#whenever I watch a show with any sort of supernatural element that also takes place on earth

[asurrogateblog]

I think it's really funny that led zeppelin is dean winchester's favorite band because jimmy page was already almost definitely doing black magic in real life so I can't possibly imagine what they would've gotten up to in a universe where demons are actually real

[itsclydebitches]

A weird defence I've seen of RWBY's conflicts has been that it's good writing simply by the virtue that people can disagree on what's the right thing to do in said conflict. Which doesn't work when one decision is being presented as the only valid choice while every other option is either not addressed or demonized. This isn't a story leaving a nuanced set of stances to explore, it's a guy on stage signalling the crowd to boo whenever someone goes against the Protag's decision.

Real quick, I want to talk about RWBY by not talking about RWBY. I’ve seen this argument a lot too and the tl;dr is that just because your audience debates the right action in a conflict  — something that is inevitable given how subjective media is  — doesn’t mean the story encouraged that reflection in any way. As you say, RWBY pretends that those disagreements don’t exist and that This Is The One (1) Right Answer... which entirely defeats the purpose of a morally nuanced situation in the first place. That lack is bad writing because it demonstrates the author’s inability to provide an accurate picture of the conflict while still ensuring we come out of it liking the parties involved. The conflict was too complex for them to manage alongside equally complex characterization, so they just pretended it was far simpler than it actually was. That’s not something to praise. 

But to get to the not RWBY part. I’ve mentioned this a couple times before, but one of the scenes that I think manages these sorts of conflicts really well is the funeral fight in The Haunting of Hill House, episodes 6, “Two Storms.” So warning from here on out for spoilers. Sometimes, the best way to see what’s not working well in one show is to look at another show that does (basically) the same thing successfully and compare the two. 

Normally I’d include screenshots, but Netflix doesn’t allow that :/ So I’m forced to rely on bullet points. 

The basic premise is that the Crain family has assembled in daughter Shirley’s funeral home, the night before they bury their sister, Nell. A lot of secrets are about to come to light. 

The scene kicks off when their father, Hugh, relays the call he got from the housekeeper the night of Nell’s death. She had committed suicide in the family’s childhood home. 

Though everyone knew how she’d died, son Steven is distraught at hearing the details and reveals that a few weeks prior Nell crashed a book signing of his. This shocks the others given that this was very unusual behavior for Nell. 

Shirley likewise reveals that she got a call from Nell who’d been worried about their brother, Luke, but hadn’t spoken to her the night of her death. The implication is that no one did. They’ll never know what was going through her head the night she died. 

Hugh reveals that she did call him. “I talked to her.” 

Stunned by this news, his children demand to know what was discussed and Hugh is clearly reluctant to continue. However, he eventually says that Nell wasn’t just worried about Luke, but also the “Bent Neck Lady,” a specter from her childhood.

The viewer knows that ghosts are real in this show. The kids don’t. Or rather, they all experienced supernatural occurrences in their childhood, are still experiencing them now, but only some of them are willing to admit they’re real. Steven is the diehard skeptic of the bunch and starts yelling at his father, accusing him of aiding Nell’s delusions and ignoring a family history of mental illness. In particular, he declares that this “makes you culpable [in her death].” 

Steven continues to accuse Hugh of “holding back information” about Nell and Hugh shoots back that “If I held back anything it was to protect you kids.” The viewer understands Hugh’s dilemma: the only reason he keeps things to himself is because Steven and the others refuse to believe the truth, with an added dose of this supernatural stuff being very dangerous. Steven asks, “Why do I need protection from the truth?” 

Before their fight can go any further, Shirley tells Steven, “You might want to check yourself before you start talking about the truth.” He published an autobiographical book about their childhood trauma and notably capitalized on a supernatural angle he doesn’t believe in. Shirley calls it “blood money.” 

As the argument about the ethics of his book rages, Shirley defends herself primarily with how everyone else thinks this is “blood money” too. No one took a cut when Steven offered one, proving how despicable they all think it is. 

Meanwhile, sister Theo has been getting heat for being drunk (a coping mechanism for her own supernatural troubles) and Shirley eventually pushes her far enough that she admits she did take Steven’s money and used it to get her degree. “It’s good, fucking money.” Suddenly, Steven has someone in his corner and Shirley’s main defense has crumbled. 

Shirley is furious that Theo had this secret income but was still living with her and her husband. Theo reminds her that she offered to pay rent, but Shirley isn’t interested in hearing that. She demands that Theo move out immediately and uses this betrayal as the new way to protect herself. She’s the victim here. 

Steven, sensing another secret in the works, cautions Shirley to “get off your high horse before you fall off.” 

Shirley maintains her position until her husband blurts that they also took Steven’s money. Shirley hasn’t been running the funeral home well and they would have sunk without it. 

Despite being the punching bag for the second half of this fight, Shirley is offered both reassurance and dignity. Her husband emphasizes that the only reason they’re struggling is because Shirley is a good person. She does too much work pro bono. Shirley also delivers the line, “Do you have any idea how much you’ve humiliated me?” calling into question the husband’s choice to admit this now, purely as a way to prove her wrong. 

Shirley leaves to get some distance and discovers that someone — something — has put buttons over Nell’s eyes. The shock of this keeps the fight from continuing and, as plot intervenes, gives the characters the space needed to eventually start healing and forgiving one another, notably by sitting with the various truths they all now have to grapple with. 

Phew! A long summary, but I’ve put this much detail in to highlight the nuance of the scene. Obviously RWBY would differ in many ways  — less cursing, for one  — but the core elements of any morally complex scene should be the same. The important takeaways here are that no one in the Crain family are “pure” or “evil” and everyone gets their chance to be both right and wrong. Hugh is right that Steven won’t listen to him and wrong in that he didn’t do enough to help his kids. We get Steven and Hugh’s frustration, their understanding of the world at odds with one another. Steven is wrong to put everything on his father and justified in starting his writing career with their story. We watch the scene move from “Steven is Wrong and everyone agrees” to “Oh shit nm, more and more of the family are revealing that they benefited from his money, complicating how “wrong” he actually is.” Shirley is right to point out that Theo is getting drunk during their sister’s funeral and Theo is right to point out that being drunk doesn’t erase having a good point. Theo is allowed to scream at the group and then immediately be offered help when she falls. Shirley pretends she’s better than all of them and is slowly, horrifyingly proven wrong, but is then still extended compassion and is allowed to point out how horribly they’ve just treated her. The husband is right about the money, wrong about keeping it a secret/revealing it the way he did, right in how he tries to diffuse the other fights, and VERY wrong by getting caught kissing Theo down in the storeroom! 

The scene twists and turns in a way that highlights everyone’s points and their flaws, the moments when their perspective should be upheld and questioned. The end result is a scene that has space for the audience to debate everyone’s choices without imposing the single view of This Person Is Obviously Wrong/Right and If You Think Otherwise You’re Not Watching The Show Correctly. The show itself acknowledges the complexity and nuance of these problems. It asks, “Hugh should have tried harder, but what more can he do when his kids literally don’t believe this stuff exists? Was Steven really justified in writing a book about their collective experiences? What does it mean that something his family sees as capitalizing on their trauma also helped them keep businesses and schooling afloat? Was it okay for Shirley’s husband to keep that money a secret, even if it helped them? How might he have told her in a less cruel manner? What about Shirley’s life has led to her intense need to be on that ‘high horse’?” 

And of course: “Who is really responsible for Nell’s death?” By this point the viewer already knows that there is no “really” here. This is too complicated a tragedy to lay the blame at any one person’s feet. Everyone in this room has moments of justified accusations and moments of chastisement because they’re well written, well rounded characters who are neither saints nor devils. The length of the scene (done in a single shot!) emphasizes that if you just wait long enough, even the most perfect looking person will eventually have a skeleton pulled from their closet. No one is above mistakes. 

RWBY has NONE of that. Zip. Nada. Nothing. RWBY gave us a scenario with many of the same, core themes  — secret keeping, secrets unwillingly revealed, blaming others for your mistakes, hurtful actions with helpful consequences, questioning who is responsible for a tragic death  — and instead of even attempting to give us some of the above nuance, RWBY said only that Ruby was right, Ozpin was wrong, and demanding that the audience ignore the nuance they could already see in order to accept the canon. 

RWBY’s scene asks the audience to play dumb and look at the world as a Black and White place, despite the show simultaneously insisting that “the world isn’t a fairy tale” and is, in fact, filled with shades of gray. 

Just not any shades of gray that mess with that dichotomy that now drives the story.  

That’s not good writing. It’s oblivious and contradictory writing that makes the audience frustrated. Not satisfied, surprised, contemplative, or curious. Just frustrated. 

[thesims4blogger]

The Sims 4 Paranormal Stuff: Developer Blog (Part 2)

SimGuruConnor has released part 2 of the Sims 4 Paranormal Developer Blog series.

Welcome back to another dev blog about our latest Stuff Pack! This week let’s talk about the Seance Table, Paranormal Investigator Career, and an interview with our Art Director!

 So let’s just get right into it!

Thanks Doctor Ashely for this horrifying scene.

Seances for Everyone!

The Seance Table is here! Talk to ghosts! Scare your friends! Summon the unexpected! This thing is capable of all sorts of spiritual meddling, and functions on any lot!

Your Seance Table can be decorated too! It’s a table surface, so feel free to put a Crystal Ball on top, or maybe a Sacred Candle? Slot any chair you want too!

When you use a Seance Table you’ll develop your Medium Skill, unlocking new Seances, the ability to host Group Seances, and the ability to draw chalk Seance Circles anywhere in the world! And if you’re a Spellcaster Sim, you’ll gain skill much faster due to your familiarity with the mystical arts. This skill and the Seance Table are available for Children and older too!

One of the main purposes of the Seance Table is to perform a ceremony that strengthens the spiritual serenity of the house, making it a little less creepy. However, if the Seance is interrupted for any reason, it might have the adverse effect, so make sure your Sims are protected (Hint: Sacred Candles!).

Seance Circles for the Medium on-the-go.

Other Seances include the ability to commune with the dearly departed. Hopefully, they’ll offer some sagely wisdom, or perhaps they’ll just insult you. Who knows? Great for parties.

Or if you’re really looking to stir up some trouble, you can also invoke spirits from the Seance Table too. Kind of like a ghostly grab bag, just reach in and pull out something deceased. A great way to spice up any lot, or completely ruin it. Honestly, this Seance isn’t entirely recommended, but since when has that stopped anyone?

Bonehilda!

Bonehilda is back! She’ll clean, fix your electronics, garden, fight fires, lay out snacks, and more! Summon her on the Seance Table or Seance Circle whenever or wherever you need her!

She’ll also be your buddy! As long as your Sims don’t mind being around a fully sentient skeleton that is, but I hear they’re pretty open-minded. Bonehilda won’t ask for anything in return either, she’s just here to have a good time.

Summoning Bonehilda is extremely useful while living in a Haunted House, she can help take care of the place while your Sims are preoccupied with other pressing matters. Bonehilda also has a great protective instinct, and will swiftly and enthusiastically show harmful Ghosts the door (with her fists of course).

Paranormal Investigators Wanted

The last feature I’d love to talk about is the Paranormal Investigator Freelance Career. This career is kinda special, and only available for elite Sims with a Paranormal Investigator License. Sims can get the License by becoming a master Medium and becoming certified by Guidry, or by purchasing one in the Reward Store.

A properly certified Paranormal Investigator.

This career is aimed for Sims who have mastered the paranormal and will have to use everything they’ve learned while living in a Haunted House to their advantage.

The gigs for this career are pretty straightforward. You’ll be sent 3 gigs to choose from, either an Easy, Normal, and Hard Investigation. Once you select your preferred difficulty, you’ll be instructed at 9:30 pm to go out on an investigation to an undisclosed location.

Where will the investigation take you? Anywhere! (Well any residence at least!)

Sometimes the Packcakes will have a bit of a Specter infestation, sometimes Goth manor will need an exorcist. It’s your job as a Paranormal Investigator to go wherever the action is, and snuff out any unwanted spirits.

You also won’t just be sent to premade Sim houses, but also your own created households! Your other played Sim families might be in need of a spooky exterminator too! And don’t worry, the house won’t be permanently haunted either (You’ll have control over that with the Haunted Lot Type!).

Finishing these gigs on time leads to all sorts of weird and strange rewards. Feel free to hang up your Specter-in-a-Jar as a trophy. Or amass a collection of exorcised dolls! There’s tons of strange stuff to acquire!

Since this is a freelance career, feel free to take these gigs whenever you feel inspired to snuff out some spookiness. These gigs can be demanding on your Sims psyche, but thankfully they pay fairly well.

Art Direction

This pack has a ton of both fictional and real-life inspiration. To go over where these influences come from, and how they manifest in-game, I’ll take it over to our Art Director Stephan Edwards!

Conor: Can you tell us what an Art Director does on The Sims 4?

Stephen: The AD works initially with Production, Design and Marketing to define the visual direction. Once we have moved into production their role is to maintain and inspire that vision by providing direction and feedback to artists, from concept through to the final asset.

Conor: What goes into the creative process when concepting for the Sims?

Stephen: Once the general theme and tone is locked down and approved, the team then refers to the key visuals and goes broad on gathering reference that reflects that direction. We begin on concepting out room views/clothing to investigate different narratives and moods, identifying elements of style, construction, pattern and color. At this stage, we are still working loose to make sure we explore all options and don’t box ourselves in. As the team iterates on designs, we start to narrow down the selections and then turn to final renders. We draw on those early investigations to help inform our palette, material and pattern choices.

Conor: What sort of real-life examples were used for the Paranormal Stuff Pack?

Stephen: Reference gathering is a huge factor in designing assets and so it’s fair to say that all the content is based on real life to some degree. The team tends to deconstruct styles and translate them through a SIMS lens, the simplified and stylised art of SIMS4 has a further impact on the final result.

Conor: If you had to choose, what was your favorite feature to work on across all of the Sims?

Stephen: Aaarg! That’s a really tough question. Because the packs are so diverse each one has its own set of unique challenges. I would say the supernatural aspect of this stuff pack was a lot of fun and allowed the artists to get a little more fantastical and creative. Storytelling is such a fundamental part of the SIMS and that permeates through CAS and BB designs. While curating all the eclectic pieces we stuffed into this pack I was constantly making up little stories in my mind. Where the characters may have found it, what relevance does it have to them and ultimately is there enough depth in the design to spark the same questions in the players. Oh, and Guidry, he’s a composite of eras and characters. I would be really interested whether the players can pick apart the influences.

Thank you!

That about concludes our look at our latest Stuff Pack! Big thank you again to the SP18 team, working with everyone was an amazing experience and made the later part of 2020 a little less awful. Watching this pack come to life was an absolute thrill.

The prepatch including the new Scared Emotion is coming out January 21st, and the Paranormal Stuff Pack comes out January 26th!

Until next time, SimGuruConor

[snowbellewells]

“A Cottage by the Sea”

And now, here’s the first real non-Prologue part of “A Cottage by the Sea”, my @cssns​20 Enchanted Forest AU!  Thank you SO much to those who have sent comments and offered enthusiasm for the Prologue of this one; I hope you’ll enjoy this continuation and keep going on the journey with me. There’s absolutely more Lieutenant Duckling development here, but I’ll have to beg your patience as the supernatural elements of this don’t really begin to show up until the end of this section and aren’t explained until Part Two. 

**Thanks once again to @searchingwardrobes​ for this amazingly lovely cover art that I still can’t stop staring at!  And to @tornadoamy​ for being my beta reader.

Summary: Princess Emma has always been drawn to the shores of Misthaven, where the sea meets the shore near her parents’ castle. When an unknown boy washes up on the sand, with eyes as fathomless and blue as the waters that brought him to her, he soon becomes Emma’s best friend, her partner in crime, and her other half.  But the tides give and the tides take away, and as her blue-eyed boy sails in her father’s navy and risks all in defense of those who made him family, unexpected danger and challenge will try to tear them apart, and might well show him just where he came from that day he first appeared to her from the sea…”

Prologue

Part One

Three years later...

Morning dawned on the day Killian Jones was to set sail once more - for his first long distance voyage as lieutenant - much as it had done every other morn of his young life so far. Granted, that included many of those years he could not fully recall, but the sky streaked in radiant hues of pink and orange drove troubled thoughts from mind in his excitement to set out on his chosen course. At last he would be moving toward his goal: a ship of his own, a captaincy in King David and Queen Snow’s Navy, and a position that gave him the right to court the woman he loved - in truth, his soulmate - and seek her hand in marriage.

It was true he had not yet spoken those words aloud to anyone. Princess Emma, who had found him alone and washed up on the beach like forgotten detritus so long ago now, but had never treated him as such, had never treated him as anything less than family and a cherished companion, had no idea how his regard had changed. He could not yet bring himself to speak the desires of his heart to her - not when he was an orphan without name, station, or profession. She was the Crown Princess and sole heir to the monarchy of Misthaven. He must first have something to offer her, make something of himself, even if he knew she would argue with such a line of thinking. His will was no less resolved.

Granted, this would not be the first time he had shipped off on a naval excursion. Since the day he had turned fifteen, old enough to attend the naval academy along with his studies at Emma’s side, he had taken every opportunity to embark on short voyages with openings - first as a cabin boy learning the basics, and then as a quickly promoted ensign, which he had just a week prior followed with the award of a lieutenant ranking. Even if only to appease his own sense of duty and honor, he wished to serve the royal family who had given him a home and place to belong, and to feel himself worthy if he could ever bring himself to share his true heart’s desire with his love.

He was standing at his bureau, struggling to flatten the stubborn cowlicks always determined to stand up from the back of his head, when there was a short impatient knock, Emma’s voice calling out, “I hope you’re decent! It’s me!” and then his door burst open to reveal the lovely focus of his thoughts.

Emma’s blonde hair was a soft, wild cloud of gold about her head, mussed and unbound as if she had been running completely wild all morning, and if Killian had not been so utterly startled and flummoxed by her sudden appearance in his charmber, he might have laughed at the way he could just imagine his foster mother of sorts, the Queen, shaking her head in affectionate exasperation at her daughter’s less than polished care for her appearance. As it was, he gaped wide-eyed, in a sort of frozen trance as she stumbled to a halt just over the threshold, her cheeks, which had shown just a slight flush of exertion, going bright red and spreading over her neck and collarbones appealingly, making Killian’s unbidden mind wonder uninvited if every inch of her skin turned red when she was embarrassed and just how fetching that look might be. Squeezing his eyes shut and shaking his head futilely in an attempt to clear such an improper vision from his inner eye, he had to gulp down several breaths before managing to croak out, “Emma, you’re here! I thought we were meeting in the main hall?”

She blinked back at him wordlessly, seeming to have a bit of trouble in finding words herself. Her liquid green eyes, so pure and bright Killian had often thought they looked like two jewels plucked from the richest treasure trove and set with the exquisite frame of her perfect face, seemed to sparkle and glow even more than usual, if a bit dazed by the sight before her. “Oh...I… uh… that is…” she stumbled gracelessly, bringing a bit of teasing humor back into Killian’s bearing where he had been fighting his own nervous embarrassment at being caught half-dressed and unprepared for her arrival. “I mean,” she finally managed to steady her voice a bit and carry on more clearly, “you are probably right. I just couldn’t wait any longer. I truly believe you might sometimes take longer to present yourself and get ready than I do. And besides…” she paused again, looking down at fidgeting hands and catching her lower lip between her teeth as she hesitated. “I wanted a moment with you all to myself - without everyone else hovering - before you left.”

Killian didn’t quite know how to respond to his princess’ admission - not that he ever minded being near Emma, however it came to be. Yet, it did not seem right to remind her that he was at her beck and call whenever she might wish. She was the one whose days were so often consumed of late; from breakfast until long past sundown at times, helping her parents more and more with royal duties as they strove to prepare her to someday take the throne herself, and also to introduce her to all the young princes and nobles of their acquaintance - not wanting to see her take up such a heavy mantle alone. He often tried not to think of those parts of her parents’ efforts for their daughter’s future. Neither of her loving parents would force her to marry where she harbored no feeling; they cherished True Love too much ever to keep their only child from finding the same. And yet, Killian couldn’t help but be glad when he found himself out at sea at the time royal balls and state dinners were held back in his adopted homeland. Seeing young Viscount Booth attempt to charm Emma with sweet, flirtatious talk at the banquet table and luring her in with whispered jokes and party tricks stole his appetite every time. And watching while Prince Baelfire of the Golden Coast placed his hands a bit too low on his princess’ waist as he swept her into reels and waltzes - more dances together at once than were considered acceptable - it was all he could do not to storm over and cut in before things could escalate, or the blush on Emma’s cheeks was determined to be of certain pleasure rather than mere flattery or humored politeness.

Something told him that none of this was at all what Emma wished to discuss. Could it be possible that she had some unspoken feeling for him she wished to express as well? Had he not been alone in his attention as he watched from the sidelines, sure she was meeting a better match than he each time? Had she instead been watching him as well?

It seemed nearly impossible to consider, and yet he held his breath, not wanting to do anything which might shatter the moment as Emma began to cross the room toward him on silent feet, her eyes never leaving his. 

When she at last came within arm’s reach, she gently reached out her hand, fingers lightly brushing over his shoulderblade. The barest contact caused a frisson of electricity to shiver along his skin, awareness that it was Emma touching him with such delicacy affecting him beyond his power to control. At least until a sobering thought crept beneath the sensation.

At the moment she had entered his room, he had stood with his back to the door, and while he had twisted partially round to see who had burst in, he realized in clarity that froze him in an entirely different way that Emma was getting her first unobscured view of the scarred expanse of his shoulders and back she’d had since they were children, before she would have known what the marks left behind meant. He himself barely remembered the details of how they had been administered, but he knew they were unsightly - troubling, at best - the jagged criss cross of lines, some faded almost white and others still an angry red despite having been long healed. He knew before she spoke that her touch, which a moment ago had felt like Heaven, was prelude to questions he could not fully answer nor wish to discuss.

“K- Killian?” Emma whispered, her featherlight touch so gentle he wanted to shudder at the feel of it. She was tracing the darkest welt of the long ago lash that seemed to curl around his left shoulderblade down to his ribs. “What is this? Were you…” she swallowed as if forcing herself to say it. “Were you whipped?”

“Aye,” he grit out, anxious to pull away, don his shirt - though much too late to do any good - and hide it away once more. “It would seem so, though the memory of it is no more really than fragments and flashes. Not much else would leave behind that sort of damage.”

She shook her head, as if refusing to conceive what the evidence meant. “But you were so young when you washed ashore. No one here in Misthaven would dare.” She fumbled through her dawning comprehension, chin trembling, and bright eyes filling with tears that began to spill over silently. “That someone would lash a boy so young, mistreat him so horribly. It’s despicable. Oh, Killian…”

Her fingers shook as she made to smooth them along his skin once more. But in his shame and agitation, a flare of defensive anger went through him and he jerked away from her touch. Her words and tone felt all too much like pity, reminding him of the fear and doubt that occasionally - in his weakest moments - whispered to him that he had always been some foundling the Princess pitied, a charity case she had taken on as her own. He knew better; Emma had been his dearest friend, closer even than a sister, since the day they met. But the flood of conflict within was too much in that moment. Chest heaving, eyes stormy, he put several steps between them and shrugged his shirt on fully before facing her again.

“I don’t need your sympathy!” he hissed, not sure what had suddenly made him so angry, only that he was. The last thing he wanted to seem was needy and pathetic in her eyes, not when he was so desperate to prove himself strong, capable and worthy.

Emma’s glittering eyes went from teary to flashing with spite of their own in seconds, flinching back as if his words could physically strike her. “You ungrateful arse!” she seethed, looking for all the world as if it were the worst curse she could think of to fling back at him. The tenderness that had so affected him moments ago was gone, but all he could focus on was that the pitying look had fled as well. “Forgive me for caring!”

“Oh aye, you care alright,” he continued, not sure what was making such vitriol spew forth from his lips - and at Emma, of all people - but he couldn’t seem to stop it. It was as though all his worst fears about why she had stayed by him all these years, and why her family had ever taken him in to begin with, were finally spilling out into the open and demanding answers. “Your little project is hurt, and so you swoop in to the rescue.”

His fiery princess was shaking her head now, almost in denial; her hands fisted at her side, trembling in fury, even as those tears that had gathered in concern now poured down her cheeks in frustrated anger. “How dare you?” she spat, stepping up to be toe-to-toe with him once more. “You know it isn’t like that...don’t you?”

And just like that all the fire and fight drained from him at the lost quality of her question, the pained uncertainty in her voice as she searched his face for the truth. Once again, that soft, open, lovely face that he knew as well as his own - better, even - was his undoing. He couldn’t bear the hurt in her expression, the worried furrow in her brow, the pinched little bow her rosebud lips had become, knowing that he had been the cause. A bone-deep sigh rattled up from his chest, his raised shoulders falling. Dipping his head to catch her crestfallen gaze, Killian placed a gentle finger beneath her lowered chin, tilting her face up once more as he wet his lips and struggled for an apology that would suffice. He didn’t miss the way her eyes followed the path of his tongue across his lower lip or the increased flutter of her pulse, but - though it gave him hope - it was not the time to catalogue such responses.

“Emma, I’m sorry,” he finally offered simply. “Of course I know your care is genuine. You have been my best friend all these years - ever since you found me - and have given me no reason to doubt you. My own doubt and insecurity got the best of me. I did not wish for you to see what was done long ago and feel sorry for me. Not when I’m trying…” he swallowed hard, realizing he had reached the point of baring his soul, and knowing he needed to do so - both to help her understand his overreaction just then, and to leave with his heart at peace when he set sail that evening. “Not when,” he continued as steadily as he could manage, “I hope to prove my mettle, my strength and courage to the kingdom and to myself. I hope to return a decorated lieutenant, worthy - if you’ll have me - to seek your hand and court you properly.”

His princess’ eyes widened at his words, her mouth opening on a sharp, indrawn breath. She did not look shocked - perhaps she had guessed at his feelings already? - but the hope lit up across her face was magnificent to behold. “Truly, Killian?” she whispered, her voice soft and gentle as if she couldn’t bear to alter the air around them after such a declaration. She nodded rapidly, biting her lip against a few more renegade tears, though these were welcome emblems of joy. “Of course I would have you as a suitor. I have wished for it and hoped you might feel the same. I… I barged in here this morning hoping to confess just that to you before you left.”

Once more, she touched him tentatively, one trembling hand resting lightly on his shoulder as the other came up to cup his cheek. “You are already more than worthy. I have met no one as suited to me as you - nor will I ever. You have nothing to prove, Killian. Not to me, or my parents, or even this kingdom…”she paused, drawing a fortifying breath before capturing his gaze once more. “Yet I know you well enough to understand there is something yet your soul must seek, some answer you wish to find. Just know that I will be waiting here when you return, ready to accept your courtship with open arms.”

Killian’s eyes fell closed for a moment, his forehead coming to rest with hers as he tried to absorb the swirl of emotions welling between them. After all his yearning to set out, his preparation and his wondering, he wanted nothing more than to stay there with Emma. She tilted her face up to meet his as he lowered his mouth to hers, seeking just one first kiss to carry with him. As their lips met, a warmth suffused him, at once everything and more than he had dreamed, and like nothing he could have expected. Emma was all sweetness and light as she hummed lowly in the back of her throat, opening to him as the hand at his cheek trailed back to toy deliciously in the hair at the nape of his neck. Everything else faded away for a few precious, blissful moments, before he forced himself to pull away, breathless.

Emma stumbled forward, lips still seeking his own, dazed and pliant and blinking up at him curiously. 

With agonizing effort, Killian shook his head, against the desire to surge forward, capture her mouth again, press her up against the nearest flat surface, and let their explorations run free. He was meant to be proving his honor, not losing it. Chest heaving, he brushed his thumb along those tantalizing lips, but then pressed a kiss to her forehead rather than diving back into temptation. He meant instead to seal a promise. “Emma, my heart, I love you. Perhaps I always have, before I even knew what those words meant. To know we understand each other is a blessing I had barely hoped for.”

Here he pulled her into his embrace, her arms immediately wrapping around him as well and her golden head nestling against his chest. Remaining like that for several quiet minutes, he could only hope and pray that the bond they had forged, the shared feelings would see them through this temporary parting. If she loved him too, then it was easy to have faith. “Not a day will go by that I won’t think of you,” he murmured softly in her ear, a secret promise for her alone to keep.

Smiling up at him, a pleased, teasing quirk to one side of her grin, his princess replied. “Seeing as I feel the same for you, that is very good indeed.”

~~***~~

Several weeks later, the voyage underway and well out at sea, Killian Jones still carried that moment with him, never far from the forefront of his mind. They were days yet from Agrabah, but making good time and so far had experienced smooth sailing. Their neighbor to the South had long been an ally, despite the distance between their two countries, and Killian relished seeing once more the arid land with air full of desert heat and exotic spices. He had just begun as a cabin boy the last time he had visited - and all of the sights there had seemed unimaginable wonders. Though none had meant any true harm, the older sailors had certainly been entertained by his wide-eyed gaping at the open air markets, the monkeys and brightly colored parrots, the endless expanse of sand, and the Sultan’s palace rising up from it with its stunning domed top that seemed made of pure gold. He’d been barely sixteen, and blushed furiously at the different manner of dress - the first harem girl that had brushed by him in the market, dark-lashed eyes blinking up at him and gauzy fabric of her attire more than a bit transparent despite the draped layers, had nearly made him swallow his tongue, blushing to the very tips of his ears as his crewmates hooted with raucous laughter and slapped him on the back hard enough to knock him over.

Still, despite those rather awkward moments he had enjoyed seeing a place so different from Misthaven’s forests and hills and rocky beaches. He tried to store up every detail to describe for Emma upon his return. She very much wished to see the kingdom for herself, but due to the distance and time involved in making the journey, it was not as yet a trip she had been allowed to embark upon. It seemed that several years ago at some diplomatic summit or gathering of numerous royals she had met and bonded with the Agrabahn princess - Jasmine. The two had exchanged correspondence ever since, courtesy of the Queen’s message birds, and they had much in common. Though Killian had only seen this Jasmine from a distance, Emma swore that she was a funny and bright soul who longed for adventure and excitement, and to make her own way in her world, not merely to be a demure ornament on a throne; indeed, much as his own beloved princess desired. Even now, Killian bore a message from Emma to the future Sultana with him, as they would be visiting and bringing gifts to the royal family upon their arrival.

He was looking out over the horizon as it darkened toward evening, mulling over the fact that Emma need not worry about being a mere figurehead or failing to make an impact in her future rule. Already she touched any life she came in contact with; her warmth and the goodness of her heart were unmistakable, her beauty was praised the kingdom over, and all who encountered her spoke of how like her mother and father she was - without airs, hard-working, dedicated in her caring compassion. She had long since marked his life for the better irrevocably with her kindness.

Killian’s musings were abruptly stopped however, as he registered just how rapidly the darkness before him was falling over the waves. Where the sea had been calm, the wind was now whipping up, the swells choppy, and the boat beginning to rock wildly up and down so much so that Killian had to clutch the railing for dear life to keep his feet. Most of the crew had gone below for the evening meal, but he could already hear alarmed yelling and feet pounding back up on deck as all ran to reclaim their stations against the coming storm.

Even as he took up the line to help maintain their course, a cold slide of disconcerted fear ran through Killian’s gut. The sudden shift wasn’t natural; the entire maelstrom blindsiding them when moments ago it had been sunshine and calm as far as the eye could see. It didn’t alter his fight to do his part and keep them afloat, but his heart dropped with the belief that this squall seemed almost alive, intent on dragging them to the depths. 

A wall of water rose on their left just as the ship’s bow dipped on the rocking sea beneath them. It hit the vessel broadside, dousing them all and sending many skidding over the slick wooden planks. A sickening groan could be heard even over the wailing of the gale all around and the slap of the water on all sides. Horror filled the hearts of those on board who could now see that the monstrous wave’s impact had snapped the main mast. With cries of warning and alarm, men leapt out of the way of the heavy falling beam, all but that immediate threat momentarily forgotten. 

Killian himself missed being flattened, but another sailor fell in his way as he dove to the side. Stumbling toward the siderail, he caught himself just in time, only to have the ship rock and shudder once again, rising only to have a bolt of jagged lightning flash across the blackened sky, seeming just above them.

Somehow a spark caught the whipping sails still aloft, and they were soon aflame, despite the rain and waves. They were going down, the possessed tempest beyond their ability to fight in a matter of minutes. Killian heard the Captain calling for the lifeboats, and he ran to help free the dinghies while there was still a chance to board and lower them. With every passing second, more water was rising on the deck and surely weighing them down, sinking to rise less with each rolling wave.

Unfortunately, as he focused on the wench to free the lifeboat, a flaming piece of the rigging overhead snapped and swung down from the sails, the fire and heavy weight attached catching Killian in the shoulder where he was already at the edge and sending him overboard. He hit the water hard, the cold shocking and the strength of the waves pulling him under. Fighting his way back to the surface, he was slammed against the side of the ship, the back of his head knocked hard enough to make his vision waver sickly. The others above might get the lifeboats free, but they would never survive these waves anymore than their mothership. Killian fought to stay afloat, managing to grasp a scrap of the downed mast as it swirled by.

He was being pulled further away from his ship, and it was all he could do to keep his head above water. There was no way to fight the currents back to her. Moments later though, that proved to him a blessing in disguise. Horror overcame him as suddenly, the raging waters seemed to open into a cavernous whirlpool, otherworldly and dark. His ship and all his comrades were pulled into its maw like a tiny toy boat circling a tub drain. There was no escape, and he could only watch as the whole was sucked down out of sight, the hugest wave yet crashed down after, and sailors, ship, and whirlpool were all gone with a loud, sucking finality he could hardly believe.

There was nothing left but the wind, the waves, and Killian clinging to the one shattered piece of wood beneath him, struggling to stay afloat. He had never seen or heard of a storm with such sudden and decided malevolence, as if it had blown up expressly to swallow their ship.

Unfortunately, there was little he could do about it, and the blow to the head he had taken against the ship’s hull was affecting his perception, making his movements sluggish. Fighting to cling to his makeshift raft and continue to hold his head aboe the waves grew harder and harder as shock and the cold set in. He didn’t consciously give up, but his grip loosened on the wooden board, his paddling grew lethargic, as his eyes closed and he slid beneath the water.

~~***~~

Even as he began to sink beneath the waves, Killian heard a strange sort of singing echoing through the water. No longer was the wind howling and the water slapping against his skin; instead he felt suspended and weightless, floating lower, but no longer fighting. At peace. For whatever reason, he wasn’t struggling to breathe, feeling his lungs fill and burn for air. No panic set in as he had always imagined it might if his ship were to wreck and he drowned.

A lovely song, a voice with notes that echoed beautifully in the water grew in volume and seemed to surround him with a suffused sort of light. The hazy brightness and the gentle voice encircled him, though it made no sense, and the light and comfort of it made him think of Emma. At that, he did attempt to kick back up toward the surface, hating the thought of causing her pain when he did not return to her. Yet those dulcet tones soothed him once more, and he ceased his short-lived struggle. What seemed a gentle hand, though he couldn’t see clearly or understand how it was possible smoothed across his brow.

The singing around him surged and swelled, and then he felt the grip of hands beneath his arms as he was hauled upward to the surface, at a speed he couldn’t fathom. His awareness seemed to lag, failing him again for a stretch, and then he felt the pull against him letting go and sand and pebbles beneath him. He’d reached shore. Staggering and half-crawling, he lumbered forward dazedly, enough to feel he would not be pulled back out or drowned by the tide. He fell bonelessly to the sand beneath him, his energy sapped and his consciousness wavering. Once more he was shipwrecked - a lone survivor for some reason that was beyond him.

Blindly, Killian felt someone roll him carefully onto his back, and a rich, melodious voice - the voice he had heard singing underwater - spoke sweetly at his ear. It was soothing and almost familiar as it eased him to rest. “You will be alright now, Killian. Trust me,” the voice assured him. “This will all make sense when you wake. You’re safe here.” And with that, he once more succumbed to the haze that swallowed him.

Tagging some shipmates who might enjoy: @cssns​ @searchingwardrobes​ @kmomof4​ @jennjenn615​ @whimsicallyenchantedrose​ @laschatzi​ @stahlop​ @ineffablecolors​ @let-it-raines​ @tiganasummertree​ @optomisticgirl​ @spartanguard​ @therooksshiningknight​ @shireness-says​ @snidgetsafan​ @mayquita​ @thislassishooked​ @drowned-dreamer​ @carpedzem​ @kday426​ @lfh1226-linda​ @winterbaby89​ @darkcolinodonorgasm​ @hollyethecurious​ @resident-of-storybrooke​ @teamhook​ @revanmeetra87​ @thisonesatellite​

[darkstar6782]

1.08: Bugs - My Rewatch Review

Bugs is notoriously known as one of the worst-rated episodes of Supernatural, and while I definitely do think it is down there in the lower echelons, the truth is that I would watch this episode over a number of the later-season myth-arc episodes any day. And, if you have to ask yourself whether I’m crazy for saying so, then might I suggest that maybe it’s been too long since you saw this episode, and that maybe you should give it a rewatch yourself. Because yeah, it has all the hallmarks of a bad episode and then some—a terrible monster-of-the-week premise, horrible-looking special effects, lazy tropes, and a climax that has been time-compressed beyond all realms of believability—but it also has one thing that will always make any episode great: Winchester history. And this episode has it in spades. It does more work than any episode since the pilot at cementing the family dynamic: Dean as the dutiful son who followed his father into hunting, and Sam as the rebellious one who wanted nothing more than to get away from the life that he was (essentially) born into. This is a dynamic that has followed them since childhood, and it will continue to shape and define both of their character arcs as the series goes forward, and all of this is so well-known that it doesn’t really need this one episode to be the glue that holds the foundations of that story together.

But what this episode does have that I think has gotten lost as a result of its consignment to the bottom of most people’s “episodes worth watching” lists is probably the best explanation the series has given us to date regarding Sam’s relationship with his dad. And not only does it establish that Sam’s relationship with John is much more complicated and nuanced than most of the fandom likes to paint it, it also establishes Sam’s realization of this fact, his desire to do better now that time and distance have had the chance to mellow the fire between them some, and both brothers’ understanding that, even if the arguments of the past have lost their sting, the personalities involved have not changed enough to completely prevent new arguments from leaping up in the future. It is something that we see perfectly played out by the end of the season, foreshadowed here in Sam and Dean’s conversations about how they each related differently to their father growing up.

All of that being said, though, Sam and Dean talking about their father is not the true highlight of this episode for me, because that honor goes to the introductory scene of Sam sitting on the Impala in front of the bar. Not only is it a beautiful, perfectly-executed cinematic shot (RIP Kim Manners, your genius was lost to us way too soon), but it also says more about Sam, the life he’s led, and how easily he’s falling back into it than a thousand words of dialogue ever could. The ease with which Sam sits there, reclining back on the hood of the Impala, looking for cases while his brother is inside hustling pool so that they can have enough money for a meal and a room that night… and don’t even get me started on the feels I have over the fact that Sam is the only person that we ever see looking that comfortable on the hood of the Impala (Swan Song *heart breaks*). It is a scene from which a thousand slice-of-life fics have probably been born—I definitely know that it is my go-to scene whenever I need a starting point for speculating about an element of the Winchesters’ daily life that we haven’t yet seen on-screen—and I consider it not just the highlight of this episode, but one of the highlights of the series as a whole.

That being said, the episode definitely has serious flaws. I already listed most of them (I found the rubber spiders to be a particularly egregious failing on this particular rewatch), but the worst has to be the complete breakdown of any attempt at timeline continuity by the end of the episode, and it is especially bad when you realize, as I did watching it this time around, that it could have been easily glossed over with just a slightly different bit of blocking in one scene. See, when Sam and Dean show up to the house to get the family out, it is midnight. The bugs chase everyone inside, and from that point, it is a single continuous scene, without any cuts to indicate time passing, until the bugs have chased everyone up into the attic. The attic door is slammed shut on the bugs, there is a cut to commercial, and then the scene picks up, without any further cuts to indicate time passing, as the bugs get in through the roof, attack everyone in the attic, and are then driven away by the sun rising. This makes it appear as if the sun rose somewhere between five and ten minutes after midnight, which, even by the fiddly standards set by the compressed nature of some TV storylines, is ridiculous.

However, this flaw that is so huge that it easily pushes the storytelling of this episode for “middle-of-the-road” to “what-were-they-thinking” territory could have been fixed by a simple blocking change. The main reason why it feels as if the sun rose extremely fast that morning is because, when the episode returns after the commercial act break, Sam and Dean are still crouched over the hatch leading up to the attic, looking as if they had just got done closing it. If they had been placed anywhere else in the attic, rather than right over the door, then the viewer could have more easily assumed that they had been up in the attic for some time, successfully hiding from the bugs, and then, when the bugs finally broke through and were driven off at the last minute, temporal continuity would have still been preserved. The ease with which it could have been fixed makes it seem a bit more trivial than it always appeared to be to me before, but it still takes what could have been a silly but watchable episode and pulls all believability out of it right at the very end, which is very disappointing in a show that has done a great job with equally ridiculous premises so far and will continue to do well with them beyond this episode. Fortunately, when it comes to Supernatural’s episode quality, Bugs is just a bump in the road, and not a pattern of any sort.

[stereksecretsanta]

Merry Christmas, @flynnifox!

The prompt by @flynnifox:

I really like soulmates, and please fluff as it's christmas, coffee shop au's are also great, I like wolf Derek, werewolves are known, all the AU's, did I say please fluff? I totally love slow burn, kissing, nipping, scentmarking, sassy Derek, sassy Stiles, Alpha Derek, having to share a bed, snow, ice-skating

Here's to hoping that I blended these elements together in a satisfying manner that captures the soulmates + scents + sass + fluffy adorableness. Most of that brought by Derek's red eartips (because he's embarrassed so frequently).

Read on AO3

*****

Chocolate and Notebooks

Stiles pulls his eyes from the road, taking a glance at the clock as the trees zip past in the dark and chilly evening. One glance at the clock confirms his suspicions.

"It's 5:43 in the morning and this is a very dumb time to be driving through unfamiliar territory." He tilts his head, as if considering an argument. "And yet, we're perfectly safe because the shields are up and the path is true." His head cocks to the other side. "And yet, we are definitely feeling sleepiness come on." He hopes the next town is near, and avoids the part of his mind that would happily confirm for him that he's getting closer to his destination.

Built-in GPS is a great tool for a spark, but it can take the mystery and adventure out of life if he indulges the spark too much. And despite what others might say, he's not entirely convinced that there isn't a limited amount of magic available to any one person or to all beings and he feels responsible for not flaunting his magic with every waking moment.

"Beacon Hills: Next two exits" reflects back at him in bright white text on a shiny green background. The name sounds like an omen. A good one he hopes, and a town with a good little history, he double-hopes. Can't be too careful when there are many town that are just full of weird and sometimes bad things. Hunters are less likely to come make a mess in a peaceful town than they are in one with a reputation for trouble. Beacon Hills is, as far as he dimly recalls, not a name that's appeared in association with anything terrible in the last many years. He and whatever supernaturals may be around should be fine, so long as nobody upsets the balance.

Which is exactly the problem: The spark that constitutes the magical expression of Stiles is actually very interested in mischief. Supremely interested in making some things very much tougher for Stiles, and he tries to remind himself it's also done a lot of good for him over the years. A nudge here to take this turn, and a thought of just stopping and waiting somewhere on the sidewalk for a minute can both lead to finding old friends and good times, or missing a falling chunk of the facade from some ancient brick building. He can't often tell ahead of time despite pleading with himself to make it work.

He's decided that Beacon Hills has to be a good place, with good WiFi and good coffee and all that stuff. Nature is also calling more insistently against his bladder and he really hopes there's someplace open this early with internet service and decent restrooms.

"If I find that nobody in this town is awake at this terrible hour, and that they haven't got decent WiFi, I'm going to write them a very bad review and hex their coffeemaker. There are standards for how these things should work and that last place was a disaster!"

Of the four diners in the last town, some eight hours ago down the highway that specifically avoids the big urban centers, he found no curly fries on any of the menus. They seemed completely unimpressed with the idea of tater tots and he considered hexing them in some way or other but ended up just snagging food from the hot case at a convenience store and busting a move out of town.

When the first exit for Beacon Hills comes up he passes without exiting. It seemed too wild, like it was a regional wildspace, or something. Maybe this was more of an industrial exit for logging and whatever else they do here. The next exit surely showed promise.

Quietly in the back of his mind, a tiny version of Leslie Nielsen's voice replied, "And don't call me Shirley."

Erica had been ready for several minutes. Derek's routine for how to open the store properly had been whittled down to just 12 minutes for the cleaning prep, six minutes to get all the food out and presentable, and another full minute just to go around and make sure everything was in order. Derek usually closed the shop up, but today claimed he was feeling restless and arrived before she had and was already bustling around.

"Derek, you pay me to worry about these things. Why are you even here?" She watched as Derek redid everything she had completed already so he could be sure it met his extremely specific standards that are in no way related to what actually makes customers happy. Well, he's the boss, so he can ask for what he wants, but she's going to do it the way she knows is best when he's back on his regular routine.

She hollers at him from the cafe's dining area while Derek is in the back organizing and cleaning things in the kitchen he'd definitely organized and cleaned the night before. "You should go run out in the preserve or something. You have too much energy to be in a confined space before 6 AM on this day or any day." Her supernaturally-enhanced hearing helped her catch every syllable in reply.

"I'm here because it's my place and I don't really need a reason to be here, now, do I? I can come whenever I like."

Erica smirked.

"Shut your pie-hole, Reyes, or I'm switching you to the lunch shift and giving your boyfriend the morning."

"He'll hate you for that."

"I'm the alpha. I can take it."

At Erica's snicker, Derek growls to himself. As the alpha, his hearing is even more enhanced, but he can also feel her perpetual sniggering through the pack bond. He tells himself he should be used to it by now but he just can't. Wolves aren't monsters, they need to behave in a respectable way.

"Are you lecturing me mentally on how wolves should behave respectably in polite society? I mean, I know these customers and though some of them are gems, some are definitely not polite and don't belong out in society."

"Erica," Derek says as he enters the room. "Keep it down. You don't want anyone to overhear you talking trash about others."

"It's three minutes to six and I'm going to open up."

"It's too early. We open at six. Don't mess with people's expectations."

"Anyone here this early is here because they have no expectations, just a demand for coffee, bossman. You really don't have anything to worry about."

Erica walks to the windows and turns the lights on in the displays. She admires the way the colorful borders around the windows twinkle in the early air. They cast bright splashes of light into the intersection, visible from any direction of the street. Derek does fine display work and has made a version of the town in a huge diorama lit with tiny LEDs in the windows of the shops and homes, and decorated with the tiniest versions of people Derek knows. Customers, family, random people who caught Derek's eye are all represented in some way in the display.

She thinks it's the softest, brightest, most wonderful thing Derek does and he pretends to everyone like it's no big deal. He's the most ridiculous rough-edged marshmallow-soft man she's ever met. When she told Boyd about it, he agreed with a knowing nod of his head before he returned to mixing beverages for the fine residents and visitors who came through the door.

The subtle change in the air alerted her to potential danger, and she spun around to catch Derek standing at the door, looking confused and surprised at the man standing there.

"Uhh, if you're not open, that's fine, but I really need to use a restroom. Can I come in anyway to take care of the call of nature? She's been really, really going hard these last few miles."

Erica's snort escapes unintended. The man at the door snaps to look at her and grins, holding a thumbs-up. He gives her a sort of look that says, "Is this guy broken?" and Erica replies with a look that yes, totally broken, and harmless.

"Hey, welcome to Beacon Hills! We're opening right now and the bathroom is right down there. Go for it."

The man exhales and seems to weaken for a moment before taking off at a fast walk between the chairs and to where Erica had pointed. "Close your mouth and the door, Derek. I hear the landlord hates when people waste energy heating the outside."

The door closes with a click at the same moment Derek's jaw slams shut. She watches him transform from bare surprise to guarded watcher in an instant. "Watch out. I didn't hear him at the door when I want to go put the mat out."

"You still have that in your hands, Derek." She looks at him as he seems to realize the truth. Derek opens the door and half throws it out, trusting it to land however it lands as Derek seems to listen to the back area.

"Are you listening to him pee?"

"No, I'm—" He flashes his eyes at her. There's a visceral reaction for any beta to the flashing of one's alpha's eyes, but Derek does it so often they've all become somewhat immune to the power of it all. Derek's mother warns him about overusing his strength when a simple word will do, and while Erica see's he's gotten better with her coaching of him, he's still got a long way to go before Talia's advice actually makes a solid difference for him. "I can't hear anything. Nothing at all."

"He's probably just shielded, Derek. There are a lot of good reasons for that, especially when traveling alone."

Derek is a good-hearted alpha, and he's young, but Beacon Hills has been stable for long enough that his parents leaving him in charge isn't a disaster. Talia and her husband are consulting for another pack in Idaho and Derek's putting his training to use at home. The pack in Idaho had lost their alpha and Emissary in an attack of some kind, and they some serious help getting back on track. The mission, as it were, will be for a couple of years, but they're not far away and so the territory isn't really at risk even if Derek has some trouble to deal with.

"I don't think he's a threat, Derek. He seems kind of fun.." Which Derek would have considered if he wasn't being totally weird about this guy.

"Anyone who can sneak up on us is a potential threat, Erica. I shouldn't have to remind you of that." Indeed, Erica flashed right back to the moment she and Boyd finally returned to the territory after having been abducted by a nutty grandpa hunter and his daughter.

"Yeah, but like you also said, we can't just go in being suspicious of everyone. What if he's one of the good ones? You're the guy in charge, so people need to know they can come to you. He's probably not even aware this is our territory."

"We can't know that."

"I can just ask him, dude." Derek looks at her with an expression of disgust. She's solid in her sense of this new guy and his not-at-all-threatening intentions. Whoever he may be, or whatever he may be, he's good people. And he's not a werewolf, so there's no direct threat there. Derek's had his heart broken and his trust trampled on extremely effectively, so he's far less willing to consider his instincts and defaults to threat mode whenever something both supernatural and unexpected comes around. She regards him for a moment.

"I think we'll be okay. I'll find out about him and you hang in the back and listen, okay?" She considers for a moment. "What do you think he likes to drink?"

"I have no idea," he mutters and heads to the back room. Derek's taking things down to DEFCON 3 from DEFCON 2, which seems like a mark in her favor. She's not his first beta, but she does seem to be able to get him to think about other stuff sometimes when other people can't. When anyone happens to notice she says it's her brilliant curls, but the blonde really does seem to get his concern in a way the rest of the pack don't. Except for Boyd, and he's too busy being silent to really help Derek so directly. She lets a smile fill her face and nods to herself. Derek is trusting them more. He's been training them hard, and it's working, and she sets herself to figuring out who the new guy is and what new guy is up to.

She forgets for a moment how weird he was when he opened the door.

Stiles throws his bag onto the bench in one of the high-backed booths with a good line of sight to both the counter and the entryway and heads to the counter.

"What can I get you?" Erica says in her warmest 6-am customer service voice.

"Well, I think I want a coffee, but I also need to sleep soon, so that's probably a bad idea. I mean, caffeine can put me to sleep if I have a little, but it's been a while since I've taken my medicine and my ADD is probably going to fight me for sleep if I don't indulge in some delicious beverage action."

Erica laughs. Stiles beams. "I'm here with the jokes, folks."

"Oh, yeah, I can tell that about you."

Too quietly for normal hearing she hears, "Ask him who he is!" in an urgent tone from the back. Erica rolls her eyes briefly, making sure the visitor doesn't see it. She growls subvocally.

"Welcome! Sorry you had such a weird first experience with my boss at the door. He's not normally a weirdo."

"Eh, I'm not worried. I'm plenty weird. But he is okay? I mean, he seemed kind of... surprised?" Somehow, in some manner she didn't interpret, she heard the meaning behind it. The boss seemed both surprised and actually afraid of something, and the new guy had picked up on it.

Erica beams. "Yeah, we get that all the time. Boss is a total weirdo." Derek growls in the back and sets something hard against the table.

Stiles glances in the back then makes eye contact with Erica. "Is he alright?" he mouths at her.

She shrugs her shoulders. She isn't about to explain the weirdness on display right now. Derek's never been like this before.

"I am not sure he slept at all last night. He normally works the closing shift. I'm here to open, but when he needs pre-dawn fun, I'm apparently the one he needs to hang around."

"Oh, really?" Stiles raises an eyebrow.

"Oh, no, not like that. I'm taken. Boyd's a really good guy and he's not into sharing."

Stiles had glanced again to the back room but that comment brings his full attention right back to her. "Oh, I'm sorry, I wasn't trying to flirt! I am just like this all the time."

Erica leans back. "Hear that, Derek? He's like this all the time." She adopts a theatrical pose for a moment. "Oh, gosh, I'm sorry, I've completely forgotten to introduce myself. I'm Erica, and that's Derek."

Stiles doesn't miss a beat. "I'm Stiles, and you're one of the betas, then? Is he the only alpha around? It seems a little..." Stiles seems to taste the air, sort of. Erica isn't sure how to describe the way he takes an open-mouthed whiff and kind of lets his eyes go blurry. "Oh, I see. Got it."

"What do you think you get, Stiles?" Erica says with a dash of suspicion. She'd heard Derek freeze in the kitchen, his heart racing now. She tries to be a cooler customer than her alpha and hopes that Stiles isn't offended. She's not really sure what a spark is, or what they do, but Derek's got an idea and it's shocked the hell out of him for whatever reason.

"Eeek, yeah, sorry! Sorry. I find I do this all the time, and usually on accident, if I haven't prepared ahead of time. I'm a Spark, and I'm really just here to find a quiet place to rest and drink something hot and warm. I'd like to write for a bit in the booth," he says, gesturing with a huge swing of his arm to the booth.

Erica nods at him. "I am pretty sure we can accommodate that request and we won't even have to do some paperwork for it," she makes a show of stage whispering, "Since my alpha is hiding in the back instead of greeting important guests like he's supposed to do."

This time the growl is clear to everyone. Erica smiles wickedly. "Alpha Hale, I believe you have some alpha-level responsibilities here with regard to our guest. Don't you think you should get out here and be polite?" She winks at Stiles, who returns the wink with a laugh he tries to stifle behind his fist.

Derek comes out and now Stiles looks at him without saying anything. He seems to close-off a bit, looking at the alpha in his black shirt and forest-green apron with the cafe's logo on it.

Erica notices the two of them and then grabs her phone from the counter and stepping out of the way.

"Stiles, you're welcome to be here. We have no restrictions against visitors," and by this Stiles heard between the words that the alpha meant. "of the supernatural variety." Stiles hadn't met an alpha so formal as this before. He mentally knocked his hand against his temple to try to recall proper protocols. He was not successful.

"Hello, Hale. I mean, alpha. Gah. This isn't going well. I don't do many formal introductions and I'm sorry to mess it all up. I hope you're not offended."

"No offense taken." Derek looks at the counter and then at Stiles. "Do you know what you'd like to have to drink this morning?"

"I hadn't decided that, though I imagine you already heard." Erica and Derek watch him as he catches himself glancing back. "And crap! I left my shields up without regard to any possible werewolf packs in the area. I'm sorry!" he said emphatically. "I would have taken them down in the parking lot if I'd have been thinking. It's been a long trip, and again, I—" he waves in the direction of the restrooms in the back and at that moment Erica and Derek both got a whiff of the spark without his protections. It took a moment to realize he was still talking.

"...distracted, on top of that, I've got ADD. You know how it goes? Wow, this probably explains why Alpha Hale had some trouble deciding what to do with me when I was at the door." Erica couldn't tell if Stiles noticed Derek was taking deep breaths, seemingly to scent him over and over again, which our staunch Alpha Hale never, ever does.

It was the, "You can call me Derek," said in a very warm and cozy tone that persuaded Erica to get the pack here. Whatever was going on needed witnesses, and she wanted to be sure someone else could verify this totally bizarre behavior by their alpha. Stiles didn't lie about being a spark, though if he were doing sexy mojo on the boss she doesn't know if she could tell. The scent of magic in the air happened only after he released the shield, and even hen he's been fading into the background. She snaps a picture of them with her phone and sent a broadcast message to the pack. Derek's phone vibrated, and he subconsciously pulled it out and put it on silent, no vibration, as he continued talking with Stiles.

Something is odd here, and Derek's doing things with his eyebrows that are perfectly adorable. Erica wants to find out what's going on, and she wants witnesses. While Derek and Stiles worked out the beverage order for a specialty hot chocolate, Stiles had also talked himself into a muffin and some veggie snacks. She's been providing summary notes to the pack and comes to a conclusion about this situation that she debates momentarily, then shares with the pack.

She's certain that Derek is deeply smitten by this newcomer.

By 6:45 the pack had all arrived, even those who had other jobs they were supposed to be getting ready for. Derek seems to have blithely missed the fact that the pack had arrived at the cafe and had been huddling together at one of the larger tables getting the play-by-play from Erica about whatever each had missed before they arrived.

Stiles had developed his senses such that he noticed Erica noticing them, and noticed that there were more wolves coming. Their energy wasn't hostile, but it was actively engaged. As he talked with Derek, he couldn't help but wonder why the alpha didn't seem to notice the rest of them. During a break in their chat about a particularly delightful staff he'd made friends with at a diner in Nevada, Stiles nodded to where the pack was sitting and waited for Derek to follow his gaze.

"Why is your pack here, Derek?"

"I don't know." He seemed surprised at not noticing. Derek looked at them and noticed that yes, everyone had arrived. He gave a glance at Scott who was loosely affiliated, being an alpha in his own right but mostly disinterested in claiming territory and building his pack.

"Don't you have work, Scott?"

"I'm sure Deaton won't mind that I came for the show at the cafe." Stiles laughed, and Derek looked at him, confused. "What show?"

Stiles isn't sure how to break this to him, so he tries to ease the wolf into the idea in a roundabout sort of way.

"Derek, what time is it?"

Derek glances at the clock above the exit. "It's almost seven. Why?"

"When did I arrive?"

"Just before we opened, I think." He scrunches his eyebrows. Stiles smiles, having already started learning the way the wolf's expressive eyebrows communicate thoughts he doesn't speak with his words. "Yeah, I opened the door and you were there."

"So you've been here talking with me for an hour and haven't noticed?"

Derek looks at Stiles, and the pack, and then moves to leave. Stiles gently sets his hand over Dereks' own hand, interrupting his sudden (and fearful?) escape.

He opens his backpack and pulls out a notebook. He then slides out of the booth and heads to the pack table, and pulls up chairs for him and Derek to join them. He sets the book down.

Wrapped around the book is a worn leather cover. It's got a few scratches and stains, and it is soft to the touch. Stiles loves this book, and as he holds it up for the pack and explains the leatherwork. Derek looks at the cover, surprised. Erica brings over a plate of cookies from the display and they show the same triple-spiral pattern, a triskelion, curled into itself in a familiar form.

Erica seats herself in the lap of one of the pack members. "Good morning, Boyd" Boyd nods to Stiles, unfazed by the recognition. Derek looks surprised that Stiles knows Boyd's name, and even more so that his packmate seems unbothered by the way Stiles already knows his name. Stiles says hello to each of the pack members. He gets to Scott and instead of "hello," Scott asks, "Why does your book have Derek's tattoo on it?"

Derek finds himself flushing and he's not half-sure why. The triskelion is a common symbol in supernatural circles. They've got it on their cookies, as the plate suggests. He grabs one of them and takes a bite. Stiles laughed at Scott and confesses that he sometimes blurts questions out, too. When Scott beams back at him, Derek sees how the two of them will become fast friends.

Then he tilts his head to the side. The pack takes notice, and then so does Stiles, who has turned to him with a sly smile.

"I hope you will allow me to share something with you all that I haven't shared with anyone, not even my dad." They nod, and then Stiles looks at Derek and raises an eyebrow.

"Go ahead, I guess. Not sure what you need our permission for."

Stiles grins at Erica, who knows something special is about to happen that will make all everyone's grumbling about being up early disappear in an instant.

"At three years old the little wolf, with his bare little feet and scruffy face and pointed ears, was poking around at the wild things in the area near his home. He couldn't control his shift yet, so sometimes he was half wolfy and half boy, and he barely noticed."

Stiles tilted the book at Derek who took a look at the image and said nothing, but his heart skipped a beat and his eyes opened wide.

"And the little wolf saw a lizard. The lizard told him that they could be friends, but that they needed to learn how, because one day, the little wolf might have to remind the lizard who his friends were."

Stiles didn't glance at Jackson, but a couple of the others did. Danny set his hand on Jackson's shoulder and squeezed gently.

"The little wolf did not understand the lizard. He asked the lizard how he would know him in the future. The lizard said they were family, but they didn't know that yet."

Scott's excitement overruled his better judgment again. "Jackson was a kanima and we found out that he was Derek's cousin!"

Stiles glanced at Derek and nodded. Derek avoided looking directly at anyone, but remained attentive in his listening. When Stiles continued, he looked at Jackson and smiled slightly. They had a rough go of things at first, but they've come a long way. Jackson really has worked on letting his fears go, the ones that fed the kanima and he's becoming a better man. Derek likes to think the experience has humbled him, too. After all, it isn't every day you discover that a dangerous were-creature was basically possessed by the darker side of his own fears and ended up doing some pretty awful things until they got it all worked out.

Jackson is reliable now, and Derek is one of the people he sends texts to when he is looking for advice. Derek considers it good progress that Jackson doesn't just ask about pack advice anymore, and instead about real-life stuff, like running a business and all that stuff.

Stiles has moved to a new story and Derek catches his name again. He inhales once more, and Stiles stops to scoot a little closer.

"Oh, sorry, this one is out of order. I'm not sure Derek will remember it." Derek sets his hand on Stiles' knee almost as an afterthought. It is as if being with Stiles is a thing that has already happened, and they've been together for decades. They haven't, but it's so easy to believe it, to trust Stiles, and to trust Stiles with his pack.

"When the little wolf had his first birthday, his asshole uncle creepy pants..." ("That's exactly who he is" slips Lydia under her breath, echoed by "yeahs" around the table.) "...gave little wolf a box. Little wolf was a boy at this time, almost never being wolfy at all. The box in front of him had a very interesting handle. Uncle creepypants showed little wolf boy that he could spin the handle around and around and listen to the music the box played. Little wolf boy was so excited! He squealed with delight and turned the handle in his tiny fist and laughed himself silly."

"But when the box clicked and the lid opened to reveal an ugly clown on a spring, the surprise of the moment caused little wolf boy to change, with little sharp teeth and little sharp claws and he knocked the little box over with his mightiest growl." Derek chuckled at this. The image was adorable even if he still has a thing about clowns."

("Derek's got a thing about clowns." Scott chimes in. "Perhaps we should not keep interrupting Stiles, Scott?" Lydia said with a glare. Scott was suitably threatened into silence and put his hand over his mouth as a reminder.)

"After little wolf hit the toy he ran to his father. The man was tall, friendly, and even for a human he was strong. This man was not a wolf like the little wolf was, but he seemed just as strong as everyone else to the little wolf and Derek felt himself scooped into his father's arms and held close as he cried about the toy. His father soothed him, promising to damage his uncle's personal things in retribution for such a prank. Little wolf was happy, and though he dreamed of bad clowns for a week, he also dreamed that he and his dad would fight them together."

The pack seemed to adore the stories, and Stiles kept reading. Derek would have preferred if the pack never heard some of these stories because many of them revealed parts of his life he'd forgotten about, or didn't want to talk about. Stiles was a good storyteller, though, and he found that as he wrapped his arm around the other man's shoulders, and felt the lean muscular strength there, and smelled the way the chocolate and spice and scent of orange blossoms filled his nostrils, and how there was almost a flavor to the frisson of electricity in the aura of the spark. He felt cozy, and watched as the pack listened raptly to this master storyteller at work.

"This one is set in the future. Not even today, but in the near future." The pack looked at each other. Stiles looked at Derek, sat-up so Derek couldn't read ahead, or see the drawings in the margins. He wanted them all to experience this together. After all, the future isn't set, but this particular event isn't one of great triumph or struggle, so it shouldn't impact much of anything one way or another.

"It's the kind of Christmas morning where the windows are foggy and the lights on the houses nearby are blobs of color on the glass. The snow is on the ground thick enough to muffle noise, but not so bad you can't walk through it. In the great house in the preserve the pack meets. The little wolf is now a big wolf, but not a bad wolf. He's got his own pack now, and they welcome family and friends from far away every Christmastime."

"In the kitchen big wolf makes hot chocolate using a secret recipe he's developed at his cafe and which delights everyone. He prepares a cup for his electric friend, and for his friend who knows the ghosts, and for his cousin and his betas, for his sisters and their partners. He brews a magical potion of love and chocolate for everyone and makes it only at this time of year, as a treat to himself for his birthday, and as a cherished present to those he loves." Stiles grabs a cookie and munches it and glances at his notes.

"Oh, dang. Sorry, everyone, but I need to skip the rest of this."

"What, is it PG-13? We can handle a little of that. You two are already cuddling up."

"No, it's not that. The future is not set, and these stories might be pretty close to reality, but they're not facts. I don't know if the newcomers — No, sorry, I just don't know what I should say, so I'm going to skip it. And don't go trying to get into it later, Erica, you literally cannot read it, on top of getting a nasty burn if you try to open the book without my permission." She grunts back at him something about Batman with all his tricks and traps. "We'll get to it when we come to it. Together."

Derek nudges him with his shoulder. "Oh? Have you already decided you're staying?"

"Well, yeah, duh. When people meet their soulmates they really shouldn't just keep going."

"What? You did?"

Erica takes a cookie and throws it at Derek. "You're an idiot!" Derek looks at her confused, and annoyed. Boyd gives him a look that says to Derek that he is, in no uncertain terms, "being so stupid right now I can barely stand how stupid you're being. Would you please figure this out right now so we don't have to hold your hand through this life-changing event? What the hell, dude?"

Derek looks at Stiles, looks at the pack, and Jackson says, "Yo, dude, just check your threads."

It's Jackson's way of referring to the bond the pack has, and how they're bonded together with something that mentally looks like an energy string tying them together, supernaturals and humans alike. It's also the thing that Jackson knows will have Derek realize the truth of the situation. Derek tends to have to feel things out for himself. He doesn't think his way so much as do and feel and goes with that. The pack bond is one of the alpha's most powerful tools for relating to the people he's responsible for, and Jackson knows it's the kind of thing that will quickly get Derek out of his stupid place.

So Derek does at Jackson suggests. The pack are held with bright yellow bonds, the links between betas and between betas to their alpha. There are links to his family in colors that are tinted mostly with greens. Even Danny and Scott, both of whom are loosely associated with the pack, still have bonds to the alpha which show as gold from Danny and red from the other alpha. But there's a new line now, one directly to Stiles, and from Stiles come lines to the rest of the pack. There's a sort of hum to the group, a frequency that sounds like a cat's purr, or the perfectly tuned note on a piano, or the breeze through the forest in spring.

And the smells are incredible. He can now tell each member by scent just by thinking about them. Stiles being part of the group enhances his abilities considerably. He has the scent of desert clay and expensive wine from Jackson. There's the mixed whiffs of poppy and rain from Erica and Boyd. There is a tickling scent of dust from Lydia that underrides the floral of begonias and sparking wine. Allison smells of metal and snickerdoodles, and Scott of cane sugar and browned butter.

"Why can I feel your dad, Stiles?"

"Oh, well, we're a package deal. I bet you that within two years he'll move here, become Sheriff, and everyone will know him. He's just that kind of guy."

"How do you know this?"

Stiles opens the back cover of the notebook and holds it up to Derek so that only he can see. He folds it quickly before the pack can lean over enough to catch a glimpse. "Does that answer it?"

"Yes and no. I mean..." Derek glances at the window. Erica watches, and Lydia gasps minutely before catching herself. She barks an order.

"Boys, why don't you go get those figures and bring them to the table?" Jackson and Scott rise without a thought, only belatedly realizing they came to attention at her order. She's got no direct power over them, but yet, she somehow really does. She's just that intimidating. When she and Jackson broke-off their relationship, they took some time to heal from it, and now it's genuinely a good, close friendship between them. But he still does her bidding without necessarily meaning to, at times, to his minor annoyance. Danny just laughs at the situation, having been Jackson's best friend for ages and aware that Jackson really just kind of likes to be told what to do sometimes.

Stiles sits upright as the figures are laid before them. Derek is red-faced again, up through the tips of his ears. It's easily one of his most endearing qualities that are entirely outside of his control. Stiles loves that about the man, that his embarrassment and pride show through even when he doesn't mean to. and he's adorable when he's struggling with it.

"Wait." Stiles holds one, and then taps the rest, seeming to sense something about each. "You made these figures? The whole pack?" Derek nods. "These are great! Look, you even gave Jackson a little lizard tail. So cute!" (Scott had brought the Jackson doll over and hadn't realized that feature had been added. "Asshole" is all he says before sitting back in his chair and watching his cousin squirm under Stile's scrutiny.

"They're wonderful, and I think you did a great job. You could sell work like this for some pretty big bucks online, Derek. But why are we looking at them?"

Derek rises from his chair and goes to the window display. There's a house there between some tall trees. He reaches to the back, opens the door, and looks at whatever it is outside of Stile's line of sight.

"Come on, big guy. You don't need to hide your toys. Bring it over!" Stiles says playfully, and the pack giggles. Derek's ears flush brighter red and he steps over to Stiles and holds up to him a tall, thin figure with wild hair, a backpack just like the one he's got (down to the star and moon diagram in the middle), and sets it in front of Stiles next to the figure that looks like Derek.

"When did you make this?"

"I've had dreams about you for a long time. I could never see your face, but I knew the hair, and the bag, and the flannel shirts and tight jeans. I knew you were coming, but it wasn't until a few minutes ago that I realized this was you."

Erica holds her hands out. Several pack members put fives and tens into it. "I told you they were soulmates, but you all didn't believe me. All Stiles had to say was that he needed to pee and Derek just couldn't control himself."

Stiles and Derek could not help but laugh at that. Lydia and Boyd both gave half-disgusted, half-amused looks at her. Danny and Jackson were just laughing their asses off and Jackson silently filed that quote away for use later.

On Christmas day, not a week after they'd all met Stiles for the first time, the alpha and his soulmate had organized the pack to put up decorations inside and outside the Hale family home, they'd been cooking food, with Stiles giving Derek a flavor suggestion that perfected the recipe Derek's been working on, and they gathered everyone together for a huge pack picture. Stiles' dad and Derek's parents were able to get to town in time to welcome the happy couple to their first major holiday together and celebrate the blending of their families and pack.

As it turns out, the cafe has excellent WiFi and Stiles never has to worry about his things disappearing when he has to make runs to the restroom between writing chapters of his children's books about the Little Wolf and the Boy in the Red Sweater.

[mzminola]

Reaction Post Two: Ectoplasmic Boogaloo

Misc thoughts now that I’ve both seen the show, and had time to think.*

Kinda feel like I missed an episode or two? I could swear there’s screenshots going around that I never saw in context, and collective knowledge that’re so consistent I could swear I missed something...but that might just be the result of a ten year old active fandom. Is it ever stated how long Vlad was in the hospital with ecto-acne? Or is “five years” just a really popular fanon?

I see why so many people call for a reboot; there’s a lot of neat stuff in the show, but due to the cancellation a bunch of threads got dropped or warped out of recognition. Almost a “rough draft” sort of vibe.

One of the major problems with S3 (starting with the S2 finale, actually) is that they tried to go Bigger! Moar Extreme!! Higher Stakes!!! But worldwide disasters weren’t what the show as about. The pacing in Urban Jungle was terrible (plants taking over should be a slow, creepy story, not a five second greensplosion), Vortex was way to overpowered, and Phantom Planet really only makes sense as someone’s dream. Like. All of Amity Park got dragged into an alternate dimension in Reign Storm, because the Ghost King Dark Pariah was supposed to be a big deal. Leave that as a biggest disaster.

“Million Dollar Ghost” was an adorable episode. Danny trying to cheer Jack back up was painfully sweet and dorky.

The two episodes with Danielle are, together, or separately, the most actually horrifying episodes. Melting clones, who look scared as they go. Seriously. And if you strip the supernatural/sci-fi elements from the summary, the first episode from Danny’s perspective would be “parents’ old friend kidnaps you for nonconsensual reproductive reasons, and then tries to kill you and your baby sister in a fit of rage.” No wonder he’s exuberant when Sam & Tucker save them.

Meanwhile, Maternal Instincts from Maddie’s perspective is also terrifying; lost in the wilderness with your child, the only hope for communication or travel to the outside world is in the house of a man you barely know anymore, who yelled “NO ONE SAYS NO TO ME!” when you refused to leave your husband for him.

Speaking of Maternal Instincts, I think it shows Danny didn’t get all his forgetfulness from Jack; Maddie’s so laser focused on finding a phone that she’s disregarding the vehicles.

(and Maddie, you’re sad that Danny isn’t spending as much time with you as when he was a tiny child, but when he hugged you and said “I love you Mom!”, after your smile and “I love you too,” you physically dislodged him and singsonged “clingy!” Really? I get being uncomfortable with physical contact, but calling your kid clingy for hugging you in one of the few calm moments of a crisis is...kinda mean, Maddie)

~

Thought on Living Large: Danny's not “letting money go to his head and being an asshole”, Danny’s fucking depressed. We’ve seen Danny get a big ego and turn into a  jerk; example, every episode where he gets temporary popularity (invited to Dash’s party thanks to Jazz, dating Paulina, judging the beauty contest). Thanks to Val’s arc, we know one of the things affecting popularity at Casper High is family wealth. If Danny was being a jerk thanks to money he’d be at school, flaunting it. He’s not. He’s not even attending school, he’s barely leaving his room, and he’s irritable. The kid’s depressed.

It makes sense; he just underwent a major life change that he had no control over in a few days, and lost nearly all contact with his family. (I think his parents are out of character selling Fenton Works for any amount of money, but that’s a sidenote). Danny lost his home. He’s in a strange house, his parents’ neglect thanks to their ghost-hunting obsession is no longer mitigated by a small house where they have to interact regularly, and Jazz is hiding in the library. Major upheaval followed by isolation in a strange place. Poor fucking kid.

~

I disagree that “Vlad wants to rule the world” came out of nowhere, but I agree season 3 bungled him terribly. Forget “Phantom Planet”, it’s “Infinite Realms” that’s the worst piece of characterization for him. “take me to my destiny” what the heck,Vlad, that’s so vague. Where’d the Vlad we saw in Reign Storm go?

Vlad (in S1 & S2) makes the most sense if I assume he has long-term goals unrelated to the Fentons. Like he wants revenge on Jack and to ‘win’ Maddie, but honestly he’s had twenty fucking  years for that, it’s like the college reunion came up on his calendar and he want “oh, nice opportunity”. (though Jack’s firm belief in ghosts despite never seeing one until ep1 makes sense if we assume Vlad’s been periodically sending things like the vultures to mess with him invisibly...)

When I first watched Bitter Reunions, I was struck by how badly Vlad handled Danny. In retrospect, it’s even more startling considering how well he manipulated Val. So I thought, why? Well, with Val, Vlad is exploiting her negative emotions towards Phantom and other ghosts. Whereas with Danny, Vlad seems almost incapable of understanding that Danny likes his dad, and in Maternal Instincts he’s likewise confused by Maddie’s loyalty to her husband. Maybe its just that his own view of Jack blinds him to other’s perspectives, but he’s also surprised that Jack defeats him in Million Dollar Ghost. Jack was aided by love and protective feelings for his family, positive emotions. I don’t really think “Vlad has trouble understanding positive emotions in others” is a solid explanation, but it’s a start.

Alsooooooooo, re: Bitter Reunions and most of his other interaction with Danny: Vlad's making Skulker work for him, the vultures (despite being almost 2000 years older than him) do as he says, and we see him regularly searching the Ghost Realm for artifacts and getting into fights.

I think Vlad has spend ten to twenty years (whenever his ghost powers really got going) beating up other ghosts to get what he wants. “No one says no to me!” “Must I beat you with one hand behind my back before you admit you’re outmatched?”

He’s used to manipulating humans, but he saw Danny first and foremost as “ghost kid”, and so tries the same tactics he’s used on all the other ghosts; hit them until they do what you want. This...doesn’t work, with Danny. Sure, Vlad outpowers him, but the kid has a support network, and he thinks on his feet (making a shield bubble after seeing Vlad’s square flat shield? threatening to out both of them? The kid forgets about his own powers half the time, but adapts quickly, which is one of the big reasons hes lasted so long in the hero biz)

~

Danny never came out to his parents (excepting Phantom Planet) because as long as they didn’t know, he could keep believing they’d accept him no matter what. Schrodinger’s Parental Acceptance.

I think that’s all my post-series thoughts for now.

~

*I apparently wrote this post months or years ago and never posted it, though I did post the segment about depression on it’s own at some point?

[vieuxnoyesrp]

Addie. First as our grief-stricken warrior queen, Hayley, and then the dark and foreboding, but equally torn, Mary, you’ve captured our hearts with the wit and deliberation with which you write your characters. It’s no surprise to us at all that you brought that same talent to Bonnie. As one of the Quarter’s most dearly beloved characters, she requires a deft hand: stubborn, but kind, devoted to her morals, but careful not to allow anyone else to dictate what those morals should be, Bonnie is complicated. With your intense attention to detail and your thoughtful approach to each character you write, we are confident that your Bonnie will come to life in just the way she deserves in our story.

Addie, thank you very much for applying. As for Bonnie…

       ⚜ ~ WELCOME TO VIEUX NOYÉS!!! ~ ⚜

Wondering what to do next? Click here and let the good times roll!

⚜ Roleplayer:

⤜ Name/alias: Addison (Addie works too) ⤜ Pronouns: Female ⤜ Age: 20 ⤜ Timezone: EST ⤜ Activity: 7-8. I’d say during the week I’m able to get on a fair amount, enough to get out two or three sets of replies a day. Though, there are days I may not get all replies out as well. Weekends are a lot more open for me, so I’m able to do the most during that time. ⤜ Best form of contact: I’d say tumblr on Hayley’s chat function, but I’ll happily provide a skype if it’s needed for another form of contact. ⤜ Any Triggers? No. ⤜ How did you find Vieux Noyés? I came across it in the tags, but I’ve also heard about it from a few other members of the rp community and decided it was time to check it out for myself. ⤜ What drew you to the RP? I’m most interested in the way that the shows have been incorporated together. I enjoy the way they’ve been weaved and knit together to make a cohesive tale. ⤜ What is one subplot/element from the Plot page that you are particularly looking forward to seeing in this roleplay? I’m most intrigued by the witches plot line. I think it will be interesting not only for those within the species but also those along the sidelines. It will be entertaining to watch how alliances form or deteriorate as the story and players change. Who knows who will end up on top, and until that’s determined, it’s essentially placing your bets and seeing what pays off.

⚜ Desired Character: Bonnie Bennett

⤜ Why do you want this character?

I think that Bonnie was my most beloved character on TVD for two main reasons. The first is the amount of sheer effort and dedication she manages to place into her relationships, even though her past has left her reeling at the expense of familial relations. I enjoy that she thinks of herself in a second hand sense, and it’s a very different perspective than my other two characters. I also enjoy that whilst hailing from a powerful line of witches, Bonnie hasn’t had a strong supernatural upbringing. I think it will be interesting to delve into the intricacies of her mind to figure out how she’s going to sort herself out on her own, without the watchful eye of her grandmother. All in all, I think Bonnie has a lot of room to grow, but only after multiple, internal debates about the person she was and the woman/witch she intends to be, and I’d like to be the person who explores that process.

⤜ What are your future plans for this character?

One thing I’d like to explore with Bonnie is growing her knowledge of magic and the supernatural. I think Bonnie is going to have a drive after losing Shelia that will thrust her into her supernatural heritage. I want her to explore her past, her lineage, and the witch community in general. I think it will be good for her for both coping purposes and endowing a new sense of self-confidence in the witch.  

⤜ Put yourself in your character’s shoes. Give us a few lines to describe a day in the life of your character… Where do they live? Where and how do they spend their time?

Most weekdays, Bonnie has morning classes at Tulane. So, she’ll do classes until around lunch time before heading off to the library to spend a few hours studying. Once she’s satisfied with her academic studies, Bonnie tends to drift into studies of her magic and ancestors. Whether it is exploring Rain’s Apothecary, sitting down with her grandmother’s grimmoires in the back corner of Cafe du Monde, or walking around Lafayette Cemetary, she’ll dedicate at least an hour or two a day to expanding her knowledge of the supernatural. If she’s not studying, you can likely find her hanging out with Elena and Caroline, or possibly even Vincent, getting in some much needed relaxation.

Weekends are mostly spent at home or in Audubon Park, where she feels at one with nature. Bonnie’s apartment isn’t extravagant, but it isn’t a cookie cutter college apartment either. Bonnie enjoys cool tones for the most part. Her apartment leans towards the minimalist side, but she’d be lying if she told you she didn’t have a myriad of junk drawers around the house. Aside from her bedroom, she’s allowed Issac to essentially take control of her small living room and the couch that is housed there. As a result, a lot of her more personal things (the Bennett talisman, her grimmoires, and photographs of her grandmother) are now kept within an old trunk at the foot of her bed.

⤜ Give us three headcanons regarding your character of choice. 

Bonnie has gotten a job at Cafe Du Monde as a waitress/barista. With all of the crazy that’s now entered into her life, Bonnie was seeking out a bit of normalcy in her life. She wanted something that was, albeit, normal for a college student. The witch had already been doing most of her studying in the back booths anyways, that when a spot opened up, it seemed like the perfect opportunity. Not only does it give her a break, it also helps her to cover expenses at the same time.

There are two pages missing from the back of Sheila’s grimmiore. For the life of herself, Bonnie cannot help the curiosity that has begun to develop within her. Who tore the pages out? Why were they torn out? With no leads, Bonnie can’t quite make sense of any of it, but she’s determined to take the rest of Sheila’s things out of storage and try to find clues about what was taken and where she can get it back.

Bonnie is an avid runner. Whenever life becomes to stressful for the young girl, she takes to working out her issues with exercise. Some days, it only takes a mile or two to bring the girl back down to earth, but other days can lead to hours of running along the outskirts of the city. She loves the burn of her muscles and the way her mind is only able to focus on putting one foot in front of the other.

⤜ What are some plots you’d like to explore with your character?

-I’d like to explore Bonnie’s relationship with Elena. I think it’ll be interesting to see how Bonnie deals with her best friend being associated so closely with the two brothers that led her grandmother to her end. I think it’s going to be a very complex internal struggle for her and will eventually pit her hatred of vampires and her loyalty to her loved ones against each other.

-Another plot I’d like to explore with Bonnie is her relationship/attraction to Jeremy. I think that’s another grey area that Bonnie is going to have to navigate. While Elena’s been her best friend forever, and Bonnie wants to respect that, I think it’s not going to be cut and dry. Bonnie hasn’t ever really wanted anything just for herself, and maybe, just this once, she may decide to go after what she wants.

-Finally, I’d like to explore Bonnie meeting other witches. I think it’ll be interesting for her to learn about how they were brought up and also, if any of them can explain why the city limits don’t hinder her power. Though, I think Bonnie will be slow to trust another witch, which will inevitably leave her weighing the risks and rewards of it all.

⤜ Para sample:

(Retained for privacy.)

⤜ Would you like to be considered for another character if not accepted as your primary choice? Hm, possibly Evelyn? ⤜ Have you read the rules?: I have!! ⤜ Anything else? Nope, I think I covered everything.

[bluephoenixdruidicprincess]

Shadowhunters Season 3 Episode 8, A Heart of Darkness Review

Welcome to another Shadowhunters review. Because I love to torture myself with ridiculous and illogical writing. But actually this week's episode, whereas it was ridiculous and illogical, I didn't hate this episode. It wasn't great but for an hour of television, I could tolerate it. So here we are with Season 3 Episode 8, A Heart of Darkness.

I would like to preface this review with saying that I am NOT a huge supporter of this show. I do enjoy certain elements of it but I'm not what would be classified as a devoted fan. For me, Shadowhunters is not a good show and I do get very critical of the show in my reviews. Honestly, for me, I watch the show because 1) I'm too curious not to and 2) I find that this show can be so bad its funny and that's how I reap enjoyment out of it. I am not at all invested in this show or its characters anymore. I'm just watching to see what happens. If you're a die hard fan and you lash out at everyone who has a different opinion than you, you might want to skip these. I'm just saying. My reviews may not be for you. If you do decide to be a total troll, well then pay attention to the below disclaimer. 

This is going to be an honest review of my thoughts and feelings regarding this episode. If you're the kind of Shadowhunters fan where you only want to hear positive things about the show, this is not the place for you. If you decide to stick around and get offended by what is said, then that's on you. I warned you. Just know that if you send me any rude comments or messages, I will 100% ignore you. I find that's the best way to deal with bullies. I work 14 hour days. Do you really think I want to waste my incredibly valuable free time dealing with derogatory comments? Hell no. This review will consist of my honest opinions. Opinions are never right or wrong. I'm not telling YOU how to think and feel. I'm telling you what I, quirky and socially awkward me, think and feel. So please, lets discuss with dignity and respect. If I'm critical about this show, it's only because I want it to get better. There is, in fact, a difference between hating a show and being critical of it. I do not hate Shadowhunters, I am being critical and analyzing the flaws as I would with any other show. There are positives but there are also negatives. It's great if you want to promote positivity with this show (and I encourage you to do so) but that doesn't mean I'm not going to point out the things that are legitimately wrong with it. Also, keep in mind that despite the fact that I do like the books, me being critical of this show has nothing to do with my fondness for the books. I don't really care if the show deviates from the source material as long as the changes are good, it makes sense, and it doesn't create plot holes within the confines of the world the show has created. My problems with this show are problems I would have with any show or book for that matter. I think it's perfectly reasonable to take issue with a show that has plot holes, shoddy world building, and inconsistent characters. There will be spoilers for the books and movie. 

This episode could actually have been very enjoyable if the show had bothered to take its time with previous character arcs. There were quite a few character moments that made me legitimately feel things in this episode. Not enough to cry or anything like that but if the show had bothered to learn that you don't have to cover two books a season and slow down in which case they would've had time to properly explore and flesh out some of these character dynamics, it would've resulted in me probably being moved to tears in this episode. But unfortunately, the show did not do that so what could've been very emotional moments just continues to fall flat. And I realize I just contradicted myself a little there so let me explain. I did feel things in this episode for the characters but the characters and their relationship dynamics have been so shakily developed that it was more me feeling for these characters as if they were their book counterparts. I'll delve more into this explanation as I go through this review. 

The Episode Where Shadowhunters Got All Teen Wolf On Us

You know, I'm not even mad that Shadowhunters pretty much stole an entire plot point from another supernatural teen drama. Shadowhunters does love its tropes even though when they do it, their version is somehow much more boring than the original plot point it was inspired from but that's beside the point. And honestly, if you're going to take a plot point from another supernatural teem drama, you can do a lot worse than Teen Wolf. Not to mention, the specific plot arc they used from Teen Wolf is one of my favorites with the plot highlighted by the amazing character relationships of the Sciles (Scott/Stiles) bromance and the slowest of slow burns, Stydia (Stiles/Lydia). Both were amazing character dynamics within the show that I greatly enjoyed. R.I.P. Teen Wolf. I still miss you.

Shadowhunters didn't do quite as well with this plot as Teen Wolf did simply because Shadowhunters does very little to actively develop their characters in general but nonetheless, I did quite enjoy this plot point, flaws and all. 

This segment was probably my favorite of the entire episode. Alec and Izzy going to help bring Jace's soul back to the surface was really interesting. The show has spent so much time on these character's love lives that a lot of times we forget that these three have spent most of their childhood together. That they do have real bonds with each other. From what we've been told, they were a moderately successful team before they met Clary and it was really great to see that dynamic again. In the book, it's actually Clary who's able to break through Jace's possession and it works there. But for the show, it's definitely something that makes more sense if Alec and Izzy were the ones to do it. Show Clace just doesn’t have the relationship foundation to make that plot point not cheesy. I suppose the show could still go back and make Clary be the one to do it and just like earlier this season, it'll still be cheesy and I'll still hate it. So I'm really hoping the show doesn't go for that. That it'll be Alec and Izzy that will motivate Jace to push past the possession. But at the same time, I’m not holding my breath for that one. This is Shadowhunters after all; I’m not sure it knows how to not be cheesy and cliché.

I really enjoyed how we got to see Alec, Izzy, and Jace sparring with each other as kids. The dialogue was cringey as hell but the actual idea behind the scene I really enjoyed. I liked the song that Izzy sang to Jace. I thought that it was a really nice touch and I certainly never expected the show to use that song. It's not in the context of how it was used in the books but I felt like it was very effectively used in this scene. And Emeraude's pronunciation of french wasn't half bad, either, so I'll give her that. I like how the first part of their journey starts with "Three go in, three come out." And the journey ends with the same "Three go in, three come out." If you haven't stuck with me through my Supernatural re-watch you wouldn't know this, but I'm a huge sap for episodic symmetry. I absolutely love it when that sort of thing happens. Shadowhunters needs to do more of that instead of having these one-off scenes that have no bearing for the rest of the episode and the rest of the season for that matter. And then the plot point ends with Alec and Izzy in total despair after Lillith gets Jace again when they promised it wouldn't happen. Which I also really enjoyed. Obviously, not the part where they're in deep emotional pain but, you know, plot symmetry. 

Of course, not everything with this plot was great. For starters, the insinuation that Alec's parabatai bond is the strongest connection there is has me a little iffy. The show's version of a parabatai bond's strength goes up and down. It has no consistency so I have a really hard time believing that one. Then Magnus also talks about how what he's doing is super dangerous and it could be the end for Alec and I'm just like, "As opposed to when?" Whenever Alec does stuff like this, he always ends up in the worst possible shape. Seriously, if we're to look at the parabatai bond through the eyes of the show, why would anyone ever want a parabatai? Other than to receive an abundance of tracking abilities, that is. I wish the show would stop focusing on the dramatic elements of parabatai-ness and start showing the positives of having a parabatai. Because at this point, I see none. 

I also wish we got an explanation just in general of how this process of going into Jace's mind works. It feels really convenient that for starters, Magnus has the ability to project Alec into Jace's mind using the parabatai bond and then he also has the ability to bring Izzy along for the ride as well. How? Who knows. I guess it's a spell that Magnus just happens to know even though it doesn't really make sense that Magnus would have any ability to influence runic magic. This sounds more like something a Silent Brother would be able to do as opposed to a warlock. Warlocks have power to manipulate demon magic. The runes stem from angelic magic. His magic shouldn't have any power over angelic magic. But I should stop this. The apocalypse will hit before this show ever explains its magic system or its world-building. And I'm talking fire and brim stone apocalypse not that whole Walking Dead/zombie apocalypse thing society is currently obsessed with. The zombie fad is dumb and I hate The Walking Dead with a blood searing passion.

And again, kind of an issue with the plot is how little we have to go on with Jace, Alec, and Izzy's relationship. This is what I meant when I felt emotional about scenes but it was more on the behalf of the book characters than the show characters. We haven't really been given a lot on the show about how Jace, Alec, and Izzy functioned together so it was easier for me to use the book counterparts as surrogates in this scene and that's what got me emotional. Thinking about how the book characters would react in this kind of situation is what illicited an emotional response with me. Whereas the show characters aren’t too terribly written, I don’t have much of a connection with any of them and we have this show’s dialogue and poorly executed plots to blame for that.

I'm also going to be nitpicky here. Why was Lillith having Jace stab Clary over and over in his head? In order to make sure Clary couldn't reach him anymore, Lillith had to take away his love for Clary with an anti-love potion. He supposedly doesn't love her anymore so why would him continuously stabbing Clary in his head be an effective means for torture? He doesn't love her so he shouldn't be affected by it. I feel like I’m missing something here.

Also, not sure why Asmodeus would care if LIllith killed Magnus. Why would he care about some half-human whelp that resides in one of many hundreds of dimensions out there? It makes sense why Lillith cares about Jonathon because her ability to have children was taken from her so she clings to Jonathon. However, Asmodeus is hardly in that same boat. He can have any number of children in the hundreds of dimensions he can visit. Why would he care about Magnus? I guess we'll see whenever he gets introduced. I’m honestly not excited for that.

Like with Lillith, anything Owl Jace had to say was super bland and uninteresting. And nothing he had to say was all that ground-breaking or hurtful. It's like insulting someone while you're tired. You're literally too tired to put any bite behind your insults. You're just insulting for the sake of insulting. It was super obvious that he was talking and no one really cared what he had to say. I certainly didn't. And I'm not entirely certain why Simon thought yelling at Owl Jace was somehow going to make Jace feel bad. Was he not told that Jace is being possessed? It was really weird and I didn't care about it. It was cheaply manufactured drama and that’s the worst kind. Owl Jace also made a comment about Alec being with Magnus but at the same time truly wanting to be with Jace instead and I'm just like, "Where the hell did this come from?" Alec being in love with Jace hasn't been talked about since Season 1. I didn't even realize this was still an issue within their character dynamics. The show definitely should've re-introduced this particular character dynamic before mentioning it in this episode. But they probably didn’t have any time what with the million and one side characters they have in this show.

Clary's Interrogation

This entire episode, we have Clary being interrogated by the Mortal Sword and in what it accomplishes, it works. But what it does with her character, I dislike. So initially last episode, I had this head canon that the reason Clary decided to stay behind unnecessarily was because she's dealing with a lot of guilt regarding the consequences that have arisen from her using the wish on Jace. This is her way of making amends for what's happened. I'm all for this character arc obviously because Clary never being held accountable for her actions is something I despise about this show's writing. I really want Clary to "grow-up" (even though she's 18 and she should already have been taught that decisions have consequences a long time ago) and learn that there are consequences. That just because you break the law for the right reasons doesn't absolve you of guilt. You do a bad thing for the right reasons? That doesn't make the bad thing a good thing. You should still be willing to hold yourself accountable for the bad things that happen as a result. In this way, Clary is very similar to her father. Valentine did a whole mess of terrible things and he attached a bunch of justifications to those bad things in order to make them good things in his eyes and refused to hold himself accountable for the lives he destroyed. Looking at it through this, can you really say Clary is much better despite all of her protests? If she goes unchecked, Clary is surprisingly a lot like her father. So I was really hoping that Clary was having a bit of an epiphany and I was super excited to see this play out. 

But no. Apparently, the only reason she's doing this is to buy time for everyone else. And this makes absolutely no sense. When the Clave apprehended her, they didn't know who dug up the grave. They literally only know the story BECAUSE she stayed behind. Because they had someone to use the Mortal Sword on to tell them who dug up the grave. If she had went with everyone else, the Clave still wouldn't have had any idea what's going on. My head canon makes sense but what the show did instead makes absolutely no sense. It just makes our heroine look dumb and not in a "this makes sense for her character" dumb because I respect that sometimes characters make dumb decisions based on their character arcs. This is just dumb story-telling that wasn't properly thought out at its conception and no one bothered to tweek it. Seriously, who edits these scripts? Does no one in the Shadowhunters writing room care that their show makes no sense? That their characters are dumb simply because the plot demands them to be but yet they still expect the audience to view the characters as these legitimate, hyper-intelligent adults? Shouldn't you as a writer care about something like that? Why do the writers have zero respect for their audience's intelligence? Because I've got to believe that these writers realize how dumb their characters are and they're just hoping the audience will go with it. And the truly depressing part is that I wish I could say that this is only a problem Shadowhunters has. But I've seen other Freeform shows and they also display the same level of lazy writing. If Freeform wants to get on the level with CW, it's not going to be enough for them to be more "edgy" (and they’re barely edgy as it is), they also need to work out the kinks in their story-telling. That's where their real problem lies.

And Clary, for whatever reason, can resist the Mortal Sword which, eww. Mary Sue attacks again. I get that this episode was attempting to exposit information to the Clave so our characters are on a time crunch. But it was completely unnecessary for Clary to have this ability to be able to resist the sword and just further pushes her into the Mary Sue archetype. At this point, we get it. Clary is strong and amazing. The show's really laying this theme on thick. You would have to have an IQ of -900 not to have picked up on that Clary is supposed to be strong. Seriously, what does this show have against allowing Clary to be vulnerable? Even in her emotional moments, she lacks vulnerability. Because even when she cries, she's still perceived as better than everyone else because she has the audacity to show how she's feeling. That her feelings is what makes her better than everyone else. Clary eventually, in probably her biggest Mary Sue moment ever, is able to push the sword away from her and tells the Clave she's happy she used the wish. Because it stops anyone else from being able to use it to destroy the downworlders. And I can't help but feel she's making a lot of assumptions about the Clave here. That if they were to ever use the wish, she believes that they'll use it to rid everyone of demon blood. The only one who's guilty of that is Valentine. She has no idea if the Clave made a wish, it would include downworlders. It might but it might not. It's all in how you word the wish. 

But at the end of the episode, Jia Penhallow (Aline's mother) asks Clary if she has any final words before she places punishment and Clary asks Jia to think if it were Aline, and Jia was in the same situation, wouldn't she have done it for Aline? And Jia just verbally bitch smacks Clary by stating no, she wouldn't have. Because she understands that there's things in this world bigger than her and her daughter. That being a shadowhunter is about sacrifice. I'm not too fond of the overarching theme that shadowhunters aren't allowed to feel which seems to be what's driving this scene (honestly that particular theme can curl up and die in Season 1) but I do like the idea that despite Jia loving her daughter, she would let her daughter go if she had to weigh her daughter against the fate of the entire world. And Clary has always kind of scoffed at the idea of shadowhunters "being dead inside" as she so blatantly stated once in Season 1. She views it as a flaw within their society and in certain aspects, it is a flaw. Love can make you stronger and them shutting emotion out completely is a bad thing that I hate that the show decided to implement but when it comes to doing what's right and helping the most amount of people which is what shadowhunters exist for, you have to accept that sometimes sacrifices are necessary. And shadowhunters live a life where dying young is something that's expected and they come to terms with it at a very young age. They respect that in order to save the world, they may have to give everything up. That's the cost for the power they received. So in that respect, I do like what Jia is saying here and it's definitely something Clary needs to hear. Hopefully, this will spur some much necessary character development Clary’s way.

Then Jia sentences Clary to death and of course the show chooses the most dramatic punishment possible. Honestly, I feel like death is the wrong punishment to give here. It's kind of giving Clary the easy way out (not that I believe for a second that Clary is actually going to die) but if it were me, I would want Clary to survive to watch the repercussions of her actions. For her to see the world be seeped into hopeless despair. That's the kind of punishment I would give Clary. For her to see just how much her actions could have destroyed the world. But like I said, this whole death sentence scene is completely moot because we all know she's gong to escape. 

I know this section turned into a bit of a rant but to be clear, I do appreciate what this plot accomplishes i.e. the Clave finding out about Jace and Clary being put in a tight situation however I do not appreciate what it does for Clary as a character. I was hoping for some character growth but it doesn't look like we're going to get it. 

Simon/Maia/Jordan Love Triangle in Full Swing

Now that I've finished with my rant lets get on to another thing I liked. I really enjoyed how the Simon/Maia/Jordan love triangle played out. It was awkward when it needed to be, it was dramatic when it needed to be. Really the only thing I wish the show had done more of was develop Simon and Jordan's bromance a little more. Because it really feels like they've known each other for at most a week. If we take the Maia drama out of the mix, it feels a little contrived that Simon feels this betrayed over a guy he barely knows. Also, I’m sad that it looks like the Jace/Jordan/Simon bromance isn't actually going to play out. Damn you, writers. You had a chance to actually make your show fun and interesting and you blew it because you insist on covering two books a season when it isn't necessary. Just slow down and have fun with the characters. Why are the writers in such a rush to get through the books? They don't have the rights to The Dark Artifices/Shadowhunter Academy/Bane Chronicles. They only have The Infernal Devices and I find it highly unlikely Freeform is willing to produce a period drama. And if the show's attempt at original characters is anything to go by, I really don't have a lot of faith that they can pull off their own original story arcs. At least not in the interesting way Vampre Diaries and The 100 manage. 

I really liked how Maia's drama with Jordan unfolded. It's true. It would be so much easier for Maia to hate Jordan if he was still the same person that left her bleeding out in the woods. But he isn't and she's having a lot of problems dealing with this. And I do enjoy seeing this sort of complexity with these characters. It's not something this show is very good with. So when it does happen, it's always a real treat. Hopefully, the show won’t drop the ball on this.

Time To Talk About Lillith

It's that time again. I guess I have to summon up a section to talk about Lillith, the blandest of the bland. Her blandness even rivals Show Valentine's. Also it would be nice if Lillith would stop sucking as a villain. She keeps on failing in her plans and it’s really difficult for me to take her seriously. She's basically the Rita Repulsa of Shadowhunters.

So first off, what is going on with Ollie? Is she possessed or is her blood tainted? I really can't tell. If she was possessed, why would she be surprised by the power Lillith has? But I suppose the real question is when will Ollie die already? Seriously, just have her fall off a building or something at this point. I don't care. Just get rid of her. She's a boring character and stop wasting screen time on her and give that screen time to characters I actually care about. I don't even care that she's an LGBT character. She does nothing I care about. And honestly, I really hate it when LGBT characters are put into a book or show just to make a statement about how progressive they are. I love having LGBT characters but I only want them to be in the story if they contribute to the narrative. If they have little to no place within the story, I want them gone. All I care about is them as characters. If you're not going to do anything with them, then what's the point? And I feel the same way in regards to hetero characters. If you don't add anything to the story, I want you gone.

Let's talk about this business with the seelie queen. So Lillith attackes the seelie queen's knights because she wants the seelie queen to take the mark off Simon. And I actually like the idea that the seelie queen's reasoning for marking Simon was to protect him because the seelies believe in protecting those who are unique. It makes sense. They're immortal so they need unique creatures to pass the time. But I really don't like how weak the seelie queen was protrayed here. I don't think it's in character for her at all. Even if she's beaten, she's still 5 steps ahead of everyone. She's immortal, basically ageless, she knows she'll get her revenge. She's patient. I couldn't get behind this moment because it didn't feel like the seelie queen. It just felt very convenient and didn't align at all with the character we’ve seen previously.

And the episode ends with Lillith escaping with Jace. Nice to know my prediction this weekend was corrcet. Owl Jace did escape and it was for dumb and contrived reasons. I'm very disappointed in you, show. Quit being so predictable.

Overall, even though it felt like I ranted about a few things, I did enjoy this episode in a way I haven't enjoyed the show in a while. It wasn't good, it wasn't bad, but I could tolerate it. It had some nice character moments which I lived for and bits of the plot weren't half bad. Truthfully, if the show spent a little more time building up their character dynamics, this episode might've been able to move me to tears. I'd probably give this episode a B- to B. Like an 84%. Not bad at all. Next week is the two hour finale so those episodes better be good. I can barely focus on this show for 42 minutes. These episodes better be something special to warrant airing the episodes 9 and 10 back to back.

As always, I'm open to discuss this episode with anyone. Did you agree? Did you disagree? Just remember these are my thoughts and opinions. I'm not telling you how to think and feel. I'm telling you what I think and feel. I don't police anyone on fandom so I expect that you don't police me and we'll get along fine.

[princeyogurt]

Real Ghosts

Ghost stories seem to follow me wherever I go. I've heard a lot of them and I've been through a couple myself. Whenever I am getting ready to tell a few to a new listener I usually start with something I read in a book by Glen Grant. This is the jist of it... Why do we get chicken skin when we hear ghost stories? You tell a funny story, nothing. You talk about the traffic, nope. Perhaps you get a tickle here and there but never the same chill down your spine that you get from something scary. There is a good reason for this. It is said that whenever you tell a ghost story, nearby spirits will gather around to listen. The chill you feel is from their presence. As for many things when dealing with supernatural tales, you'll have to just take my word for the fact that I've had 'experiences'. But spend some time allowing me to explain how I was able to convince myself that these things actually happened and maybe you'll believe in my ghosts too: Friend: http://www.blumhouse.com/2017/03/20/this-footage-of-a-morgue-door-slamming-by-itself-is-the-creepiest-thing-youll-see-today/ I mean, chances are it's not real. But it's pretty rad. Me: Right around 1:08 the flashlight goes right over a fishing wire looking string in the hinge of the door. Otherwise, it's a cool story. If I had created this gag, the door and lights would have been less repetitive and more randomized. Also, I would have given them one good jump scare right when they got up close to it. Gotta bring it a little harder. Nice effort though. I am the last person that wants to discredit a good scare, but this one was rather obvious. I'd be happy to share a video that I believe to be genuine ghost footage if that sort of thing interests you... Friend: Yes pleassssse Me: https://youtu.be/g428ZB1KrgE It doesn't seem like much... but I have my reasons. Friend: Do tell Me: This is a clip from Syfy's 'Destination Truth'. I watched this show religiously. Not because it was any good. Let's just say it was on my queue. (I watched all the ghost shows.) I actually found the host to be a real jerk to people in other countries and seemed to be blatantly acting (poorly, at that) when reacting to "events". Total fake show, but a good time waster none the less. This episode (Season 2, episode 11) in Aokigahara Forest was different however. Aokigahara is a Japanese forest famous for people commiting suicide... a 'haunted forest' from the description. You've probably heard about it. If not, Vice did a good documentary on it. There is manga and movies related to the subject as well. Located under the shadow of Mt. Fuji, It is a well known and troubling fact that it is the second most popular location in the world to commit suicide. The first being The Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. People go there, camp out for a few days and find a place to end their life. It is believed that the forest became morbidly romanticized as a suicide spot in a popular novel called 'Kuroi Jukai' (roughly translated: Black Sea of Trees) where two lovers commit joint suicide together. The forest is also infamous for being very easy to get lost in as the trees grow thick and twisted on an uneven landscape and it is a massive area. This is a genuinely creepy place. Here is a very informative article on the subject for your purusal... http://lifeforaforest.com/tag/kuroi-jukai/ Anyways, back to that ghost show. There is a scene where the host told the camera guy to stop filming just in case something too inappropriate for t.v. was found and he proceeded to go further into the area. Just prior to this moment, they had found an abandoned campsite containing some personal belongings including a wallet and some other effects. This is typically a bad sign because that means the occupant may have come there to die and had since left the area to do so. It also suggests that the caretakers of the forest haven't been to this spot to clean up the area. So at the time of filming, the crew were probably the first to discover this campsite. The host seemed to suspect these things but proceeded anyway. When he returned to the cameraman, the look of fear on his face was troubling. Sickly and ashen... totally at a loss for words. They didnt say what happened, or perhaps didn't have the heart to, but it seems to me that he saw the dead body of a recent suicide. This was the first time watching this show where I saw the host showing a genuine emotion. Besides further discrediting every other episode he ever did, it was very revealing and intriguing at the same time. They headed back immediately to their base camp seemingly ready to just be done filming for the night. The act was over. They were way out of their element. While all this was going on, one guy was left alone back at base camp. He had set up a ring of cameras in a clearing to get a view from all sides of himself in the center. I think this was in part because they knew they weren't alone in the forest, having encountered some college students with headlamps that were on an exploration to find dead people... for fun. So having cameras pointed in all directions while being by yourself must have given some comfort in a somewhat hazardous situation. He was already dead silent and bug-eyed with anxious attentiveness staring into his screens looking for any sign of movement... when he saw the ghost. As he captured that footage he looked paralyzed. He just gawked. Once again, genuine emotion... fear. The video clip I posted above begins when the host and crew are returning to the base camp. The host says it was freaky out there and the guy at base camp says he caught something weird on the camera. They all watch and watch it again. It is a white misty figure, as the video description says, that seems to rise up out of the ground and sit back down until it dissappears. I believe the cast were all genuinely shocked during this filming and that the footage is also genuine. I say this not because I am easily convinced of this sort of thing, because I am not, but because I have seen this same phenomenon with my own eyes. I usually would have simply brushed this off as a camera trick or fx... but watching this ghost on film reminded me of a personal experience. Upon my first viewing of this episode, I was just as terrified as the people on the show. It validated something I had partially written off as an over-active imagination. Something broke inside my head and made me say to myself, "It was real." Having this knowledge thrust upon myself was troubling. I will explain why this had me so shaken up and why anyone reading this should be wary, especially if you've had an experience similar to mine. (The video isn't the best quality so I highly recommend watching this from a dvd or a good stream, you can judge for yourself after you see it more clearly. But for now, hear me out.) Long before I watched this episode, I was working at a little coffee shop at 225 Bush St. in San Francisco. Since I worked there the location has gone through many different companies. However, there is still a coffee shop there in case you're in the area and wanting to see it for yourself. It was a very tall, beautiful, art deco style building which is a common thing in S.F. Besides having to walk through the empty foggy streets during the small hours of morning to open shop... the store itself wasn't that weird. The basement, however, was a bit ominous. This may not seem relevant, but I want to explain a little about the San Francisco underground as I have some random first-hand encounters with it. As far as I know, I have never met anyone really knowledgeable about the underground passages beneath the streets and old buildings. Having lived and worked there my whole life, you'd think someone would have broached the subject once or twice. Maybe the lack of knowledge is because a lot of buildings built after the big earthquake just walled up the entrances and the new tenants just never saw them. It's kind of an enigma to me and it makes me believe my experiences may be somewhat unique. My late cousin was always getting involved in these weird tech start-ups in the 90's when the internet was still experimental. These companies would buy out large historic warehouses, get them up to code, and set up shop for a few years. His endeavors were always way over my head, but getting to walk around these dingy time-capsules before construction had started was interesting. This one building in particular had a large lower level that stretched underneath the sidewalk. You could see people's feet passing overhead in the ceiling where these little glass circles were laid into the street above. Another level down was the basement. This is where it got strange. It looked like a normal creepy warehouse basement. Dusty, dead rats, poor lighting... etc. While I was fascinated by each illegible scrap of century old paper, my cousin didn't seem very interested in the museum of debris. He wanted to show me something the rest of the crew hadn't seen yet. We walked around a few dark corners and he flicked a lightswitch on inside an old storage closet. Behind some mildewy boxes was a hidden door that led into some weird underground tunnels. He said he hadn't gone inside but said it had been locked up for a long time and he was the only one with the key. Not knowing much about it, he had held off exploring it, at least until he had some good flashlights. You could tell he had thought a lot about it already. The entrance was covered by a ratty piece of wood with rusty hardware and was slanted at an odd angle. It had tiny, uneven steps leading downward. The inside was dark and the clay-like cement seemed like it was shaped by hand. I saw a path that just disappeared into nothing. As I pondered into the gloom, the worst feeling came over me. Where the rest of the building was just a bit old and dirty, this room was just menacing. I couldn't explain the bad feeling... it was an overwhelming dread. Eventually my cousin asked if I was interested in checking it out with him when he got more equipment. He seemed uncomfortable asking his co-workers and was anxious about going inside alone. I said it wasn't an ideal afternoon getaway and refused. He locked it back up and we went to lunch. I forgot all about that day until a decade or so later when I was on a date in the city. I was shopping with my lady for Christmas decorations at a fancy ornament store. A friend had told me about a nice cheese shop nearby and we walked over to check it out. It had been a long day of exploring the city, and we anticipated a bit of traffic on the ride home so I decided to ask about a restroom before going back to the car. An employee pointed me in the right direction... behind a curtain at the back of the store, down some stairs to the only door on the right. As I headed down, I was about to turn the knob into the bathroom when a dark sensation washed over me. All of a sudden it felt like someone had turned a furnace on full blast. There was no vents anywhere which meant it was just my nerves. Wondering what was causing me to have such a fearful reaction, my eyes became fixated on the path in front of me. The stairs kept going down at an odd angle past the bathroom door. I followed them out of pure curiosity about my fear. It was uncanny... the odd shaped doorway, the tiny stairs. It was an entrance to the underground. It had to be. Seeing this freaked me out badly for some reason. Everything was painted nicely and they probably just modified it to have a cold cellar for wine or whatever. But, hell... I couldn't wait to get out of there. It was a very, very freaky feeling. I left the store on wobbly legs. My lady was perplexed by my behavior but I couldn't shake off the anxiety until I was well away from the store. Once we were in the car I explained what I had seen and how it reminded me of the basement in my cousin's building. We both agreed it was a little strange but we both ultimately shrugged it off and headed home. In the past, I had been prone to panic attacks and would occasionally get an eerie feeling that someone was watching me when I was all alone. I had gotten very used to these events and had adapted myself to gain control of my emotions. I would also see shadows that looked like people. These would appear in places like inside windows and dark, cluttered areas, mainly just out of sight. A part of myself had learned to just ignore it and attributed them to day dreaming and anxieties. Just don't focus on it, I'd say to myself. I would not let my emotions overcome logical sense. It was normal. But, no matter how good I became at being able to just go about my day without paying attention to these things, they still persisted. If any of this seems like something you've also experienced... please pay attention. So, at the coffee shop on Bush st. I was the opening manager. While the barista prepared coffee and pastries, I did the inventory and grabbed supplies for the rest of the day. This place was small, no office, no equipment room. Therefore, all the supplies were stored in the basement. The only way to access the basement was with the freight elevator. I'd have to ask the security guard to buzz me down and he would just silently regard me with a curt, brooding nod... and off I went. For some awful reason, every damn time, the elevator had to first go up one floor and then proceed two floors down in order to get to the basement. To this day I still think it was just the security guard having a bit of fun at my expense. Pressing an extra button out of boredom, sending me to the 2nd floor... what a goof. But then again, maybe the elevator was just wired funny. Perhaps he always pressed the right button, but it just did what it wanted to. That explanation makes me think that his somber nod was more out of concern than out of complacency. Remember, this was usually around 5am, the world was still dark and the 2nd floor was darker. Every time the elevator door opened onto that stagnant, unoccupied hallway, it felt like an infinity before the door would close again. My panic sense always perked up in those moments. In my head, over and over again, I imagined a pale corpse-like hand catching open the door at the last second, bringing me face to face with unknown horrors. Trapped and insane with fright, the unnaturally elongated arm approached... This obviously never happened, but you see how an overactive imagination works now? Happy thoughts, right? When finally proceeding to the basement, I was usually laughing at myself. The basement, which was very clean and well furnished if not a little plain, opened up to a small U-shaped room that attached to an open hallway. From there it split off for about 100 ft. in both directions. It was dimly lit only from the glowing exit signs near the elevator. This left deep stationary shadows at either end of the long halls. In order to get to the storage area I had to walk about 25 ft. into the dark hallway and turn left into an unlit room which served as an employee area: large kitchen area, locker room and some storage closets. Once I flicked on the light in that room, the gloom dissipated and I could finally see where I was going. At some point in the future, I would love to tell you how that manual light switch would randomly fail as I took a few steps into the employee lounge, thrusting me once again into complete darkness. And about the little black figure with long hair that poked it's head out from the locker room doorway and stared at me while trying to unlock the storage room. But, so many stories... so little time. What really bothered me was that first long hallway I had to walk down. Whenever I walked into that hallway I felt that someone was there with me. A real 'eyes on your back' tingling feeling. Absolutely no one was in the building at this hour, but nonetheless, I had a vivid, lurking presence of eyes watching me intently. Having a little experience with this sort of feeling and trying to stay rational, I surmised that I could have easily just been freaking myself out. I am a decent skeptic. The qualities of a good skeptic when dealing with the unknown require that they will always question and seek out the truth, while never, ever discounting the possibility of something actually being paranormal. In other words, stay open-minded but don't blindly believe either. If you maintain this mentality, the truth has a way of letting itself be known to you. As I had trained myself to do over the years, I made a conscious decision to not look directly at the spot where the feeling was coming from. I did this for weeks. Until one day... curiosity got the best of me. I couldn't shake the possibility that something ghostly was actually staring at me from the end of the shadowy hallway. It was an instinctual feeling... a survival mechanism. Every morning when I passed it to grab supplies, it nagged at me. This particular morning, I was feeling a bit brave. I just casually decided to poke at the unknown and see what I would see. So... I paused. Standing dead still, I slowly craned my head upward and looked into that shadowy corner... ...and it looked back at me. Huddled in that corner was just a simple shadow. A shadow I had seen dozens of times. I knew it's shape and it's hue. But as I stared, something primal clicked inside of me, I felt it acknowledge me. Then it moved. I stood perplexed as the huddled mass rose into a small, vaguely human figure... then a tall dark figure... then a dark figure towering all the way up to the ceiling. Fear. Just fear. I don't remember walking to the elevator doors, I only remember mashing the buttons and praying that door would close as fast as possible. My ears rang and my heart struggled to keep up with my breathing. I imagined that the door would open to the same floor over and over again. I felt the shadowy thing growing larger and larger as it came down the hall. It was beyond terrifying. The elevator worked optimally, at least my body pressed the right buttons at the right time whether or not I remembered pressing anything at the time. I emerged out of the ghastly vacuous unknown and back into the real world. Once back in the store I told my co-worker that we didn't need any cups today, but if he wanted to go get some then he was on his own. I gave him my key. I got over the incident rather quickly. Like I said before, I wasn't wholly convinced I had actually seen anything until watching that episode. The white figure in Aokigahara Forest could have been a carbon copy of my ghost. That is why I knew it was a real ghost. I tried to avoid the storage room until there were people around and the lights were turned on. I never looked into that corner again though. Months later the store got shut down for district-wide downsizing. On the last day my manager (now my close friend) told me the store was haunted. I had never told him of the wierd things that I had seen prior to that point. I almost slapped him for not telling me sooner but he explained that he didn't want to scare me, having lost employees in the past due to strange events. I got him to tell me everything. Before I started working there, his now girlfriend and another girl were closing the store. After setting the alarm, they stepped out in front of the large store windows to chat. When they glanced inside the store, a man was standing behind the cash register smiling at them. They were rightfully creeped out and called the cops. With police escort they re-entered the store. The alarm was still engaged and there was no one inside. The cameras didn't show anything either. They found nothing. The girlfriend changed stores soon after that and the other girl quit the next day. There was also the guy who's position I took over. He was eating his lunch in the employee lounge when a soda can rolled to his feet from the locker room when he was eating lunch. He figured it just rolled off of a shelf back there and he dutifully put it back on the shelf and returned to his meal. A few minutes later, the can quietly rolled back to his foot. He ended his lunch early and eventually ended his employment. My boss said that he had a similar thing happen to him in the break room. He was sensitive to spiritual things but didn't want to be, which is one of the main reasons I believe him. He also had had the lights turn off on him randomly. At that point I told him about my experiences. We became fast friends after that. This experience opened my eyes and taught me to trust my instincts. The subconscious is a powerful tool that helps you decide things without you realizing it. It can save your life. I have since recounted all of the times I had been brushed by the supernatural and found validity over and over again. I cannot with certainty convince myself otherwise anymore. This is just one story of mine. I can only imagine what awful thing lived in the tunnels my cousin found. He never spoke of it again to me. But I know he must have gone down there... This is my warning to you... Believe or don't believe, but if you have no intention on coming face to face with the unknown... please do not look outside of your peripheral vision. Do not focus in on the spot that the feeling is coming from. But if you do... if curiosity overcomes you... perhaps you'll have your own ghost story to tell. And I'll be waiting to listen to them. Be safe out there in the unknown good friends.

[hemlockdumpling]

2016 Anime Challenge ~ December (Part 2 of 2)

Despicable Me 2

Warning first off, I'm not a Minion Nut. If you've ever worked a place where Minion stuff is a thing, you find the little yellow troublemakers outstay their welcome after a bit. That out the way, Despicable Me 2 is the sequel that sees former villain, Gru, being recruited by the Anti-Villain League to find out who stole a secret laboratory. Silly hi-jinks ensue. The first Despicable Me film was funny with a whole lot of heart given the role of the children in the story. The sequel is similar in the sense that there are plenty of comedy moments, but also sweet moments, making Gru a surprisingly sympathetic figure. Enjoyable watch.

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Diamond is Unbreakable It's safe to say 2016 was the Year of JoJo for me. I easily smashed through everything from Phantom Blood onward and all the way to Diamond is Unbreakable right at the year's end, allowing me to catch up with this highly entertaining series. Following the Stardust Crusaders arc, Diamond is Unbreakable tells the story of Josuke Higashikata (our new JoJo) and his group of Stand busting friends hunting a serial killer in the seemingly blissful town of Morioh.

Trying hard not to think Persona 4, another super colorful show about MURDER.

This was not helped by the fact one of the antagonists in Diamond Is Unbreakable was voiced by Showtaro Morikubo.

The voice behind Yosuke Hanamura of Persona 4.

Many lulz ensued.

Like the previous arcs, expect plenty of entralling action, surprisingly heartfelt moments and characters you root for in the face of adversity. My personal favourite from Diamond is probably Reimi Sugimoto, and I was heart broken seeing Joseph again. He's probably my favourite Joestar to date, so seeing the way he is in Diamond put me in a Glass Case of Emotion to say the least. Seeing Jotaro again was a blast and our villain of the piece made for a chilling story.

Like I said before, everything is super colourful in this one, which I feel enhances the terrifying reality of a serial killer living in such a peaceful looking town. The story did take its time to get to the gripping part for me, but when it does, consider yourself thoroughly gripped. The opening themes were in a league all of their own, especially if you take not of all the little references that JoJo Themes are known for.

I'm already hyped for more animated JoJo.

Final Fantasy: Kingslaive An anime prequel to Final Fantasy XV, Kingslaive offers us insight into the events of the first chapter, focusing on King Regis, Lady Lunafreya and elite guard, Nyx Ulric as, lol spoilers, the treaty doesn't go the way they hoped and chaos happens. It was interesting getting to see events that happen off screen in the game, the unsteady ceasefire between the Lucian family and Nilfheim, the invasion of Tenebrae, the assault on the Crown City and the subject of the treatment of refugees from the outskirts of Lucis (a very interesting story that never really gets developed much outside this film, which is a shame.) We get to see the regal awesome of King Regis, really at his best here, and the character of Nyx, who is actually very interesting and sadly also doesn't get expanded on outside this film.

Kingslaive was an enjoyable watch and fleshed out events that I would have love to have seen more of in game. It gave greater context to important events and made for a good companion piece with Brotherhood.

Ace Attorney To clear the air a little bit, I should open up about my conflicted feelings about the production team behind this one, A-1 Pictures. This is a studio that has produced some good anime over the years, but I feel dropped the ball on projects I was so excited for and ended up disappointed with (big case in point, Persona 4 The Golden Animation.) However, also in 2016, it gave us - in co-production with Squeenix - the Brotherhood: Final Fantasy XV episodes, which I loved because they brought much needed expansion to the story.

With that said, I was concerned when approaching the Ace Attorney animation, also produced by A-1 Pictures. I prayed for the best, but feared treatment much like P4TGA. What I ultimately got was sort of what I expected, though it's still watchable. Ace Attorney gives the animated treatment to cases from the first and second Phoenix Wright games, though sadly one of the most memorable is absent. From Larry Butz on trial to a supernatural Fey family mystery, our loveable Defense Attorney takes to the stand to back up a colourful cast of characters accused of murder.

For anyone who's played the games, you know Ace Attorney has a cracking sense of humour, spot on dramatic build up and the best soundtrack for defending justice to. The animated series does do justice (see what I did there?) to the comedy element and the WINDS OF JUSTICE special effect whenever someone pushes the pressure on another in court is a great touch to the drama, but something still feels off about the whole affair. It's a similar feeling I got when I watched the first Danganronpa anime because it's quite hard to nail the kind of experience you get playing games like these (with court cases, presenting evidence and the way information is slowly unravelled or in some cases, blown out there) to watching it all unfold on screen. I think a part of that is beause it feels less personal, because it's not you in the shoes of the protagonist sleuth, actively investigating everything yourself, so sometimes the glorious experience of cracking a breakthrough on your own skill or blowing a case wide open with that perfect music is hard to replicate in any other form. Sometimes, Ace Attorney and other shows like it seem quite bland in the way the case presents itself because the twists and turnabouts aren't yours, really, anymore and the presentation isn't the same. Having said that, if you want an anime of Phoenix Wright, it's here. You've got it. It even has a touching episode focused on Phoenix, Larry and Miles as children, which actually develops them and shows what drives their motivations as adults.

Also, Red White breaking into English at random? Hilarious.

I feel it could have been better at times, but it was still an enjoyable way to pass the time.