#I’m watching the new Australian season and they be so ANNOYING

[pixiesfz]

It make me so sad that’s there is not much lotte or Teagan content on here 😭

I’m gonna mix my two requests for teagan together!!

take the punch t.m

plot: you take a hard punch in a corner kick, turns out it’s from the girl you’ve been talking to for months.

warnings: injury, aggression from teammates, Player gets hit in the face and player is only given a yellow also I am NOT a doctor

You stared at your phone and the messages that were on it.

More specifically the girl behind the messages.

You had met Teagan at the start of the season on her debut as Liverpools goal keeper.

She had been a pain in your ass.

saving your shots left right and centre, it annoyed you but impressed you so much that you went up to her afterwards.

“Teagan is it?” You ask, walking up to her and she nodded “uh yeah, your y/n” she responded and you nodded “you know your really good” you told her “wasn’t fun for me but you know” you laugh and she laughed with you.

“I was honestly very scared to go against you” she admitted and you rose your eyebrows “really?” You ask and she nodded “watched you in the World Cup when Australia versed you, got those goals past us like it was nothing”

Oh yes, you remember that day.

“Sorry for kicking you guys out” you said softly and she shook her head “nah it’s all good, had me mesmerised to be honest”

You blushed, “yeah?” you ask and the goal keeper nodded “definitely”.

Before you could response you felt the hands of your teammate drag you away “Chloe!” You complained as she smiled at you

“No fraternising with the enemy y/n/n”

“Shut up”.

When you went to bed that night you didn’t expect to wake up to a dm from the Australian.

‘I really hope this is your account and not just a very popular fan account’

And for the first time in a while you woke up with a smile.

After a month or so of talking online with the girl your teammates noticed a change in your behaviour.

You were smiling in the morning, trying new things for breakfast and pestering Mary and Alanna for Australian facts.

One day Alanna turned towards you “Alright who is it?”

“Who is what?”

“Who is the girl that is getting you all…giddy”

You stepped back “there is no girl”

“There is such a girl, who knew our little German could find love?” She grinned and pulled you into a loving headlock.

“Fine” you grunted “there is a girl” you admitted and cheers filled the room.

“Who is it?”

“Does she play?”

“Do we know her?”

“Please don’t let it be a physio”

You turned to Jill weirdly “what?” You asked and she just shrugged before you turned back to your teammates.

“I’m not going to tell her name yet just in case it doesn’t go well, yes she plays and yes some of you know her well”

You gave away your hints before the team realised it could literally be anyone in the WSL.

“Can you at least tell us the team?” Mary asked, using her power of being one of the younger, cuter members of the squad.

“No.”

You were on a FaceTime with the Australian when she made the first move “Do you want to go on another date with me?” She asked after the topic of your worst date ever came up.

You smiled bright, a blush burning on your cheeks but you were so ever happy “I would love to, we can walking on the beach again”.

“Well we have the Liverpool vs City game coming up next week so after that” she declared “nah, I was thinking something fancier, we can go on a nice dinner and-“

“I want you to surprise me” you cut her off “I want to know what your creative Australian mind thinks of”

“Well mostly it’s you” she chimed in and you groaned, rolling your eyes “oh shut up”

Teagan laughed at your reaction, smiling at the way you reacted to her cheesy pick up lines.

Texts back and forth between the two of you did not help your nerves for the game ahead of you. But mostly you were more nervous for the activities afterwards.

You had ended up confiding to your national teammate Lena about your situation ship with the Aussie, not letting your club teammates know just yet.

But when the game ends and the girls see you walking out the doors with Teagan they'll find out who your mystery girl is anyway so with your blood rushing and head spinning you finally and well accidently tell your man city teammate and unfortunately Teagan's international teammate Mary.

"Really?" she responds to your quick words as you laid them out quickly, you just blushed harder before she gives you a thinking face "well that makes sense".

You furrow your brows "how-why- how does it make sense?" you ask, your arms moving with your words "well last international break she seemed much happier and that was after we versed Liverpool and if we weren't at trainings she was like stuck on her phone"

You stepped back at your friends words, You and Teagan had only successfully been able to go on one date together by the time the first international break came over, it brough a smile to your face realizing that she was in a similar state as you afterwards.

"I can help you two!"

"Mary I will not allow this to become a primary school relationship!"

Soon the game was here, you were lined up with your team in the tunnel, not in the starting XI but still in your gear as a sub. Mary was behind you, still the only teammate who knew about Teagan.

"look who's watching" she teased and you turned red, quickly turning around and smacking her arm "stop" you instructed and turned towards Teagan who was near the front of her line, she was already smiling at your interaction with Mary but gave you a small wave which you copied before you all walked out.

"that hurt" Mary rubbed her arm "deal with it".

You weren't subbed on until the second half, City were up by one as Lauren sent one through Teagan's fingers and into the net. You saw Teagan dust herself off as you ran on, her eyes fell on you for a second before going back onto the play which you joined in on quickly after.

Jess had scored not long after and you cheered after her, jumping onto her back with a smile. You wanted to look back to Teagan to see if she was doing okay but you were in your element, playing the sport you love and in this case winning!

In the 87th minute Kerstin weaved through the midfield and in between defenders as you lead towards the goal, her eyes darted towards you and sent you the ball, you jumped to header it in and then black.

The crowd watched as you jumped in the air, the ball hitting the front of your forehead and unfortunately the fist of Teagan's hands hitting the back, causing you to fall forward straight on the floor which you stayed.

Teagan all of a sudden didn't care about the ball that hit the back of the net and quickly dropped down to you, rolling you on your back so you faced up to her. "Oh my god-"

Teagan was cut off as your teammates pulled her away "Get off of her Micah" someone called out, Mary, cringing on the sidelines as she couldn't split her teammates and her friend apart. The words were catching your ears as you stirred awake to whatever had just happened to you.

Teagan ignored the man city players pesters and kept her eyes on you "please I just want to see if she's okay" she told them but Alanna pulled her back as medics ran on "Teagan she's not going to want to see you" she told her and Teagan crossed her head "I was supposed to ask her to be my girlfriend tonight" she told Alanna and the tall Australian stepped back and looked back over to you with wide eyes.

"let her go over".

Teagan ran over to you as the medics sat you up, The referee also showing her a yellow card but she didn't care.

"Hmm- Teags" you slurred as the girl came into your view "what happened?" you ask and the girl pursed her lips.

"Kinda punched you in the face"

"Oh" you said, not really gaining the information, a clear concussion on your behalf

Teagan watched as you were taken off by medics and went back into her box, the game quickly changed in the last ten minutes, the crowd was quiet and the teams weren't playing as hard, Liverpool excepting their defeat and man city not celebrating their win.

Not without you.

You were taken into the medics room before they quickly decided to take you to the hospital for a CT scan.

Meanwhile at the game, some of the players skipped the walk around the field to talk with fans and checked to see where you were. Hospital was what word was heard and Teagan along-side with Man city players were on their way.

Teagan drove herself, maybe going a bit faster than usual but you were on her mind, this was her fault.

She had had a concussion before, a bad concussion, it took her out for months on the team. She didn't want the same for you.

She was the first to arrived still in her kit, your teammates walked in five minutes later, quickly seeing the girl and walking up to her "you don't have to take pity on her" Kerstin said, Lauren quickly following "a quick DM would have been fine for her", their words were filled with pettiness which Alanna and Mary quickly shut down.

"They're not strangers" Mary said quickly and they all turned their heads "what?" Chloe questioned, Leia still stepping up to the Goal keeper "then what are they?"

"She's the girl".

Leia stepped back as Chloe gasped "oh my god, we are so sorry" Teagan just nodded, she ignored their comments her mind strictly on you "she was gonna tell you today after the game"

"before you punched her"

"useful information, thankyou Mary"

All the girls sat down, waiting for you "do you think she'll be mad?" Teagan asked Alanna who shook her head "she knows what she signed up for when she took that header, she knows the game" the blonde said and Teagan just nodded, still not convinced you wont cuss her out when you see her.

You sat in the room, looking at the scans, you would have a month off which you nodded your head at "I know it's not ideal but you have to be on a bed rest for about a week and you will have to miss the next international break for Germany" the doctor told you and you once again nodded your head.

"But you will be well enough for the Olympic but if you don't make it to the finals then you'll be out until the end of the season"

You sniffed, rolling your head back to stop any tears. You were sure Man city would make it to the finals with how they were playing, but if you missed a month you weren't sure if you would get any minutes on the film.

You had seen how time off had done for others, you didn't want that to be you.

You walked out of the room looking defeated as ever, your teammates were the first to walk to you, checking up on you with little questions before Kerstin gave you a hug, silently apologizing for her kick which you told her was not her fault.

It was nobodies fault.

When they all walked away, Mary softly turned your head towards the Liverpool keeper who had left to grab flowers from one of the stalls nearby.

"I thought you would have gone home" you said, relieved at the sight of her "and go to the dinner by myself?" she joked and you softly laughed.

You touched the back of your head "I don't think I look nice enough for a fancy dinner right now" you said and Teagan stepped forward her arm raising towards yours "Well personally I think you look amazing"

You blushed as she she tucked your hair you had taken out behind your ear "how long are you out for?" she asked "only a month" you smiled "that's really good Y/n" she started before looking down "I'm really sorry I just wasn't thinking and-"

You cut her off y quickly pecking her lips, distracting her completely as she widened her eyes "I don't blame you Teagan" you said, grabbing the flowers with one hand and grabbing her other hand with the other.

"So you're not mad?"

You creased your eyebrows "of course not" she let out a sigh of relief "well that's good, might have to cancel our plans though" she said and you smirked "how bout we order take out at mine?"

"yeah?"

"yes."

#woso #woso soccer #woso x reader #woso community #matildas #teagan micah #teagan micah x reader #liverpool #mancity

[thevoiceinyourheadx]

@wheresarizona you tag me? In a...thing? An actual non taglist thing? 🥹🥹 You absolutely made my day! ❤️

Honestly I am waaaay too excited about this 😂 but I feel like a real member of the community now! 🥹

1. are you named after anyone?

Kinda? I was almost named after a medieval queen, because my mum is a huge history nerd, but apparently my nan vetoed it. (Kinda glad she did, because there were at least 6 other girls with that name in my year) So I ended up with a less common version. And my middle names (I have too many...) are all after family members

2. when was the last time you cried?

I mean, I came pretty close when I was tagged to do this (because I have no friends 😅).

But the last time I cried was yesterday (because I have no friends 😭 let's just say the covid years have not been kind to me)

3. do you have kids?

I have a fur baby! But no human children

4. do you use sarcasm a lot?

Me? Never!

5. what’s the first thing you notice about people?

I'd say it's probably people's facial expression, or their eyes

6. what’s your eye colour?

I have two tone eyes - blue with a green ring inside! I'm very fond of my eyes

7. scary movies or happy endings?

I am a baby, so happy endings all the way. My anxiety way too high for scary movies and life already sucks, so let's see some Happily Ever Afters, thank you!

8. any special talents?

Figuring out the twist in movies 🤣 Part of the reason I love Glass Onion so much is that I DIDN'T figure out the big twist before it was revealed

9. where were you born?

I’m tempted to put the actual name of the suburb I was born, because it's hilarious, but it’s also very specific...So let’s just go with I was born in Sydney, Australia - and you can look up funny Australian place names if you want to know why I love them so much!

10: what are your hobbies?

Reading, embroidery, reading, watching history videos, reading, writing stories I never finish...

11. have you any pets?

My kitty, Charlie, who I will talk your ears off about if given the chance. He was a rescue baby who I bottle fed and he now follows me around like a puppy.

12: what sports do you play/have you played?

According to my high school transcript, volleyball 😂 (we didn’t have a volleyball team?) I DID play field hockey, however, and my team was responsible for two new rules having to be implemented in one season 😅

13: how tall are you?

Uh...163cm, I think? I honestly can’t remember the last time I measured myself

14. favourite subject in school?

Science! Especially when it involved chemicals. My teacher once told the class to NEVER put magnesium in an open flame...guess what I did two minutes later? 😅 13-year-old me could NOT be left unsupervised.

15. dream job?

Does crazy cat lady count? Honestly, at this stage I don’t have a dream job - I just want to chill in a cottage in a forest with my 17 various pets, reading and doing crafts

So I'm not going to tag anyone because my anxiety makes me think I'm annoying everyone 🙃 and I'm just going to post this before I overthink it anymore 😂

[obsessivedilettante]

April 2023 round up

3rd concert of the year: Epik High!

(Look at how happy Mithra is right before he slaps us all in the face with water.)

Pretty sure this concert is where I caught The Worst Cold Ever (not covid, not the flu, not anything else — “just” a cold). It knocked me out for a week, I lost my voice, and weeks later I’m still dealing with an annoying cough that is getting better but Won’t. Go. Away.

At least the Worst Cold Ever made me hyper vigilant about wearing a mask in public again, even if I’m definitely in the minority these days.

At any rate, I wore a mask to Anastasia: The Musical. I was obsessed with the movie when I was younger (shout-out to the mid-90’s cartoons creating strong female characters!) so I was excited to finally see the Broadway production, after missing it the previous times it came though town. It was… fine. I enjoyed it. And I understand the reasoning behind making it more realistic and historical, but tbh a talking bat makes everything better (a zombie Rasputin, on the other hand…)

Then I attended my 4th concert of the year: PIXY! I think I would have had more fun if I wasn’t still dealing with the exhausting cold and cough, but it was still fun and they were adorable and even if my two favorite members are no longer a part of the group, the new dynamic works well and everyone should stan PIXY.

Media I have consumed:

Taskmaster (Aus) S1. It was fine. I liked the Toms, but the tasks and the contestants just didn’t fully work for me, which is weird, because I’m pretty sure the task-writing team is the same as the NZ team, and I loved those seasons. So maybe I just don’t understand Australian humor? But I did really enjoy Danielle — she was my favorite by far and who I felt “got” the spirit of what Taskmaster is all about.

Taskmaster (UK) s15. This cast is utterly delightful. I only knew Kiall from Ghosts (oh hey sometime I should mention how much I love both the BBC and CBS versions of that show), but I quickly fell in love with all the others and their respective personalities. It’s magic what the casting team does when assembling five disparate people each season who both must work against each other to win prizes but also must work together as entertainers.

Schmigadoon s2. Or should I say, Schmicago? Much like Melissa, I prefer the golden age of musicals and am way less aware of the era of Sondheim and Schwartz and all those Fosse poses. Yet I am somehow enjoying this more than the first season (which I loved)?

BONUS MENTION because I’m not really sure WTF I’m watching and it’s only halfway aired, but I am mildly obsessed and utterly bewildered and I need to know if anyone else is, too: Mrs. Davis. I can’t even begin to explain this show. But go into it with an open mind and see if you don’t become a little bit obsessed, too.

#personal round-up #now with more pictures!

[beatriceeagle]

I'm more of a fantasy than sci-fi person, but consider my interest piqued. Why should I watch farscape?

Okay, the thing is, every Farscape fan’s pitch on Why You, Yes You, Should Watch Farscape ends up sounding very similar, and that’s because Farscape is a black hole that sucks you in and does things to your brain, and after you’ve watched it you are never, ever the same, which incidentally is basically the plot of Farscape.

I would summarize the basic plot for you, but that’s work, and luckily, the show’s credits sequence includes a handy summary that I will provide instead of doing that work: “My name is John Crichton, an astronaut. A radiation wave hit, and I got shot through a wormhole. Now I’m lost in some distant part of the universe on a ship, a living ship, full of strange alien life forms. Help me. Listen, please. Is there anybody out there who can hear me? I’m being hunted by an insane military commander. Doing everything I can. I’m just looking for a way home.“

So let me break down that monologue into its component reasons you should watch Farscape.

1) Some of the strange alien life forms are Muppets.

Farscape a co-production with the Jim Henson Company, and while there are many aliens played by humans in make-up, there are also a considerable number (including two of the regular crew) who are Muppets. By which I do not mean Kermit. I mean really gorgeous, elaborate works of art.

Also, even a lot of the humans-in-makeup aliens just look cool, and incredibly weird. Here’s an alien who appears in a single episode of season 1:

Not that there aren’t, you know, occasional Star Trek-style “these guys are just humans with weird hair,” or whatever, but in general, the aliens on Farscape look really alien. And that’s more than an aesthetic choice; it’s Farscape’s driving narrative principle. The aliens look alien, they act alien, they have alien values.

You know how a lot of sci-fi shows will have a stand-in for “fuck,” like Battlestar Galactica has “frak”? Well, Farscape has “frell.” And also “dren.” And yotz, hezmana, mivonks, loomas, tralk, snurch, eema, drannit, dench, biznak, arn, drad, fahrbot, narl. Some of those are swear words, but some of them are just words, never explicitly translated, that the alien characters will pepper into their speech, because, well, why should translator microbes be able to completely translate all the nuances of an alien culture? You’ll pick it up from context. One time, in passing, a character mentions that he’s familiar with the concept of suicide, but there’s no word for it in his language. I cannot emphasize to you enough how fleeting this moment is; the episode is not about suicide, we’re not having a great exchange of cultural ideas—at the time, the characters are running down a corridor in a crisis, as they are about 70 percent of the time—it’s just that the subject got brought up, and this character needed to talk around the fact that he literally didn’t have a word, in that moment. Things like that happen all the time, on Farscape.

Because more than anything else, Farscape is a show about culture shock. John Crichton is this straight, white Southern guy, at the top of his game—he’s an astronaut! he’s incredibly high status!—and then he ends up on the other side of the galaxy, where none of his cultural markers of privilege hold any meaning, where he doesn’t know the rules, where he literally can’t even open the doors. And he has to unlearn the idea that humanity is central, that he is the norm.

2) John Crichton, an astronaut, is pretty great.

A show that’s about a straight white guy with high status having to learn that he’s not the center of the universe could easily be centered around a really insufferable person, but one of the subtle things that makes Farscape so wonderful is that Crichton is, for the most part, pretty excellent. He has a lot of presumptions to unlearn because almost anyone in his cultural position would, but he’s also just a stand-up guy: compassionate, intelligent, open-minded, decent, forgiving, brave, hopeful.

And the galaxy tries to kick a whole lot of that out of him. It doesn’t succeed, mostly, but if Farscape is about anything other than culture shock, it’s about the lasting effects of trauma. How you can go through a wormhole one person, and experience things that turn you into someone you don’t recognize.

That’s kind of grim-sounding, but ultimately, what I’m trying to say is that Farscape is almost fanatically devoted to character work. Crichton is not the only character who sounds like he should be one thing and ends up being another. All of the characters—all of them, all of them, even the annoying ones—are complicated wonders. And you don’t have to wonder whether the events of the episode you’re watching are going to matter. They will. Everything that happens to the characters leaves a mark. Everything leaves them forever changed. Whether it’s mentioned explicitly or not—and often enough, it’s not explicit—the characters remember what has happened to them.

3) The living ship houses a lot of excellent women, among them the ship itself.

Ah, the women of Farscape, thou art the loves of my fucking life.

There’s Aeryn Sun, former Peacekeeper (that’s the military that the “insane military commander” hails from) now fugitive, currently learning the meaning of the word “compassion” (literally). She will break your fingers and also your heart. John/Aeryn is the main canon romantic ship.

There’s Pa’u Zhoto Zhaan, a priestess of the ninth level, current pacifist, former anarchist. Sorry, leading anarchist. She orgasms in bright light! (Oh my god, Farscape.)

There’s Chiana, my fucking bestie, a teenage(ish? ages in Farscape are weird) fugitive on the run from a repressive authoritarian state. Chiana is like a seductress con artist grifter thief who mostly just wants to survive so that she can have fun, damn it. Characters on Farscape do not really discuss sexualities (sex, yes, sexualities, no) and it would be fair to say that several of them do not fall along human sexuality lines generally, but I’m gonna go ahead and say that Chiana is canonically not straight.

Then there’s Moya, the ship herself, and it’s hard to get a straight read on Moya’s personality, since she mostly can’t speak. But she definitely has opinions, and things and people she cares about. And she moves the plot, though that gets into spoiler territory.

Past first season, further excellent women show up: Jool (controversial, but I like her), Sikozu (I once saw a Tumblr meme where someone had marked down that Sikozu would lose her shit when someone pronounced “gif” wrong, and that’s absolutely correct, and it’s why I love her), and Noranti (who is incredibly weird, and incredibly hard to summarize, but man, you gotta love her willingness to just show up and do her thing). Plus, there’s a recurring female villain, Grayza, who I could write probably multiple essays about. (I don’t know how you will feel about Grayza, as not everyone loves her, but I think she’s fucking fascinating, especially because she’s not actually the only recurring female villain. We also get Ahkna!)

(Side note: I should mention, here, that the cast of Farscape is really, really white. There is one cast member of color, Lani Tupu, but he pretty much represents the entirety of even, like, incidental diversity in casting for the series.)

Anyway, Farscape is full of awesome women, and also awesome and unexpected men, and it really enjoys playing with audience expectations of gender roles, generally. Literal entire books have been written about the way that Farscape fucks around with sex, sexuality, and gender. It’s a little weird because it was the late 90s/early 2000s, and sometimes that does come through, but Farscape’s guiding principle was always to try not to present American culture of the time as the norm, so like. It is not.

(An aside on Farscape and sex: Literally every character on Farscape has sexual tension with every other character. If you are a shipper, this is a Good Show, because no matter who you ship, there will not only be subtext, you will get a Moment of some kind. Multiple characters kiss the Muppet. Farscape is dedicated to getting into the nitty-gritty of the galaxy—I like to think of it as showing the guts of the universe—so a lot of the show is kind of squishy. They live on a biomechanoid ship, instead of androids there are “bioloids,” there’s a lot of focus on strange alien biologies, and lots of weird glowing fluids and things. I think the sex thing is kind of part and parcel of the larger biology focus: Farscape is really fascinated with how we all eat and evolve and live and die and, well, fuck. Which is in turn, kind of part of its focus on making everything really alien.)

4) Other stuff you should know.

Farscape as a whole is excellent, but it was kind of the product of creative anarchy—an Australian/American coproduction (oh yeah, everyone except Crichton speaks with an Australian accent) that was also partnered with the Henson company, whose showrunners were based in America but whose actual production all took place in Australia, and who was just constantly trying new things. So individual episodes can vary wildly in quality. It really takes off in the back half of season one, but no season is without a few off episodes.

It is extraordinarily funny, and I really think I haven’t stressed that enough. It’s one of the shows I want to quote the most in my daily life, but almost all of its humor is really context-dependent, and if you just wander around going, “Hey Stark? What’s black and white, and black and white, and black and white?” people look at you really funny.

It’s very conversant with pop culture generally (although obviously sci-fi  specifically, and Star Trek most specifically of all) and really enjoys deconstructing tropes, often to the effect of, “Well, Crichton really does not know what to do here, does he?” but sometimes just to be interesting.

There are also a lot of themes about science, and its uses and misuses.

The whole thing is fucking epic, and if you get invested at all, will take you on an emotional ride.

This show is weird. I know that that’s probably come across by now, but I think it’s worth reiterating as its own point: Farscape is so weird. Like, proudly, unabashedly, trying its hardest, weird. An amazing kind of weird.

If you’re into fantasy, you should know that there’s a recurring villain who’s just a wizard. Like, they don’t bother to explain it any more than that, he’s just a fucking wizard.

In summary: You should watch Farscape because it is a weird, wild, emotional, epic romance/drama/action/allegory full of Muppets and leather and one-liners and emotional gut punches and love, and if you let it, it will worm its way into you and never let go, which, now that I think of it, is another Farscape plot.

Send me meta prompts to distract me from my migraine!

#farscape #meta

[thelatelockdownlist]

A Series on Series 04: Deborah Harkness’ All Souls Trilogy: A Discovery of Witches/Season 1

Hi! I’m Alex, a YouTube Newbie and this is The Late Lockdown List where I talk about the list of things I’ve got on my mind since the lockdown started. 

Today, on the fourth episode of A Series on Series, I’ll be talking about Deborah Harkness’ All Souls Trilogy, starting with the first book,  A Discovery of Witches

and the basis of the season 1 of the TV series. 

Let’s dive a little bit into it. 

Why is it called the ‘All Souls Trilogy’?

I could do research, but having read the entire series, I think it’s because the male lead, Matthew Clairmont or Matthew de Clermont, in the book belongs to the All Souls College at Oxford University.  

A bit of trivia: All Souls College does not have undergraduate members, and it’s unique in the sense that all members automatically become fellows -- full members of the college’s governing body. The examination for the fellowship has once been described as ‘the hardest exam in the world.” 

If you’re not familiar with the book or the TV series, just know that there are going to be a lot of spoilers. With that out of the way, first a primer:

The two main characters here are Diana Bishop 

-- a Yale historian, visiting scholar at Oxford (where she also got her PhD) and reluctant witch. 

She’s the daughter of two very powerful witches, 

but due to the tragic death of her parents she’s shied away from witchcraft and very seldom uses her power, if at all. After her parents’ death, she was raised by her maternal aunt Sarah and her partner Emily who are both witches. 

They tried to teach her, but Diana’s grief at her parents’ death caused her to all but reject magic. 

Then we have Matthew Clairmont (aka Matthew de Clermont of the powerful vampire de Clermont family, aka Matthew Roydon), a geneticist, All Souls College fellow and 1,500-year-old vampire.

There are creatures in this series: daemons, vampires and witches. They’re not HUMAN. That’s why they call themselves ‘creatures’ -- to differentiate themselves from us. Daemons 

are blessed with creativity and cursed with madness. 

Vampires

are -- well, the usual kind that we’re familiar with. Here, though, they mate for life, like wolves. 

Witches

have magic -- different kinds like time walking, precognition, flight, transmogrification, telekinesis, witchwind, witchfire, witchwater, and manipulation of the elements.

Basically, if you’re familiar with Harry Potter and Twilight, then you know what witches and vampires are. Speaking of the whole Harry Potter and Twilight thing, The New York Times calls this the ‘Harry Potter for grownups’ 

and NPR calls it ‘Twilight for the intellectually restless.’ 

Make of that what you will.

For me, I don’t compare this with the other two. I think it stands very separately from those. Since this is written by an historian, the approach is markedly different. It’s well-researched -- as are most historical romance novels -- because it does deal with a certain time period.  

What I love about this -- and you’ll be hearing this from me a lot -- is the world building. I judge a book by the world it creates for me. I have to be able to LIVE in that world. And in most cases, I have to WANT to live in that world.

This is a world inhabited by creatures I’ve been fascinated with my entire life -- except for daemons. I did my first thesis on vampires -- let’s not talk about why it didn’t get accepted. It’s still a sore point for me even after so many years later. And as for witches, well… family tradition has it that my maternal great grandmother was a witch. In fact, growing up, I’d heard

whispers of her supplementing her income by being a ‘healer.’ I’m not sure how much of that is true but I like to believe that it is.

So vampires and witches, I’m sold. I can tolerate the daemons.

Another thing I love about this are the well-written characters. While I can’t actually relate to Diana Bishop, I don’t have to for me to like her. She just needs to be alive for me in the book. And she is very much so. I envy her graduate degrees -- I wish I had the discipline to obtain a PhD. And spending time at the Bodleian. *sigh*

Anyway, I can understand her rejection of magic. After all, in a way it’s what took her parents away from her. But I like how she was able to adjust when she realizes that she’s got this power -- which is far stronger than anyone thought it would be. 

As for Matthew -- *sigh* -- I’m a sucker for vampires. Yes, I went there. I love him. He’s a scientist and he’s good with his hands. By that, I mean he used to be a stone mason so he can build things. What? I like a guy who’s handy.

I also like the love story. Matthew and Diana are equals -- in the sense that they are partners in the relationship. Of course, with Matthew having been alive for more than a millennia -- plus vampire, plus a guy, he has a tendency to be domineering, convinced that he’s doing all things to protect Diana. However, Diana is a POWERFUL witch. She’s a scholar, too. She can take care of herself. Matthew may be physically stronger, but Diana is a POWER. And as she grows into that, Matthew struggles to keep up as well curb his tendency to be overprotective. For the most part, they do keep this balance. 

On to the differences of the book from the show:

Overall, the TV series was faithful to the book. Most of the scenes in TV series are in the book. The show is gorgeous. I love the architecture and just the overall mood. I think Teresa Palmer makes a good Diana, but I love Matthew Goode. Period. But he is very, very good as Matthew Clairmont. 

I know Teresa Palmer is Australian and Diana Bishop is American so I’m not sure if it’s just me, but I do hear Teresa’s native accent here and there. It’s not distracting, but since I know that the one she uses for her character is not her original accent, I can’t help but hear the Australian one. Matthew Goode, on the other hand, is British, and Matthew Clairmont is as well. Well, for the last couple of centuries he is, but he’s originally French. But overall, I have no problem believing they’re really Diana and Matthew. 

As for Gillian Chamberlain,

the other witch at Oxford who in the TV series is sort of Diana’s friend… in the book, they’re merely acquaintances. She’s played by Louise Brealey aka Molly Hooper in Sherlock. 

I love the actress and I love that I found Gillian both slightly annoying and a bit pathetic. Because in the book, she is. So I love that that’s how she’s also played in the series.

Then we have Aunt Sarah. When I saw Alex Kingston, my first thought was, “River!” If you don’t know, Alex Kingston played ‘River Song’ in Doctor Who. 

And I loved her in that. So I knew I’d love her here, too. I do have the same ‘thing’ with her as with Teresa. Alex Kingston is British and here she plays an American. I can hear the accent. It’s not distracting, but it’s there.

And then there’s Peter Knox. 

In the book, I found him arrogant, condescending and just a generally irritating person. In the series, he is more so. And the actor who plays him played Ser Alliser Thorne in ‘Game of Thrones.’ 

He was one of the Night’s Watch who tormented and had a hand, literally, in killing Jon Snow. But he got his comeuppance when he was hanged with the rest of the traitors. He was very convincing as a conniving SOB in GOT. And he is here, as well. In fact, he’s equal parts menacing and irritating. Which is a terrifying combination because if he’s just irritating, you can swat him away like a gnat. But because he’s menacing, you know you have to watch your back.

Satu Jarvinen 

in the show is exactly how I thought she would look like when I read her in the book. In fact, the actress Malin Buska, infuses her with a somewhat edgy, emo attitude that really works. You can see why Satu and Peter work well because they seem to have something missing inside them that they think the other one has. It’s not a romantic connection -- more that of villains who don’t think they’re bad people.

And Ysabeau de Clermont. 

Lindsay Duncan plays her, who also played Lady Smallwood in Sherlock. 

She does have the whole ‘lady of the manor’ aura -- both regal and frightening. I really liked how she snobbishly said how modern day witches are so uneducated -- all because Diana even with her post graduate degrees didn’t speak Occitan.

FAVORITE SCENES:

The rowing scenes: 

This is very self-serving because I like rowing. I haven’t had a lot of chances to row in the water. I bought a rowing machine at the start of the pandemic and actually did a few months of rowing for 20 minutes three times a week. Then I stopped. I can’t remember why. But I love the scenes of Diana rowing -- which she does to rid herself of excess energy caused by her power -- because I imagine rowing along the Thames myself. 

Any time they’re in the Bodleian: I love libraries. I’ve loved them since I was a child. I loved them when I was in college. I was actually really excited that my university decided to extend the library hours on Fridays just so I could stay there and read to my heart’s content. Also, whenever I go to a foreign country, I always go to the national library.

This isn’t in the show, but in the book, but I love how everyone at the Bodleian scrambled to cater to Matthew when he went to the library. I liked how irritated Diana was that this guy took her spot… that they gave it to him solely on the basis of his being an All Souls fellow. In the TV series, they don’t really emphasize how much of a big shot Matthew is at Oxford. 

I like how Matthew, when he was talking to his daemon friend, Hamish Osborne, was self-aware enough not to immediately think that Diana had the same feelings for him as he did for her. Since he’s a 1,500-year-old vampire who knew Charles Darwin, of course he’s a great resource for a history of science researcher. 

I love that part when Diana was trying to guess how old Matthew was and she asked, “Survived the fall of Carthage?” and he says, “Which fall of Carthage?” It was a playful exchange, and you can see that he was showing off a bit.

Sept-Tours: 

literally ‘Seven Towers’ and is the current family home of the de Clermonts. It must be hell to heat, but as most of the residents are vampires, it shouldn’t be a problem. It’s beautiful and like Matthew, I would probably claim my own tower as well. 

While it’s not my favorite scene, I think they did the part of Satu torturing Diana 

-- in the pretext of trying to ‘open her up’ to see what her power is -- was done well. When I read that scene, I was wondering how much of it they were going to put in the book. So it was heartening to see that ‘horrifying’ scene there.

I’m not sure how I feel about the ‘instalove.’ You know that thing that sometimes happens where the leads just fall in love at first sight? In the series, it feels like it’s instalove. Diana and Matthew first meet at the Bodleian -- the day after Diana experiences the magic in Ashmole 782. It’s a book all creatures have been trying to find. Matthew, in particular, has been searching for it for more than a century. It’s thought to explain the origins of all creatures. Matthew is initially drawn to Diana because she is able to “call” the book. 

Anyway, going back to the idea of ‘instalove,’ I mean, sure there was chemistry… but...  In the books, their connection was fostered both by the time they spent with each other and their curiosity about Ashmole 782. I was more convinced in the book about that part than in the TV series. Or maybe it’s my deep-seated and sometimes difficult to conceal bias FOR the book versus its live action adaptation.

~

The Congregation: Secret island! 

It’s actually on an island in Venice, concealed from humans. It has nine members, 3 from each supernatural race. And since the de Clermont patriarch established it, one of the rules is to always have a de Clermont on the Congregation. It was created during the Crusades as a self-regulating body for the creatures. Because most of the creatures abused their powers and abilities to influence outcomes during the Crusades, they attracted unwanted attention from humans. Ostensibly to keep the creatures safe from humans, the congregation agreed to several covenants: the main ones being that they must not interfere in human politics and religion and for creatures not to mix together, especially in terms of romantic relationships. 

This is the covenant Diana and Matthew break. In fairness to Diana, she had no idea. She didn’t even know about the existence of The Congregation, much less the covenant. And so Matthew does this whole ‘noble idiot’ thing where he denies his feelings for her… but of course, in the end, they end up together.

Moving on, the first book ends with Diana and Matthew going back to New York to Aunt Sarah’s and Aunt Em’s house. The original plan was for Diana to learn more about her magic from her witch aunts. The problem is that Diana’s magic isn’t the same as theirs. And they need someone to teach her so she can call the book again -- this time intentionally.

They’re joined by married daemons, Sophie and Nathaniel; two vampires: Marcus, Matthew’s vampire son, and Miriam, an ally of the de Clermonts and Matthew’s  colleague at the lab, and Hamish. As there are now 3 witches (Sarah, Em and Diana), 3 vampires (including Matthew) and 3 demons, this is in effect a ‘coventicle’ -- this will be important later in the books.

They’re all gathered there for different reasons: Sophie, because she’s meant to give Diana something that has been passed down in her family for generations (and one that’s needed for the timewalk, the vampires to update Matthew regarding their research (and I guess for moral support as well), and Hamish both because he’s Matthew’s best friend and lawyer (real world legalities must be observed before one undertakes a timewalk). 

They leave for Sept Tour, which Matthew volunteered as their HQ of sorts, on Halloween. That night, Matthew and Diana are going to timewalk. And seconds before they could do so, Gerbert de Aurillac, Peter Knox and Satu Jarvinen arrive to stop them. 

Of course, they don’t and we see our couple land somewhat shakily in 1590 London…

And the season ends there, setting us up for the next one and The Book of Shadows.

FINAL NOTE:

I LOVE IT!

Like I said earlier, it’s faithful to the book in the sense that I didn’t find anything that was off.

If you loved the books, I’m sure you’ll love the TV adaptation as well.

I was a little nervous that I wouldn’t love it as much. I’d been burned before, you see. (I’m looking at you, American Gods. Even Ian McShane and Orlando Jones’ Mr. Nancy couldn’t keep me hooked.)

However, I wasn’t disappointed in this one. There’s a lot to love here and I’m glad that there’s a second season -- and now they’re even done filming the third.

So that’s it for the first book and Season 1. Catch you in the next episode for The Book of Shadows and Season 2. Bye!

#the late lockdown list #a series on series #a discovery of witches #review

[dreamofragtime]

I did it, guys! THE WEDDING!

That’s Edward’s wedding…but the only thing I can think about is just LOOK AT THEM!!

“Are you ready for this?” I AMMMM!!!!

Jean underlying to Susan the surprise of being invited...she has this talent of saying what she’s thinking with such conviction but without being unpleasant... I just adore her!

Patrick ‘s speech and the not so subtle remarks toward Edward, I wouldn’t expect any less from him. He’s always been very objective, I think even with his own son. He’s protected him enough, now it’s time he takes his own responsibilities.

Lucien wants to leave...let’s face it, who would want to be there? At the wedding of someone who’s hurt you and your family so much and so recently nonetheless?

Oh great...a fight at a wedding...now they can leave! Thank god!

Look at Lucien being so very attentive and taking Jean’s hand and asking her to be careful because there’s glass all over  the floor

OMG Edward’s dead! I didn’t expect that!

In the meantime Lucien’s aunt has a favour to ask, but he doesn’t seem very inclined to help her found her niece...”I’m dying”, she says and Lucien’s face speaks for him...he cannot refuse her, can he now? Because he can be reckless, but he has a heart of gold.

Wow there’s a flash back! I love this! Aww Lucien, poor boy...“that’s enough” my heart is broken

Great now, he’s obviously going to the crime scene even though he’s not the police surgeon, anymore. Do we care about it? No, because let’s face it he’s the one who will solve the case!

Hahahah the famous Dr. Wallace...well, Lucien was right what an incompetent !  Matthew’s face, though when he asks about the cause of death...

Searching in a fountain full of blood...typical Lucien!

Dr Wallace and Alice at the morgue. She is behaving just like we would expect her to do with Dr Blake but the new police surgeon calls her “Miss Harvey” ...how dare he! .... “it’s Dr Harvey”...I love this woman!

Patrick asking Lucien for help and discussing his son’s murder was bittersweet...I couldn’t understand his character at first, now I’ve come to appreciate him.

Matthew defending Alice so fiercely and giving  apiece of his mind to Dr Wallace...great scene!

In the kitchen Jean and Rose are talking about her children and the wedding... I want to give Jean a big hug, right now!

Aww look at the lovebirds planning  to go to  Melbourne for wedding shopping ...I can hardly wait!

Lucien is so sweet...he wants to stay at the bridal shop with her...“it’s bad luck” and we wouldn’t want anything to happen before the wedding... thank you very much! Now Lucien go!

The shop assistant referring to Jean as “The mother of the bride”...what?! thank your lucky stars that Lucien is not there to hear you!

Ohhh look who’s back! Danny! (can he call the Doc “uncle Lucien” just once? please!)

Jean chastising Lucien for not having checked Catherine’s address...she knows how to get his attention, though and I had the time of my life!

Wherever he goes he finds a dead body and he almost breaks his neck in the process..obviously!

Lucien being reinstated as police surgeon..that was Patrick’s doing, wasn’t it?

Patrick and Jean talking in the sunroom...I enjoy their conversations. He thinks so very highly of her and of Lucien, too probably (even if he doesn’t want to admit it) “you deserve to be happy!”  My heart!..... “we need these triumphs”...yes Patrick, thank you for saying it! We do! They’ve waited for so long!

So now after the rather unpleasant chat at the pub with the father of the bride he’s being followed...that was scary, eh?

What?! Another dead body? Mr Dunne and it cannot be Patrick’s fault...ohh poor Cec, he’s in shock!

And now Patrick is in jail..what an annoying lawyer and Bill has definitely improved his skills..not only his fists for once!

Lucien pleading Patrick to rest and talk to his wife (Lucien is definitely getting better at this...I hope he’ll do the same with Jean) ohh Patrick the dialogue “sooner or later we all just become our fathers”, the look on Lucien’s face...goosebumps!

And Lucien going home and taking that clock from the chest...I love these flash backs, even though they are  so heartbreaking (probably that’s why I like them)...poor little boy! He wasn’t even allowed a last hug to his father...how awful is that?! And later at the Colonists’ Club with aunt Dorothy talking about his father’s past and how their family had disapproved of Genevieve and later how they tried to make amends, but the betrayal was already too much for Thomas...

Lucien’s insecurities come to the surface, finally in his brief exchange with Matthew...“what if I don’t deserve her?”. He’s definitely putting her first, her needs, her dreams, her desires, what if he isn’t capable of being what/whom she deserves? She is the most important thing to him, now and he wants to be the right man for her. As Matthew reminds him, that man she deserves is something he already is, the best version of Lucien Blake. She doesn’t want him to be something he is not, but he owes it  to her... to be the best version of himself.

Seeing Patrick in that car and Lucien’s reaction to his death was too much and his struggle in wanting to find someone responsible for his death, because he can’t accept that “sometimes people just die”...but in the end he has to come to terms also to this and it’s so very difficult.

He ends up talking with Jean because she’s always listened to him, even when he was the “ghost” of the man he is now and he knows that there’s no one else he could go to and tells her how he met Patrick, his first impression of him. And both have tears in their eyes, and he knows what he is about to ask,  “Jean, my darling....I think we may have to postpone the wedding”, but she insists on Patrick’s last words to her and despite what they are both feeling they decide to go on with their wedding plans.

And now are they discussing their sleeping arrangements with Rose? The bedrooms are small? Yeah...we all get that!

Ohh Lucien your Jean is really a true marvel, she helps with both cases in the end...so smart!

There’s something about this scene of Lucien and Jean in front of the fireplace that really makes it a marvel to watch. I don’t know what it is, the lights, the acting, the writing...probably everything. These bits of their pasts they reveal to one another are precious moments...here Lucien trusts Jean so much that he isn’t afraid of telling her about his engagement and subsequent marriage with Mei Lin, and clearly he’s admitting to her that in the end he made the same choices his father did. He married a “foreign girl” in spite of his family and naturally, when faced with that, at the time, they both said things to one another they could not get back. But then he finds and reads Thomas’ letter to him, a letter he sent back, like all the others his father sent...well I couldn’t stop crying here and that line in which he said that he hoped his son would find someone who loved him “...regardless of what happened next”. A line in which Thomas uses more or less the same words Lucien himself spoke to Jean in season 3...I just can’t. And confessing that he had hated his father for a very long time and his fear of becoming like him...but that coming back to Ballarat was probably the best thing ever happened to him!

 I could  have never imagined Roslyn to be the murderer, but what really  struck me was Lucien’s speech once again. Telling her how the only thing she had ever wanted was her father’s love and to hear him say he was sorry (the same things Lucien wanted from his father, and that in the end were the thing Thomas wrote to him, but that he never got the chance to know...until he read that letter the night before).

 And then...well...when one thinks she’s ready to see the wedding....I mean...we’ve waited for so long!

I’VE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING MORE BEAUTIFUL IN MY LIFE! Jean is radiant and so stunning! I’m so glad she’s wearing a white dress! I love it and she looks lovely in it!

The way his voice falters when he says his vows, Jean’s certainty when she speaks hers, the kiss... and then Doctor and Mrs. Blake are dancing together and he kisses her on the cheek and that wedding band his sparkling so much...

And then you think you’ve already cried enough, but nooooooo they come back 4 months later (4 months? What kind of honeymoon was that exactly?!) and he opens the car door and you think it’s sweet, but then ohh then he just says “Mrs Blake” and  you start sobbing once again.

And then she is popping the kettle on, but he can’t keep his hands (or lips) to himself and they’re kissing again and you are just there grinning like a fool. Matthew Lawson has just been promoted to “the new telephone” and really they can’t even have 5 minutes to themselves because obviously as soon as they set foot on Australian soil, someone  drops dead...but the end ohhh the end...he comes back and has to kiss her again and then “I love you” and I’m just sobbing again...forever!

The last thing I have to say before I let you go is that I’m so thankful for all of you and I want to thank you all for your support, for having “travelled” with me until now and for the best welcome I’ve ever had.

Now I can really really say it, “The Doctor Blake Mysteries” has the best writing, the best acting and setting I’ve ever seen!

#the doctor blake mysteries #tdbm #family portrait #spoilers #jean and lucien #lucien x jean #jean blake (now I can say it!)finally #lucien blake #my otp for ever #the wedding #all the feels #this fandom is wonderful #thank you guys #i will go down with this ship #happily ever after #this show is everything

[lunnanunna]

Not Twilight

Stray Kids Extra Member AU

Summary: Ollie gets Chan and Felix to watch Teen Wolf with her and she’s more than pleased with the outcome.

A/N: I’m currently re-watching Teen Wolf, and and just had to write something about it. I definitely feel like Ollie would be a fan of the show, so here you go. Also what Ollie thinks and says about the show, are actually my opinions, so yeah. Hope you enjoy!

Requests are open! Feedback is greatly appreciated. 

“Let’s go you two,” Ollie said, shoving both Chan and Felix into her bed. They had promised her a day where they would relax and watch one of Ollie’s favorite shows.

“I take it back. I don’t want to do this,” Felix whined in English, trying to fight passed the small girl. Ollie glared up at him, hands on her hips.

“Lixie, we promised her,” Chan said, smiling at the younger Australian.  The freckled boy grumbled to himself as he got on Ollie’s bed and crawled over to the side. It was pushed up against the wall, so Felix could comfortably sit on the edge without falling over.

Chan waited for the eldest to grab her laptop that was sitting neatly on some shoe boxes that held her favorite Crocs (Chan tried not to cringe at the sheer amount that was there and the many more stored underneath her bed.) Once Ollie grabbed her computer, she sat next to Felix, squeezing as much as possible so Chan could fit as well. It didn’t work.

“Noona. There’s no room for all three of us,” Chan said, as he tried in vain to stay on the bed.

“I guess that means that we can’t do this,” Felix sing-songed as he got up and started to crawl off the bed.

“Freeze!” Ollie shouted, and the boy did so. He slowly turned to look at Ollie, an annoyed smile in place. Chan chuckled beside her.

“We’ll set up camp somewhere else,” Chan said, getting up and gently pushing Felix back on the bed.

“Why?” Felix whined, not unlike a cat. Ollie snorted at the sound.

“This is why you’re the leader,” Ollie said, giving Chan a salute.

The leader smiled, then began to look around the room, “This is actually a simple fix.” Ollie watched as he grabbed some pillows from Jisung’s and Jeongin’s beds, and began to place them on her’s. He then fixed them up so they were propped against the wall to add padding.

“You handsome genius,” Ollie praised as she went to fetch a bit more blankets and pillows from other rooms. Chan beamed, then smacked Felix with the pillow that he currently had in his hands.

“Come on. We promised Ollie,” was all that Chan said. Felix rolled his eyes, but smiled when Chan did.

A few seconds later and Ollie came back with some pillows and blankets that looked like Felix’s and Changbin’s. The younger blond rolled his eyes, but got up and grabbed them from her, setting them down next to the others on her bed and helping Chan fix them up.

Soon all three of them were sitting with their backs against the now padded wall. Ollie propped the laptop on the space in front of her as she sat criss-crossed, folding herself as much as possible to bring the computer closer to them.

“What are we watching again?” Felix asked, as he watched Ollie pull up a new window and begin to search for one of her many streaming platforms (She had the most out of all of the group and the boys tended to hop off her accounts.)

“Vampire Diaries?” Chan answered, though it sounded more like a question as he thought back to the name of the show. He was pretty sure it wasn’t that, but he knew that it had to do with some supernatural things.

“Hell no!” Ollie looked offended by Chan’s answer. The leader looked at her with wide eyes. “I refuse to watch anything involving vampires.”

Felix looked over Ollie’s head, and gave Chan a questioning look. The older just gave a shrug with a slight eye roll, earning a chuckle from the younger.

“I saw that,” Ollie stated, looking at the boys through the reflection of the currently black screen. Both boys turned away, looking at anywhere other than Ollie. The girl chuckled.

“Okay, so if it’s not Vampire Diaries, then what is it?” Felix asked warily looking at the lilac haired girl.

Ollie grinned like the Cheshire Cat, “Teen Wolf.”

“Aren’t there vampires in that too?” Felix quirked a brow.

“No. You’re thinking of Twilight,” Ollie simply stated, “This show has everything, but the most overused supernatural creature.”

“Vampires,” Chan and Felix said in almost perfect unison. Ollie was impressed.

“Exactly.”

“This is gonna be so stupid,” Felix muttered, purposely loud enough for Ollie to hear him.

“Trust me. You’re gonna love it!” Ollie said, folding her hands in front of her face. Chan could sense a squeal coming, and a few seconds later it did. The Aussie snorted.

“Is it some teen romance thing?” Felix asked.

“There’s romance, yes. But there’s also action and comedy. Mostly from Stiles,” Ollie answered looking at the screen as the video loaded.

“The hell is a ‘Stiles’?” Chan asked, looking at Ollie confused.

“Exactly,” Ollie said pointing at the blond, who now looked more confused. “Please, just watch the first episode. If you don’t like it, which I doubt it, then we don’t have to watch any more episodes. But I lowkey want you to keep watching to see Corey and Theo, they’re the best.” Ollie gushed, and Chan could already see that they were her favorites.

“When do they come in?” Chan asked.

“Last two seasons,” Ollie pouted, “ I hate that I have to wait so long.” The boys laughed as she grumbled.

“Okay. Let’s see how the first episode goes,” Chan said, leaning back. Ollie nodded and pressed play, then leaned back, with half of her back resting on Chan. Felix rolled his eyes (Again), but also sat back. The three silently watched the first episode, with Ollie mentally praying that the boys would like it and would like to keep on watching it with her.

By the end of the episode, Ollie was grinning from ear to ear, just like she always did whenever she watched Teen Wolf. She was about to ask the boys how they liked it when she saw a hand reach to press play on the next episode. Ollie turned to Felix, with a knowing smile.

“Shut up. I need to know what happens.” He blatantly ignored her in favor of watching the recap, which was ridiculous to watch, seeing as they just finished the previous episode not even a minute ago. Laughing to herself, Ollie turned to the leader who was also watching the screen intently.

“It’s good, Noona,” Chan simply stated, shrugging his shoulders, a small smile on his lips.

“Victory,” Ollie whispered, beaming.

“Hush,” Felix hissed, and Ollie couldn’t even bring herself to be mad at Felix for shutting her up. She was just happy that she now had converted the Aussies to the Teen Wolf fandom. She didn’t want to mess this up, so she silently smiled and focused her attention back on the screen, contentedly watching with her two favorite Australians.

“He’s so screwed,” Felix stated as Scott panicked about Allison’s father.

“Totally,” Chan agreed. Ollie bit her lip to hide her smile.

Ollie’s Masterlist

#stray kids #stray kids au #stray kids 10th member #stray kids 9th member #stray kids fanfic #stray kids scenarios #stray kids oneshot #stray kids reactions #kpop scenarios #kpop reactions #kpop oneshots #female kpop additions #bang chan #lee minho #seo changbin #hwang hyunjin #han jisung #lee felix #kim seungmin #yang jeongin

[blackhermionegrangers]

anyway here are my thoughts on the final table after finishing it the other day

I’m not the first person to point this out but the fact that the show boasted about being a “global” competition but focused heavily on western cuisines was kinda annoying. And on top of that the final four ended up being 4 white men. It’s just like..... ok den. It is what it is but I just wish the show hadn’t gone on and on about how “global” it was when it really wasn’t *that* different from many other cooking shows in terms of cuisines shown lol

also that almost the majority of the last half of the show had no women in it...... I know the culinary world is still very sexist so I guess it’s not all on the show in terms of gender disparities but also considering that there were tons of arguments between the men on the show that never got shown but the one time there was tension between the only female team they gave it lots of airtime and played it up leads me to believe the show may have also had a misogyny problem 🤷🏿‍♀️

the judging on the show seemed so weird and inconsistent to me. Sometimes being traditional was a good thing that was praised, other times it was critiqued. Sometimes going outside the box and not being traditional was praised, sometimes it was critiqued. It just seemed like there weren’t consistent standards between the sets of judges (or even within a single episode!). I guess u could say it reflects real life or whatever bc every person who sits at ur restaurant is going to have different standards or ideas for what the meal should be but idk man.... there was just no standardization or consistent set of criteria which made it feel like u never knew what the judges were going to want or like or dislike

also the celeb “ambassador” judges thing was kinda iffy to me. Like, no disrespect to hasan minhaj or dax shepard or whoever but what the fuck do these people know about fine cuisine that I, as a professional chef on this show with possibly decades of experience, have to listen to your opinion 💀

but I guess u could argue the celeb’s provided an Everyman™️ perspective on it, as in how would the average person feel and react to the dishes the chefs were making because maybe the perspectives and thoughts and comments of a professional chef or food critic might not be super relatable to the average person so that’s what the celebs are for? Idk I’m of 2 minds on this

also speaking of inconsistent judging, when the French chef taste-tested Rafa and esdras’ food, she said she found it spicy, but then during the judging the reason she gave for eliminating them was that the food wasn’t spicy enough???????? My brother was so pissed about this lol

also the fact that the reason Shin and Ronald left was because the British chef didn’t like their presentation...... I get that all the dishes were good enough that nitty gritty details start to matter and someone had to go home, but come on bro 😭 was it really bad enough to justify kicking them off the show? Especially since the presentation that she didn’t like/get was them using a Japanese technique/style

in general with the judging being the way it was I always felt really bad when a team went home because it usually just felt like it was out of their hands bc it came down to whatever the judges felt like doing basically lol

also the way they decided who the winner was was so weird to me. They all talked about how Timothy doing a dish that he was familiar with and had done multiple times put him at a disadvantage but then the American chef just went “but is that a disadvantage tho???????? 🤔🤔🤔” and because they didn’t show the conversation that happened after that or how they came to a consensus in the end it just seemed like they all just went along with the American chef??? And we also didn’t hear enough from all of the chefs either. Idk the discussion was cut so short and was so rushed which is annoying and doesn’t make sense bc the whole season was leading to that moment.... they could’ve afforded to have a slightly longer episode (literally just an extra minute or two) if it meant giving us more of the decision making process.

it was an enjoyable watch but I found it to so be garish and melodramatic and over the top lol... also again going on about being a “global” competition while still being quite euro/western-centric was just.... the show came across as being a bit more proud of itself than it really deserved to be

i cannot BELIEVE those chefs were cooking in front of a live audience omg I would’ve been so nervous

I liked Darren but the amount of times he went on and on about “I’m a white guy making Japanese food, I had to fight to prove myself” was just..... it’s clear he had a lot of love and respect for the cuisine and acknowledged that he was just a student of it and didn’t delude himself into thinking he was doing something new or reinventing the wheel or whatever which was nice but just the amount of times he went on about the whole “I’m a white guy” thing was a bit much lol. it might’ve been the editing tho so idk

I know Charles and Rodrigo are probably a bit too pretentious for some people but I loved them sm 😭 I was so sad when they left

I also loved the Australian chefs so much 😭

hey Alex i am free on Thursday if you want to hang out please call me about hanging out on Thursday which is when I am free

In general I loved all the chefs tbh, the highlight of the show is getting attached to each contestant. I was always genuinely sad for each team that left

If they ever do any more seasons I will watch but it’s really not as groundbreaking or original or as fresh as they really tried to play it up as. It was definitely a bigger scale which was interesting to watch I guess but that’s really it lol

#the final table #shows

[boyneriver-fraser]

More Quick Thoughts... quickly presented...

Moderator Ginger Zee, from Good Morning America — now a huge fan — watches the show with her husband. She’s counting: 137 days of Droughtlander to go.

Introductions… Sam as the King of Men… six years into being introduced as Jamie Fraser and welcomed onto a stage, and the man still looks as shy as he did the first time… Caitriona as the Queen of All Women... and with Balfe mispronounced. 🤦🏻‍♀️ Sigh.

Surprise guests… Sophie and Rik appeared via video to answer fan questions, with help from Adso. Sophie calls their North Carolina home in Scotland “Fraser’s Fridge.” She and Rik appeared just fine together, no awkwardness, and I’ll fight you on that.

They presented a video “first look at Season 5,” which is on the Facebook page dated October 3, so hmm. (If I remember, I’ll post it on Tumblr. If I forget, you do it.)

About the sets… across the board, “the big house is phenomenal.” I can’t wait to see it!

Diana’s thoughts… character from her book she is most excited to see on screen? “Adso.” Her favourite line/words in the show that’s not in her book? “fucking bastard snake” 🐍

On Murtagh 💘… How has Duncan developed Murtagh in Seasons 3, 4, and 5 when he can’t use the books to guide him? He’s “always taken the scripts” as his source. (Oops… 😬) He thinks Season 5 is the best work he’s done on the show.

Sam chimed in with, “We all need a Murtagh in our lives.” Well, duh. 🙄 Ace of Spades by Motorhead would be Murtagh’s theme song, according to Duncan. According to boyneriver-fraser, Murtagh’s theme song is When A Man Loves A Woman. 😎

Penalty whisky… Because she knew she’d never answer a question without spilling a spoiler and getting fired (her word), Mrs. Blooper (Maria) declined to answer and asked for a whisky. (I forget the question.)

Cait & Sam as producers… Caitriona said so far it’s mostly been about learning. Sam said it’s rewarding to be able to give input and to work with everyone.

On how Jamie & Claire’s love story has changed since Season 1… Cait said their love for one another keeps expanding. (Settle down, people). Sam recalled a scene they recently shot where Jamie and Claire “made love without making love.” Rather than expand on that thought, he chose a penalty whisky.

"Here’s to making love without making love.” 🥃

Sam on time travel… If Season 5 Jamie were able to travel through the stones, what would he tell Season 1 Jamie? “Don’t go near her.” But seriously though, folks… “He’d do anything. He’d die for her.”

About bringing a book-dead character back to life… Diana said, “When I kill someone, they stay dead. No offence to Duncan, but you (Murtagh) should have stayed dead.” 🤯 I wish I’d screenshot Maril’s face at that moment. 🙈

Maril said Rupert, Angus, and Dougal. Sam said Geillis. Cait said Faith… and I don’t think anyone on stage or in the audience heard her, because there was no reaction AND THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN HUGE REACTION! 💔

About what 21st-century luxury the 18th-century characters would like to have… Ginger’s husband would want a shower. Cait would like a flushing toilet. Ron, a TV. Sam… wait for it… A PHONE! 😂

Using New York accents to deliver Outlander lines… paraphrased because I’m too lazy to consult the scripts/books right now. Do your best to imagine these Scottish, English, Australian, and Irish actors’ voices in their best New Yorkese…

Sam: “Hey, you can’t be the first lass I’ve kissed, but I swear you’ll be the last.”

Duncan: “The idea of grinding your corn does tickle me.”

Maria: “Arses and armpits. Too many people. The whole place smells like frogs.”

David: “Do you know what it’s like to love somebody who will never love you back?”

AND CAITRIONA BALFE FOR THE WIN! “If you ever lay a hand on me again, James Fraser, I’ll cut out your heart and serve it to you for breakfast!”

Seriously, her accent and line delivery were hilarious! 🎉

Good to know… Young Ian has the fartiest horse. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Period you would choose if your character could live anytime… Maria: 1930s-59 to hear Billie Holiday sing live. David just wants to see a dinosaur. Duncan: “Right now because right now needs Murtagh.” Cait: right now. Sam: would leave Jamie where he is, where he belongs.

Fan question… which, depending on your perspective, could be very awkward… When Outlander is over, will you still live in Glasgow? Silence. Crickets. Finally, “it’s never going to end,” I forget who said it first, but Cait jumped on it quickly. Duncan finally said, “You go where the work is,” and everyone agreed.

Here’s to a great audience and to Season 5! 🥃🥃🥃🥃🥃🥃🥃🥃🥃

Editorial 1… Whatever your perspective, no matter how hardened your heart might have become, I triple dog dare you to deny Sam Heughan did not burst with pride when one fan gushed about her loving Caitriona and presented her with a birthday gift, and another fan told the story of her becoming a surgical nurse because of Cait’s portrayal of Claire. I triple dog dare you.

Editorial 1-A… A fan mentioned and congratulated Sam on his upcoming movie. Sam talked about Caitriona’s upcoming movie. [He did express (mock) annoyance about her working with Matt Damon, who probably can’t ride a horse.]

Editorial 2… There is absolutely no circumstance under which Lallybroch would be better than a cat.

About playing (much) older characters… Cait said Claire and Jamie don’t really get older because their hearts and souls are ageless.

Two parter: 1. With Outlander and all his side projects, does Sam ever sleep? I can’t remember if he answered? Hmm. 2. What is his favourite episode or scene? He chose the first episodes of Season 3 during which Jamie was a shell of himself without Claire and had to learn to make a life without her. #obviously Cait was (mock) annoyed and he changed his answer to The Wedding.

Editorial 3… Mathematical question: If Faith was (still)born in 1744, and Brianna was born in 1948, which would be 1746 in Outlander time, had Faith not died, how would she be 10 years older than Brianna? Diana? Anyone? 

Again, about Outlander’s ending… Who would take Adso home? Cait said Eddie would kill Adso so Sam would have to take Adso home with him. And I eyeroll-laughed and laughed… (Perhaps I should label this bit “Editorial 4?”)

__________

October 5, 2019

Screenshots: @boyneriver-fraser from outlander_starz Facebook Live

#Outlander #NYCC 2019 #Panel interview #Caitriona Balfe #Sam Heughan #Duncan Lacroix #David Berry #Maria Doyle Kennedy #Ronald D. Moore #Maril Davis #Diana Gabaldon #Ginger Zee #151 #100519

[turqrambles]

I watched all 26 episodes of an obscure Australian cartoon in one week and I’m not okay - My journey with Wicked! (2001) PART 1

Here it is, the reason I started this blog in the first place. I need to talk about this cartoon I ran into completely by chance. 

It all started, like you would, with Tubitv.

Good ol’ Tubi, the free streaming service that makes you either an expert at being able to find diamonds in piles of garbage or a connoisseur of said garbage. It’s thanks to Tubi that I put down that I watched Alpha and Omega: Family Vacation on Letterboxd for all to see and judge, but it’s also thanks to Tubi that I finally ended up watching Killer Klowns from Outer Space.

Anyhoo, one day I was browsing their family film selection when I ran into this selection. And that was the day my life changed forever.

What you see before you, posted to a streaming service accessible in the United States, is the movie adaptation of an Australian TV show that never made it to the United States, which is based off a series of Australian children’s books from the 90′s that also never made it to the United States. It made it to other territories like Germany and the United Kingdom (and it apparently did super well in France but don’t quote me on this) but the TV show ran for one year and then disappeared without a trace after one 26 episode season.

How obscure is this franchise? Well, for starters, at the time I’m writing this in 2020, the books, the TV show, and the movie all don’t have a single Wikipedia page to call their own, and the easiest way to get info about this thing is to find the (rather tiny) TvTropes page. 

Let’s just get right into this shall we.

What is Wicked!?

Before you try to be all cute and make any references to the hit musical, there’s a reason I’m putting that exclamation mark there.

Wicked! started out as a series of six children’s books written by Paul Jennings and Morris Gleitzman. I actually grabbed a kindle copy of all six books (because I’m in this thing too deep and I wanted to see how the cartoon compared with the source material) and I gotta say, they’re very charming.

The best way I can describe them is that they’re in the kid horror genre, but they’re less Goosebumps and more The Weenies book series by David Lubar in terms of gore and child endangerment. Wicked! has some artful depictions of blood and gore, but in a way that can be digested by the grade school crowd.

Being a former child, I can proudly proclaim that I would’ve adored this series when I was younger. Just look at these covers!

The plot of the books is that there’s a widower with a daughter and a divorced wife with a son who get married, and the two new step-siblings Rory and Dawn absolutely hate each other. They can’t stand the fact that their parents are getting married! Gross!

But then, on the day of their wedding, creepy things begin to happen after Rory receives an appleman doll in the mail, and then, over the course of six books, a deadly single-minded virus that feeds on hate and is targeting Rory’s bloodline begins to spread across wildlife, creating crazed mutant animals that try to kill everyone in the household. It’s up to Rory, Dawn, and Dawn’s grandfather Gramps to stop this virus before it kills Rory and his mother, and to do so, they have to seek out Rory’s father, who seems to be the mysterious cause and/or the solution to the virus.

I’m not sure how well these books did, on account of the whole “not Australian” affliction I seem to suffer from, but they seemed to do well enough to get a TV show adaptation.

And surprisingly, the TV show is a very close adaptation of the books, only they changed the plot in two big ways so that it fits an animated series with a “monster of the week” setup.

The first big change was that, of course, they toned down the blood and gore and removed the deadliness of the virus, choosing to go with a more cartoony mutagenic approach. Rory gets infected by the virus several times in the show, just like how he does in the books, but unlike the books, he never thinks that he’s going to die from it and it’s definitely treated as a more temporary thing. There’s no race against time either. Everyone is trying to live their lives except every so often, the virus shows up. A wacky cartoon virus with cartoony stakes.

That brings me to the other main change that they make in the show. Unlike the books, where the main villain is a mindless virus that feeds off of hate, an invisible foe that can only be defeated at the end of the last book with the help of Rory’s father, the TV show decides that that’s no fun and instead makes a main villain out of one of the main plot points in the books. Say hello to The Appleman. (Apple-Man? Apple Man? Fuck it, I’m going with the first one from now on)

Instead of having the virus mutate mysteriously and having the main characters constantly hypothesize what’s going to happen next, the TV show made a main villain who constantly reinvents new strains of virus in a laboratory that he set up in an abandoned refinery.

What then happens is a basic plot set-up that the show follows pretty consistently in every episode. The family is trying to do something, we get the theme for the episode, and The Appleman, who is a spiteful bastard who is trying to ruin this one family in particular (and I’ll get to that), decides to make a virus that will infect the theme of that episode.

Pretty standard cartoon stuff, right? Ah, but then you don’t realize the beauty of this show. But first, I gotta introduce the main stars of this show.

The Characters

(quick note: this bus is incredibly important to the plot, but only in the books)

First we have Rory (the boy holding up the tin) and Dawn (the mad red head).

Dawn is the step-sister who lost her mom, a bus driver, in a gruesome bus accident, Rory is the step-brother whose parents got a divorce and then his dad went missing, believed to have run away from his whole family. Both of them are meant to be the dual protagonists, but I feel that there’s just a tiny bit more focus on Rory. There’s a reason for this that I will mention later.

What is interesting to note is that they make Rory the smart, non-athletic little nerd that gets picked on a lot at school for being a dork while Dawn loves sports, is failing science, gets made fun of for not being as girly as the other girls in her class, and likes violent computer games. I wouldn’t exactly call them “fleshed out” but they did enough to make these kids feel like actual kids.

Also, they fight. Constantly. This is the main complaint of anyone who actually looks into this show judging by my brief skimming of Internet comments because these two constantly bicker and insult each other and that makes up like 40% of the dialogue in any given episode. While this is one of the main story conflicts and they’re like this in the books too, it just feels super exhausting to see these two constantly at each other’s throats in every single episode.

They get mean too. Which, surprisingly, makes them both more realistic (I babysat multiple times and kids can be pretty verbally awful to each other) while also making them just a tiny bit unbearable at times. Here’s some actual dialogue.

"My dad sent it to me!" "Gee, he must think a lot of you to send you a doll full of worms." "Your mum thought so much of you she drove this bus over a cliff and into the river to get away from you."

GEEZ, guys...

Eileen, Rory’s mom.

It feels out of the three adults in the family, she gets the least amount of character development, but she does get a fair amount of screentime, so you can’t really say they’re intentionally ignoring her. She divorced her previous husband and works as a mail courier. Instead of owning a car, she drives a motorcycle, and, in the first episode, even drives it to her own wedding while dressed in a bridal gown. Rory’s mom rules.

She tries to bond with Dawn because she always wanted to raise a daughter, but Dawn clearly doesn’t like her new stepmom very much. Dawn is also afraid of the motorcycle and it comes up a couple times in the show.

Eileen is the adult that gets targeted the least by The Appleman’s schemes. There’s a very pointed reason for this, and I swear, I’m getting to it soon.

(quick note: yes, the show uses real photos to put in picture frames in the backgrounds and it’s real weird and never addressed)

Jack, Dawn’s dad.

Jack is a sheep shearer, just like in the books, and he’s a big easy-going dope that is hard not to love. Look at him hammer in this carpet. A true champ.

Out of the three adults in the family, he seems to be the one that nearly dies the most, with The Appleman going out of his way to specifically target Jack in some episodes. If you know Appleman’s backstory, this reads as absolutely petty spite and I love every minute of it.

Gramps, Dawn’s grandfather and Jack’s dad.

He’s an aging WWII veteran (one that has killed people in combat no less) who radiates constant Boomer vibes and, unlike Eileen and Jack, he actually sees some of the crazy shit that happens and will sometimes sense when something is infected with virus when the other two adults can’t.

In the books, he’s suffering pretty badly from dementia, but thankfully the cartoons drop that completely. I’m glad too, because I don’t have the confidence that they would’ve written it with enough sophistication to make it not seem ableist. Instead, he’s just your typical kooky cartoon grandfather.

He’s probably the adult that gets the most screentime because he will actually help Dawn and Rory out. Again, this ties into the books, where he was the main adult ally for the kids.

He says a lot of army-themed catchphrases. It’s a tad overplayed but it never really gets to a point where I would call it “annoying”. Also, instead of living in the house, he lives in a tiny granny flat on the property. Sometimes Rory spends the night there.

Last but not least, we have the star of the show, and the reason why the easiest way to find information of this show is to google “Wicked The Appleman”.

The Appleman, as explained, is the main villain of the story. Dressed in a very fancy suit complete with dress shoes and a nice blue tie, he lives in an old refinery full of rats, bats, and giant worms (called Slobberers), and he’s rocking a voice that can be best described as “Australian Mark Hamil” with an absolutely heavenly evil laugh. He has gross clawed hands, a rotten apple for a head, and likes making people miserable, because he’s basically the living puppet for a virus that feeds off of negative emotions. The main goal of each episode is to either defeat him or to stop the mess he’s made. Usually both.

Since all of his minions are non-sentient animals, a lot of his dialogue is him lurking behind something while he monologues to himself, sometimes turning it into a creepy little rhyme. He’s a pretty lonely guy, so him hanging out with this family can be seen as a very non-subtle cry for help.

The best episodes are the ones where he tries to lurk about in public with a very poor attempt at disguising his hideous features. Somehow it always works, you know, despite the fact that he has yellow eyes, the skin like a moldy apple, and no ears.

What Makes Wicked! Unique

(no, The Appleman doesn’t actually use that axe)

The first thing this show does that most of the formulaic shows don’t do is that it does, in fact, have a beginning, a middle, and an end. That’s why this show was packaged into a full-length movie - you can glue scenes together and actually make a pretty decent narrative, even if the resulting movie definitely had a “glued together TV show episodes” feel ala some of the bad Disney sequels like Cinderella II and Atlantis II. 

This show even has some plot-heavy episodes that dive into just why this whole Appleman situation is going on and why he seems to have it out for this one family in order to flesh out the characters more.

Because that’s a thing that this show does. The Appleman is a cartoon-y villain who cackles in his lab and constantly invents new strains of viruses that can mutate things like animals and household appliances, but he doesn’t do it to take over the city or to “destroy the world”. He does it purely to inconvenience this one Australian family, who he stalks pretty regularly. This is a thing that comes from the books and honestly, it’s a thing that elevates Appleman from “ugly-looking cartoon villain” to “pretty damn creepy, if also still cartoony in execution”.

Sure, a lot of cartoon villains target the main protagonist in their evil schemes, but this one is definitely more personal.

He regularly follows Rory and Dawn to school and, when the family goes on a camping trip, he comes too. If Rory decides he’s going to hang out in the wrecker’s yard, The Appleman will be cackling and hiding behind totaled vehicles. If Gramps takes the kids out to the bay to go fishing, The Appleman will pull an ice cream truck out of his garage and follow them there. That’s how the main conflict is really set up.

I think if a scarier cartoon tried, they’d make him out to be this grotesque stalker, but instead, since this show is kinda goofy in execution, he’s like the shittiest cryptid in the world, constantly crouching behind trash cans and on top of rooftops while constantly cackling about how clever he is and how, miraculously, no one notices anything’s amiss.

This alone would make this villain interesting, but then they set up something about this show at the beginning if you watch the intro and the first episode and put two and two together.

Right from the start, the opening shows that The Appleman was once human by depicting his transformation by the virus. They don’t even try and pretend that he’s some demon or some sort of supernatural monster - he’s specifically a blue collar worker who had a nasty run-in with fate and mutated into this hideous apple-headed creature that now has to hide out in an abandoned refinery. You see why he’s dressed like that - he’s still wearing his work uniform.

Right after you watch that intro, the first episode of the show has Rory receiving a mysterious package from his father on the day of his mother’s wedding. It’s the first time that Rory and his mom Eileen have heard from their dad after he mysteriously vanished years ago. 

What’s inside? An apple-headed doll, which contains the first virus-infected monsters, The Slobberers.

When The Appleman makes his first dramatic appearance, he never says Dawn’s name, but he does know Rory’s name.

And, in case you didn’t pick up the hints from the first episode, the fourth episode really drives it home without spelling it out. Then the last episode of the series decides to say it out loud.

That’s right. Rory’s father, the man who mysteriously vanished from Eileen and Rory’s lives, is still an important part of the cartoon’s storyline, but instead of being the man who appears in the last book that knows how to cure the virus while also being the first victim of the virus, he’s the main antagonist.

The Appleman is Rory’s father.

And honestly, because of this little plot point, this show becomes a much richer experience once you look at the unhinged appleman who keeps unleashing horror on these kids and realize that he’s a divorced dad who constantly keeps tabs on his ex-wife's unstable dysfunctional family in order to make them more pissed at each other because that feeds the virus that mutated him.

This is a very cool concept. This is where Wicked! shines when, for all intents and purposes, it is otherwise a pretty average turn-of-the-century Australian cartoon that can be best described as “it’s okay, I guess” in terms of quality.

Because that’s really the rating I can give this show. It’s Okay.

It’s a very solid Okay, but I think any adjective more powerful than “Okay” is really pushing it. It’s not Great, it’s not Amazing. It’s Okay. Alright. Kinda Good.

But man, is it a wild ride.

Next time, I’m going to start discussing the actual episodes as well as this show’s pros and cons. Dividing this up into multiple parts partly because I feel like these things are more easily digested in smaller chunks and partly because I’m pretty sure tumblr now has a size limit on posts soooo...yeah.

Follow this handy link for Part 2 - The Actual Review!

#Turq watches a cartoon #Wicked! (2001) #Wicked! #The Appleman #Turq Reviews

[a-man-for-hire-and-his-archives]

Home and Away recap: Luke Arnold really can act and Colby’s life hangs in the balance

by Stephanie McKenna for The West Australian

Spoiler alert to anyone hasn’t watch this show!

Colby’s life hangs in the balance!

Hello one and all and welcome to the 2021 season return of Home and Away.

After a mighty long recap the show begins and the producers give us exactly what we want, since they know they delivered a lacklustre finale.

It picks up at the jail, and Colby isn’t breathing which is just so artistically juxtaposed by Dean (obviously shirtless with tattoos blazing) and sweeping drone shots of the bay.

Lewis whips out the defibrillator, but Colby can’t be revived.

Sadly we don’t see how Colby ended up in this lifeless state but then I remember this is a family show so affairs, robberies and transporting drugs are allowed, but a shanking would be too far.

Lewis is played by Luke Arnold who joined in the finale last year and has already been dubbed as a poor man’s Johnny Depp. But now I don’t know if it’s now offensive to call Lewis, Depp, since Depp has been “cancelled”.

Anyway, the suspense is disrupted and Colby’s life hangs in the balance because Kieran (Martha’s long-lost son with a violent past) is zhuzhing up his CV which is just thrilling TV.

Kieran drops it off at the gym where he runs into Jasmine again but it’s ok because Jas has decided the put their first and very intense encounter behind her.

Next up is Dean who still won’t visit bestie Colby in jail.

“I’m sure as hell not going to relive that nightmare,” Dean says

It’s apparent Dean hasn’t been back to prison since he was released which is exactly what Bella goes on to say.

Back to the ambulance which hurtles towards the hospital as Colby has a seizure.

Jas gets to work, her other work at the hospital, where Dr Christian Green, aka Budget McDreamy, is briefing everyone about the incoming patient from the corrections facility.

The poor bloke hasn’t heeded my advice and he’s still in the same clothes.

There’s clearly something going on between Lewis and McDreamy because they both throw each other a bit of shade.

I mean it wouldn’t be Home and Away if the new characters didn’t have unresolved problems eating away at them.

Anyway, no surprises that the patient is Colby, but it’s a surprise to Jas who is really showing us a breathtaking range of emotion.

McDreamy pulls Jas aside and tells her she should sit this one out, but she declines because Colby’s sperm is still her best chance at having a baby so he must live.

This guy can actually act! Credit: Supplied/Supplied

There’s a lot of doctoring words but of utmost concern is the blood coming from Colby’s ears which I know because of my years watching Grey’s Anatomy would indicate trauma to the head.

“What have they done to you,” Budget McDreamy utters with compassion.

I notice that Colby doesn’t annoy me as much when he’s close to death.

Back to ol’ mate Deano who is sticking to stubborn ways and insists he’s not going to visit Colby even though everything he’s been through is what his best friend is currently going through, plus if Colby didn’t take the wrap they’d be in there together.

I think the point has been made but Dean launches into a monologue to really stress the perils of jail.

I don’t believe Dean has ever strung so many words together.

“You can’t possibly understand, no one can unless you’re been in there. It doesn’t matter who you were before you went in, you have to start all over again, you need to earn your place, fight your own battles and it never stops,” he says.

“I’ll take you to the prison if that’s what you want but I’m waiting outside.”

Back at the hospital Jasmine gives the guards some ‘tude.

She wants to call Bella, but the guard says it’s a security issue.

“Like it or not your patient is a convicted murderer and there are protocols in place,” says the extra dressed as a security guard.

Gee, I hope this guy gets a guest spot.

Poor Jas is nearly is tears.

But Poor Depp is a nifty man and is going to outsmart the guards.

They pay Bella and Dean a visit in person to inform them about the gravity of the situation.

They’re certainly up to something because two giant dudes covered is matching blood and sand tattoos cause a commotion while Bella and Dean sneak into Colby’s room.

I assume these dudes — which the producers are trying to conceal the faces of — are the River Boys that were teased in the trailer.

Naturally Bella is brought to tears by the sight of her brother’s almost lifeless body.

Budget McDreamy comes back from the commotion and breaks up the reunion. He does have a very commendable bed side manner though.

Jas and Poor Depp hug it out.

Seriously look at the emotion on his face. Credit: Channel 7/Supplied

Bella and Dean worry how they can protect Colby, but he won’t need protecting if he’s dead.

Ah I spoke too soon because COLBY MOVES!

No one finds out because Kieran is still going on about the gym gig which only confirms how delusional he is because he certainly does not have the cold heart and fake smile required for customer service.

“This gym gig is perfect. Why wouldn’t she give it to me,” Kieran ponders.

Anyway, it switches back to the wedge Kieran is driving between Martha and Alf.

Martha insists it’s “not necessary” for him to leave and she’s going to “take care” of Alf.

Just to be clear, the tone isn’t as ominous as it seems, and it doesn’t appear that Martha is going to kill Alf.

Alf gets in a huff because either Kieran stays or Martha is going.

Alf backs down a bit when he realises he could lose his wife again and naturally, he threatens Kieran.

“I’ll be watching you like a hawk,” Alf says.

If it was real life, they’d all go to counselling and sort it out, but there’s no way Alf would agree to that. So I guess a divorce is imminent.

credits: The West Australian

#luke arnold #lewis hayes #home and away #recap #black sails #john silver

[incorrectly-quoted-queers]

Tagged by @corylion :) Will happily tag @thenorsiest @sporkandpringles @theamazingdearheart and @funky-little-vulcan but literally anyone do it please these are just some peeps off the top of my head <3 

This is a fun goofy long post soooo.... enjoy!

1. What is the color of your hairbrush?

I have... three.. but my main one is zebra print

Oh, high school days and my obsession with it

2. A food you never eat?

Animal flesh 

...

Though that implies i eat human flesh, i more meant I’m a vegetarian who eats dairy and eggs, just not meat haha 

3. Are you typically too warm or too cold?

Literally depends on the season. Winter? Always too cold. Summer? Always too hot. I have a very fickle internal temperature. 

4. What were you doing 45 minutes ago?

Eating eggs and watching a Darkkmane video with my dog and SO 

5. What is your favorite candy bar?

OOOOOOHHHH toss-up between Kit-Kat’s and Reese’s Cups

I’m a chocolate deviant 

6. Have you ever been to a professional sporting event?

Yes. And I spent all of it in my dad’s business box watching Flash Gordon

7. What was the last thing you said out loud?

“Next time we go to the store, if I get a white onion, you better know I hold grudges and you’ll be eating that taco” (-_- don’t ask) 

8. What is your favorite ice cream?

Moose Tracks (but I adore ice cream so all of it’s amazing) 

9. What was the last thing you had to drink?

Good old H20

10. Do you like your wallet?

It’s this phone case wallet that’s teal and covered in bicycles. I love it and have had it for like 8 years so I’d say it’s pretty badass

11. What was the last thing you ate?

I just put a peanut into my mouth before typing this sooo.... that

12. Did you buy any new clothes last weekend?

I don’t really buy clothes all that often. Most all of my clothes are from high school/college or a oh so daring shopping spree I went on last summer just to update some of my worst wardrobe peices (and buy overalls. Overalls are the best) 

13. The last sporting event you watched?

A League of Legends Clash tournament....?

14. What is your favorite flavor of popcorn?

Either plain butter or Red Velvet

15. Who was the last person you sent a text message to?

To the SO. I was being tired and annoyed so when I was trying to sleep and he walked out of the room and left the light on I just texted him “Light??” and then he kindly turned it off. 

16. Ever go camping?

YES! I never did as a kid but my SO and I love the great outdoors. Our best vacation together was going cross country and camping at a bunch of different landmarks. Now we live in a house in the forest and it’s like we live in a cabin and I love it <3

17. Do you take vitamins?

Yep! Multivitamin every morning. 

18. Do you go to church every Sunday?

The only church services I’ve been to are funerals and that one time when I was struggling emotionally and tried to join my friend’s church. 

But then they joked about homosexuality being the work of the devil soooo I dipped

19. Do you have a tan?

Absolutely not. I’m actually sun sensitive and have to wear hats in the summer to keep my head safe. I am a pale bitch for life 

20. Do you prefer Chinese food or pizza?

HMMMMM hard call. Probably Chinese Food. Family pizza night every week is really awesome and i love it, but Chinese Food is delicious. (And fried sweet and sour tofu can take all my money)

21. Do you drink your soda with a straw?

Noooooo! I don’t even drink soda. But I do have a metal, reusable straw for my giant water container :)

22. What color socks do you usually wear?

Blue? All my socks are patterned, multi-colored ones so it’s never the same. Today I’m wearing ones with penguins on them, and the penguins have scuba gear on.

23. Ever drive above the speed limit?

My first time ever driving I went way over the speed limit. 

24. What terrifies you?

Driving. 

Also the state of our world and how hard it is to be a creative in it, especially when that’s what I want to do with my life, but hey. I’m not dead i guess

25. Look to your left what do you see?

My other monitor, my computer glasses, my phone, a face mask, head phones, writing gloves, water, and 2 dark chocolate pretzels.

26. What chore do you hate?

Dog yard clean-up (obvious reasons) 

27. What do you think of when you hear an Australian accent?

Ummm... they’re from Australia I guess? 

28. What is your favorite soda?

I cannot drink soda for my health, but when I take the time to de-carbonate it, root bear, easy 

29. Do you go into a fast food place or just hit the drive through?

Neither really. I cook almost everything. But I guess the very rare times I do, we always go in

30. Who was the last person you talked to?

My dog (SO before that) 

31. Favorite cut of beef?

None. Veggie gal :)

32. Last song you listened to?

The Weight of Us- Sanders Boehlke

33. Last book you read?

The Testaments- Margaret Atwood

34. Favorite day of the week?

Wednesdays are normally pretty nice, but Saturday is also great

35. Can you say the alphabet backwards?

Yeah but I don’t wanna

36. How do you like your coffee?

Hmmm when it’s tea or hot chocolate instead

37. Favorite pair of shoes?

My blue converse

38. At what time do you usually go to bed?

11-ish 

39. At what time do you normally get up?

7:30

40. What do you prefer - sunrises or sunsets?

Sunset. Nights are my favorite

41. How many blankets are on your bed?

Oh my... my SO and I do not share blankets, and our dog has his own. Right now it’s summer so only 4, but in winter we have upwards of 7-8. 

42. Describe your kitchen plates?

We have these navy blue, tan, and gray plates that I absolutely love. They remind me of midnight waves crashing onto a beach. Obviously they are just straight lines across the plate, not actual waves, but they are awesome I love them

43. Do you have a favorite alcoholic beverage?

Nooooo not on my health plan

44. Do you play cards?

Yes! We have several decks, but my favorite are the zombie cards

45. What color is your car?

No car. No color. But SO’s car is red

46. Can you change a tire?

Nope

47. What is your favorite province?

UHHHH I assume this isn’t US because we don’t have provinces, but I’ll translate it to states. Just objectively, Michigan because I live here. But i also really adore Washington. 

48. Favorite job you ever had?

Probably writing tutor or Communcations aide. I liked doing a wide breadth of writing stuff in my job, and I also enjoyed helping people. 

49. How did you get your biggest scar?

Embarrassing. I was on blood thinners because I had a clotting disorder, so I scraped my arm against a door and even though it wasn’t that deep, it bled for hours. I have an inch scar there now. 

50. What did you do today that made someone happy?

Made my SO watch a funny video in bed, offered eggs to an internet friend, and gave my sweet doggo a peanut :) 

#long post #answers #my answers #share #tag #50 questions #Takes a minute #Meant to be editing #whoops #fun questions

[bellafarella]

50 QUESTIONS YOU’VE NEVER BEEN ASKED

Tagged by: @thehonorarybeaumont 💛

What is the color of your hairbrush? Purple on the brush part and the other side is an array of different colors

A food you never eat? Asparagus, canned tuna, scallops, cooked salmon, peas

Are you typically too warm or too cold? I seem to be always one or the other

What were you doing 45 minutes ago? Reading fan fic at my desk at work lol

What is your favorite candy bar? In Canada we don't call chocolate bars candy bars but I know what you mean so I'm gonna say Caramilk or Twix.

Have you ever been to a professional sports event? Yes last year I went to a WWE show for Monday night Raw. First time going to see a sports event live.

What is the last thing you said out loud? Probably said hi to someone lol

What is your favorite ice cream? Omg so the Ben and Jerry's tonight dough is so good, but I basically like any ice cream as long as it's not strawberry

What was the last thing you had to drink? Orange juice

Do you like your wallet? Sure

What was the last thing you ate? A date square

Did you buy any new clothes last weekend? Nope

The last sporting event you watched? See answer 6.

What is your favorite flavor of popcorn? I mean usually just buttery popcorn but I do also like ketchup seasoning, or if I go fancy and get Kernels I think it's called I'll get like a buffalo or jalapeno. Cheesy popcorn is good too. Literally any popcorn is good.

Who was the last person you sent a text message to? My cousin

Ever go camping? Yes, but only for 1 night or else I'll die. Can't handle being outdoors for much longer.

Do you take vitamins? No but I should

Do you go to church every Sunday? Not since I had to for Sunday school and I only did that for two years to prepare for communion and conformation.

Do you have a tan? I wish, I'm too pale rn

Do you prefer Chinese food or pizza? Omg how you gonna do me like that. I'm a bad Italian if I dont say pizza so pizza lol but I am obsessed with chinese food

Do you drink your soda with a straw? Not unless I buy a fountain soda and they give me a straw lol

What color socks do you usually wear? Usually black

Ever drive above the speed limit? I don’t drive.

What terrifies you? Heights, snakes, horses, raccoons, scary bugs

Look to your left, what do you see? Sanitary hand wipes lol

What chore do you hate? The only chore I really do at home is laundry

What do you think of when you hear an Australian accent? How sexy it is

What’s your favorite soda? Coke

Do you go into a fast food place or just hit the drive through? Go in cause I dont drive

Who’s the last person you talked to? Didn't I answer this? I said hi to a colleague lol

Favorite cut of beef? Steak, is that a cut of beef idk lol

Last song you listened to? Love me or leave me by Little Mix

Last book you read? I dont even know

Favorite day of the week? They're all the same now anyway but I guess Saturday cause I don't have to go into work and I still have another day off the next day

Can you say the alphabet backwards? Doubt it

Do you like your coffee? This is phrased weird but no I don't drink coffee

Favorite pair of shoes? I guess my filas even though they annoy me a bit

At what time do you normally go to bed? Around 10

At what time do you normally get up? Anywhere between 6:30 and 8, depending when I decide to go into work.

What do you prefer, sunrises or sunsets? Both are pretty but I'm more likely to catch a sunset

How many blankets are on your bed? 3, I sleep under two but theres a small throw at the foot of my bed.

Describe your kitchen plates: lol this is weird, they're just plain white

Do you have a favorite alcoholic beverage? Yeah I like mojitos, and I recently got into gin and tonic with cucumbers, and my go to is usually a vodka red bull

Do you play cards? Not lately cause of social distancing but yeah I do

What color is your car? Again, I don’t drive.

Can you change a tire? I don’t even drive so no. Theres too many fkn car questions.

What is your favorite province? Lol I dont have one... I live in Quebec but its definitely not that.

Favorite job you’ve ever had? I really liked working as a hostess at a restaurant but it ended badly how I quit so idk. My hospital job now I've had for 2y is pretty good though.

How did you get your biggest scar? Only have one scar, it's on my left forearm on the inside. When I was really young I climbed up my aunts fence cause she was talking to her neighbor and she yelled at me to get down and it cut my whole arm. Now it's just a small scar cause obviously my arms grew but yeah lol

What did you do today that made someone else happy? Nothing I barely spoke to anybody today lol it's also 10:40 am lol

Ok so I'm tagging: @the-power-of-potter @let-it-make-you-stronger @mariss-ugh @sleepyfaceandsnark @shameless-us-addict and who ever else feels like doing this

#tag game #about me #dumb questions

[timelock97]

Game Changer

Chapter Two: A New Game, A New Discovery

Word Count: 3155 

Warnings:  Language

_________________________________________

The summer before the new semester was long, and I missed Leon a lot. Leon was busy in Galar, trying to figure out why I wasn't even able to come in the first place, as well as keeping himself in shape for the season. On the other hand, I spent the summer working my tail feathers off, and on the occasion spent some much needed time with friends.

My group of friends from high school had always stayed close, even though we went to different schools. We spent countless hours talking about new games and shows that were out, but also throwing in stories from the year: failed flirting attempts, horrible teachers, funny all-nighters, you name it. However, one of the hot topics we talked about, or at least three out of four talked about, were the new Pokemon games. Ginny, Aaron, and I had spent a majority of the summer speculating the new game and they attempted to fill me in on what I had missed from the past few games.

"Wait, how much have you actually missed," Aaron had asked as he steered the boat to head back to the house to pick up Max to continue our lazy wandering and conversing.

I stretch my arms over the back of my seat, Ginny giggling as I make a face in thought, "Uh, the last game I played I had Piplup as my starter-"

"So generation four." Ginny concludes, making Aaron laugh.

"I'm really behind." I giggle, leaning back against the seat, soaking in the sun.

"Oh yeah, definitely behind. I think a crash course is needed."

"I think you'll enjoy it more going in blind." Ginny giggles, moving to sit next to me. "Besides, it'll be fun either way to see what you think."

"The game cannot get here fast enough!" I cheer excitedly, ready to explore the newest region on my new console.

~

Leon sighs into the receiver. "Sorry it didn't work out for this summer, love."

I shift my phone between my ear and my shoulder as I gather my school supplies from the backseat, I had one more week before school started back up and I was already feeling restless. "Quit apologizing, Lee. It's not your fault there is some weird process for me to get approved to come to Galar. You wouldn't have known. Besides, they were happy I was able to come back and work for the summer." They being an old diner that can't seem to hold servers. I was used to the workload and the usual people that came in, which meant better tips. "How was your season?"

"Good as always, Raihan gave me a run for my money, but still ended up on top. Hop is just happy to have me home."

"Well they are probably even happier knowing you don't need to come back here." I walk over to the front door and shove my key in the lock and slip inside.

"Yeah, the Chairman has been having me running ragged; doing errands and practicing."

"Hopefully nothing too hard," I smile as I set my bag down on the floor.

"Nothing I can't handle." His voice is teasing, and it makes me miss him more. I don't say anything as I unpack my stuff, just hum into the phone. "Are you excited for school?"

I laugh, shaking my head, "More like already ready for break. You are coming for Thanksgiving, right?"

"Already have it on my calendar." He hums, making me smile. "You're going to do amazing this year, you know that? You always amaze me with how much you know."

A blush warms my cheeks, damn do I miss this boy. "And you are gonna do amazing things in Galar. Just remember to take some time for yourself too, okay?"

I hear his sigh as I sit on a kitchen chair. "I'll try my love. I will try." There is a long pause, and for a second I think he hung up until, "I really miss you."

"I miss you too, Lee. November, and then you will be here."

"Doesn't make the waiting any easier."

"I know, but keeping yourself busy will ease it a little." I turn toward my stuff before sighing. "As much as I want to stay on the phone with you, handsome, I really need to study for that test I have next week."

He chuckles, his voice soft. "I know, I'll call you tomorrow. That okay?"

"Sounds perfect." I smile, "I love you, Leon."

"I love you too, my love."

~

I practically throw my stuff onto the ground as I enter the house, new game already in hand. Aiden, my little brother, follows in behind me complaining about school and how some of his friends were being annoying. My mom lifts her head from what she is completing on her laptop, giving us a lopsided smile. "You look excited, and you look like you need to go take a nap."

Aiden groans again before placing his face into her shoulder to complain in muttered tones as I move about the room to get my things together.

"I am headed to Ginny's, I don't expect to be home until about nine or ten-"

"Don't forget you have a dog, (Y/N)-"

"I will be home by nine then, and no worries I know," I giggle, rubbing Buster's head, the little Australian Shepard pup is bouncing at my feet as I slip my shoes and coat back on. "Sorry, bud. Go ask Aid, he will probably love to take you outside to run."

Aiden happily agrees as I wave one last time to my mom before slipping back outside. The drive is quick thanks to Ginny only living outside the neighborhood. I pull into her driveway and park in my usual spot, practically running to the door.

I hear her dog bark as I make it onto the porch, "Are you excited?!" Ginny's voice calls from behind her front door. She opens it quickly, pushing her dog aside as I enter.

"You know it!" I call back, stepping inside, my hand falling onto her chocolate labs head to keep him from slipping out the door. "Afternoon, Theo." I coo as I scratch under his chin before turning toward my best friend and pulling her into a hug. "How far are you?"

"Not too far, I've just been exploring." Ginny smiles as she motions me to follow her. The two of us clamber down the stairs, talking quietly about school and her job. Once settled on the couch she grabs her switch from where it sits on the floor plugged in.

I finally get to take a break, no school, no classmates, no responsibilities besides playing the game.I pop out the game already inside the console and replace it with the new game. "Here we go, here we go, here we go!" I sing, making Ginny laugh.

I turned up the volume and let the game start. As it starts through the main intro I decided to read along aloud, simply to get a laugh out of my best friend, making comments all the way. Until I come across the name of the region,"Galar?"

"Yeah, that's the region this game." Ginny states nonchalantly, eyes never leaving her switch.

I nod, eyes reading along. I let out a squeal, "Look at the elephant!"

"I know! I don't know what it is, but I want it!" Ginny giggles back.

"My name is Rose, and it is a pleasure to be here."

"Rose?" I whisper, no it's just a coincidence on the name and place, it's not the place Leon had been describing the past four years

"Now turn your gaze to the Galar region's greatest Pokemon Trainer, your undefeated champion..."

"It's time for Champion Leon's exhibition match!"

My eyes watch as the screen lights up, as it brings the game's champion into view and my breath hitches, making Ginny look up at me.

"What's wrong?"

I shake my head and stare wordlessly as the battle begins, Charizard dynamaxes and the shield logo appears on the screen. It quickly switching over to the protagonist, showing off "Wooloo?"

"Isn't wooloo adorable?" Ginny smiles, but she can see the confusion on my face. "You good?"

"Yeah, yeah, I think." I mutter as I get into the game. As the game continues, my heart gets a little tighter. Hop arriving at the protagonist's house, telling her to meet him at his, taking the main character to meet his brother at the train station. "God, Hop is a little shit," I giggle, Ginny agreeing with me with a laugh. "Like how long have I been living next to him and I haven't met his brother once? Aren't we like the best of friends?" Finally I have to stop, saving after choosing Scorbunny and setting my switch down into my lap. "Ginny?"

"Yeah?" She doesn't even look up.

I go to the screen shots on my switch and pull up a picture of Lee, my Lee, on my phone. "Please tell me I'm imagining things."

Ginny sets down her switch before shifting closer to me. She takes the phone from my hand before looking back at my switch. I watch as her eyes widen before she shakes her head. "Okay, this just has to be a coincidence." She raises her head to look at me, "They just look really similar-"

"That's what I thought, except Lee's boss is Chairman Rose, he lives in Galar which is an island off of the United Kingdom, his little brother's name is Hop-"

"(Y/N)." Ginny lets out a nervous giggle, but I continue.

"Ginny, he has even described animals for me to draw and one of them I just saw on screen." I can feel a headache coming on, and my anxiety is starting to settle in. "He has described his whole home and hometown to me and my character just ran through it." I place my head in my hands, putting pressure on the places that are aching.

She looks between the photos, she knows exactly what I am talking about. She has heard all about what Lee has told me, and seen the pictures in my sketchbook. She takes a breath, "Look, you can't prove anything right now. If he knows that this is a huge coincidence, he would tell you."

"I don't know, Ginny..."

"You have to have faith in him, you know how he is. He will tell you-"

"If he even knows." I whisper, lifting my head.

She nods, "And if he doesn't, then you will just have to bring it up. Everything will work out." She nudges my side, "C'mon, let's turn on YouTube for a bit then we can try and get back to the game."

~

I sit in my room that evening, I didn't go much further in the game even though I wanted to. My eyes linger on my cell phone, text messages open to Leon's messages.

_________________________________________

Lee Lee

I'll be at work til late, but I just want to tell you goodnight and that I love you.

Hope your day was good, gorgeous

_________________________________________

He could just be someone who works for the games and didn't tell me? But then why did he need a business degree, especially here? I rub my forehead as my dog crawls over to me and places his head on my lap, a sign that I should really be headed to bed. But my mind is reeling, and sleep probably wasn't going to happen for another few hours. Tonight would be a night I would lose sleep over.

I wake the next morning by Buster pressing his cold nose into my cheek. I sigh as I rub a hand through his fur before sitting up in bed and seeing Leon had texted me.

_________________________________________

Lee Lee

Good morning, my love.

I hope you didn't stay up too late playing your game 😉

I'll call you later today after I see Hop back home

(He has been asking when you are coming to visit)

I love you!

_________________________________________

My fingers move across the screen in habit, telling him good morning as well, but adding that I had a lot of homework this weekend and would need to be working and that I'd call him later in the week. I slipped in to enjoy spending time with his family and to tell Hop that I was excited to meet him when I finally made it out there.

I rolled out of bed and followed the pup out into the kitchen before letting him out into the backyard to do his business. I sigh as I lean in the doorway, watching him prance about the backyard happily. I let out a low whistle, "Buster, c'mon baby it's cold."

Buster comes barreling over, happily bouncing about my feet as I walk back into the house. Time to get to studying.

After a few hours, my mom pops her head into the office to see me hard at work on a presentation that was due that Monday. "Hey, honey?"

I put up a hand to tell her one minute before I finish the sentence I was working on. I gently push away from the desk to look at her. "Sup?"

She shakes her head, laughing, "You good?"

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" I ask, standing to walk past her and get a drink from the fridge.

She's quiet as she follows me slightly. "You and Lee okay?" She sees me visibly stiffen, "Did you two have a fight?"

I sigh, setting the juice container on the counter, "No, we didn't have a fight; I think it's the long distance getting to me. I mean, he keeps in contact and we skype, but it's not the same as being in person you know?"

She nods, "I can understand that." She shifts to the side and watches me for a minute while I pour my juice. "Did he tell you when he was going to fly out?"

"No, he just said before Thanksgiving." I sigh, replacing the juice in the fridge and chugging down the amount in my glass. "I can text him and ask though."

My mom shakes her head, "No, it's okay. Ask him later, you don't have to do it now."

I look over at her, and a part of me tells me that she is hiding something, but I shake it off and rinse the glass out before returning to the office. Just have to finish this presentation.

Thanksgiving could not come any faster. Between practicals, exams, and paper presentations my classmates and I had finally hit our wall. My hands were basically hovering over the keyboard as I skimmed over the material. God, I needed a break.

The sound of the back door opening catches my attention, ears perking up over the music playing from my laptop. After a minute, I hear my mom talking to my dad making me nod as I go back to my typing. Buster barking excitedly doesn't fade as I make the last bullet point to my study guide before I jump back over what I needed to look at for the practical for Tuesday, and the chapters due for Monday.

The door opening causes me to pause my typing to rub my forehead. "What?" I ask, it comes out more harsh then I expect, but between school and Leon suddenly being MIA, my nerves are a little shot. Whomever walked in makes no sound, and before I can ask what they want again a pair of hands clasp around my shoulders and massage the muscles there. A soft groan of satisfaction leaves my lips as I tilt my head to the side, their hands moving with me to massage at the base of my neck.

"You know, if you laid on the bed I could reach a lot more." My head whips around to meet golden honey eyes. Leon laughs before cupping my cheek, "Don't turn too fast love, you'll get whiplash."

I manage to let out a soft "move" before I spin around and stand from the chair, throwing my arms around his neck just as he leans down to pull me in and lifting me so that I was just that much closer. Emotions erupt as a small sob leaves my lips, arms tightening around his neck as I bury my face into his neck.

"I got you, love, I got you." Leon coos, shushing me as he sits on the couch, his hand cupping the back of my head to keep me close.

The two of us sit silently, Lee rocking me softly until my sobs turn into sniffles. I eventually move so my face is away from his neck, forehead pressing against his while I catch my breath. "Sorry, the past two weeks have been shit."

"Should'a brought you a hot cocoa then huh?" He teases, making me laugh as I press a soft kiss to his lips, his curling into a smile as he attempts to hold me there, only to let out a small groan when I pull away.

"I don't think you want me kissing you until I have washed my face." I tease, motioning to my blotchy, snotty face as I untangle myself from him and stand. Lee doesn't let me get very far, following me into the bathroom so I can do just that. Once that is done, Lee doesn't waste time grabbing my face between his hands and kissing me deeply. I sigh against his mouth until someone clears their throat. We pull apart to see Aiden standing in the doorway.

"Can you not make out in the bathroom? Thanks." He groans before walking away.

Leon chuckles behind me, "You know, I think he and Hop would get along pretty well."

I nod before turning and kissing Leon's cheek again. He smiles at me, hand cupping my cheek again before he presses his forehead to mine, my body relaxing at the contact. But my mind goes back to that game, and Leon's face flickering and talking with the characters. "Hey, Lee?"

His eyes flicker up to mine, "Yes, baby?"

My mouth opens and closes again, words not wanting to come out. I have to talk to him about it.

"(Y/N), what's wrong?" He whispers bringing his other hand to my other cheek.

Later, we'll talk later. I shake my head, "Lost it, sorry. Brain's kinda fried." I force out a giggle.

I can tell he sees right through the excuse, but he nods anyways. "Okay," he whispers before kissing the tip of my nose making me laugh. "C'mon, let's not stand in the bathroom. I'll help you finish studying then we can relax, that work?"

I nod, "Sounds perfect." Lee pulls away and grabs my hand before walking out of the bathroom with me in tow. Just enjoy the quiet before the storm hits.

_________________________________________

A/N: Goooooood day! IDK what time it is for everyone but I’ve decided that Monday’s and Thursday’s I will be posting new chapters to this story! I am really excited for you all to see what is to come! Let me know if you wanna be tagged for the next installment of Game Changer! ~CG

Masterlist

#cg writes #champion leon #champion leon x fem!reader #champion leon fluff #pokemon swsh #pokemon sword and shield

[lecliss]

OwO For that ask game - F (What’s the longest you’ve ever been in a fandom?), I (Has Tumblr caused you to stop liking any fandoms, if so, which and why?), O (Choose a song at random. Which ship or character does it remind you of?), T (Do you have any hard and fast headcanons that you will die defending? ), Y (What are your secondhand fandoms (fandoms you aren’t in personally but are tangentially familiar with)), and I'll stop here before I ask you the whole alphabet bc I'm curious ashdkaldhsjdh

Lmao thank you buddy for adding the questions so I wouldnt have to go back and forth cuz I use mobile 😔

F - The fandom for that would be Naruto. If I remember correctly the first fanfic I read was for Naruto and that was probably when I was like, 10 or 11 I think. Couldve been younger tho?? It's always hard to remember specific things that far back, lol. And I'm still in it now as you can tell, so that's likely around 11 years and still going. I'm not leaving and no one can make me leave!! 😂

I - Does stop liking imply having liked it all??? Idk, if it doesn't then who cares. This is probably the closest I've got that I can think of anyway. So, you know how some media attracts the same group of people so you've got some fandoms being filled with the same people that almost all like the same two or three or so pieces of media? The Servamp fandom is very chummy with and shares many people with both the Haikyuu and Bungou no Stray Dogs fandoms. I don't care for Haikyuu at all and I'm kinda interested in BSD, but not enough to bother getting into it. So so, back before Tumblr mobile could let you filter tags like it can now, since I followed a lot of Servamp blogs, I had to see a lot of Haikyuu. And except for a few small exceptions, I generally hate sports animes. A new season either started or was ending and I was forced to see so much fucking Haikyuu. Oh my god, so much Haikyuu. And I hated it. Ya know like the more you see something you don't care for the more annoying it slowly becomes? Well, for some people. So I just loathe seeing anything even remotely Haikyuu related now. No offensive to the show, but there's just an association there in my head now cuz I didn't wanna unfollow my Servamp mutuals for it, but I couldn't stop seeing it then either. So in a way, both the Haikyuu and Servamp fandom on Tumblr ruined Haikyuu for me before it even had a chance. Now thankfully I can have it filtered, and the reason I mentioned BSD at all is cuz the same thing almost started happening with that too, but then I could also filter that so now it won't get ruined for me in case I ever do decide to check it out.

O - Maybe not random cuz I've been looking for a chance to bring it up forever now, but Drive By(too lazy to look up by who) has always and will always remind me of Flint x Volkner(also too lazy to look up the ship name lol) cuz I used to be addicted to that song and was really into that ship at the time so that's all I thought about while listening to it. I don't even remember what specifically I would think about with them, but knowing me probably an AU scenario that I've long since forgotten, lol.

T - FUCKING THANK YOU LUA! People can pry 1/4th Australian Aboriginal Jim from my cold dead hands, holy FUCK!!! I don't care if I'm seeing things that aren't there, Jim is part Aboriginal to me and I will die on this fucking hill. I will!!! Also, homeschooled O'Brien. I've got some old discord convos about it with a friend that I'd have to go searching for to remember the exact details of the proof, but I swear it makes so much sense!!!! That is also a hill I will just die on and no one will be able to remove my corpse from it. These are my hills, these are where I live and die.

Y - Uuuuhhh, not sure how much counts as what, lol. Mmmm, perhaps cuz of the Servamp fandom I know a few things about BSD despite, as mentioned, me never actually partaking in it myself. Oh, oh, oh and also She-Ra. Definitely seen enough of that all over Tumblr to have some small opinions and know the overall plot and enjoy some fanart despite never watching it either. And before I started watching it myself, Atla also qualified, altho I watched most of Korra, but I don't see that nearly as much as the original series. And if series within series count then Yugioh Zexal as well, since I've never watched more than the first episode in English and the first manga volume, but I know plenty of the plot(even if the more I find out the more confused it makes me, lol).

Thank you again buddy! I wouldn't mind you sending the whole alphabet either, lol. They're all good questions. I'll send you some too after my guild battle in like an hour, I gotta go prepare.

#ask #long post #ask game #ask meme

[vowel-in-thug]

Post 6 Things About Yourself and Tag Some People

tagged by the most illustrious and beautiful @marsza who is currently saying very nice things to me :’)

1. I have an iPhone X and it’s currently doing that thing all iPhones do where the battery starts dying to get me to buy the new one and rather than being pissed off like most people are, because they call me Apple’s Whore i am just stupidly like “oh boy, can’t wait to buy the new phone!”

2. This Thanksgiving was the VERY FIRST time my mother and my step-mom were sharing the table and me and my siblings were terrified of any and all DRAMA that might occur and of all the things we expected, we absolutely did not foresee my brother’s very very sweet baby angel dog (australian shepherd/corgi mix so small yet SOLID) barreling into my step-mom’s 89-year old mother and putting her in the emergency room on Thanksgiving Eve 

3. I started writing a novel this year and in 11 months I wrote seven chapters which is A) pathetic and B) annoying because two of those seven I wrote in just one month, proving I have the capacity to finish it faster, just not the mental fortitude 

4. Today I was feeling low and it was cold and rainy out so I sat and watched all of Barry season 2 today because i’m Going Through It re: Bill Hader no i will not apologize nor explain

5. I really really really need to move into my own place next year. This isn’t really a thing about myself, but I’m just putting it out into the universe

6. I doubled my goodreads book challenge for the year (42) and i just want to spend the rest of the month reading gay romance novels because i want to go out of this decade with a BANG if you feel me so hit me with your best recs

tagging: @prewars @tomasortega @hotniatheron @gvthrie @jadedbirch @old-long-john @ anyone else feeling themselves tonight

#i like filling things out