#in a way the cast and crew can't because it's ya know their jobs

[tevanbuckley]

ngl i think it's kinda strange we're having discourse over whether or not oliver specifically should do more to shut down toxic bddie shippers, because lbr there is no combination of words that could come out of his mouth that the worst parts of this fandom would not interpret as "bddie canon." he could spend hours a day waxing poetic about lfj tits and some wannabe body language expert would find a way to argue it's proof he secretly hates him and this storyline. even if they do eventually turn on him, i doubt that will change anyone's behavior.

I don't know when or if the penny is gonna drop for these people, but i think it's entirely reasonable for oliver to want to steer clear for as long as possible. i get why that might be frustrating for fans, but at the end of the day that's not his responsibility.

[eisforeidolon]

Q: You two have such a close relationship, now that you're both so busy with other projects, what do you guys do to keep your friendship close?

Jensen: You're lookin' at it.

Jared: Avoid each other as much as possible. [beat] You know, I think when you make - and maybe this goes back to Mercedes' question earlier? One of the things I've learned now that I'm a 40 year old husband and father and met a lot of people? Is when you're really close with somebody, when you trust them and they trust you back? You don't have to call each other every day. My brother who was my best man at my wedding and best friend y'know outside of my wife and whatnot? He lives a ten minute drive away. We'll go six weeks without texting each other. I mean, we see each other, it's like, 'Hey.' Like no time has passed. And so I always kind of, I think with friends you've been through a lot with, it's kind of like you can pick up where you left off. And he has three little ones of his own and I have three little ones, and he's in a different state currently. But when we get a chance to kinda get back together and download and like, 'Alright, see ya when I see ya.' I think I always know that he has my back and vice versa.

Jensen: It's kind of - when you've spent as much time together as he and I have, you've covered a lot of topics, a lot of subjects, and you pretty much know where each other stands on just about everything. So the fact that we actually - you know, there's long stretches where we don't, aren't getting facetime? When we do it's like, 'Bro! [slaps Jared's shoulder] I have so much to tell you!' I think it'll always be like that, it's just easy. In fact, with all these guys. We all have lives and all have different jobs and we come together for these things once or sometimes even twice a month and it's - it literally feels like getting the band back together every time it happens. And so it's - Or we'll just [gestures at Jared] wave at each other at drop off.

Jared: Yeah! Yeah, yeah, yeah. I think it goes back to, again, being present. Y'know Jensen - It's funny, because I've always felt this way about myself and I've seen it with him as well? To be an actor, he talked about earlier, when they call action there's nothing else. Nothing else exists. You have to be present, you can't be thinking about whether or not you left your garage door open or the bill that you forgot to send the check for that's due tomorrow. Or whatever. It just goes to I'm here in the moment. And so that's the way we live our lives. When we're here with y'all? You know we have wives and kids, but we're here with y'all. So we're here with y'all. And then when we're with our wives and kids, we're with our wives and kids. And then when we're on set, we're with our cast and our crew. So it never feels like, 'Man, why didn't he call me?' It's like, oh, I know what he would have said, if I said like, 'Hey I have this problem', we've been through so much, if I was like, 'Hey, dude, I have a weird feeling about this ... plumber or whatever.' I'd know, he'd be like, 'Well, you could call -' So I know what he would say so that when I'm with him I don't have to talk about dumb shit, I can check in on his family and vice versa. Uh, he can call whenever and I can call whenever and we have and we will continue, but I know how busy I am and I know how busy he is, so.

Jensen: It's also something we're very used to. I mean, we've lived pretty much our entire adult life being out on the road, being away from loved ones - having long distance between a lot of the relationships - whether family, friends, y'know, girlfriends, spouse. So it's something that he and I are very familiar with, it's very much normal for us to go long stretches without seeing someone that you hold so dear. But at the same time, it's like he said, I'm here. Like right now, my wife and kids are at a monster truck rally. I'd love to be there.

Jared: I'm going. [gets up like he's going to leave]

Jensen: But I'm not because I'm loving being here. And so I know - that's just, that's just what it is. And they got no problem with it, and I got no problem with it and it's just our life, that's our normal. So, anyway.

[storiesofsvu]

hii bestie! do you think Rita will make a comeback on season 24? personally, I think not, after what she said in her latest episode (22x06) and (kinda) the way she acted, I feel like she won’t step into the svu again :(

Okay bestie. I had to tug out the laptop cause I have a LOT to say on the matter of her s22 ep. (though we're not gonna discuss how the make up & wardrobe dept did her dirty, i have an entire other essay on that...)ya again. I do truly believe that she was supposed to be on the For The Defense show, I *know* Buchanan was based on a few interactions with Delaney on twitter. and we all know that Rita is a popular character/defense attorney, so i will forever be salty that they decided to pull the plug on that show cause it had SO MUCH potential and so many opportunities to have a rotating cast each week so we could see all of our favourite lawyers return in some way.

When it comes down to it, it's all about Beth's availability. if she signs onto something that's filming in LA or Atlanta or something, she's not going to be around to take part, which sucks. But homegirl LOVES to work, so she's constantly doing something, she's got two or three things I think in post production, and one that she was just announced as part of, I think it was tv/limited series, I can't remember now. Gimmie 5 seconds to google.... it's a show on Peacock, so probably limited. I think that she has a good rapport with the svu cast & crew, and is probably welcomed back each time they have her. She also got a name drop in the finale (though I do think that was WL's way of saying goodbye to characters he'd brought to life, like, because he was leaving).

We also have a new showrunner to contend with, what direction they want things to go and what the focus is might change. I think we have a decent chance of seeing Rita grace our screens again this season. Barba returned twice, Pippa returned once, and would have been twice but Ms Phillips was in LA filming WWK, so yeah. long story short, there's lots to deal with behind the scenes that determine who we see guest star wise.

NOW, let's address the long arm of the witness itself:

check THIS out too, a post in which me, the film/acting school nerd I am who over analyzes everything I watch, discusses the episode and Ms Marvel's performance/changes in characterization of Rita. I'll probably repeat a couple of points here too. just fyi (also "SSS" is Serendipitous Secrets & Surprises, a fic I wrote that's kind of a fix it fic for s22 Rita's appearance. and also how I would go about reintroducing certain characters before spinning off to a lawyer centered show...and that was written before FTD was announced and then scrapped...)

Even with what she said to Liv in the elevator, and the suspicion that she was assaulted, there are plenty of ways for her to come back to SVU.

First, and what's likely to happen: the writers will ignore it/forget about it and pretend like it never happened. (I say this because look at Pippa, they had the entire Hank thing go down, he went to jail for 4yrs, and it's a one line call back that Amanda says something about it when Pippa picks up the case. By s22, Hank was OUT of prison, they REALLY could and should have had some kind of follow up arc with him, Pippa, the squad, whatever. She also wasn't wearing a ring in s22 so I'm going with the hc that she defs divorced him in the end)

Second: Rita comes back as defense on a case, Liv tries to bring it up, or says something about Gallagher, Rita brushes it off all "you've been at this job to long Liv, not everyone's a victim" (stop it, stop it, you're putting fic ideas in my head...)

Third: Rita returns, but on the other side of the table, she's the victim. Or she admits to being a victim when she ends up a witness in a case. Liv mentions the elevator scene and Rita admits she was looking for someone to figure it out themselves, she didn't want to admit it to someone else cause she couldn't admit it to herself, she had to be strong, wanted to prove she "wasn't a victim" kinda thing. THIS could also VERY EASILY work right into canon cause I believe Gallagher was only sentenced to a year or two? So it could be that they revisit it at a parole hearing, which Rita would be present at, but out of the blue, she makes a shocking statement that she doesn't think he deserves parole and resigns as his attorney because she can no longer uphold his reputation as she was one of his victims too. (svu writers, please see this, please just fucking hire me already...)

I do lowkey think that Rita was one of Gallagher's victims, they're only a year apart, and they both went to Harvard. We know that he had multiple victims at Fordham before he went to law school, so like, duh, he still out there assaulting people through his whole life. We also know that Rita started out in prosecution, and then swapped to defense, and I don't think money was the reason (she just gives off rich family vibes okay). So what was her reasoning behind that? I personally believe it could be because she was assaulted in college, and started to feel like she couldn't advocate for the victims because she couldn't advocate for herself. It also could be that Chip was defense and she kept having to go up against him and that felt like an assault all over again each time.

I touch on it in the other linked post, but I do think they were setting Rita up to take the Nikki Staines arc in s20, like, not identical to it, but very similar, but then Beth got signed on for HOC & Homeland and wasn't available.

Anyways. Welcome to what happens when you ask a theory Rita question on my blog LOL.

TL;DR: it really all comes down to scheduling and if Beth's free to appear when they want her or not, but I would think they'd have no reason to not bring her back

[luckyrabbits]

yo speaking as someone in college for theatre (which is an extremely lame flex, I know) if you have any passion for drama, you shouldn't force yourself to commit to the aspects of it that feel like a chore, or are just a huge source of stress that might turn you away from the fun of it altogether. But hey, if you can't avoid it, I guess what I can say is just improvise a way to make it fun, reward yourself for going, take the experience as a bonus. Maybe it'll help ya to feel better

i realized my mistake way too late and now i have no way to get out of this

it’s literally the worst feeling for me to force myself to go for hours and literally do nothing because one crew group is so much better than what i was thrown into and the cast get all of the jobs

it’s not enjoyable and i don’t feel like i’m getting anything good out of this but there’s no way for me to drop out now

[novelmonger]

Book Review: The Ruling Sea by Robert V.S. Redick

(and, because it's a sequel, kind of a review of The Red Wolf Conspiracy too)

Premise: The Chathrand Voyage series is a nautical fantasy series set in a world with technology that's sort of...18th century-ish? Like, imagine Treasure Island but with magic. I'm calling it "nautical fantasy," though I'm not sure that's even a thing, because the bulk of the story centers around a momentous voyage of the Chathrand, a famous ship that's basically what a cruise ship would probably be like if such things existed in the 1700s. Think of a galleon, but like ten times bigger.

Anyway, the Chathrand sets out with enough crew and passengers to populate a town, ostensibly to take a young girl, the daughter of an admiral of the Arquali Empire, to a prince of their neighboring kingdom, to make a treaty between them that will stop a war that has been raging for many years. The main character, Pazel Pathkendle, is a tarboy (like a cabin boy) on the ship, and he ends up befriending her. The two of them, as well as other friends they make along the way, slowly uncover a conspiracy involving a king who is supposed to be dead returning to subjugate the land, as well as another conspiracy of people working against this plan, all of whom have members aboard the ship.

The cast of characters is extensive, and everyone has their own motives for doing what they're doing, intricate plans that weave together and clash, fighting for dominance, and all of it is centered around the Chathrand. The first book sets everything up and takes the Chathrand on a journey along the coastline, showing off several locations in the world of Alifros. The second book focuses on the Chathrand heading for the south, attempting to cross the uncharted sea for lands no living man has seen.

Thoughts: While not without flaws, this series has been really great so far. I do so love thick fantasy tomes that take forever to get through and feel so satisfying when you finally finish them, and I think Redick does a good job of making a lot of interesting characters you can sympathize with or at least that you want to see what will happen to them. A few years elapsed between my reading of the first and second books, but when I dug into The Ruling Sea, I felt like I was reuniting with old friends, even though I hadn't really thought about them much in the intervening time. You know an author is able to write good characters when you start the second installment and keep going, "Oh yeah, Hercol! I like him. And Diadrelu, hi! She's cool. *huge gasp* NEEPS!!!!! I remember Neeps, he's the best!" (Side note: Redick is so good at coming up with interesting names that all sound different from each other but roll off the tongue really easily.) The only thing I don't like about the way Redick writes his characters is that he gives very little physical description, so it's really hard for me to imagine them, and it was even harder for me to remember who was who because it was just a bunch of names with zero description of what they looked like.

Redick is definitely what I would call a plot-inclined author. While his characters are all interesting and distinct, the real draw to these books is the intricate plot. I myself am a character-inclined reader, so while I was riveted by the plot and enjoyed all its twists and turns, I could have done with a bit more emphasis and time given to the characters' growth and relationships. All the same, I did really like what he did with the main character's romantic drama. It could so easily have turned into the kind of YA-ish swill of teenagers being stupid simply for the sake of melodrama, but this time there was actually a good plot reason for them to not communicate and thus misunderstand each other. And in the end, I didn't lose much respect for either of them, which is quite a feat.

I can't remember if this was as much of a problem in the first book, but in this one I definitely noticed a tendency in Redick towards a particular pet peeve of mine. Sometimes things that were really quite important to the plot would happen "off-screen," so to speak; there would be a line break, and then in the next scene the character would be thinking about or telling someone what happened that we didn't get to see. Sometimes, this makes sense, because you're skipping over something boring or something that needs to be kept a secret from the reader. But there were several times in this book where I couldn't understand why Redick didn't just go ahead and write the scene where the thing was happening, rather than laboring to explain it later.

[One such scene involved a different romance, the handling of which I did not like. The two are fine together, I guess; I don't feel strongly one way or another about them. But the romance seemed to just come out of nowhere. There was a scene where I was like, "Oh, okay, so they're attracted to each other, but Plot Stuff is happening now, so they'll talk about it later." After a scene or two of said Plot Stuff, we cut to a scene of them that very heavily implies they've slept together and are now at the point where they would die for each other. I'm certainly not complaining about Redick skipping over a sex scene, (ew, no thanks), but it just seemed to swoop in out of nowhere. I was kind of expecting to at least get a bit of the two having a conversation where they confess their love to each other or something, even if it still cut away from anything beyond that. The amount of emotion towards each other they expressed after that scene felt like too much too soon, when the attraction between them had been blink-and-you-miss-it before.]

Another problem (that might be related or not, I'm not sure) is that a lot of times, important plot points would just kind of...happen randomly? I mean, I get it--real life doesn't always have foreshadowing or climaxes or things happening when they do for reasons we can discern. So if you're trying to make your fiction realistic, it makes sense to have things just happen all of a sudden with no buildup. But sometimes in these books, there will be a scene of characters doing something or telling each other some piece of their motivation or backstory or plot, and I couldn't figure out why. Sometimes it felt like an "as you know, Bob" conversation that just ended up looking a bit clumsy from a writing perspective. Sometimes it was a matter of the transition between scenes being too abrupt, so it felt like a non-sequitur. Other times a scene would happen, a character would suddenly be clumsy with something important or someone would spring a plan they'd apparently been hiding with no warning to the reader at all, and I couldn't figure out why it was happening at that moment. I can't exactly put it into words--I looked at some reviews, and saw people complaining about the pacing, but I don't think that's what it is. At least, not all of the time. But I'm not sure what I would call it, so yeah, I guess we're going to blame it on pacing. And maybe issues with foreshadowing too.

One thing that's really, really cool about this series is the worldbuilding. There's so much detail and variety! The characters come from a variety of backgrounds, and of course the quest takes them to a lot of different locations, and it was really interesting to get a taste of all kinds of different cultures and customs in this world. There are a lot of things crammed into this series that could easily be the focus of their own story. Not only do you have all the things you'd expect of nautical fantasy, like dangerous storms, deadly whirlpools, thrilling sea battles, and a crazy captain. You've also got a wizard from another world who takes the form of an animal. You've got awakened animals, which basically means animals who gain sentience and the ability to speak. You've got ixchel, tiny little people like the Borrowers who are stowing aboard the ship. You've got ferocious beasts and mysterious words of power and deadly spells and a diving bell, of all things. There's so much variety, but I found myself buying into every new thing introduced to me, because there was a certain coherence to it all.

I can see how this series wouldn't be for everyone, but I've been enjoying it quite a bit. I don't think I've ever read anything quite like it. The closest book I can think of to it would be The Voyage of the Dawn Treader...but the two don't really have anything in common other than them both being nautical fantasies. So if this sounds interesting to you, then yeah, give it a try!

[seekandsekkle]

Happy Full Moon in Sagittarius Family.

The Moon: This energy is like walking into a ratchet reality tv episode. We got this Sag Moon lounging around complaining and worrying while doing nothing and everything is due. Then Gemini walks in doing so much talking without looking and gets knocked head first into a wall. While the Sag Moon looks on and laughs then the Eclipse slides in and steals the show with some knock down drag out display of fuckery that won't allow you to do anything else but get tight and right so your life is not this shit show episode. Lunar Eclipses bring chaos into the universe. The purpose of that chaos is to shake you out of the complacency you tend to fall into when you get too comfortable with the bullshit. We ain't got time for that so that means we get this all star lineup. Sag the Archer is getting its bow and arrow ready to deal with all the old shit showing up due to the retrograde, then you have Gemini the grand communicator cooking up conversations that need to be had so healing can occur or freedom can be obtained. Mr. Eclipse is pulling you and your emotions to the darkside so you can get to the roots of some of your core issues...or at least look at them....acknowledge them at the very least cause you could easily get dragged for taking your shit out on everybody because you refuse to do the work on yourself. All funny bits aside we gotta pay attention to the feeling coming up but wait to react. Some of these feelings are parts of old stories we created about ourselves that are not true or they are old paradigms that have shifted on their side but you are still on the previous page. You will never know what people are currently thinking or feeling if you haven't asked. Assumptions get us in a lot of trouble. This is a rough time for everyone in some way or a challenging time. You have no idea what someone is struggling with so be mindful and compassionate about that. Hell be compassionate to ya' got damn self. You've been struggling too, sad too, fucked up in some way too. How would you want folks to respond, how would you like to be cared for?

The Ritual: This Moon and Eclipse ask us to honor the divine feminine. We are still in the mode of honoring the sacred mother, the mothership, the portal of life, the vagina, the womb, the creatrix that gives us access to this world. She is divine and she is worthy of honor and praise. If you are bleeding we honor you and thank you . If you are ovulating we honor you and thank you. If you are deeply emotional we honor you and thank you. If you are activated and excited we honor you and thank you, If you are conceiving we honor you and thank you. If you are in the middle of birth we honor you and thank you. We honor the divine feminine within us regardless of identity. It is the energy of this earth and we must recognize ourselves in her and honor what is sacred. Light a white or pink candle for her, state what you want to release. Breathe in and exhale deeply holding your womb or your belly and feel the energy of the great mother. Thank her humbly.

The Tea: (read the sign for your sun, moon and rising to get the most out of this tea)

Aries - You ready for something new...life, job, career, path, religion, teacher...something ain't been working and you are finally ready to make it happen. You wanna feel good, feel like you are progressing at something. Now is the time. The Eclipse is casting its shadow on your fears,especially when it comes to your fame or lack thereof. You are afraid to get under that spotlight due to the past. Just know things can be different this time, believe in yourself.

Taurus - Being avoidant won't make the things go away, it just makes a bigger mess to clean up later. Lets get ahead of the shit this time and just face it all head on. I know this ain't how you like it but trust me its better this way. The Eclipse is casting its shadow on beliefs. Everything you have understood to this point could be actually different and you may begin to see the truth for the first time on some things and this may shake you up a bit. You will really see how truth can set you free on ideas and beliefs that no longer serve you.

Gemini - You have been everything for everybody and now you need the care you give, the love you give, the service you provide. You are gonna sit this one out and go inward yet again. Have several seats and get your list of boundaries so you are not overdoing and hurting yourself in the process. This Eclipse is casting its shadow on personal power or lack of thereof. Somewhere in there you forgot who the fuck you are. It's time to remember you are a dynamic, divine being. Accept your greatness and move on.

Cancer - This moon energy has thrown a wrench in all of your plans. The goal was to help you see that you can be your biggest enemy. You make choices sometimes that pull you away from all the blessings you have in your hands. You may lose some things so that you may learn to appreciate some things. I know it feels frustrating because everything was going so well and then it all derailed....Let this be looked at as divine intervention umkay. This Eclipse is casting its shadow on your relationships how you manage them and who you have them with. You may have a hard time listening to your gut during this cycle. Get some guidance for once you could gain some insight that gets you back on track to winning.

Leo - Trying to create with others is not the way to go this moon cycle. You will have miscommunications and misunderstandings and who knows what else. You got some good ideas but at the wrong time. Wait it out and once Mercury goes direct try again. This Eclipse is casting its light on ya mouth. Watch what you say and to whom. Don't get caught up in drama or gossip it will backfire yo ass so swift you will think you got hit,

Virgo - The world is trying to tell you to slow and steady wins the race but you ain't been listening. Do you okay but just know that this tendency to think you know better will show you exactly where you went wrong when it's too late. The Eclipse is casting its shadow on the details. Make sure you check your mail, email, messages, schedules so you don't overbook, underbook or double book ya self. Be extra Virgo about all this stuff so you don't have too many "Doh" moments

Libra - You trying to fly out the nest but you need to settle for a Staycation cause this retrograde energy will mess up all your plans. This Eclipse is casting its shadow on your temper. This is a great time for breathwork, grounding and following the way of the peaceful warrior cause you aint gon' win none of the fights you find yourself in.

Scorpio - Hold on to ya coins. This ain't the time to sign the deal. This retrograde energy will have you regretting all the decisions you make right now, While you wait you can use this time dreaming, creating, or making money instead of spending money. This Eclipse is casting its shadow on your feelings. Ima tell this heaux to leave you alone and let you be. It's too much for you anyway. This is not a time when I'm gonna tell you to go deep into that scary darkness. This time ima let you turn a night light on while you focus on some unexpected blessing falling out the sky for you.

Sagittarius - Out with the old in with the new. New you boo boo. Since you are changing and growing, so are your needs, hopes and dreams. This could also factor in your need to change you who fucking with.  Everybody can't come where you are growing, they won't fit in the car nor the life you are dreaming to have. It's ok you won't miss them when you're happy doing something or someone else. This Eclipse is casting its shadow on your communication especially with people you're romantically connected to. If you are booed up check in on thangs so you stay that way.

Capricorn - Hey Cappy this moon will have all your shit fucked up...ok that was dramatic as hell and you didn't deserve that but if I said it nicely you wouldn't take me seriously.  You can be practical and go over all meeting details 100 times. I say surrender to the bitch and just blame everything on the retrograde. This Eclipse is casting its shadow on your transformation. You've been doing some work on yourself, now it is a good time to do an assessment of these changes and chart your progress. Shift somethings if its needed

Aquarius - Your path is the way of the solo wanderer. Your best magic is done in the privacy of your own space, cooking up a good meal and spending time with the emotions no one knows you have.  The Eclipse is casting its shadow on the drama brewing with the comrades. Your job is to whistle and walk on by when the bullshit starts flying around. You can try some comic relief to lighten up the mood or you can simply let the bomb go off after you have left the building of course.

Pisces - Playing small won't get you nothing at all. You are a Boss so embrace it. This is a great time to release some old feelings of worthiness, imposter syndrome of just lack of confidence. You got this, believe me. This Eclipse is casting its shadow on your homegirl/boy crew.  Some people aint gon' make it on your new team and let that be ok. We tend to grow apart from folks when we start doing the work. Misery wants company but evolution wants the light.

Extra Tea 

Weed Strains for your sign. Puff Good

Make yourself some good ass Moon Water. Set a full jar of spring water (lid on) in the Moon light and let this energy charge it up. Harvest before daybreak. Drink it for a charge, bath in it for a cleanse, give it to your plants for a blessing.

This is a Super Moon and this Eclipse has taken the energy to another level. We could use some help so I recommend charging up your Blue Lace Agate. This stone will help you manage the Geminis Sun and Sagittarius Moon energy since together they could have you combobulated. Blue Lace Agate is good for helping you get your thoughts together, it will help you pull those repressed feelings to the surface so you can release them. I appreciate the way it helps me stand firm in my truth...whatever truth that is in the moment. This is a perfect stone to use when you need help activating your throat chakra. If you don't already have some now would be a good time to getchoo some.

Created for Moon Tes Subscribers. Get the tea in your inbox twice a month. Send me a message and ill sign you up.

Bushmama Africa

Multidisciplinary Artist, Curator, Workshop Facilitator

Spiritual Life Coach, Intuitive Astrologist

Culture Preservationist, Sex Trafficking Abolitionist