#it's hard to feel sad it just feels ridiculous and contrived

[clairedelune-13]

I just cannot wrap my head around the whole Davrin/Harding choice.

Because unless you want your fucking narrative to make sense, you have to pick Davrin.

I hate that.

I fucking hate it it makes me

“I’ve got the Stone on my side”

Then why the fuck didn’t you use that goddamn Stone magic against Ghilain’nain, you stupid bitch?

Harding’s sacrifice makes no damn sense.

At least with Davrin (I really couldn’t give a fuck about Assan) fits a Warden because of their slogan (Ex: In War, Victory. In Peace, Vigilance. In Death, Sacrifice) but Harding literally jumped up there and just started shooting arrows. Like, what??? All your bitching and moaning about “mastering your magic” and you don’t use it….? Waste my time the entire game, why don’t you?

Why is it written like that?

Because of that nonsensical bullshit, I have to choose Davrin, because Harding’s death makes absolutely zero sense, and therefore the narrative is ridiculously contrived.

The whole choice as a whole sucks, because they were clearly going for ME2 but failed to execute it properly.

At least if Davrin is the one to die, I at least feel an emotional impact.

But with Harding, I just forget she even existed. I hated what they did to her in this game, she was easily my least favorite companion in Veilguard.

Davrin’s loss at least it makes me sad for the rest of the game. Most of Veilguard’s choices hold little emotional impact, so the moment there is a choice that makes me actually feel something, I have to go for it.

I’m still mad about it, though. Because of the way they fucking did it. 

[domonicriley]

The Rise of Skywalker: A Sad Ending to the Sequel Trilogy

When I think of The Rise of Skywalker, I can’t really be as hard on this movie as I might. Yes, it’s bad, but it came off the back of something even worse, The Last Jedi. It had to try and fix that movie’s problems and bring the whole sequel trilogy to a close at the same time, which was no easy task. Looking back at it, it might have been better to make two movies rather than one, to have a better chance at steadying the ship.

Despite that small caveat, I can’t let the movie get off the hook. It is bad, and in ways that it doesn’t have to be. It did have a lot standing against it, but as a movie in its own right, it fails to deliver anything truly memorable. So let’s get into it and round of my retrospective on the Star Wars sequels.

To start with the main characters, we finally get Rey, Finn and Poe together, as they should have been in The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi. It’s too late at this stage to give the the kind of relationships that they need, but at least the three actors have some natural chemistry, and it would have been nice to see this in TFA. The big problem is that they don’t do much other than go on an endless series of side quests to find new MacGuffins in ever weirder settings.

They need to find a Sith Wayfinder (to find their way to the Dark Side, I guess). They travel to a planet. They find a dagger with a clue written on it. But the writing’s in Sith, which C-3PO can read but won’t translate. So they need to find a droidsmith and get the information. Now they have to go to Endor. There’s the Death Star wreckage. And finally, the Wayfinder. It’s all just a convoluted video game mess, and it starts to get boring pretty quickly.

The movie also does a lot of odd stuff with its characters. So Rey’s now feeling the Dark Side. OK, she did the same in TLJ when she was on Ahch-To, but why is she suddenly reaching for it now? Why not when Han died? Or during her confrontation with Snoke? Or when fighting the Praetorian Guard? Why only after Chewie is kidnapped?

Another thing I don’t like is the Force Dyad connection between Rey and Kylo Ren. There doesn’t seem to be any rational explanation for why this happens, and the idea that you can pass objects through the Force is a strange one. It all seems to come out of nowhere and doesn’t have the feeling of destiny that made a lot of Anakin’s particular skills more acceptable.

As for the other two heroes, Finn is once again just there to fill spaces. He does the odd bit of comedy, has a few hero moments, but his character development still remains stuck in a rut.

As for ace pilot Poe, he’s still an ace pilot. He does have to take command of the Resistance after Leia’s death, which is nice considering everything he’s gone through before, but it doesn’t really go anywhere.

The villains are much the same. Hux is made into a Resistance spy out of nowhere in one of the most contrived plot conveniences ever. There are so many ways he could have undermined Ren and sought his defeat without having to sell out the entire First Order, which he’s been fanatically devoted too all this time. It’s just ridiculous and makes his character into a complete joke.

Admiral Pryce is a welcome inclusion as an intelligent, competent officer, which has been lacking so far, but he’s mostly there just to fill the spot of enemy commander without actually contributing anything to the plot.

Kylo Ren spends most of the movie being whiny and irritating. I do wonder how the FO lasted even a week under his command. His eventual turn to Ben Solo is completely unearned. It worked with Vader because he sacrificed himself to save his son from the Emperor. Why does Ren turn good? Because he has a weird hallucination about Han Solo.

For some reason, this movie thought that it needed to introduce more characters, even though Rose Tico is barely even a cameo. For some reason, characters like Zori Bliss and Jannah come and go without any purpose. Which brings us to the real loss here: Lando Calrissian.

He’s the final character from the original trilogy to make an appearance and it’s such a waste. He’s barely here and doesn’t do anything onscreen, which makes him seem more like an insert to please fans who wanted to see him. This is sad because there were clearly moments earlier on in the sequels where he would have fit perfectly (master codebreaker, anyone?) but wasn’t included. Now it’s much too little, much too late.

Now for the big twist. Somehow, Palpatine returned! I really don’t know what to say about this particular development. It manages to be completely obvious and completely ridiculous at the same time. It feels like a last desperate act to bring in a genuinely good villain now the this trilogy has killed or assassinated all of its own supply. Kylo Ren clearly wasn’t going to cut it so time to bring back the big guns. I won’t believe that this was the whole purpose of the sequels, though, as it’s such a cheap twist, not worthy of two set up movies, and really is just a last cry now that Snoke is gone.

Now, regardless of that, Ian McDiarmid is still a brilliantly theatrical actor, and his performance in this movie is worth watching. The whole thing about him being Rey’s grandfather, though. Where did that come from? It’s yet another contrivance, and I wonder if when J.J. Abrams wrote the orphan backstory in TFA, he thought he’d come up with a really good reveal later on, then couldn’t think of anything and desperately grabbed the most unlikely answer.

Does the movie have any redeeming qualities? Not really. It’s a muddled, hyperactive mess that’s always jumping about all over the place. It’s not satisfying either as a standalone movie, or as the conclusion to a trilogy. The finale battle is OK, but the idea of an entire fleet of Star Destroyers equipped with planet killing superweapons is too far fetched to take seriously, or even to comprehend it as a realistic threat. If you just keep destroying planets, there won’t be any left. The point of the Death Star is that it was a nuclear bomb. Something that could be used once or twice to set an example, and once people knew of its power, they would never dare to resist, and the Empire would never need to use it again. Both Starkiller Base and this fleet are just too much to take in, and they don’t seem anywhere near as threatening as the original Death Star, going for the ‘bigger is obviously scarier’ approach.

I don’t think the The Force Awakens is a great film, but I think any attempt to make a good trilogy was scuppered by the outright ‘subversion’ of The Last Jedi, which left the finale movie with no base and nowhere clear to go. As a result, it failed, and failed hard. There’s no way it could have wrapped up the sequels in a truly satisfying way, but sadly it didn’t try that hard to fix the mistakes of its predecessors. I do wonder how future movies will deal with the problems of unfinished character arcs, poor world building, and badly thought out plot. What will Rey’s ‘New Jedi Order’ movies do to correct this? Finn being a Jedi would have fit perfectly here, if only the sequels had made an effort to develop it.

Sadly, The Rise of Skywalker is a what might have been, not just for itself, but for the entire Star Wars franchise as developed by Disney. It’s surely no coincidence that it’s been five years since they released a SW movie following the terrible reception to TROS (and the flop of Solo). Yes, they put a lot of effort into making Disney+ shows, but there won’t be another movie released until at least 2026. The attempt to make Star Wars into a TV brand has failed. It’s a cinematic franchise, and it needs to get back to the big screen.

This piece is shorter than my other posts on the sequels, and that’s really because I don’t feel as bothered about this movie. It’s the disappointing final act of a disappointing trilogy, and it’s really what you’d expect from this particular section of Star Wars. Somehow, The Rise of Skywalker happened…

[nerdyenby]

DRs3p1 reactions (spoilers)

Ep 1

The new intro?!?!!??! /pos

This may just be the most sibling moment we’ve ever gotten from them

Are there “-tides” of every element??

Frak is a flat earther 😭😭😭😭

Oh god, new cringiest moment in ninjago just dropped

That puppet gets creepier every time, I swear

Frak is ridiculous, I love him

Kai and Wyldfyre are so good at their job (their job is making everything worse btw)

Hell yeah!!!! Just because she’s the most level headed of this particular trio does not mean that Nya is that calm and collected lol

Ep 2

ARINNNNNNNNNN!!!!!! MY BOIIIIIIIII

Bro you can be emo and a sweetheart, you don’t have to pick one

If Arin’s being sent in to earn their trust or something like that it would totally work on me

Screaming crying kicking my feet

Instead of an Arin corruption arc he’s just gonna domesticate Ras, isn’t he?

“Does the departed realm still exist after the merge?” “That’s actually a very good question” yes it is, thanks, I’ve been wondering for literal years now lol

Sora and Frak’s not-so-one-sided beef is actually pretty amusing, despite me usually not being a fan of contrived rivalries, they’re plenty willing to cooperate and be friendly, they’re just also going to throw shade at each other at every conceivable opportunity

Yayyyyy fantasy racism /sarcastic

But also heck yeah dragon&oni lore!!!!!

Arin’s oni imagery canon and true!!!!!

This whole fight scene was so fun and goofy, I love this show

Jay time!!!! I mean, totally not Jay because… who am I kidding, it’s totally Jay

Healthy communication for the win!!

Ep 3

“It’s easy to be a hero to those who agree with you, and a villain to those who don’t” damn, Ras kinda spitting facts

“I am injured, not weak, never mistake the two” Ras kinda popping off

Red alert, red alert!!!! Ed and Edna mention!!!! This is not a drill!!!!!!

MORRO?!?!???? I mean, I saw that he was gonna show up, but FUCKING MORRO?!?!???

So, uh, hi morro, why are you being helpful??

I totally buy this actually, Morro was already redeemed to an extent, but it makes sense he still feels like he has a duty to make up for what he’s done so now he helps people :)) I am so down for this, I am a bit sad Cole’s getting sidelined (presumably because they share a VA) tho

I was so ready for Ras to just die right there lmao, Arin popped off tho!!!!!

Morro — of all people — being the proof Arin needed that heroes do exist, that the world isn’t always against you, is something so dear to me

Ok, Thunderfang seems way more interesting than I expected

Also the video game subplot was adorable and simultaneously heartwarming and heartbreaking

Ep 4

Being transgender is a full time job and Sora’s clocked in

*Taking notes for my essay about unconditional personhood in ninjago*

Oh my good lord season one reference???? In 2025?!???!??? Also, let Zanth dance with the bird, she deserves it, you both do

“The ice cream ninja” is Zane’s official title now, everyone say thank you Rapton!

Oh that’s totally the same type of containment pod Zane was in, now the question is whether it’s Pixal or a fake out (maybe another Zane??)

Trans flag spotted!!!!! Transgenderism wins again!!!!!🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️

FUCK YEAH, PIXALLLLLL!!!!!!!!!

ROBOT LOVE AAAAAAAAAAA /pos

Love her new look btw, the eyeshadow is gorgeous

Zane imitating their voices made me legit choke on my own tongue

Oh! The new ring outside their spinjitzu is a dragon, probably rising dragon related?

Rapton is so much fun, I love this idiot

God, this Zane/Pixal fight scene got me happy stimming so hard it’s not even funny, I can’t stop smiling

Wait, Zane’s seen these blades before? I thought we’ve only seen Arin have one

I love everything about this, Pixal’s interaction with the mouthy goon is a definite highlight

FUCK!!!! I have been classically conditioned to tear up when this fucking theme plays, fuck this

I really should yell at the writers but I’m subscribed to Brent Miller’s YouTube so parasociality decrees I am aloud to cuss him out: BRENT MILLER IF ZANE DIES THIS SEASON IM BLAMING YOU

Algae farmers :))

Oh shit

Ep 5

YOU KILLED HERMES YOU BITHC

Bro Wyldfyre can’t care about ANYONE without them nearly dying, they’re trying to take away her whimsy and I won’t stand for it

That… that’s Jay’s isn’t it? It’s his color scheme at least and jets are his thing so it’s definitely gonna be lol

Oh god, a Lloyd-Morro reunion please oh please

Oh, Pixal, how I’ve missed you so

I figured it out, guys!! Ras is giving Janus Sanders

Toby and Wyldfyre are so sweet is painful, I love them

Hermes lives!!! False alarm, everyone!!

Sora and Frank’s powers are functionally useless against these guys, but Lloyd could still use his, he’s just showing off lmao

FUCK SHIT UP, PIX!!!!!

We got 2 Lloyd&Pixal hugs!!! The underrated duo of all time is back!!!

Arrakore tease!!!!! Yippeee

I swear, if Ras led him to a mass grave I’m gonna scream

… yall…

Ras wants to mess with time???? Bruh

Ep 6

Jay time :D

Uh… should I know which _eatrix this is off the bat? Because they’re both still out there kicking, right?

Yknow, Zeatrix really ain’t that bad, she’s just upset she wasn’t the one to take down her sister, right? It’s not like she agrees with Beatrix’s philosophy, she’s probably a bit self-obsessed and callous but that doesn’t make you a villain, per se

Djinnjago?!?!??? Nature is healing frfr

I love this, Arrakore just opening up for people to come make wishes, both restoring his land and making people happier, my depressed king is out of his depressive episode, god bless

Did… did that munce just wish for a plunger?? I’m gonna assume it’s a magical plunger, give them the benefit of the doubt

Hi Darreth!!!! Long time no see!!

“I am never obligated to fulfill a wish” … so is Arrakore just better than Nadakhan? I mean, duh, but like is he special or was Nadakhan just bad at control??

I know it’s not relevant because technically Skybound never happened, but do people get three wishes per djinn or three total? Also, even if s6 never happened, Jay and Anya remember it, so if they only get three total have they used all of theirs or did the timeline resetting erase those?

Ninjago transitions are so funny

Vincent Tong is never not delivering, his sounds always steal the show

Arrakore my beloved

Lloyd, are you not at all concerned about Sora just spontaneously disappearing???

We’re getting the band back together!!! Genuinely love this mechanic, it was getting hard to follow who knew what and this is such a fun way for the groups to exchange information

Well that answers that question (kinda, not really, but it’s the closest we’re going to get)

Sora is having way too much fun but so am I!!

Sora really has been killing it, making it this far into the battle before having any issues despite not being able to use her powers and being unarmed is very impressive

Nya’s crushing it this episode, not any single thing in particular, she’s just great as usual and I haven’t talked about her enough

Samurai hug!!!!!!

Ep 7

I love Wyldfyre so much, I need a minifig of her so I can wrap her up in a big blanket

Speak of the devil!

I’m glad Arin hopped on that “the unknown is always the enemy” comment because massive red flag for xenophobia

Why do you need electric knives, bro? You got electric hands, you know

Arin experiencing the sunk cost fallacy frfr

Ok but how’s Jay gonna get out of the world forest??

Ugh, Wyldfyre’s story is full of tragedies and it breaks my heart

Finally!!

Ep 8

We finally get to see how they met!!!!!

Kalmaar-looking ass (it is uncomfortable how the less human looking people are usually the antagonists)

Baby Sora and Arin boutta have me crying in the club

WAAAAAHHHHHHHH 😭😭😭😭

Ep 9

God, this hurts so bad

This is the “you’re always welcome here” moment I’ve been waiting for. Lloyd sounds so upset Arin even has to ask

FUCK, Hermes is gonna die anyway??? That’s unacceptable!! And Roby deserves better, Wyldfyre deserves better!!!!!

Hermes is okay!!!! Everything is right in the world!!!!!

Poor Frohicky….

Oh, a real conversation

FUCK this hurts so much!!! They love each other, they forgive each other, but they’re still not okay

Ok real, you need to acknowledge and accept all your emotions, not just the “nice” ones

That’s what I’m saying!!! He’s more powerful when he lets himself feel his grief because it’s rooted in his love, which is a huge part of who Arin is

Leaving the plushie there as an “I’ll be back” is so :(( /pos

Ok, but like, doesn’t the land of the lost have a portal gate too? Just hop through real quick and see if Cole’s available, you’re gonna need all the help you can get

Frak all-but begging Arin to blame him…

Frak speaking facts tho (frakts, if you will)

Yes!! I’ve been wanting to see Wyldfyre do more with her powers, heat is so much more dynamic than just fire

OH, it’s a first land thing, weird…

Holy shit!!!! That long take?????? I don’t care if it’s animated, long takes are always epic!!! And following the blade instead of any one character??!

Love the snoring sound effect so it doesn’t count as on-screen character death lol

Ep 10

“These unnatural winds defy all logic” if only you were friends with the elemental master of wind, oh wait, you are, you just didn’t call her (or Cole!!!!!)

Wyldfyre!!!!

“What are you doing here? I thought you peaced-out?” autism duo is back baby (that’s their name now, I’ve just decided)

Riyu :(

Kai is so unserious all the time, why is he like this /affectionate

Ohmygosh hiiiiiii!!!! Cole, bestie, shits going down, the gang needs you

Ok but why is thunderfang built like that???? Bros shaped like elastigirl

“Maybe thunderfang ate [the forbidden five]” Kai said, clearly joking but actually correct (somewhat, I think he ate their souls)

First ninja adventure together, hmmm???? But seriously, Arin needs to just take a step back and actually process his grief instead of just following Ras into whatever he suggests because it feels like the only option. Arin has people who he loves and who love him, he knows that, but I don’t know if he’s chosen to stay or not

But fr I forgot about Ras for like at least five minutes there

Um, Arin?! Why does your spinjitzu have a bit of shatterspin in it????

Wyldfyre is kinda absolutely justified in her self-aggrandizing rn tbh

RGB triple threat!!!

Thunderfang’s dialogue is sick actually

HOW did jay get here?!?!????!

Tbh Jay could kill Ras at this point and I wouldn’t even be upset

Pixal got a speaking line!!!! (One word in the past, what, 30 minutes??)

… so, uh, does this guy eat powers or souls because that distinction kinda matters now

He doesn’t need anger, he has love!!!!!

Lloyd death counter: uh… at least two

WHAT THE FUCK

Nya and Jay 🩵💙🩵💙🩵💙🩵

Ew why is his hair different?? Wait, did it change between shots? Also I think his hair piece is the same as Unagami’s

Bonzle sighting!!!!!

I fucking knew it! Also it’s so nice to have Jay interactions again, I hadn’t realized how much I missed him, he really does feel more like himself than he did in DRs1&2

Hey Morro, uh, good luck, buddy

Oh FAT L

Yeah, on second thought, maybe sending the guy who eats souls to the land of the departed wasn’t a great idea…

[firebirdsdaughter]

Fact is…

… While I do whine about Izu’s behaviour (mainly that it feels really hard to have sympathy for her when, yet again, this feels like the writers just handing her a massive Idiot Ball to make her go walk into the line of fire again, like it was so easily preventable even if Horobi hadn’t done anything different that it’s really hard for me to understand blaming him and hard to feel like this is sad at all it just feels stupid and contrived), ultimately, I blame the humans much more.

Naturally, there’s Gai, who started all of this by creating the damn Ark in the first place, can we please remember that, Horobi didn’t start any of this, Gai did by creating the Ark, which in turn fucked up Horobi’s mind. Like, that’s just a given, a human deliberately created the Ark, knowingly, and for petty, shitty reasons. Gai started this bloody ‘chain,’ and it’s fucked up that he’s getting away w/ it pretty much scot free while other people are literally fucking dying bc of it, but okay.

But besides that, much more than Izu (and there were issues w/ her behaviour, for one thing the idol/messiah worship of Aruto creeps me out, but that’s actually kinda why I feel this way), I blame the humans. In the end, w/ the way Izu has been ‘taught,’ it’s not really right to expect anymore emotional maturity/understanding/nuance from her than it is to expect it from Horobi. She’s basically just his complete antithesis, blindly loyal to humans and either completely blind to their failings or been taught to not recognise them. I don’t usually enjoy ‘humans are the real monsters’ plots, but ‘humans are the special special source of all good in the universe’ don’t do it for me either. Bc we’re not either of those things. Humans are complicated. We have equal potential for both good and bad, and the existence of one does not invalidate the other. Both Izu and Horobi’s data is accurate, and while I dislike the show taking the tone that ‘Izu’s is right bc Aruto is a divine saviour of HumaGear’ (okay, okay, you get my point, I’ll try to stop), that’s not exactly her fault, she’s been taught that, she was expressly made to benefit Aruto, the show has also very much had the angle of ‘teach HumaGear to be happy serving humans,’ of course she would fall into that kind of… Thing, she’s the ‘pinnacle of perfect HumaGear’ bc she’s blindly devoted to her owner (the key word was I’d try to stop). Anyway, really, both of them are in the same situation, fed biased data, just he got the short end of the stick w/ the malicious master who literally tortured him for asking questions and aggressively repressed his emotions and conditioned him to respond w/ violence and extremes for more than a decade. Izu’s emotions are limited to the ‘happy loyalty to humans’ variety, but at least she was able to figure out how to handle some of them, she wasn’t taught to, basically, be a child soldier where violence was the ‘only answer.’ But in the end, neither of them should be expected to have the wherewithal to reason through that kind of negotiation/interaction. Izu cannot understand what Horobi’s going through, cannot fathom negativity in humans, and Horobi… Horobi literally has no idea how to handle emotions (I do appreciate the show actively, explicitly explaining that he’s literally terrified of feeling, and I mean, why wouldn’t he be, we saw what the Ark did when he just wanted to know ‘why,’ how s/he jumped in every time he got emotional). She can’t empathise, and he has no other way to respond but to lash out. There’s no reason for either of them to know.

But humans should know better.

… I feel like Treebeard.

But the fact is, we can’t expect either of these HumaGear to actually know how to handle the situation, esp not Horobi, who has no idea how to person, let alone regularly interact w/ someone else. But humans should know better. If any of the humans around them had shown even an inkling of the compassion and empathy and kindness they are espoused to have? None of this would have happened. Fuwa, I love you like I love Horobi, aka, more than anyone else here,, but you totally fucked up. And so did Aruto and Yua. Horobi and Izu should never have been left alone together, that was a recipe for disaster. You would think that, if he really wanted to resolve things peacefully, Aruto would immediately book it to the ‘root’ of the problem, an actual human trying to show understanding and compassion would likely have gone a long way. I don’t think Horobi would have completely backed down, but they might have talked him into waiting and seeing. Yua and Fuwa could keep the others busy (esp bc they’re the ones who charged in and lit the fuse in the first place). After that, Horobi was a ticking time bomb that Izu neither knew how to defuse nor stay away from.

Expecting Horobi to know how to handle a situation like that, to be able to do the extensive emotional retrospection needed to clearly think things through in those circumstances… It’s like finding a child who grew up completely in the wild and trying to force them to just immediately snap back into society. Every single ‘wild child’ story. And those would be humans. For an AI, it’s even worse.

Horobi needed rehabilitation, he needed time, he needed to be eased back into things. He was never going to be magically okay or able to reason w/ the nuance of a human just bc the Ark wasn’t in his head anymore. She did lasting damage. Izu, while she did a stupid, had know way of understanding that. But the humans around them really should have. If Naki and Ikazuchi are really adjusted so fast, well, maybe they should have done something. Jin gets a little leeway bc he actually showed up and did just get ordered to kill Horobi, so he was a little scatterbrained, though I do take issue w/ some of his behaviour afterwards.

This isn’t Horobi being ‘really a bad person,’ this is a traumatised and highly damaged AI not knowing how to do anything but what he was taught, not knowing how to respond to emotions, having been conditioned to react w/ extremes and violence (we literally saw how the Ark trained him to do that, killing Anna, destroying Midori for making him think, aiming the bow at the kids… He’s been trained to ‘remove’ things that ‘destabilise’ him w/ extremity and violence), and Izu genuinely has no real idea on how to handle that kind of trauma, esp in another AI, bc none of the humans around ever tried to address it before, it was always just ‘chop chop back to work!’ Horobi wasn’t killed and reloaded w/ some new programming. He’s still going off the knowledge he had before, the Ark’s knowledge, his experience w/ the Ark. He’s not going to snap back to being a “happy,” “smiling” HumaGear. He’s been under too long. Expecting him to snap back is one thing from Izu, but she learned it from the humans around her.

So… I guess to try and summarise is I think, aside from considering the writing overly heavy-handed, I’d say that Izu, Jin, and Horobi are victims of human arrogance and insensitivity. If humans hadn’t been so focused on themselves in that moment, if someone had just shown a little sense and compassion, used that damn emotional maturity… We wouldn’t be here.

If any one of the humans. Had actually. Tried. Anything. To do anything. I’d be feeling much more sympathetic towards them.

[anastasiaskarsgard]

A/n;So someone asked for smut for the perfect girl that decides she’s gonna have some fun before she dies. I’m A bit rusty. TW: sex, cursing, choking, 18+ NSFW

If you wanna read the first part it’s called perfect problem and is the last thing I wrote on here and posted...

“So where are we going?” Bethany asked as they got into some ridiculously expensive sports car. Adjusting her clothing and hair, she glanced over at Roman to find him just watching her.

Smirking his signature smirk, he turned the car on and raced out of the parking lot like he has stolen the car. “It’s a surprise.” Roman said, wiggling his eyebrows at her.

“Eyes on the road Speed Racer! Ok well at least tell me what we are going to go do.” She whined.

“Nope. No can do princess. You’re just going to have to have a little faith.” He grinned.

“Your reputation doesn’t exactly inspire trust. No offense.” She felt bad as soon as she looked over. He looked almost sad. “I’m just giving you a hard time. I’m not serious.” She lied.

“I thought you were supposed to be smart...”

“Oh ho ho! Someone bounces back quick.”she jibed as she turned to look out the window. She wasn’t exactly familiar with the area so she wasn’t sure what she was looking for. There was trees, and then some houses, and then businesses so there’s no way to tell if they were going somewhere Residential or commercial.

Grabbing her phone to send out some emails, she wasn’t paying attention when she noticed the car had stopped. Looking up from her phone she made an incredulous face at Roman when she noticed that they were in front of a large mansion.

“Really?” She quipped.

“Hey Before you jump to conclusions, I’m just coming here to get into some more comfortable clothes. I can’t exactly have fun in a suit, now can I?” He got out of the car and walked around it to open her door. “You can look around or grab a drink or whatever you like while I change.”

Stepping out of The car, Bethany followed roman inside his home. “ not even gonna try that old give me a tour excuse?”

Scoffing, he shook his head no, and made a crossing motion over his heart. “Scouts honor.”

“What if that’s exactly what I wanted to do?” She breathed out as she made her best attempt at sexy. Licking her lips, and winking, she nearly cried out when all of a sudden he was only inches away from her. “You’re very fast. I hope that’s not true for everything though.”

Smirking, he lifted her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist. Pulling back to look at his face, she bit her bottom lip thoughtfully, as he walked them up to his room. Seeing the insecurity creeping in, He kept an eye open to watch where he was going but smashed his mouth back into hers, in a passionate, breathtaking kiss. Completely losing herself, she was startled when he dropped her on the bed and crawled over her body, pressing himself into her, making his intentions clear.

Sitting up as he straddled her waist, he ripped his shirt off, sending buttons flying, before aggressively attacking her mouth once more. Her nails dug into his bare back and he groaned into her mouth, before kissing down her neck and onto her chest.

Abruptly, he jumped off her and stood over her a moment longer than she assumed it took to take off his pants, so she lifted her head, cocking a brow at him curiously.

“Dress off.” He ordered, his smile fading.

Smiling a Cheshire grin, she shook her head no and looked up at the ceiling. Not letting curiosity get the best of her, she refused to look at him when he huffed impatiently. Even when he had stormed out of the room, and returned a few minutes later, looming over her, she refused to award his bratty behavior.

“Please take your dress off.” He finally bit out.

For a moment She pondered denying him-- and in turn denying herself. But the fact remained, she wanted him, whether contrived or genuine, She did. And She was done not doing what She wanted.

“Stand up.” His voice shocked her out of her head and She found herself standing at the side of the bed. “Good girl.” He purred, his hand brushing her back as he walked behind her and She shivered, as she turned her head to look at him. “Head forward.”

She did so, waiting for him to come back into view and see how far he’d take this little game. When she heard the bed sheets move, she fought the urge to turn around until She felt his fingers on her back, drawing letters or shapes; she wasn’t sure. Roman hummed quietly, lulling her into a peaceful calm, when suddenly he pulled her back into him. He was sitting on the bed, his long legs slightly spread and he spun her around, and placed her straddling over his one naked leg. Somewhere, somehow He’d removed his pants.

Gently he traced up her chest and wrapped one hand in her hair, pulling her forward so he could kiss her neck. Surprisingly, he bit her ... hard. Instead of pain, her senses exploded, causing her to moan wantonly, as she ground her core against his bare thigh.

When his other hand slid down her stomach, She Was almost embarrassed by how wet she had become.

“Stay still…” He said playfully in her ear as he slipped his fingers past the lace covering his goal. Plunging them within her, coating his fingers with her wetness, He gazed into her eyes lustily, as he Brought his fingers to his mouth and sucked them clean. “So ready for me.”

She nodded dumbly, lost in the sinful way his tongue worked around his fingers. Biting her lip, she must of looked pitiful, because Roman dropped character a moment to chuckle and move a piece of hair behind her ear affectionately. Almost lovingly.

Unfortunately she was way too far gone to contemplate what these gestures might mean. She wanted to fuck and she wanted those fingers to go back down there, but this was Roman Godfrey. The man Was unpredictable at best, and uncooperative the rest of the time.��

Roman was a predator, and predators like to chase. As much as she wanted to just throw herself at him and demand to fuck her into oblivion, she Still had enough pride to play the game.

“I knew I was right.” He growled, Standing, releasing her hair, so he could wrap his hand around her throat. She grinned, not really caring what he meant. “Now, Im going to fuck you. I’m not going to be gentle, but I’m going to make sure you come so hard that you forget your fucking name.” He smirked cockily, still holding her by the throat. “I can see it in your eyes, that you’re a fucking freak under all that polite perfection. You’ve never fucked up or disappointed anyone ever. You’re loved and respected. Americas sweetheart.... I wonder what they’d all say if they saw you right now, ready to be my little fuck doll, cuz that’s exactly what you are.” Two of his fingers dragged across her cheek, Forcing their way in her mouth. She could taste herself on him and it made her nearly mad with need. She’d never been this turned on in her life. “You have the most perfect lips.” He said as he examined the way they wrapped around his fingers, “I’m going to put so many things in your mouth.”

She sucked briefly, before humming around his digits, lightly biting them. Swiftly, he removed them for a moment, before getting a mischievous look on his face and shoving them in as deep as he could, choking her slightly. Slightly panicked, she reached for his hand, but he just tsked and Tightened his grip on her throat, before ripping his fingers out of her mouth and plunging his tongue in their place.

She really needed to breathe, but eventhough she could feel her limbs growing weak, She didn’t fight him. Completely surrendering to the most arousing experience in her life.

“That’s why I’m going to keep you.” Before She could comment or recover, he removed her dress and threw her down on the bed, standing over her a moment to look her over.

He yanked her underwear down and dove two fingers into her roughly, making her arch her back. His expert fingers were moving faster and faster, getting her closer and closer to the edge of orgasm. It’d been a long time since a man made her orgasm, and she was certain, she’d never come close to this intensity. He reached down and pulled her up by the back of her neck, holding her against him like a rag doll, as he brought her closer. , his thumb brushed over her clit and She opened her mouth, trying not to scream. Her limbs started to shake, as her pelvis started thrusting into his hand, flailing about as Her vision began to blur. She closed her eyes tight, ready for the climax.

“Look at me. Look at who is making you feel this way,” he said seductively.

She breathed, looking into his gorgeous green eyes, as He quickened his pace again and added a third finger, making her buck, as she grabbed his rock hard erection, causing him to hiss, and roll on top of her.

“Patience.” He teased, pushing her legs apart. She looked in between his to see his cock standing hard and long against his stomach, a new need screamed within her, demanding him inside her right fucking now.

“What do you want?” He asked innocently, three fingers diving into her again. She closed her eyes from all the sensations, trying to get control, but she was past the point of pride now.

“Please--” She gasped. “Please.”

“Please what?” He pressed down on her clit and She wanted to kill him, but first had to fuck him. His other hand came down and pinched her nipple, twisting it and making her cry out.

“Fuck!” She screamed as he did the same to the other. “Fuck! Fuck me Roman! Fucking fuck me now or I’m going to kill you!”

He didn’t need to be told twice and She felt the large head of his cock against her entrance, before he just forced it inside her with one powerful thrust.

He was big and it took her body a moment to adjust to him, the burn slowly fading as he gave her a moment to breathe and relax herself to accommodate by far the largest cock she’d ever seen, let alone was inside of her.

Somehow it felt divine when he began to move again, and she moaned loudly, his body pressing down into her as he started to move his hips back and forth. She could feel him driving into her with solid, sure strokes as She clenched around him. His lips crashed into hers again as he pushed his hand under her ass and pulled her hips up, sitting back so he could move at a quicker pace. Setting her nerves on fire. Every inch of her body sang in extreme pleasure. His thrusts massaged her inner walls, the tension roaring through her, as he bottomed out and touched a place she’d never felt before, but the intensity made her screech.

She could feel the tell tale signs of an orgasm swelling through her but She held it back, making it feel sweeter and richer with each passing moment. His fingers dug into hips hard enough to break her bones as he closed his eyes, focusing on his own pleasure. His pace turned more erratic and She gripped him around his torso, desperately trying to hang on so they could both orgasm at the same time. Pulling him down and attempting to hide her face in his throat, he stopped and leaned back looking at her beautiful flushed face.

“Ah--ah-- ah--” He held still. “Look at me.”

She did, letting herself melt into his gaze as he started again, harder and faster than before. Noises came from her, she didn’t know She could make and his hand wrapped around her throat, squeezing possessively. Each thrust sent shockwaves through her until She was right back to nearly cumming.

“Please--” It took effort to speak through his grip, but She was so close, she didn’t care if she had to beg. “Please, I’m so close--”

“Tell me how badly you want it.” He ordered, his own breath ragged.

“I need it-- please! Please, Roman!” She screamed like a desperate, shameless whore, before she exploded, tightening around him as his grip turned to a vice around her neck and somehow the lack of oxygen intensified the sensory overload to a new height. She drowned in the relentless, all encompassing sensations, that lasted far longer than She thought possible-- causing herself to completely release control for the first time in her life.

As the shocks rocked through her, she felt him stiffen and press into her as deep as possible, spending himself inside her. She couldn’t help but trip out a little about being so full of him. She’d never allowed anyone to finish inside her before.

“You really are good at everything,” he said playfully, as he rubbed his nose along hers, and held her a moment, before pulling out, and flopping down beside her. Brushing his fingers along her tight stomach, and full breasts, he decided she was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen.

His mother was going to fucking hate her...

Perfect.

[therealvinelle]

What are your thoughts on the Life and Death counterparts of the Cullens?

Oh boy, can of worms.

In short, my canon-friendly blog draws a hard line of NOPE when it comes to Life and Death. The Cullens are very reliant on their genders, swap it up and there wouldn’t be a coven in the first place. Not as we know it, anyhow. To swap things up without anything changing is to erase the experiences of men and women through history.

Disclaimer - I haven’t actually read the book, but I’ve gathered enough from the Twilight wiki. And since you’re not asking me about the plot, I think we’re good.

Alphabetically:

Archie. Both men and women were admitted to mental asylums at the turn of the century, but it was largely women. Mary Alice Brandon was forcibly institutionalized by her abusive father, which in turn was allowed to happen because no one believed her stories and thought she was mad. The story screams “Hysterical woman”. Could the same thing have happened if she were a boy? Sure. But I find it reductive.

Carine. Hoo boy, this one had me so exasperated I have a fic on it. That one gets slightly AU as her father survives the vampire, whereas in canon he was killed, but I say it goes. Anyway, Carine. You can’t take a 17th century man, make him a woman, and expect the same character to come out the other end. You just can’t. Carine and Carlisle are not going to be the same person. I think if Carine was anything like her male counterpart, she would stay in Volterra far longer than he did, if she ever left, as Volterra would be the one place in the world she could pursue knowledge, where she could educate herself and become an academic, the same as any man. It’d be her equality oasis, and she’d be leaving behind more than friendships if she left. If she went into the human world, or even tried to become a doctor, she’d have to crossdress. And I imagine she’d still be crossdressing in 2005, because misogyny and sexism isn’t going away anytime soon and it’s just what she’s used to by now. Carine puts on trousers and a fake beard before she leaves the house, it’s just how she lives her life.

Earnest. This guy is just... lackluster. Esme was turned because her husband was shitty and her son died, so she jumped off a cliff. Alright, let’s give Earnest a shitty wife and a dead kid, now he’ll jump off a cliff too. It’s just so uninspired, and I question the fact that Esme was abused, while Earnest’s wife was an alcoholic. Why can’t the woman be abusive?

Edythe. Edward’s character is strongly informed by his gender, yet I can’t imagine girl Edward being any less creepy. In case any of my readers have read @theoriginalcarnivorousmuffin‘s fic Lily and the Art of Being Sisyphus, I picture Edythe as the character Tequila. Which is to say girl!Edward gives strong vibes of an intense and creepy (it’s Edward) lesbian. Given Edward’s backstory, Edythe would still be turned, though. So, that still happens.

Eleanor. Mauled by a bear. Alright. I have no thoughts on that. I lied, I do. Eleanor’s uninspiredness is one of the reasons why this book is redundant. There’s nothing to do with this character, and so nothing is done. Nothing changes. Which, if we’re changing everyone’s gender, then the meaningful way to do that is to look at how that would change things. How has male and female socialization affected Edward and Bella? Who would Jessamine, Carine, Royal be? These questions are unfortunately rhetorical because Life and Death sure isn’t answering them.

Jessamine. It’s nice that Jasper isn’t a confederate in this AU, but I just find the story of Jessamine contrived. Besides, Jasper wasn’t supposed to be in the army, he lied about his age. If gender changes nothing, wouldn’t Jessamine crossdress her way into the army? Not that I’d want her to, glad she didn’t, but... Like the other Cullens, Jessamine’s backstory becomes a thought exercise of “How can I make the Cullens still happen, and as close to their original backstories as possible?”, one in which the answer is apparently to treat their backstories like check points. Jessamine gets turned by Maria, check, becomes warrior, check. It just feels so lazy to me.

Royal. Easily the worst. Well, Carine is the worst in terms of making no sense, but Royal... don’t genderbend Rosalie, people. And if you insist then don’t take out the rape. It’s just insensitive and uncalled for all around.

Then we have the fact that Aro and Caius were killed off-screen in a ridiculous manner. Let’s say that they were caught killing Didyme. So what? There’s no vampire cops. They were the leaders of their coven. If they’re caught killing Didyme it would mean Aro is sad because Marcus will leave, and he just killed his sister for nothing. What won’t happen is that they’re executed.

Mele’s power is another thing I take issue with. If a power like hers existed in canon... well, Caius would have a gift, for starters. More, the Volturi guard would be a repository of loyalists who were bequeathed gifts as rewards. The vampire world would be combed for new gifts, as it would only be prudent for Aro to have as many as possible and his potential enemies none. It’d be a different world, period.

The Volturi debacee seems to me like a misguided shot at girlpower on Meyer’s end, that this time around Sulpicia and Athenodora come out on top while Aro and Caius get their just desserts. Like everything else in Life and Death, it fell flat.

EDIT: Apparently I mixed up my Royces and my Royals. Yikes. Praise be to @toquesreveladores for the catch

[simplyshelbs16xoxo]

‘wreck my plans’ chapter 6: your heart was glass...

FFN | Ao3 | Buy Me a Coffee?

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               They took the night train into Sheffield. Tom sat across from her, a science fiction novel open in his hands. It was only a two hour ride, but Molly wished she had brought something to distract her from everything. Instead she sat there, her heart hurting, wishing she had the courage to bring up what she needed to speak to him about. There had been a lack of that lately, courage. The first weekend of the new year, she had a symposium to attend where she’d be giving a talk about her most recent published article.

               Curious, she decided to at least say something. “Did you ever read my paper? The one that was published a few weeks back?”

               Without looking up from his book, Tom furrowed his brows. “What paper?”

               “It was the one about the unusual cases of tandem bullets and how to spot the findings of such an injury,” Molly reminded him.  

               “Uh, no, sorry, Molls, can’t say I have,” he replied, still not looking at her. “You know it’s not my cup of tea.”

               Not his cup of tea, indeed. She rolled her eyes. Of course he hadn’t. But Sherlock had. And without prompting. A small smile bloomed on her face at the memory. He had told her it was brilliant. “My clever Molly,” he called her.

               Molly turned her head toward the window, watching as more stars dotted the sky the further from London they got. She blinked her eyes slowly, fighting the exhaustion she felt. It wasn’t long before everything went black, dreams of Sherlock in her head. This time, she didn’t fight them. They were lovely dreams of Sherlock kissing her, holding her, touching her, making her his. It was more than she could bear. Then they were dancing, the song playing in the background tugging at her heart.

                                     Goodbye, my almost lover

                                   Goodbye, my hopeless dream

               Tears stained her face as she slept. She’d cry an ocean for him, the water’s colour matching his eyes. He was calling out to her, her name like a prayer on his lips. What followed were the words she had longed to hear him say: I love you. And damn it, she could no longer deny that she loved him too.

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               Arrived in Sheffield safe and sound. It probably won’t be long until I’m dead to the world. Happy Christmas to you too, Sherlock. And thanks for thinking of me.

                -Mx

                Sherlock read over her words several times before finally setting his phone down to look over the sheet music in front of him, adding the final notes to his composition for her. Reaching for his violin, he put the bow to the strings, allowing the first sorrowful notes to overcome him. The music coursed through his veins as it poured out from his heart. The tone shifted into something tender, romantic. He thought of her eyes, her laugh, her smile; the way she lingered long enough to drive him crazy when she kissed his cheek.

                Downstairs, Mrs. Hudson listened to the music—she loved it when he played—with tears in her eyes. “You poor dear…” she blubbered, using a tissue to blow her nose. She so wished he would just tell Molly how he felt. There was no doubt in her mind that the girl loved him back. They were both so damn stubborn.

                 As Sherlock brought the music to a close, he let out a ragged breath. Setting the violin back in its case, he thought of how much he wished he could have her here for Christmas. He wasn’t overly fond of the holiday, but it sparked joy in her. They could spend it together—just the two of them by the fire, he in his chair and her, legs curled up on his lap. It was a nice little dream. Sherlock so desperately wanted her to know he loved her. He wasn’t giving up without a fight this time.

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                  Molly looked around at all the once-familiar faces. The house was crowded with Tom’s family—people she met only a small handful of times—but she never felt so alone in her life. When she thought of family, images of John and Mary showed up, Greg, Mycroft, Mrs. Hudson, and, of course, Sherlock. They were the ones she should be spending Christmas with. It wasn’t that Tom’s family was awful—quite the opposite. It had been so long since she had a parent-like figure in her life.

                   “Have you two set a date yet?” his mother asked. She threw a stealthy wink at her son.

                   Tom shook his head, amused by the question. “We discussed April in the beginning, didn’t we, Molls?”

                   “Hmm?” she said sleepily. “Oh, uh, yeah.” They only discussed it, never officially choosing anything yet. Or, at least, she never did. “Sorry, just a bit tired from the ride over. Thomas, do you know if my phone is done charging yet?”

                   He headed over to the small charging table across the room and retrieved it for her. “All charged up,” he smiled, leaning down to kiss her cheek.

                   “Thanks,” she replied, a sad smile on her face. Tom did love her, she had no doubt about that, but it wasn’t the way she had always imagined. Then again, life wasn’t a fairytale. But it could be, Mary’s voice rang clear in her head. Molly unlocked her phone finding another text from Sherlock.

                   Glad you made it safely. Have a good night, Molly. Sleep well and have pleasant dreams.

                   -SHx

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.

                   She had no idea how long she sat there staring at the little ‘x’ he added beside his initials just for her. Needing to be alone with her thoughts, Molly headed upstairs. A few people—his mum, aunt, and grandmother—bid her goodnight. She acknowledged them briefly, happy when she was able to turn the corner at the top of the steps. It was another hour or so before Tom joined her. He slipped in beneath the duvet, oblivious to the fact she had been crying. Not that she knew what for. She wanted to start a fight with him if only just to feel something other than the pain that had been eating her up for weeks.

                   “I don’t think I’m who you think I am,” she muttered to him.

                   Tom turned toward her. “Where’s this coming from?”

                   Molly sighed. “From a long overdue conversation, and please don’t just shut me down like you always do. It’s getting old. I think when you met me, I was a shell of the person I am. You fell in love with the wrong girl.”

                   “Come, now, Molls, I know who you are,” Tom tried to assure her. “This is just wed—well, engagement jitters. Is that why we haven’t done much of anything to plan? I know it can be overwhelming.”

                   She shook her head. He really didn’t know her at all. “What’s my favourite colour?”

                   “I—what’s that got to do with anything?” he asked. “It’s green.”

                   Molly smiled sadly. “No, it’s not. It’s yellow.”

                   “It’s just a colour, Molls,” he told her, yawning.

                   “It’s your favourite colour,” she told him.

                   “What is?”

                   “Green,” she replied. “That’s the colour you like.”

                   “Actually…it’s not,” he admitted.

                   Molly scrunched her face in confusion. “Then why do you wear green so much?”

                   Tom ran a hand through his hair. “You said you really liked green on me when we were first dating.”

                    She tried so hard, but couldn’t control the laughter that came out. Tom joined in, knowing how ridiculous they’d been. Sharing a laugh helped lessen the tension, but he couldn’t deny she had a point. Like most things though, he let it roll off his shoulders, chalking it up to nerves or pressure. Maybe if he could make things easier on her. Wedding planning was a bit contrived. Perhaps she’d prefer spontaneity? The cogs were turning in his head, though it wasn’t long before they both drifted to sleep, facing away from one another.

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A Little Over a Year Ago

                “Molly! You made it!” Meena shrieked in excitement. The pub was crowded, music from the house band thumping through the speakers around her. She dragged Molly over to the bar. “I’d like you to meet Tom! He’s a friend of my brother’s!”

                “Hi,” Tom greeted her somewhat awkwardly. He held out his hand to her and Molly shook it.

                “Hello,” she replied, forcing a smile, unable to ignore how he dressed similarly to a certain consulting detective. Some days were still difficult since Sherlock had gone. It had been nearly a year since he left. Molly knew he was alive, but she grieved him just the same. She felt his absence in everything she did, searching for him in the lab or expecting him to come sweeping in the morgue like he did before. Mike had caught her once in the lab, heaving sobs wracking her body.

                “It’ll be alright, Molly,” he had told her, silently asking permission to hug her. She nodded and let him comfort her. He knew how much Sherlock meant to her. “We all miss him.”

                Needless to say, it wasn’t difficult for her to convince everyone of her own grief. She prayed for his safety every single night. And, Meena, bless her soul, was trying to help Molly move on.

                “Would you mind if I bought you a drink?” Tom asked.

               Determined to enjoy herself, Molly replied, “Not at all. Thank you.”

               Meena’s brother joined them moments later, and the four of them traded stories from Uni, laughing at all the shit they got into. It was the first time Sherlock hadn’t lingered in her mind since his departure, and Molly felt lighter than she had in months. Tom was lovely, treated her kindly. They bonded over their love of BBC’s Miranda and Doctor Who. She learned that he liked to go to the pub on weekends to watch football with his mates.

               Molly was hesitant to share anything about her. She certainly didn’t want to tell him she was still grieving the loss of her closest friend, though it would eventually come out later thanks to Meena. She listened to him talk about his family, growing up in Sheffield. When he asked about hers, all she could muster was, “There’s no one left. Just me.” The emptiness left inside her made itself known once more at the reminder that she really had next to no one left in her life. She had Meena, and of course that should be enough, but somehow it wasn’t.

               “Hey…you okay?” Tom asked, breaking her free from the depressing thoughts in her head.

                “Hmm? Sorry.” She laughed nervously. “I tend to get lost in my head sometimes—it’s been happening a lot more often lately.”

                “Nice to see you joining the land of the living,” Meena joked.    

                Molly rolled her eyes playfully. The rest of the night eased her troubled mind. They had gone and played darts, girls against guys. Only by two points, the girls had lost, but it was because of Tom’s insanely accurate throws. She felt flirty with the alcohol in her system, and decided to present a proposition to Tom. “Take one more shot, and if you hit the bullseye—“

                “And what?” he asked, teasing her, his eyes practically undressing her. “Do I get a snog out of this?”

                Meena’s brother whistled loudly.

               Feeling bold, she nodded. “You better not miss.” Surprising her, Tom took a moment to line up the shot and hit it right in the center. Meena and her brother cheered and started shouting in excitement when Molly pulled Tom in for a searing kiss. From that alone, she could feel the void that had been left in her life from Sherlock’s absence start to close up bit by bit. And it left her wanting more.

 Nine Months Ago

               It had been a bit of whirlwind. Molly had dated Tom for a month before they made it official. Now, two months in an actual relationship, she felt content. His gentle demeanor was exactly what she needed in her life at the moment, and she was thankful for it. They were to have dinner tonight over at his place. She was excited mostly to see his dog, Milo, who always looked put out every time he took a whiff of her, smelling her cat’s scent on her clothes.

               “Molly,” he smiled brightly when he opened his door to his flat. “Come on in. Milo’s missed you.” He shut the door behind her after she stepped inside, and kissed her lips firmly. “I’ve missed you too.”

               She laughed, feeling her face flush. “You know I’m only with you for your dog, right?” she joked, bending down to scratch beneath Milo’s chin. He sniffed her, letting out a disapproving growl. “You’ll have to just get used to it, Milo.”

               “I knew you were too good to be true,” Tom joked back from the kitchen. “Milo gets all the love.”

               They eventually sat down to eat the delicious dinner Tom had cooked up for them. There wasn’t a lot he was good at making, but Molly didn’t care much, for she wasn’t one for cooking, herself. “There was this tumor I found during my autopsy today; it was so small, but intricately woven throughout the tissue. So sad for the poor man, of course, but it was fascinating!”

               Tom blanched, fighting the urge to vomit. “Is that so?”

               “Oh! Sorry, I forget I can’t just talk about that stuff with anyone.” Molly wanted to slink beneath the table, embarrassed of her enthusiasm.

               He smiled weakly. “No worries, just maybe no autopsy talk tonight?”

               “Right, of course, sorry.” It was the fifth or sixth time she felt she had to apologise for her more…odd interests.

               They finished up dinner and settled on the sofa for a movie that, about halfway in, was ignored in favor of a little snogging. Molly tried to get herself to relax, matching his enthusiasm in an effort to clear her head.

               “I think I love you,” Tom had spoken against her lips.

               Molly paused, unsure at first, and then spoke slowly, “I think I do too.”

[hopecountyisforlovers]

rant under the cut dont read this if you like pokemon swsh or dont want spoilers. or do if you like to start fights i guess fsjdlfjsdkl

saw a few people say it wasnt so bad and this isnt like. coming after them or anything but sword and shield are just so so rushed that its like. more thought was put into the aftergame i.e raising a real competitive team to battle online than like the. real experience of it. the story is SO so linear that it leaves little room for exploration and theres not much to explore anyway. the gen3 games had more content than sword and shield. i played pokemon sapphire for YEARS after i finished it and never picked up swsh ONCE. and dont even get me started on the fucking mess that is the STORY like. oh my god. its so bad. its literally just the story of su/mo but with absolutely everything done completely wrong. leon and the few hot gym leaders are its absolute only saving grace. the game is PUSHOVER easy and thats coming from someone who cheats at hard pokemon games because i LOVE to be overleveled and feel overpowered and sexy and never lose. not once in swsh did i feel like i earned anything it more felt like it was all just being handed to me. the storyline with hop is depressing and honestly ? that problem pervades what little story there is. its depressing. i do not want to think about the ENERGY CRISIS in the middle of my POKEMON GAME i do not want to see a SAD DEAD CORSOLA what is WRONG with you gamefreak. and its depressing on a meta level because its the beginnings of something awful for a franchise ive loved my entire life, that has helped me get through some of the worst times ive ever lived through. it signifies Making Money becoming more important to them than making something thats actually Fun or Better than what theyve Already Made

and i know. i know its not the gamedevs fault they were put under massive strain and forced to work a ridiculous amount. dont come after me with “they did the best they could with the time they had” or some old bullshit like i KNOW that. but the problems with this game are SYSTEMIC

like i always think of that one scene. im pretty sure it was near the end of the game when theyre setting up rose as a villain where youre waiting for leon, a guy known for getting lost and being late, but because he doesnt show up on time hop gets worried for some reason?? and you find out from oleana or w/e that leon is talking to the chairman and its framed like hes ?? in danger ?? and you have to rescue him?? despite him being the undefeated champion of this region for at least ten years and you being Two Children?? so oleana tells you how to get to the place she clearly doesnt want you to be and you have to battle through all the guys and her to get to leon but once youre there he just. LEAVES WITH YOU of his own volition ?? he was literally never in any danger at all ?? so the only reason we did that was to set rose up for his villain reveal quite literally the VERY NEXT DAY ?? if this was a cartoon or a movie or anything else it would be ripped apart for being stupid and contrived and badly written because quite frankly it Is so why are so many people just OKAY with it it drives me absolutely insane. the game holds your hand to a quite frankly ridiculous degree. at no point can you walk more than about two steps without someone showing up to dump exposition on you and give you free revives you dont need because the game is Piss Easy and tell you EXACTLY where to go like these games that have been out since 1999 still thinks youre too stupid to already know how to play them which granted has kind of always been a thing but NEVER to this extent. a catching tutorial is one thing but this is completely and totally Another 

i just. man sword and shield bums me out. the first mainline pokemon games on what some would call a real console since the n64 and all they amount to is boring predictable garbage with half the content cut out and sold to you for 30 extra dollars after the fact. everything in swsh probably could have been done 15 years ago on the Original DS and i really hope they dont continue with this trend. i really want to be excited for a pokemon game again. i dont want to think that like. theyve already made the last good ones theyre ever gonna make.

in the meantime im gonna play fangames and hacks by people who have actually put love and care into what theyre doing

[anniejnuary]

A Happier Season Part 2/?

part 1

Having forgotten to pick up her keys when she stormed out, Abby found herself ringing the doorbell to her own home. It was a little embarrassing, really. She had a hard time pressing her finger against the button and hesitated several times before doing so. Abby knew she hadn’t acted in the most mature manner. Tearing her ring off, going straight to see Riley. It was stupid and crazy and she found herself struggling to think why it had ever seemed like a sensible idea.

The door opened, far too slowly. Abby held her breath, unsure how Harper would react to her return.

Harper said nothing, which somehow felt worse than if she had yelled. Her arms were folded. Her eyebrows were raised. Abby knew she didn’t deserve such a calm welcome.

Abby pushed a few strands of her hair behind her ear before bowing her head and shoving her hands deep into the pockets of her jacket. The silence was awkward, as Harper’s eyes bored into her. “I’m sorry,” she mumbled.

“It’s okay,” Harper admitted with a shrug of her shoulders. “I have no right to tell you who to spend time with. I just wish you hadn’t stormed off as you did. I also wish we’d admitted to ourselves earlier that things just aren’t working out.”

Abby’s brow furrowed. She wasn’t sure exactly when they had admitted things weren’t working out, but it hardly mattered. She licked her lips. Anxiety had caused her mouth to suddenly become very dry. She didn’t know whether to be honest or hide the truth in order to smooth things over. Of course, lies had never helped their relationship. “Can I come in?” She asked stupidly, as if she didn’t live there.

Harper nodded then moved to one side to allow Abby access.

Abby walked in and headed for the lounge. “Come sit with me?”

Again, Harper nodded. Still, she was silent. She seemed distant, her face was very pale. Abby knew that nothing good was about to happen, but she made the decision then that whatever did happen, it would be as good as it possibly could be.

Sitting on their small, leather sofa felt rather too intimate for the inevitable conversation. Pushed close together, it almost felt as though things could be okay again. It almost felt as though they should talk about how their relationship could move forward. No. It would only delay the inevitable and cause further pain in the long run. Still, despite this she still took a hold of Harper’s hand, although she perhaps gripped it much more tightly than she ever had before. Harper didn’t object or try to stop her.

“I have to be honest. I just met with Riley and uh, it was kinda stupid, considering what we just fought about,” she chuckled, it suddenly occurring to her how ridiculous the situation was. “You weren’t wrong.”

Harper looked surprised, her eyes widening. “I didn’t realise that’s who you’d gone to, but I should have known,” she sighed. “It’s fine,” Harper said, although her quiet, melancholic voice suggested that nothing was really fine. “We both know that this isn’t just about Riley. This is about us just not working any more. I’ve always been really good at being who the people I’m around needed me to be. Since I came out to my parents I’ve been trying to just be more me. I’m not saying you should just go straight to Riley and start something with her. But um. God, this is so embarrassing,” she rolled her eyes, looking up at the ceiling for a moment. “When we met I could tell you needed someone with an edge. Someone who wasn’t afraid to just take the bull by the horns, you know? That’s not really me. So I used to ask myself what would Riley do? Riley is literally perfect for you. In some ways she’s who you fell in love with, and that’s why I got so freaked out to have her suddenly around again.”

“No. I fell in love with a version of you, not Riley. I don’t love Riley. I haven’t even known her long enough to say that. I’m really sorry that you didn’t get to come out in the best way. But, like. We can work through that together. I’m willing to go to therapy with you. Anything” She couldn’t help it. Despite having told herself no, she ended up trying anyway. Agreeing to therapy was a big thing for Abby. She’d been when her parents had died and found the whole process so contrived. She’d been unable to be open in such an environment and after hours of stilted conversation with a clearly frustrated therapist, she had sworn never to attempt such a thing again.

“Oh, Abby.” For a moment Harpers gentle tone made it seem as though she was going to say yes, but then the other seemed to come to her senses. “We have to let each other go,” she said as she glanced towards their hands, hers still clasped within Abby’s. “It’s really stupid of us to try to cling to something that’s never gonna be what either of us wants it to be. I love you, but it’s like we’re running perpendicular. So, so close. But we’re never quite gonna be in exactly the same place at the same time.”

“I love you too,” Abby’s voice wavered.

“Do you? Or do you love a version of me who doesn’t exist any more? A version who you hope to see every day. Do you love me, or are you just waiting, hoping things are gonna go back to how they were? They’re not.”

“I don’t know.” Abby shook her head, suddenly feeling very lost and confused.

“Well, I do,” Harper said as she pulled her hand out of Abby’s. “I also know that we’re ending this now, before we hate each other.” Now it was time for Harper’s voice to break. “Cos I don’t think I can handle you hating me,” she said in a whisper before wiping away her tears.

“I would never hate you,” Abby declared passionately, sounding almost angry that Harper thought such a thing could ever be possible.

“You would. Eventually. Give me your hand.”

“I don’t...no.” Even with her mind made up, she still fought against it. Of course she did. She was terrified of being left all alone again. Alone in the world with no clue how to be alone. Of course, this time would be different. This time she would know what to do. Not that it made the pain and fear any less.

“Yes.” Harper slipped her engagement ring from her finger and pressed it into Abby’s palm, along with Abby’s own ring which she had been carrying in her pocket. “Take them. I want you to have them. We had some good times. Remember those. You don't have to give up this place or anything, either. I’m gonna move in with mom and dad for a bit.”

Abby sighed, before standing. “I need a minute,” She said as she felt her chest tighten and suddenly the simple act of breathing felt almost impossible.

Alone in the bathroom, Abby clung to the sink as she stared into the mirror, wondering how on earth she had gotten to where she was. She was far too old to be looking for the right person. Too much longer and she really was going to wind up alone. And then she realised, she wasn’t upset at losing Harper, simply terrified of the prospect of being alone. That’s when she knew that the decision was correct. Any doubts left. She had her moment. She shed a few tears before splashing some cold water into her face, taking a deep breath and going back out to face something that would be so very difficult whilst also being exactly what both of them needed.

“You need any help packing?” Abby asked brightly as she unclasped the necklace she wore and slid the two rings Harper had given her onto it. The brightness was slightly forced, but it showed how she intended to continue. She wouldn’t dwell. She refused to act sad, even though her heart was just a little broken. She had loved Harper once, afterall. The least she could do was be amicable, even if they wound up not being friends. “Not that I’m trying to rush you.”

“Oh, God, yes please. If you don’t mind. You don’t have to.”

“No, but I want to. Like you said, I don’t hate you. Yet,” she added with a wink.

Harper smiled, then her eyes narrowed slightly as she hesitated. “Are we sure this is the right thing?”

“Were you happy?”

Harper shook her head.

“We both deserve to be happy. So yeah,” Abby chewed on her lip, her vow to not be sad wavering for a moment. “This kinda sucks. But it’s the right thing to do.”

[alltheselights]

Sometimes I look at Harry and Louis and I feel like they're like any other celebrities I don't pay attention to, they distance themselves from us so much to the point we don't know anything that feel special and I don't mean about their private life but even their music announcements we get to hear from tabloids first and it feel sad. If it wasn't for the 1D days we wouldn't probably feel close and care about them like we do now

I think about that sometimes too, but then I also see so many people still joining the fandom these days, so I guess that’s not the case for everyone. It’s kind of a weird thing because I know there were so many challenges for the boys while they were in the band and I know they all still had particular images that they had to uphold, but somehow it often did feel more genuine than a lot of what we see now. Or at least, it felt that way to me. Maybe that was because we got to see them through their relationships with each other, which were difficult to fake, or just because they were younger and less guarded....but it’s hard to say.

With Harry, I feel like his image currently is so far from what I would’ve imagined it to be and I feel very distant from him a lot of the time, which makes me sad. I know a lot of people view the current Harry StylesTM as an extremely genuine version of him, but I personally feel like he has a million walls up and though he may be able to be more honest with a few things now, so much of his image is contrived by his team and their desire for him to be a household name, and the quirky Harry that we saw so much in One Direction is often hidden.

With Louis, I feel like his image is so often marred by the ugly stunts and mistreatment that surrounds him, and even when we do get to see glimpses of his true personality, it’s almost always filtered through these enormous lies and this very heavy-handed Northern chav image....and the vast majority of people believe those lies (that he has a child, that he has a girlfriend, that he isn’t famous or talented enough without One Direction to be successful, that he’s homophobic, etc.) to be the truth. One of the only exceptions is Louis’ interactions with his fans, which is when his true self really shines.

All I ever hoped for with the boys’ careers was that they could finally be free of the enormous pressure and the ridiculous images that were imposed on them during One Direction, but a lot of days, it feels like we just traded bad stuff for other bad stuff, and it does make me long for the days when I felt more connected to the boys. I still love them and I still believe that I know who they are - and that belief is cemented by the small glimpses that I see every so often from Harry and Louis - but I do think it’s harder to see most days.

[frumfrumfroo]

Hello! I'm a (former?) star wars fan who was utterly devastated by TRoS and had to take an indefinite break from the fandom as a result. During lockdown I discovered kdramas and they're my new obsession! I saw that you recommended Coffee Prince and My Love from the Star in a post. I've already seen and loved those (and my own current favourites include Are You Human and Hwayugi) so I was wondering if you could recommend a few more? Thank you!!

Coitenly! /curly

Her Private Life- my new favourite. The curator of an art museum leads a secret double life as a hardcore kpop fangirl; both her identities get off on entirely the wrong foot with famous artist Ryan Gold who has been suffering from an art block caused by the same mysterious painting she’s determined to buy for her idol oppa. If you want a funny, fluffy, character-driven romance where you can really love the leads and will never want to strangle them: this is your show. It is the most purely enjoyable romcom drama ever imo, there’s none of the frustration over ridiculous behaviour or contrived stakes that you typically have to deal with and it has a satisfying, perfect ending. The villains all aren’t so bad after all, everyone gets an arc, the gentle little mystery has a happy resolution, and it’s just about some people facing their issues and helping each other grow. It was very healing to watch in this media climate.

The plot is nothing to write home about and includes a unneeded kdrama cliché towards the end (well-handled and not dragged out, so I forgive it), but the real ‘story’ is the character development and the plot is just a frame to hang that on. Overrall, it’s incredibly refreshing because of the high quality characters and the emotional maturity of the relationship. The leads have insane chemistry, the sexual tension is legit palpable, and the intimacy once they get together is genuinely next level; they are so natural and so endearing it feels like they’re not acting. Ryan Gold is also the best boyfriend in kdrama history and is played by the world’s most beautiful living man, Kim Jae Wook, whom you’ll recognise as our Waffle-kun Sun Ki from Coffee Prince. So it’s got that going for it as well.

Other romcoms: Sungkynkwan Scandal (historical disguise romance! girl needs to dress up as a guy to take the national exam so she can support her family, shenanigans ensue), My Princess (normal girl discovers she’s a lost princess, the guy her ascension will disinherit is in charge of grooming her for the role- it’s cute), Prime Minister & I (contract marriage), What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim (I think this show is pretty overrated but it’s definitely a fun, low-stakes romance with lots of fluff and lots of kissing and we probably all need a bit of that right now).

Change of pace:

Tell Me What You Saw- this is for my clannibals. Crime drama about a green country cop getting tied up in the apparent resurfacing of a famous serial killer who is officially supposed to be dead. She was driven to become a police officer to solve the hit-and-run death of her mother, but she hasn’t made it out of her home town. Then a body is dumped in her neighbourhood and her photographic memory of the scene draws the attention of the big city team leader. Said team leader takes her to meet the reclusive, ex-detective criminal profiler who originally worked the serial killer case.

A bond develops where she acts as his eyes and ears in the field and he trains her to observe like a detective, but our recluse is a very damaged dude and he’s not exactly being forthcoming about his real agenda.

This show has plot and logic issues, sometimes to its profound detriment, but the characters are extremely strong and everything else about it is fucking A+. Atmosphere, acting, action, pacing, intrigue, etc. are all fantastic. The ending was also unexpectedly wonderful and I was so grateful for that. Oh Hyun Jae (the profiler) is a secretive, broken, lonely, manipulative genius who is always fifteen steps ahead of everyone else and I find that very, very sexy of him. He is an anti-hero for most of the series and contrasts with our more idealistic protagonist both in that and in other more subtle ways. Their relationship is super interesting and I ship them really hard.

My Country- I’ll just tell you that the main characters are a mess and the plot leaves a lot to be desired, but watch it for Bang-won. He is a sad angry murder prince and he’s amazing. The whole show is peak eye candy throughout, every episode looks like an epic film with insane production value, so if you want quality action spectacle with a dangerous hot woobie way more interesting than the leads who seems to have wandered in from an infinitely better story to replace the ST- you’re set. Great news, he’s a real historical figure and became king, so they can’t kill him off.

[aion-rsa]

Shameless Season 11 Episode 11 Review: The Fickle Lady Is Calling It Quits

https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

This Shameless episode contains spoilers.

Shameless Season 11 Episode 11

“We’re adults now. This is what adults do. They move on.”

Shameless tows the line over whether Frank Gallagher is actually wise or just so high on his own supply that he’s convinced himself that he’s a street smart genius. The truth of the matter is irrelevant because either way Frank still makes bold declarations as if they were the word of God. He’s a non-stop repository for nonsensical advice and Frank’s teachings have been present through every season, even if they’re lessons that the Gallaghers actively ignore. 

“The Fickle Lady Is Calling It Quits” pushes a narrative where characters need to either move forward or slow down, but a greater source of wisdom that influences the episode’s structure is the laundry list of life lessons that Frank has spewed out for eleven seasons. This direction turns Shameless’ penultimate episode into one of the most emotional and impressive entries of the season and provides the right direction for next week’s big finale.

Previous seasons of Shameless frequently treat Frank like an unrepentant derelict and there are times where he even operates as an outright villain. This final season has worked hard to humanize Frank as he transitions into this feeble stage of his life and it’s been a very powerful experience. Now, an episode away from the very end of Shameless, Frank is at his absolute worst and at this point there’s no hatred towards this passive father figure, only pity. William H. Macy looks utterly lost in these scenes and he’s really put everything into this final season. Macy actually deserves some award consideration when the time comes and this is the episode that he should submit. 

Frank is usually the one that drives the chaos forward in Shameless, right down to the previous episode, but “The Fickle Lady Is Calling It Quits” turns into a somber celebration of all things Frank Gallagher as Liam graciously tries to remind Frank of the indomitable fighting spirit that’s defined him for his entire life. Liam throws Frank’s own advice back at him when he tells him, “Either you run the day, or the day runs you.” 

This episode feeds off of the energy between Liam and Frank from the previous installment and it’s appropriate that Liam is the one that’s with Frank during his weakest moments. Frank can rest easy knowing that Liam is living proof that goodness has come out of all of his selfish behavior over the years and somehow this child has been able to synthesize his ramblings into practical advice.

It’s a lot of fun to return to this farcical side of Frank’s character, but the comedic sensibilities of Shameless continue to be all over the place this season. There are some legitimately funny and subtle jokes throughout this episode, but there are also ridiculous setpieces where good samaritans get steamrolled by a truck. Shameless has always had a dark sense of humor, but it needs to have a little more confidence in itself and not resort to such broad gags that come close to breaking the reality of the show’s universe. Mickey’s consternation over housing complex guidelines feels more natural, and is funnier, than fatality punchlines or extended TikTok dance routines. 

Mickey and Ian’s time in Chicago’s West Side becomes surprisingly fulfilling and it achieves the right balance between comedy and drama. This new lifestyle puts Mickey and Ian at odds with each other and it becomes a strong dissection of their characters as well as how far their relationship has come. Their material is full of great character moments, like how Mickey needs to listen to car crashes and general destruction as a white noise machine to help him peacefully fall asleep. Mickey’s discomfort over his new life becomes so severe that he has to sneak back into the Gallagher house and get up close and personal with the crime and chaos that echoes through the South Side. 

I don’t expect Mickey to completely regress and be unable to forge ahead with Ian in this marginally swankier life, but this feels like a reasonable temporary hurdle for him to clear before the series concludes. Despite how this West Side lifestyle is a productive change for Ian and Mickey, it’s still something that Ian made official while Mickey wasn’t completely on board. It’s an understandable schism between them and the episode is smart to tease them falling back onto old habits, only to do the opposite. 

“The Fickle Lady Is Calling It Quits” teases infidelity and disappointing decisions, but their selfless resolution to the problem is one of the sweetest moments from the entire season and basically what I’ve wanted from these two all season. Every character in Shameless has been through a tremendous amount this season and it’s impressive how Mickey and Ian’s conflict resolution methods have evolved from the volatile place that they were at when the season began.

Mickey and Ian display genuine maturity with their relationship issues and it’s a level of synergy and consistency that Debbie craves. Everyone is considerably worn down from the events of the season and is close to their breaking points, which in Debbie’s case finally causes her to take a long look at why her romantic endeavors have all been so toxic. This introspective attitude is good for Debbie, yet the victim mentality that she adopts and her anger that Frank has “ruined love for her” is a little too simplistic. Debbie has been in healthy relationships that failed because of preventable problems that she instigated. 

Debbie polls the people in her life on how to build connections and stay together when her family is on the cusp of separation, which does carry a level of poignancy, even if not all of the insight that she acquires from the experience is healthy. It’s a storyline that works as well as it does here specifically because it’s juxtaposed around so many changes and goodbyes. Debbie does productive work to better herself, but the direction of her endgame is more than a little confusing. 

“The Fickle Lady Is Calling It Quits” parses out several scenes where an aggressive woman named Heidi causes a wave of mayhem promptly after she’s released from prison. Initially it looks like Heidi’s roaring rampage will intersect with Carl’s new police gig and provide him an opportunity to take down this menace and become a hero again on the force. That’s not at all what happens and it’s madness that Heidi is meant to instead provide closure for Debbie! 

Heidi literally threatens to shoot Franny with a revolver and minutes later Debbie is ready to spend the rest of her life with this loose cannon. The most frustrating thing is that next week’s series finale will likely hint at a happy future for this fresh couple, but based on everything that’s known about both of these characters it seems like it’s destined to go up in flames, perhaps even more quickly than previous relationships.

Carl doesn’t get to take out an angst-ridden recidivist, but he does still find some peace and gain a better understanding of his calling after a season of being frustrated. Carl’s impassioned speech is long overdue, eloquent as hell, and completely right. It also would have been justified several episodes back, but at this point Carl’s pent up frustration over what he’s witnessed at the police department makes sense. 

It’s encouraging that Carl embraces his demotion and uses it to find clarity. It’s still hard to say if this police direction for Carl’s character was worth it in the end, but thankfully it doesn’t suck out his soul or leave him bitter at the world. Joshua Malina is such a hyperbolized schlub through all of this, which is entertaining and also reflects the greater level of incompetence that surrounds Carl while he attempts to do honest police work. 

Carl and many of the Gallaghers are caught in flux when it comes to their new lives, but Kevin and Vee already have Chicago in their rearview mirrors. Vee and Kevin represent a force of confidence and their resolve towards Louisville inadvertently helps many of the Gallaghers work through their own sources of stress. It even feels natural that the person that Kevin and Vee sell their house off to turns into a break for Lip to diminish the colony of ulcers that have been brewing in him all season. This blessed development also doesn’t feel contrived because it’s an opportunity that Lip ultimately botches. 

Liam reminds Frank that he’ll have both good and bad days, but this cautionary advice becomes even more applicable to Lip’s story. It’s heartbreaking how everything sours for Lip and there’s such palpable tension through it all. This is supposed to be Lip’s easy way out to a happy ending and it instead quickly becomes a nightmare. It’s very clear that something is about to go wrong and just how poorly Lip has handled this situation. It’s a slow motion car crash of drama to the worst degree.

This sword is left to hang over Lip as the episode concludes and he almost seems to accept the cloud of hopelessness that’s formed over him. It’s a sad, hollow version of Lip that doesn’t feel dissimilar to Frank Gallagher and his decision to go out on his own terms. Frank’s concluding moments are devastating, but they’re also the only time in the episode where he feels empowered. It’s a turn that fundamentally changes the tone for Shameless’ series finale and has the potential to bring out the best in each character. There’s now a small sliver of hope that Fiona might show up, whereas I was previously convinced that this was impossible.

“The Fickle Lady Is Calling It Quits” is the strongest episode of Shameless’ final season, it contains some of William H. Macy’s absolute best work from the show, and it instills some optimistic confidence for what the series has planned for its final installment. The Gallaghers’ lives are far from over and there’s still a lot that these characters need to figure out before the series’ conclusion. The tragedy that strikes in the episodes’s final moments is a strong catalyst that should bring everyone together and deliver a series finale that’s just as much about togetherness and supporting each other as it is about new beginnings and closing the door on the past. 

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It will also absolutely end on its own terms, just like Francis Gallagher.

The post Shameless Season 11 Episode 11 Review: The Fickle Lady Is Calling It Quits appeared first on Den of Geek.

from Den of Geek https://ift.tt/3dxu4yJ

[louistomlinsoncouk]

Louis Tomlinson: ‘It took some real maturity to understand that One Direction wasn't real life’

I meet Louis Tomlinson at Simon Cowell's London office: a huge, two-room space befitting of a Bond villain at Sony Music’s HQ in High Street Kensington, on the floor occupied by his label, Syco. Cowell, to be clear, isn’t here, but he definitely feels present. A ten-foot portrait of the music mogul smirks down on all those who enter from the minimalist living room wall. Tomlinson, his publicist and I go straight through the frosted glass doors into the office-proper to do our interview, but before we can start the 27-year-old One Direction member turned solo artist needs a cigarette.

Within 30 seconds someone has brought Tomlinson a heavy orb-shaped black ashtray and a cup of tea. He lights up – smoking two more over the next half an hour – and visibly relaxes, leaning back in his chair. Tomlinson has the air of a comedic TV personality: warm, funny and self-effacing, he makes regular references to his hometown of Doncaster (“Donny”), has a loud, theatrical voice and swears like a trooper. “Simon won’t mind,” he says – and mind Cowell shouldn’t. One Direction, one of the most successful boy bands of all time, were Cowell’s cash cow after he brought them together on the X Factor in 2010. Since going on “hiatus” in 2016, all five boys (now men in their mid-twenties) launched solo careers, but only Tomlinson stuck with Syco. Now, Cowell's last vestige of the One Direction big bucks is gearing up to release a debut album, which, as anyone who knows anything about the fervour of the band's fans will be well aware, is already a guaranteed hit.

Tomlinson has, however, taken a big risk. Dressed in a vintage red football shirt, black tracksuit bottoms and black trainers, hair still styled into sweeping boy band perfection, he explains that this new music is “a statement of intent”. Gone are the saccharine, dance-tinged pop beats heard on his 2017 and 2018 collaborations with Bebe Rexha and Steve Aoki. Instead, his latest single “Kill My Mind” is a nineties rock-inspired anthem that sounds like an ode to Oasis. “I spent a long time treading water working out where I fit in the industry,“ he says. “I had to work out what it is I can actually get away with, and just how much I have to play for radio,” explaining that he did the aforementioned collaborations “because I felt like I had Tomlinson says that, unlike former bandmates Zayn Malik and Liam Payne, both of who have released music obviously influenced by hip-hop and R&B, “I can’t really relate to the urban-leaning sounds you hear on American radio”. Instead, he cites Catfish And The Bottlemen as an influence (“Lyrically, it’s conversational and honest”) and spends his time listening to Apple Music playlist “Kebab On The Night Bus”, which features bands such as The Arctic Monkeys, The Stone Roses, The Who and Idles . The result is a solo output that, finally, makes him feel “really excited and really proud. This is where I want to be.

So what does he want this new music to say about him, other than he likes guitar music? “I want people to look at me as a good and credible songwriter.” Overall, what I want from my lyrics is honesty,” he elaborates. “I want it to be real. I don’t want them to feel Hollywood or contrived.” Most of the album is “very autobiographical”, but he’s also taken care to keep it “exciting”, after listening to the earliest version of it and feeling that “A lot of it sounded quite sad.” Tomlinson, who lost his younger sister earlier this year, references the single before “Kill My Mind”, “Two Of Us”, which is about his late mother, Johannah Deakin, who passed away in 2016 after a battle with leukaemia. “That’s a very, very honest song, but it was also very emotionally heavy. I don’t want to be known as that guy.” What, the stereotypical mope with a guitar? “Yeah, exactly, I don’t want people feeling sorry for me. I want people to feel good when they listen to my music. That’s one of the amazing things we had with One Direction.”

Together with Liam Payne, Tomlinson did a lot of the writing for One Direction, which, on reflection, he thinks he was driven to do so that he might find his role in the band. “This isn’t a relatable statement,” he acknowledges, “but I imagine that anyone who’s been in a band or boyband will understand this feeling. There were definitely times in the band that I felt like I could do more or sing more, which is why I actively tried to get better as a writer, because I thought that would be my outlet.”

Now Tomlinson feels like he's found his writing groove, but is he worried the One Direction fans might not like his new music? “Yeah and that’s what creates a bit of a conundrum actually, because that’s very relevant for me,” he says. “I feel like, to a certain degree, we all owe them something. We are where we are because of them, it’s as simple as that.” As my colleagues here at GQ can attest – this 2013 interview with the band got us death threats – upsetting fervent One Direction fans is not an action to be taken lightly. He says that he’s “deliberately included songs on the album that feel a little bit transitional, so it won’t be too alienating towards the fans”. Lyrically, however, he feels like he still “writes what they want to hear, because it’s honest and it’s real and it’s me pouring my heart out”.

But with a ready-made audience come anxiety-inducing benchmarks. “Having the experience of being in 1D was incredible and it’s given me so much to work with, but it’s also hard in terms of expectation, because that was the pinnacle of what we were,” he says sombrely, referring back to the time spent mulling over how to balance making music that’s authentic with finding his place in the mainstream. “If I’d done this interview two years ago, I’d have said to you that if my album doesn’t get to No1 I’ll feel like I’ve failed. It embarrasses me saying that shit out loud now, but it took some real maturity to understand that One Direction wasn’t real life... Everything I’d been shaping my experiences around was something that wasn’t real life, even in the music industry.”

We laugh about those heady days, when he was 18-24, fresh out of Doncaster and making the kind of money 99.9 per cent of us can only ever dream about. “There was a solid time when I spent a long time looking at the most stupid, ridiculous things to spend money on,” he says when I ask him about his own crazy popstar purchases, having read that Liam Payne once bought the Ford Anglia from Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets. “I’ve got a long list of random movie props that starts with the great opener of the leg braces that Tom Hanks wears in Forest Gump. Have I ever got them out? No. I looked at them when I bought them like, ‘Oh, this is amazing,’ but really, I’m not a showy person, I’m not going to have them on display in my house.” Also stored away (“I’ve got Hard Rock Cafe in one cupboard”) are the swords from Kill Bill.

[...]

Has he ever considered retiring out of the public eye? “I’ve thought about that loads of times. It’s only the fans, and the fact I have a point to prove to myself, that keep me getting up every day and getting on to do it,” he says. “When I’m 50, I’m going to go off and get my coaching badges and I’m going to manage some youth team and win the FA Youth Cup with them.” So with all the intense media scrutiny, the feeling that you owe millions of people around the world well, something, and a hugely successful stint as a musician already under his belt, what’s he’s still trying to prove with his solo career? “People and the press love to say, ‘Oh, A and B will do well, but the rest of the lads, they’re not going to do anything.’ So my point I’m trying to prove is that I’m still going to be here in ten years, I hope”.

[dailytomlinson]

I meet Louis Tomlinson at Simon Cowell's London office: a huge, two-room space befitting of a Bond villain at Sony Music’s HQ in High Street Kensington, on the floor occupied by his label, Syco. Cowell, to be clear, isn’t here, but he definitely feels present. A ten-foot portrait of the music mogul smirks down on all those who enter from the minimalist living room wall. Tomlinson, his publicist and I go straight through the frosted glass doors into the office-proper to do our interview, but before we can start the 27-year-old One Direction member turned solo artist needs a cigarette.

Within 30 seconds someone has brought Tomlinson a heavy orb-shaped black ashtray and a cup of tea. He lights up – smoking two more over the next half an hour – and visibly relaxes, leaning back in his chair. Tomlinson has the air of a comedic TV personality: warm, funny and self-effacing, he makes regular references to his hometown of Doncaster (“Donny”), has a loud, theatrical voice and swears like a trooper. “Simon won’t mind,” he says – and mind Cowell shouldn’t. One Direction, one of the most successful boy bands of all time, were Cowell’s cash cow after he brought them together on the X Factor in 2010. Since going on “hiatus” in 2016, all five boys (now men in their mid-twenties) launched solo careers, but only Tomlinson stuck with Syco. Now, Cowell's last vestige of the One Direction big bucks is gearing up to release a debut album, which, as anyone who knows anything about the fervour of the band's fans will be well aware, is already a guaranteed hit.

Tomlinson has, however, taken a big risk. Dressed in a vintage red football shirt, black tracksuit bottoms and black trainers, hair still styled into sweeping boy band perfection, he explains that this new music is “a statement of intent”. Gone are the saccharine, dance-tinged pop beats heard on his 2017 and 2018 collaborations with Bebe Rexha and Steve Aoki. Instead, his latest single “Kill My Mind” is a nineties rock-inspired anthem that sounds like an ode to Oasis. “I spent a long time treading water working out where I fit in the industry,“ he says. “I had to work out what it is I can actually get away with, and just how much I have to play for radio,” explaining that he did the aforementioned collaborations “because I felt like I had Tomlinson says that, unlike former bandmates Zayn Malik and Liam Payne, both of who have released music obviously influenced by hip-hop and R&B, “I can’t really relate to the urban-leaning sounds you hear on American radio”. Instead, he cites Catfish And The Bottlemen as an influence (“Lyrically, it’s conversational and honest”) and spends his time listening to Apple Music playlist “Kebab On The Night Bus”, which features bands such as The Arctic Monkeys, The Stone Roses, The Who and Idles . The result is a solo output that, finally, makes him feel “really excited and really proud. This is where I want to be.

Tomlinson has, however, taken a big risk. Dressed in a vintage red football shirt, black tracksuit bottoms and black trainers, hair still styled into sweeping boy band perfection, he explains that this new music is “a statement of intent”. Gone are the saccharine, dance-tinged pop beats heard on his 2017 and 2018 collaborations with Bebe Rexha and Steve Aoki. Instead, his latest single “Kill My Mind” is a Nineties rock-inspired anthem that sounds like an ode to Oasis. “I spent a long time treading water working out where I fit in the industry,“ he says. “I had to work out what it is I can actually get away with and just how much I have to play for radio,” explaining that he did the aforementioned collaborations “because I felt like I had to.”

Tomlinson says that, unlike former bandmates Zayn Malik and Liam Payne, both of who have released music obviously influenced by hip-hop and R&B, “I can’t really relate to the urban-leaning sounds you hear on American radio”. Instead, he cites Catfish And The Bottlemen as an influence (“Lyrically, it’s conversational and honest”) and spends his time listening to Apple Music playlist “Kebab On The Night Bus”, which features bands such as The Arctic Monkeys, The Stone Roses, The Who and Idles . The result is a solo output that, finally, makes him feel “really excited and really proud. This is where I want to be.”

So what does he want this new music to say about him, other than he likes guitar music? “I want people to look at me as a good and credible songwriter.” Overall, what I want from my lyrics is honesty,” he elaborates. “I want it to be real. I don’t want them to feel Hollywood or contrived.” Most of the album is “very autobiographical”, but he’s also taken care to keep it “exciting”, after listening to the earliest version of it and feeling that “A lot of it sounded quite sad.” Tomlinson, who lost his younger sister earlier this year, references the single before “Kill My Mind”, “Two Of Us”, which is about his late mother, Johannah Deakin, who passed away in 2016 after a battle with leukaemia. “That’s a very, very honest song, but it was also very emotionally heavy. I don’t want to be known as that guy.” What, the stereotypical mope with a guitar? “Yeah, exactly, I don’t want people feeling sorry for me. I want people to feel good when they listen to my music. That’s one of the amazing things we had with One Direction.”

Together with Liam Payne, Tomlinson did a lot of the writing for One Direction, which, on reflection, he thinks he was driven to do so that he might find his role in the band. “This isn’t a relatable statement,” he acknowledges, “but I imagine that anyone who’s been in a band or boyband will understand this feeling. There were definitely times in the band that I felt like I could do more or sing more, which is why I actively tried to get better as a writer, because I thought that would be my outlet.”

Now Tomlinson feels like he's found his writing groove, but is he worried the One Direction fans might not like his new music? “Yeah and that’s what creates a bit of a conundrum actually, because that’s very relevant for me,” he says. “I feel like, to a certain degree, we all owe them something. We are where we are because of them, it’s as simple as that.” As my colleagues here at GQ can attest – this 2013 interview with the band got us death threats – upsetting fervent One Direction fans is not an action to be taken lightly. He says that he’s “deliberately included songs on the album that feel a little bit transitional, so it won’t be too alienating towards the fans”. Lyrically, however, he feels like he still “writes what they want to hear, because it’s honest and it’s real and it’s me pouring my heart out”.

But with a ready-made audience come anxiety-inducing benchmarks. “Having the experience of being in 1D was incredible and it’s given me so much to work with, but it’s also hard in terms of expectation, because that was the pinnacle of what we were,” he says sombrely, referring back to the time spent mulling over how to balance making music that’s authentic with finding his place in the mainstream. “If I’d done this interview two years ago, I’d have said to you that if my album doesn’t get to No1 I’ll feel like I’ve failed. It embarrasses me saying that shit out loud now, but it took some real maturity to understand that One Direction wasn’t real life... Everything I’d been shaping my experiences around was something that wasn’t real life, even in the music industry.”

We laugh about those heady days, when he was 18-24, fresh out of Doncaster and making the kind of money 99.9 per cent of us can only ever dream about. “There was a solid time when I spent a long time looking at the most stupid, ridiculous things to spend money on,” he says when I ask him about his own crazy popstar purchases, having read that Liam Payne once bought the Ford Anglia from Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets. “I’ve got a long list of random movie props that starts with the great opener of the leg braces that Tom Hanks wears in Forest Gump. Have I ever got them out? No. I looked at them when I bought them like, ‘Oh, this is amazing,’ but really, I’m not a showy person, I’m not going to have them on display in my house.” Also stored away (“I’ve got Hard Rock Cafe in one cupboard”) are the swords from Kill Bill.

Still three years shy of 30 and living between London and LA (where he shares a home with his best friend from Doncaster, Olly), Tomlinson seems to have finally found some balance. 

Has he ever considered retiring out of the public eye? “I’ve thought about that loads of times. It’s only the fans, and the fact I have a point to prove to myself, that keep me getting up every day and getting on to do it,” he says. “When I’m 50, I’m going to go off and get my coaching badges and I’m going to manage some youth team and win the FA Youth Cup with them.” So with all the intense media scrutiny, the feeling that you owe millions of people around the world well, something, and a hugely successful stint as a musician already under his belt, what’s he’s still trying to prove with his solo career? “People and the press love to say, ‘Oh, A and B will do well, but the rest of the lads, they’re not going to do anything.’ So my point I’m trying to prove is that I’m still going to be here in ten years, I hope”.

[seekingluckynumberseven]

Day 6: Welcome to My Life

Blech. Over-steeped tea was the absolute worst. Years of listening to Thunderpants lecture about the proper way to brew a cup couldn’t compete with the mystery in front of her. She wrinkled her nose and shoved the offending cup aside to stare at the email posted in the chat. The black headphones pumped out music, drowning out the random thoughts of a certain red head so she could focus on the puzzle. If she danced a bit to the beat, at least no one was here to see… or yell. The movement in the notes and her body always helped with the nervous energy that came along with investigations. Decisions formed from her analysis became ones of life or death in too many situations.

Mint Eye. Well, they at least stuck to a theme. The colors… the gradient flower background; she snorted. Someone in their marketing department needed to go back to school in this decade. Her playlist may have a lot of 80s and 90s music in it, but the rest of those years could stay right in the past. Especially the colors. 

The words screamed “come to my crazy cult party; Kool-Aid for all!”. The ironic choice of the word magenta made her want to dismiss it as spam. A place where everyone is happy, of hopes and dreams, almost as real as the color that didn’t exist. Only manufactured by humans’ brains to make sense of a world gone mad. But over and over history showed how people cling to those contrived ideals and how far they’d go to make them a reality. That was part of the reason her shadow world even existed.

What really made her pause from out and out dismissing it staring back from the small screen. A quick flip of her wrist revealed an eerily similar designed etched into pale flesh. Seven had figured out this was tied to the mysterious hacker. Was it a coincidence that the Seeker’s Eye in the center of the sword was a simpler version of the stylized green and black eye of this Mint Eye? That this “Unknown” had lured a Seeker to this apartment out of all of the targets walking on the street. Coincidences just didn’t happen in their line of work. 

There was a small chance that whoever had created the design had been exposed to a fictionalized version of their organization. The tattoo that adorned her arm was very different from the rest of the Swords. In a way it was a prototype, it’s artist a designer on a very popular video game franchise. He had “borrowed” and modified the idea of their organization to fit the game world. To say that Juno had been unhappy was an understatement. Even more so when Kali had asked him to design a new “sword” to fit her. But the artwork could hide in plain sight because of the game. The old guard truly didn’t understand the need in a world where secrecy was becoming rare. Where unknown hackers could breach the defenses of an organization like theirs without breaking a sweat.

It was a bit rude that they hadn’t invited her or Seven to drink their Kool-Aid. Happiness was in short supply in the secret agent biz. If anyone deserved a few hopes and dreams, it was the red headed hacker. Her imagination was very good at creating dreams that involved him. No cult help needed there. Too bad there truly wasn’t a paradise that could make them into reality. The smirk on her face was wiped off at the now cold, bitter taste of the tea. Ugh… she’d forgotten in her daydreaming. A message popped up in the chatroom before she could empty dump offending brown water.

707: Kali…

707: It’s late. You’re still up?

Kali: Yeah. Don’t sleep much.

Kali: Anyway, I was thinking about you.

707: Me?

707: Oh… Were you thinking about me because you’re nervous?

707: I’m sorry I can’t do anything more for your safety.

Kali: No sorries. Not that at all. 

Kali: That wasn’t at all what I was thinking about tbh.

Kali: Really, I can take care of myself. Any word from V?

707: I tried…

707: But it seems V doesn’t have any service right now.

707: But I left a voice message, so he’ll call me as soon as he hears it.

707: All the RFA members, including you…

707: must be careful for the time being…

707: Please… I hope no one gets hurt because I wasn’t good enough…

Kali: Hey. It isn’t your sole duty to keep everyone safe. We have some responsibility too.

Kali: Plus you’re trying really hard. I’m sure we’ll be fine.

707: That’s… that’s not always the case….

707: You can say that because you don’t know much about me.

707: Kali….

707: I don’t think I’ve told you much about myself.

707: what kind of work I do for the agency…

707: And dark things like that.

707: To be honest…

707: I wanted to show people in the RFA

707: only my bright and fun side.

707: Because the work I do is nothing but dark and filthy.

707: I didn’t want to tell anyone about that.

707: But…

707: now that this is happening… I feel like I should talk about it a little.

707: Because if anything happens…

707: if anything bad happens because of me…

707: you… and all the other members

707: will be in so much shock…

Kali: Nothing bad will happen because of you. 

Kali: I’d like to know about your workplace tho

707: To be honest, the place I work for

707: is a complete shithole

707: where even a mindless joke can get you killed

707: So it’s actually weird

707: for me to say that nothing bad will happen.

707: It’s the only path I could choose, so I don’t want to whine about it.

707: But… I want you to know this.

707: Nothing good will come out of you knowing,

707: but I’m not a clean and bright person…

707: And

707: since you can be put in danger because of me,

707: we need to keep our distance…

707: If we’re like how we are now, where we can’t meet

707: and you’re neither friend nor family, you’ll be safe.

Kali: Not even friends? That’s really sad. 

707: I don’t know.

707: you and me…

707: did we ever have any kind of relationship?

707: We just talked a bit

707: here in this chatroom…

707: And of course, I enjoyed all those conversations… but even those are pointless for me.

707: You know…

707: I only tried to laugh as much as I can in this chatroom,

707: because of the dark place I’m really in.

707: This shithole… is probably the place that suits me best.

707: I hope the members,

707: and especially you, aren’t harmed because of me…

707: but I don’t know.

707: I’ll be more careful from now on.

Kali: Seven, you need to think about yourself too. 

Kali: I’m always here to listen and I’ll do whatever I can to help you.

707: You are always so kind.

707: I wasn’t wrong.

707: You are an angel.

707: You are so kind to everyone,

707: and even though you just found out about the RFA,

707: you fell for my ridiculous threat,

707: and told us you’d help.

707: If I had just let you go then…

707: told V that this isn’t right,

707: convinced him to send you away…

707: you could have just deleted this app

707: and be free…

707: But it’s already happened now

707: so all I can do is be more careful…

Kali: I don’t regret this Seven. Especially getting to know you.

707: Kali…

707: Thank you,

707: but those words will have heavy consequences,

707: so please be careful of what you say.

707: Please don’t think I’m such a good person.

707: Of course,

707: I’ll take care of everything that’s already happened.

707: I’ll try harder for you because I involved you in all this.

707: Whatever happens,

707: I’ll make sure you’re never in danger.

707: but…

707: once this hacker deal is taken care of,

707: there’s something I have to do first…

707: so things might go a bit slow.

Kali: Seven… the agency, are you in danger working for them? Are they threatening you?

707: Don’t worry about it, Kali ^^

707: I’ll just go back to the Seven I always was, and come back after everything’s finished.

707: I’m sorry for being slow.

707: Please tell me

707: if anything strange happens

707: while I finish up my agency work.

707: Alright, Kali?

Kali: I’ll be fine. Just focus on yourself ok?

707: I really hope so…

707: ^^

707: I have to go now.

707: I plan to finish the agency work in a blink of an eye.

Kali: Seven, be careful. And thank you for protecting me. 

707: I don’t deserve to be thanked.

707: I’ll come back soon. Take care of yourself.

707: Then… Good bye.

<707 has left the chatroom.>

Tears hadn't fallen when the bullet pierced her thigh, nor all the times when Juno would beat her within an inch of death as a “test” of control.  But they fell for him, hot wet trails down her checks. Sadness and anger warred to take dominance. Anger won. The phone hit the wall with a solid thunk, a dent left behind in the white drywall. This… this was what their whole organization was formed to monitor and clean up. The Seekers weren’t fulfilling the duty her grandparents had lived and died for. 

What could she even say to alleviate any of the burden on his shoulders? “Don’t worry about me, Seven. I’m the dangerous one, not you. My bad, the people who own my soul aren’t doing their job. Sorry.” He wouldn’t believe her. No one ever would. And that made her one of the Seeker’s most effective tools, a weapon hiding in the body of a young blonde woman with a sad smile and the eyes of a demon.

[cycwrites]

Oof i dont mind a bellas squared endgame at all

It’s not that I’m opposed, exactly? It’s more that... I feel it changes the tone of the story from the beginning. A meet cute with the most ridiculous premise in the universe between two people taking a hard right turn into a Squared fic seems... contrived? Like I was trying to force it, when the reality is I’m fighting against it but the four of them just.. their personalities mesh so well together. 

I’m still not sold, but the sad thing is I’ve already figured out HOW I could do it, should I choose to continue the story that way.

OR I end it where I originally thought about and immediately start writing a sequel.

Where’s the vodka, I have a headache.