#it has happened several times already and I'm just at episode 6

[barisiscourtroom]

I still love whenever they speak Spanish on shows, it’s great, it’s a beautiful language and it’s so nice to listen to!

There’s just the slight problem of me not understanding shit when they do.

#it's so frustrating #i LOVE it #but i'm constantly like WHAT ARE YOU SAYING PLS TRANSLATE FOR ME #and the subtitles either just say [speaking spanish] or use the actual Spanish #which isn't very helpful xD #Smowkie talks #Smowkie watches Chicago #Chicago Med specifically #it has happened several times already and I'm just at episode 6 #(it also makes me miss Barba and Amaro #i might have to find that video of them in the elevator after this episode)

[drvscarlett]

Let Him Cook Pt 6

Charles Leclerc x Masterchef! Reader

Let Him Cook Series 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

A/N: Thank you for that anon who gave me a message for the next part of the series. This one is dedicated for you!

taglist: @bookstore-of-dreams@barcelonaloverf1life@ririyulife@minseok-smaus@mehrmonga@sltwins@charlesgirl16@six-call@spideybv28@casperlikej@weekendlusting@janeholt3 @evie-119@leilanixx @randomgirlnumber-13@itsjustkhaos

Cookies and Grand Prix

Y/NCooks just posted a photo.

Y/NCooks Now that my masterchef duties are done. Its my first time going to a grand prix as Charles' girlfriend. I hope you like cookies

User1 OMG IM GOING TOMORROW!!! OMYGODDDDD

Y/NCooks I'll give you a cookie when I see you! User1 Ohmygod, this is the best. You are the best!

User3 I'm envious of everyone going to Monza this year, Y/N is giving out cookies

User4 The details are everything on those cookies

CarlosSainz55 Im technically a former ferrari driver so can I claim a cookie?

LoganSargeant can i have one too? Y/NCooks this is for everyone!! Make sure to drop by Carlos and Logan! Maxverstappen1 Expect me around! User5 Everybody is a ferrari fan!

"Okay mon amour, so there will be a big crowd when we arrive" Charles briefed you as you get closer to the venue "Make sure to stick close to me."

"Yes honey, I know. Hold your hand and don't let go"

Charles has been extremely stressed and he thinks it might not be a good idea to bring you to Monza for your first GP as a couple. However, you couldn't pass up the opportunity. You have seen how the people cheered for Charles when he won in Monza, the crowd was electrifying. You wonder what will happen if it happens again this weekend.

Besides, you have a basket full of cookies that you prepared to give for those fans of Charles that you will meet.

You were immediately greeted by a huge crowd calling out Charles name. It was no wonder that there was several security guards waiting at Charles' designated parking lot.

It was normal for Charles to stop to take photos and to sign some merch. What surprised the duo was that the fans were asking for Y/N and her cookies.

"We really waited for you guys so we can get some cookies" one of the avid Tifosi said

"I really hope the cookies give ferrari luck"you agreed.

There was a buzz in the paddock as you gave away several more cookies to the different fans you encountered. You managed to give Carlos and Logan since they were also waiting at the parking lot. You were so carried away talking to everyone that you didn't realize that you already ran out of cookies.

"Oh no, I didn't save cookies for your other friends" you concluded upon reaching the garage.

"That's okay mon amour, I'm sure they would understand that there is no more cookies" Charles assured.

And like a comical entrance, a man in full Red Bull gear enters the sea of red uniforms.

"What do you mean no more cookies?" Max asked "I did not just go through all the security details to not have cookies"

"Oops."

Grill the grid: eggs

It was a fairly easy challenge, the media team thought. They believe that there will be no harm to let the drivers cook since its just a simple hard-boiled egg.

There was a stove, a pot, 2 bottles of water, eggs, vinegar, salt, and pepper on the table. They also thought that it will be funny to put unnecessary spices and ingredients on the table so there is grated cheese, spring onions, cinnamon, carrots, and etc..

The drivers entered the room looking confused at the different set up of the Grill the Grid.

"We're giving people what they want, today were actually allowing the drivers to show off their cooking skills with this special episodes of grill the grid"

Charles is obviously happy. He was already raving about how there are different versions of eggs that he tried at home because of Y/N.

"I have already tried doing poached egg, soft-boiled eggs, french omelette, american ones" Charles enumerated "I think I'm the best at making scrambled eggs"

"Its just scrambled"

"There is a technique there" and Charles continued to ramble on the different techniques that he has used to achieve the perfect scrambled eggs.

On the other hand, Oscar is attempting to make a hard boiled egg. He admits to the camera that he did not have any experience of it but he definitely knows how it taste (obviously).

"So Oscar what is your game plan here?"

"Well, I'm planning to boil the water and I think I should add some vinegar and then maybe sugar and salt so the egg will be flavored" Oscar stopped as he heard the giggling on set "Wait am I wrong?"

"No, no, just continue"

"Okay so I think I'm gonna let the eggs cook once the water is rolling then I'm gonna wait for 15-18 minutes because I don't wanna serve raw eggs" Oscar continued.

The staffs are a bit shocked by the length of time. It was beyond overcooked but they wouldn't say anything to the Australian driver.

It cuts to Max who seems to be pretty confident with his skill. Its a simple egg, how hard can it be?

"Of course, we have to get the water boiling and then I'm going to put it in for 5 minutes and then get the egg out" Max explained.

If Oscar has a long waiting time, Max was immediately dropping the egg even before the water is boiling because Max believes that the water is hot to the touch.

"What happened, why is the egg still runny?" Max wondered

He cut off the egg and there was still slimy white and the yolks were uncooked. There was a frown on his face as he looked back at his pot, he thinks he is being sabotaged.

"I'm gonna do it again"

Yuki was excited to do the cooking challenge. He insisted that he will not just make a hard boiled egg but he will also showcase a soft-boiled egg. The staffs were ecstatic to see him running around to get iced water for his eggs.

"I make these weekly so I'm really confident that it will turn out well"Yuki has a permanent grin as he fishes out his soft-boiled egg.

"If you want a soft-boiled egg, boiling water with the bubbles and then 8 minutes on the clock. Then you put it in an ice bath and then peel it" Yuki narrates.

He opens his soft boiled egg and it showcases a jammy yolk and soft whites, the perfect kind of soft-boiled eggs. The studio applauds at Yuki's efforts.

Y/NCooks just posted a photo

Y/NCooks since the episode is out, here is the list of photos sent to me by the crew. Guess which is which.

User2 OHMYGOD, THIS IS SO FUNNY!!!

User3 LOOK AT OSCAR'S REALLY OVERCOOKED EGGS

User6 i was seriously laughing when he said 18 to 20 minutes User7 For real, man thinks he is tenderizing meat

maxverstappen1 i demand a part 2

Charles_Leclerc "its so easy" maxverstappen1 shut up. i have been cooking now kellypiquet p is getting tired of eggs every morning user9 max is really serious to train himself on how to make eggs

User14 I just know that yuki is the one with the best looking egg, so smooth!!!

Y/Ncooks yes!!! User17 charles is the one with the unsmooth peeling Y/NCooks the man can't have it all, i guess

LandoNorris thank God they didn't send you my photo

Y/NCooks lando, i dont think anyone grabbed a photo since the fire department was called CarlosSainz55 you did what???? Charles_Leclerc and they call me as someone who can't cook when we have Lando here being a fire hazard LandoNorris Y/N THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE OUR SECRET User22 atleast team papaya are both needing lessons.

The cookie prank.

Max was still upset that he didn't get to have cookies in Monza. He was really looking forward to it so he wasn't the least suspicious when he allowed Charles inside his home since he brought him cookies.

It was wrong of Max to put down his defenses.

"I'm gonna get some water, you want anything?" Max asked

"No, I'm just gonna get comfortable here with your cats"

Charles stood in front of the cat litter box and he pulled the ziplock bag that he has. Inside the ziplock bag was another set of cookies that looks like cat poops. He laughed quietly as he sets up the scene.

"Max, do you know about that coffee made from poop?" he asked the Dutchman

"Of course, Kopi Luwak" Max replied "Why did you ask?"

Max walked out of the kitchen and he can see clearly how Charles picked up a poop from the litter box. He almost dropped the water that he is holding upon seeing that.

"What if we use cat poop instead" Charles wondered

"CHARLES WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"

The pure mortification in Max's face when Charles started eating the poop. It seems like his friend lost his mind after driving in Ferrari for all these years.

"You should try some"

"Y/N, CHARLES IS GOING CRAZY" Max immediately placed you on a call "I THINK HE NEEDS THERAPY"

"Woah slow down Max" you were out on a grocery run and now Max is screaming at your ear

"Hello mon amour"Charles greeted on the other line.

"HE LOST HIS MIND, HE STARTED EATING MY CAT'S POOPS"

You made a mental face palm as you remembered how Charles insisted that you make very realistic cookies that looks like poop. Charles never opened it to you that he will be using it to prank Max. You started laughing at the shock in Max's face.

"Max, those are cookies" you defended

"THEY ARE CAT POOPS, CHARLES LECLERC IS EATING CAT POOPS"

Oh what would you do with these boys.

#let him cook #charles leclerc x reader #f1 x reader #charles leclerc fluff #f1 imagine

[thegirlwhorideslikeasamurai]

Viktor: "The time to seduce me with beautiful women and katsudon is over. You can fight with your own charm now." Yuuri (suddenly all possessive): "Don't take your eyes off me!" Viktor (utterly clueless): He's so different today. I wonder what has flipped his switch.

Recently, I've found myself coming back to this scene over and over as I was reconsidering the link between the progress of Viktuuri and Yuuri's understanding of Eros. For years, I was convinced that Yuuri had grasped the concept of Eros in episode 6, but (and this is probably controversial) I no longer believe that is true.

So, what happens in episode 6?

While the events during the weeks between the press conference and the Cup of China are open to speculation, the subtext of episode 6 us some cues as to where Yuuri and Viktor currently are in their relationship (the hugging, the cuddling, you know).

In this sense, the short dialogue before Yuuri's short programme, tells us that:

So far, Yuuri hasn't seduced Viktor as himself.

Viktor thinks Yuuri is ready to do exactly that.

They are dating (note the lover's bind aka the lacing of the fingers, which is an expression of romantic intimacy in Japan)

Yuuri's reaction is untypically fierce and possessive.

Viktor has not the slightest clue what triggered Yuuri's response. When put into the context of the whole story, this gives us another hint that Yuuri possibly can't have seduced Viktor prior to the competition. If he had (be it on or off-ice), Viktor would no longer react surprised. (You can actually see the difference in episode 8).

However, Yuuri and Viktor are in entirely different headspaces, which becomes obvious if we think back to the events in the mixed zone. Viktor feels that it's time to gently nudge Yuuri towards a more intimate stage of their relationship. However, Yuuri is upset because just learned that everyone wants Viktor to give up on him and return to competition. He is convinced that Viktor's fans will deem him a poor replacement for Viktor if Viktor keeps coaching him. He thinks that he would disappoint his own fans if the returns to where he was before Viktor. The only option left is pressing ahead on the path he's already on and thus works himself up into wanting to be hated as the man who took Viktor Nikiforov from the world.

With that mindset, Yuuri steps onto the ice.

Viktor's confused reaction when Yuuri storms off shows us something else: He doesn't have the slightest clue that Yuuri is upset because of things that happened right before the short programme. The subtext of the scene implies that he interprets Yuuri's reaction as a sign that Yuuri is indeed ready to seduce him. The lip-licking and all the sensuality Yuuri pours into his immaculate performance must seem from his perspective as if Yuuri truly wants him. He's not entirely wrong about that, but he isn't entirely right either.

Yuuri's eros is dominant and possessive. Several months have passed since the first time he skated Eros to seduce Viktor, but their relationship and Yuuri's understanding of Viktor has deepened since. His eros has evolved into a violent force of nature. His skating no longer is about "seducing" Viktor to stay his coach, he's showing the world (and Viktor) that Viktor is his and his alone and that he is all that Viktor wants ("I'm the only one who can satisfy Viktor. I'm the only one who understands Viktor's love"). And he goes out puling all the stops. And at the next competition, he's going to double down on that. Sounds kinky? It absolutely is.

Ever wonder why Viktor is so flustered right after Yuuri's skate? That's why. This precious boy felt seduced through-and-through by Yuuri's performance.

Viktor: "Yuuri, did it feel that great?" Yuuri: "I was hoping everyone else felt great watching me." Viktor (basically talking about himself): "Of course, they felt great watching a performance like that."

Remember that I said that Viktor has a totally different grasp of the situation than Yuuri because he doesn't know what Yuuri is going through? Viktor projects his own state of arousal from watching Yuuri on Yuuri. But Yuuri is not a second Chris and his response reinforces the implications made above based his inner monologue before and during his performance: He wanted to give "the audience" a good time aka making Viktor feel seduced and convincing the skating world that he is worthy to skate in Viktor's stead.

Learning that "everyone" (and most of all Viktor) had a "good time", is an important step for Yuuri in mastering his short programme:

In episode 6, Yuuri truly understands the power he has over Viktor and what he can do to Viktor with his skating alone.

So far, Yuuri has had a hard time grasping eros, using all kinds of workarounds (food, women etc.). He has refined this understanding as his relationship with Viktor deepened, he has learned to express himself in a sensual manner, but it doesn't come naturally to him. In episode 6, he finally understands that he has the power to turn Viktor on and what exactly he must do to achieve that. He's still using workarounds and these are 100% Yuuri, and because of that, they are successful. Even if he never understands eros beyond the abstract theory, he now has acquired the set of tools to hone is performance and to seduce Viktor if he sets his mind on it. (Yes, this anxious katsudon fatale has some massive kinks and they work for him and Viktor, and I will die on that hill.)

But what about the banquet?

Drunken horniness due to dancing physically with his celebrity crush. Friction is a thing. And let's be honest: otherwise, the whole "grasping eros" story arc would make no sense. Either you have an innate sense of that concept or you don't, and memory gaps can't explain that away.

(No, I'm still on a break from posting meta, but I've been agonising over this for quite a while and had to get it out of my system because I'm currently fixing some stuff related to this in my novelisation.)

If you like my meta, please check out my works on AO3 (link in bio).

Last but not least many thanks to cecebeanie for a discussion that set this thought process in motion 💜💙

#yuri on ice #katsuki yuuri #viktor nikiforov #yoi meta #my yoi meta #viktuuri #yoi #yuri on ice meta #one love: eros #this took me only 3 years to figure out because I wasn't aware I didn't get eros either lol #discussion is appreciated but please stay respectful and polite #please don't respond to this post if you only want to argue

[canonicallyobserving911]

Buck & Eddie: Baking Muffins vs. Baking Cookies

Since it aired, I've posted several times that 6x13 "Mixed Feelings" was my favorite episode of season 6 and it was the finale for me. I'm not sure why 6x14 - 6x18 ended or played out the way they did but I still believe there was a reason for 6x13 to air when it did and why it was before all the BS that happened afterwards.

I've watched all six of Buck's and Eddie's, Buck's and Chris' and the Buckley Diaz Family's scenes numerous times and every time I do, I find something that was a callback to previous episodes. I've already done a post on the significance of Buck bringing cookies to Eddie's house in 3x11 compared to him baking them with Chris in 6x13 (linked here) but this post is different because it parallels the scene Buck had with Chris from 6x13 to another scene Chris had with one of Eddie's previous relationships.

The scene from 6x13 with Buck and Chris included some parallels and callbacks to the scene from 5x3 with Eddie, Chris and Ana.

Baking muffins vs. Baking cookies

First, in 5x3 after the blackout, Eddie went home to BREAKUP WITH ANA. He was there with her and Chris after she baked enough muffins to feed a classroom full of children. But in 6x13, Eddie WASN'T THERE and he left their son with his second dad while they baked cookies for Chris' class. Reminder, when Eddie met Ana, she was Chris' teacher but in season 3 SHE DIDN'T TELL EDDIE HOW TO HELP CHRIS SKATEBOARD BUT BUCK DID! They worked together to help Chris do something he obviously wanted to do even though Ana started telling Eddie about novels🙄. Also, in 6x13, Buck specifically said they needed to make enough cookies for Chris' whole class. Eddie just dipped like he did in 3x1 after he dropped Chris off with "his Buck" and was probably like, "It's cool because our son (his and Buck's) is with his other dad, so I don't need to be there."

The Kitchens

In 5x3, when Eddie and Ana went into the kitchen, it was a MESS! A big mess to say the least. She had stuff everywhere like she was a brand-new cook or some BS but everyone knows she wasn't since she baked two cakes in 4x13 for Carla's birthday, therefore the STATE OF THE KITCHEN SPOKE VOLUMES about her relationship with Eddie. However, in 6x13, Buck's kitchen was ORGANIZED AND CLEAN. Buck and Eddie's relationship functions like a well-oiled machine. It always has ever since they removed a live grenade from Charlie's leg in 2x1.

In 6x13, Buck specifically said, "So whenever I cook, I like to measure out all my ingredients". But in 5x3, it looked like Ana didn't measure anything. She just baked and left the mess for someone else to clean up.

Buck was working with Chris the same way he did every other time him and Chris were together. Here are some examples, in 3x2-3x3 after the Tsunami, in 3x12 when Eddie and Buck built Chris an adaptable skateboard, in 4x8 when Chris ran away to Buck's loft, in 5x13 when Chris called Buck during Eddie's breakdown and in 5x14 when Buck helped Chris with his homework. The look on Eddie's face in 5x3 before he told Ana "Maybe you should go home first" said it all. He didn't want her there and he never called her "his Ana" like he called Buck "his Buck".

Chris' comment and question

Finally, Chris said "Let's make brownies next" in 5x3 but Ana's reply was "I think we need to clean that kitchen first". She made the mess but she wanted Chris to help her clean it up. But in 6x13, Chris asked, "Can we have cookies for dinner?" and Buck replied, "Well, I thought maybe we'd have some steak and then cookies". He didn't suggest Chris clean up the mess because THERE WASN'T ONE! Reminder Buck's kitchen was already clean even though Ana left Eddie's messy.

The difference between Ana and Buck is BUCK'S ALWAYS BEEN SHOWN TO BE CHRIS' SECOND PARENT! She played the role as the "NICE" girlfriend who was a "God send" but she was NEVER going to be there long since Buck's the person who's been raising Chris with Eddie for years.

Bonus: In 5x2 Buck told Eddie to breakup with Ana and he did in 5x3🙃.

Will Buck and Eddie FINALLY become a CANON couple in season 7 or will the show keep throwing one dimensional women at them instead of just letting them be together? Only the showrunners, writers and producers know the answers to that question.

#buddie #eddie diaz #evan buckley #christopher diaz #the buckley diaz family #buckley diaz family #anti ana flores #anti eddieana #911 abc #911 on abc #911 meta #911 season 7 #911 season 7 speculation #911 season 6 speculation #911 season 6 #911 s6

[lenixsocial]

Watcher (and why nothing matters anymore):

So, in case you've been locked away under a proverbial bridge for a few days, Internet personalities Steven Lim, Ryan Bergara, and Shane Madej (known as Watcher) have elected to begin their own streaming service and ditch YouTube.

On the surface, that mightn't even seem like news at all.

After all, this sort of thing seems to happen all the time: The Try Guys left Buzzfeed to create their own company, Rhett and Link took the dive and diversified into paywalled entertainment a few years back with Mythical Society. Both of which however still rely on YouTube itself to generate views on the main channels, which funnel viewers into a FOMO type situation where "you can't miss" a special airing on the app (Mythical Society) or Patreon (Try Guys).

Watcher, in its infinite wisdom (stupidity, carelessness, unparalleled greed - take your pick) has decided that YouTube is pointless, and has moved ALL their content behind a paywall, claiming that the service was amping up to provide "TV quality programming", leaving only old content and the first episodes of the new shows up on their YouTube page as a subtle tease as to what you could get for $6/month.

It's now quite apparent from reading the comments section of their (now infamous) YouTube video, their official subreddit, and the tag on X that the fans were...not thrilled. The fingers began to be pointed within minutes. Name calling soon after. Then this blossomed into dissertations on why this was a horrible idea.

Then we found out that there was no app. Just a website. So you're paying for website access. Not a full blown streaming service to rival Netflix. Oh, and they don't even have their own servers, the videos are hosted by Vimeo. The deeper the comments section dug, the nastier the attacks got. Steven soon became the whipping boy. His past, his interviews, scanned and mercurially dug up for juicy tidbits (although all anyone gleaned from these was he's rich, was born rich, drives a Tesla in LA, likes fancy food, and has friends whom he values who are racist and possibly sexist and will not sever ties with them).

Then came the cries of incongruity. Shane Madej repeatedly said to "Eat the Rich", and here he was schilling for a platform that cost $6 a month. The cries began to pirate all of the new Watcher content because maybe he was under duress and was secretly telling them to do so. Fact is, I don't know if he was or what, but I'm certain he's under contract and wants his job.

Then came the videos from other internet users analyzing the video, and comparing this to the Try Guys situation with Ned a few months back. Both are disasters, each in unique ways with different players, and such like but here's the vast difference: none of this will even matter in a month.

Let me explain: We are in the total free fall stage of Watcher's Internet Streamer Service. What they do in the next 24-48 hours is crucial. If they revert back to their YouTube channel and apologize, they'll be fine. People will probably poke fun at them, but they'll be forgiven, eventually. But if they don't and they keep on, ignoring the fans, dousing the haters, and make it a month, I doubt we will see any resistance outside of a terse article or two.

Why? The collective memory span in this day and age is extremely short, many have likely already made judgment in their head and have passed said judgment. Therefore, they'll avoid the channel, and the streamer and will be blissfully unaware of any changes. Those who have joined up and paid will remain members, and those who have elected to remain subscribed will likely remain so and will watch the free content until they can afford the $6/month.

The thing is like it or hate it, if they decide to do nothing and ignore the public at large, they most likely will be fine. Maybe they will not have the hugest subscriber base, but people will forget about this. Something else major that is more salacious will spring up in the months ahead. Will there be lingering anger? Sure, but like I said before, these people have already passed judgment so they're already gone.

In an era of "nothing fucking matters" when your choices are sometimes entirely out of your direct control and are (at best) two sides of the same coin, it should be of absolutely no surprise to anyone that there is a fairly good possibility even after all that has transpired that nothing bad will happen. Lest we forget that old adage: "there is no such thing as bad PR".

Personally, I feel $6 is a tad much for a non-app based web streamer with little to no content. It was disingenuous to announce its launch internationally where even more people can't afford it, and some can't even view it. Steven wasn't upfront with who was in charge and now it really does seem like he's using the subscriptions to fund his international gallivanting. It's clear nobody wanted TV-show quality Ghost Files to take place in another country, nor did they want an old show revived with votes when you pay the first month's dues. They say it's a case of Watcher "not reading the room".

#watcher #watcherfiasco #opinion

[cringecompanionapologist]

Random Thoughts on a Very Specific Thing: When Companions Choose Companions

Okay, so, off the top of my head, this has happened four times in Doctor Who's televised run. I'm not familiar enough with EU companions to say anything about what happens there.

Companions have become companions for a variety of reasons. The new series has this idea that the Doctor only travels with "the best" and they usually choose their companions. The classic series had a lot of Companions via Circumstance. Dodo and Tegan thought the TARDIS was a real police box and just walked in at the wrong time. Ben and Polly saw the Doctor enter the TARDIS, got curious, followed him, and then he took off before noticing that they were there. Victoria and Nyssa both lost everyone close to them and became companions because they had nowhere else to go. Ian and Barbara were straight-up fucking kidnapped.

There have also been several stowaway companions. The Doctor didn't invite them, but they Insisted. There are very few classic series companions the Doctor chose. In Logopolis, Four even goes on a rant about it. It's actually a big stand-out moment when One invites Vicki to join him and this would go on to be a bit uncommon. Three had Liz and Jo basically assigned to him by UNIT. That's why companions were often called assistants back in the day. They were basically lab assistants. It was literally their job.

I could go on and on about this, but this thing is supposed to be about the four companions that were chosen by another companion: Jamie, Peri, Ace, and Adam.

Yes, I'm counting Adam for this, not because he completely counts as a companion, but because he was invited to be one and basically failed his test run.

Here There Be Spoilers for the episodes these companions debuted in and probably more.

It's funny how the four examples here are split down the middle. The blondes, Polly and Rose, chose companions to come with them, while the gingers, Turlough and Mel, chose companions to replace them. It also splits down the middle in that Jamie and Ace became the definitive companions of their Doctors, while Peri and Adam didn't work well with the Doctors the joined, with Peri not having much time with 5 before constantly bickering with 6, and Adam just failing completely.

I think some of the reason for this seems to be based on the mindset of the companions that picked the companions. Polly and Mel were mainly thinking of the new companion when they chose them. Polly realized that Jamie was in a rough part of history and maybe it would be nice to take him out of it. Mel spent a while bonding with Ace and realized that she could use a Space Dad.

Rose wasn't really thinking when she invited Adam along. She basically did it because she thought he was cute. 9 was never into it, just humoring her, and then they both sort of ditched him on his first trip to the far future. Look, Adam made his own bad decisions and shouldn't have been a companion, but he also shouldn't have been left completely unsupervised in an unfamiliar time period. He got that stupid computer thing in his head because it was basically required to do anything around there, and then decided to be stupid with it.

Meanwhile, Turlough was thinking of the Doctor. 5 didn't handle Tegan's departure well and admitted to being depressed. When he realized he was going to have to leave, Turlough was aware that the Doctor shouldn't be left alone while already feeling depressed and abandoned. So, he assigned Peri as a replacement.

The actual scene where Peri becomes a companion has 5 clearly reluctant. Either he's decided that he wants to be alone or he's just not that interested in her specifically. Turlough telling Peri to keep an on him probably factored in to him accepting her. Strangely, like with Adam, the Doctor took on a new companion whom he didn't like to humor another companion. The difference was that Turlough chose a better companion than Rose did, so Peri stuck around and the Doctor warmed up to her. That also connects to motivation. The reason Adam was the only truly bad choice is that it was made for stupid reasons. Polly and Mel were thinking "the Doctor would be good for this person". Turlough was thinking "this person would be good for the Doctor". Rose just didn't think.

This isn't me bashing Rose, by the way. Everyone's allowed to make bad choices. But, I admit, comparing her to three random classic companions in this situation doesn't make her look good. Rose was a good companion for 9. Her relationship with 10, no matter how much one might enjoy it, might not have been the most emotionally healthy for them. But, she still was a good companion for the most part. She just doesn't have very good judgement when it comes to who makes a good companion.

Also I did sort of accidentally parallel 9/Rose and 5/Turlough. I did not actually mean to do that.

#second doctor #polly wright #jamie mccrimmon #fifth doctor #vislor turlough #peri brown #seventh doctor #melanie bush #ace mcshane #ninth doctor #rose tyler #adam mitchell #the long game is one of those episodes where everyone's a bit of an idiot tbh #the highlanders #planet of fire #dragonfire #the long game #weird coincidences regarding hair color

[butterflydm]

wot rewatch (book spoilers edition): 2x2

Additional thoughts that had too many spoilers to go into my earlier post will be found here. Spoilers for all the teasers and trailers, plus through book 13: A Memory of Light.

So one of the big questions that I have is: how much is Lanfear acting with Ishamael's knowledge and how much is she going her own way? Ishamael said in the Darkfriend social scene that he is still looking for Rand. If he's being truthful there (and he's talking to his minions, so there's really no point in lying), then Lanfear has not told him that she located Lews Therin.

2. I hadn't thought about this on my first watch, but @ladyofpembroke noted that Lanfear is probably in Rand's final dream in the next episode, so it seems possible that she actually has a hand in all his dreams. Constantly reminding him that he could kill his friends if he sees them again is a good way to make him want to stay where he is (with her) and not try to reconnect with his past life. Like any effective manipulator, she's keeping him isolated from his friends and family as much as she can.

3. otoh, we know from the books that being able to locate someone's dreams doesn't mean that you know where they are in the physical world, so this might be an Ishamael-influenced dream (I note that while Rand's visions of his friends has them wearing their S1 outfits, Ishamael is wearing his s2 outfit, which Rand hasn't seen), so this might be an Ishamael-influenced dream since he figures he might as well torment Rand in the dream if he can't find him irl.

4. Given that Rand is already hearing whispers, I wonder when the show plans to re-introduce Lews Therin to us in his own form. It might even be this season, if they wanted to make sure to keep a lock on the actor (or we might get another Age of Legends cold open -- though I note that we only had one cold open in this set of three episodes, though that might be because Rafe & co were aware that they would likely all air the same night so that might have affected their choices there - I'd love an AoL cold open where we get to see Lanfear and Lews Therin together).

5. So, did Rand find his way to Cairhien first and then Lanfear set up an inn in the Foregate to entice him to her, or did she set up her inn before he arrived and she figured out a way to lure him in? Either way, she's doing a much better job than the Lanfear in the books. She's much less suspicious than "random noblewoman who managed to appear in an unpopulated parallel world so that Rand could save her" and she's more subtle too. While the cringefail Forsaken in the books can be amusing, the threat level of the villains also helps tell you how seriously to take your protagonists, so I'm glad that they beefed up her threat level by actually making her effective. Right now, Lanfear is #winning on every possible level.

6. I love Errol because he serves several story purposes -- he's reminding us that Rand looks "like an Aiel"; he's serving Hurin's purpose in the story of giving Rand someone to look after and be protective of; he's teaching Rand sword forms because he was a blademaster; and he's giving us a bit of history about "the Aiel war". And the actor is quite charming. Plus he's used to show us both Rand's compassion and his need/desire to find mentors to help teach him the skills he needs. At this point in time, Rand does believe that he's defeated the Dark One and his nightmares are just nightmares but he does still want to learn how to protect himself and how to control himself.

7. We mostly hear indistinct whispers until Rand is walking down the hallway (it's the shot from the trailer) and it resolves into "Do you hear me? You are mine, Rand al'Thor." Which is very interesting. Our first inkling of Lews Therin? If so, it shows a greater awareness of Rand as a person than LTT's voice showed in the earlier books when it appeared in his head. I've speculated that this might happen, so I wonder if we're going to get more genuine back-and-forth between Rand and LTT than we really got in the books as a way of letting us into Rand's internal narration without him needing to pour out his heart to any of the characters around him.

8. I am actually loving Perrin getting Rand's plotline here -- it's working really well for him, being used to show us how Perrin can smell what happened in places so vividly that he's re-experiencing the past. I feel like if I didn't know this was Rand's original plotline, I wouldn't have guessed. It suits how they're exploring Perrin's character so well. I do wonder... Elyas speaks of Perrin experiencing a 'vision' -- I wonder if they're going to make the mystical side of being a Wolfbrother more distinct from what Dreamers do in this show version. Because it really was kinda... weird in the books how Perrin and Egwene are doing all this training in the same dreamworld but Perrin never runs across her or any of the Aiel Dreamwalkers, even once they're spending more time in the wetlands side of things.

9. The nailed-up Fade is used in the books to mark when Fain 'takes control' of the Darkfriends & Trollocs. I wonder here if it's meant to mark the moment when the dagger owns him more strongly than the Dark One does. Because the people of Shadar Logoth were not darkfriends -- and they focused on this in s1, too, because dagger!Mat is not a fan of the Fade that he meets in the farmhouse.

10. Love foreshadowing of Errol talking about "Aielman among us and no one bats an eyelash in the entire place" -- Rand is going to be bringing a lot of Aiel to the wetlands. I bet we're going to get to see some of these sword forms in the finale!

11. Liandrin does seem like she's becoming genuinely invested in Nynaeve. I like that (almost) everyone gets their own personal Darkfriend -- Nynaeve has Liandrin, Mat also has Liandrin (she's a hard worker!), Rand has Lanfear, Perrin has (remorseful) Ingtar, Moiraine has (double agent) Verin, Lan has (repentant) Tomas, and even Egwene gets a scene with Sheriam (who will get to be Her Darkfriend Among Us later on, if we're able to follow the books that closely when we get there), though she's not really the focus of Sheriam's attention. Everyone gets a little personal attention from the Shadow!

I like that Nynaeve gets rushed forward to the test for Accepted due to Liandrin wanting to teach her so badly. It seems more realistic reasoning than we get in the books.

12. Another big lie from Liandrin here about how Mat is here because they are "only observing" that the effects of the dagger are out of his system, which Mat immediately calls bullshit on. He's locked in a cell and only Liandrin is around -- that is not an official observation by any means. That's a prison. It's been six months. So I would put Liandrin's official lie count at two. Notably, she's only lying to Mat so far, who is both kept well away from other people and also doesn't really know as much about Aes Sedai (we know from Egwene and Moiraine's conversation in the woods in s1 that the people of the Two Rivers do not have the Aes Sedai oaths memorized).

13. My dearest, my darling, my deepest love is finally here! At the end of my reread, when I was ranking my favorite characters, Elayne was my number one favorite. Ceara is doing such a good job with her and the writing is also excellent. I love how many different sides of her we get to see in just these two episodes -- sheltered noble, awkward girl who grew up with no friends, someone familiar with the Tower but not familiar being a novice in the Tower, but a tinkerer (!!! so excited that they put this in so early) at heart and incredibly loyal and compassionate. I just adored her so much in these two episodes and I am looking forward to seeing more of her. I do really hope that, in the midst of all the chaos, that the show does manage to give her something of a meet-cute with Rand, even if it's less obviously romantic than the one in the books. But I'm really looking forward to more of her interacting with Egwene and Nynaeve, and hopefully meeting Aviendha and/or Min and/or Mat in the finale or before it.

14. I have zero issue with Sheriam not being a redhead. I think it's a good idea for the show to cut down on the number of redheads, given that Jordan says it's rare but then keeps giving us random redheads. Limiting the on-screen ones to the Aiel and the royal house of Andor seems like a good idea to me.

15. So first we got Perrin's letters last episode. Now, in this episode, Elyas tells Perrin that the soldiers he's with right now "are not your pack". While he could be talking about the wolves, of course, I feel like, as a viewer, that makes me think of the EF5 and how that's who Perrin belongs with right now. Especially after Perrin's letter talking about how he feels 'exposed' without the others around. Again, it gives me the hope that we'll get more moments of reconnection between the EF5 over the course of the show.

16. This moment with Verin is such a great one to look at knowing the truth of her situation. "Even oaths have loopholes one can exploit". She's the expert at it. Oaths are a bit of a minor theme in this episode and the next -- the loopholes and also, next episode, we're introduced to the Seanchan oaths where Perrin is, I assume, going to take the very reasonable position that a forced oath is not binding (which is the same position that Mat had in Winter's Heart but inexplicably abandoned in Crossroads of Twilight when he decided his accidental wedding vows were binding).

Oh! I knew I remembered hearing the words "Toman Head" in these three episodes but hadn't remembered it was Verin mentioning it! I thought it was noted as part of the Dark Prophecies but it's mentioned here as mainline prophecy. But the name is out there now. And this conversation also confirms "sword of flame" and "battle in the sky" for the finale, most likely, and a mention of a "branded hand" which feels like it confirms the herons. I wonder if Rand is going to use the same weave on his dad's sword that we saw Verin using at the end of the last episode for Tomas's sword. This may also mean that it's using that weave that burns the herons into Rand's palms?

17. The Rand and Lanfear scenes. Wow! But, yeah, I wonder how much her non-reaction to his bloody knuckles struck show-onlys. She doesn't ask him what happened, who he beat up. She just kisses his bloody knuckles and sweet-talks him into bed.

18. So far, we've heard/seen three separate form of violent teaching in the White Tower -- the unnamed woman who beat Moiraine to make her channel (likely Elaida); Liandrin's behavior with Nynaeve; and Sheriam telling Elayne that she'll be switched. Both Liandrin and Sheriam, of course, are Black Ajah. But from Egwene's reaction here, it doesn't seem like being ordered to be switched is anything close to the common punishment that it seemed to be in the books. But we'll see!

19. It does occur to me that Gawyn (maybe Galad too) might already have been in training with the Warders even if Elayne wasn't a novice yet -- Elayne has been spending her summers in the Tower and it's entirely possible that Gawyn's training to protect her meant he was sent off early to start learning from the best. We don't get any hints in this episode or the next about her brothers, but we're pretty focused on her developing friendship with Egwene.

20. "Min is in Tar Valon" and "Min and Mat share a plotline" were my two most hoped-for options for Min's storyline for this season, so I'm happy about that. I do wish that Min had been given a chance to bond with Elayne or Egwene but, hopefully, there will be time for that later. But I really love the set-up we've been given where we are going to explore Elayne with Egwene and Nynaeve; Min being more fully-explored with Mat; and then Aviendha when she enters Perrin's storyline. All of them are getting fleshed out as individual characters before any of them get romantically involved with Rand. I am feeling pretty hopeful that we're going to get our polycule (and a genuine polycule, not a harem) in the upcoming seasons. They've been putting in a lot of "poly relationships are valid and complex" groundwork in and it looks like they are going to be making sure that all of the characters involved get to be full characters who have their own agendas and their own arcs.

Some people on reddit are still pretty disappointed that Min isn't the male-gaze fantasy that she is in the later books but I have been thrilled with the changes that the show has done so far with her. We also maybe get a hint here that Min is going to be canonically bisexual by the way she jokes about Liandrin, so I will cross my fingers on that.

20. Min's viewing! I do love that they're massively cutting down on the number of Min's viewings to focus on ones that are interesting and relevant. This one is particularly interesting because there's nothing like it in the books. Mat stabbing Rand, then cradling him as he falls.

Theory #1: this is a flicker-flicker world (maybe we only get one big one?) and it's not Our Mat stabbing Our Rand but an alternate one.

Theory #2: Rand asks Mat to fulfill his promise to keep Rand from going mad and that's why Mat stabs him.

Theory #3: Rand loses control of himself (like Lady Amalisa in 1x8) and Mat stabs him to try to get him to lose his hold on the One Power.

Theory #4: Mat gets placed under compulsion (which would be another reason for him to want protection from Aes Sedai and channeling).

Theory #5: Mat gets The Dagger again and he's the one who gives Rand the wound in his side, while under its influence.

Theory #6: It's metaphorical and Mat takes the place of Alivia and helps Rand 'die' at the end of the series (seems unlikely but I'll throw it out there).

And probably lots of other things I haven't thought of. But it definitely shakes Min to see it.

I wonder if she only agreed to help Liandrin after this moment or if she'd already agreed and this is just additional incentive. I don't think she's told Liandrin anything about Rand. She was able to keep that secret from Moiraine even under blackmail so I think she kept it from Liandrin too.

But I do love that we get a viewing that connects Mat and Rand together, even if it's through a traumatic encounter. I am a simple soul who finds messiness intriguing.

21. Lanfear! Talking about her broken heart to the man who broke it and who she is, even now, doing her best to groom back into the man that she wants. The layers in this conversation are exquisite. When she tells him that he can't hurt her, she also can say that because she has a strong grasp of what she can do with the Power while he's still stumbling in the dark. Ooof, but Rand was (unknowingly) on risky ground when he confirmed that he does sometimes think of his past when he's with her.

Also, talking about how "no one else" could ever have power over her heart now that her previous lover is gone... when she's literally talking to his reincarnation. The conversation is just so rich and so sharp and there's so much of it that is going over Rand's head because he doesn't have the necessary information to even begin to put the pieces together. "What's left to hurt if he still has my whole heart?" she says, to the guy in question. "When I'm with you, I can pretend you're him." YEAH. I BET YOU CAN.

22. So I wonder if Moiraine's threat here to Lan, that she would let Alanna take his bond if he didn't let her leave on her own, is going to be the extent of the "Myrelle" plot point that Alanna absorbs and it won't actually happen in fact. But now it's out there as an idea that Warders can be forcibly bonded so that when Alanna forcibly bonds someone else down the road, the idea isn't coming out of nowhere.

23. I was so shocked when the Seanchan attacked in episode two. I was thinking this would happen in episode five. But once I sat down and thought about it, I realizes that Perrin has already hit all the main points of the Hunt for the Horn storyline on his side of things (and even partly on what Rand would have been doing). We've found the traitor and had Ingtar reveal his sympathy towards said traitor; we've found the Fade and the moment when Fain started playing by his own rules; and we've even been exploring Perrin and his senses. This does mean that we're going to have a lot of potential time to explore the Seanchan invasion and culture.

24. I don't have any issues with Ishamael openly being Suroth's advisor vs someone covertly giving Suroth her marching orders. High Lady Suroth is a Darkfriend and always was. We're just taking it out of the shadows and showing it openly to the viewers (and Perrin).

I do wonder if Perrin specifically seeing the Shadow and the Seanchan so entwined will have an impact on his later storylines. That I wonder about. But the later books were, tbh, really weird about how low-impact the Falme encounter ended up being in the long run for pretty much everyone except Egwene. Min basically forgets she knows anything about the Seanchan even when that information could help Rand, everyone forgets about the environment of paranoia and fear that the Seanchan created in Falme, etc. There's a lot of weird forgetfulness going around, especially in CoT & KoD, when Jordan wanted to sell us on his slaver romance.

(the way that the show has been improving characters like Min and relationships like Rand/Lanfear does give me a lot of hope in how they will handle Tuon and the Mat & Tuon 'romance' and that they'll make it better than the poorly-written dumpster fire that it is in CoT & KoD)

#butterfly watches wot #wot #wheel of time #wot on prime #wot show spoilers #wot prime spoilers #wot s2 spoilers #wheel of time s2 spoilers #wot book spoilers #wot 2x2 spoilers #a memory of light

[theothin]

Okay, so.

It's 5:30 pm. As with most Friday nights, I get in my car to drive to a 6 pm Magic the Gathering draft.

It takes a couple of tries to get the car to start. I don't think much of it - the car is about two and a half decades old, and it's had trouble starting before, although not normally this bad. When I start driving, it feels sluggish - I assume it'll function normally soon, but the "soon" keeps not happening.

(I later learn that I really should have taken this more seriously.)

I get onto the main road, and start making my way towards the game store. I start to notice the car being oddly... jittery when it's stopped, particularly the steering wheel. I tell myself, well, hopefully it'll do fine to get me to the MTG event and back, then I can get it looked at over the weekend.

(Horrible idea. Never listen to this instinct.)

On the way, I stop at the red light, then the car has trouble starting back up. I restart the ignition, and it's around this point when I start to smell something funny. Hopefully something from my surroundings, I tell myself.

(Othin, you fucking idiot.)

A bit further, and the smell hasn't gone away. Also, something looks funny. Is that... smoke? Inside the car? Okay, I wasn't imagining it, that's definitely smoke. Emergency procedures, abort mission.

First things first, gotta get off the main road. I take the next turn onto a side road - and it's only two lanes, one in each direction. I go a bit up the road, looking for a proper place to park, and it doesn't take long of failing to do that before I go okay, no, enough waiting, I need to get out of here. The other cars can deal with it.

I park, call my dad, and explain the situation. He says it sounds like I'd had a big oil leak, and if I drove that much without oil, my engine is probably toast. Given how old the car is, that would probably be the death blow to it, although we'd already expected it wouldn't last much longer regardless.

I call Triple A, at 5:49 pm, to request a tow truck. They ask if I'm in a safe location - I interpret the question as being about immediate personal safety and say yes. (I later learn that blocking a two-lane road does not qualify as a safe location. Maybe if I'd said no, things would have gone differently.) It takes a bit of time to figure out how to explain where exactly I am, since I don't know which municipality I stopped in or how best to describe my street location, but after a few minutes they go sure, we'll have someone over there within the next hour, and they'll call when they're on the way.

In the meantime, I call my dad back, for more of his car expertise. He says it should be fine to sit in the car so I'm not out in the cold, I just shouldn't turn it on. It still smells horrible, so on his advice, I lower the windows, and sit there, waiting.

Around 6:30, I haven't heard anything, so I call back to see if there's any updates. The automated message says the expected arrival time is 7:21.

I don't have headphones with me, so I wait until it feels okay to put the windows back up before taking the opportunity to watch anime, and pull up the next episode of Yuyushiki. Meanwhile, my dad texts me, I mention the road, and he goes wait, that's dangerous, you should really wait on the grass by the road instead. I tell him I don't think I'm likely to get hit, but at his insistence, I reluctantly comply, after finishing the episode. Back to shivering as it gets increasingly cold.

Around 7, I call again, and the automated line still says the expected arrival time is 7:21. Around 7:10, there's still no word about the driver leaving, so I call and ask for a live rep. The rep tries to check in with the tow truck, but comes back after several minutes to say that there was no number available for the driver himself, and that he attempted to contact the company they'd contracted for the word directly, but wasn't able to reach them. The rep says the driver is showing me as next on his list, and the only alternative would be restarting the process with a new driver, which would put me further down the list. He suggests waiting at least another half hour before trying anything like that.

I am getting skeptical of these time estimates, and extremely tired of shivering outside. I call my dad and ask him to come, he says sure. He also suggests calling the police to let them know about the road I'm blocking and get their help with keeping other cars from crashing into me, but I say I don't want to do that while I'm alone and wearing a dress. He says he doesn't expect it to be an issue but doesn't push it.

Dad shows up, goes wait, you meant the straight part of the road? I assumed you meant the twisty part further up, no one's gonna crash into you here. (In other words, rather than shivering, I could have spent that time in my car watching another episode of Yuyushiki.) Still, it's getting dark, and he says we should set up the reflectors he put in our cars, for exactly this sort of situation. It turns out they're only in his car, not mine, so we set up his reflectors.

Dad goes hey, want to see if the engine got messed up enough that we can see just from looking at it? I go sure, why not. We pop the hood and, instead, see a huge fucking pile of twigs and leaves, right in the middle. Dad speculates that it's a bird's nest and starts pulling it out. While he does, we start hearing some sort of chirping sound. We both speculate that it's a bird, but he notices that it's not a bird and not coming from the car itself - it's a baby squirrel in the pile of nest he'd pulled out. Doesn't seem like it went well for it.

We wonder if that was the whole problem. Dad doesn't notice signs of significant oil spilling, and he checks the oil level but says it's fine. We give it a shot, and the car seems to start normally. We drive a bit down the street together, but I notice it still feels pretty clunky. I suggest switching cars so he can evaluate mine. He notices the light saying "service engine soon", asks if that's been on since I left home, I say yes. He says he doesn't want to drive it without checking how serious that is and goes to look it up in the manual.

While I'm waiting in Dad's car, I call Triple A again, and explain that we've moved the car slightly. By this point they've ditched the first contractor and are sending a new tow truck from a different company. While I'm talking with them, Dad comes back with a question about my car, I say I don't know and that I'm on a call. He keeps trying to get more of an answer from me but I'm not sure what else he expects, eventually he gets frustrated and goes back to my car.

I'm waiting on hold for the rep to try to get more info from the new driver, and text my dad to ask what he wants. He says I should hang up and we should just drive the two cars home. I ask if he's sure the car is safe, he says no but he doesn't want to keep waiting.

Around 8:30, we start driving in each other's cars. Dad takes the lead, and is in the middle of driving my car up a steep hill when it gets stuck. He instructs me to carefully drive past him, then turn around to meet him at the bottom of the hill. He decides it really isn't fit to drive home but that it should go somewhere that isn't in the middle of traffic, and finds an area that's blocked off for construction. Dad speculates that in addition to the nest getting caught in stuff, there may have been other issues from things like wires getting chewed on.

(While he was driving, I could smell that awful smell from his car, behind him. I swear I can still smell it.)

I call Triple A yet again, to explain where we moved the car this time. They say it might take another couple of hours for the tow truck to arrive. We go, no, we're not waiting that long. Dad asks about the procedure for unassisted towing, and we end up putting the keys with the car to leave for the tow truck to use. Dad also has me call the police's non-emergency line to tell them about the car we're leaving and why, so they won't take issue with it in the meantime.

Around this point, Dad asks about the friend I was talking to. I go, what are you talking about. He says, on that phone call. I say, I didn't have any phone calls with friends here, all my calls were to him or Triple A. He says, wait, that's who you were talking to? I say of course. He says, so when I told you to hang up, you hung up on Triple A? I say yes, that's what you insisted I should do. He says whoops.

We return home around 9 pm. I get out of the car first, spend a while waiting by the door for my dad to catch up, and remind him that I no longer have a house key with me, since it was on the same key ring. He goes wait, you left your house key with the car? I point out that really, it was both of our mistakes, since he was using the key ring as well, and was the first one to stash it.

Dad says we'll need to go back for it, after a much-needed chance to pee and eat dinner. I also use the chance to start making a document of things to remind myself to keep in mind about cars: supplies to keep on hand, warning signs to watch for, things to keep clean, and also the value of having someone else in your car every once in a while so they can point out things you've overlooked. Bunch of things he'd been trying to get me to keep in mind forever, that never seemed as important until I'd gotten a chance to really see the consequences first-hand. Once I finish the document, I'm thinking of printing it out and taping it somewhere visible while I drive, so that maybe I'll remember to think about it more often.

It's a pretty quick drive back to the car. In part, because my dad drives really fast. While zooming down the hills we'd been stuck on, he points out that this is why he'd really wanted me to be careful, because people sometimes drive like this on them. I point out that maybe he should not do that.

We get the house key back around 10 pm. While we're driving home, I get a call back from the police, saying it's fine to have the car there for now, but it will get in the way of the construction vehicles, so we've gotta deal with it by 7 am if we don't want to risk the police towing it instead. Dad points out that tomorrow is Saturday, the cop says it'll be fine if the construction isn't happening that day, but we do need to make sure it's gone by their next work day.

Back home, I call Triple A again. They say they've switched to using a third contracting company, but this one finally has someone dispatched, along with a tracker. Next time I check in, they say they've picked up the car. Around 11 pm, I get a notification saying it's been successfully delivered to the repair place we asked for.

A learning experience, in a number of ways. But also, man, what a mess.

#cars #yuyushiki

[eiressofinspirationwrites]

Of Heaven and Hell - Traitorous Heart

Pairing: Crowley x Female OC/Reader x Aziraphale

Word Count: 1381

Warning: Spoilers ahead for Good Omens Season 2 Episode 6.

Description: Aziraphale makes a decision that will change the lives of the ones he loves most.

Note: This fic is written from the second person POV but features a female Half-Demon/Half-Angel OC of mine from this one-shot I wrote several years ago.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Aziraphale!" The angel heard the voice of his partner before they burst through the doors of the bookshop.

"Lia, you're alright," Aziraphale breathed a sigh of relief seeing you already up and around after the injury you'd sustained during the demon's attack on the bookshop. Crowley had whisked you away to the home the three of you shared a few blocks over the second the demons were gone. You'd been in dire need of healing and rest you wouldn't have gotten in the chaos surrounding Gabriel and Beezelbub's revealed tryst. You of course had insisted Crowley return to Aziraphale's side the second you were patched up, "I have the most wonderful news."

"Zira," the crack in your voice made Aziraphale's heart stutter. He hadn't heard that sound from you in decades not since... no he couldn't bare to dredge up that memory, "Please don't do this."

Aziraphale realized Crowley must have already told you what happened between them. 

"You can come with me," Aziraphale took a step towards you, and his face momentarily crumpled when you fell back a step in response and he saw the tears threatening to spill down your face, "The Metatron promised things would be different with me in charge. He told me that Crowley would be welcomed back and you would be permitted entry. We just have to convince Crowley-" 

"You honestly believe that after everything the angels have put me through, put us through they'd just let a demon and a hybrid monstrosity walk right into their ranks with open arms?" you spat, every ounce of disdain and disgust you held against Heaven dripped from your voice like acid, "Do you not remember what they did to me? How they experimented on me? How they fucking hunted me like an animal for centuries because my parents were an angel and a demon? How they hunted and hated a child simply for being born?"

"It will be different now," Aziraphale's eyes pleaded with you, "I'll make things different." 

"You honestly believe you can change a system that has quite literally been like this since the dawn of time?" Aziraphale hated the look in your eyes. The doubt and pain in them was a knife in his chest, "Zi, Crowley was cast out simply for asking questions. What makes you think they will welcome me into their sterile white paradise? I'm an abomination, remember? I'm below the demons in Heaven's hierarchy of trash."

"Please, Azalia," Aziraphale stepped forward to take your hands in his, and this time you let him, "I know they have hurt you. I was the one that pulled you out of that prison the angels locked you up in to do those experiments. I helped Crowley nurse you back to health. I may not have loved you as long as Crowley has but I love you just as much. You know that. Please tell me you know that." 

"I do," you nodded.

"Good," Aziraphale brought a hand up to wipe away the tears now running freely down your cheeks. A small smile graced his lips as you leaned into his touch, your eyes closed, "I wouldn't have proposed this if I thought for a second they would hurt you. I will never let them lay a hand on you in Heaven."

"They don't have to lay a hand on me to hurt me," you whispered and opened your eyes to meet his, "Please, Aziraphale. We've worked so hard for the life we've made here. Why do you want to give it up? We're free here. Finally free after centuries of hiding who we are. In Heaven, there will be rules and expectations even you can't change."

"Azalia," Azirphale started but you cut him off. 

"I know you believe in Heaven. That you believe they can change," you took the hand he held to your face in yours and squeezed it gently as you lowered it, "I wish I could believe in that as much as you do."

"Lia," it was Aziraphale's turn for his voice to crack, "Don't do this. I can't lose you, too." 

"I'm sorry Aziraphale," you let your hands fall from his and began to back away, "I love you so much, but if you go back to Heaven... I can't go with you. Not after everything they've put all of us through. Not just me but you and Crowley. I know you can't see it yet, but Heaven has victimized you, too, and I can't forgive any of it."

Aziraphale was speechless as he watched you turn your back on him and walk for the door just like Crowley had. Hope fluttered in his chest as you paused upon the threshold of the shop. 

"If you change your mind about all of this madness with Heaven," you didn't so much as turn your head as you spoke instead keeping your eyes fixed on the door as you held it, "You know where to find us."  

Not me. Us. 

As you pushed your way out of the bookshop and disappeared into the morning crowds, it hit Aziraphale that he'd lost both of you. You and Crowley chose Earth and each other over him. If the Metatron hadn't walked in seconds after the doors swung shut on your departure, Aziraphale would have fallen apart. He still might. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As you walked away from the bookshop and your partner inside, it felt like you were being burned alive from the inside out by holy water and hellfire all over again. That had nearly killed you nearly 5 decades ago. This might as well. 

You might have fallen apart in the middle of the street if you hadn't found your other partner waiting down the block from the shop by his car. The second you were within arms reach of Crowley, he opened his arms to you. 

A sob escaped your lips as you buried your face into his chest. The familiar scent of him was an immediate comfort as he wrapped his arms around you and rubbed circles on your back. 

"I'm sorry, love," Crowley muttered into your hair before he rested his chin atop your head. He wasn't usually one for public displays of affection but today he made the exception. 

"I tried," you whimpered, your face still buried in his shirt. 

"I knew you would," you could hear the sad smile in Crowley's words. 

Neither of you said anything more or moved for several minutes. Not until you felt Crowley tense. 

You turned away from Crowley enough to face back towards the bookshop but your partner kept you tucked close under his arm. Your heart skipped a beat as you saw Aziraphale exiting the bookshop with the Metatron. 

Aziraphale hesitated by the doors of the lift that would take him back to Heaven. Both you and Crowley held your breath as the angel you both loved so passionately stood on the threshold of a decision that would change your lives forever. If the thoughts of two people alone had the power to change the will of another, Aziraphale never would have taken that final step away from his partners.

"Let's go home," Crowley whispered after the doors to Heaven closed on the pair of angels. 

He was the first to move and ushered you around the Bentley towards the passenger side. He kept his arm around you as he opened the door and only broke contact when you were seated inside the car. 

Your thoughts drifted away from the Bentley as Crowley started the car and pulled away into the street to drive to the home you had once shared with the two loves of your life. 

Now where it had once been three it would only be two hearts in that home. 

You wanted to hate Aziraphale for forcing you to choose like this. You wanted to hate him for being blinded by Heaven and not seeing the truth in why you and Crowley couldn't go. You wanted to hate him for leaving both of you. You wanted to hate him for it all so badly but your traitorous heart wouldn't let you.

You'd loved the Angel of the Eastern Gate so much and for so long it wasn't likely the hurt of today would dim that any time soon.

#good omens #good omens fanfic #good omens season 2 spoilers #good omens spoilers #crowley x reader #reader insert #anthony janthony crowley #crowley x aziraphale #crowley x reader x aziraphale #good omens hurt no comfort #hurt/no comfort #Eiress: Of Heaven and Hell #good omens 2

[romancemedia]

My Prediction for Sugar Apple Fairy Tale's Anime Future

In order to keep my spirits alive for the future of Sugar Apple Fairy Tale, I have gone over the details and timeline and I'm fairly confident the series will return next year for a new season.

Also at this point I think it's safe to say this past year has simply showed the first season in general instead of 2 seasons like a lot of us, including myself assumed.

Season 1 Part 1 (Episodes 1-12) January 6th 2023 to March 24th 2023

Season 1 Part 2 (Episodes 13-24) July 7th 2023 to September 22nd 2023

During Season 1 of the anime, it has covered the first 6 light novels of the series so far.

During this period, we've been introduced to our main characters, the storyline, challenges, obstacles and of course the love between the main couple, Anne Halford and Shall Fen Shall. The anime is currently covering the 6th light novel focusing on Anne and Shall being captured by Lafall, Shall's older brother who seeks revenge against humans and fairies alike while also trying to tear the lovers apart.

With everything that's happened since Lafall's introduction, from the revelation about him and Shall being Fairy Royalty, their unborn diamond sibling and the unresolved conflict between the humans and fairies, it's obvious there is still a lot of the story left to be told. This is hardly the ending, but instead, it's only the beginning.

I find it doubtful that no matter what the anime won't end Sugar Apple Fairy Tale with Volume 6 and will be back next year for Season 2. I'm pretty hopeful they'll announce their plans as soon as the season finale is over. Besides since the light novel series ended years ago back in 2015 and therefore had already long since completed their story, I'm sure the anime is going to cover everything, considering where they are now and how far they've come since the start of the year.

For next year if/when Sugar Apple Fairy Tale returns for a second season, I'm sure it's going to follow the same timeline as this year did. Season 2 will most likely showcase 24 episodes again, dividing them into 12 episodes and show them from January to March 2024, go on a break and return from July to September 2024 just as this year did.

When that time comes, Season 2 will likely cover Light Novels 7-13. (I'm skipping Vol 12 since that consists of side stories and already showed 1 in the first season, focusing on Catt's introduction.)

Based on the information I've learned about what's to come from the light novels, they will feature...

Anne and Shall's relationship and love growing stronger, but will face a new challenge in the form of a real proper honest love triangle when Keith confesses his own feelings for Anne!

A story focusing on Mythril Lid Pod.

Anne and several Silver Sugar Masters will come together to create a special order for the Queen herself!

New fairies will be introduced, including the birth of Shall and Lafall's diamond brother!

The return of Lafall Fen Lafall!

That's as far as I'm at right now regarding the anime's future since I've decided to only focus on one step at a time. All I can say right now is keep hope alive for whatever comes on Friday cause until then I refuse to give up!

#Sugar Apple Fairy Tale #My Thoughts #Anime #SAFT #Light Novel #Anne Halford #Shall Fen Shall #Lafall Fen Lafall #Mythril Lid Pod #Keith Powell

[sonkitty]

Earthly Objects Study - Windows Part 2 (Good Omens 2)

Below is a post that I wrote about The Window Trick without fully recognizing it for being a Threshold Trick. It is one of my favorite posts I've written on Good Omens 2, so I am saving it for posterity. Feel free to read it, but here is a more updated take on The Window Trick: The Window Trick

...

...

...

If you have no idea what I’m talking about, it’s best to start with my main post:

Good Omens 2 - Earthly Objects Main Point of Reference

And the windows post:

Earthly Objects Study - Windows Part 1 (Good Omens 2)

Let me start by saying I do not understand the simplified window looks that Crowley does during episodes 5 and 6. He has several compared to any other character in the show, including Aziraphale (I think).

In episode 5, Crowley looks from outside the bookshop toward Aziraphale when Aziraphale brings down the chandelier. The camera starts from outside and behind Crowley before showing his front from inside. He later looks out from the window inside the bookshop with the demons outside and surrounding the place. That particular one can at least be a standard 3-points earning in the game because of his hand visibly touching a flat surface, the window panes and wooden lattices being the simpler window look touch (if such windows grant such points).

In episode 6, there are multiple cuts of him looking from outside the bookshop toward Aziraphale though the camera is from inside the bookshop to see Crowley looking. He smiles. A strange little thing that happens is that when he later passes the open broken window, most of his body has already passed it.

If these things have a deeper meaning in all of this other stuff I'm about to say, it's beyond me at the moment.

Likewise, if the nightingale song adds anything to what's happening with the windows or thresholds, it is well beyond my capability to analyze.

I'll also acknowledge past theories on one point of what I'm going to talk about have been "He's shut the door on another level. That's so sad!" and "Maybe its' an after-effect of the stillness." So, minds do change, you know.

Now, we're going to focus on the latter half of episode 6 and the format of more complex window scenes.

If you've read the previous windows post, the latest version, you'll catch that I found what seem to be three requirements for earning earthly object points by looking through a window in these more complex scenes.

Simplified steps:

(1) The looker looks

(2) The window sees

(3) The looker is seen clearly behind the window pane. Possibly, this requirement also wants the window's physical threshold, such as a window frame, to be partly visible.

If you're not familiar with my basic rule-breaking theory for episode 6, it goes something like, Crowley and Aziraphale are intentionally avoiding touching earthly objects as much as possible. The kiss is something exceptional in it all between the two of them, but they are otherwise doing a lot of not touching things. There have been other extended conversations between them with no touching but this one is different. There's no three objects at the start like in Before the Beginning. There are no goats at the end like in the Job minisode. There's no chair at the end when deciding to leave Aziraphale on his own. And so on.

Some semblance of a visual physical touch on something they aren't wearing is not what happens during the bookshop scene at the end of episode 6.

Even so, we're actually going to start just before that with the Metatron.

After the Metatron talks to Muriel, his gaze suggests he is looking toward the bookshop, possibly even into the windows of the location, meaning he might be watching the intense conversation that's about to happen.

The story does something important here. It doesn't show step 2 for a complex window scene. We do not see what the window sees.

Not only that, every time Aziraphale or Crowley seems to look out the window during the bookshop scene, step 2 still does not happen. We never see what the window sees. We can see some stuff from within the bookshop through the window. It's not the same as a shot of what's happening outside and a window frame or something from within the structure to tell us that's the window seeing things. The story never tries for that specific step to reach that specific type of earthly object touch with step 2.

That is to say, it never tries during the bookshop scene.

The truly startling thing is that after Aziraphale has left, we actually do see step 2 is reached when Crowley looks at Nina. Step 3 is not reached, but step 2 is. He's allowed a faint differing touch on the door threshold with movement in his fingers. Then he looks at Maggie. Again, step 2 is reached but not step 3.

Those are two threshold-only touches onto windows.

The Earthly Objects game loves the number three.

Is there going to be a third threshold-only window touch and if so, how?

Yes, and not only that, it's going to be a 3-in-1 to reach #3.

What?

Am I sure?

Goodness no. Reaching this conclusion was unbelievably hard. It would be so easy to just tell you that Crowley is a demon so of course the windows at use here are just plain not earthly. Look at those supernatural-indicator long sideburns! I have some other excuses too, but let's focus on the hard answer for now.

Earlier, Crowley touched a threshold within itself by already touching a door before the camera saw it and then touching that door again when the camera wasn't looking. There are actually more touches in their own complex format, but the point is he touched the door while touching the door.

If we want the same thing for a window, how is that done? Greatly simplified, again, without accounting for thresholds and step 3, the idea is: Look through a window while looking through a window.

The first two windows we'll focus on are the lenses on Crowley's sunglasses. They are going to be an inner layer for the look, so the second "window" in the above stated sentence for the concept. The lenses are the windows on Crowley's door to himself. They present quite an issue for preventing step 3 since they are small, and Crowley is always behind them when he wears them. The third window is the driver's window on the door to his car—specifically in season 2, this car is also his home. That's going to be the outer layer, and the major assist to get it all done.

The first threshold touch that initiates the whole thing is the one for our inner layer. It is theoretically the two little dots of white light that appear in Crowley's sunglasses after he looks at Maggie.

Crowley's sunglasses don't usually reflect anything, but when they do, the most common type of reflection is light.

That is our very much theoretical step 1 for our eventual 3-in-1 threshold-only touch. For now, it is only 2-in-1. We aren't at the third window just yet.

The dots disappear as he starts to move and enter the car.

When steps 1-3 happen for a complex window scene, there isn't a threshold cross through a door in between, in the scenes that I've taken the time to analyze.

Presumably, that means that this threshold cross bears some significance. It also brings us to window #3 of this particular set. By now, step 1 is done through both together. We are at the threshold for our window set. Crowley is looking.

Now that we're layered further in, we can finally start on step 2. We must see what the window sees.

The outer layer of the look is deliberately blurred. It is blurred in a way that one would assume means the car window is actually closed, not open. It is incredibly difficult to find that the story at least intends for this to be a blur for its game that's passing or sharing the look with the sunglasses. The story is also trying to deceive us after all.

The biggest clue is the lacking bullet-holes sticker, which might have disappeared during episode 5 around when the demon invasion was starting. If that sticker just plain disappeared, I have found only one other ridiculously tiny clue.

Before Crowley closes the door, one of the people to his right is wearing a white shirt and orange over-shirt or jacket. The blur level looks the same for below the upper part of the door frame and for above that upper part of the door frame. Below the door frame is where the window is. Above the door frame is not where the window is. There is a person right before the one I'm describing who has a similar color scheme, but it's much harder to gauge if that's the same blur level happening. As such, the main clue is the person with the orange jacket or over-shirt. The blur level should be different if the window is closed.

I suppose the little lights that are presumably from the coffee shop are also about the same blur level.

The window behind Crowley also looks blurred, and you can't really tell it's blurred as closed instead of open because the blur levels look so similar to each other. I assume that's part of the deception and deliberate.

We, the audience, see what the window sees from the inner layer. The sunglasses have reflections of what is happening outside the door to the car as reflections. These are very unusual for Crowley at all and not direct. They seem to be slightly ahead and to the right of where Crowley's eyes would be looking.

Are they all the way up until the front of the window that we can't quite see? The story won't tell us directly. Instead, it's going to tell us nothing to his left is reflected, and when we get anything resembling the front, it changes significantly from what's outside the door to his car. When Crowley turns his head to turn off the music, those car door reflections disappear. They are not gone completely for every single frame, but they are gone completely for a significant amount of those frames. The main reflection that becomes visible looks like some combination of light and darkness that can't possibly be in front of him at all (or if it is, I can't figure out how or what it is).

Crowley's sunglasses rarely reflect people, and when they do, it's usually a person deliberately showing him an object they are holding.

That said, we are at step 2 of our 3-in-1 threshold-only touch for window #3.

The next cut is where step 3 is canceled out. The reflections are gone, and that window to the door of the car is more clearly shown as open. The blur pass or share from within is gone. There is no window pane, but there is a completely clear full window frame for it. Crowley was not behind the window pane of the outer layer, just the inner one. That's enough for his 3-in-1 threshold-only touch on window #3 before finally driving away.

That requires a lot of faith in the deceptive blur and the necessity of a lacking outer window pane to reach this conclusion.

A few other things worth mentioning are that my initial logic was suspecting it was related to how carefully he put his sunglasses on back in the bookshop. His thresholds for those are the end pieces, but he touched the areas around them, which I've taken to mean the thresholds of his own thresholds. I took that to mean he was protecting himself, possibly for what happened in the scene.

The main thing that changed my mind to this layered window concept was that as I was drafting my post, I would ask, "How do you tell the audience that this thing is happening?" and at least part of the answer was within the given scene itself (two dots of white light for step 1, reflections for step 2). I had no answer for what you can find within the scene on how to mitigate step 3 until I focused in on that car window.

There's probably some meaning to the fact that the window threshold-only touches were reserved for humans. The humans in the story have a fake dimension to them. Maggie and Nina do not have last names. They don't address Crowley by his name. The extras have some disturbing patterns in their repetitions and suspicious cuts throughout various scenes. So, while that rather sours what I believe is the story's intent, in my own opinion, I think the intent here is to show Crowley's love for humanity in whatever is really going on. Such thinking, besides the structure overall, comes from the music and David Tennant's acting.

Another question that might arise from all of the above is to ask what it means for Crowley's own sight. He senses people and things with his eyes to the point it very much looks the same to an outside observer as how seeing works. The story puts effort into what is and is not reflected in those sunglasses to indicate it's still not quite the same thing as seeing.

So, do the reflections mean Crowley can see, as in the more understood form of seeing, if he wants? Or just that he needs this specially created scenario to do it? I have no answer. Until the story says otherwise, go with the answer you like best. If you want to know my personal preference, it would be that Crowley just does what he wants. He could see, but he doesn't because he uses his own snake eyes in a way that suits him. It might even be to his advantage. Analyzing him as a character, for season 2 at least, shows a deep precision and strategy in his choices.

Plus, you know, those snake eyes are part of why I love the actor-character combination as much as I do.

The end.

I actually hope I never have to drastically change my mind and update this post. I'm rather proud of it because of the challenges involved, but past posts have suggested that's simply not going to happen. Sorry. So, please keep that in mind. I do update things if I feel I've figured more out though I usually make a post to say so and link the post that is being changed.

#crowley #good omens 2 #good omens s2 #good omens #david tennant #good omens season 2 #good omens analysis

[chaos-and-ink]

Lets all pretend to be doctor's because my doctor sucks at his job. This was my cardiologist appointment yesterday:

EKG: Clear, no abnormalities of the heart.

Heart Beat: Normal, just a benign preexisting heart murmur

Poor Man's Tilt Table: 60bpm (Laying down) 140 bpm (Standing up) 100bpm (Prolonged standing) Blood pressure was stable.

Symptoms: dizziness, tachycardia, shakiness, vision disturbances, nausea, headaches, etc.

History: Extreme heat intolerance, exercise intolerance, inability to stand for a long time, several episodes of syncope a year, circulation problems, temperature regulation problems, autonomic dysfunctions. This has been happening for 6-8 years with no signs of stopping.

Medical File: Previous doctor wrote down POTS. Was then referred to cardiology to check for any heart abnormalities just in case. Diagnosis of ASD, in the process of confirming hEDS.

What would you diagnose me with?

Because you would think all of this would easily lead to him concluding that I have POTS. Literally textbook POTS. But instead he determined I will grow out if it in 3 months and that it's very normal and tons of people have these problems and i'm just dramatic and need to drink more water.

I don't even care. My previous doctor diagnosed me with POTS already so who cares what he thinks.

#pots #pots syndrome #postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome #chronically ill #chaos #dysautonomia

[cocktailjjrs]

Okay, so i thought long and hard about this, and i just thought that, this season can't end on a cliffhanger right?

Episode 10 ended halfway through ch 110; so if we think that the remaining .5 chapter takes a minute or two, so excluding op and ed we have 18-19 mins of anime only episode.

But then there isn't anything else remaining in this whole arc that they can leave the 11th episode on a cliffhanger and pick up in season 6 and have enough storyline to last that whole season (or even half). This whole decay of angels things is stretched thin as is, any more and it won't make any sense.

(I'm conveniently going to ignore the fact that the new episode is titled 'Twilight Goodbye'; theories aside, that shit sound terribly depressing. My soukoku heart cant take the possibility of it really being a goodbye...)

I also know that the whole mess getting magically cleared in one episode seems like a pipe-dream (unless the episode is 40-45 mins long); but spilling over next season to wrap this up in another two episodes seems weird anime pacing.

So i can only think that someone missing from the story till now is going to come in at this last moment to set things straight.

The only people still unaccounted for in all this mess are:

Yosano

Kyoka

Mori

Koyo

Verlaine (does he count if he isn't yet introduced in anime or main story?)

Katai

Naomi

Natsume sensei

Kajii (?)

the whole of Guild

I have a feeling that since Yosano was no where near the airport, or even in Anne's room, means she is away from this whole scene and possibly ready to jump in to save Dazai (i really hope) because the ADA members don't exactly need her there at this moment they can survive off the machines a bit longer, but Dazai needs to be saved.

Then we need someone to overpower Fukuchi if we are thinking of taking one order back from him...

Also, someone to outsmart Fyodor now...

All of ADA is down... So in a situation like this, i think the PM top brass (Mori, Koyo and Verlaine) coming through in the clutch would make more sense. The DOA marked them off in their first move, severely underestimated them...

Mori for all his vices is a very cunning man, he has an ability to be cool and calculating, and arrive at an the optimal solution without letting emotions interrupt his decision making. He is a war veteran, he knows how a war is fought and won and he is ready to take any means necessary, however ugly, to reach his end goal. With a bit of intel about the battle field, he can turn the tides in their favour. He already knew about Tachihara, so i don't think he will just sit back after knowing what dangers are just round the corner. He would have started planning then only, if not earlier.

I don't know how can one win over Fukuchi at this point, till the time he has that damn sword, he seems invincible (plot armour and all that crap included), but i think Natsume sensei will have seen him in his cat form, so i really hope he will have a plan to deal with that too...

We also don't know where the big hitters from guild are, Fitzgerald himself is a whole package and he even has eyes of god; something that was used against Fyodor before this... sooooo.....

OR the vampirism get's lifted and this time Shin soukoku finally beat the crap out of Fukuchi, i would love to see that...

Is there anything else that can happen?

#bungou stray dogs #bsd #bsd spoilers #bsd theories #dazai osamu #soukoku #bsd manga #bsd mori #mori ougai #yosano akiko #natsume sakasaki #bsd fitzgerald #armed detective agency #port mafia #bsd verlaine #koyo ozaki #bsd season 5 #bsd anime

[vikenticomeshome]

Cyberchase Character Discussion (for your local Cyberchase trivia quiz) - #1: Inez

Since I have been archiving data from the Cyberchase section of the old pbskids.org website for the FlashPoint Archive Project lately, I thought should share some content I have dug up, particularly information that was provided on the different characters. Much of the information is no longer on the site. While much of it is available in the FlashPoint Archive Project now, and I would consider the project easy to look into and setup, not everyone will take the time to do so. #1: Inez I figure the best place to start is with her official "Meet the Cybersquad" character bio from back in the day. This was placed on the pbskids.org website way back in 2001, before the series initially started airing in 2002. This is no longer on the pbskids.org site, so I can't promise that it is still canon.

So, we start off learning that Inez is the youngest of the group, at nine years old. We never see the kids in school together, but I would not be surprised if Inez jumped forward a grade or two. The page emphasizes her curiosity. Now, would you call the parkway vs. driveway thing pedantic? For me: no comment.

The second page tells us that her favorite color is purple, her favorite food are popcorn and mangoes, and her favorite book in "By the Shores of Silver Lake", by Laura Ingalls Wilder. That is part of Wilder's autobiographical "Little House on the Prarie" series, with this particular book being published in 1939. I know its a classic that has been republished numerous times, but I do find it interesting that she went for such an old book. Her favorite music is by Mac Anthony. The page doesn't mention specific genres, and Marc Anthony has done several different genres over the years. I don't know his discography very well, but it looks like he was best known for Latin Salsa in the late 1990s and early 2000s, so that's probably her favorite music genre overall.

The third page tells us that her favorite move is "Harry Potter", as she loves Hermione Granger. Because this bio came out in 2001, only Sorcerer's/Philosopher's Stone would have been released as a movie at the time.

Her pet peeves are listed as heights, bad sportsmanship, and whenever Matt calls her "Nezzie". According to TVTropes, she did conquer her fear of heights by the time The Cyberchase Movie came out. She has one pet, her cat, Gatito. We do see Gatito in a few episodes of the show.

Now, there's something odd about Inez's design on the "Meet the Cybersquad" page. The star on her shirt is purple, as opposed to the yellow we got in the show. I'm not sure how this happened, as Inez had the yellow star as far back as the 1999 pilot.

This reminds me of another piece of trivia. During Season 4 Episode 2 "The Icky Factor", the kids get wetsuits for the first time, as they need to swim around Aquari-yum. They had already been to Aquari-yum twice by this point. However, they stayed in the sub the whole time during Season 1 Episode 16 "Codename Icky". Then, during Season 3 Episode 6 "The Grapes of Plath", they just wore their regular clothes with a bubble helmet to walk around the bottom of the bowl.

Look at their wetsuits. Matt gets plain blue wetsuit, Jackie gets a plain yellow wetsuit, and Digit gets a plain orange wetsuit. Inez gets a green wetsuit with a yellow star on the front and a purple vest. I like this detail. It's about as close to matching her color scheme as they could get without making the top half of the wetsuit pink, which would have just been weird. Maybe a full pink wetsuit would have been a little better? I don't know. If they did that, she would be missing out on the green from her shorts

Anyway, the next piece to look at is this page from Cyberchase: How It All Started: Webisode 3. This was an official prequel web comic that come out before the show started airing, so its a little off. I promise that this is the original image without any edits.

https://web.archive.org/web/20080610025304/http://pbskids.org/cyberchase/webisode_3/7.html

They got her skin-tone and hair color very wrong, as they showed her as white with red hair. The lenses on her glasses aren't as opaque. They did get the yellow star right this time, but I would consider her skin tone to be far more important. I would love to hear the story of how this mix-up happened. You know what? I'll add my attempt at fixing their mistake below, based on skin, hair, and glasses colors picked from "Meet the Cybersquad". I don't have much GIMP experience, but I think I did a pretty good job.

Anyway, the main reason I brought this image up was that she is noted as being a computer whiz who loves to go on the Internet. As far as I remember, she never uses her computer skills in the show, probably because they played it so fast and loose with the terminology.

So, that first image only showed her from the waist-up, but we do get a shot of her riding her bike to the library to meet her new friends and start the first episode. They did it again.

https://web.archive.org/web/20080607121655/http://pbskids.org/cyberchase/webisode_3/8.html

I honestly wouldn't care if it was just the shirt, vest, or shorts being the wrong color. Alright, I have added a color-corrected version below.

The second page gives us "Oh no, this is not good at all!" That is the prototype for her iconic phrase: "This is not good! This is not good at all!".

Did you know that on her way to the library, Inez road her bike all over town to run other errands? She went to Betty's House, the Post Office, and the Video (VHS) store before arriving at the library just in time to make some new friends and upload her mind into the Internet.

As far as character trivia goes, Cyberchase did have official printable trading cards. Here's the one for Nezzie. I love this card. One of her favorite things is E-mail. Her other favorite things include experiments and big words, but we all knew that already. They picked a more optimistic, but less iconic, favorite line for her with, "Hey, I've got an idea!" rather than "This is not good! This is not good at all!". She is great at basketball, which may be surprising to some, given her height. We'll come back to that. She is also great at reading, standing up for herself, and singing. We do get to hear her sing "Brahm's Lullaby" in Spanish for Chewcrocca's baby during Season 3 Episode 1 "EcoHaven CSE".

I can think of two pieces of official Cyberchase media related to Basketball. There was Season 6 Episode 7 "Jimaya Jam", which had a sport of the same name, except it took away dribbling. However, Inez was actually separated from the group at the time, with Creech taking over her role during the Jimaya Jam game. Presumably, Inez was just too powerful.

The second piece is from the singular Cyberchae chapter book, "The Search for the Power Orb". The story actually starts with Inez playing basketball against Matt. She is frustrated that he is able to block her shots due to his clear height advantage, and his teasing about her height doesn't help. Towards the end of the story, they retrieve the titular Power Orb, which is roughly the size of a basketball. It needs to go back into its basket to save Cybersite Serentia from complete deletion. Inez is able to use her short stature to run between The Hacker's legs, get a boost from Izzy, and slam dunk the Power Orb.

What else? I found this early concept art on the Cyberchase wiki. It seems like the biggest change was the style for her boots.

There is also this write-up from a "Who's Who" document. I don't know whether this was always available to the public, or if this was an internal document when they were developing and pitching the show. It doesn't add too much information to what I already posted, but it does state their intent to make her a tomboy, and it talks about her tendency to giggle, give inspirational quotes and stand on her head.

I figure no Inez compilation is complete without her standing on her head at some point. Here she is in Season 2 Episode 12 "The Guilty Party" flinging herself out of a handstand, twisting around, and landing on her feet.

#cyberchase #inez #cartoon #2000s #2000s childhood #she slam dunks the fucking thing #it's incredible #longpost #archived web content

[ammyamarant]

I was talking to my sister recently about Buffy the Vampire Slayer and the topic of what I thought was the worst season popped up. Without hesitation, I said season 6.

And I stand by it. Everything in it, everything people are now saying is good actually, is only good on paper. Buffy depressed about being resurrected? And doing incredibly self-destructive things? Having to live without her mother and try and be a good guardian for Dawn? This is all good on paper! But the execution? We get a comedy episode for Buffy trying to get a job. Buffy getting, and failing at a new job, having to deal with both earning money and her duties as a Slayer could have been a short plotline where she couldn't balance it and it made things worse for her. It could have really shown just how much she struggled, and made her self-destruction hit even harder.

But it had to be a comedy episode.

I'm not saying Doublemeat Palace is the only example I have of how they fumbled showing her depression and inability to readjust after being resurrected. But it's the beginning of it, and indicative of how they fumbled showing it.

Willow and Tara having problems with their relationship? Even the best couples have conflicts. But the out of nowhere magic addiction? When it's never been hinted at that the reason Amy abused magic was an addiction, just moral failing when realizing what she could do with it? And then the sheer amount of shit Willow put Tara through? Tara was abused so badly by the writers. Fighting with Willow then having her memory wiped several times, breaking up with her, only to finally make up once Willow was able to admit she needed help only to be killed in the same episode?

No wonder Amber Benson was on board for the audiobook. Tara deserved better.

Xander and Anya? I'm sorry, Xander has a lot of flaws but he's not the type to leave someone at the alter just so Anya can have her own destructive arc. He'd be more likely to just call the entire thing off before the wedding if he was that afraid that it would turn into what happened with his parents.

The trio? Okay. So. I'm going to talk Arknights for a bit. After going through Code of Brawl, I joke about how much trouble Penguin Logistics gets into and how I don't know how they're still alive after their antics. But the difference between them and the trio is Penguin Logistics is also competent. Exuisai can lean out a car door to shoot rubber bullets at the essentially Italian Mafia guys chasing them and not die because she's, mechanically, a 6* unit who can be a boss killer on her own. This is nothing to her. Texas is the last surviving member of the Texas famiglia, and people constantly refer to her as very dangerous. Il Siracusano showed why. Of course being the driver and pulling off that shit is easy for her. In comparison, the only thing the trio has to offer is Warren was the form of "actually evil" that is oh you're evil evil. They should have never been a threat outside the fact Warren had no moral compass. They're constantly bumbling, and only a threat to Buffy because the plot said so.

Spike? Holy shit. He has more dignity than what he did in season 6, and the bathroom scene felt like a punishment for those who liked Spike enough to keep him around. Like "are you sure you like him? See! He's an irredeemable monster! Stop liking him." We already know Whedon hated how popular Spike was, and because of that, this incredibly out of character and just plain cruel scene can only feel like punishing those who liked him.

Tbh the more I think about it, the more I feel season 6 was a punishment for whoever wanted to keep it going. It's so unpleasant, and it is pretty much just dark for darkness's sake. The writing isn't strong enough to support anything they wanted to do and not have it come off as malicious. It's bad and no amount of good ideas can excuse execution.

Season 6 could have been a poignant look at grief, loss, depression, and self-destruction. Having a human being more evil than a demon and finally showing that the Willow we know really does have the capability to be as evil as her alternate vampire self could have been great, since we've never really had that. Even in season 4, the Initiative was more misguided than actually evil. Instead we got grimdark and out of character writing.

Season 6 sucks, is the worst season, and I will not be convinced otherwise.

#buffy the vampire slayer #long post #buffy season 6 salt

[tryslora]

What I'm Reading Wednesday...

On the Duck Prints Press reading server, it’s What I’m Reading Wednesday where we all share what we finished in the last week, what we are currently reading, and what we think of these books.

I figured hey, why not bring that to the rest of the world for myself. Because I love yelling about my current reads. And I’ve always got several things in motion at one time, between physical, audio, and ebooks, plus things I’m reading for specific reasons.

Here’s the summary from the last week in visual format (the actual discussion is behind the read-more):

Fiction

I am currently reading Many Drops Make a Stream by Adrian Harley (from Duck Prints Press). There are so many things to love in this book. The world building packs so much into such a small space. The culture clash between human and shapeshifter is wonderful (and Harley’s shapeshifters truly have a culture all their own). I thought it was going to be a quick read because it’s short, but the language and depth of information have me going slower and savoring every word. That said, I’ve also reached the point where I want to take it in faster, so I find myself spending a little extra time every time I pick it up, just to get a few more pages!

Manga & Graphic Novels

I have one manga and one graphic novel in progress.

I’ve been reading The Complete Elfquest, volume 1 by Wendy & Richard Pini for a little over two weeks now. We have several of these volumes, and my intention is to read one chapter/issue a night, so I am able to savor them slowly, but also get through them. Reading this first volume is like coming home into a fandom from childhood. The first chunk of it was also collected in the original Warp Graphics compilations, and I can’t remember how often I read those back in high school. I’m reaching the parts now where I probably only read the individual issues once or twice, so it’s familiar, but not to the point where I’m like oh yes, I remember gazing at that panel for hours. I still love these elves, and this story, and I cannot wait to get home each day and be allowed to read a chapter. I’m looking forward to when I reach new-to-me material.

I watched the 24 episode anime The Apothecary Diaries and I wasn’t ready to let it go when it was over, so I started reading the manga by Natsu Hyuuga and Nekokurage. I finished volumes 5 & 6 this past week and am currently reading volume 7. I have the remaining already published volumes waiting for when I’m done with this. I adore Maomao and Jinshi, and am incredibly excited to get to the point where canon moves past what is in the anime. That said, getting to revisit events I already watched on TV and linger over what was said and the exact expressions has been soooo good. (And yes, I know the light novels also exist and will be rolling into those in ebook form after the manga; I might be a tad bit obsessed).

Audiobook

A while ago I thought “I should read some TJ Klune” so I checked the library list I had for audiobooks, and the first of his Extraordinaries trilogy was available in audio. I listened to it. I was addicted. I’m now on the third book—Heat Wave—and I find it very very hard to put it down. I can’t listen while working, only while commuting, walking, or doing chores—things that don’t require me to actually think so I can multi-task. But hey, it’s a GREAT way to get me to do my PT since it means fifteen minutes more of audiobook listening! Nick, the POV character, has ADHD and I flail a lot over pretty much everything he thinks and does. I love every character in this series. I love how Klune is using superheroes as an allegory for the queer experience and for racial issues, but at the same time, is actually addressing those issues explicitly. I both want to listen faster to find out what happens, and linger so it doesn’t end.

Ebook

I have been reading Wayfinder by CE Murphy, which is the second in a duology. This is a romance, yes, but it’s another fun culture clash book, this time between humanity and faerie, and I am so here for that. Murphy is an author I used to read a lot from, and I’m trying to work my way through her back catalog slowly because I’ve always enjoyed her style. Accessible and fun. This series is about a woman who has always been able to hear lies (a Truthseeker), and how her talent develops, and how she works with the faerie kingdoms to try to help them (despite some of them not wanting help, and the original situation not being the one she’s actually needed for).

Non-fiction

I have been working my way through three non-fiction books.

One is A Year of Zen by Bonnie Myotai Treace. I had been looking for a journaling prompt book, and decided to give this one a try. I made the difficult decision to write directly in the book itself, then the additional decision to let myself fail if needed. So if I don’t get to answer a prompt on a day, I just answer it the next day. One prompt per day. It’ll take me more than a year to go through it, but that’s okay. The idea is to have me think and write a short paragraph every day, and not feel guilty about messing up. It’s working surprisingly well. Learning to let myself fail has been a big part of my process this year, and hopefully I am learning to let go of some of the anxiety about things needing to be matched and rigid.

The one I am stalled on right now is The Happiness Trap by Russ Harris. It was recommended as a book that therapists like to use for themselves, not merely recommend to their patients, and it reminded me of the radical acceptance I’m supposed to be practicing (and apparently am, despite myself, according to my therapist after she listened to me). The problem is, it has exercises (doesn’t everything?) and I stalled out because I didn’t have time.

Time is a theme, y’know? And that’s what happened with the last non-fiction book. I’ve been working through The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron, taking it as a self-guided 12 week course. I’m currently on week 5. However, I did a week of just doing morning notes before I really got started, then I took a week off when everything went haywire in my schedule because of the power outage. So it’s been about seven weeks so far. This week, as I worked on exercises, I found myself really digging in to my emotions about this book. And in the end, I decided that while I can see the value in some things, the book itself is giving me more anxiety about everything to do with my writing, while at the same time making it impossible for me to find time TO write (while following the advice it gives). So. I am no longer doing it as a course, with exercises, but I will finish reading it. And if an exercise appeals, I’ll do it. It’ll still take time, because I’ll probably still read one chapter each weekend, but I am already feeling WAY less stressed and I only made this decision last night.

So…

That’s it for me! What are you reading?

#what i'm reading wednesday #duck prints press #reading #books