#the thing with 22 episodes is that they can really slow burn each girl's feelings about Alison in a way that feels real

[jaggedwolf]

pll rewatch 1x07-1x08

while watching previous episodes, I was thinking, wait, Emily has to have a car this season because of [SPOILER]. Does she just randomly start appearing with one?

of course not. instead she wins a car (the BEAUTIFUL TOYOTA) in a raffle the same night she falls down in a mirror maze

1x07 begins with us still on Homecoming night, where we get (1) Spencer, Hanna, and Aria clinging to each other like frightened puppies while looking for Emily and (2) Toby bringing Emily to the hospital

Spencer suggests the trio split up and is immediately indignant at the idea she be the one to go alone lmao

Poor Toby. No one is nice to him :( Spencer said her classic "The devil has a name and it's Toby!" line but Pam also said "people cross the street when they see him", poor fricking teenager.

Emily is like, as someone who has exchanged more than one sentence with Toby, I don't think he's a murderer? and Spencer cannot stand it she is so annoyed

Emily phrases it as "why am in my bed and not in a body bag" <3 Emily's horror movie visceral imagination

FIRST BARRY MAPLE APPEARANCE. HE'S HERE. THE ONE KIND-OF OKAY COP IN ROSEWOOD. ALL HAIL BARRY MAPLE.

Hanna is back to winning her one-woman #BestAlly competition and she's doing so good! I'll repeat this in the tags of a future post, but it is so interesting to me that this is the first step in Hannily becoming close as a pair - before Hanna gets the photos, Aria and Spencer are the ones expressing individual concern over Emily, but once this arc happens, Hanna is all-in

And says exactly what Emily needs to hear. Also saying things to injured Emily: Pam Fields, who is stressing her daughter out and has no idea why.

Ella, Byron is a cheating douchenozzle but go to your son's sportsball game! Mike's done nothing wrong!

Spencer has zero concept of having a job, let alone a service one. Of course she can waltz right into the kitchen to chit-chat, of course Alex must be lying if he says he's working on a day the club is closed. Oh, Spencer.

She does take to making fruit kebabs to hang out with him

Alex says he's never seen her photo with devil horns before and I don't think he's lying...so an A thing? But I prefer to think that it was the kitchen employee from the day before who was all het up about Spencer's health code violations

can any of the liars look normal when talking to the blind girl. (Spencer about Jenna to Emily: You didn't eat one of her cookies, did you?)

well, Emily did okay, but Emily had to deal with Jenna straight up sitting on her bed. Who does that?? But very funny in light of the S2 Halloween episode, isn't Emily dealing with enough.

Aria playing peacemaker as Spencer and Hanna argue in the woods. Oh, Aria, it's like watching a terrier trying to get in between a bloodhound and a golden retriever.

and here we get our first inter-liar callout of Spencer's parents being there to bail her out! I completely forgot it was Hanna who does this, but very fair, Hanna, very fair

Lucas and Hanna bond over watching the stupidest youtube videos, which makes so much sense for them. SMH Sean, not even a smile for turkey on a skateboard? Between that and sending Aria flowers, you deserve the shenanigans you accidentally find yourself in later this season

Emily and Maya get to have nice cute banters about going on a date and manage to make out at a zombie movie without anything bad happening! Good for them!

Especially since everything non-Maya makes Emily look so distressed

like Toby, which leads to the best conversation Emily, Spencer, and Hanna have on Emily's window seat

Emily, clearly upset: I couldn't bring myself to ask. Jenna was so upset. But his bike… it looked like it was… like it was wrecked.

Spencer: Well, I'm not gonna cry over this, and neither should you.

Hanna: Spencer, if she liked him she can cry about it!

Spencer: Well, I'm sorry for speaking.

Spencer: ......Look she's right, I can't tell you what to feel.

and yet Spencer will never stop attempting to, love this maniac

good god I forgot about the Jason recasting, I look forward to when this dark-haired suit-wearer with a stick up his ass is gone

Best A message:

SUBJECT: THE DEDICATION

DO IT RIGHT. I'LL BE WATCHING. JUST LIKE TOM SAWYER. --A

Why did A prepend the message with a subject, do they miss emailing Spencer? I had to explain the Tom Sawyer reference too haha.

A's gonna trick them into painting a fence next

We get so many flashbacks of Alison being terrible by the lakeshore that summer day

Flashback dynamic notes: Emily smiles and laughs at everything Alison says, no matter how mean; Aria is horny for Noel and pays the least attention to Alison; Hanna laughs at the first insult Ali throws at Lucas but then very weakly tries to defend him; Spencer is...Spencer is almost getting bored of Alison's terribleness?

and yet "that's immortality my darling" remains, and so does Alison's bracelet in her nightstand drawer

I like to think Aria had to dig through all her shit to find her bracelet, compared to the other three XD

"what about justice" re: never finding out who killed Alison, Spencer my sweet summer child....sometimes Spencer is the most naive of the liars, in her own way

Spencer's already sent two S.O.S texts this season. Did the girls agree on this code or did Spencer just decide this is her way of asking for help and everyone automatically understood it

isn't this memorial a bit too revealing of her dynamic with y'all, I'd be so self-conscious

and yet, even after an episode filled with flashbacks of Alison's cruelty, I understand all four of their speeches for her.

#as much as i love how much more removed Aria's speech is in being about the concept of memorials themselves #the thing with 22 episodes is that they can really slow burn each girl's feelings about Alison in a way that feels real #pll watching #pll #jaggedwolf rambles #mine #wayne fields is in the pennsylvania national guard #which is completely compatible with an afghanistan deployment but is going to make zero sense with everything else they do with him

[daddychims]

Offside Pt 1

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

Series Masterlist!

Genre: Smut, Soccer AU, College AU

Pairings: Soccer Player! Jungkook X Sports Trainer! Reader

Word Count: 2k 

Other BTS members all make a cameo as well because I’m an OT7 Trash!

You work as a sports trainer, providing basic first aid and injury management for the Hanguk University’s soccer team. Going with your mundane life of caring for the dozen of guys hurting themselves in the soccer game takes a turn when one of the guys catches your eyes. It’s not his breathtakingly good looks or his muscular athletic body usually seducing girls at the campus that catches your eyes. But the action plan in your kit, indicating he is diagnosed with Asthma is what draws your eyes time and time again to the Golden Boy of Hanguk University.

Warning: Slow burn, eventual smut, Taehyung being a freaking tease the whole time, Fuckboy!Jungkook, Asthmatic! Jungkook , mentions of episodes of Asthma, Take your Ventolin kids, Take your medications kids!

A.N. I always had a thing for hot soccer players! Dont @ me! 

Pulling the zipper of your jacket, you place the box of first aid kits on one of the empty seats while occupying the one beside it. Your eyes glance over at the grass field, having a quick headcount over the team.

Working as the Hanguk University’s sport's trainer part-time, while studying rehabilitation and physiotherapy at the same time is the most exciting your life can get.

You still dont even know how you ended up in this job, instead of something more conventional like a cafe or restaurant part-timer or an admin assistant in one of the clinics near the school.

Stumbling upon an ad in your freshman year, you applied for the position and before you knew you were on the side of the grass field with a first aid kit , ready to take care of 22 men running around for a single ball.

The game stops with the whistle comes from across the field and you quickly stand up, rushing to the mini icebox to grab some cold water for the guys.

On the days they are calm and dont try to kill each other off in the field, the hardest thing you do is handing the bottles of water to the guys who are about to drown the field in their sweats.

"Thanks!" Hoseok mouths, gasping for air as he grabs a bottle from you and gulps half of its content in one go.

You flash a quick smile before bending down for a couple more. Hoseok is the captain of Hanguk University's soccer team, and perhaps the most civil these guys can probably get. 

"Hey Sugar," you hear the familiar deep voice, feeling a sticky hand touching the palm of your hand while taking the bottle of water off you.

You quickly retract, sighing in frustration as you come up to face the owner of the voice.

"No, you're alright, Sugar," Taehyung smirks, "I liked the sight of you better down there."

"Too bad, The show is over Tae." you roll your eyes, hugging the masses of bottles against your chest while handing it to the rushes of guys who look at you like fishes deprived of water.

"You dont have to play hard to get, Sugar!" he coos gulping a sip of his water, "Its been about 2 years you get a good sight of me every week, shouldnt you pay back somehow?"

"Mhmm Sure," you nod as you bend down to grab a couple more to quickly leave the guy on his own and possibly hand some water to the others "But I'd like compensation for my poor eyes first." you spit back nonchalantly walking pass him

You hear a couple of guys laughing at your remark, while you walk through the masses of them, handing out a couple of bottles to those who haven't had the privilege to receive one from you yet.

Your footsteps stop at the sight of the guy, who's bending over and coughing tightly while gasping for air, his eyebrows furrowed close together in something you'd recognize as pain.

"You alright?" you ask, stepping closer to him

"Y-Yeah, " the guy with his wide doe eyes replies, looking up at you "for me?"

You nod, examining his face as you hand him the bottle of water. Jeon Jungkook, Hanguk Soccer Team's Golden Boy. After recieving gold medals for being the under 15 and under 18 top soccer players, he was offered a full scholarship from the university into the team. He basically is the star of the show whenever there is a game going. 

You, however, know him through some other unfortunate situations. More specifically the asthma action plan, with his full name and ID along with his MDI inhaler in your toolbox.

"Thanks!" he mouths, barely audible before indulging himself on the cold fluid

"Are you sure you're alright-"

"I'm fine," he spits, looking back at you with an angry expression which has you retracting immediately "Didnt you hear?"

"Fine!" You reply, slightly caught off guard by his small tantrum "You know the deal, go see Dr Kim if anything-"

"Hyung," he shouts over your voice, interrupting you for the second time "Nice dribbles just now, mind showing me the tricks?"

"No problem Jeon." Hoseok chirps in his usual cheerful tone

You puff the air in your lungs out in frustration, walking past him towards the end of the field to see the coach sitting there on his own. The old man smiles upon seeing you, quickly motioning the seat beside himself for you to sit in.

You continue watching the rest of the game along with the coach who keeps screaming instructions for the boys at the top of his lungs. Your eyes, though are fixed on one player, even if you hate him to guts by his earlier behaviour with you.

"Coach, can I ask a question?" you glance over at the guy who smiles amidst his fiery shouts 

"Sure!" he nods enthusiastically

"How's Jeon doing recently?" you ask, carefully examining him

"Jeon?" he raises an eyebrow looking over at you before bringing his focused gaze on the field "YUGYEOM, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? BLOCK HIS WAY!"

Your ears literally ring at the shout that echoes in your eardrum, but you're too keen to leave the passionate man's side before you get your answer.

"He's been alright, just a bit tired," he explains as he tracks the mentioned boy on the field "They all are, it hasn't been long since the pre-selections and they already are getting ready for finals. Why?"

"Nothing really," you quickly shrug it off, dipping your hand in your sweater before jumping onto your two feet "I'll get in the shower room before they end the game. I might have to do a couple of strappings."

"Thank you, Darl! They boys will apperciate it." The man says, watching you walk away for a brief second before bringing his attention back to the

-

The door of the shower room snaps open with a loud thud and you flinch like every other day. You continue setting the tapes on the table along with a scissor and a bottle of warming gel.

"Anyone who wants a strap come over here!" you shout, hoping your usually quiet voice is enough to reach the other side of the wall where the guys are all stripping off their clothes and talking about the upcoming game

"I'm coming for you, Sugar!" Taehyung responds with a chuckle, accompanied by the others laughing with him

"All straps are provided to those who are fully clothed," you shout back amongst the chaos of their joy "And yes I'm talking to you Kim Taehyung, towels are not acceptable as full clothing."

"Alright sugar, you can strip me off yourself," he snorts back "if you insist!"

You sigh, plopping down on the seat against the organized table of rigid and kinesiology tapes that smell like plastic and mint as you accept your defeat. You can never win over Taehyung indeed.

It doesn't take long for the guy to show up at your spot, walking in with his towel hanging loosely off his lower body. You give him a glance and reach for the kinesiology tape.

"I think we could do with your shorts and shirt on Tae," you explain, your patience loosely hanging off a thread "Except if you wanna tape your dick!" you snort pointing at his lower body

"I mean if that gets you to touch my dick," he shrugs off, dropping on the chair against you lazily "I'd have no objections."

"Unfortunately I'm not trained for that specific area," you flash him a fake smile, "But I'm sure you'll find the right professional in the parties you attend over the weekend."

"Ooh," he coos, watching you bring another chair closer to his leg "Stalker much?"

"It doesn't take that much effort to know where Hanguk University's most famous fuckboy spends his weekend!" you roll your eyes as you tap the chair "Knees?"

"I should just fucking wife you up," he exhales dropping his right knee on the chair "You know where exactly I need some attention!"

You glance at the towel that curls away from his private part and gulps before quickly grabbing a towel and draping his lap with it.

"I've been taping your kneecap for the past two years," you cut the corners of the tape carefully as you measure it against the side of his swollen knees  "I'd be fired if I dont know this much."

"Well, this girl has been giving me a blowjob for two years and still doesn't know I hate her tea bagging my balls!" he sighs 

You're about to press the tape against his exposed knee, when the disturbing image makes its way to your cranium and you have to shut your eyes, gasping for air to suppress it.

"Its a lot to take in," you hear him whisper to you as he leans closer against your ear, "literally!"

"Tae," you hiss bringing you parted eyes to him "Shut your mouth or I swear I use this tape on your mouth."

He chuckles nodding his head as he rests his back on the chair "Alright Sugar, chill! I was just trying to ease the mood."

"Do us both a favour and just stay still," you say as you carefully stretch the kinesiology tape around the contour of his quads along the margin of his knee cap down to the front of the bump of his knee.

"Mhmm," he moans, throwing his head back in the air "That feels good."

You just shake your head and pat the area of tape quite harsher than usual to warm it up.

"Okay maybe wait till you get to the shower first." you roll your eyes in annoyance

"Oh I already had my shower," he brings his naughty eyes to you "I might need another one after this though," he smirks as he lowers his leg off the chair "You almost made me cum by just that tape, Sugar!"

"That was one word of appreciation I always loved to tick off my bucket list Tae," you nod mockingly "Now get your ass out of here, there are at least 3 more of you I have to tape."

"Did I tell you?" he asks in a stern tone before bursting into a smile "That I dont share-"

"GET OUT!" you scream at him and push against his body to facilitate his move out of the chair

"Alright Alright easy, Sugar!" he laughs while blowing you a kiss with his hand "Remember you can always come join me in the shower across this wall, I'll return the favour!"

"I swear to God," you stand up and he quickly runs away "DO NOT COME BACK KIM TAEHYUNG!"

You fall back on the chair and start to dry off the marks of his sweaty knee off it , while cursing him under your breath when you feel someone sitting on the chair against you.

Upon looking up, you see Jungkook's unimpressed eyes fixed on his phone while he pushes both his feet on the chair.

"Ankle?" You ask, slightly annoyed by the fact that he doesn't even bother to greet you.

No wonder there are rumours about this jerk, you wonder as you try to choose between the tapes and he nods in silence.

"do you want rigid or kine, Jeon?" you ask softly as you squirt some gel on his left ankle

"Kine, I need to keep it on for a while I think," he replies, eyes still fixed on the phone screen "Its been quite achy recently."

You softly press the area of swelling on his ankle with the gel, while preparing your tape with the other hand.

Jungkook is one of the favorite talks around the campus. He is known to be from a wealthy family and there are rumours his dad bought him a personal practice soccer field when he got into university with full scholarship. Not only that but he has his own villa right beside the campus where he holds his house parties over the weekend, accompanied by his million dollars sportscar that screams "I'm rich" when he drives it to Uni.

But his wealthy and well off family is not the only thing he's famous for. He, along with Taehyung and a couple of younger ones in Hanguk's soccer team are the most well-known manwhores of the university.

While Taehyung loves to shove his dick and his good looks in everyone's face, getting laid with almost all the girls in the campus, Jungkook prefers to choose his girls from sports and exercise science faculty which he also studies in, exclusively. The girls who are also known as Goddesses, for their looks and their sculpted, toned bodies. Other than that he seems to be uninterested in anyone else he wouldnt be able to stick his dick in. 

So it doesn't really affect you when you see him almost every week, sitting across you on the chair and ignore your whole existence while you strap his ankle. Frankly, you're grateful for the moment of peace you have with him when comparing to Taehyung.

But something else is irking your brain and you can't help but look at his upper chest after your earlier observation of him. You monitor his pattern of breathing, finding nothing abnormal in the way he breathes when compared to the sight of him gasping for air earlier  during the practice.

"Your Ventolin is expiring in a week," you finally break the silence as you press the tape on his foot on one side and tap it lightly on the swollen area "Did you wanna get one yourself or should I order through the admin?"

"I'll pay at the admin when I'm leaving, order one through there!" he replies uninterested, eyes still fixed on his phone screen

"How are you going with your other meds?" you ask, trying to sound as unintrusive as possibile

You take a few seconds, waiting for his response but when you dont hear anything, you look up. Tongue darting out to wet your lips, you nervously examine his expression.

"Did you get a rise in your pay recently?" He asks mockingly, eyes boring into yours intimidatingly 

"What? No!" you scoff, shaking your head "I wish-"

"Then why the fuck you act like you get paid enough to stuck your nose in my shoes?" His voice rises slightly, catching you off guard

You give him a couple of seconds of staring before quickly looking down and sticking the tape on the other side of his ankle as you try to form your thoughts.

"Easy, It's just a part of the procedures," you lie,  there are no procedures telling you to give a fuck if this spoiled brat takes his meds "Its a yes or no question." your roll your eyes.

"Well I have an alternative answer," he stands up, ignoring your hand still tapping lightly to make sure the tape is sticking right on his ankle "Its none of your damn business! do what you're paid to do!" he hisses kicking the chair to the side with his leg as he leaves the treatment room.

You sigh watching the corner of the tape sticking out and not properly adhering to his ankle, your OCD messing with your brain as you cuss under your breath for caring about this jerk in the first place. 

#jungkook #jungkook x reader #jeon jungkook x reader #bts jungkook x reader #jungkook x you #jeon jungkook x you #bts jungkook x you #soccer AU! #college AU! #smut #jungkook smut #slow burn #college au #jungkook college au #Taehyung #Hoseok #Ot7 bts

[night-filled-mountain]

1, 4, 8, 18, 22 for the shipping asks!

1. What was your first OTP?

It was, er…Buffy/Spike from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. That’s a whole can of worms I don’t want to open too wide, but it definitely started me on a trend as far as het ships go, which looks something like this:

Woman is an epic heroine who radiates strength and virtue

Man is an angsty reformed villain who worships the ground she walks on, but is absolutely convinced that she could never love him and that he will never be worthy of her

Woman has her own darkness and angst, and is able to safely explore that with him; he may see a more complete picture of her than others do

Man nonetheless has to work Very Hard to transform his whole outlook and way of interacting with the world before she will even vaguely consider returning his feelings

He does the moral/emotional equivalent of crawling to her on his knees

She is proud of his progress, maybe finds that she cares for him, and maybe, maybe lets him touch her

…There’s a lot going on there that I don’t have time to unpack (with Buffy/Spike and this trend in general), but I was (and am) continuously frustrated when it gets reduced to “Girls like bad boys” or “Unhealthy dynamic where The Woman Has to Change the Man,” because that’s…not what it’s ever been about for me. I could write lengthy essays about this and still fail to express myself properly, so I’ll just say that these ships, for me, boil down to this poem, and leave it at that.

4. What is/are your favorite trope(s)?

…Oops. Kinda jumped the gun on that one!

Besides the above, which is…still pretty major for me, here are a few off the top of my head:

Same as above, but with any other combination of genders…except Heroic Man and Unworthy Lady. That one doesn’t generally do it for me, seeing as “flipped power dynamics” is a nigh-essential element of my het ships. (That said, Lilah/Wesley from Angel does come to mind…)

Slow burns. Slowest burns. Burns that burn at the speed of a melting glacier. I am an asexual who chose a wedding song that included the line “You would never hold me, I don’t like to be held.” I am Very Big on the gradual creeping ache of unfulfilled longing, whether it’s friends-to-lovers or enemies-to-friends-to-lovers or something else entirely.

UNEXPECTED ROMANCE (that still makes total character sense). This is definitely a factor in my thing for reformed villains getting with heroes/heroines. I just go nuts for feelings, conversations, tender touches, and character commonalities that come out of left field, as opposed to being telegraphed from the first chapter/episode. Honestly, few things are a bigger turn-off for me than instant attraction/love at first sight, unless readers/viewers are left in very long and genuine doubt about whether it’s requited (see: Beauyasha 😛). I’m also left very cold by Traditional Heteronormative Love (especially involving tall muscular dudes whose supposed hotness is dwelled on extensively). Give me two (or more) weird, broken characters who you never would have considered together, having a talk that suddenly makes you see the ways their personalities and experiences reflect or complement each other, and it hits you like lightning and leaves you smoldering for ages to come.

Bittersweet tenderness! Sad characters falling in love. Sad characters being loved. Sad characters being sad together and working together to soften the edges of their sadness. Wincing and downcast eyes and hesitant hands on shoulders. Very hesitant touching in general. Wry gallows humor, awkward prickly conversations, everything feeling off-beat (but in a healthy way?) even after mutual love/a relationship has been established. And all of the ways people help each other cope with trauma.

Hand placed gently on neck. Tongue against ear. Hands touching, fingers trailing down hips. All the little affectionate or erogenous touches that fall short of blatant sexual contact. ALSO DANCING. DANCING!!

…I feel like there are so many more, but I need to try and avoid turning all my asks into theses! Moving on…

8. Who is the most shippable person you can think of?

This seems so subjective to me! I’m tempted to say “Caleb Widogast” purely because I’ve shipped him with so many people, but that’s just because I really like Caleb Widogast and am hyper-tuned to his relationships, not because a scruffy traumatized wizard is inherently Good Shipping Material. …Or is he?

18. What is your favorite unpopular ship?

Fanny Price/Mary Crawford from Mansfield Park. Fight me.

22. Do you have any ships that you ship, but would never want to see as canon?

I don’t know about never, depending on the ever-changing circumstances of a canon that hasn’t ended yet. There are definitely ships that I love the idea of, but don’t go as hard for, because there are other ships involving the same people that I like better…but then you have open relationships and polyamory!

There are also ships that I would love to see in canon, but not yet, or not unless certain circumstances came about. i.e. I’ve talked before about how I adore Shadowgast in theory, but am very uncomfortable with seeing it happen if the power dynamic between Caleb and Essek remains unchanged, or if there’s anything transactional or even vaguely coercive about it.

…And then there’s the rare ship that’s affected, for me, by factors outside the canon–real-life elements, if you will. Which leads me to the prime example to use for this question: Beaujester. I love it as a ship. I think it is/would be fantastic. I think all the necessary ingredients are there, the friendship and chemistry, the unexpected factor, the major slow burn, the bittersweetness–everything. But I’ve never been able to really give my heart to it because of the Beauyasha flame burning inside me since the start of the campaign. And I can’t deny that my ship loyalty has been influenced by my meta knowledge of Ashley Johnson–how she’s had to miss much of both campaigns against her will, how she has trouble getting back into the swing of the story when she does return, and how she may well be hopefully considering Beauyasha as a potential part of Yasha’s story, a part that she’d love to explore if she ever gets a chance.

Now, all of this is completely disputable, including the notion that Yasha has or will develop feelings for Beau at all (I’ve seen it argued very convincingly that “Fire Under Water,” the love song on her playlist, is actually about Jester, and that is completely valid and intriguing in its own right!). But for the moment, my personal feelings and interpretations re: Ashley have definitely influenced my shipping preferences…and during the current plotline, I’ve developed such overwhelming Beauyasha Feelings (for the sake of the ship itself!) that I doubt I’m ever going back. (Though, once again…Beaujesteryasha? Sign me up.)

#asks from the askbox #shipping #buffy the vampire slayer #critical role #mansfield park #...i am too lazy to tag everything in this post right now

[mtvswatches]

Wynonna Earp 1x02 Keep the Home Fires Burning

Spoilers disclaimer (please read before sending messages or writing comments.)

Stray thoughts

1) Buffy and Veronica would be so proud of her punning abilities…

2) Well, this guy blew up his own cover rather stupidly…

3) Her quick-tempered nature is going to get her in trouble, isn’t it?

She did exactly the opposite of what Dolls asked her to do. But if this town is anything like Sunnydale – which considering how adamant they were about saying that Wynonna’s uncle died of a heart attack or something even though he’d been FUCKING BEHEADED – they will probably ascribe these shenanigans to a PCP gang, right?  

4) Is this like the Revenant Boss? The Master? Big Bad?

I’m sure I’ll find out soon enough.

5) I’m guessing there will be some sort of connection between this guy (I can’t remember if they mentioned his name already?) and Wynonna, given their conversation at the bar, the fact that he protected her and Waverly, and the fact that they’re both pariahs in their respective communities. Can we talk about the revenant community? Is that PC?

6) Yep, the revenants mentioned “the boss”.

7) “We know who you are and who you rode alongside of.” Is this because he crawled out of the well after Wynonna? Or did he hitch a ride with someone or something else we haven’t seen yet?

8) More backstory, thank you, show, I need it.

DOLLS: The Black Badge was a top-secret branch of the Marshalls founded in the 1900s by Roosevelt…

WYNONNA: Eleanor?

DOLLS: Teddy – to eradicate the paranormal forces suddenly blossoming on North American soil…

WYNONNA: Do you have a flamethrower? 'Cause a flamethrower is at least fun.

DOLLS: …working with your grandfather actually, Edwin Earp, to handle things up here.

WYNONNA: Hmm yeah. A one-year wonder. Family legend has it Eddie was only the heir for like 11 months, but came real close to sending all 77 of Wyatt's kills back to Hell.

So, if I got this right, when each heir turns 27, all the revenants killed by the prior heir come back to Earth, so that means they have to kill all of those plus the ones who hadn’t been killed by the previous heir, right? A ton of revenants, basically.

9) Yep. That’s Sunnydale.

10) This Boss Man doesn’t look like the one before…

So…

At least I now know that the cool revenant’s name is Hank. 

11) Okay…

BOSS: And the Earps?

HANK: It is just a matter of time before they figure out who I really am and what I did to their great-great-granddaddy.

A few things about their convo. Hank is clearly an outcast. He’s not respected among the revenants because of his connection to the Earps and because he’s not a revenant - he seems to be something else, and he won’t be accepted by the Earps if they learn what he did to their family. I always find this type of characters incredibly interesting, the ones who walk the grey moral line and who will typically do whatever is more beneficial for themselves in order to survive. It’s always interesting to see their inner struggles with morality and good/evil, and I wonder if Hank will be one of these characters. And who does he want revenge against?

12) This doesn’t feel random…

So, Waverly used to have an “imaginary friend” when she was a kid. Could this mean that her friend wasn’t really imaginary and she has some sort of psychic or supernatural powers?

13) I like Gus 100% more, bless you.

14) Now, this was totally unexpected but super cool!

So, Revenants can’t touch the gun without getting demon epilepsy or something. And I really, really like the way the show gets rid of the bodies – they literally burn down to hell.

15) This lady was totally flirting with Waverly, but what are her intentions?

In the words of Anya Jenkins…

16) I can’t disagree with him, though…

Raise your hand if you love him since Instant Star...

17) I hope she is right, in the long term…

WAVERLY: I got a good feeling about you. And I'm an excellent judge of character.

HANK: Sweetheart you really aren't.

18) She’s also a dork. I’m liking her more and more.

WYNONNA: Regular guns can slow the revheads down, but they will always come back for more until they meet Peacemaker, which only I can handle…

19) Bossman is not playing around…

BOSS: Malcolm kills her uncle, lures the heir back home, and now this? How many times do I got to tell you idiots? Peacemaker can't be touched by revenant hand.

LEVI: But-but we-we just thought…

BOSS: Don't! Ever! Think! I do the thinking for all of us.

20) So they want to hire a “professional” to create a distraction, but the problem is, the payment needs to be human blood… Is the shadowy guy from the beginning of the episode the “professional”? Will this show only ever give me more questions?

21) Hank looks so awkward wearing a hoody. And I’m gonna go ahead and say it. He kind of reminds me of Spike.

22) So, I think “shadow assassins” are like a special type of revenant? Levi mentions that they can only be activated by a blood sacrifice. I’m guessing this Killer Miller is the shadow guy we saw at the beginning of the episode.

23) Ooh, more scoop on Hank!

LEVI: You were Wyatt Earp's right hand; what would he say if he knew you were joining forces with every man he ever put down?

So, this revenant is disgusted by Hank helping… the revenants? Huh?

24) Okay, so the girls’ mom is not dead but just a deadbeat mom. I’m sure we’ll see her again. And I’m sure there was a reason for her leaving.

25) I didn’t really think he was going to do the blood sacrifice thing. And I didn’t believe he was human either? But I guess I was wrong…

And yeah, his reaction? Don’t tell me you don’t see the similarities…!

26) I kind of thought that the Shadow would end up going after all the revenants listed on Waverly’s notebook instead of going after Waverly… And btw, I guess she really wasn’t a good judge of character after all? Like, Hank didn’t even hesitate to throw that notebook into the hole in order to save himself, he didn’t care that he was going to send the shadow after the wrong target.

27) I knew it.

BOBO: Perfect time to make a hole - for our friend Waverly.

YOUNG WAVERLY: Will this really - make them happy?

BOBO:This will guarantee you all get what you deserve.

WAVERLY: Bobo. The name of my imaginary friend when I was growing up: Bobo! And I'm starting to think that he wasn't so imaginary.

Do you think Bobo could be Boss? Same initial letters… And I guess she didn’t have supernatural powers, after all, she was just tricked by a revenant.

28) I really love Waverly’s attitude. She doesn’t have any powers so far, but that doesn’t stop her from getting ready to fight back…

29) Well, that was easy… Cool. But disappointingly easy.

I mean, he was kind of scary, but in the end, he wasn’t really a threat? Unless he can’t be really killed off and he’ll come back every time someone does a blood sacrifice?

30) You really need to be a badass in order to be threatening while wearing plaid flannel PJ bottoms and furry sleepers…

Remind you of anyone?

31) “You’re just a girl” I mean, the references must be intentional, right?

32) That was cool, Waverly!

33) What is he doing, though? And what is he?

WAVERLY: Yeah, well, most of my stolen stuff was returned, OK? And he's just one of those crazy Wyatt fans. No, he's definitely one of the good guys.

WYNONNA: Everything in my body tells me he's one of the bad boys. My entire body.

34) Yep, Hank will do whatever he has to in order to survive…

At least for now, anyway.

35) Why is his back burning like embers?

36) And what exactly is their plan? What is “the dig”?

BOSS: I swear to you, our salvation lies not in thieving Peacemaker, or defeating the heir, - but in the dig! We stick to the plan! We stay on course. We let the Seven deal with the heir while the rest of us work, as we've been working for 15 years, towards one common goal: freedom! 

He got a little William Wallace there, didn’t he?

37) So, this is what Henry’s revenge is all about…

BOSS: I'm a man of my word, Henry. I can give her to you. The woman that changed you.

HANK: Well then, Bobo, we are officially in business.

And yes, Bobo was Boss. Manipulating a little girl? That’s really low, even for a revenant.

38) I’m getting very invested in this story, really. I have to thank you for suggesting I should watch this show! I really love the pacing in the episodes I’ve seen so far. It’s really hard not to comment on every scene because it seems all of them are relevant to the plot, there are no filler scenes, you know? And I really hope the episodes continue to be arc-driven instead of the “monster-of-the-week” type. I can’t wait to see the rest!

39) Hope you enjoyed my recap, and, as usual, if you’ve got this far, thank you for reading! If you enjoy my recaps and my blog, please consider supporting it on ko-fi.Thanks!

#Wynonna Earp #Waverly Earp #Melanie Scrofano #Tim Rozon #Dominique Provost Chalkley #WE recap #WE 1x02 #MTVSwatches #mine

[ladyloveandjustice]

Spring 2018 Anime Overview: Cardcaptor Sakura Clear Card Arc (Episodes 14-22)

I enjoyed Cardcaptor Sakura Clear Card quite a bit. I would by no means call it a bad experience. But it’s impossible to deny it’s the weakest anime I watched this season. The series is underwhelming and flawed, even if parts of it warmed my heart and fed into my love of these characters. The plodding pacing, lack of payoff and disappointing elements were mostly worth it to me for the good parts, but this show really deserved to be so much better than it was. A lot of the problems I mentioned in my review of the first half not only remained, but worsened. There were definitely plenty of adorable moments, which you can see in my liveblog, but I can’t deny the show could have done so much more.

But we’ll start with things I enjoyed. I loved seeing Meiling again and her arc left me very satisfied. One thing I really love about magical girl shows is that they often have a far more complex and nuanced handling of the “romantic rival” girl character than other “more mature” media. They treat the girl in question more like an actual person than a catty stereotype and eventually the focus turns away from the guy and more towards girls building a positive relationship. 

And Meiling is a perfect example of that and I adore her. She started out seeming like a one-dimensional annoying clingy romantic rival character, but as the show went on, she gained more depth and formed really adorable relationships with Sakura and Tomoyo. Her pain, her struggles, her insecurities- they all became real to the viewer. The scene where she’s crying over Syaoran but admits that as much as it pisses her off, she can’t take out her pain on Sakura because she likes her too, is one of the most heart-wrenching in the show.

Meiling’s arc in Clear Card was the perfect cap on that. We finally got to see how Meiling and Sakura interact without the tension of Meiling’s crush on Syaoran in the picture. Her former crush on him wasn’t even mentioned once- they are entirely friends on their own terms. It was great to see how the relationship has so completely evolved. And it was also great to see Meiling and Syaoran interact without that baggage and it really bought home how much better the two of them understand each other now. Where Syaoran would unintentionally make Meiling feel like she was a useless burden to him before in the original series, here he goes out of his way to tell her that he appreciates her and that she shouldn’t feel like she contributes less due to her lack of magic.

 Meanwhile, Meiling was worried about him and since she was a family member, she was more aware of his mysterious struggles than anyone else. But she was not overly focused on him and was capable of giving him space. She was also much more confident around him and was able to roll her eyes at what a loser he was and tease him about it, something she really didn’t do before because she was too busy mooning over him, so it was very cathartic to see her do it here.

Seeing Sakura and Meiling have a proper team-up was fantastic too. I’m always down for the power of girls holding hands saving the day, but this was satisfying in other ways too! Meiling always had a lot of confidence issues about her lack of magic in comparison to the others, so seeing her straight up take charge in a fight and protect and guide Sakura was such a great thing for her character. The “twins” episode in the original anime had Meiling learn she was useful as a partner by teaming up with Syaoran, but here she learns she can even be a good leader if it comes down to it by taking charge with Sakura. Meiling’s arc really builds on what came before it in a positive and satisfying way, and was exactly the kind of thing I was hoping for when Clear Card was announced.

Seeing Meiling now being comfortable enough to be on a first name basis with Sakura was icing on the cake (not to mention a very shippy moment, considering it’s explicitly compared to Syaoran and Sakura’s relationship). This was the kind of relationship progression I wanted from Clear Card. And there were a few other moments that delivered that kind of satisfaction! Sakura’s dad’s conversation with Touya near the end, a short moment with Touya and Yue....

But that sadly wasn’t true for the majority of the series. Most of the season felt terribly stagnant and sloppily paced with the characters not progressing at all and a lot of build up with no pay-off. 

To make it clear, I don’t mind a slow burn- the original CCS definitely moved at a relaxed pace and had a heavy slice-of-life vibe. But the problem with Clear Card’s stalling plot was that it was contingent on a bunch of characters not talking with each other or interacting with each other and this was really what gutted the show for me. 

The original CCS definitely relied on “barriers to communication” as a device to pad the show, but not in a way that prevented the characters from getting good scenes. For instance, Touya being interrupted whenever he tried to tell Yukito the truth about himself in the third season of the original series was an overused and somewhat frustrating reoccuring deal, but it didn’t prevent Touya and Yukito from being involved in the plot or having (very gay) scenes together (in fact, it ensured they would). It was also at least a little bit amusing and had some variety- how’s Ruby Moon gonna interrupt them this time! And it made sense for the characters for the most part- Touya’s TRYING to do the logical thing, so we’re not frustrated with HIM, at least. And it made it incredibly satisfying when Touya finally snapped and told Ruby to go away, he’s talking with Yukito NO MATTER WHAT.

Compare the conflict this season where Touya’s got something going on with a new power but won’t tell Yukito about what it is (EVEN THOUGH HE’S THE ONE WHO BOUGHT IT UP TO HIM IN THE FIRST PLACE) because reasons. This means there’s only a couple scenes with them, they consist of Yukito being like “tell me” and Touya being like “nah”. There is no variety and the scenes make the viewer frustrated with Touya, it means we don’t see Touya and Yukito much because they’re not allowed to be involved in the plot yet and because we’re keeping up some manufactured tension between them for no reason. It had no payoff this season either, and I doubt when/if it DOES pay off we’ll feel satisfied- odds are it’ll just be like “okay so why didn’t you just tell him earlier?”

The way Touya and Yukito were underused here was really frustrating because 1. They’re great characters, 2. they’re one of the most iconic mlm couples in kids anime and 3. their relationship arc wasn’t really properly resolved with a confession scene in the last series, so one of the main reasons I’D do a sequel would be to resolve that, but apparently them not talking is more important.

And that’s not the only plotline of the sort in this season! There’s a similarly bad one with Syaoran. He’s keeping stuff something that involves Sakura secret from her and it does nothing but damage his character and presence in the show. It means he’s not around or talking to her as much, nor is he as expressive since he’s busy brooding about stuff. 

Honestly, the role of “mysterious secret keeper” just doesn’t fit Syaoran- with Touya, at least he’s been shown to be someone who keeps things to himself before. Syaoran, on the other hand, has always been ridiculously straightforward. As much as he tried to act tough, he was always unable to hide every single thought and emotion he had from being stunningly obvious to everyone but Sakura and got flustered CONSTANTLY, which was part of his charm as a character in the original series. It allowed him to be a very active and dynamic character too. Having him suddenly bottle everything up and be all mysterious just kills so much of what made him work. 

Though, to be fair, the show sort of acknowledges he’s unsuited for this role by showing even Sakura has noticed something’s up with him. But that just makes things MORE aggravating- in the last episodes she straight up says to him “I want you to talk to me” which should be the big moment where he realizes how wrong he’s been and tells her everything....but instead he just. doesn’t react. It’s INFURIATING.

And hey, third’s time the charm, we also have our antagonist, Kaito, doing some sketchy bullshit that his charge, Akiho, is completely unaware of (and when she does become aware, he TURNS BACK TIME to make her forget) so he can help her because reasons. Also, Eriol and Kero and Yue now know Sakura’s making cards appear on her own, but won’t tell her, because.

So in this season, here’s a real trend of guys refusing to communicate with and let girls in on things that DIRECTLY AFFECT THEM and denying them agency in regards to their OWN LIVES while insisting it’s “for their own good” and “to protect them” and I’m really! not about it! At this point, I am not confident the show will resolve it in a way that condemns this behavior enough. Why did we have to go here? I’ve seen this plotline SO many times and I am TIRED and I just want to see the characters be together and grow and learn and have fun.

And the lack of that is what makes the “filler” in Clear Card not work while the “filler” in the original show mostly worked for me. There were a variety of scenarios the original series would use to pad out the episode in the old series- a school play! a class trip! Syaoran and Sakura fight over Yukito! A test! Touya’s got a weird new job! They were reoccurring scenarios, but the type that offered variety and many types of character interactions. But with Clear Card the filler is much more limited -”let’s cook a thing and talk about it, let’s eat a thing and talk about it, let’s read an entire storybook that has nothing to do with the episode”. And that feels a lot less worthwhile, to say the least.

I said in my last review that it felt like the series was coasting on nostalgia and well, that still holds true. SO true there’s literally an episode called “Sakura’s Nostalgic Viewing Party” devoted to talking about the Sealed Card Movie. But as implied above, I don’t know if this show really gets what people loved about the old series totally. It copies things, sure. Like Sakura’s basically capturing the same cards over again! ...But this time the cards seem more like objects without personalities, and Sakura’s lack of concern for the cards she had before totally disappearing- which WERE sentient with personalities- is troubling, considering the original series focused on her being concerned for them and forming friendships with them. That whole issue kinda encapsulates the heart this series is missing compared to the original, and the important things its overlooking.

Which brings me to a big problem- there’s an disappointing lack of queerness in Clear Card. The original series was full of queer stuff and very accepting and positive about it as a narrative and it is beloved among queer viewers to this day for that...but, that was so absent in Clear Card. The closest we got to a direct discussion of Yukito and Touya’s relationship was in the prologue special- Yukito mentioned to Sakura about “when I told you I liked Touya” in the context of romance. So still canon, obviously. But Yukito and Touya are sidelined, as mentioned above, so really nothing else with them. Tomoyo is similarly out of focus, so nothing from her. Sakura and Syoaran are only focused on each other crush wise, so nothing for them either. I don’t think (or maybe I just hope) it was deliberate, but it’s still really disappointing. In 2018 they should be giving us MORE, not less.

And now we have to talk about the finale. What it was and what it...wasn’t. Basically, we find out Akiho is the mysterious person who’s been haunting Sakura’s dreams (something that even a five year old would have guessed by now)and she attacks her, Sakura is faced with this big revelations and is fighting....and then Kaito appears our of nowhere, freezes time, then rewinds everything so Sakura doesn’t remember and the fight never happened.

Yep. That was our final episode of the season. We get this big dramatic scene that FINALLY moves the narrative forward...then it is literally undone and rendered meaningless. It’s SO blatantly disrespectful to the audience it’s almost hilarious. I mean I wasn’t expecting much to be wrapped up, but talk about going above and beyond to flip off your viewers.

I always figured the reason for the poor pacing and anticlimactic ending of Clear Card was because it was spinning its wheels so it didn’t pass the manga (the solution to which would have been wait until the manga’s further along to make an anime, but WHATEVER)...but apparently the finale episode actually diverged pretty heavily from the manga.  (spoilers obvs). CLAMP is likely bringing a confusing Tsubasa crossover in the manga version, and the anime wisely decided to reject that.

But the thing is, if they were going to change such a major thing from the manga...why not just do their own thing with the anime from the beginning? Why drag everything out so the anime ended where the manga currently is if they were just gonna change that ending anyway? Why not just add their own stuff from the beginning? Why not end the season on a more satisfying note?

It’s a mystery for the ages.

Despite my LONG gripe session just now, while I was frustrated toward the end, I mostly found the anime pleasant to watch. There were a lot of nice moments despite all its flaws. And I love these characters so much that you know I’ll be right there if they release a movie or second season or whatever. 

But there’s a lot of wasted potential here and I hope the team behind this gets its shit together if they continue this. Like please. Let Touya and Yukito kiss. Let Tomoyo get a girlfriend. Let Sakura know what’s going on in her own life. If you just do that, I’ll never complain about anything related to CCS ever again. I swear.

#cardcaptor sakura #clear card arc #clear card hen #clear card anime #anime overview #meiling li #sakura kinomoto #touya kinomoto #yukito tsukishiro #syaoran li #anime #spring 2018 anime

[barneslives]

Masterlist of Other People’s Fanfics

I HAVE A REALLY HUGE LIST OF FANFICS. I NEED IT ORGANIZED. THIS IS IT.

NONE OF THESE ARE MINE.

One-Shots that I plan to read sooner or later:

(Since this is getting some notes, just wanted to clarify that this list changes as I read it. I have a favorites list here, which I only add more fics. This masterlist changes pretty much everyday)

1 4am :  it’s four am and he’s left wondering if he should call the girl across the hall. (582)

2 kiss me again : (993)

3 Truth or Dare :  Seb fluffy and giggly smut where the reader is his best friend and they're doing the nasty out of curiosity and boredom (1,242 / smut)

4 The Times Sebastian Referred to You as His Wife and the One Time Where He Does It on Purpose :  Sebastian keeps calling you his wife. (1,449)

5 Greek Days : (1,540 / smut)

6 Wasted Times :  Seb smut based on Wasted Times by the Weeknd (1,600 / smut)

7 Touching In The Air : (1,923 / smut)

8 I Know That You Don’t :  Sebastian is in love with his best friend; that much is obvious. For a while now, he’s been watching Y/N give her love to someone who isn’t worth it. After being there for her when said relationship is in shambles countless times, it began to feel like a routine. A routine that Sebastian did not want to be part of anymore. (2,000)

9 Anything For My Girl :  You come down with a fever, and Bucky takes care of you. When you’re feeling better, he puts your mind at ease about your relationship and then really takes care of you. (2,200 / smut)

10 The Fabric Of A Soul :  Bucky wrestles with what state his soul might be in. (2,300)

11 Loopy Love :  Sebastian has finally come back home, but instead of finding his fiance waiting for him at the airport, he gets some bad news. (2,317)

12 Enjoying the view :  Your mission is going perfectly. Target is charming, receptive… Then you notice the balcony door is unlocked. Hmm. (2,664)

13 Facesitting : (smut)

14 Music :  Bucky doesn’t really understand ‘modern’ music. The reader is there to help. (2,818)

15 Lucky Fan : (2,900 / smut)

16 Soft :  A more sure and confident Bucky, enjoys the softness in life. (3,283)

17 Staying In :  Bucky and you had plans for the evening but neither of you really want to go (3,800 / smut)

18 Risky Business : A mission in Stockholm. A shared hotel room. And a secret. (3,898 / smut)

19 Countdown to White :  The countdown of your life. Five more days until you marry Bucky Barnes and begin the rest of your life.

20 Going Slow : (4,067 / smut)

21 Euphoria :  In which bucky discovers your stash or in which you and bucky get high as balls and fuck each other’s brains out. (4,153 / smut)

22 Stay the Night : “What did I say?”“You told me to behave.”“And what did you do?”“The exact opposite.” (4,300 / smut)

23 Colors In The Dark :  The world is without color, and that’s never bothered the Winter Soldier. The Fist of HYDRA didn’t have time for love and soulmates. At almost a century old, what are the odds that his soulmate was even still living? (4,400) 

24 Softly, Gently :  Bucky hated the dreams that haunted him every night. But they weren’t always too bad. They can sometimes lead to good things, especially if there is a someone that can help him through the aftermath. (4,560 / smut)

25 Hey, Stranger :  Bucky and you have broken up but you run into each other at Tony’s wedding (4,800)

26 A Soldier’s Sigh :  A series of memories told through Bucky’s eyes. (4,800)

27 My Dearest One :  Reader is Shuri’s best friend and meets the White Wolf one afternoon in Wakanda (4,980 / smut)

28 Give Me Love :  Prompt: Can you please write a fic where Bucky has a nightmare and reader wants to help and he fucks her but in between he look at her and stops bc he doesnt want to hurt her. (5,800 / smut)

29 Die A Virgin :  When things are not looking good on Y/N’s and Bucky’s mission, Y/N admits that she’s a virgin. Bucky, being the gentleman that he is, offers to help her out, if they make it out alive. (5,879 / smut)

30 Love Is For Children 1 | 2 :  You’re a former mercenary turned Avenger who joins the team after fighting, and defeating, each member that tried to recruit you. You’re confident in your abilities and even challenge the man formerly known as the Winter Soldier. A battle of egos ensues and it’s Bucky that fights to get your attention but you’re a professional and won’t fall easy for his charm. (8,500)

Series I am trying to keep up with

1 Do You Remember : You remember nothing from the past ten years that you spent working for Hydra - they wiped your memories only days before the organisation imploded - but after meeting Bucky Barnes for the first time in your new job at the Avengers facility you can’t seem to get rid of the feeling that you know him from a deep, dark and violent past the two of you happen to share - but what role did he play in it? (On-Going / 3)

2 First And Last Time :  A collection of one-shots describing the first and the last time the reader and Bucky did something - it’s not a coherent story. (On-Going / 3)

3 Daffodils :  When Bucky’s mental health starts to spiral out of control, and worsen beyond anything he’s experienced before he’s put on lock down in the compound for his safety and the safety of others. It’s then that he finds a familiar necklace that leads him to memories and a mysterious woman born of water who might hold the secret to his deteriorating mental health. (On-Going / 3)

4 What Have I Done :  A bad break up between Bucky and his ex leads to a new friendship with the quiet tech he never had the chance to get to know. Relationships grow, feelings are caught, and boundaries are explored. Bucky thought he found his happy ending, but old memories haunt his future. He knows what he’s doing wrong, dangerous eve, but he can’t help it. Can he fix the wrongs he’s done? (On-Going / 4)

5 Rome, 3am :  Before he was found in Bucharest, Bucky lived next door to you in Rome trying to evade remnants of Hydra. Every night at 3AM you find Bucky smoking his usual cigarettes and trying his best to flirt. However, as time goes on he becomes more careless about staying hidden. (On-Going / 4)

6 Pretend : There’s a person who won’t stop bugging me will you pretend to be my partner so that they’ll fuck off? (On-Going / 7)

7 Espresso : In which your best friend’s brother begins to set you up on dates when you mention that you haven’t been in a relationship in years, but things don’t go as expected. (On-Going / 7)

8 A Series Of Vignettes :  A series of episodes and events in the reader’s and Bucky’s relationship. Big and small, sweet or angsty, these stories lay out the moments in time they carved out for themselves in the crazy world they live in. They all take place in the same universe, but do not need to be read in any particular order. (On-Going / 10)

9 Golden Hour :  A series of moments when everything sparkles, shines and glitters, just like it’s gold. (On-Going / 10)

10 My Neighbor’s A Jerk :  Modern-Day (AU) There’s this mutual feeling between you and your neighbor, called hate. And since your first meet you both commence that feeling with a burning passion. You don’t know the reason behind his hate and you know for damn sure that he will never tell you. But what happens on the first day of your job, when you find out that you even work together? Maybe you will learn to co-operate? (On-Going / 10)

11 Shadows :  After spending a month imprisioned, you were finally rescued only to find out that you were apart of something much greater than you could ever imagine, in the worst way possible. (On-Going / 13)

12 Blue : James and Y/N take a road tip across the country to help Bucky’s recovery process. A question Y/N asks at the beginning of the trip sets Bucky searching his memories for an answer, one he finds he needs if he can move forward. (On-Going / 15)

13 The Things We’ve Done :  All you wanted was simplicity. You had moved to Washington, DC for a better start - to get away from what you were, to get away from what you were expected to be. You never thought you’d meet the Captain America in a bar just three days after moving. You never thought there would be a dangerous person in your apartment just hours after meeting him. (On-Going / 15)

14 I’m No Hero :  When Y/N is caught in the crossfire of a HYDRA raid gone wrong, the Avengers take her in until she heals. Bucky is fascinated with her, and helps her find the courage she’s had inside all along. Plus, you know, a lot of other stuff. (On-Going / 15)

15 Ready to Comply : The reader was taken as a teenager by HYDRA and turned into one of the most dangerous weapons ever created. On a routine mission to take out their remaining bases, the team stumble across the reader and Bucky finds himself face to face with a ghost from his past. (On-Going / 19)

00 Bittercoffee | Duck&cover

1 Let’s Play Pretend : Bucky agrees to be your fake boyfriend for your brother’s wedding to appease your family.  There’s only one problem - you want him to be more than just a fake boyfriend.  (Complete / 3)

2 Rescue me : A strange man had come out of nowhere and grabbed your arm. He told you to, “Play along,” as he hauled you along with him. Next thing you knew, he had opened a door and pushed you through it. Once you were inside, he had bent low and told you that he, “Wasn’t going to hurt to you, and will explain in a minute.” You had only caught a glimpse of him, but you were pretty sure you saw the light glint off a metal arm. (Complete / 3)

3 One’s Promised : Living a double life was not a choice when one was the daughter of Alexander Pierce. Y/N was the youngest agents of SHIELD and one of the most respected threats within Hydra’s empire. No matter her allegiance, she was feared by both. Y/N Pierce would’ve tried to escape it all… if it hadn’t been for The Winter Soldier. (Complete / 5)

4 Peach Scone : In where Bucky has it so bad for you, he cannot find the words to confess his feelings. After an entire year of failed attempts, plus a declaration of love for scones, he decides it’s about time the words come out of his mouth. Only Bucky knows himself and is certain it’s gonna be one hell of a challenge. (Complete / 6)

5 Mad For You : Nat hosts a costume masquerade. Bucky meets the Alice to his Hatter. Shenanigans ensue. (Complete / 6)

6 Movie Night :  Being an assistant to Tony Stark, you never felt like you fit in… that is, until Bucky invites you to an Avengers movie night in the compound. (Complete / 7)

7 Help Us : Bucky is in the process of recovery when a new Avenger causes his world to come crashing down again. (Complete / 8)

8 Fallen : The same haunting dark figure, surrounded in crisp white have plagued you since early childhood. For a while the dreams have stopped until you move to New York and they come back full force. You get a once of a life time vacation to a remote place in Russia and jump at the chance.Then you come face to face with the man of childhood nightmares. (Complete / 10)

9 Another Winter Soldier :  Y/N spends most of her life away from people. She has a secret to hide, and there are people who are looking for her. After an assassination that confuses the world, will she be able to escape from the Avengers? Or will she join them and try to clear her name? (Complete / 13)

10 Delta : Reader is a rare being in the a/b/o cycle and finds herself along side the Avengers. She manages to hide her true nature successfully until she catches the eye of a certain blue eyed super soldier. (Complete / 13)

11  The Subtle Redemption of Lance Tucker : Lance is a perfect fixture in your past. Suddenly, he’s roaring into focus as your younger sister’s National Coach. As warning signs scream around you, resistance is almost futile. But you’re an adult now. You’re stronger than the silly little kid you were before, right? Right? (Complete / 13)

12 Remedy : When a woman is found at an abandoned Hydra base, more dead than alive, Bucky takes it upon himself to help her in any and every way he can. He doesn’t have much of a choice, being the first to approach her without the intention of hurting her in a long time, she doesn’t trust anyone around but him. (Complete / 15)Z

13 Me, Her, and You :  For the last sixl: months you’ve been living in New York with your ten old year old daughter. After one failed job after another, you’ve almost given up. Then someone extends a helping hand, next thing you know you’re living in the Stark tower as a live maid. As you begin to get close to Bucky the truth about your incredibly gifted daughter comes out. Will your past come back to haunt you? (Complete / 18)sz

[gotgifsandmusings]

GoT 7x06 Musings

My initial reaction to “Beyond the Wall”

Apparently this is the episode that is pulling the wool off of everyone’s eyes. Not the one where Sansa married Ramsay for revenge and got raped. Not the one where Shireen was burned alive because of flurries preventing Stannis from marching 20 feet. Not the one where Marg was arrested for perjury and threatened to be paraded naked except that was a fake-out and the king (unbeknownst to the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard) had formed an alliance with the Faith that didn’t already totally exist and therefore the largest army in the land was rendered useless or unwilling to free the heir of Highgarden…

You know I can keep going. I’ll take it, and yes, the teleportation was its most egregious because we KNOW how much time passed in-verse while the raven and dragons were traveling. But still, this isn’t a new level of bad, no more than Barbaro and Jessica Henwick teleporting onto a ship to murder their cousin—for justice!

Though on the other hand, there was almost nothing I could see as even being objectively enjoyable about this episode, other than one moment of some decent CGI. The battle itself was surprisingly short, and so obviously contrived that we couldn’t pretend it was a “stunning war theater” like we could last year, even if last year the context also made no goddamn sense.

Alright, time to stop delaying and actually talk about this, though of course I’ll point you to Jess’s fabulous review first if you haven’t already read it.

Winterhell

Jess breaks down the horror of Arya’s stupid Ned-slow-clapping-at-her-landing-a-bullseye story better than I can. Arya didn’t do what was required of girls growing up, and that was a source of frustration

But no, here she’s some third-wave feminist who realizes how bad the system is.

Speaking of that bad system, way to sew you dumb asshole, Sansa. What, do you think people need CLOTHES or something?

No seriously, I can’t take the toxically masculine assumptions about empowerment anymore. This entire thing is such a sexist premise, Arya shaming Sansa for navigating in a socially acceptable way

WHICH IS THE WHOLE POINT OF SANSA’S ARC. SHE FIGURES OUT HOW TO WEAPONIZE THE SYSTEM TO HER BENEFIT AND DOES IT WITHOUT AROUSING THE SLIGHTEST SUSPICION

The letter thing is ridiculous too. Not even mentioning how Winterhell burned down so that’d probably be destroyed, this should not be that much of a conflict, nor should it have the potential to undo Sansa.

As Jess pointed out, Ned played along with the Lannisters too, because THAT’S WHAT YOU DO. Is he a traitor?

Then Sansa runs to Littlefinger even though we know she doesn’t trust him.

This is where the “they’re playing LF” honeypot stems from I think, but there’s no indication that Arya and Sansa aren’t reacting to each other alone, earnestly. Do they think Littlefinger planted some kind of audio bug on Sansa or something?

LF then brings up Brienne, which is followed by the scene of Sansa ordering Brienne to Cheryl’s Landing on her behalf for the already-scheduled meeting (even though Operation Bag-A-Wight is still going on), and being an asshole about it

The only sense I can make of this is that LF wants Brienne dead, or Arya dead, and is trying to urge a fight between them since we know they enjoy that? Which I guess would just help narrow down the field of non-LF allies to Sansa

Then *maybe* Sansa is sending Brienne away for her own protection, a la through rocks in Nymeria’s face??

Except there’s NO INDICATION OF THIS. Sansa’s rationale for why she’s sending a proxy to Cheryl’s Landing checks out, especially given Jon being MIA for the North (lol)

To cap off the game of “let’s hate each other to fuck with LF in private” Sansa then finds Arya’s messenger bag of Halloween masks

and no, sorry, Sansa’s terror is played as genuine, and thank the gods she gets yet another abuser, this time a member of her family! Yay!!

SPOILER (if anyone cares) I’m starting to wonder if Sansa orders Arya to execute LF next week just to buy herself a little trust from her horrible sister, and not because they actually figure anything out

Just all around bad bad bad. Fuck sisterly affection. They were different and hated each other growing up, so therefore they’ll be antagonistic towards each other after reuniting, trauma and shared grief be damned

That said, I feel like Sansa listens to UBS. Yes! She is the reason they have the North! She shouldn’t march her face into Cheryl’s Landing! She should have her interests represented! Correct!

Bo had the above take. This killed me. I want the Bunny Hood next week.

Dragonstone

They’re playing a weird game of having to deal with all of Tyrion’s plans turning to shit, and yet also having to keep him the golden boy. It’s not really working

Is Deadpan supposed to be getting paranoid like Aerys now? But then she’s later portrayed as a straight-up Good Guy Hero later, so I have confusion

This conversation goes literally nowhere, and frankly…yeah, why bother dealing with the line of succession now? She holds Dragonstone and no one even wanted it. And Daario’s probably doing fine in Meereen

This could have been a good exploration into her sorrow over being the last Targ…sorta? Like, her just not wanting to deal with it. But the show has never dealt with it before, so it doesn’t really come across as anything rooted in characterization

Me too, Deadpan.

Beyond the Wall

My brain was unable to focus on half these conversations, so I’m going to go back and rewatch before podcasting. Like. It was all walking and talking.

Not even in the good way. In the fic-ask-prompt kind of way. “Jon and Beric in a coffee shop, go!”

To highlight I guess

Jon & Jorah: Jon offers Jorah Longclaw because being an exiled slaver was hard on him. Glad this never came up with Lyanna, the actual heir of the house

Tormond makes a bawdy joke about raping Gendry because sex is a good way to keep warm. Male victimization is a hoot

Gendry gets mad at the Brotherhood without Banners for literally selling him and almost killing him, but Sandor tells him to stop “winging” because his complaints about being sexually assaulted by Mel “could be worse”

The Hound & Tormond chat about nicknames for penises before Tormond #nohomos and talks about how hot Brienne is

Jon & Beric have both been dead, what’s up with that? Also Jon quotes his Night’s Watch vows that he broke to gain inspiration from then, and Beric says he doesn’t look like Ned. Uh…

Jorah thinks Thoros was AWESOME for the Pyke battle

Then a bear attacks and I’m put out of my misery. A wight bear. Whatever

Who the fuck are these red shirts?

Thoros almost dies, but doesn’t die, but then he dies overnight, so…okay.

The wights walk in an orderly single file.

We learn a new contrivance: wights all fall if the white walker that personally res’d them is killed. There’s so many ways this doesn’t work with what we’ve seen, not the least of which that there was ONE WIGHT who was still squirming around

A whole lot of effort for convincing Cheryl, btw, who has essentially no army at this point

Then the other wights hear this wight’s struggle? And Jon tells Gendry who has never seen snow before that he’s the fastest runner (how does he know this) and has to go send a bird to Deadpan to help them out

this is baldly ridiculous. Their only shot is if they all try to book it

Then they run across cracking ice to a little rock, and then are shielded from wights because of…cracked ice

DEAD THINGS IN THE WATER

Also, dead things go through the water later in the episode

In-verse time: Gendry runs towards Eastwatch as the sun is setting and gets there around dusk. Jon & Co. wait out one night and the attack begins when the sun is still shining. I’m putting this at about 22 hours passing. A low-ball could be 14.

Raven gets to Dragonstone, Dany flies beyond the Wall and bails them out

The battle itself was underwhelming, I thought. Just smashing random skeletons who now die with any weapon (what about FIRE like we learned in Season 1?)

Viserion’s death looked cool, and the sinking into the puddle reminded me of King Dodongo. Dunno if that’s a good thing or not, but there you have it.

However, why did Shogun aim for the far away flying dragon and not Drogon who was RIGHT THERE and full of the people trying to get away?

He literally had his buddy ready his javelin for him

Jon falling into a puddle was…what? Why did this happen? Was this for closure for Uncle Benjen? Was this so we could have a dramatic moment of Deadpan thinking he died? Was this just to have a reason for a shirtless Jon on the boat so she could see his stab wounds? What did this add??

Then the res’d Viserion was kind of cooler in concept than seeing it happen. Oh wow, let’s focus on his eye I WONDER WHAT WILL HAPPEN

Lol at the metal working wights with their big ass chains. Can they make mini-Needle necklaces for everyone too?

Also very not reading into any of this being from the books. I could see this happening in a way, I guess? But this context, especially with a javelin-throwing Night’s King can’t be the case.

I don’t even… At least the critical reviews are pouring in. This deserved it. So did the past three years’ worth of episodes, but still.

Top 3 Nitpicks (not glaring, gaping errors)

The invitation to a meeting in KL that couldn’t have been arranged yet

The clothing! No one was wearing a hood? Deadpan was traveling faster than a jet without ear warmers?

Jon not being dead of hypothermia (or his managing to climb out at all with his sodden furs and heavy boots)

#episode musings #got 7x06 #beyond the wall

[zalrb]

This episode was SO jokes {TVD 8x15 Review}

Hi all! You know the deal. I write my thoughts in real time so anything I saw at the beginning that might be a mistake may be corrected by the end. This review will have anti-Damon, anti-Delena, anti-Steroline, anti-Bamon, anti-Bonenzo sentiments and will most likely have references to other shows and to the misogynoir, anti-blackness and racism in the narrative. If you do not like it, you do not have to read this. Are you ready? OK! Let's go. 1. So I'm stopping a very promising Kdrama to watch this. The Kdrama is called Mirror of the Witch, I'm on the first episode and already there are more consequences in this drama than all eight seasons of TVD. So far it looks exceptionally dark and mean-spirited, I think it might actually disturb me. Anyway. It's still entirely ridiculous that Cade's last words are “Go to hell.” Like why? Also why would Stefan say, “You first”? Wasn't Cade already in hell? Like didn't he sort of create it? And now he's just ... dead? What was that dialogue? 2. I like how opening the door to Cade's world will only destroy everything for “miles”, like that's such a small scale, shouldn't it be the end of the world if the devil is walking among us? Or is he not the devil, is Katherine the devil? I'm confused about the Hell hierarchy, you see. 3. Also I should mention I have a cold and I took cough syrup and it SAYS non-drowsy but last night I was knocked the fuck out so if I get a little loopy near the end, it could be that. Or it could be that watching TVD has finally addled my brain. Who knows. 4. They really do hype Katherine way too much. 5. Sorry, pausing because my cat is being extremely affectionate and I would rather play with her for a little than watch what trash this episode is going to be. 6. But now she's on my keyboard. It's like she's trying to spare me. 7. The lighting in this episode seems to be darker than normal, I can barely see anything. 8. I think it's funny that Caroline keeps waking up expecting to see Stefan and he's not there. 9. Matt's hair is SO stupid though. LIKE WHY. 10. I have it paused because the video is loading still but like seriously, he looks thoroughly unattractive like this and out of character I think Zach is pretty cute, so like ugh, why am I subjected to this. 11. Why do we care about Matt's dad again? 12. Or his mother for that matter. 13. Like remember when she came to town and then made out with Damon and then they discovered Vicki was dead and she made out with Tyler? Or was Tyler first and then Damon? Either way, she's messy af. The only interesting dynamic was her and Caroline and Elena. She's pointless. 14. “That was a lifetime ago, things have changed since then” that should just replace the title of TVD. “Didn't Damon kill your sister?” “That was a long time ago.” “Didn't Damon kill your brother” “That was a long time ago.” And now apparently abandoning your family because of man pain and cowardice and immaturity is “a lifetime ago” too but oh no, Stefan was a ripper a literal century ago and we need to harp on it forever. 15. Real talk, I already feel kinda woozy but it's fine it's like being buzzed and it's probably the only way I will get through this episode. 16. Why would Dorian agreeing to help them on how to get rid of the “Queen of Hell” be misconstrued as him being “cool” with Stefan though? Isn't getting rid of someone who is supposed to be the devil Plus be in everyone's best interest? Like whatever, it was just another chance to take a shot at Stefan. Transparent as fuck. 17. That red looks nice on Kat. 18. I like how Katherine is in this world, everything is supposed to be going to shit and Matt isn't like “Mom, Dad, I hate you but you need to leave town because you could possibly die” he's just like yeah fam, I'm rescheduling our awkward dinner date. Like lol. It would be more interesting if he didn't give a shit if they died but this is just the writers being the writers. In Buffy, when the Mayor is supposed to devour all of Sunnydale, Buffy forces her mother to leave town and tells her if she doesn't her presence will get her [Buffy] killed. 19. I love Stefan's face when Damon says “she's obsessed with Stefan” like BITCH WHO TOLD YOU TO TALK? 20. Why does it have to be a wedding though? It could just as easily be an engagement party or a rehearsal dinner, like sooooooooooo forced. 21. I mean, I don't blame Bonnie for hating Stefan but Damon was responsible for killing Jeremy and kidnapping Jeremy, Enzo was responsible for suffocating Jeremy and she's cool with both of them, hell she fell in love with one of them so I'm just like girl, I guess. The writers are ridiculous because it just feels like they don't know the web they've created with these characters and understand that they've turned pretty much everyone into a hyprocrite. 22. And as a non-Beremy shipper, I still think Bonnie loved Jeremy more than Enzo and Beremy was a problematic af ship but at least some things were halfway earned, Bonenzo is pure dialogue, fam. 23. Oh and looks. 24. I don't even know why Damon needs to tell Stefan that what happened to Enzo will haunt him like Stefan isn't new to guilt. Why are they making it seem like this is Stefan's first rodeo? 25. My video keeps fucking buffering. I might switch sites because I love myself too much to drag this out longer than I have to. Because I am only eight minutes in, that's not gonna fly. 26. OK so everything is just buffering. I was supposed to have my data back, what is this. 27. Right now I have it paused on Damon. I really don't get what anons mean when they tell me his arms are huge. Like I don't see it. 28. WHO CARES ABOUT MATT'S MOM? What's her name again? Kelly? 29. Is she dying? 30. She's dying. 31. Oh she's dead. Ish. 32. “Oh please don't be mad at me, Caroline” that actually sounded like Stefan was talking to his mother. 33. Yeah this BE scene is giving me nothing. 34. Liz did a TERRIBLE job protecting MF, who are we kidding? And toasting with your rape victim about how her mother became your best friend and now her daughter will be your family is disgusting. 35. Lol yes use the SE necklace that Damon kept taking to give it to Caroline on her wedding day for Stefan because we're ignoring how important that necklace was to SE, sure. 36. Seriously, Caroline looks at Alaric with more love than she does Stefan. Like just marry him, y'all are more compatible and have more chemistry than you and Stefan anyway. Like omg. 37. “I hope I get to see this one day with you and Elena” lol the FLATTEST delivery ever. Like do you even mean it? Do you REALLY? Think hard, Stefan. 38. “I want to be a part of your happiness” I mean I guess. I don't like Bonnie being arbitrary in her blame for Stefan but like can the girl be selfish and feel what she feels when she feels it for once? And indulge? Like?? 39. I also find it interesting that Stefan and Caroline don't have a private moment before the wedding, like I know this isn't how we wanted to do this blah blah blah. They're so segregated even when they're together. 40. Do the writers not know of any alcohol other than bourbon? 41. The slow mo doesn't change the deadened expression on Paul's face, guys. Sorry. 42. Also Alaric's speech is stupid, who becomes “family” with the people who have continuously terrorized your life and are responsible for the people you've lost? Like that's when you see a psychiatrist because you have serious emotional issues. 43. “You saw light in me when all I saw was darkness.” WHEN WAS THIS? NO LEGIT WHEN? I REALLY WANT TO KNOW. Madly in love, you don't even look madly in love, you look SO chill. OMG. 44. LOL bout you've been ready since you saw him at school. You were on his jock for one episode, then you onto Damon and were unfortunate enough to be his victim, then it was Matt, then it was Tyler, then it was Klaus, then it was Tyler then it was Jesse then it was Klaus then it was Stefan. Girl bye. 45. That SC dance looks SO AWKWARD. LOL SLOW MO DOESN'T MAKE SHIT BETTER UNLESS IT'S ALREADY GOOD 46. Of course Matt's dad isn't dead. I mean he got stabbed when it was light out and now it's dark but he's still gurgling. Jesus. We met him THIS season, Julie, you can kill the irrelevant fucker off. 47. I don't know why Caroline is STILL wearing the necklace. 48. HER NAME IS KELLY. I WAS RIGHT. 49. Why isn't Caroline vamp speeding into the house? 50. Really? That's your reaction to your kids potentially dying? 51. So like the smoke is having no effect on Bonnie? 52. And them siphoning her doesn't hurt? 53. Caroline is legit calm when she thought her kids were dead for a minute. 54. LMFAO SO WHO ISN'T IN HELL? Vicki was in hell, Kelly was in hell, so like ERRBODY GOES TO HELL THEN? WHAT CRITERIA IS THERE? Like if I run a stop light do I go to hell because it's against the law? What if I jaywalk or accidentally step on an ant or something? BECAUSE SERIOUSLY. 55. STEFAN WHY DON'T YOU EVER CHECK ANYONE'S PULSE? Final thoughts: This episode didn't enrage me like I thought it would, it's just thoroughly ridiculous because it attempts to haphazardly rewrite history and Paul was such a lacklustre groom, like faaaam, those vows were horrible. And Caroline and Stefan are just so isolated from each other, like they don't feel like a couple or a pair, they don't feel like one, it's so very cold. Kelly coming back with her daughter to destroy MF is like, I mean I guess, Katherine's plan isn't even original, Stefan was going to burn MF to the ground first anyway, like we're seriously recycling plots in the same season too? This was actually laughably bad.

#the vampire diaries #stefan salvatore #tvd #TVD 8x15 #TVD review #TVD we're planning a June wedding #anti-tvd #anti julie plec #anti caroline dries #we're planning a june wedding #TVD meta #TVD spoliers #meta #review

[webuiltthepyramids]

2, 22, and 26 for the ship asks hun

2. Talk about three of the most important ships throughout your life.

Well first, there was Mac and Harm.  I was shipping them before I knew what shipping was, since she showed up in the winter of 1997 (oh my god, I have been shipping them for twenty years) and I was only four then.  They were frustrating - it took them nine full seasons and 207 episodes to get together and in that time we suffered through three significant love triangles (one of which went from mid season four to the start of season seven) and at least two more that were resolved within the same season that they started in.  But as frustrating as they were, I never fathomed a world where those two didn’t end up together.  They were the first ship to keep me up at night thinking about them.  I went through periods of shipping couples like Ross and Rachel, Jane and Lisbon, Peter and Olivia, and others very hard, but for all of them, the feelings faded to neutral or outright resentment (in the case of Jane and Lisbon) with time.  Mac and Harm still give me feelings stronger than any of my ‘current’ ships just by thinking about them and they haven’t even been on my television in twelve years - which was the age I was when the show ended.  I cannot talk about significant ships without them topping the list, as they top every ship list I have ever made or will ever make.

Leonard and Penny.  In a couple of ways, they are my most important ship when it comes to my life.  I have very few friends that I can trust completely, and that have stayed with me through my worst, darkest times, and two of them I met directly because of this ship.  It’s also the ship that introduced me to fandom, so really, any fandoms I’m in, anything at all I create, it’s all directly because of Leonard and Penny.  I’m so damn lucky to have gotten to watch their relationship develop over the past ten years and they’ve actually been together for about half that time.  I always get attracted to the slow burn ships and Leonard and Penny getting together for good in season five with so much longer to go in the show, getting to watch them deal with jealousy and feelings of inadequacy on both ends, watching them propose to each other over and over again and love each other so much they got married twice, it’s been incredible, and the fact that I owe so much happiness to this ship makes them definitely belong on this list.

My third I’ll say Walter and Paige, they’re a much younger ship than the others (in the sense that Mac and Harm were on the air from 1997-2005 and Leonard and Penny 2007-present, whereas Walter and Paige are 2014-present) but they’ve been really helping me get through a lot of shit that’s been going on in my life, I actually really only got serious about keeping up with the show after my depression spiraled in February of 2015, so they were my rebound, in a way, from another thing, but it turned into something more than that.  And writing them and analyzing them has distracted me from the absolute hellish storm going on in my head, so that makes them very important to me.

22. Which of your ships have the best chemistry?

Mac and Harm’s chemistry was jaw dropping in how they worked together and how they felt about each other.  But I don’t want to get too repetitive here so I’m going to give this one to Wylie and Vega.  They only had nine episodes, but they just instantly fell into that best friend dynamic where their mutual crush was obvious, and if they’d had a chance they could have been a ship for the damn ages.

26. Have you noticed a pattern in your shipping? Is there a romantic dynamic you’re more drawn to?

I’m a complete slut for ships that are an awkward guy who loves the girl more than he knows how to say and a girl who on the surface seems to have it all together but has struggles that almost no one knows about.  Several of my ships have that dynamic, namely Leonard/Penny, Walter/Paige, Mal/Inara and even Mac/Harm to an extent.  Roger/Mimi have a version of this going on too but it depends some on character interpretation.  I’m also more attracted to slow burn type ships (they give me more feels) than the ones that fall in fairly easily and early (though I have incredible feels for those ships too, the Bud/Harriet, Sly/Megan, Jake/Amy types, they just don’t grab me as tightly as the other ones) which usually renders me frustrated because those slow burn ships always take forever and get subjected to tired tropes like love triangles and you don’t often get good payout in terms of seeing them actually play out as a couple (though Leonard and Penny are an obvious exception to this and Mal and Inara’s relationship is being explored in the comics.)  Wylie and Vega are the only ship I’d consider an OTP that wasn’t moving in the slow burn direction - they had a date planned mere months after meeting.

#thanks for asking roselynn! #ship questions #raredelightfulloveoak

[me-waegookin]

Korean Cinema & 한

1. Have you planned any independent trips to sites or cities outside of your program?  Why did you choose to go where you did?  What did you learn during the trip about yourself or your host country during this trip?   2. Are local people opening up more to you about their personal matters and/or political views?  Are you achieving a depth of understanding that surprises you or raises questions?

Although I’ve wanted to go to Busan and Daegu, I don’t think I have enough money to do that (or maybe I do, we’ll see, with a bit of budgeting) but in the meantime, I wanted to explore the rest of Seoul as well, and the perfect opportunity presented itself this week, in the form of the Bucheon International Film Festival. 

The Bucheon International Film Festival (BIFAN) takes place for about a week, from the beginning of this week to tomorrow. Now, although the timing could have been a bit better, considering we had midterms, I was able to go for a full day. 

I began by browsing the screening schedules on the BIFAN website. As a film major, I have interest in cinema from all over, but Korean cinema has been especially interesting as of late, and, considering I’m here to study Korean, I wanted to be sure to get more exposure to Korean cinema. 

I boarded the subway from Sinchon to Bucheon, which took about an hour with a transfer in between. Right when I got off the subway, there were signs in the station directing me towards the locations where the screenings were being held. The film festival takes place in about four different locations between three subway stops (Bucheon City Hall, Samsan Gymnasium, and Sangdong Station)

Here and there throughout Bucheon, there were kiosks set up with English-speaking volunteers to help you find your way and figure out how to purchase tickets, etc. When I reached my destination-- CGV Sopoong, where my first screening would be-- an information volunteer directed me to the floor of the building where I could purchase my ticket. By the self-ticketing section of the cinema, the festival staff had set up a kiosk with more volunteers, and a sign that showed all the screenings throughout the week, updated with those that had already been sold out.

Ticket prices were six dollars per screening. Each screening was held in a regular screening room within the theater, which, in Korea, is ridiculously high quality anyways. The movie I watched was a supernatural romantic comedy titled “A Beautiful Vampire.” I have to admit, going into it, I wasn’t expecting anything fantastic, considering both the genre and the fact that it was an indie film. So when the opening credits presented establishing shots of the main character’s bedroom with a beautifully cinematic eye and color grading to put Marvel to shame (not that that’s difficult to do, let’s be honest) I was pleasantly surprised. 

One of my favorite things about Korean cinema is the fact that no genre falls into cliché predictable plot lines without at least some redeeming qualities. That’s not to say there aren’t a million and one dramas with overly cold male leads who somehow still win the girl in the end (and it only takes like, 22 episodes) but even among the clichés, Korean cinema includes social commentary and themes which don’t have definite answers. This is something I’ve found increasingly rare in the run-of-the-mill American Netflix Rom-Com. In “A Beautiful Vampire” there were many elements viewers would find predictable—yes, the vampire was ridiculously attractive. Yes, she wore over-the-top Victorian style outfits (with a Korean fashion twist) that would put your goth girlfriend to shame. Yes, she was experiencing a new, budding romance, like she’d never experienced before, despite being alive for centuries. But the film still managed to be fresh in ways I truly don’t think a western adaptation would accomplish. 

For one, the film had comic elements verging on slapstick, with anime-like CGI and sound effects that just by virtue of juxtaposition to the topic made for an interesting experience. For two, the movie addressed the romance through means of reincarnation, which I have never seen in the vampire genre before. I would be willing to bet this is due to the Buddhist influence in Korea, but I can’t be sure. Either way, it makes for a much more believable story than a 1000 year old creature falling in love for the first time in 2018. Lastly, the ending was not at all what I was expecting. I won’t spoil it for those who want to watch it, but it was left more open than I have ever seen a romantic comedy end and the uncertainty of the end was perhaps the most innovative element of the entire production. Then to add to my surprise, at the end of the screening the director and stars began a Q&A, at which point I realized the director was a female—which is about as easy to find in the movie industry as a needle in a hay stack. Thus, what started out as a low-expectation, mindless movie-going experience to prep for the real events later that day turned out to be a perfect example of the potential of Korean Cinema. 

Having gone through a dry spell of not watching movies for about three weeks (which is a long time for me) I felt revitalized and remotivated from the experience. The festival continued for the rest of the day and I attended several other events, but since those are more relevant to filmmaking than they are to my experience in Korea, I’ll save that for another time on another blog. For now, I would like to switch to addressing topic 2 of this overdue blog post with an awkward segue between filmmaking in Korea and the Korean experience. 

Although “A Beautiful Vampire” could have been set in pretty much any city in any country around the world, there were certain elements of it that, when watching, are distinctly Korean. I mentioned one before—Buddhist influences—but there were plenty of other. The beauty standards (a pale face in America might draw attention in a vastly different way than it would in Korea, that’s just the facts) for one, but more importantly, the relationship between the main character and her former lover, from the Joseon period. A big part of the story relied on the fact that there was no way for the Vampire to know if her old friend was truly reincarnated, due to her poor position in history (which meant her name wouldn’t have carried through history). This part of the movie brought into sharp relief the deep influence Korea’s history has its cinematic style and plot construction. 

Which brings me to Han (한). 

My private tutoring partner, for her cultural project, talked about the issue of 한. Although the project wasn’t mine, it brought up a lot of questions for me, in terms of its relation to cinema. From my understanding—which, admittedly, is extremely simplistic—한 is a sort of nebulous feeling that is kind of nationalistic, kind of not, and greatly related to the adversity Koreans have been put through in the past, from the numerous wars to the Japanese occupation and onwards. It’s been said that 한 is not as present today in younger generations as it was in the youth back during those turbulent times, but through our discussion following her presentation, this was debated. It is possible that 한 exists in different forms today as opposed to how it did in the past. It’s possible it doesn’t, too. It’s hard to know, especially as a foreigner. But this intangible feeling is inevitably rooted in Korean culture and, I think, contributes to what makes Korean cinema so… Korean. The slow-burning pace, the off-center cinematography, the deeply nostalgic waltz-influenced OSTs, and the subtle build up to hyperbolic representations of suppressed emotions within Korean culture (lust, revenge, hatred, bitterness) are all a result of (in my opinion) of the 한 felt my the directors manifesting itself in the art.

Which brings me to the issue of prompt number 2. Have I gained a deeper understanding of Korean culture? Not necessarily. What I’ve gained instead, though, is an understanding that there are some things in Korean culture that I will probably never truly grasp. One of those is 한. What does that mean for me, as a person who wants to work in the Korean film industry, with Korean directors and cinematographers? 

At first, I thought it meant that’s not something that’s likely to happen. If I can’t understand where all this style is coming from how can I ever hope to work with it? To be honest, I probably won’t be able to. If my goal is to make a movie with the same essence as Park Chan Wook’s revenge trilogy, then I don’t really stand a chance. Which is why I shouldn’t aspire to do that. 

When we were discussing 한 in class, we posed the question of whether or not there’s an equivalent in other cultures. I’m not sure what Koreans would say to this, and I’d love to know, but in my opinion, there is something like 한 in other cultures as well—namely, those that have suffered colonization. Is it the exact same thing? No. Does it come from the same place in history? No. But I think something similar inevitably arises in cultures that have had their culture stripped from them. Being forced to in another way, practicing traditions that aren’t yours, or being forced to speak a language that isn’t yours inevitably affects one’s relation to their own culture and their own tongue. It can force a perspective on a people that others—those who have never experienced that stripping of identity—might not know. 

And working with that feeling, that nebulous emotion, I can, at the very least, bring my own perspective to a story. My people have experienced adversity similar in some ways, and vastly different in others, from Korean colonization. If I were to make a revenge trilogy, it would be completely different from Park Chan Wook’s. But that’s not to say that the two couldn’t complement one another. 

Like I said, I barely understand what 한 is, and I’m sure my understanding is deeply flawed. But I believe that, in understanding that I don’t understand, and in acknowledging what my own background can offer, I might be of even more use than if I tried to fit myself into Korean cinema by trying to be as Korean as possible. If you try to fit yourself into a mold that isn’t you, the creations you make in that mold will be just as fake as their creator. I have to acknowledge that I love pure Korean cinema, but if I were to work in the industry, the projects that I touch will no longer be pure Korean cinema, and that’s not a bad thing. Variety is the spice of life, anyways.  

#bifan #bucheon international film festival #bucheon #seoul #korea #south korea

[thesnhuup]

Pop Picks – Feb. 12, 2018

February 12, 2018

What I’m listening to:

So, I have a lot of friends of age (I know you’re thinking 40s, but I just turned 60) who are frozen in whatever era of music they enjoyed in college or maybe even in their thirties. There are lots of times when I reach back into the catalog, since music is one of those really powerful and transporting senses that can take you through time (smell is the other one, though often underappreciated for that power). Hell, I just bought a turntable and now spending time in vintage vinyl shops. But I’m trying to take a lesson from Pat, who revels in new music and can as easily talk about North African rap music and the latest National album as Meet the Beatles, her first ever album. So, I’ve been listening to Kendrick Lamar’s Grammy winning Damn. While it may not be the first thing I’ll reach for on a winter night in Maine, by the fire, I was taken with it. It’s layered, political, and weirdly sensitive and misogynist at the same time, and it feels fresh and authentic and smart at the same time, with music that often pulled me from what I was doing. In short, everything music should do. I’m not a bit cooler for listening to Damn, but when I followed it with Steely Dan, I felt like I was listening to Lawrence Welk. A good sign, I think.

  What I’m reading:

I am reading Walter Isaacson’s new biography of Leonardo da Vinci. I’m not usually a reader of biographies, but I’ve always been taken with Leonardo. Isaacson does not disappoint (does he ever?), and his subject is at once more human and accessible and more awe-inspiring in Isaacson’s capable hands. Gay, left-handed, vegetarian, incapable of finishing things, a wonderful conversationalist, kind, and perhaps the most relentlessly curious human being who has ever lived. Like his biographies of Steve Jobs and Albert Einstein, Isaacson’s project here is to show that genius lives at the intersection of science and art, of rationality and creativity. Highly recommend it.

  What I’m watching:

We watched the This Is Us post-Super Bowl episode, the one where Jack finally buys the farm. I really want to hate this show. It is melodramatic and manipulative, with characters that mostly never change or grow, and it hooks me every damn time we watch it. The episode last Sunday was a tear jerker, a double whammy intended to render into a blubbering, tissue-crumbling pathetic mess anyone who has lost a parent or who is a parent. Sterling K. Brown, Ron Cephas Jones, the surprising Mandy Moore, and Milo Ventimiglia are hard not to love and last season’s episode that had only Brown and Cephas going to Memphis was the show at its best (they are by far the two best actors). Last week was the show at its best worst. In other words, I want to hate it, but I love it. If you haven’t seen it, don’t binge watch it. You’ll need therapy and insulin.

  Archive

January 15, 2018

What I’m listening to:

Drive-By Truckers. Chris Stapleton has me on an unusual (for me) country theme and I discovered these guys to my great delight. They’ve been around, with some 11 albums, but the newest one is fascinating. It’s a deep dive into Southern alienation and the white working-class world often associated with our current president. I admire the willingness to lay bare, in kick ass rock songs, the complexities and pain at work among people we too quickly place into overly simple categories. These guys are brave, bold, and thoughtful as hell, while producing songs I didn’t expect to like, but that I keep playing. And they are coming to NH.

What I’m reading:

A textual analog to Drive-By Truckers by Chris Stapleton in many ways is Tony Horowitz’s 1998 Pulitzer Prize winning Confederates in the Attic. Ostensibly about the Civil War and the South’s ongoing attachment to it, it is prescient and speaks eloquently to the times in which we live (where every southern state but Virginia voted for President Trump). Often hilarious, it too surfaces complexities and nuance that escape a more recent, and widely acclaimed, book like Hillbilly Elegy. As a Civil War fan, it was also astonishing in many instances, especially when it blows apart long-held “truths” about the war, such as the degree to which Sherman burned down the south (he did not). Like D-B Truckers, Horowitz loves the South and the people he encounters, even as he grapples with its myths of victimhood and exceptionalism (and racism, which may be no more than the racism in the north, but of a different kind). Everyone should read this book and I’m embarrassed I’m so late to it.

What I’m watching:

David Letterman has a new Netflix show called “My Next Guest Needs No Introduction” and we watched the first episode, in which Letterman interviewed Barack Obama. It was extraordinary (if you don’t have Netflix, get it just to watch this show); not only because we were reminded of Obama’s smarts, grace, and humanity (and humor), but because we saw a side of Letterman we didn’t know existed. His personal reflections on Selma were raw and powerful, almost painful. He will do five more episodes with “extraordinary individuals” and if they are anything like the first, this might be the very best work of his career and one of the best things on television.

December 22, 2017

What I’m reading:

Just finished Sunjeev Sahota’s Year of the Runaways, a painful inside look at the plight of illegal Indian immigrant workers in Britain. It was shortlisted for 2015 Man Booker Prize and its transporting, often to a dark and painful universe, and it is impossible not to think about the American version of this story and the terrible way we treat the undocumented in our own country, especially now.

What I’m watching:

Season II of The Crown is even better than Season I. Elizabeth’s character is becoming more three-dimensional, the modern world is catching up with tradition-bound Britain, and Cold War politics offer more context and tension than we saw in Season I. Claire Foy, in her last season, is just terrific – one arched eye brow can send a message.

What I’m listening to:

A lot of Christmas music, but needing a break from the schmaltz, I’ve discovered Over the Rhine and their Christmas album, Snow Angels. God, these guys are good.

  November 14, 2017

What I’m watching:

Guiltily, I watch the Patriots play every weekend, often building my schedule and plans around seeing the game. Why the guilt? I don’t know how morally defensible is football anymore, as we now know the severe damage it does to the players. We can’t pretend it’s all okay anymore. Is this our version of late decadent Rome, watching mostly young Black men take a terrible toll on each other for our mere entertainment?

What I’m reading:

Recently finished J.G. Ballard’s 2000 novel Super-Cannes, a powerful depiction of a corporate-tech ex-pat community taken over by a kind of psychopathology, in which all social norms and responsibilities are surrendered to residents of the new world community. Kept thinking about Silicon Valley when reading it. Pretty dark, dystopian view of the modern world and centered around a mass killing, troublingly prescient.

What I’m listening to:

Was never really a Lorde fan, only knowing her catchy (and smarter than you might first guess) pop hit “Royals” from her debut album. But her new album, Melodrama, is terrific and it doesn’t feel quite right to call this “pop.” There is something way more substantial going on with Lorde and I can see why many critics put this album at the top of their Best in 2017 list. Count me in as a huge fan.

  November 3, 2017

What I’m reading: Just finished Celeste Ng’s Little Fires Everywhere, her breathtakingly good second novel. How is someone so young so wise? Her writing is near perfection and I read the book in two days, setting my alarm for 4:30AM so I could finish it before work.

What I’m watching: We just binge watched season two of Stranger Things and it was worth it just to watch Millie Bobbie Brown, the transcendent young actor who plays Eleven. The series is a delightful mash up of every great eighties horror genre you can imagine and while pretty dark, an absolute joy to watch.

What I’m listening to: I’m not a lover of country music (to say the least), but I love Chris Stapleton. His “The Last Thing I Needed, First Thing This Morning” is heartbreakingly good and reminds me of the old school country that played in my house as a kid. He has a new album and I can’t wait, but his From A Room: Volume 1 is on repeat for now.

  September 26, 2017

What I’m reading:

Just finished George Saunder’s Lincoln in the Bardo. It took me a while to accept its cadence and sheer weirdness, but loved it in the end. A painful meditation on loss and grief, and a genuinely beautiful exploration of the intersection of life and death, the difficulty of letting go of what was, good and bad, and what never came to be.

What I’m watching:

HBO’s The Deuce. Times Square and the beginning of the porn industry in the 1970s, the setting made me wonder if this was really something I’d want to see. But David Simon is the writer and I’d read a menu if he wrote it. It does not disappoint so far and there is nothing prurient about it.

What I’m listening to:

The National’s new album Sleep Well Beast. I love this band. The opening piano notes of the first song, “Nobody Else Will Be There,” seize me & I’m reminded that no one else in music today matches their arrangement & musicianship. I’m adding “Born to Beg,” “Slow Show,” “I Need My Girl,” and “Runaway” to my list of favorite love songs.

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J from President's Corner http://ift.tt/2CejDLW via IFTTT

#President's Corner #SNHUblogs