from ACDC, Metallica, etc. and so you’re left with some pretty bland and generic production music that’s something like but not necessarily Back in Black. More like, Back in...Grey? This pun didn't work how I wanted it to. 

And the show just...doesn’t work? Like, who knew BACKINBLAAAAACK! Was so instrumental to whether I thought this was quality programming or not. Side note - it ruins my favorite piece of dialogue of maybe the entire series - 

Sam: I swear, man, you gotta update your cassette tape collection.

Dean: Why?

Sam: Well, for one, they're cassette tapes.

Do the young people even know what a cassette tape is? I AM the CRYPTKEEPER.

So yeah, you got a lot of ingredients to make something pretty great. Did we know then that it would launch a juggernaut of a television program that would still be on the air in the Year of Our Reckoning, 2020? I was a big fan of Firefly, so I was 99.99% sure this show was gonna get canceled at any second. In fact, I was thrilled, in 2008, to find there were two more seasons after the one I was currently watching. Of course, season 3 aired around the time of the great Writer’s Strike of ‘07, where nothing looked good and few programs survived, but we’ll get there. 

In a final, kind of spooky, almost premonition-type decision the WB actually decided to air this pilot episode a whole week early on Yahoo!. Yeah, you remember Yahoo!, right? The search engine that briefly tried to have its own original streaming content and then we all abandoned it in favor of the monster that is Google? Yeah. This episode premiered online. I haven’t done enough research, but I’m gonna go out on a limb here and say this was probably one of the first ever TV shows to start on the internet? Weird to think that was a novel and innovative concept at one time. 

So this is it. This is the end of the era. Are we gonna get any more shows that last as long as this one did? Who knows. Are we as a culture gonna care at that point? I don’t know. Our TV habits have changed so much in the last few years that it’s hard to say how we’ll watch TV in the future. But credit where it’s due, boys. Nice huntin’. 

[tameila]

The Sun Always Rises ‘verse, a timeline

Today, February 28th, as of about 2 am, it will have been three years since I first posted The Sun Always Rises. I am immensely proud of what this story became over the years and the universe it created. One thing I always loved while writing TSAR and still love today and, let’s be real, always will love is seeing readers engage with the ‘verse in their own ways. Fics, playlists, fanart! I am continuously overwhelmed by your engagement.

listen, the most tender of my years as a writer were spent as a roleplayer, collaborative writing/world-building is everything to me. so, what better way to nurture that collaborative spirit than to release an extensive timeline of what I have in my mind thus far! I would love to see you guys add your own spin or fill in your own blanks to it. Let’s talk headcanons! Let’s make those headcanons straight-up TSAR canon!!

I’m hoping to keep adding important dates as I continue this ‘verse, because - Yes! I do have sequels planned, and yes, they will come out someday! & I would also love to hear any feedback on dates/timeline particulars that you guys would like to see. This timeline only covers the timeline of Scanlan and Pike’s story, but perhaps I should go further into the past and talk about things like...When exactly did Grog join the Trickfoot family? What’s the timeline on the twins arriving in Westruun again? Wait, how old are Kima and Allura compared to Pike and Keyleth? Anything! You let me know! 

Let’s keep the collaboration going! ☀️

to start, some basic information:

Pike’s birthday: May 1990

Scanlan’s birthday: August 1986

Grog’s birthday: October 1986 (held back a year in school due to the trial and transition of him moving from his uncle’s custody to Wilhand’s_

and now let’s begin!

Scanlan and Pike first meet at Grog and Scanlan’s orientation week for college in August 2005

Scanlan just turned 19

Grog will be turning 19 in October

Pike is 15, going into her sophomore year of high school

During his freshman year, Scanlan records a couple demos and tries to peddle copies to as many people on his campus as possible. While visiting one weekend, he gave Pike a signed copy, which she thought was funny (but she still has it) and she took a handful back to distribute around school because Scanlan bought her froyo and she promised she would

Scanlan (20) is found by a talent scout during the Winter of 2006/7 while playing small taverns during winter break and is rush-signed to the Golden Grin. He resolves to stay in school, however, for the sake of his mother. However, juggling recording and song-writing with school work proves too difficult and, in Spring 2007, as his second year of college nears an end, he drops out

Grog (20) drops out with him, throwing himself full force into the fighting career he’d been low-key building up amongst amateur circles

Pike (16) is in her junior year of high school.

Scanlan (20) releases his first single in July 2007 to lukewarm acclaim, and his label immediately thrusts him out into the touring junket to try and get him seen.

Scanlan (21) releases his second single in December 2007, after months of grueling touring, and it’s a big hit. He’s an overnight success, played across stations nationwide. As he’s fielding congratulations from left and right, he receives the news that his mother was murdered in a break-in gone wrong.

He’s allowed (barely) a month to grieve before he’s thrown back into the limelight. Press. More shows. Finalizing his freshman album.

Scanlan (21) releases his first album, Royal, in June 2008. There was one more single released beforehand. He’s touring off-and-on the entire time, mostly as an opening act with a few small venue headliners.

Pike (18) graduates from high school in June 2008. A week later, she sets off on her world travels with Scanlan’s album as her backdrop.

Scanlan begins touring for Royal in July 2008.

Pike (18, almost 19) returns from her world travels in March 2009.

Near the end of his headline tour and after her return from her world travels, Scanlan (22) and Pike (19) see each other for the “second first time” in July 2009 at Grog’s (22) first headliner fight against his long-estranged cousin, Zanror.

it’s the night that their relationship dynamic changes from “kid sister/big brother’s friend” to flirty asides and shy glances.

While still touring and adjusting to his new celebrity status, Scanlan begins work on his new album. After touring ends in late July 2009, he throws himself into collaborations with other artists within the industry.

 During Spring Break 2010, Pike (20) visits Scanlan’s (23) new mansion along with her brother, Grog (23). [please refer to this work of art by the legend, jabletown]

In between Royal and Aubergine, Scanlan releases the Wine – EP in July 2010. It showcases songs that will eventually show up on his sophomore album and includes another chart-topping single that sustains his place in the zeitgeist until his next album.

Scanlan (24) releases his second album, Aubergine, in February 2011.

Scanlan tours Aubergine (March 2011-Feb 2012). At some point during the tour, Pike attends a show. Scanlan and her have some flirtations, but it doesn’t go anywhere. Mostly because Scanlan gets overwhelmed by the fact that, “Holy shit. She’s actually flirting back with, like, equal intensity and intent” and he freaks out, and Pike finds him later making out with someone else. Nice one, Scanman.

Half-way through the tour dates (Feb 2012), at the after-party of some award show, Scanlan coked out of his mind causes a big media scene. When he goes unresponsive during the car ride back to his hotel, he’s rushed to the hospital. He goes into rehab the first time (Feb 2011-May 2011). Dranzel takes over his management.

Despite Dranzel’s encouragement for him to take a break, Scanlan resumes touring in July 2011. He finishes touring in December 2011.

Scanlan relapses again in September 2012. Pike sends him her letter. Scanlan is 26. Pike is 22. He attends rehab from September 2012-January 2013.

Pike (23) graduates from college in June 2013. She worked at the temple throughout her studies but, with the addition of her degree, Wilhand increases her responsibilities.

After exiting rehab, Scanlan jumps right back into working. He releases a couple of stand-alone singles, as well as a couple of collaborations with other artists. He makes his rounds around the music world, as if showing off that – Look! He’s clean and back again! Probably stars in a movie while, in the background, he writes for other artists.

In his personal life, he’s thrown himself full force into the recovery program. And everything’s great! He’s so busy that he has no time to think about drugs!

During this time, there is more back-and-forths between Scanlan and Pike. Nothing substantial but little somethings, nonetheless. This is when Scanlan makes a lot of promises to Grog about visiting, but he never falls through, always too afraid that he’s not ready to face Pike yet. Not yet.

In June 2014, he tweets ‘#E6E6FA’, the color code for Lavender. He follows the tweet up with more cryptic social media posts that hint of his presence back in the studio.

Scanlan releases the first single to his upcoming album in late September 2014. It is included on an EP in February 2015, the EP includes previously unreleased B-sides from Aubergine. Scanlan releases it with an apology for the long wait.

Wilhand suffers an accident in early November 2015. Grog leaves competitive fighting to be close to home. Pike takes over as Head Cleric at the temple. Pike is 25. Scanlan is 29.

November 15, on the night before her first sermon, Scanlan and Pike have late night Skype call. This is when Scanlan writes ‘Late Night Angel’, a last minute addition to his album tracklist.

Scanlan releases his third album, Lavender, in May 2016. The touring is far less intense than for Aubergine. He plays primarily within the US with a few big shows in big-ticket international cities. The Lavender tour runs from late May 2016-December 2016.

Afterwards, Scanlan goes radio silent. He’s beginning to run out of steam. Recovery feels repetitive and pointless. Pike never made it to any of his Lavender shows. His grand plans to woo her were never seen to fruition. Though they communicate regularly, he feels more alone than ever. With no drugs or parties or touring to distract him, Scanlan begins to spiral again.

The Sun Always Rises starts in March 2018.

Chapter 17 takes place in March 2019.

Scanlan does a small, “farewell” tour from April 2019-September 2019.

[precuredaily]

Precure Day 172

Episode: Yes! Precure 5 24 - “The New Power of the 5!” Date watched: 11 January 2020 Original air date: 22 July 2007 Screenshots: https://imgur.com/a/j16tyB3 Transformation Gallery: https://imgur.com/a/6k6SzS0 Project info and master list of posts: http://tinyurl.com/PCDabout

for once it’s not a wrist brace

When we left off, Nozomi, Coco, Nuts, and secretly Milk had arrived at Nightmare HQ only to be confronted by their missing teammates: Cures Rouge, Lemonade, Mint, and Aqua wearing Nightmare masks! How can she save her friends from the depths of their own insecurities? With the power of her strong feelings, of course. Let’s dive in!

The Plot

Nozomi isn’t the only one surprised to see that her teammates have been taken. Bunbee is also taken aback at the presence of Precures in the office. Kawarino, however, taunts Nozomi and says her voice will never reach them. Nozomi tries to pull off their masks anyway, but to no avail, as Kawarino informs her these are the Masks of Despair and cannot be removed once applied. Nozomi transforms into Cure Dream, preparing to fight the villains, but her teammates quickly restrain her while Kawarino tries to put a mask on her. It doesn’t take, because she’s still holding onto hope, but Kawarino taunts her that she’s the only one left, all her friends have already sunk into despair, and this upends her long enough for the mask to take hold.

As Despariah is only interested in obtaining the Dream Collet, and nothing more, she tells Kawarino he can do as he pleases with them, so he orders them to jump into the pit, which they do. Bunbee grabs Coco and Nuts and demands they hand over the Dream Collet but Milk jumps out, latches onto his face, and this gives Coco an opportunity to escape and jump down the pit after the girls before the trap door closes. Kawarino says it doesn’t matter, because the Precures are immersed in a tranquil world where they can forget about their worries, and nobody has ever escaped it.

Inside the Dream World, Nozomi finds herself sitting at a table with Rin, Urara, Komachi, and Karen, with a huge feast in front of them. They encourage her to put aside her worries and just eat, and she does, but she hears the jingle of the charm Coco gave her, and stares at it. Even when the others encourage her to forget about it, it keeps distracting her.

Outside in the pit, Coco hears the jingle of the charm and catches up to Dream. He begs her to remember herself and wake up. Inside, Nozomi begins to question how they all got together since they have little in common, and reiterates that she’s forgetting something. Suddenly she remembers Coco’s words to her, encouraging her to work hard to make amends with her friends, and she calls out for him, and his voice reaches her as well. Her mask begins to crack, which startles Kawarino. Coco puts his head against hers and enters her dream, where they both appear on the top of a flowery hill.

He embraces her and says he thought he’d never see her again. She tells him that he reminded her about what was important, and that she has a dream she wants to come true! Then her mask completely shatters apart! Kawarino can feel this and is completely floored.

Dream and Coco go to help the other cures break out of the nightmare. Nozomi reappears in the dream as Cure Dream and encourages them to leave. They all appear dead-eyed now, and mutter about their insecurities, but Dream encourages them to circle around and hold hands. Her warmth reaches them all and she apologizes for causing trouble, but they all accept the blame.

All of their masks shatter and break in a huge burst of light, and they reappear in the Nightmare boardroom, astonishing Bunbee, Kawarino, and even Despariah herself. Nuts and Milk take the chance to break free from Bunbee’s grasp at this point. Kawarino is furious that his plan failed but Bunbee urges him not to fight in the boardroom, so he teleports them all to his special arena, a huge colosseum, and brings in Girinma to throw them around.

The team tries to remove Girinma’s black mask but he’s too far gone and too strong and he flings them into the walls. Kawarino tries to sneak attack Dream but Rouge saves her, so he attempts to get into her head again by telling her that she’s hurting because of Nozomi, but Rouge says she just wants to protect her friend. He goes over to Lemonade and suggests that she should give up on her friends and save herself, but she rebuts that she will keep her friends AND her dreams, and Dream and Rouge come over to save her. He turns his attention to Mint, who is restraining Girinma, and tells her she’s stuck with the boring jobs again. Aqua comes to her side and insists this is Komachi’s kindness, which she knows better than anyone. The villain taunts Aqua by calling her a loner, but Mint responds that they’re all there for her and they’ll never let her feel lonely again! Together they’re unstoppable! And while the older two are keeping Girinma restrained, Dream, Rouge, and Lemonade all do a flying kick that knocks him over. At this point, Kawarino is fed up at the setbacks and powers up Girinma one more time into an even bigger, more monstrous form, and once again he sends the girls flying.

The fairies come over to Dream and Milk laments how useless she’s been, and how all of this is her fault for getting in the way, but Dream tells her that she wants to rebuild the ornament together with Milk. The girls all stand up and face Girinma, who prepares his final blow, but Milk screams out that she wants to rebuild the ornament as well, and her bag begins to glow.

yeah it’s basically the same thing as Porun

Five color-coded beams of light erupt from her bag and appear in the sky, turning into a giant butterfly-shaped baton. Nuts surmises that this is a new attack for the team and they unite their feelings, board the butterfly like a spaceship called the Symphony Set, and begin to fly it around. It sprouts enormous butterfly wings made of energy, and they charge it right into Girinma, declaring the attack Precure Five Explosion. Kawarino flees before the impact, and Girinma is disintegrated.

The girls fly off on the Symphony Set out of the Nightmare dimension and arrive back at their school, where it breaks apart into five lights that enter their brooches. Coco and Nuts praise Milk for her strong feelings creating this new power.

We cut back to the shop, where we see the girls and Milk have all completed the ornament. Milk plays tsundere but it’s clear to all that she was eager to be involved, and Nuts notices that she’s blushing. Everyone laughs it off as the scene fades out.

The Analysis

I love how Nozomi never ever gives up, even when it would be so much easier to do so. She’s the Precure of hope, damn it, she’s not going to lose herself so easily! She has enough awareness to wonder how and when she became friends with the school’s idols, and then Coco’s charm helps to remind her of the reality where they’re Precures. She’s able to break out of the nightmare world with his help and then she dives right back in to help the others to break free as well, because that’s the kind of person she is. This is what being the Pink Cure is about. And how does she appeal to them? She tells them that together, they can do anything. She rekindles their friendship by accepting them as they are, acknowledging that each of them has flaws and insecurities, but together they’re stronger than anything.

This is reiterated during the climactic fight in the arena, where Kawarino goes around to each of the girls trying to hit them in their insecurities but, thanks to Nozomi’s earlier encouragement, they refute him and help encourage each other. Even Milk gets in on the action. When she feels useless for being unable to help in the battle or any other aspect of their lives, Dream encourages her by saying they’ll rebuild the butterfly ornament together, and this reinforcement of her value to Nozomi and the girls leads her to try to protect them and unlocks the Symphony Set. Nozomi is the heart and soul of this team, and everyone is better for having her around, just as she’s better for having them.

What’s really interesting about the dream world they all end up in is that it’s not some dystopian hellscape, it’s actually very pleasant. They’re all sitting at a table eating a feast together, it’s practically idyllic. However, the girls have no memory of being Precures, or of the fairies. The idea seems to be to trap them in paradise forever and they’ll never want to leave. It might have worked, but Nozomi being the glue that holds them all together gives her a heightened awareness of the oddity of them all hanging out together without a clear reason to do so, which is what starts to wake her up.

I forgot to point this out in the ep 23 review, but the Masks of Despair that the Nightmare Cure 5 wear are the same ones worn by the Nightmare board, as opposed to the pointy ones worn by Kowaina.

Top to bottom: Nightmare 5, Nightmare executive board, normal Kowaina mask, Girinma’s black mask

It really raises the question of who’s actually underneath those masks? Other subjects that Nightmare has conquered? They don’t seem to be allies to the cause...

One fun little animation tidbit was when the team broke out of their masks, they transitioned from a shot of them in the dream world to the real world, in the same position, even though we’ve seen clearly that motions do not track 1:1 between the two realms. In this case they really were all holding hands to break free and I thought that was a good touch.

What I love about this episode is that we get to see the team unite after a great hardship and prove the strength of their deep bonds, being rewarded with an even greater power. Their fight in the colosseum is one of the best fights we’ve had in this show so far, because of the high stakes and how the girls are all reaffirming their bonds with each other along the way, to make up for the disagreement. The setting allows them to jump around through rubble and stadium seats and entryways and walls, and it’s very spacious so they can be scattered about before reuniting. And then they unlock that new attack.

Five Explosion is a really cool finisher, and it’s got a great musical cue to go with it. The Symphony Set may be kind of strange looking in their individual modes, and even when combined it’s weird, but they all get beamed up onto it like it’s some kind of spaceship, and it sprouts giant butterfly wings. That’s leaps and bounds more imaginative than anything the FW shows did with their powerups. It’s all about presentation!

This also wraps up Milk’s introductory arc nicely. She started out very selfish, exploiting others for her advantage, because she had to in this cruel world. She continues being rude even after reuniting with Coco and Nuts and meeting the Legendary Warriors, and she does cause them a lot of grief, but they still stick their necks out for her when she’s in danger and this doesn’t go unnoticed. She feels extremely helpless when Nightmare kidnaps them all, and defies orders to stay behind at Natts House Ultimately this pays off because she’s able to save Coco and Nuts from Bunbee and retrieve the Dream Collet, and then during the battle with monstrous Girinma she desperately wants to save the girls in return for all their kindness to her, unlocking their new power. Going forward, she’ll still be rude, but she’s definitely improved.

On the villain side of things, this is a sad farewell to Girinma, the first and best of the current crop. He was that perfect mix of cunning and ruthless while still being entertaining to watch. Also his voice was great. This shows us just how far Nightmare will go to achieve their goals, that they would turn one of their best generals into a mindless beast as punishment. They are an entirely results-oriented company, and don’t actually care about their employees. Oh, how the analogies write themselves.

One of the most satisfying parts of this episode comes at the very end, when they’ve completed the ornament and they’re all sitting back admiring it. It bookends this arc perfectly. Milk snarks about wanting to make sure they didn’t screw it up again but it’s clear she really wanted to help.

Notably, in the middle of it, you can see the charm that Coco made with one bead for each of them, fairies included, and I think that’s a really nice touch. The eight of them are united by the same goal: restoring the Palmier Kingdom and defeating Nightmare, but more importantly their friendship is at the core of the show, which this charm represents just right. And I believe you can see this ornament in the background going forward so it wasn’t just a plot point to be forgotten.

The climax in the middle of the show is always intense, by necessity, but this one feels even more desperate than those of FW, MH, or SS because this time, not only did the villains win for a time, they actually subjugated the heroines for a bit. The stakes in the prior shows may have been higher, but the way it’s portrayed here really tugs at the heartstrings, so I’m giving it the win. (for reference check days 25, 26, 72, 73, 120, and 121. Also, days 30 and 122 for powerups following these incidents). The next episode will be a breather from the intensity, it’s a very light-hearted and fun respite as they prepare for a vacation. Look forward to it!

Pink precure Catchphrase Count: 1 kettei during the preview. It counts!

[justallamaimaginingthings]

Goodbye [Jorah Mormont x Reader]

Request: "Because the finale made me angsty could u do a jon snow or Jorah Mormont x reader that takes place during ep. 3 and the reader is killed and then turned into a wight and they are forced to fight her? Maybe they don’t know she is dead until they see her turned?" by anonymous

"22 with jorah? My heart is broken" by anonymous

A/n: Stress is making me an absolute bitch, so I thought you should all suffer with me. Please enjoy the angst. Plus, I feel like I've been only writing for Jorah these days and even though he's one of my faves, the next ones will be about Jon (will probably also write this one about him too), Oberyn, Jaqen and more.

Prompt: 22: "This isn't goodbye"

Words: 2000ish  ||  GoT Masterlist

His reason

That’s what you were for Jorah, the reason why he stayed strong through everything, the reason why he kept trying even in the darkest of times, the reason why he carried on. If it weren’t for you he would have given up long ago but you were what kept him standing, his anchor and his light in the darkness. He couldn’t imagine a life without you by his side and that’s why he insisted so much on the fact that you shouldn’t fight in the Battle of Winterfell.

“I can take care of myself” you argued stubbornly and even though Jorah knew that to be a fact, it wasn’t enough to ease his worry. Having seen you risk your life multiple times since the two of you met, Jorah knew that sometimes your bravery overcame logic, getting into dangerous situations without hesitation in order to do what was right. And even though he admired your sense your courage and determination, your recklessness had pushed him to become more protective towards you.

“Y/n, this is an enemy unlike any other we’ve ever faced before. This is death” he pleaded and you had never seen such a desperate look on his face. It was a battle you were probably going to lose and you both knew it, but you would certainly fight it. The Starks had never been the ones to give up, after all, and neither were you.

“Jorah there is no way in seven hells I’ll stay in a crypt while you and every other person I know and love fight against the dead. I need to do this” you insisted. Truth was you’d never forgive yourself if something happened to him and you hadn’t been there. A long time ago you had made a promise and you were determined to keep it. Jorah had known you would not give up easily, just like you had never done so in the past. He couldn't help hoping this time would be different though.

And it was at this moment the horns of Winterfell rang.

“Please” he begged framing your face with both his hands.

“Fear not, my love for this isn’t goodbye, I promise” you replied pulling him into a fervent kiss. Jorah's fear and worry was evident as his grip on your waist was tighter than ever, holding you close to his chest as he tried to put all his feeling into the kiss.

If there was one thing you took pride in that was being a person of your word. Not a single one of the promises you had ever given were broken, even the smallest and more insignificant ones. And out of all, this one turned out to be the one you wouldn’t be able to keep. The moment you saw the wights surrounding Daenerys, you knew there was no possible way you’d come out of this alive.

“I’m sorry” you whispered shooting a sorrowful look towards the castle of Winterfell, knowing Jorah was somewhere in there fighting for his life. Quickly turning your eyes away, the grip on your sword tightened to the point where your knuckles turned white as you ran towards your Queen. Cutting and slicing through the undead you made your way towards her just in time to cut off the hand that was extending towards her hair.

“Y/n?” She asked in a trembling voice.

“Stay behind me. We just have to make it to the walls” you yelled in order to be heard through the cries of the battle. She nodded before surprising the both of you by picking up a fallen sword. Looking at her, you gave the most reassuring smile you could muster. By that time a bunch of wights had gathered around you and it seemed like each one you killed was replaced by two more. Soon you were so tired you could barely hold your sword in your hands, but you refused to give up even after having taken multiple hits.

By the time Drogon flew above you, grabbing Daenerys in his wing and helping her ride him, you were a bleeding wreck. Your hands were shaking in exhaustion and the slightest action caused an immense wave of pain course through your body. Drogon turned around in the sky, heading back to your aid and for a second you believed that maybe there was a way out. That was your mistake, hope. A wight took advantage of your distraction and kicked you to the ground. Your sword fell out of your hand and by the time you grabbed it, four of the undead creatures had gathered around you.

The last thing you remember was Danny's heart wrenching outcry as a cold piece of metal pierced through your chest.

Since the moment Jorah had lost sight of you, a dreadful feeling of fear had taken its place in the back of his mind only getting stronger as time went by and upon hearing Drogon's sorrowful shriek he realized something had actually happened. The newfound sense of horror sent another wave of adrenaline through his veins as he sliced his way through wights. However, there seemed to be a never ending number of creatures rushing into the castle to replace the ones they managed to kill.

Jorah's face was covered in cuts and bruises and every muscle in his body ached in exhaustion as he fought off as many of the creatures as possible with only one thought burning through his mind. He needed to know you were fine because of you didn't make it nothing of this would matter. Looking around he had the chance to observe the absolute hell that was taking place around him. There was almost no hint of light, forcing the soldiers to fight in near darkness and the sound of metal clashing against metal was deafening, mixing with the pained cries of the injured to create an atrocious symphony.

The situation was already turning out to be increasingly tough for the living when the first bodies began rising. Everywhere he looked there was a hauntingly pale pair of emotionless eyes staring back at him as every one of the fallen was resurrected. The scene seemed to be taken out of a nightmare as Jorah was forced to turn against his own friends and allies, killing people he had seen and talked to less than hours ago. Despite knowing those he once knew were long gone, each time his sword hurt one of them something deep inside him shattered.

But fate's cruelest turn was yet to be revealed.

The sight Jorah was faced with when he turned around was one that actually broke him. Your once beautiful and warm eyes had turned pale blue, completely void of emotion as you turned to look at him without showing any signs of recognizing who he was. Jorah couldn't bring himself to step back as your familiar figure headed towards him. Stepping out of the shadows, a ray of light shone on your body allowing Jorah to see the massive blood stain covering your whole chest.

"No…" he whispered trying to tear his eyes off you. No, this wasn't you, his Y/n was long gone and standing in front of him was a sadistic joke fate was playing on him. An inhuman growl passed through your lips causing Jorah's blood to turn to ice. The same soft and sweet pair of lips he would never get enough of.

As your form moved closer, Jorah was barely enough to step back so that he could avoid your sword swinging at him. Taking another step back, his back hit the wall as his heart sank in his chest. There was only one way out of this but the man couldn't even bear the thought of what he had to do. Jorah's heart clenched in agony as he observed you for what he knew to be the last time. You were the same person he had loved and at the same time something completely different. The stance of your body was cold and unnatural and it no longer radiated the kindness and passion it used to. That was only a puppet wearing your features.

Your sword landed inches away from his face, managing to deliver a small cut on his cheek but he was too numb to notice the drops of blood making their way down his face resembling bloody tears. Managing to pick up the sword once more another hit was about to be blown when Jorah's sword plunged right into your once beating heart causing your body to drop down.

"Forgive me, my love" Jorah's quivering voice whispered as he caught your already cold body before it hit the ground, falling into his knees in the process "Forgive me" he repeated before breaking down in tears as strangled sobs escaped him. At that moment Jorah could feel his heart collapsing into his chest as it was replaced by an empty cold feeling. Leaning his head on your shoulder he allowed himself to break down as he hugged you close.

How he hoped to feel your arms wrap around him and hear your sweet voice reassuring him it was all going to be fine, to be able to kiss your lips and see the smile that made him forget about the world. Playing back your last conversation, your words replayed in his mind. This isn't goodbye, you had promised and what a bittersweet irony that was. In some way this was his fault. If he had convinced you to stay back, if he had kept you next to him during the battle, if…

But it was too late. You were gone and there was nothing he could do to get you back. Jorah's grief was so overwhelming he didn't notice when the dead started collapsing around him. Either way, it didn't matter anymore. Even if he lived, Jorah knew his heart died that night and nothing would ever be the same.

He didn’t know how much time had passed until the tears stopped and he just sank down, unable to weep anymore. Refusing to let go of you, he stayed there brushing away the strands of hair the wind blew into your face. He didn't acknowledge the cold that creeped into his armor for the cold he felt in his soul was much more dangerous, already eating away at him.

It was almost dawn when Grey Worm found him standing next to your body with a devastated look on his eyes as despair and anguish were written all over his face. Jorah resisted any attempts to be taken away from you, not ready for it to be the last time he laid eyes on you. It took three Unsullied to finally carry him away.

After that everything seemed unreal. Daenerys and many others offered their regrets but it was like words had lost their meaning. Jorah felt nothing but a gaping void increasingly growing in his chest. The next day went by without him realizing it when he was given a torch and led right outside the walls of Winterfell.

Seeing your body lay on top of the wooden pile a sickly sense of heartache dominated his heart and soul once more. By the time he reached next to your body, tears were blurring his vision as he took a deep breath in a failed attempt to regain his composure. It was the last time he'd ever see you and there were millions of things he wanted to say forming a knot on his throat yet he stayed silent. Leaning down he left a soft kiss on your forehead, wincing at how cold your skin felt.

"Do you really believe it's possible?" you asked looking up at Jorah trying to hide the melancholy from your voice. Daenerys has been nothing but a fair and just ruler for as long as you had known her, but that was in Essos. Westeros was a completely different story, much more complex and cruel.

"What are you talking about my love?" Jorah's smooth voice made a shiver run down your spine despite the warmth both the warm covers and his body provided.

"A better world" you explained, snuggling even closer to his chest and leaning your head on his shoulder listening to his rhythmic heartbeat. The weight of the question caused the relaxed atmosphere to switch slightly and you almost regretted speaking. Moments of calm and quiet were extremely rare between the two of you.

"We've made it this far, haven't we?" he replied appearing certain of his words, but the tightening of his grip around your waist let you know he wasn't as confident as he aspired to appear.

"We have…" you agreed "And we should keep trying, you know. For a better world"

A better world, that was what Jorah had fought for, but now that the end was almost there, the one person he wanted to share it with was gone and Jorah found himself completely lost once again. It was supposed to be your world, the one the two of you would share after it was all over.

No, he had to be strong. The world you had always dreamt was still in danger and there was no time for grief. You may be gone, Jorah realized, but your dream carried on. That world you had fought and died for was awaiting, calling for him.

"For a better world…" he whispered shoving back his tears. The war was not over and Jorah knew he needed to give his everything into making the world that would surface after all the bloodshed and destruction be one of kindness and compassion. At that moment, Jorah made a vow to do whatever it took to help build this world you so much desired.

Sorrow and regret would have to wait because this was a time of hope.

And Jorah was determined to fight for it even if it killed him.

For a better world

For you

[firebirdsdaughter]

Special Valentines Day Post...

... Zi-O 22 subbed.

Okay, maybe special in name only.

... I’m kinda scared, actually.

In no order:

GTFO Kuro Woz, I’m mad at you right now.

Poor Sougo gets Rider Kicked out of the Mirror World. Poor baby. DX

GEIZ! HONEY! BABY! You’re fine, stop it! God, why are you like this? I mean, I love you, but... Honey. Stop. Tsukuyomi, smack him. Actually don’t, that wouldn’t help.

God he’s so dramatic, though. I mean, it’s Geiz. Can’t do anything by halves here.

Okay. Wow. That was... Actually kinda a jerk thing to say, Tsukuyomi. Talk about not helpful. So he was wangsting a little, you didn’t have to go there.

Like, Geiz is upset bc he was looking at things purely as a, well, soldier, and briefly considered going through w/ Shiro Woz’s idea to stop the attacks and other people getting hurt, and is clearly being like ‘I’m such a terrible person for this.’ He expresses this to Tsukuyomi, and her response is ‘Yeah, Sougo didn’t even think about it.’ Like... I’m sorry, what? He’s clearly hurting over this already and all you say is basically imply ��yeah, you’re not as good as Sougo’???? I will totally buy that she didn’t actually mean it that way, but that was very much how it sounded. You really couldn’t say something like ‘Sure, maybe you thought about it, but you didn't go through w/ it, why don’t you consider that?’ Man, no wonder he’d turned away from her when they camerawomen pulled back...

And then she just follows it up w/ asking about if he thinks Sougo will become Puma Zi-O. Tsukuyomi, how about comforting your friend a little? You’ve apparently got enough compassion to save the life of the person who murders your father in the future, but you can’t be bothered to show any for someone who is allegedly your childhood friend? Sweetie, I love you, really, but... Really?

Especially since it’s immediately followed by Ryuga attacking someone else. Like... Yes, I don’t agree w/ Shiro Woz’s plan, it probably wouldn’t work and sacrificing an innocent person is never a good course. But I can totally understand Geiz, esp given his background, thinking about it, given the circumstances (since there’s apparently no other way to beat Ryuga w/out a Kamikaze attack). He deserved a better response than essentially being told Sougo was a better person.

Again, I absolutely want to think she didn’t mean it that way. But that was what it sounded like to me.

Speaking of Sougo... Eh, he’s fine.

Alright, I may been a little annoyed at Tsukuyomi rn, but her and Geiz’s reactions in this scene remain gold.

Geiz just closing his eyes like ‘someone please shoot me...’

Also, the urge to punch something is just emanating from him in waves...

Sougo’s just lying there giggling like ‘whelp, no way out of this one...’

I... I thought you guys established this in the previous ep...

Oh, I’m sorry Tsukuyomi, you care now? Okay, okay. I’m being overly critical, I know. That earlier scene just really hit a nerve for me.

Sou is really cute, and also really good at the ‘sad puppy’ kind of look.

Geiz teleports to the front door again.

THANK YOU SOUGO. See? THAT’S a good response, Tsukuyomi. Not something that’s basically a guilt-trip. You want to mention it after, fine. It’s something to consider in the ‘will Sougo become Puma Zi-O’ brainstorming, absolutely. But you could’ve at least tried to reassure him a bit first, so it doesn’t, you know, come across as you telling him he’s a bad person compared to Sougo.

Again, I’m really sorry for going on about this one little thing. Like I said, hit a nerve.

Has Sougo tried to sacrifice himself at this point? Like, I don’t doubt he would, but... I guess she’s just saying theoretically? Or she’s referring to the ‘take me out if I go evil thing?’

Oh, wait, I guess he did try to kill his future self. I don’t know if that counts, though.

This is sweet and all, Tsukuyomi, but I’m still mad about what you said to Geiz.

I think ‘subjects’ is just gonna be Sougo’s little cute-though-also-obnoxious personal tic...

Now really starting to wonder if the ‘reason’ Sougo becomes Puma Zi-O was just... Always destined to be tied to Geiz somehow? I have wild and unlikely theories, but...

Angry puppy is yelling at sad puppy.

Seriously, as long as it’s also Sou I can’t feel threatened by Mirror¡Sougo.

Still trying to get used to Shiro Woz.

So... Did he write that, or... Did it appear? If you wrote it... Well, like I said. He’s strangely tolerable for this episode.

Oh, yeah, and:

WAGA KYUURANGERS.

Make up your mind, dude. Are you for helping, or not?

I still say bring back Woz.5.

Well... Technically he’s Kamen Rider Ryuki... Was... You know what, not gonna go into it. I already spoiled Ryuki up the wazoo in my Raw post.

I’m not even listening, I’m just watching him make the Shinji faces. XD

dude, it’s literally an evil, warped version of you. I’ve met the real you, he’s a sweetheart. Even Ron liked him. And Ron didn’t like anyone.

I love how every time we see this fight now, it’s just Geiz sitting down somewhere watching Shiro Woz get blasted. Which is a valid pastime.

Puppy debate! ^^

Mirror¡Sougo has the cutest ‘evilly confused’ face ever.

Still hoping for the thing to be that being a king doesn’t necessarily mean ‘ruling over’ people? If that makes sense? Like, he could be called the ‘King of Time’ bc he’s got powers over time, and it’s cool, rather than ruling it? Like, and I know many people didn’t like it, but, the way Daigo was nicknamed ‘King’ in Kyoryuger? He wasn’t a ‘king’ King, but he got called ‘king.’ If that makes any sense whatsoever.

 See, I definitely believe she cares about him very much, but she really choose her words poorly in that scene, and I feel like she should apologise for that. Just a ‘I wasn’t trying to imply you were a bad person or Sougo was better than you, I was just considering what this meant for him in regards to Puma Zi-O.’

Aaaagh! There I go again! Man, that one line just really got under my skin somehow...

Love how it does, like, a little laser-pointer effect.

WAGA KYUURANGERS.

In my defence, I wrote the most recent chapters of It Is The Clock’s Pendulum before this episode came out.

This scene is very serious, and heartbreaking, and sad. Geiz is my favourite.

...

I am losing it at Another Ryuga just chilling over by the tree.

Shiro Woz.exe has stopped functioning.

Weird sound effects when Sougo shows up???

Still wish they coulda given him more of a reaction. He does kinda do the sad puppy look, I suppose. Still.

Also wish Tsukuyomi could have had a better response to Geiz earlier... Can I just pretend those things happened?

How did he see the future? Did he just... Turn into Zi-O II on the way over? What does that even MEAN?

Sougo: ‘Fuck this timeline!’

The brief Woz-Fight is still funny. during this episode, I’d actually prefer that Shiro Woz win. But just for this episode.

I would always prefer that Woz.5 win.

I love how Geiz just... Doesn’t deHenshin. Like, He and Tsukuyomi are trying to follow this battle, but he just... Refuses to drop his transformation. For whatever reason.

Seriously? Your sword has your face on it and it compliments you? Who made these?

Yeah, Geiz is just literally blaming himself here. What do you mean ‘this time’ though? I guess... You mean all the times it was Woz? I actually think we can totally blame this on Woz, too. Though the Kamikaze stuff might have been a trigger, I’ll admit.

No, wait. What am I saying. This is obviously Decade’s fault.

The fact that it literally is is the best part.

Tsukuyomi, would it kill you to not let Geiz blame himself for everything this episode? -_-

Though I guess this is the ‘Tsukuyomi is suddenly weirdly angry’ scene...

Like... I’m really starting to think this is personal. I guess this is the power he used to kill her father? Pity we never brought that up before.

Though now that I think about it, that could be it. Puma Zi-O did use some sort of time-stop-manipulation ability when he dusted Dad, so that might be why she’s reacting like this.

Geiz, on the other hand, is really unsure.

Tsukuyomi, are you really that shocked that people have darker sides to them? You never met Kisaragi Gentaro, you have no excuse for (apparently) assuming Sougo has no traits that would ever lead to him becoming Puma Zi-O in some way.

Though I am admittedly not clear on what exactly those traits were... I guess his habit of being wily and the fact that wanting to be ‘king’ comes w/ wanting power? So... Ambition is evil here? I dunno.

I guess it’s all or nothing w/ Tsukuyomi. Though she could specifically be referring to ‘We have to actually decide whether or not we’re gonna kill him’ rather than saying ‘we should kill him.’ TV show cliffhanger tactic, make everything round more threatening than it actually is.

It’d be interesting if she and Geiz do switch up, though. Bc he’s the one who was super black and white (no references to any Wozes intended) about it at the start. ‘If I even think you’re going to turn into Puma Zi-O, I’m taking you out,’ and how quick he was to go for it in the Genm arc. But here... He seems really uncertain still (probably not helped by the fact that Sougo did this to save his life), while for Tsukuyomi, a line has clearly been crossed. It’d be an interesting way to twist things up if they do go that way.

Oh, yeah, and the two times Tsukuyomi talks at the camera this ep are still creepy.

I’m winder if the look Geiz just gave her was meant to be a ‘wtf?’ look. Bc it kinda looks like one? It also could be something else, I dunno. Maybe he’s just looking serious.

SHUT UP KURO WOZ.

I love how we don’t even see him, Kamen Rider Kikaider just freaking steals the shot.

Also, hi Kikaider!

Why is he punching me, though?

Freaking Zi-O II Watch is freaking huge in the end cap.

Kamen Rider Zi-O takes notes from LuPat and only schedules this actor for two episodes.

Man, he’s very good looking, though. Even in that outfit. Bet he uses the wrench to transform.

The fact that this ep ended w/ Tsukuyomi, of all people, apparently saying they need to kill Sougo (like I said, could just be a cliffhanger scare-tactic), then it goes to the preview of Sougo running around w/ some sort of ‘studying’ bandana on (I assume it’s studying bc the summary said he’s cramming for finals, essentially. Or midterms.) talking to some dude in a yellow turtle neck and a denim jacket that’s just a little too short. Whiplash.

Oh, wow, he’s from 2121? So that makes him the first/only future Rider we’ve had that’s from after the year that Geiz, Tsukuyomi, and the Wozes come from (in any timeline)!

Also interesting, bc it means he definitely won’t be around in any way in 2019. Not even as a baby.

Oh, hey, Sworz. I... Honestly almost forgot about you. Sorry!

This preview is trying to make me think the boys are competing, and I refuse to accept it until proven.

Or if it is, maybe it’s friendly. Or maybe it’s just ‘let’s both fight this thing, and, I dunno, one of us can take it down.’

My guess is Sworz is talking to Shiro Woz, but my knee-jerk reaction was ‘no, I don’t want to play a game w/ you.’

That’s all, folks! Virtual pond cake for anyone who read all that.

Anyway, I’m sorry I had such a reaction to that one line (well, two, kinda) of Tsukuyomi’s. It reminded me of a bad experience I had once and just really got on my nerves. I promise I still love her, and I know she does care about Geiz. I think some of her reaction to the Zi-O II power may have been bc of (well, I at least presume he was) her father? Bc remember, Puma Zi-O used the time powers to vaporise everyone, and he pushed her into the trench to protect her? So this may be her being like ‘I want to believe in him, but that’s the power that I literally watched kill my father, so now I’m freaking out.’ Also, it’s a beloved style of cliffhanger for any sort of tv show to make things sound more threatening than they really are. I dunno if Toei even remembers that (WHO IN TIME IS GOGGLES THE DEAD PERSON?), but that’s my initial thought.

Geiz looks super unsure, though? Like I think a line was crossed w/ Tsukuyomi now, but the line started crossed w/ Geiz. And I feel like it’s been getting... Uncrossed? Like, he started this so certain of what he needed to do and what was going to happen (I still think his plan was to go back, do it as quickly as possible, then get out before he had a chance to think about the fact that 2018 Sougo was still technically innocent, bc he knew he’d be too conflicted if he did), but he’s been steadily becoming less convinced of it? So, like, even now, he’s the one who’s still thinking they can still change things? Oh, well. We’ll see.

Special treat for anyone who actually read all this way (or just skipped to the bottom; in that case don’t read any further! No JK, you’re fine, I ramble a lot, I’m sorry), is a random concept/theory I had: What if Sougo’s recurring dreams when time is ‘altered’ (Shinobi, and now Kikaider no I will not stop) indicate that he’s somehow... Super connected to time? Like... If it were electricity, he’d be a conductor, or something? But then, like, Geiz and Tsukuyomi aren’t like that, but they’re like... ‘Anchors.’ Like, there are people who are sensitive to time, and kind of ‘flow’ w/ it, but then there anchors who keep them/it moored/grounded or something? Feel like this was a thing in Den-O, but I don’t remember the details. But, like the reason Sougo is able to get all these ‘time powers’ is bc he’s so sensitive to it? But it also means that it’s really easy for him to get... I dunno, absorbed by the time flow? And, like, Anchors can’t get all the wild powers, but they also are either impossible or significantly more resilient to the time flow? So, like... The wouldn’t get erased/absorbed (at least, not right away/as fast) if they like... Fell into the time stream? Augh! I’m bad at explaining. Point is, Sougo nearly gets absorbed into time stream, but the other two pull him back bc they’re anchors and they ground him in a particular time/location/time plane.

I don’t think that made any sense.

[sammyhale]

J2 Orlando Con 2018 Main Panel

 *Watch for panel videos or gifs for context/details :) 

J2 jump onstage. 

Jensen: What are we supposed to do with this flamingo? The boys are playing with the flamingos that were left by Rich in their chairs.

Lots of joking around already :P 

Jared: Are there any Latin teachers here? Jensen: Yeah, I think the Latin teacher section is right over there lol. 

Jared: Happy new year and happy old year. Jensen: That’s not a thing! Jared: It can be our thing *points to audience* it’s the new black! 

Jared is already cracking Jensen up :)

Jared would not kill anybody off an episode he’d write because he knows SPNFamily dearly and knows how pissed off we get. It would be based on Castiel. He would write a script about Cas sitting in the rain. 

Jensen says he would do an episode of an old civil war battle. He would kill off all of the ghosts. “Thanks for the idea, Krip, we’ll take it from here.” 

Jared is telling a story about going to Florida last April for his brother-in-law’s wedding and how he saw an alligator. His kids wanted to see alligators and he was like, there won’t be any but when he was going for a walk, he saw one on the streets lol!

J2 are so giggly and happy <3 

Jensen: “Is south Florida not a part of Florida? Hey, we have parts of Texas we don’t claim.” 

Jensen: There’s certain times when they yell cut where you’re not able to just stop, especially in emotional scenes. 

Jared is sticking his hands in Jensen’s shirt again. “He has pockets in his shirt.” He’s not over it, he loves the shirt pockets lol. 

Jared: My first day at work this year they call action and we say our lines and I couldn’t remember how to act. It was the first time he was able to take a break from Supernatural (over hiatus) and separate show from real life. Jared says things stay for him if he stays in what he calls work mode. 

J2 had five full days of filming this past week. 

Jensen is telling the story about the first day shooting the new season and the crane with the camera swinging around in the car. They did a driving sequence and they have a convo, but while Jensen was driving there’s another vehicle driving around them with the crane. First time doing that. 

Jensen teasing Jared: And genius here can’t remember his lines! 

Prank question: Jared and Jensen actually didn’t do anything to Misha in their last scene they shot together and Misha was so confused lol. “It was one of our better pranks by not doing anything at all.” 

Jensen: “Impromptu is being just us being super idiots.” Jared: Supernatural Jensen: Supernatural super idiots. 

J2 in sync. 

Norton is still messing with Jared by not giving him rimshots for some of his jokes lol. Jared will look at Norton to do it after he makes a joke, Norton doesn’t do it, Jensen repeats what Jared says and then Stephen does it :P

Jensen didn’t always know he was going to become an actor, it came to him naturally. 

Jared always knew he wanted to be an actor. After SPN, though, Jared says on acting: “I’m very, very excited to put this chapter of my life on hold for a while.” 

Would you allow your children to be on the show? Jared: Shep would be evil. A child of mine has been on the show. He won’t give ep info or details, though. 

J2 talking about if their kids wanted to act and that it would have to be something they would want to do and that the industry is difficult. Jensen says if they’re passionate about it, he’d support it. 

Jared about the series finale: I think at least one brother would have to die. 

Jensen says Dean’s heaven would be doing donuts in the Impala in the Hooters parking lot.  

Jared: If Sam and Dean have a heaven it would be helping people. 

Jensen is making funny faces at Jared. Jared: I can see you on the screen lol. 

Do they believe in the supernatural? Jared: I already believed in the supernatural before spn and I’ve had some strange experiences. Tells the haunted hotel in Austin story. 

Jensen: Did it ever occur to you that your wife enjoys watching Dean on TV? Jared: Yes, she’s been a fan of Gilmore Girls *crowd cheers*

Norton finally gave Jared a rimshot and Jared flipped his chair in excitement. The whole room cheered. 

In the last episode, running back to get the last piece of lizard wasn’t in the script. Jensen was like: Dean wouldn’t leave food. 

They attached chicken to a real taxidermy lizard so it looked realistic. 

Fan: I was wondering if Jesus was ever going to be on the show? Jensen points to Jared: Savior of mankind right here. Jared *flips hair* 

JJ wants Jensen to have a princess party and that he should be Ariel “merman” 

Jared’s Disney princess would be Rapunzel. 

Jensen just called Jared a princess. 

Jared is on the floor. 

Jensen to Jared: I think it would be “a whole new world” if you were Jasmine. Jared: I’d say Elsa but my microphone was “Frozen.” 

Favorite pie? Jared whispers to Jensen, they giggle. Fan: An appropriate pie. Norton gives the fan a rimshot lol. 

Jensen’s favorite pie is coconut cream pie. 

Jared: My fav pi is the circumference divided by the radius, which is 3.1415...

Jensen leaned back on Jared and acted like he was going to sleep. 

Jensen says Aurora all sexy. Jared collapses. 

Have Dean and Sam forgiven themselves for the things they’ve done? Jared: They still harbor some sadness for some people they couldn’t save, Charlie for example. But they’re doing good for the world, so they’ve forgiven each other and a major degree of themselves. 

Jensen: I think Dean’s forgiven himself for the things he’s done but it’s hard for him to forgive himself for the things he didn’t do. Not being able to save the people he loved. 

Jensen called Jared Jasmine again :P

Jensen talking about Amara’s gift to Dean, Jared got teary eyed. Jensen to Jared: You okay there big guy? 

Jensen says Dean needed to get the weight of those feelings out during that scene with Mary when he said he hated and loved her. 

Last question!

Jared: Half the funny stuff is scripted, other half is off script (improv). 

They sang happy birthday to Clif. 

J2 fist bump, back tapping, and that’s the end of the panel! 

(Side note: The next convention is VegasCon on Feb 22-25, and I’m attending! :D Unfortunately, that does mean I won’t be able to do my panel summaries like normal. Follow Sil on Twitter here, on Tumblr here, and on YouTube here; she and her team do a great job of providing content from the cons, including panel summaries on Storify and panel videos! Thanks guys :)) 

Info via: Fangasm, Mel, NerdsandBeyond, Tina, Sil’s livetweet list

[angermango]

Kirby!

i’m guessing you want all of ‘em for Kirby? OKEY DOKEY!

(some of them aren’t fandom specific though i noticed because this meme’s format is a lil funky. I cut those out instead.)

1. Name one of your favourite characters

let’s put a bit of variety in and I’ll say Bandana Dee. He’s everyone’s idol, and a cutie pie to boot! When he first became playable in RTDL I was all over that because!!! Waddle Friend!!!

2. Name one of your favourite villains

Customer Service. Ha you think I can make an ask meme about Kirby WITHOUT MENTIONING HIM?!

3. One actor that you look up to and why

Banjo Ginga, perhaps expectedly~ How that man managed to voice both CS and Nightmare in the anime when they’re at least 50 octaves apart in vocal range is a miraculous thing

4. One actress that you look up to and why

Makiko Ohmoto. She’s a lowkey woman of a thousand voices in the series, and the mini-drama with Susie and Sectonia proves she could seriously do a full blown voice OVA with just her playing all those personalities spot on. Not sure if Kirby should go fully voiced in the future, but hell if he hasn’t proved it can be done!

5. Favourite episode from any show you watch? (Or just an episode you love)

Favourite ep of the anime probably still hands down the quiz episode. Troll on, based salesguy

8. Name 3 OTPs

none really stand out to me in Kirby, aside from friendships. Does the Susie/CS FoeTP count?

9. One character you have a crush on

none

10. One of your favourite fandoms to be in and why?

Even though this be a general one, Kirby has legit been the best for me all these years. You just can’t go wrong with Kirby, and pretty much everyone who loves Kirby is chill and friendly.

11. Describe (insert show here) in three words

Kirby = Eat the nightmares

15. If you were a fictional character in (insert universe here) what would you probably be doing and what life do you think you would have?

lol, if I lived in Kirby’s world, I’d be chillaxin for the rest of my life in Dream Land, enjoying the food and the sights. Sure, place gets frequently attacked and invaded by Eldritch Abominations but Kirby always pulls through doesn’t he?

16. Who do you think is a misunderstood character?

Hmm… I think ‘misunderstood’ in terms of ‘people tend to not portray them right’ (rather than ‘poor misunderstood baby’) would have to be… eh, maybe Dark Matter? I’m not against it but sometimes people seem to be quick to assume Dark Matter is like the ultimate source of evil in the Kirby universe, whereas I believe it’s just one of many evil beings that exist - albeit a powerful one. Maybe it’s just because Dark Matter has appeared more than once in the series, giving it an edge over most of the other bosses. I mean there’s a point where people going “X must be Dark Matter/Zero’s reincarnation because look!!! EYEBALL!!!1!” is basically becoming a bit of a meme.

17. Which character do you wish you were siblings/best friends/dating with?

I wish I could adopt Kirby as a sibling/friend. How could you not want that?!

19. What are three things you’ve learned from one of the shows you watch?

damn this is a little deep… But it’s true Kirby has really been an influence on my life in general since I first encountered it. If I have to say something, I’ll probably say:

[1] Being kind and gentle with others goes a long way (Kirby’s ‘All-Loving Hero’ status inspired this)[2] Cute, innocent and simple things should never be equated with weakness and childishness (The Kirby franchise in a nutshell)[3] There’s always going to be bad in the world as well as good, but we can always choose to punch it in the eye

20. If you could be a writer for any show you wish, how might you develop the plot/characters?

If I was a writer on Kirby, especially the anime, y’all know what the hell I’d be up to - BRING BACK CS/KEEP HIM ALIVE GOD FFUCKING DAMMINT!!!

Though the show had a good run, I wouldn’t mind a reboot or a comeback season. Can’t quite decide which would be nicer:

On the one hand, it would be cool seeing a sort of ‘X years later’ after the original ending with all the familiar anime cast back at it and a little older, a chance to introduce other game characters and elements in and maybe even play with adapting in a few of the game’s plots and devices.

On the other hand, reworking the original anime by expanding more into the GSA/Nightmare war and fleshing out some of the characters (like Silica & Knuckle Joe, the vets of the war, hell even those epic one-offs like Rona) as well as still having the chance to introduce game elements/characters into the anime universe.

I’m honestly easy either way, i would love to make either take happen.

Just as long as Customer Service also makes it back in, of course.

21. What’s one of your favourite quotes from a show you watch?

I rather like Sectonia’s establishing monologue during her first appearance. It’s just so… fitting. It’s cold and grand and tells you all about her and her motivation - particularly when she goes “My beauty rivals the divine… And my power shall crush all you hold dear!”

22. Favourite type of AU?

*crawls up slowly and leans very close to your ear* AN AU WHERE CUSTOMER SERVICE LIVES.

23. Write a brief headcanon for one of your OTPs

For the Susie/CS enemy ‘ship’: Both of them love finding ways to get the other’s personal emails/numbers and spamming passive aggressive messages or taunts. No matter how much encryption or changes of details either of them employs, the other always finds their way in.

25. Why do you love the shows you watch/books you read/fandoms you’re in?

What’s not to love about Kirby? Everything Kirby touches turns gold, and honestly the franchise can do just about anything and pull it off to a good level (even the slight duds still had their perks).

I particularly I love how the Kirby games are making this rich fantasy/sci-fi universe of their own - You can have the cute and fluffy and whimsical existing next to some pretty horrific shit, magic and tech working together like nbd, and in the recent games they’ve been hiding some really deep lore and feels under all the adorableness.

As for the anime, it’s still one of my favourite things to watch whenever. It’s like a favourite treasured childhood snack you can keep going back to and smile over, even despite its little hiccups and dated elements. It’s just innocent fun, and actually had a decent plot at times and even interesting characters, all which left room for expansion and the imagination while being enough as it was.

[armlickers]

Middle Of Everywhere World Tour :: Enmore Theatre :: June 22 2017

(Originally posted to my Dreamwidth on June 27 2017.)

+ + +

June 22nd featured not only my second show for the tour, but also my third-ever MOE and my seventh Hanson show overall. Rather than sit on my arse all day at the Enmore being babysat by the other fanclub members (and going crazy from boredom and the cold in the process), I chose to spend the day with a friend instead. We got Starbucks from QVB and went shopping at Broadway Shopping Centre, and she helped me pick out an outfit for the show that night to go with the jeans I was already wearing – a top from H&M, and a scarf and sandals from Kmart. We parted company just before four o’clock, and I caught a bus out to the Enmore to join the lineup for MOE.

That evening wasn’t without its share of drama, though. Full disclosure here – I have an anxiety disorder. Social anxiety disorder to be exact. One of my triggers is crowds, which until now hasn’t included the pit at concerts. And it picked Thursday of all days to flare up. I ended up having two anxiety attacks in fairly quick succession – one just after half past five, a little bit before we all went inside the Enmore for MOE, and the second one right after I joined the crowd on the dancefloor. A group of fans got me through the first one (which they are absolute angels for), while security took me out of the crowd and into the café next door so I could calm down for the second one. I knew there was no way I could go and stand in the crowd again, not without it triggering a third anxiety attack, so they found me a chair to sit on well back from the crowd. Aside from that, though, MOE was pretty awesome.

1. Somebody That Wants To Love You 2. Ghostwriter 3. Reach Out For My Hand 4. I Don't Want To Go Home 5. Call Out My Name (Zac solo, on piano) 6. More Than Anything (Isaac solo, also on piano) 7. Never Let Go (Taylor solo) 8. No Rest For The Weary 9. White Collar Crime

After the performance and the Q&A session, we had our group photos taken. I stood next to Isaac for mine with his arm around my shoulders (I usually stand with Taylor, so it was nice to change things up a bit), and as soon as it was done I worked up the nerve to ask for something I’d wanted for a very long time, ever since I became a Hanson fan – a hug from Taylor. He said yes without even hesitating. His hugs are amazing, and it made me feel a whole lot better after those bastard anxiety attacks knocked me around. It was quite possibly one of the best late birthday presents I could ever have hoped for.

Right before I went to buy my merchandise, I messaged my mum (a fellow Hanson fan) on Facebook to tell her what had just happened.

Being as these concerts were part of my overall birthday present (my birthday being right at the beginning of June, two weeks before the Sydney shows), I treated myself to plenty of tour merch – a tour shirt, a new hoodie, a CD copy of the Play EP, a keyring and a set of stickers. Went upstairs to find my seat after that.

Jason’s second Sydney set was much the same as the previous evening’s, with one small difference – the addition of a cover of John Farnham’s You’re The Voice that had been requested by my friend Alicia in place of the previous night’s 4 Non Blondes cover, one that he absolutely nailed. Hearing the entire crowd singing along just about made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.

Nine o’clock heralded Hanson’s arrival onstage for the final time in Sydney this tour, and they treated us to another epic show.

1. I've Got Soul 2. A Minute Without You 3. Already Home 4. Waiting For This 5. Where's The Love 6. Look At You 7. Tragic Symphony 8. Thinkin' 'Bout Somethin' 9. I Will Come To You (piano/audience choir) 10. Juliet 11. Strong Enough To Break 12. Penny And Me 13. Watch Over Me 14. Yearbook 15. Too Much Heaven (a cappella) 16. On And On (acoustic) 17. I Was Born 18. Man From Milwaukee 19. Get The Girl Back 20. I'm A Man 21. Shake Your Tailfeather 22. Gimme Some Lovin' 23. Long Train Runnin' 24. MMMBop 25. If Only 26. Fired Up 27. In The City

Encore:

28. This Time Around 29. Long Way To The Top

Highlights of the second show were Yearbook, I Will Come To You, Too Much Heaven, I Was Born (yes, again – I fucking adore that song), This Time Around and Long Way To The Top.

After the show ended I headed back to Newtown station, caught the train to Museum and walked back to the hostel, and went straight to bed.

On Friday morning as I was packing my things to leave for home, I discovered that my camera had gone missing. A search of my room and all of my bags turned up nothing. Not knowing what else to do, I first fired off an email to the Enmore’s box office describing my camera and asking them to get in touch if it was handed in, and then went through to Reception to ask if they could keep an eye out for my camera and to call me if it turned up. I left the hostel shortly after, heading back into the CBD via World Square – I bought bandaids and chocolate milk from Coles, a custard bun from Breadtop, and four CDs from JB Hi-Fi (Nickelback’s new album Feed The Machine, and the three Birds Of Tokyo albums I was missing – Day One, Universes, and their live album The Broken Strings Tour). Caught a train to Waterfall from Town Hall station, changed to the all-stops to Port Kembla, and took a taxi home once my train arrived in Wollongong. I was so tired that I went to bed for a nap not long after I got home, and was woken up by a phone call from the Enmore just before five o’clock that afternoon – they’d found my camera! :D I thanked them for finding it and told them I would be there next week to collect it. I have never been so relieved that it’s turned up, and I am so thankful that the Enmore staff was able to track it down for me.

On June 26th I caught the train up to Sydney again, changing at Redfern for a train to Newtown, and walked back out to the Enmore to pick my camera up from the box office. The Enmore staff are absolute angels for not only finding my camera, but for hanging onto it for me until I could pick it up. I’m going to be much more careful with it in the future.

This tour was everything I could have hoped for. Two amazing shows, another epic MOE, and finally getting a much-longed-for hug from Taylor. As I said to my friend Kris over IM a couple of days ago, I’ve got my photo and my hug – I can die happy now. :D Definitely looking forward to seeing them again the next time they come Down Under.

Once again, thanks to the wonderful staff at the Enmore Theatre, I’m able to post my photos from Thursday evening. Unfortunately the battery of my camera died very early on during Hanson’s set, but I did manage to get photos during MOE. As mentioned in my previous post, the camera I used was a Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH1.

Instead of taking photos during Hanson’s second Sydney show, I went nuts posting videos on Instagram. Also as previously mentioned, my phone was a Samsung Galaxy S5.

Jason Singh's pretty much perfect cover of John Farnham's You're The Voice I Will Come To You Yearbook A cappella cover of the Bee Gees' Too Much Heaven I Was Born Man From Milwaukee Taylor rocking out during Long Train Runnin' MMMBop Taylor leading the crowd again on This Time Around The guys nailing Long Way To The Top

[courage-a-word-of-justice]

ACCA 2 | Nanbaka 16 | SGRS 16 | Marginal #4 2 | Classicaloid 15 | Blue Exorcist: Kyoto Saga 2 - 3 | D Gray Man Hallow 1 | ReLIFE 2 - 6

The idea for D Gray Man Hallow from now on: Once all 2016 shows are done (rewatches or not), expect the 2016 ranking.

(ACCA 2)

What in Dante’s Inferno? I’m properly listening to the OP as it was intended in the anime…and it doesn’t quite look like what I expected.

I don’t like tomatoes, so no bread for me.

This is a cute…albeit unconventional way to introduce the series’ core concepts. Also, acorn berets.

Kabocha = pumpkin, while murasaki = purple. That’s made from purple lettuce, so I don’t blame ‘em for calling it that.

Mushroomhead = Rail.

I thought ACCA paid really high if he got cigarettes for free.

Oh no, is Nino going to go against Jean?

Bihinshitsu = equipment room.

2m 22 cm is over 6 foot…wow.

Walnut-topped cake filled with nuts.

The systems managers seem really incompetent…I suspect something’s up.

The guys all deilberately seem to have the same face.

A-hah. As I thought. (Dang you, title spoiler.)

If this ED were to evolve, it would be even better than Yuri on Ice’s OP. (That’s saying something.) Unfortunately, that doesn’t seem to be happening…

Doesn’t seem like there’ll be any title spoilers next time either.

(Nanbaka 16)

I’m less likely to skip Rin! Rin! Hi! Hi! than some of the other Ops when I’m watching. That does make it slightly unwieldy as a rewatching show, though.

“Wow, he’s trash.” – Dat me.

Samon has a brother?

In a world full of filial piety, the worst one can do is to insult someone else’s family.

I’m not very good with “kept secret” stories, which is why I’m trying to do “Next to Me” well enough…at least to my standards, anyway. My standards are very high, you know.

They must’ve done something to the snacks…

(Showa Genroku: Sukeroku Futatabi-hen 3)

The fireworks are so lifelike in this ep!

Daiku Shirabe…I found out about the story from an ANN article, so I should’ve seen its appearance coming…“Tamaya” is something you yell during fireworks displays. Apparently it was the name of a fireworks company somewhere along the line.

The flattening refers to how Yota had to bow for forgiveness, but I think I kinda explained that already.

“Shinuchissei”…Yota seems to slur the end of his sentences.

I actually went “WHAT?!” at Yota not being fazed by the big daddy boss.

Note for later: The baby (I heard his name was Shinnosuke) was born November 23rd.

The jazz soundtrack really sells this show.

...so this is the rant from Daiku Shirabe. It’s fast (compared to even the usual), but it has lots of heart. Plus the showcasing of the tattoo really did its significance justice.

I think the bridge is called Matsubashi (Pine Bridge).

Yota could’ve fabricated the shaking of his hands.…wow. Yota has such yaoi hands. Just what you’d expect from a former BL artist.

I thought Yakumo was more of a cat person. Whose dog is Hanako?

Aw. I felt sorry for Matsuda, even if I have a suspicion he feigned those tears. Well, regardless, now I know Matsuda has grandkids anyway…so win win.

I knew he was either summoning the master Sukeroku II pissed off or Sukeroku himself.

“Tou-chan” was an unexpected nickname I didn’t think Konatsu would use.

Update: I thought about it, and even Shinnosuke’s name takes after the legacy. Remember? Sukeroku used to be called Shin! 

(Marginal #4 2)

One of the things that makes this show stand out is the space-styled episode titles.

Ooh. Pretty cherry blossoms.

Pan shots. Of course.

I know this isn’t the sort of show that gets too much coverage, and I even think it looks a bit ugly at times (not to mention a bit weird) but when you’re not caught up on most of the other big idol shows, this is the best you can do.

I think game boy (orange twin…er, aka R)’s trying too hard with his terms.

Now that Atom is talking about heart, it really does look like he’s a Toshiki Masuda character through and through, although he doesn’t look very angry when he sounds angry. I’ll chalk that up to the art department.

“Don’t think, feel” seems to be attributed to lots of places, so I don’t know the original source. However, since game boy (um, aka R) cites a movie star, it’s apparently Bruce Lee (if my Google-fu serves me right).

L makes stuff sound deeeeep.

WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?! Rui wasn’t surprised by the juice.

Atom is such a Ryuu sometimes...

…okay, enough with the underwear jokes…The twin jokes are a bit weird. Plus the ships can be smelt from a mile away…but that’s not enough to save a show.

“Ore-sama”? I only just realised Atom uses such a term.

Enough about the lucky underwear! *flips table*

Oh, I saw Ayanokouji in the background at one point.

I’m with Rui most times, including the need for deduction.

I’m still questioning the sanity of someone who wrote an entire episode plot about lucky underwear.

Alright, since I feel brain dead after that, I’m going to drop it, meaning ACCA is the show that forges ahead. Well, I’m lucky I was hoping to watch FLCL to fill in the gap once I’m done with my 3 remaining rewatches at this point in time (ReLIFE, D Gray Man, Morose Mononokean). The latter two will have, from ep 7, fresh impressions, so hopefully you can look forward to them.  

(Classicaloid 15)

Selfies: a worldwide phenomenon…I never got into that stuff, but if I were to analyse ‘em, I’d say they tap into the human need to be self centred.

There’s something sad about seeing someone rejected, eve if that someone is a piece of trash like Sousuke…

The game the Classicaloids are playing appears to be a game of Life.

Unfortunately, Kanae’s right…again. Sad life for you, Sousuke.

Motz literally became a flippin’ Akoya, right down to wearing a dress. Plus, the Amazon brigade came back.

Aw, I really felt for the glasses guy, even if briefly.

“Basics of Programming”? Don’t need that for Garage Band, Sousuke.

Hanted house and cosplay café...

…eh? Tchaiko still calls herself a former member of Cla:Kla?

Oh. I never realised until now, but Hamamatsu + festival (matsuri) = Hamamatsuri.

With that song (Sousuke’s song), it’s a sad blooper reel.

(Blue Exorcist: Kyoto Saga ep 2)

I got a wallpaper of Shima trying not to laugh (it was from the official Blue Exorcist anime page, but only for a period around Shima’s b’day). So this ep is where it comes from.

“Bon” means “young master” anyway, so it doesn’t matter.

“…a herbal tea antidote…”

Kyoto is meant to be the imperial capital…at least around the 1700s, it was the imperial capital.

Mamushi means “pit viper”. She’s not one to mess with.

He’s got some reflexes, that Ryuji.

Uwabami is also a type of snake…I forgot which one though.

Wait, Uwabami’s the man?! Uwabami was a woman in Oumagadoki Zoo…

Seriously, are they all getting drunk on juice…? Oh, okay. So that’s what happened.

(ep 3)

Rin’s shirt says “Sankyu” in goroawase and English, LOL.

Even if you love weeds, please don’t smoke ‘em, kids.

I thought Rin was going to pull a Shaft head tilt out of nowhere when he looked back at Konekomaru.

Update: For efficiency, the tag for this one is “Chesarka watches AoEx”. However, I don’t normally refer to it as such. I’d probably refer to it as “Ao Eku” if I wee speaking (due to the season 1 DVD extras), but “Blue Exorcist” is the shortest mode of the name I’d use in typing format.

(D Gray Man Hallow ep 1)

I am familiar with this source material, so do be aware of that. However, I didn’t finish the anime the first time around, so do be aware of that too.

Sometimes the art style for this anime can be a little off. The noses can be a little too pointy and too close to the eyes, so on and so forth.Allen doesn’t even look like he’s blushing with this art style too…that’s a bit of a disappointment.

Even the golems have it in for each other…LOL.

Johnny has apparently been stealing the spotlight for quite some time, but I haven’t noticed it all that much. Probably because I read volumes 21 – 24 in one go…

I think.Cross Marian looks more like Grelle (Black Butler) than ever in colour.

Why does Lenalee have such a short skirt?

When even the masked guy has a sweatdrop, you know there’s trouble.

(ReLIFE ep 2)

Unfortunately for Kariu, I understand there is no “next time”…

I’ve found out even at 18, people don’t judge two people of different gender sitting together eating lunch…of course, cultural standards notwithstanding.

Stud earrings are fine if you play sports, I think.

According to Google-sensei, it’s only about $11, my country’s money. It’s not that much if you work…but knowing Japanese standards (which say you should focus on getting into uni before getting a job), it does seem a bit much for someone who doesn’t work and doesn’t get any allowance. So in a weird way, it does make sense to me.

...but you took Kariu’s hand when she offered you the rubber, Arata?

Hey, that joke was in Erased too.

Kazu-kun = Karamatsu…kinda. LOL.

I always seemed to understand Hishiron, and yet also understand Arata to some extent too. Maybe I’m the perfect in-between for these two. Probably because I tend to break off friendships as soon as the year ends, and yet prior friendships are a core part to my social strategy.

Unfortuately, the downside to “minimalistic” is that it’s obvious when it goes off model.

LINE sticker…LOL. LINE’s very popular in Japan.

(ep 3)

I’ve wondered whether Yayoi Sou is a lady or not. Considering the circumstances, it probably is that Sensei is a female.

Hideyo is the dude on the 1000 note, obviously.

Ah…fitness tests. The bane of youth. No one says “stupid loud” though.

Oh. Tamarai’s there around the time of Asaji’s throw.

Lookit that rabbit on Usa-sensei’s shirt. No one says “crazy athletic” either…you outdated subbers.

Akira (Inukai) is kinda like Yurio, come to think of it, eh?

Didn’t you just say it yourself (about you being old) though, Arata?

Yoake literally had a blank face there, LOL.

There appears to be a Sato GP on the way to Aoba. Huh.

Ah…a show’s a real classic if it makes you laugh every time…

(ep 4)

Where’s the guy who does sad interpretations of OPs and EDs? (This guy.)

I know your feels, Kariu. (see the Tumblr debacle for an instance of this)

There appears to be something about whales near the fishtank.

The cityscapes in this are so nice.

There’s a map of Japan on one wall of Kaizaki’s place.

Go forth, young Kariu! Pick up your fallen balls! (teehee)

CGI balls, LOL.

It’s creepy (but also dramatic) when the lights of the eyes are the last to move.

(ep 5)

Sumire! Her name means “violet” (the flower).

There are some nuances lost in translation, like yappari and the levels of formality…but those are typically lost.

This “lecture” is probably the highest point you can get in the show (so far). It’s times like this you can really see an author’s strengths in storytelling.

The piano really sells the Hishiro/Kaizaki meeting.

What a strange angle that “lean to the left” shot is.

I’ve found out swear words have a lot of leeway when it comes to levels of “oh no”. These swar words include yabai and temee. Due to the context of Wan! and the fact it was Chuuya who kept using them, I went with the nastier variants [in my scanlating days] but sometimes a non-swearing variant is enough. However, kirai (to dislike) is pretty nasty if you use it in Japanese.

Kaizaki’s delivery of these lines really sells their comedic effect. The electronic keyboard makes it sound like night, but also makes it sound 1) like night and 2) creepy, for some reason.

Freeter is almost as bad as NEET, Kaizaki.

There appears to be a 100 man (10 thousand) coin bank behind Yoake, which makes that...1000000 yen. (chorus in back: One million yen?!)

(ep 6)

Apparently someone tried to type the same Japanese words into Google and didn’t get the same results, LOL.

Hishiron uses a Mac, LOL.

“Thanks for having us” probably isn’t the right words for it. Ojamashimasu means “sorry for intruding”, but it sounds heavily formal when translated, so I can see why the subbers did what they did though.

*laughs* MDs (minidiscs)? I know what they are, even though they’re meant to be completely dead by now. Apparently they’re a product of the 90s that never caught on..although I admit I’ve never used an MD in my life, let alone held one. It does kinda look like a floppy disc, though. (chorus in back: You poke through old stuff too much, don’t you?)

Those fadeout cups are so cool! I want one.

Ah, maths. The sad thing about my life is that up until a certain point I was good at maths. Then the hard stuff came up and I started to fail.

I thought it was Third Street Oga was talking about, but it’s 3rd chome, sort of like a suburb.

Knowing An, she may have deliberately put Oga out of the way for her own purposes…if you know what I mean.

CGI car just ruined the suspenseful mood, dangit.

Sometimes I just turn off my volume and turn on some music on Spotify. That way, you can make your own soundtrack.

Why did Arata have such a dumb face in the thought bubble?

Wow, she’s a real fujoshi, that one [An].

“Dude”? I cringe so much at her use of it, despite the fact I use it myself. 

You liar, Onoya. Knowing who subject 1 was means that I know they couldn’t have even thought about that part…

[supervidyavinay]

India is staring at its first recession in 40 years. Despite the stock market appearing upbeat, economists are revising growth estimates downwards regularly. “Our current estimate for 2020-21 is -2.1%, assuming the lockdown will not be extended beyond 31 May. If it is extended, we will revise estimates,” says Sunil Sinha, Principal Economist, India Ratings. He is not alone. Crisil has also downgraded its growth forecast for 2020-21. “Due to the Covid pandemic, the first quarter of 2020-21 will suffer a staggering 25% contraction and despite some recovery in the second half, the Indian economy is expected to end the financial year with a 5% contraction,” says Dharmakirti Joshi, Chief Economist, Crisil. Unlike previous recessions—India has seen four since Independence—agriculture is expected to report normal growth this time. The overall numbers will be dragged down by the services sector and industries like manufacturing, mining, etc. One of the major factors contributing to the sorry state of affairs has been the prolonged lockdown. “Industry and services would have restarted if the lockdown was withdrawn after the first phase. However, the massive reverse migration of labourers is changing the picture now. Due to this, economic activity will not be back at normal levels anytime soon,” says Sinha. The global nature of the pandemic has added to the woes. “The global disruption has upended whatever opportunities India had on the exports front,” says Joshi.1. Blow at a bad timeWhile much of the problems in the economy can be traced to Covid, the picture was not rosy to start with. India’s economic growth hit a decade low in October-December 2019—much before Covid and the lockdown happened.Compared to the same period last year, industrial production contracted by 16.7% in March. As the lockdown came into effect only in the second half of March, negative performances of this magnitude can’t be attributed to the pandemic. GDP fell to a decade low of 3.1% in the fourth quarter. India’s core sector output contracted 38.1% in April, the worst performance since 2005. This does not bode well for first quarter numbers.India Inc was struggling even during the January-March period and its aggregate revenues and net profit fell 6.36% and 9.95% respectively y-o-y (see chart). Most sectors reported falling net profits in the fourth quarter (see table). Agrochemicals and cement were among the handful that bucked the trend. While last year’s good monsoon and increased planting helped agrochemical companies, fall in input costs helped cement companies. Several sectors like construction, real estate and telecom, slid from profit to losses.Already weak economy becoming weakerInstead of slower growth, economy is expected to contract in next two quarters.76103888Contraction in industrial production worse than what it was during 2009 crisisThe numbers will become worse as the lockdown halted all activity April onwards.76103894Compiled by ETIG DatabaseQ4 numbers look grim, more bad news likelyDespite the tax cut benefit, net profits show fall of 9.95% so far.76103901* Based on the results declared by 290 companies so far.Compiled by ETIG DatabaseQ4 net profits slump in most sectorsOnly agrochemicals and cement managed to buck the trend.76103912Note: Values in bracket are number of companies that have declared results.Compiled by ETIG Database2. Earnings shockCorporate profitability remains an area of concern with the numbers expected to be bad in 2020-21 as well. This is because the first quarter will be a washout due to the lockdown and there is no clarity on how things will shape up in the second quarter. “Earnings growth in 2020-21 will be really bad. Even if the lockdown goes, it will take some time before things come back to normal,” says Raamdeo Agrawal, Joint MD and Co-Founder, Motilal Oswal Financial Services.So how much would the aggregate net profits fall by? “Nifty earnings are expected to contract by around 20% in the first quarter and 5%-7% in the second quarter,” says Shailendra Kumar, CIO, Narnolia Financial Advisors. “Aggregate earnings in 2020-21 may fall by high single to low double digits. This is on the assumption that Covid-19 cases will peak in June-July. If there are second or third waves as feared, the earnings contraction will get extended to 2021-22 as well,” predicts Pankaj Pandey, Head of Research, ICICI Direct. The high base effect, triggered by corporate tax cut in 2019-20, will also impact earnings. “Though the lockdown impact was only for eight days in March, the fourth quarter results are not great. Lack of corporate tax cut benefit will be another reason why 2020-21 earnings growth will be negative,” says Rajat Sharma, CEO, Sana Securities.However, it may not be all doom and gloom. “Recent increase in power demand shows that some economic activities are back, may be in green zones, and that is positive news,” says Agrawal. “Most stores are empty now because they are not getting enough products due to the lockdown and logistic issues and restocking by dealers before Diwali will push sales at company levels,” says Kumar.One can’t decide on market investments based on fundamentals alone. While fundamentals are expected to be weak in 2020-21, the stock market may remain strong in the short term due to increased liquidity. Here is what you should do as an investor.3. Ignore the left out feeling Along with global indices, the Sensex has also rallied 25% from the March closing bottom of 25,981, mostly on hopes of further actions by governments and central bankers across the globe. Feeling left out, several investors are ready to jump in now. However, experts say this is not the correct strategy. “When things turn around, the market will give enough opportunities to get in. Investors should avoid the fear of missing out and wait for opportunities,” says Jimeet Modi, CEO, Samco Securities.While the broader economy is heading towards a recession, stock market valuations are still high, another reason why experts are asking you to be cautious and wait for further corrections. “The Nifty has fallen from its peak, but it still remains overvalued. Though liquidity can keep the market strong in the short-term, reality will catch up eventually. The Nifty may go back to 7,500 levels in the next 6-8 months,” says Sharma. Amit Jain, CEO & Co-Founder, Ashika Wealth Advisors concurs. “Due to expected fall in EPS, the measured PE ratio will go up in the coming quarters. Market sentiment will also take a hit later because the health crisis is turning into a financial crisis now and soon, this will turn into a geopolitical crisis. Wait till October for better opportunity,” he says.Analysts have cut EPS estimates for 2020-21This fall is expected to gain momentum once all companies declare results.76103921Source: Bloomberg; Compiled by ETIG DatabaseSensex PE still above 20-year averageNeed to be cautious because PE may go up in future due to fall in earnings.761039274. Sell on ralliesWhile weak fundamentals drag the market down, the same is supported by liquidity injections by global governments and central bankers. That means the market may go up further in the short term. So, the best strategy right now is to utilise the prevailing bullishness. “We are in a sell on rally phase and investors can lighten their equity load if the market continues to move up,” says Modi.5. Moderate fin sector numbersSince RBI’s recent measures will help banks to supress their non-performing loans (NPLs), the reported profits from the sector are likely to be higher than the real profits. For example, extension of moratorium by another 3 months means fewer ‘recognised’ defaults by banks and NBFCs during the first and second quarter of 2020-21. RBI also allowed banks to convert interest on working capital loans into term loans repayable by March 2021. In addition to helping report higher loan growth—just book entry, not actual new loans—this will also help banks push this default to the next financial year.6. Look beyond P&L accountAvoiding small companies with weak balance sheets and sticking to big companies with strong balance sheets can be the next strategy. “In crisis situations like this, there will be mortality in the corporate world as several weak companies will die.Since big and strong companies will become bigger and stronger, investors should bet on them,” says Agrawal. The expected earnings volatility is another reason why experts are asking you to concentrate on balance sheet strength. “With this kind of earnings volatility, earnings-based valuation won’t work. It is better to look at the balance sheet. The companies with strong balance sheets can survive the turmoil,” says Pandey. Modi agrees. “Concentrate on companies that have the balance sheet strength to survive 2-3 years of pain,” he says. In addition to cash on books, investors should also look at cash flows.7. Shun cash-strapped firmsWe all know debt is a bad word now and it is prudent to avoid companies with high debts or those expected to raise debt in future. However, investors should also avoid companies that need to raise capital in the form of equities in the near future. “In the current depressed market, dilution will be high because companies won’t be able to get the right multiple. For example, banks raising equity below book value is bad for existing investors,” says Pandey.8. Stick with promising sectorsA strategy that will work in the short-term is to go with sectors that are expected to do well in 2020-21. For example, IT and telecom may do well because the entire world is becoming more digitised thanks to the age of working from home. As the pandemic is a health crisis, pharmaceutical is an obvious sector that is expected to do well. “Pharma sector is also getting a lot of funding now,” says Sharma. Since people can’t avoid basic consumption, FMCG is another sector that will not be impacted badly in this turmoil. The impact of lockdown is much smaller in rural areas and therefore, agriculture and related sectors are also expected to do well in 2020-21.9. Look at market shareYou may be tempted to look at sectors that are expected to do badly because of falling share prices. Anyone using this strategy should scan the quarterly numbers for market share gain and not headline earnings. Profitability will fall because the entire market will shrink. “The companies that can gain market share in situations like this will be the ones that will be able to report good numbers in future years,” says Kumar. However, one should not ignore valuations. Let us take the example of the NBFC sector, which has been in turmoil for the last few years. Strong NBFCs have increased their cash holdings to survive this phase (see chart). Strong NBFCs are increasing cash in their balance sheets While looking for stability, investors should consider valuation as well.76103939Source: Motilal Oswal reportThere is no doubt that a company like Bajaj Finance will survive the turmoil in the consumer finance space using its balance sheet strength. However, is its high valuation justified? “Bajaj Finance’s high valuation is not justified because people are losing jobs and they may not be able to pay back their loans taken for consumer durables,” says Sharma. from Economic Times https://ift.tt/2MdCBcW

[sammy24682468]

Lesson 14

"Memory Text: “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8, NRSV)."

Jesus’ mission on earth was finished. God soon would send the Holy Spirit, who—ratifying their efforts with many signs and wonders—would empower and lead the disciples on a mission that would reach the ends of the earth. Jesus could not stay with them forever in human flesh. Not only did His incarnation impose upon Him a physical limitation in the context of a worldwide mission, but His ascension and exaltation in heaven were necessary in order for the Spirit to come.

Until Jesus’ resurrection, however, the disciples did not clearly know these things. When they left everything to follow Him, they believed that He was a political liberator who would one day drive the Romans out of the land, reinstate David’s dynasty, and restore Israel to its past glory. It was not easy for them to think  otherwise.

There are two kinds of Messianic prophecies in the Old Testament, one that anticipates a kingly Messiah who would rule forever (Ps. 89:3, 4, 35-37; Isa. 9:6, 7; Ezek. 37:25; Dan. 2:44; 7:13, 14), and one that predicts that the Messiah would die for the sins of the people (Isa. 52:13-53:12; Dan. 9:26). Such prophecies do not contradict each other. They just point to two consecutive phases of the Messiah’s ministry: first He would suffer, and then become King (Luke 17:24, 25; 24:25, 26).

The problem with first-century Jewish Messianic expectation, however, was that it was one-sided. The hope of a kingly Messiah who would bring political deliverance obscured the notion of a Messiah who would suffer and die.

At first, the disciples shared this hope of a kingly Messiah. They believed that Jesus was the Messiah (Matt. 16:16, 20) and were sometimes caught bickering among themselves about who would sit on either side of Him when He was enthroned (Mark 10:35-37, Luke 9:46). Despite Jesus’ warnings about the fate that awaited Him, they simply could not understand what He meant. So, when He died, they became confused and discouraged. In their own words, “We had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel” (Luke 24:21, NIV).

If Jesus’ death represented a fatal blow to the disciples’ hope, the resurrection revived it, raising their political expectations perhaps to an unprecedented level. It seemed natural to conceive of the resurrection as a strong indicator that the Messianic kingdom would finally be established.

In His reply to their question, however, Jesus gave no direct answer. He did not reject the premise behind the disciples’ question of an imminent kingdom, but neither did He accept it. He left the issue unsettled, while He reminded them that the time of God’s actions belongs to God Himself, and as such it is inaccessible to humans.

There are four important elements in this passage concerning the disciples’ mission:

1. The gift of the Spirit. The Spirit always had been active among God’s people. According to the prophets, however, there would be a special endowment of the Spirit in the future (Isa. 44:3; Joel 2:28, 29). As Jesus Himself was anointed with the Spirit, the Holy Spirit was already at work during the time of His ministry (Luke 4:18-21) but officially was not inaugurated until Christ’s exaltation in heaven (John 7:39, Acts 2:33).

2. The role of witness. A witness is a firsthand account. The disciples were fully qualified to give such a witness (Acts 1:21, 22; 4:20; compare with 1 John 1:1-3) and were now commissioned to share with the world their unique experience with Jesus.

3. The plan of the mission. The disciples were to witness first in Jerusalem, then in Judea and Samaria, and finally to the ends of the earth. It was a progressive plan. Jerusalem was the center of Jewish religious life, the place where Jesus had been condemned and crucified. Judea and Samaria were neighboring areas where Jesus also had ministered. The disciples, however, were not to limit themselves to this locale alone. The scope of their mission was worldwide.

4. The orientation of the mission. In Old Testament times, it was the nations that should be attracted to God (see Isa. 2:1-5), not Israel that should “take” God to the nations. The few exceptions (for example, Jonah) do not invalidate the general rule. Now the strategy was different. Jerusalem was still the center, but rather than staying and building roots there, the disciples were expected to move out to the uttermost ends of the earth.

Read Luke 24:44-48. What was the core message that the disciples should preach?

In the forty days He spent with the disciples after the resurrection (Acts 1:3), Jesus must have explained much truth to them about the kingdom of God, even if there was still much they didn’t understand, as their question in Acts 1:6 showed. They were familiar with the prophecies but could now see them in a new light, a light shed from the Cross and the empty tomb (see Acts 3:17-19).

Luke’s account of the ascension is rather brief. Jesus was with the disciples on the Mount of Olives, and while still blessing them (Luke 24:51), He was taken up to heaven. The language, of course, is phenomenological; that is, the scene is portrayed as it looked to human eyes, not as it really was. Jesus was leaving the earth, and there is no other way to do so in a visible form than by going up.

The ascension of Jesus was a supernatural act of God, one of many all through the Bible. This is implied by the way Luke describes it, with the passive epe-rthe- (“He was taken up,” Acts 1:9, NKJV). Though used only here in the New Testament, this verbal form is found several times in the Greek version of the Old Testament (the Septuagint), all of them describing actions of God, which suggests that God Himself was the One who took Jesus up to heaven, as He was the One who raised Him from the dead (Acts 2:24, 32; Rom. 6:4; 10:9).

After Jesus already had been hidden by a cloud, Luke reports—only in Acts—the episode of the two figures dressed in white who stood beside the disciples. The description coincides with that of angels in their bright robes (Acts 10:30, John 20:12). They came to assure the disciples that Jesus would come back the same way He had gone up, and it is also only Acts that informs us that Jesus went up “before their very eyes” (Acts 1:9, NIV).

Thus, the visible ascension became the guarantee of the visible return, which also will happen in a cloud, though “with power and great glory” (Luke 21:27), no longer as a private event, as “every eye will see Him” (Rev. 1:7, NKJV), and He will not be alone (Luke 9:26, 2 Thess. 1:7). The glory of the Second Coming will far exceed that of the ascension.

In His reply in Acts 1:7, 8, Jesus made no commitment with regard to time. Yet, the natural implication of His words was that right after the Spirit came and the disciples completed their mission, He would return (see also Matt. 24:14). The angels’ remark (Acts 1:11) also did not answer the question as to when the kingdom would come, but it could be understood as if it would not be long. This seems to explain why the disciples “returned to Jerusalem with great joy” (Luke 24:52). The promise of Jesus’ second coming at an unspecified time, which should give them extra encouragement for their mission, was taken to mean that the end was close at hand. Further developments in Acts will demonstrate this idea.

Having returned from the Mount of Olives, the disciples gathered in the upper guest room (in Latin, cenaculum) of a two-story private house in Jerusalem. Some women followers (Luke 8:1-3, 23:49, 24:1-12), as well as Jesus’ mother and brothers, were there with the disciples.

Jesus’ brothers (Mark 6:3) were either younger sons of Joseph and Mary (Matt. 1:25, Luke 2:7) or, more likely, sons of Joseph’s first marriage, in which case Joseph would be widowed when he took Mary for his wife. Their presence among the disciples comes as a surprise, as they had always been rather skeptical toward Jesus (Mark 3:21, John 7:5). Yet, the resurrection and Jesus’ special appearance to James (1 Cor. 15:7) seem to have made all the difference. Later on James apparently would even replace Peter in the leadership of the Christian community (Acts 12:17; 15:13; 21:18; Gal. 2:9, 12).

Constantly in prayer (Acts 1:14), and constantly in the temple praising God (Luke 24:53), they all were no doubt involved in a time of confession, repentance, and the putting away of sin. Even if in their minds the coming of the Spirit would immediately lead to Jesus’ return, their spiritual attitude was in full harmony with what was about to happen, as the Holy Spirit comes in response to prayer.

The first administrative action of the early Christian community, which numbered about 120 believers (Acts 1:15), was to choose a successor to Judas.

The need was for a witness of Jesus’ resurrection (compare with Acts 4:33); this is crucial because time and again the resurrection is viewed as powerful evidence for the Messiahship of Jesus and the truth of the whole Christian faith.

The choice, however, was to be made from among those who had accompanied the apostles throughout Jesus’ ministry. Paul would later insist that, despite not having been with the earthly Jesus, he was nevertheless entitled to the apostolic office because his encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus qualified him to bear witness to His resurrection (1 Cor. 9:1). Though admitting to be as “one untimely born” (1 Cor. 15:8, ESV), Paul refused to consider himself less qualified than the other apostles (1 Cor. 9:2, Gal. 2:6-9). Only the Twelve and Paul, then, were “apostles” in the technical, authoritative sense (Acts 1:25, 26); yet, in its basic, general sense as envoys or messengers, the term also could be used for other gospel workers (Acts 14:4, 14; Gal. 1:19).

Read Acts 1:23-26. How was Matthias chosen.?

The method they used to choose Matthias may seem strange, but the casting of lots was a long-established way of making decisions (for example, Lev. 16:5-10, Num. 26:55). In addition, the choice was between two previously recognized candidates of equal qualifications, not a step into the unknown. The believers also prayed to God, believing that the result would reflect His will (compare with Prov. 16:33). There is no evidence that the decision was ever challenged. After Pentecost, the casting of lots became no longer necessary due to the direct guidance of the Spirit (Acts 5:3, 11:15-18, 13:2, 16:6-9).

"The whole interim period between Pentecost and the Parousia [Second Coming] (however long or short) is to be filled with the world-wide mission of the church in the power of the Spirit. Christ’s followers were both to announce what he had achieved at his first coming and to summon people to repent and believe in preparation for his second coming. They were to be his witnesses ‘to the ends of the earth’ ([Acts] 1:8) and ‘to the very end of the age.’ . . . We have no liberty to stop until both ends have been reached.”—John R. W. Stott, The Message of Acts: The Spirit, the Church & the World (Downers Grove: InterVarsity, 1990), p. 44.

"he Saviour’s commission to the disciples included all the believers. It includes all believers in Christ to the end of time. It is a fatal mistake to suppose that the work of saving souls depends alone on the ordained minister. All to whom the heavenly inspiration has come are put in trust with the gospel. All who receive the life of Christ are ordained to work for the salvation of their fellow men. For this work the church was established, and all who take upon themselves its sacred vows are thereby pledged to be co-workers with Christ.”—Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 822.

Acts 1:7 recalls Mark 13:32: “Concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father” (ESV). Ellen G. White says: “There will never again be a message for the people of God that will be based on time. We are not to know the definite time either for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit or for the coming of Christ.”—Selected Messages, vol. 1, p. 188. She adds: “Any one who shall start up to proclaim a message to announce the hour, day, or year of Christ’s appearing, has taken up a yoke and is proclaiming a message that the Lord has never given him.”—Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, Sept. 12, 1893.