#aj means a lot to me!! he is aware of this!! we talk often!!

[transboykirito]

(regarding my inbox)

okay, i hate making posts like this, it makes me feel gross and i hate upsetting people with this stuff, but today i'm truly eight thousand miles beyond my breaking point.

the mess in my inbox, constantly accusing me of copying and stealing from aj @thegayfromrulid, needs to stop. it's borderline harassment at this point. and neither of us are okay with it. every single time i post a fic - or even an edit, or a cosplay!! - i receive anons telling me that i stole the idea from aj. regardless of the idea, regardless of the form, regardless of my own inspirations.

this has been happening for nearly two years now. it started during pride week of 2021, which is why i didn't upload for every prompt that year. it happened to coincide with a time when aj and i weren't talking, though i'm not sure if the anon(s) knew that, and i didn't want to reply and start drama, nor did i want to outstay my welcome in the event.

since then, there have been pauses, but it always starts again. my band au is apparently copying his, more than just a fling and don't want to miss a thing are apparently copies of rosebud (despite having very little in common aside from being gay family fics), perfectly imperfect is apparently copying one of his sugulis oneshots - me writing sugulis in general is apparently copying aj, despite the fact aj literally said his first sugulis fic was inspired by one i'd previously written!!

i actually deleted a oneshot i write about kazuto and suguha, where i poured a lot of my own personal feelings into it - a lot of my bpd sugu content is incredibly personal in this way. i love sugu and kazuto's relationship (not romantic) because it makes me feel so understood and less alone. someone made the connection that this oneshot had been inspired by conversations between myself and aj and our relationship, and the asks i received were so nauseating i won't even bother vaguely describing what they contained. and still, i didn't want to humiliate myself posting it, and i didn't want to start drama, so i deleted the ask and tried to move on - i didn't sleep until three that morning, and was violently ill with ptsd terrors triggered by the ask i'd received. i deleted the oneshot the next day.

today i reached my breaking point, when an anon accused me of stealing an update to both don't want to miss a thing and other shades of blue. both of those updates were incredibly personal to me. i recently suffered a miscarriage that has been harrowing and nearly impossible to cope with, and so i included those fears in don't want to miss a thing. other shades of blue is entirely inspired by a relationship i lived through and (barely) survived, with my ex-fiance. things in that fic are altered and dramatised for the sake of fiction, but the core of the story is my own experience.

aj and i are both writers. we both want to see people write their stories and share their stories. no two people will have the exact same interpretation of a scene, character or series, nor will two people have the exact same words to express those thoughts. it's part of what makes fandom enjoyable and beautiful - seeing the same characters a million different ways under a thousand different lights.

aj is someone i've always held an immense amount of respect for, as a person, as a writer and as a friend. i continue to love and support his fics as i can, but ironically enough, i don't read that much fanfic these days - half of the things i'm being accused of plagiarising are being first introduced to me by those accusations.

this has also extended to saying i'm vague posting about aj, or implying that i'm spiteful towards him in my posts. aj and i disagree on things (these days, it's usually the anime adaption, progressive and mito) but i would never go as low as to make hateful posts about someone i consider a friend, especially over a fucking ANIME. i've received rape and death threats from people saying they hope i'm sexually assaulted by a mito cosplayer or a eugeo cosplayer, or even an ENTIRE FUCKING FANFICTION in my inbox graphically describing the idea of multiple people i consider friends in this fandom assaulting and murdering me. i need you to understand how fucking detached from reality you have to be to write that kind of thing, because you can "justify" it by accusing me of copying fanfiction, or because i dislike a character and you perceive that to be an insult to a blogger you, in all likelihood, do not know nearly as well as you like to think you do.

i am begging, begging you, whoever you are, please stop. you can support him, you can dislike me, i honestly don't care - i do actually, i care entirely too much, but one person or one group disliking me quietly is far preferable to the abuse i receive in my inbox on a weekly basis. please. stop.

[samwilsonsbabymama]

A Change of Scenery: A Surprise

Pairing: Dad!Angel Reyes x Mom Black!Reader (but anyone can read)

Summary: Y/n spends time with a friend as she deals with Angel being on a long run handling club business. When Angel returns, Y/n has a surprise for him, but he has one for Y/n as well.

Warnings: 18+, fluff, smut, cockwarming, 

Word Count: < 3,300

A/N: Here’s part 4! I’m blown away with the response to this fic! Thank you all for showing me so much love, you don’t know how much I appreciate it! Big thanks to @my-rosegold-soul​ for being such a big help and for being an all around amazing person 💖☀️💖

✨I don’t give anyone permission to copy/translate/repost/rewrite my work. Minors, DNI at all. ✨ 

While Angel and Coco were preparing for their run in a few days, you, Coco’s girlfriend, Alexandra, and the kids went out to lunch. You always had a great time when you hung out with Alex. She was exactly like Coco in every way and being around her always made you feel better. She had a light about her that filled a room when she walked in, and everyone loved her. 

The two of you spent a lot of time together when Angel and Coco were away on longer runs, and this one was no exception. As you waited for your food to come, you planned out what you were going to do while the boys were gone. 

Alex ordered mimosas for both of you, and she eyed you curiously when you chose to drink water instead.

“So, is there something you want to tell me?” Alex asked as she sipped her drink.

You raised your eyebrow in question and smiled when she pointed to your untouched drink. You glanced at your two kids before you reached into your purse and pulled out the envelope.

“I found out yesterday,” you said as you pulled out the ultrasound photos. “I haven’t told Angel yet because I want to do something cute to tell him. It sucks that he has to leave in a few days.”

Alex bounced in her seat as she looked at the photos.

“Wait a minute,” she gasped. “Y/n, why are there two arrows?”

Your face lit up at the question. “Because,” you glanced towards Imani and AJ to make sure they weren’t listening, “I’m pregnant with twins!”

Alex squealed at the news, “I’m so excited for you! Angel is going to flip the fuck out!”

“Shhh, Alex!” you chastised, but you laughed along with her.

“We have to find the perfect way to tell Angel!” Alex said. You could already see the wheels turning in her mind.

You smiled at her excitement, and you couldn’t wait to see what the two of you came up with.

After the four of you ate, AJ and Imani begged to go see Letty. It had been a few weeks since she last babysat and they missed her. Alex gave in and the two young children kissed you goodbye before climbing into Alex’s car.

Angel was home when you got back and when he realized the kids weren’t with you, he was all over you. Since he was going to be gone for around three weeks, he wanted to make sure you didn’t miss him too much. This wasn’t the first run he’d gone on during your relationship, but it was going to be the longest one so far, and you felt as if he were apologizing for leaving for so long. 

Moments after you walked through the door, Angel had you pinned beneath him as he thrust slowly into you. Your eyes were screwed shut as he whispered sweet words into your ear. Angel had teased that you couldn’t stay quiet while he was inside of you, and you were trying your hardest to keep quiet, but he was making it so damn hard. 

You felt him everywhere as he talked you through your orgasm. He swallowed your cries as you came around him and his thrusts never slowed. You wrapped your legs tighter around him as you came in an attempt to pull him in deeper.

Angel pulled out of you and flipped you onto your stomach before sliding back in. His fingers dug into your waist as he continued to fuck you. Your pants were getting louder by the second as Angel split you open. A sharp slap landed on your ass before Angel laid his full weight on top of you.

“Shhhh, mi dulce, you gotta be quiet,” he said into your ear. His body covered yours as he fucked you and he made you feel small. His fingers laced with yours as he continued to rock into you. 

“Angel, please,” you whispered.

“Please what, Y/n?” he teased.

“Please, please, please,” you didn’t know what you were begging for, but you knew that Angel would give it to you.

“You feel amazing, Y/n,” Angel praised. “You’re gonna feel me for days after this.”

You nodded and clenched around him.

“This is the one, Y/n, I know it is,” he said. His hips moved faster and your whines filled the air. 

Angel thrust into you harder and faster as he chased his high. You came around him once again, the tightness of your walls sending him hurtling into his release. His hips stuttered as he released his load into you. You both groaned at the feeling of him finishing inside of you. You felt him slip out of you, and you groaned at the loss. 

You closed your eyes in content and sighed. Just as you were slipping into a peaceful slumber, Angel shook you awake.

You grumbled as he continued to gently shake you.

“Lemme sleep, Angel,” you grumbled again.

“I will, just…” he paused.

You peeked your eyes open and looked at him. “Hmm?”

“Just come keep me warm,” he mumbled.

That got your attention. You moved as fast as you could and climbed on top of him. Angel chuckled and his arms moved to pull you close. Angel slowly pushed himself into you, aware of your sore body. Once he was fully inside of you, you rested your head on his chest and listened to his heartbeat. Between Angel’s roaming hands and the sound of his heartbeat, you were lulled to sleep in no time.

During the weeks that Angel was gone, you spent time with Alex. She’d come up with a great idea of sending Angel on a scavenger hunt and announcing your pregnancy at the clubhouse. And a few days before the boys were due to come back, Alex spent the day at your house helping you get ready.

“I found these shirts for Imani and AJ that say ‘Big Brother’ and ‘Big Sister’ on them,” Alex said as she pulled out her phone to show you the pictures. 

“I like those,” you chewed on your lip.

Alex sensed your mood change and looked up. “What’s wrong, mama?” she moved closer to you and pulled you into a hug.

“What if this is too much for Angel?” you began to cry. “What if we moved too fast and this pushes him away from me?”

Alex held you in her arms as you cried. She rocked you side to side and let you get all of your worries out. When you stopped crying, she pulled back and looked into your eyes.

“Angel is not going to leave you, Y/n,” she said. “From all the time I’ve known him, he has been his happiest with you. I don’t even remember him being this happy with AJ’s mother all those years ago.”

You sniffed and wiped your eyes and gave Alex a watery smile. “Thank you, Alex.” you sniffed again.

“How long have you been feeling like this?” she asked as she pulled you into her side.

You shrugged, “A few days, it’s been really hard without Angel this time.”

“Oh, sweetie,” Alex rubbed your back, “I’m going to come and stay with you until Angel gets back. I’m sure Letty will enjoy some time to herself.”

You both laughed at the thought because you knew for a fact that Letty would jump at the chance of being in the house alone.

You looked at the clock and perked up a bit.

“I’m going to tell Imani and AJ today,” you started looking for your keys so that you could pick them up from daycare.

“Want me to come with you?” Alex asked.

You shook your head, “No, you don’t have to. I’ll take them out for ice cream and maybe to a movie. Ya know, butter them up a bit, soften the blow.”

Alex chuckled, “You know how sweet my niece and nephew are; they’re gonna be the best big brother and sister in the world.” 

You nodded in agreement. “Yeah, those two are pretty sweet.”

After you promised to call Alex when you were on your way home with the kids, you made your way to the daycare.

Your heart melted when Imani and AJ ran up to you when they saw you.

“Mommy!” they cried in unison. They both told you about their day at the same time, often finishing each other’s sentences.

You drove straight to their favorite ice cream shop and they cheered when you parked. You helped them both out of the car and ordered their favorite ice cream while they found a place to sit.

You sat in silence for a few moments while they ate.

“So, I have something to tell you two,” you were a little nervous but you needed to get this out. “AJ, you’re going to be a big brother, and Imani, you’re going to be a big sister.”

“But I’m already a big brother,” AJ responded with a confused look on his face.

“You’re going to be a big brother again, and Imani is going to be a big sister for the first time,” you clarified. Even though they were the same age, Imani and AJ thought it was important to remind everyone that AJ was older than Imani… even though it was by a couple of months.

Imani’s face lit up when what you said registered.

“I’m going to be a big SISTER!” she yelled and bounced in her seat, a bright smile gracing her face.

“Wait! Are you buying a baby!” AJ exclaimed, his excitement matching Imani’s.

You couldn’t help but laugh at what AJ said, you were ecstatic that they were happy about the new additions.

“Well, no, I’m not buying a baby,” you clarified. “There’s a baby in my belly… well actually two babies in my belly.”

Imani shrieked, “Two babies! Mommy has two babies in her belly!”

You were thankful that the shop was empty as you tried to quiet Imani down but AJ joined in with her.

“Imani, do you know what this means?” he questioned and gently shook his sister, and she shook her head. “This means that I get a baby, and you get a baby! We both get our own baby!”

The excitement that the two of them had filled your heart with love. You knew that if they reacted this way, then Angel’s happiness would be even greater.

On your way home, you called Alex to let her know that she could head over to your house. When she arrived, Imani and AJ practically tackled her to the ground.

“Did you know that mommy is having a baby?” AJ screamed when Alex walked through the door.

“And she’s having a baby for me too!” Imani interjected as she climbed onto Alex’s lap.

Hearing their excited words reminded you that this needed to stay a secret for a few days. You and Alex exchanged a look before you sat across from them.

“Imani, AJ, we need to talk.”

When they saw the serious look on your face, they quieted and gave you their full attention.

“I know you are excited about the news,” you began, and you reached out to take their hands in yours. “But we need to keep it a secret because Daddy doesn’t know yet.”

“Why not?” AJ asked.

Your shoulders dropped. “I haven’t had a chance to tell him, but we’re going to tell him when he comes home in a few days.”

“Your secret is safe with me, mommy,” AJ zipped his lips and locked them and Imani nodded and mimicked him and they both stuck the ‘key’ in their pockets.

The next few days flew past thanks to having Alex in the house with you. When Angel texted you that he would be home in an hour, you two set your plan in motion. Alex left to go do her part and you got yourself and the kids dressed and ready to leave. Before you left, you placed the first clue on the bed for Angel to find.

You made your way to your hiding spot outside of the clubhouse when Angel called you.

“Mi dulce, where are you?” Angel’s voice rumbled through the phone.

“Did you see my letter?” you asked, completely ignoring his question.

“I did, but I thought I’d be able to come home and spend the next few hours between your-”

“You’re on speakerphone, Angel!” you yelled as you drowned out the end of his sentence.

Angel chuckled, “I keep forgetting. Hi AJ and Imani, I hope you were good for mommy while I was gone.”

“Always, Daddy!” Imani yelled.

“Did you find the card, Daddy? You gotta come find us!” AJ yelled.

“Yes you do, Angel,” you added. “The clock is ticking, Mr. Reyes.”

“I’m reading it now,” he paused as he read the words on the paper. “Okay, I’m heading to the kitchen to look in the fridge.”

“I’m not going to stay on the phone with you though, your last clue will lead you to me,” you said.

Angel grumbled, “How many clues are there?” he was on clue #2 and searching for the third.

“There’s only ten.”

“Only ten?” he repeated sarcastically.

“Yup, now, I’m going to let you finish-”

“I’m trying to finish inside of you, but-”

“Angel,” you snapped, “speakerphone. As I was saying, I’m going to let you finish, and when you’re done, you can come find us.”

“Hmmm, Coco just texted me saying that you’re sitting across the street from the clubhouse.”

“Angel, please do the scavenger hunt,” you pouted.

“Anything for you, mi amor,” Angel replied before the two of you said your goodbyes and hung up the phone. 

Since everyone knew that you were at the clubhouse, you pulled in and parked near the door. Before you got out, you made sure that your jacket was zipped as well as the kids’ jackets.

“Now remember, keep your jackets zipped until I tell you to take them off,” you reminded the kids.

Part of Alex’s job was to get Felipe and EZ to the clubhouse before Angel got there, and by the looks of the parking lot, she had succeeded. You also knew that since Angel knew where you were, he would not finish the scavenger hunt, so you had about 5 minutes to get ready. 

The moment you went inside, Imani and AJ took off looking for their tios, leaving you by yourself, so you headed over to the bar.

“So are you gonna tell me why Alex practically dragged me out of bed saying that I needed to be here?” came EZ’s voice from behind you.

“You’re gonna have to wait to find out,” you shrugged before giving him a hug and spotting Felipe making his way over with a smile.

“Mija, how are you?” Felipe asked when EZ released you from his hold. “What’s this all about? Where’s Angel?”

As if he had heard his name, the sound of his bike filled your ears and you smiled. You called out to Imani and AJ and had them stand next to you in the middle of the clubhouse.

Angel’s eyes landed on you the moment he walked in and he took calculated steps to get to you.

“What’s all this for, mama?” he asked after giving you a kiss.

“AJ and Imani have something to show you,” you smiled, giving the kids the ‘okay’ to unzip their jackets.

Angel kneeled down to get a better look at their shirts, his eyes flipped between the two for a few moments before his eyes filled with tears.

“Do you like our shirts, daddy?” Imani asked as they stood in front of him.

“I love them, princess,” he said, his voice cracking a bit. “You’re finally going to be a big sister, huh? And AJ’s gonna be a big brother again?” he hugged the two bouncing kids and his shoulders shook as he cried.

When he pulled back, he wiped his eyes before you took a step closer to him. You threaded your fingers in his hair as he placed a kiss on your belly. You two cried together for a few seconds before he spoke again.

“So you’re pregnant?” he asked, his fingers gently grazed your belly as you nodded. “I bet it happened right before I left, I knew that was the one,” he replied with a cocky grin.

You shook your head. “Actually, it happened before that. Way before that,” you replied. “I umm, I might have known before you left.” You chewed your lip as you waited for his response.

“Before I left? And you didn’t tell me?” he pouted.

“I wanted to do something cute,” you rolled your eyes at him.

“You’re lucky that I love you, Y/n,” Angel said with a chuckle.

“Oh! Do you want to see my shirt?” you beamed at him, and when he nodded, you took a step back. You slowly removed your jacket and revealed your shirt to him allowing him to read it. You held your breath as you waited for his reaction.

“Twincess? I don’t-” he gave you a confused look before it clicked. “Wait, so, you’re telling me that I knocked you up twice? I got you pregnant twice!” he shouted before pulling you back to him.

You laughed as everyone cheered around you and Angel. You looked back down at him and smiled, “Why are you still down on your knees, Angel?”

“You make me so very happy, Y/n,” Angel said as he grasped your hand and placed a kiss on your knuckles. “I never thought, I’d find a love like this. Not only do you love me, but you love my son as if he were your own.”

You opened your mouth to speak, but Angel shook his head and continued talking.

“You and Imani are a blessing, and I can’t remember what my life was without you,” Angel smiled as he watched you wipe your eyes. “I was planning on doing this at home and then spending the next few hours between these thighs after you said 'yes’.” He chucked when you playfully rolled your eyes. “But it looks like we’re going to do it here.”

“I’m not having sex with you here again, Angel,” you grumbled when everyone laughed.

“What do you mean ‘again’?” Coco yelled from across the room.

You felt your face get hot as you were filled with embarrassment, but Angel only laughed. “Hey, mind your business,” he chastised Coco before turning back to you and shuffling so that he was on one knee.

“Y/n,” he held your gaze and pulled out a little black box from his pocket. “I want to spend the rest of my life with you. You’re who I’ve been waiting for, and I can’t imagine my life without you. Will you make me the happiest man on Earth by becoming my wife?”

Tears are falling freely from your eyes now as you stared into his eyes. You couldn’t see yourself with anyone other than Angel. Your hand shook as you nodded your head.

“Yes, I will marry you, Angel.”

As soon as he had the ring on your finger, he cupped your face and kissed you like never before.

Part Five

A/N 2: If you ‘liked’ it, please reblog or leave a comment/reply even if it’s only an emoji.

[stop-breaking-my-heart-telltale]

I played these games with my sister (she's never played before now) and I got SO FRUSTRATED with her bc she liked louis in ep1 but then got pissed at him when he was mad at aj for killing marlon 💀she brushed off when I explain it to her but she didn't forgive him and let him get captured... it makes me sad that people still don't bother to care about what he went threw with marlons death. let him fucking grieve GOD...

Oof, I'm sorry, anon. It is frustrating. Hell, remember when ep2 first dropped and so many people were butthurt and pissy that Louis was upset? At least there were a ton of people out here defending him and trying to help explain why he behaves that way.

It's kinda funny though that there are still people in the community who dismiss him in ep2. Not nearly as many as when the ep first dropped obviously, but I still come across posts and comments about it.

Like when I snoop around on reddit [because apparently I just never learn] there'll be posts where this gets brought up and you see shit like "Louis was a dick and he betrayed us!" and other various things of equal dingus quality. I assume at this point it's either new people saying this or people who willfully ignore the Louis side of things.

Like yes, random reddit dingus, I'm aware that Marlon wasn't the best guy around. We all know that he gave the twins away and murdered Brody, we were all there. But this whole idea of "Louis should just get over it because Marlon sucks and Clementine is perfect" is dumb?

It's like when people go back to S1 when Lilly lost her father. Yeah, Larry's a piece of shit and no one liked him, but he was Lilly's father and she loved him even though he treated her bad, and watching Kenny smash his face in was traumatizing? it fucked her up pretty good? and stuck with her and is a major factor in why she became terrible in tfs? and like....... No, Lilly, don't you get it?

Larry was garbage, so you should just get over his death. Why can't you just get over it Lilly, he was only your abusive father who treated everyone like shit, including you. Who cares if he was the only family you had left and your relationship was way more complicated than what we're initially left to believe. He was a terrible person, therefore your feelings about his death are completely invalid and Kenny was right all along.

And yeah, I know it's a little hmmm to use Lilly as an example due to what they did to her character in tfs but you get me.

because Marlon sucks and Clem can do no wrong, Louis' feelings and grief are invalid and he sucks too........... but like no.

Marlon was Louis' best friend for 8+ years. Louis had complete faith in Marlon, and blindly trusted him. He was heartbroken when he found out what Marlon did to the twins and Brody. He didn't wanna believe it. I mean, would you? Your best friend gets accused of murder and giving away the twins to become soldiers for some raiders, and is now threatening to kill your new friend? You wanna believe him because you don't want to believe he could do these things. It's a lot, and I don't doubt that Louis was overwhelmed with all this information and what was happening before him.

But when Clementine appeals to him, Louis gathers all the strength he has to step between them and try to solve this peacefully, to deescalate the situation because yeah, what Marlon did was fucked up and Louis isn't trying to excuse that? He's not trying to justify anything?

But then AJ murders him, and Louis witnesses the whole thing. I don't know about you, but that would fuck me up pretty good. He has every right to be upset and want both AJ and Clem the hell away from him.

God, and then the damn funeral.... yeah, great idea, bring Clementine and AJ to the funeral, that probably won't cause any issues, yep.

Honestly, I don't blame Louis for leaving when AJ starts talking about wanting to atone [or if you said he's justified, but like why would you?]. He's not thinking rationally, he's grieving, he's acting this way because he's hurting.... but hell, he doesn't even have time to properly do that. It's not like Marlon died and then he had weeks or months or years to work through that before the raiders came pounding at their doors.

Plus, he's got Violet constantly invalidating his feelings and grief because "fuck Marlon just get over yourself Louis you can be such a shithead" and the others probably aren't helping him much given how he's viewed and treated, and he can't talk to Clementine because things are still uncomfortable there...... so he's by himself coming to terms with everything.

Throw in his guilt over AJ getting shot and well..... it's not great.

But no.... Louis should just get over it. Marlon was a liar and a murderer and that means everything you had with him in the past 8 years doesn't count so..... get over yourself, Louis.

I cannot roll my eyes any harder.

Sidenote, but if you look through some of these people's other posts, they'll comment about how Luke didn't react to Nick's death in S2 and how bullshit that was, or how Clementine's behavior in ANF was understandable and we give her a rough time, or how Violet's grief over losing the twins or being captured is often misinterpreted and we should be more open and empathetic with her...

Now I'm not saying that these people only use certain arguments when it helps the case they're trying to make and ignore these same things when it comes to characters they don't like..... all I'm saying is that it's a little funny that you got what you asked for, but since it happened to come from Louis, you suddenly change your mind and decide he reacted TOO MUCH to Marlon's death and was just too mean to Clem and AJ.

[bluebuckstallion]

the sun will rise again - mlp fic p2

part one contents: aj and big mac are like. 13 and 15. big mac realizes she is a trans woman, and is guided by applejack, but there is much more to it than just that lol. its also a little hard for her. sappy, feel-good, tough internal conflict but overall happy fic. paragraph one is previewed here, the rest is below the cut! disclaimer: there is no transphobia in this fic lmao im not gonna write abt horse transphobia. this is a feel good. but cw for fear of outing (note: i am aware my blog makes posts a little hard to read bc of a glitch, i am trying to fix it at the moment, i apologize D: i rec reading it on tumblr mobile or highlighting the words as you read, im sorry!) paragraph one: The wind whispered lovingly, cooling little Big Mac and Applejack's drowsy heads. A time like this in a young pony's life can be very confusing, something the two of them had grown to be very familiar with. Applejack rested his backside against the trunk of one of his family's old apple trees, if they had no where else to take solace, at least they had the orchard and each other's company, he thought. It felt nice, having this little secret kept safe by somepony you knew would protect it, and who still cared about you just the same. "If nopony accepts us, at least we have each other. I don't care if it's just you and me, Big Mac, we'll be jus' fine." Applejack stated in a soft voice, breaking the silence. He was accepting of his circumstances, no matter how they turned out. As long as him and his sister ended up okay. And again, he was sure they would. Big Mac smiled and folded her hooves neatly, "Eeyup."

-

Applejack worked his fluffy hooves through Big Mac's mane, doing his absolute best to make the fine ginger hair into a braid. He wanted to do something nice for his sister, something to celebrate her bravery and courage in realizing - and telling - Applejack, and he wanted her to feel nice in her own body, even if she couldn't change much right now, or for a while. No matter how small the act, Big Mac was especially grateful. Nobody had ever treated her like this, on purpose at least, like she was a mare. And every chance Applejack could sieze he would do just that, remind her that was what, *who* she was. "So, Big Mac, what do you reckon I call you now?" With that her eyes widened, and her brows furrowed, it caught her off guard. "Like...my name? I didn't know I could change my name..." she let out, slightly confused, a tender hoof raising to her chin as she thought hard. "Yeah!" AJ beamed, not straying from his tedious work. Big Mac, still lying down, started shuffling her hooves again. "Well... I always thought if I were a girl my name would be something pretty, which I mean, I am a girl and all, but I don't feel very pretty ever," she admitted disheartened. "You're plenty pretty! You're an Apple! You wouldn't say Ma or Granny wasn't pretty, would you?" Applejack pointed out, gesturing absentmindedly in the air with his hooves, then promptly returning back to his work, being sure to keep a steady hoof. "Well... Nope." Big Mac blurted awkwardly, pursing her lips. "But-" she began. "No 'but's'!" Applejack interjected, "You're an Apple, and a dang pretty one!" Applejack closed his eyes and lifted his head proudly, putting his non-dominant hoof against his puffed chest, "Look at me, I'm an Apple and I'd say I'm awful handsome, just like Pa!" he said with an endearing foal-like passion and certainty. He chuckled, his cheeks growing slightly cherry as he let out a tiny chuckle, and got back to his work, about a quarter way down the locks. Big Mac grinned slightly, "I suppose," and tapped her hooves together shyly, playing with the grass falling between them. "You know, I always did think my mane was a little long for a stallion," she laughed playfully, diverting from the subject and trying to reassure herself. She went to touch her mane, and was swiftly batted away by Applejack's quick hoof, "Nuh-uh Big Mac, I'm workin' here. Don't go touchin' it now," he said sternly but still non-maliciously. He just wanted it to look perfect for his big sister, he wanted her to be proud, and feel as pretty as she could. Applejack wanted to know how it felt to look pretty, too, but in the way he'd always dreamed of. He wondered often if he'd ever get the blessing of such a wonderful feeling. "Applejack, do you ever wish you were born a colt?" Big mac asked genuinely, still a little unsure of what Applejack was feeling, but knowing there was solidarity in it somewhere, she just had to understand it a little more. "Well - not really," Applejack spat out, his eyes looking away from his busy hooves, and quickly darting back to them before he drifted off in fantasy. He thought about it for a second, and still felt strange. "I wasn't really born a filly or a colt... or anything, I think, I was just born me. And I wouldn't really have it any other way. Sure, I mean, maybe I'd like shorter hair or somethin', or a uh," he struggled to find the words in his young foal vocabulary, "maybe if my nose was a little more colt-ish I'd be happy. But I think I'm pretty happy with me now. I do hope when I'm older my voice is a little better, though. I can't really do much though," he sighed dismissively. He continued, "I don't ever really feel too bad about who I am... I think I just feel happy about who I am. When I see myself as not a colt and not a filly, just a foal, a pony, it makes me real happy-like. But, I don't get too sad unless people are real serious about calling me a filly. I do get sad sometimes though, when I look too much like a filly to other people..." As Applejack placed an orchard blossom in Big Mac's hair, tucked snug and safe behind her ear, a thought went through Big Mac's head. "Applejack!" she jumped up, the rush of movement startling him, who was so concentrated seconds prior. "Let's give you a haircut! It'll be like how you braided my hair for me, we can cut yours!" Applejack nervously rubbed his elbow, then raising his hoof lightly beneath his muzzle, and he began to sweat. "Well, I, what if Ma and Pa don't like it?" Big Mac thought hard as Applejack grimaced, "Well, we can hide it with one of Pa's hats, an' I'm sure they won't mind," she suggested happily. Applejack considered briefly, just for a moment, the downsides of it all. He then immediately turned them all away and smiled so hard his eyes shut, stomping his front hooves against the ground up and down, "Okay, let's do it Big Mac!" As they galloped back to the barn, Applejack had suddenly realized he was so surprised with how much Big Mac had been talking, she never seemed so excited to talk about anything, and he realized how much this all meant to her. It meant a lot to him, too. Especially that his sister was so supportive while still knowing so little, but in her defense, he didn't know much either. It was a very special feeling, he thought to himself, very pleased. They skidded to a halt clumsily as they reached the doors to the barn. Foal-ishly peeking through the front windows, they realized it was only Granny and baby Bloom home, their parents must be out. They looked at each other, grinning, and cantered to the back, sneaking inside through the back door. When they made it to the bathroom, Applejack noted Big Mac looked a little worn out, wearing a tired look on her face. She figured all this chattiness probably made her sister a little exhausted. He shot a reassuring patended Sibling glance at her telling her all she needed to know, not needing words. Big Mac let out a gentle smile. She helped her little brother reach the cabinet above the sink, reaching the scissors that were so high up it took them both working together to reach. Applejack had a slight doubt in his mind, his parents probably didn't want him touching the scissors by himself, did they? But he had his big sister with him, and it had to be done! Nopony else would, and only they understood. Applejack balanced shakily with two hooves on Big Mac's back, warily reaching one back hoof up onto the sink, as he balanced with his two front hooves against the edge of the cabinet. He grasped the scissors between his teeth, and brashly jumped down, just barely missing a potential accident, even though they both knew better than to jump around with scissors, they threw caution to the wind regardless. Applejack happily put his front hooves on the rim of the sink, tapping them and bopping his little head, he looked at his big sister, who began working at his hair. Big Mac chopped with a great lack of care, playfully snipping one strand then the next. Applejack beamed the whole time, simply happy to have it happen, plan or not. Big Mac frequently spun around him, balancing on three hooves and sometimes getting in so close that she held his face with one hoof, his hair with another, and cut with the scissors firm in her mouth. Applejack's body relaxed completely and was kicking and rearing with every cut, wiggling and happily holding his front hooves together and constantly swishing his head from side to side to check how it looked, one side fell to his muzzle, and the other to his chin. He smiled bigger than ever before. With the final snip, Big Mac dropped the scissors carelessly to the tile below. She gently grasped Applejack's chin and turned her sibling's head forward to face the mirror, and his mouth immediately fell agape, his jaw slack, and his eyes slowly widening with the purest joy there ever was. He cupped his hooves to his mouth, removing them, turning his head to the side, and then fixing himself and putting his hooves to his open mouth once again. He felt a soft tug in his throat and his chest, and he couldn't control the watering in his eyes, "Big Mac!!" his voice cracked. "Yes Applejack?" the filly said apprehensively, fearing that she had done something wrong. "Oh Big Mac, oh my gosh I love it so so much!!" He bucked and whinnied, spinning in circles, his once-flowing tail too short to trip over now, and the euphoria of it all was the most overwhelming emotion little Applejack had ever felt. The tugging became so immense he couldn't ignore it, and he acknowledged it by leaping onto Big Mac with a hearty hug, squeezing her tight as his little arms could, and he rubbed his muzzle into her neck. Big Mac politely pushed her hoof between her neck and AJ's hoof, making sure he didn't squeeze too tight, struggling slightly to breathe. This foal was definitely a strong one. "Thank you so much big sis!!! I feel so great!!" he neighed, stepping back, one hoof raised wiping his immense wave of tears. The feeling of euphoria shot through his body in a rush, showing itself in the form of a tiny but powerful hop, as he lifted his legs into the air and threw them around. Applejack rushed back to the mirror, urging Big Mac to come look as well, as she didn't quite see herself yet with her hair "done all proper-like." Big Mac's face became pale, as she felt the rush of a thousand different emotions. The paranoia became astounding again, what if she didn't like how she looked as a filly? What if she still didn't feel right? What if it wasn't - Her thoughts were abruptly cut short by Applejack tugging her over, knowing her sister just sometimes needed a push in the right direction. "Lookie Big Mac!!" he placed his arm cheerfully around her, wrapping it over her back. Big Mac's eyes were glued shut, and she only bashfully peeked one eye open because curiosity would've ate her alive otherwise, and deep down she knew she had to see herself eventually. She uncovered her hoof from her eye, and opened both of them slowly. Her mouth opened ever so slightly, and she wasn't even aware she had stopped breathing, her eyes fluttered up and down the braided locks, along with her heart, and her eyes landed on the blossom in her ear. She couldn't speak, her throat clogged up from such elation. She felt the choking once again, but it wasn't like before, this feeling was quite welcoming actually. It rushed from her throat up to her head, and took her breath away. The sobbing ebbed at her cheeks right away, and she turned to look at her brother. As they spoke with lack of words, they stared with inordinate graditude. As Big Mac smoothly turned back to the mirror, Applejack stomped all his hooves again, one after the other with no apparent order or care, shaking his head in a frenzy as his ears twitched and he smiled a mile wide. He finally felt *pretty.* Big Mac watched herself adoringly, for the first time ever, and felt this acceptance and understanding of herself coursing through her veins with a confidence she'd never had. She blushed, and her ears fell downward, a small smile creeping onto her face. "Applejack," she whispered softly, as if she were too worried the world would hear her secrets. Applejack peered closer with wide, curious eyes, "Yeah Big Mac?" he whispered back. "My name.." she mumbled. Applejack raised his eyebrows, captivated, as Big Mac slowly lifted her hoof to the blossom behind her ear. "Blossom?" Applejack stated inquisitively, before Big Mac could shake her head AJ corrected himself, "Orchard Blossom!" he exlaimed, leaning back and jumping in the air, "Oh big sis, that's so pretty!! I love it so much!!" Orchard Blossom nervously gestured for him to keep it down, as he was prone to being unaware of his volume control. Applejack embarassedly covered his mouth with a shy smile, "Oops, sorry big sis." he cleared his throat, "Orchard Blossom!!" he yell-whispered, the excitement shining through him, he stamped his tiny hooves and clapped them together in celebration. "That's so pretty, Orchard Blossom!" Applejack told her earnestly, loving the new name. "I don't think I want a new name, but I'm really happy ya found one you like!" "Orchard Blossom, Orchard Blossom, Orchard Blossom!" Applejack repeated, playfully prancing in circles, excited by the sight of his short tail, he spun even faster. "What's all that commotion in there? Applejack? Big Mac? Are ya in there?" they heard through the shut door, hoofsteps gradually approaching, painstakingly slow but steady. Both of them felt their hearts drop from their chest as they froze, unable to even fathom moving. How would they explain any of this? Applejack hurried to clean up desperately, brushing the hair together with his hooves, coldly sweating from his brow as he frantically hurried to remove any evidence. He stopped mid-sweep to quickly shove his father's hat on his head, which slumped immediately and blocked his vision. "Oh dangit Blossom, Pa's hat's too big! I can't see!!" Orchard Blossom was still unmoving, sheer panic stopping her very breaths. Applejack felt the tugging in his throat rise up again as he began whimpering.

[purplesurveys]

759

Who was the last person you flirted with? Probably my girlfriend cause she’s the only reason I’d flirt with anyone. Not that I do it a lot though, it’s not really my cup of tea. If other people lived on Mars, would you move there? It would depend if I can even afford the opportunity and if they’re treating Mars as shittily as they did Earth. If no lessons were learned, I’d rather stay here. Who was the last person you flipped off? I haven’t done this in a while because I definitely wouldn’t do this to my family, who are the only people I’ve seen in a while hahaha. Maybe Andrew? when they said one of their witty jokes. Have you ever wanted to run after someone but your legs wouldn't take you? Sure, but only from playing chase as kids. I’ve never had a reason to run after anyone. Who last stared at you? Kimi does this all the time. I got water from the fridge five minutes ago and he stared the entire time.

Who was the last person you cried over? My mom, when she told me mean things a couple of weeks ago. What sound makes you cringe? When someone accidentally directly scrapes their fork against a plate it makes me die inside. Really bad and hoarse coughing also stresses me out, mostly because I feel for the person having to go through it. If the world were to end tomorow, who would you fuck? o_o These questions would usually just ask about who I’d say bye to, but I guess we’re leveling up lol. If this was happening, I’d break all the quarantine rules and go to Gabie to spend time with her and...sure, have sex, I guess. If you had a tree that could grow anything you want, what would it grow? Macarons. Whose photo did you last look at? Gabie took a photo of their neighbor’s dog for me to see. What movie are you craving to see? I can’t wait for the new movie with Kristen Stewart and Mackenzie Davis (who played Yorkie from the San Junipero episode of Black Mirror), I think it’s called Happiest Season. It’s the lesbian pairing I never thought I’d need. What do you think about chainmail? Childish. I never felt the need to join them. What is the book you are currently reading about? I’ve taken to rereading Crazy Is My Superpower, which is WWE wrestler AJ Lee’s memoir. I realize I never actually got to read the last two chapters because school made me busy at some point last year, so I’m revisiting the book again and hopefully make it to the very end this time. Who was the last person to pick you up? Like, physically? Or with a car? In any case, it was Gabie. If someone tells you not to do something, do you do it anyway? Nah I’m not one of those people. I have an unavoidable need to follow the rules or at least, that command, and to bail when a friend decides to break them haha. When's the last time you smelt the awful stench of a skunk? We don’t have skunks here. I'm only aware of how bad it is because their stench is a Jelly Belly flavor lolol. What was the last popsicle flavor you had? Chocolate. Who did you last write a letter to? Gabie. I put in a handwritten letter along with her Christmas gifts. What are you wearing around your neck? Nothing’s on it, just the neckline of my t-shirt. What song best describes you? Right now it’s probably Ain’t It Fun by Paramore. I’m feeling the shoutout more and more as I’m getting older haha. What are your top 5 favorite stores? I don’t really do stores since I really just like eating out more when I’m at the mall, butttttt I guess (in no particular order) H&M, Zara, Mango, Fully Booked, and Satchmi. The first three sell clothes, the fourth is a bookstore, the last one is a vinyl record store that doubles as a café. Have you accidently mistaken a stranger for someone you know? I probably called a stranger mommy or daddy as a kid. Who did you last blow a kiss at? My dog, most likely. Have you ever seen lava in real life? Nope. But ashfall, yes. Our balcony and rooftop were full of it after the Taal erupted last January.   Who last touched you in a naughty place? My girlfriend. If you could speak an animal language, what would it be? I’d love to be able to talk to my dog and find out what he wants whenever he gets all restless and paces around in the living room. How do babies make you feel? Egh, depends on how they behave. If the baby is cute and well-behaved, it reminds me that I really want kids. If they’re thrashing about and wreaking havoc, it reminds me that I still want kids but but that I vow not to be as terrible as whoever their parents are. Why did you last feel guilty? We lost our internet connection last night and given that that’s the biggest thing keeping me sane during the quarantine, I felt guilty being in a foul mood towards my parents and Gabie lol. What compliment do you get a lot? That I’m a magnet for noticing the small details work-wise, and that I’m sincere. I get them an equal amount, I’d say. Have you ever drank soy sauce? I’m Asian and I can tell you that is disgusting and extremely salty and unhealthy. Hard pass. How old will you be on your next birthday? 23. Does your best friend get pissed off easily? Gabie can have a bit of a short fuse. Angela’s chill about everything. Have you ever been on the edge of death? The one time it felt like this for me was when I had food poisoning around five years ago. Nothing like being curled up on the bathroom floor at 3 AM just waiting for death. How do you feel about your school? I’m very proud of it, its history, its culture, and its reputation. It’s my absolute dream school. But I’m not proud of the fact that we have also given the country some of our shittest politicians. What did you last flick? A grain of rice that was on the table. Do you have a disease? Nope. Do you ride a bus often? I never do on my own; I only get to be on them if I’m on a school trip or if we’re on a family vacation and riding a bus is part of the itinerary. I don’t take them because I find them crowded, hot, and some freaks are known to harass/molest women there so I’ve been permanently scared off of buses. Plus I have a car, and I prefer going to places by myself. How many people do you know that have your name? There were two people named Robin and Robyn from AIESEC that I got to meet before I bailed from the application; a Robin from my org; a Robin from my old school; Rihanna’s first name is Robyn haha, so five. We’re a small circle. When was the last time you washed your hands? This morning. How do you feel about the last person you texted? We’ll go with last messaged* because I haven’t texted in a while. She makes me happy. Who did you last bite? I only ever playfully bite my girlfriend lol, that’d be so weird to do to other people... Would you ever make a bucket list? Yeah, but nothing grand. I remember making a bucket list for all the museums I wanted to go to and noting them in one of my old Starbucks planners.

[incorrectmlpquotes]

My Thoughts on Equestria Girls: Rainbow Rocks

Or: Are we sure this didn’t come out in 2004 rather than 2014? Because the “battle of the bands”  story line feels super dated for some reason. I feel like almost every early 2000s cartoon had some sort of music contest episode, and I never liked them. I blame American Idol for making those popular.

Some History:

I’m under the impression that everything in this movie I dislike is a completely subjective thing that wouldn’t bother someone else. I know that, from a movie standpoint, this is much better than the first, but I just don’t like it as much. Everything that warrants complaint comes from a personal hangup that I have (such as: my lack of any musical ability causes me to not care at all whether their band is successful), so if you disagree, I completely understand. These are all my opinions, and I’m aware that this is probably the best of the four movies. (As stated on a previous post, I haven’t watched any of the shorts from 2017 or 2018 as of this entry)  

There were a series of promotional shorts released before the movie debuted that explains how the members of the Main 5 came to play their instruments in Rainbow Dash’s band, and some other random stuff. Here’s the link to the playlist on youtube. Here’s a quick rundown of what I think:

Music to My Ears : meh

Guitar Centered : funny, but kind of mean spirited

Hamstocalypse Now : Hilarious.

Pinkie on the One : exactly what you’d expect it to be

Player Piano: a masterpiece

A Case for the Bass: Applejack is one word, why would she have AJ embroidered on the strap? I know people call her that but those aren’t her initials

Life is a Runway: There’s a reason they didn’t let Rarity write the songs

Shake Your Tale: Bad.

This was a pretty clever way to establish some musical background within the group without taking up time in the movie. It also is some sneaky foreshadowing with Trixie, which I appreciate.

In the actual movie: My nitpicks are going to be less Why is no one in class? Why is doesn’t anyone have homework? Because I realize this is a movie and depicting high school as it actually is would be boring to watch. Besides, there are plenty of other things to complain about.

We open on a scene of this film’s villains. And yes I am going to refer to them as villains instead of antagonists because 1) they are actually a threat and we see them doing bad things, and 2) other people will serve as antagonists. A villain is different from an antagonist, even though the terms are often used interchangeably. 

The Dazzlings are so cool, they make a cameo four years later. Either this is some really deep foreshadowing, or by season seven the writers were so desperate for an ongoing arc, they looked to other properties. But we now know that the guardians banished them over 1,000 years ago. So they really are ancient magic. And now they have to go to high school. Talk about eternal torment… 

Way to take all the credit, Starswirl

We are shown how they are a sort of siren, who feed off of people’s negativity and discord and use their beautiful enchanted voices to cause mayhem. Kind of like a mix between Ursula the sea witch and Spectra from Danny Phantom. Oh my gosh, this is the second one of these reviews that I’ve brought up Danny Phantom. Maybe this is why Butch thinks he’s so popular.

The Dazzlings, we can infer, have been exiled to the EQG-verse from Equestria. So apparently this universe is like the pony version of colonial Australia, where they send all their criminals and miscreants. A solid plan that couldn’t have any negative repercussions. The sirens see a beam of light that must be the one from the last movie. This is good news for them, but bad news for me because now I have no idea how much time has passed the two films. Has it been a couple days? Weeks? Moons? This will make a difference in regards to why people still don’t trust Sunset. But why waste time setting up the story when we can get right into the remix title card?

At this point, I can only assume that principal Celestia threatened to expel students if they told the news or the FBI about the magical winged demon that attacked the school, because no one seems too concerned about that incident.

But they have plenty of time to hurt my baby’s feelings

I’m going to be honest, when I first watched EQG I thought that Sunset was faking her remorseful act after being defeated. As cool as that would have been, she makes a much better reformed bad guy than an antagonist, because she really wasn’t in the last movie that much.

List of “evil” things Sunset Shimmer has done: send fraudulent text messages and emails that honestly could have been pretty easily disproved, made fun of Fluttershy, made fun of the steamers in the gym, somehow divided the school into cliques, ran a mostly unsuccessful smear campaign against Twilight’s bid for dance princess, threatened to destroy the portal to Equestria, transformed into a demon to hypnotize the students, and she dissed the Apple cider. 

Ok, that last one is pretty evil. But what really makes this and all subsequent movies great is that we get to see her learn and grow and change from the experience into a real friend.

I am glad to see that the Main 5 have forgiven her, but no one is quite ready to absolve her of guilt. Like, I might not think she did all that much bad junk, but the students of Canterlot High seem to think she was one tier below Mussolini  in terms of maniacal dictators, so I don’t blame them for being cautious. It takes a lot to earn back trust.

Back in Equestria proper, the Mane six plus Spike are sitting around waiting for the plot to affect them. They kindly provide some exposition and once again setup the fact that only Twilight can go through the portal, because the others can’t interact with themselves. So we think. I will be bringing this up when we get to The Friendship Games.

Back through the portal, Twilight  gets looped into the fact that Sunset has changed her ways. It’s fair to be a little apprehensive to trust someone who, the last time you saw them, was an actual literal demon. (Don’t worry though, Twi, you’ve still got two more unicorns to reform. It’s kind of your thing.)

Don’t reject her love Twilight, it’s all I have to live for

And now it’s time to discuss the small blue elephant in the room. I feel like I really need to explain why I dislike the addition of Flash to any of the plots. He’s kind of a waste of a potential. You want to add a male character: fine. But make them an actual real fleshed-out character. The show has proven that they can do it and do it well. Sunburst and Thorax are great characters who feel like a good addition to the story. And we got a real sense of who they were in one or two twenty minute episodes. I have no clue what this guy’s purpose is except to be a love interest, and this is not the show to do that with. With very few exceptions, the main characters of MLP have not sought out romantic partners, Twilight included. Why would she choose to do so now? I mean, I get why he’s into Twilight: she’s taken the form of a cute teenage girl. But he’s a species that doesn’t even exist in Equestria. She just fell through a portal and instantly got the hots for some weird otherworldly creature…

Wait a minute. Wait just a minute. Perhaps this isn’t compulsory heterosexuality. Perhaps Twilight Sparkle is just a Monster Lover™. I can respect that.

Moving on.

It was so very smart of the writers to have the Dazzlings brainwash the principals in order to get away with this scheme. That makes so much more sense and covers any plot holes that could arise (such as, someone claiming to be a new student despite having no transcript, no grades, and no knowledge of how to hold a pen).

Does time work differently between these two universes? Has it been months in Equestria but only a week in this world? (It really threw me off that the first four season of MLP took place over one year, and these movies don’t help that). And the sad thing is, this could be easily hand-waved away by a single throw away line, but it isn’t.

The Dazzlings are already better villains than Sunset, even from a character standpoint. We know their powers, we know their motivation, and we know they are capable of bringing about an actually believable rift between friends.

Then the best song, best montage, and possibly best scene in any of these films happen: the Dazzling come into the lunchroom and hypnotize everyone. This song is beautiful and eerie and exactly what you would expect a magic spell to sound like. I also enjoy the visual representation of the bands competing (and not just because I didn’t want to hear any of them perform) that we’ll see later. To give credit where credit is due, this movies has some great visual sequences.

Give ‘em the o’l razzle dazzle

At first I thought it was unrealistic that this many kids had bands, but I realized it was probably an effect of the spell. But I might not be the best judge: I think I know maybe three people, plus myself, who don’t play an instrument. I’ll just assume that the Disney channel exists in this universe, and all these children just really want to be famous.

It’s worth sitting through this movie just to see everyone’s pajamas. That’s not weird, right? No really, the scene of them all having a big slumber party is everything I ever wanted from this series. They managed to capture everyone’s personality from an article of clothing. Now THAT’s good character design.

I get the distinct impression that the writers of this don’t like Rainbow Dash.

Oh good, references to technology that couldn’t possibly date this movie in the slightest. Wait… this is Pinkie’s house. Aren’t the Pies supposed to be like Amish or resembling Amish-type folk? What is the human equivalent of rock farmers? Not actual farmers because those exist in the pony-verse. This really confuses me, but Maude’s cameo is fantastic.

The scene with Twilight and Sunset is one of those really well-done moments that reminds me why I love the show so much. It feels really genuine, and supports my argument that it was worth having Sunset as a crappy villain just to reform her.

Ah yes, the sweet, lingering glances that totally platonic female friends share with each other late at night. I know them well.

Our girl Twily seems to be having trouble writing a spell that can double as a catchy pop song (She’s no Lana Del Rey), so they go with an old set list. How long has this band been operational? Weren’t they in a huge feud for several years?

Mac is a close second for best cameo

So we get to watch the band audition, and it goes about as well an actual high school talent show. The CMC are in the outfits from Showstoppers (which is hilarious) and Snips and Snails rap (which is disturbing). In order to keep my goblin brain from exploding while trying to figure out the ages of everyone, I’m just going to assume that this is a combination Middle School and High School. So, if Sunset won fall dance princess four years in a row, she would be in the tenth grade now, so they would be about 15-16. The Equestria Girls Holiday Comic shows Rarity driving a car, so that could be a possibility.

A. Daft. Punk. Reference. Wow. Just wow. (Note: this was more shocking before season five, when there was a character that was basically Lady Gaga. And by basically, I mean very obviously Lady Gaga. Remember when the pop culture references in this show were subtle?)

Dash’s song is quite possibly the most cringeworthy thing I have ever heard. The only defense is it does sound like something a high schooler would write.

On that note, why is Rainbow Dash the lead singer of the group? I mean, I know why, but WHY? (and yes, I am aware that her voice actress is a singer. But Ashleigh Ball uses her normal voice when she performs. Think back to all the songs RD has sung in the previous four seasons before this aired. There are not a lot of solos or high notes. When she sings as Applejack, it is beautiful, but Dash’s voice is grating sometimes)

Really? A battle of the bands is the greatest thing you’ve done at the school? That whole “stopping an actual demon with magic” was just a regular Friday for you? I’ll chalk that up to the brainwashing, otherwise I might go full on rage and throw my laptop out a window.

I guess our merry band of protagonists weren’t paying attention to big cafeteria scene, because they just now figured something suspicious is going on.

Still haven’t fixed the lights in that dim corner of lockers. Fortunately, there are many dramatic confrontations to be had.

I think we’re supposed to see Rarity’s obsession with the outfits as a ridiculous thing, but I think it’s important to distinguish this universe from the one with the professional seamstress who has unicorn magic at her disposal. This is a teenager who has school, extracurriculars, and parents to contend with. If I went through the trouble to hand-make seven costumes for my friends, then found out no one would wear them, I’d be pretty ticked off as well.

Now this is how you montage. We get to play a fun game of “guess which characters are in which band,” and seeing their “humanized” designs. Lotta bootcut pants in this show.

I’m just going to leave this here...

This is some actually effective villainy. The whole school has turned against each other. Maybe they need to learn about the magic of friendship. Unfortunately, the gang is too busy squabbling over band stuff, and Twilight is too distracted to give an overly emotional speech.

No one in the rule book does it say magically turning into a pony is grounds for disqualification...I would assume.

If we’re being honest here, the Dazzlings are better performers than the Rainbooms.

And we’ve come to the crux of things. The scene where they’re locked under the stage is the perfect example of my biggest issue with this movie. I do not like to see Mane 6 fight. I don’t like Trade Ya, I don’t like Putting Your Hoof Down, and I despise Look Before You Sleep. Seeing this otherwise close group of friends constantly have petty arguments, even if it’s for completely valid plot reasons, make me want to turn the movie off. This isn’t a criticism of the screenwriting, it is just a reason why I personally dislike Rainbow Rocks more than the other films.

Of course, they make up because this is about the magic of friendship and what not, but notice how no one actually apologizes for their behavior. No, “I’m sorry that I minimized your contribution to the group or made fun of something you were passionate about.” I realize they were under the influence of magic, but they also knew that! They knew the Dazzlings had the power to turn people against each other! An apology is just a preamble to fundamental behavior change, and if they don’t realize why they were being bad friends, how can they learn from anything?

And the real kicker is, they knew what the Dazzlings were capable of. Twilight read a book about them immediately before going through the portal. It’s not they they just learned that they spread chaos. Why are we fighting? Gee, I don’t know.

DJ-ex-machina. I’m ok with this.

To the movie’s credit, the finale really has one of the best song of the movie. And by that, I of course mean Trixie’s song. Trixie is the most fun addition to the cast. She makes for a fun antagonist, on her own and as a Pawn to the Dazzlings.

Fight scene! Fight scene! We’re gonna have a fight scene!

Now that they’ve put their petty squabbles behind them, it’s time for a big music battle. The Dazzlings pony up harness the energy of the audience to project their Equestrian selves to...I don’t know. Take over the world or something.

This isn’t even their final form

Oh. This design looked better in book form

Sunset is Magic. That’s the show.

So the stones auto-tuned them, and that made everyone mindlessly antagonistic. I’m sure there’s some clever commentary there.

T’was the magic of friendship that killed the beast.

No, you don’t get to just rejoin the plot

Thank you, Trixie.

The real story here is how Principal Celestia will pay off the press.

Thus Twilight goes back to the land of horses, Starlight has been truly forgiven, and my Netflix suggestions will never been the same again.

I want to give a big shout out to the person who put all the captions on the image gallery for this movie’s wikia page. They are funnier than I could ever hope to be.

Some general thoughts:

The scene of Twilight awkwardly yelling “Friendship is magic!” to a room of confused teenagers is the cringiest thing I’ve ever seen, but it got a good laugh out of me. Look at the Dazzlings faces in this scene. “Ok, we legitimately didn’t see that coming.”

One of the reasons that I am so drawn to the show is that they are able to create conflict and drama without being mean-spirited. I have to deal with that kind of nonsense so much in my daily life, I just don’t want to subject myself to eighty minutes of it. But i get it: from a narrative standpoint, this is the most cohesive. There’s some good set up and pay off, and an actually intimidating villain who is actually present in the plot.

I love Trixie so much, I should be dead. She really is the star of the show. I forgot how little we saw of her before season six.

The stinger, oh the stinger. Forget what I said about the pajama party; it was worth sitting through this for the promise of an interesting sequel.

We’ll get to you soon, you marvelous lesbian disaster.

Starlight’s redemption is the best part of this franchise, and it’s worth all the nonsense to hear Rebecca Shoichet’s angelic voice.

From a purely film standpoint, this is probably the best one of the bunch. It has a clear structure, everyone’s motivations check out, there’s an actual climax that feels earned. I just don’t enjoy it. There are worse ways to spend eighty minutes 3.7/5

The worst thing to come from this, however, is the terrifying merchandise:

What Fresh Hell is This?

[fromtheringapron]

WWE SummerSlam 2016

Date: August 21, 2016.

Location: The Barclay Center in Brooklyn, New York. 

Attendance: 15,974

Commentary: Michael Cole, Byron Saxton, and Corey Graves (Raw). Mauro Renallo, John “Bradshaw” Layfield, and David Otunga (SmackDown). 

Results: 

Kickoff Match: The Usos (Jimmy and Jey), The Hype Bros (Mojo Rawley and Zack Ryder), and American Alpha (Chad Gable and Jason Jordan) defeated Breezango (Fandango and Tyler Breeze), The Ascension (Konnor and Viktor), and The Vaudevillains (Simon Gotch and Aiden English. 

Kickoff Match: Sami Zayn and Neville defeated The Dudley Boyz (Bubba Ray and D-Von). 

Kickoff Match, First in a Best of Seven Series: Sheamus defeated Cesaro. 

1. Chris Jericho and Kevin Owens defeated Enzo Amore and Big Cass. 

2. Raw Women’s Championship Match: Charlotte defeated Sasha Banks (champion) to win the title. 

3. Intercontinental Championship Match: The Miz (champion) (with Maryse) defeated Apollo Crews. 

4. AJ Styles defeated John Cena. 

5. WWE Tag Team Championship Match: Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson defeated The New Day (Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods) (champions) via disqualification.

6. WWE Championship Match: Dean Ambrose (champion) defeated Dolph Ziggler. 

7. Nikki Bella, Natalya, and Alexa Bliss defeated Naomi, Carmella, and Becky Lynch. 

8. WWE Universal Championship Match: Finn Balor defeated Seth Rollins to become the inaugural champion. 

9. Brock Lesnar (with Paul Heyman) defeated Randy Orton via knockout. 

My Review

SummerSlam 2016 is one long ass show. I’m aware that’s a bit of a redundant statement because, in the age of the WWE Network, every show is long and, more often than not, they’re also ass. However, the point still stands: this show is a whopping 4 hours and it’s not something you can digest in one sitting on a rewatch. For the record, I totally support making the SummerSlams and Survivor Series and so on seem just as big and important as WrestleMania. It’s fine by me for WWE’s Big 4 to feature absolutely stacked cards. Unfortunately, in modern WWE, this approach also results in the shows running out of gas midway through and some of the matches going on way longer than they should. The 2016 edition of the summer classic isn’t exactly the worst example of this trend, but it definitely shows similar signs of fatigue.

On top of that, it’s such a heel-dominated show. It’s only occasionally satisfying. In their crusade to make the audience finally embrace Roman Reigns, the WWE would pile on the heel victories in hopes the crowd would pop like crazy once the Big Dog got the W in the main event. It’s inherently flawed psychology to think the crowd is just going to accept a long-awaited face win from just anybody. That can really only work in a particular situation. Needless to say, it often failed because while Roman would get the W, the crowd still hated him. Worse here is that he doesn’t even wrestle on this show. So who was this booking supposed to benefit? I guess you could make the argument for Finn Balor, whose Universal title win remains a highlight of his WWE tenure. Even then, it was rendered irrelevant 24 hours later, as Balor would vacate the title due to injury.

With all that in mind, it shouldn’t be surprising that such a heel-heavy show ends on a rather depressing note. Brock Lesnar pummels Randy Orton into a bloody mess and that’s it. That’s the show. Fade to black. It would’ve been fine if placed somewhere in the middle of the card, but it’s such an awkward way to close up shop. They did have a pretty workable story going into the match, and I’m not gonna pass up the rare occasion to see Orton get beaten into oblivion, but talk about deflating. The whole thing winds up looking like a pale imitation of Lesnar’s squash of John Cena back at SummerSlam 2014. Oh, and there’s some drama with Shane McMahon at the end because, as we all know, that’s exactly what the WWE needs: more McMahon family drama!

The far more successful dream match is John Cena vs AJ Styles. Truly something special. It’s essentially the same finishing move and near-fall spam fest that plagues every major WWE main event, but I don’t mind it here. This is meant to be an epic blockbuster between two of the biggest stars in wrestling of the post-Monday Night War era. It makes perfect sense for both guys to throw all of their deadliest ammunition at each other right out of the gate. Styles was in the midst of one of the hottest stretches of his career at this point, but Cena deserves just as much credit here. It’s kind of amazing. For all the times he’s proven that he can rise to the occasion in a big match situation, there are still anti-Cena bros to this day who’ll deny it every step of the way. His record of putting people over isn’t perfect, especially at SummerSlam, but what he does for AJ here is pretty selfless. I don’t think even his haters can deny that.

Overall, SummerSlam 2016 isn’t a bad show by any means but, again, the length ensures it will inevitably start to drag. A shame, because there’s probably a pretty good show somewhere in here. It’s nice that the WWE is trying to make the biggest party of the summer feel important, but too much partying can make even the most diehard fan eventually feel pooped. 

My Random Notes

I can only imagine what someone like Jon Stewart really thinks of WWE’s comedy. I mean, he’s probably had plenty of experience doing his best with bad material, but you’d have to think he had to grin and bear it here at several points.

In light of Sasha Banks’ recent spat with the company, I can really see why she’d be frustrated with her booking. Would it have killed them to have her hold the Women’s title for longer than a month? I know an injury is cited as the official reason she dropped the belt here, but it’s still the first of several instances of them yanking the rug out from under her.

Man, Enzo and Cass were so frickin’ over. They’re such laughing stocks now that it’s quickly become lost to time how much the fans were digging them. Of course, they only have themselves to blame for fucking it all up, but they really did have something special there for a bit. 

Dean Ambrose in his black torn shirt gives me some serious Bobby Heenan singlet vibes.

Funny how the pre-match hype package for Dean vs. Dolph centers so much around who Dolph Ziggler is because, as I’ve stated here previously, I still have no frickin’ idea who Dolph is supposed to be. He’s some anonymous hybrid of HBK, Mr. Perfect, Billy Gunn, and an ‘80s Trapper Keeper with literally no individuality. I find it ironic that he later got into a storyline where he kept changing gimmicks only to never find anything of his own. What a summary of his entire WWE career.

Hey, Balor may have had to surrender the title 24 hours later, but at least this meant him getting another run with the belt in the future, right? Right?!?

Man, Nikki Bella was so frickin’ over. Why does it feel like I’m repeating myself? In all seriousness though, people can hate on the Bellas all they want, but in no way should it be surprising that they still get big pops. They’ve done more for WWE’s mainstream visibility than a lot of other superstars allegedly have.

Speaking of Nikki, crazy to think that she’s only one in the six-woman tag to not hold the Smackdown Women’s title.

I can’t be the only one who felt a little kick to gut when they showed fans waiting outside the now-deceased Toys R Us. I don’t need another reminder that my childhood is dead.

When did Lana drop the accent? I don’t watch Raw and Smackdown weekly anymore, but it horrifies me to know I let this travesty pass me by.

I know some people were upset they allowed The New Day to surpass Demolition’s record for the longest reign as tag champs but I’m totally okay with the decision. Sure, they occasionally get into terrible storylines like this ringpostitis shit, but they’re incredibly over, sell a ton of merchandise, and can wring out some entertainment from even the worst material. If they really wanted to insult Demolition, they should’ve given that honor to The Ascension.

[hopevalley]

bill and feet

An Inch, a Mile; A Minute, an Hour

Words: 4,270Summary: He’d been through the what-ifs tens of thousands of times. If only the rope had had more give to it. If only he’d arrived home sooner for lunch. If only he’d known Martin felt that lonely, or scared, or helpless. Maybe he could have been saved. {Or, Bill returns to the city to sell his family home.}Pairing/Character: Bill & Martin, plus some Nora and Abigail.Prompt: from this meme.Rating: T for themes.Warnings: SUICIDE.Genre: character study, angst, family, friendship.  

Bill’s a fun character and I was kind of shocked to see the lack of ‘fic about him, in particular pertaining to the loss of his son. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the story. Click on the ReadMore for a few story notes.

All right, so the canon for WCtH is pretty sparse when it comes to character backgrounds, and Bill is no exception. We know very little about him, his marriage to Nora, or his relationship to his son, but here are the things that canon does state outright:

His marriage to Nora was an obligation/a way to pay back a favor to Jonas, Nora’s father.

They married to protect Nora’s honor when she ran off with a man but returned unmarried and pregnant.

It’s implied that Martin was Henry’s son. Nora has “always had a blind spot” when it comes to Henry, and Martin is, well, a name shared by Henry’s actor. I don’t think that’s a coincidence.

Bill held Martin when he took his first breaths, and he held him as he took his last breaths. The implication that’s made here is that Nora was not there when Martin died.

Nora felt that Martin was always a burden to Bill, because he wasn’t his blood son.

Without Martin they had no reason to remain married and they both seem very aware of it.

There are more things that are said, but it’s hard to separate the chaff from the wheat, so to speak. Bill says his wife proposed to him, but this is before he admits he married her out of obligation. Either she did ask out of desperation (and he felt obligated to accept), or he was just over-simplifying things (by putting herself in a position where she needed him to step in, she was more or less asking him).

Okay, so here are the headcanons I constructed based loosely on what we were given in the canon:

Martin died as an adult. I know the picture of him is as a child, but the wife isn’t Nora and so I discard it personally and replace it with something that makes a little more sense. I like the idea of the picture being of a younger Martin, but that doesn’t mean he died at that age. I think Nora ran off with Henry when she was much younger, say, late teens, and returned pregnant and young with no idea what to do. Bill, who was raised by her father for the last years of his childhood, was about a decade older than Nora and not very close to her. Truly a marriage of convenience. But if Bill was in his late 20s when he married an 18-year-old Nora, then it’s been twenty+ years. I definitely headcanon that Martin died in his early 20s.

Martin killed himself. I know this is a good wholesome show but let’s not pretend tragedy doesn’t happen, okay? I chose hanging because I feel like shooting himself would put way too much guilt on Bill (for having guns in the house) and absolutely destroy Nora (the blood and mess all over her home would be beyond traumatizing). I constructed it as a deliberate act where Martin planned it to be at a time where his father may have been able to intervene, which is why Bill kind of focuses hard on tiny details. (It’s also something he’s good at, per his job.) This is a little extra tragic for Nora because she wasn’t there for it, and never got to say goodbye. If Martin had died of a long illness, I don’t think she’d be so broken up over his death years later. She is, so it must have been something extremely difficult to process and accept.

Martin had Anxiety and Depression. This is ultimately what drove him to making the call. He felt hopeless, confused, scared. He didn’t know how to ask for help, and in this time period, he’d be lucky if he didn’t end up placed in an asylum for speaking about the way he felt.

Martin was gay. This isn’t something I addressed in the story, because I don’t think Bill would have figured it out, but it’s a personal headcanon that means a lot to me. 

Nora and Bill didn’t have a sex life. I think they care about each other in their own way, but neither of them trust the other with their heart and never did. I also feel that Bill would fully respect Nora not wanting him like that.

Bill loved being a father. But I also think for him, his relationship with his son, being shrouded in tragedy, is also a very personal and private thing.

These are only my personal headcanons; by no means do you, the reader, have to agree with them. This is just my interpretation of this aspect of Bill, Nora, and Martin’s relationship. There are many others!

Anyway, I tried to write this with the idea of a small emotional distance existing between Bill and his memories. Like, I’m sure he sometimes gets lost in grief over his son’s death. I’m sure he cries sometimes when he’s by himself. I’m sure he cried when his son died. But he’s viewing it a few years down the road in this story, and he’s built some walls so that he can view it with some objectivity. 

Bill is the sort of person to compartmentalize his hurt, and I got the feeling from what he does say of his son that it’s not something he likes talking about, but…he can. He’s started to move on and to stop blaming himself so much. It doesn’t take the hurt away, as many of you know, but it does help ease it.

Originally I had a small scene in here between Frank and Bill, where Frank talks about forgiveness, but of a kind not often talked about in the series: forgiving oneself. I took it out because it didn’t fit with the rest, and I think Bill has largely done this already. It just doesn’t have the power to keep him from thinking of the if-onlys and what-ifs. In a manner of speaking, selling the home he watched Martin grow up in is the final stage of his grieving process.

So it’s not that he doesn’t hurt. He does. But he feels it less, now, than he did, and he doesn’t feel it all of the time.

I also originally had a line in the scene toward the end where Bill remembers letting Martin crawl into bed where Martin apologizes for it and Bill forgives him, but took it out. It felt like just a bit too much. 

And yes, the things Bill says to Martin are supposed to lightly reflect what AJ says to Bill in S5E8: Weather the Storm.

Stay tuned for the AU in which Bill is on time and Martin lives. Well, maybe not…but it’s a nice thought.

The song I thought of while writing was this one:

I didn’t explore the deep tragedy of suicide in this story because it’s several years in the past, but if I ever hit up a more detailed/lengthy piece on Bill, it may show up.

[yourenthusiastsays]

Dark Blue Kiss Takeaways

I am no expert when it comes to giving reactions, whether it's about a book, a movie, or a series that I watched. But the thing is, we have thoughts with what we hear, saw or experienced and sometimes it's a lot that we can't put words into it because the feels we had are so much we just can't say it. That's how I felt watching the Darl Blue Kiss. I have so many takeaways that I don't know how to put words in it and just poured out the feels the show had given me by saying it's a masterpiece. For me at least, it is.

I first encounter Pete and Kao in KMA and Kiss The Series. I am snatched with their Tom and Jerry like relationship. No, that's not my trope but somehow Pete and Kao just impossibly make sense. You don't get it? I don't too it's just how they make sense. Well we can say that love moves in mysterious ways (as per MYMP's song says) and that is how I see Pete and Kao.

The following are just MY INSIGHTS with DBK, now, if ever someone came across with this, which I highly doubt, you can just scroll down and not give a damn.

Also a disclaimer, I love the words 'I love', 'I like' and other more so you'll read them often.

CHARACTERS

I love how the series put together the development of each character. Especially Pete and Kao's, well it's their story after all. Growth in Pete and Kao's character are one of my favorites. Pete became mature enough to handle his feelings and make decisions not only basing it with what he wants. It's frustrating to hide a relationship for years but he did it anyway. Kao, although it's scary and difficult wanting to provide everything the people he loves needs and wants, he does it. But being too kind and generous can create problems, and when you're in one it's hard to decide because you don't want to hurt anyone. Close or not. But because of situations like that we learn. How to say no and how to weigh things.

SunMork started on the wrong foot. Maybe it was because of their age but maybe not too. We have experienced life differently that's why being open-minded and understanding should be practice because we don't know each other's story. That's one of the things I like about Sun and Mork. Whilst very different from each other they found something in each other worth risking it all.

When you fall in love it's not a choice, but staying in love is a decision you make. Staying in the relationship, fighting for it is a choice.

Non. He's just a kid, yes he is but he will not be always. Now, he made my head aches every episode he showed up but in the end, he is just a child who wants people to accept him for who he is not what they expect him to be. I know that there are Non in this world and I hope they find what they are looking for.

Cool Gang. KMA and DBK will not be KMA and DBK without these people. Thada, Sandee, and June although side characters make the show more whole. It's good to have friends who would support you and tell you off. That is good friendship and I love them for that. I just wish June would find the one that is for him.

Rain. Is a representation of a good friend and sibling. It's easy to be a friend or a sibling but to be a good one is kinda is. You have to know when to tell them off.

Family Relationship

The series shows different types of parent-child relationship and I love it. Families are different so as the parents and their children. There's this one scene where Pete and his family (with Kao of course) were dining together and talking about the accomplishments of each child. I mean, it is fine to have that kind of conversation, parents being proud of their child's success in one thing but I wish that people would also take into account that children or people are different from each other. They also have different phases or timelines in growth so pushing or comparing their accomplishments with others will just drag their confidence and self-esteem down. In that scene alone, you can see the difference between Pete's father to others and how I wish that most parents will take into consideration about their child's feelings when it comes to situations like that. Parents want what's the best for their children but sometimes, supportive is far different from wanting them to be how they picture they would be. Parents are our guardians, they out light into the path we are taking, but sadly some are blinded with what their roles are. Sometimes they are the ones who put out the light and that's sad, most realized it, after all, is said and done but I hope that by the show, it'll open our eyes to have an open mind and heart.

Pete and his dad's relationship are one for the books. I know it's hard for him but I think that both him and Kao's mom had come into terms with themselves that what matters most is their children's wish and welfare, and that is enough.

Now, Non and his dad's relationship is what we commonly see, whether it's about one's gender or career they choose some parents are like Non's father. Maybe they've experienced something in their past that made them like that but it's also not an excuse to let your child suffer with something he doesn't have an understanding of. Now, I am not an expert when it comes to family relationships but I know one thing for sure, talking it out is a great help.

Timely Issues Awareness

I believe that DBK had put several issue awareness in the series and that's a very big thumbs up to me. Almost everybody is on social media right now, and we have to put it in good use. All phrases to the writers and director for putting it on.

*Safe Sex. It's rare to find shows that promote safe sex. And for DBK to show it with a parent-child scene, wow, that's a big shout out for the show. Some might find it awkward or meh but just what Pete's father said, it's normal to discuss it because you care for the people's health and welfare.

*Social Media Awareness. Some still haven't realized how powerful social media is, especially if you are one of the influencers. With this you can destroy one's life or make a statement. So we have to be careful and vigilant using social media.

*Coming Out. What I learned in the series and with some of my friends is you don't get too out of them. It should be themselves, when they want, how they want. Now, it may be difficult for others to understand but let's put it this way, will you like it if your parents know something about you through other people? No, of course not, you want them to know your decisions and choices from yourself, right? So let's not take that away from each other. Now not everyone will be given an opportunity like that but at least, let's try to be kind and let that decision to that person. It is already hard finding out for yourself that what they think of you is different from what you want or what you are, let's not make it even harder for others.

Some other things I love about Dark Blue Kiss

*The color tones they used. I AM IN LOVE WITH IT.

*Opening. It gives off regal and classic vibe and I like it.

*Tay and New's DBK OST. Don't fight me but it is a mood. Now maybe I am a little biased but I love singing TayNew. Who's with me?

Acting-wise, I applaud everyone.

Tay had just finished 3WBF then started Pete immediately and that just screams professionalism and talent.

New, the first thing I saw in New besides his facial features is his expressive eyes. I don;t know about you but New can convey Kao's feeling through his eyes. And that scene where Kao cries coming out with his mom, I am hurt. I cried too.

Podd. I am so looking forward to his delivery of Sun and he didn't disappoint me.

Fluke and Aj. They surprised me. This is the first time I see them acting and I can't wait to watch them in their next projects.

Dark Blue Kiss has a special place in my heart because I just felt it's every character. Plus I love series that have takeaways. So to the people who made the series possible, THANK YOU!

[nostalgic-blood]

THAT MOVIE THO.

spoilers under the cut of course

Yeah yeah yeah pacing issues, too much cool stuff crammed into a movie with too little time to spare for many characters including AJ and Flutts who unfortunately made no friends and thus, had they not been in the movie nothing would really have affected the plot. They were there for MORAL support okay. Also my favourite gag wouldn’t have worked without Fluttershy. I wish I could watch it again to refresh my memory, but basically they were stowaways on an airship full of pirates, and the pirates find them and threaten them, like eating them or scarring them or SCARRING THEM EMOTIONALLY, and each threat is tailored to a specific pony, and the emotional one focused on Fluttershy. That was great. I loved that gag.

Also the plot was like, simple. EXTREMELY SIMPLE. bad guys show up. Run away from bad guys. search for macguffin that can defeat the bad guys. Bad guys capture good guys anyway. FRIENDSHIP IS POWER THAT CAN DEFEAT--well no, not in the giant rainbow beam smashes into bad guy kind of defeat. The bad guy actually died, and there was a lot of fighting in the climax. Huh.

Well anyway the world building was very good which I normally would never even comment on because when it comes to MLP I usually don’t give two shits about the lore. For instance in season seven they’re introducing a whole bunch of mythical legends that while might be interesting on their own, are presented in a such a way that the episode tends to be a complete bore. What do I learn about Rarity or AJ in an episode where all they do is tell campfire stories? There is no focus on a conflict or any moral lesson (except the small ones in the stories themselves) and little interaction between the main characters. I was so bored by that episode. The Daring Do episode fared even worse and somehow they shoehorned it as Pinkie’s legend (??!!?) despite Pinkie having not read any Daring Do books and having little reason to be on this adventure. (This doesn’t even begin to describe how much Daring Do being real is one of the weakest aspects of the show itself, but I digress)

The only episode that was an interesting way to depict a legend was the Fluttershy episode because figuring out who this historical healer was, was important to curing and preventing the spread of a horrible deadly illness, so that one had great and suspenseful setup with a lot of development for Fluttershy. And frankly I think in terms of legends themselves Fluttershy’s was the least interesting, but because it was framed by a really good episode about Flutters it was the best one.

Oh right I was supposed to talk about the movie.

But yeah, one thing I REALLY like and thought was a possibility in the MLP universe were sky pirates or at least sky sailors or whatever, and HERE THEY ARE, EXISTING! And BEING PIRATES! AIRSHIPS ARE A THING! They even had one in the newest MLP episode. I knew they existed for a long while (one appeared in a small moment during Rarity’s song in Sweet and Elite back in season two) but they were never really utilized until this movie. I don’t know how i feel about tons of all anthro-looking creatures though. I always assumed the world of MLP was all these quadrupedal creatures and if they did stand on two legs it was because they were hybrids with human-like pieces such as minotaurs. Or dragons, but let’s not talk about them.

But here it’s this anthro-cat, and some anthro-fishmen, and then anthro birds, and the big bad is okay because he looks like a primate of some sort, so it makes sense, but the rest of em... ehhhh. I guess since they went OUTSIDE Equestria it makes sense there are a much larger variety of creatures/races, and maybe Equestria is the just the one with the most four-legged equines, but...

Also I think we almost had enough screentime with these new characters to like them. Almost. I was starting to like them, but it wasn’t to the point that if these characters suddenly decided to help the mane six that it’d be 100% believable. Since there wasn’t much time devoted to each of them, the fact that catman decided to side with them just because Rarity in those few precious seconds fixed the hem of his shirt was a little less realistic or believable as it could have been. I get what they were trying to do, but if more time was devoted to it, it would have had much more impact. The pirates especially I thought maybe they would blame the Mane Six for leading to the destruction of their ship, but they were actually really reasonable for pirates that when we first saw them were about to eat them. They realized straight away that the real reason their ship exploded was because their boss sucked.

I could totally believe the Princess Seapony!Hippogriff thing siding with them though. She was just lonely and wanted friends. There were no ethical issues to get in the way at all like murderous pirates or conmen. The fact that the queen did not join them made sense though, since Twilight royally fucked up.

Speaking of Twilight I see a lot of people complaining she was not very Twilight in this movie, doing things that opposed the message of friendship. It made sense to me that she fell back to her more logical, rational way of life though. As they were journeying to find the Queen of the Hippogriffs, normal singing happy friendship methods to solve problems wasn’t really working. They befriended this cat man but he actually just wanted to sell them and was using them. Then they changed the ways of the pirates, but in doing so led the enemy straight towards them. I can see how Twilight thought this wasn’t like Equestria, the land of the colourful happy pastel ponies and their usual modus operandi wasn’t gonna work here. She was desperate! But due to the amount of time they had they could not spend a lot of time emphasizing this, so it may have come off to some people that Twilight was acting a lot more malicious than she is.

Another thing is this movie is clearly not for some random person to walk into a theatre, sit down, and just start watching like they’d understand the movie if it were just a standalone thing. There isn’t much time used up at all to introduce our characters and to make a blind audience care about them. It only really works if you’re already attached to the characters and know who they are, so it really wasn’t a good movie to attract casual moviegoers or anything like that. 

I think another comment complaint is how helpless the ponies are especially when they are outside Equestria. This I thought was odd because we have Twilight who still had her magic which could basically solve anything and do anything if the plot demands in the show. Or Rainbow Dash who is supposedly faster than mach 3 or whatever, but neither of these two used their overpowered abilities effectively throughout the movie, almost like the movie forgot that Twilight could teleport or Rainbow Dash could escape.

But anyway all of that is moot. Why is all the above moot? Because we had a movie with a clear beginning, middle, and end. There were decent songs and a pretty good score. It’d otherwise just be a normal run of the mill 6-7/10.

BUT THAT IS MOOT BECAUSE PINKIE PIE WAS AMAZING IN THIS MOVIE. AND I WATCH MLP FOR PINKIE PIE. SHE IS THE NUMBER ONE REASON I AM INVESTED IN THIS FANDOM AT ALL. AND SHE HAD THE MOST FOCUS OF THE MANE SIX AFTER TWILIGHT.

The biggest issue I always had with adventure episodes which were usually the season premieres and finales of the show was that it was always heavily Twilight focused with the other five on the wayside. I did not want to watch a movie where Twilight solves the problem herself and her friends are hostages, or out of commission, nor not themselves, or otherwise not doing anything that affected the plot. They were just along for the ride. Yes unfortunately this ended up being the case for two of the Mane Six, but that’s just another side-effect of them not making this movie longer or utilizing what time they had effectively. (We could have had less new supporting characters or something, idk)

But luckily for my biased-self it was Pinkie they chose to focus on. When they don’t focus on Pinkie and she isn’t important she’s usually just the mindless comedic relief, which was always a depiction I hated of Pinkie. Equestria Girls Pinkie is exactly this, and that’s why she’s my least favourite in the EG Universe. This is fine if Pinkie’s comedy was actually good, but usually they aim for lolrandom humour when that happens. Pinkie’s comedic moments in the movie were much more often hit than miss. I didn’t really dislike any scene with Pinkie at all! At no point did she seem overly obnoxious. Maybe the time when she was trying to play I Spy, but the rest of the Mane Six were audibly exasperated with her so they were self-aware how obnoxious she can be at times, lol.

Also yes, she did ruin some moments too like a few others. And by ruin I mean, the Mane Six are trying to do something and have a perfectly good plan to do so, but one of the characters do the thing they’d always do and it’d ruin the plan. For Pinkie that was just yelling out loud in the marketplace trying to find help, this led them to being conned by the cat man and almost being captured. Then Rainbow ruined everything when she went overboard trying to turn the pirates by showing off her Sonic Rainboom, which is a very loud and flashy technique catching the bad guys’ attention and ruining their plans. Finally Twilight ruined everything when she straight up tried to steal the pearl. So at least it wasn’t ONLY Pinkie... and all of them to me seemed perfectly in-character or made sense for that specific context anyway.

A good example of an adventure episode where Pinkie isn’t very important but has great comedic moments is the season five premiere. She’s the first to notice the odd smiles and has great expressions and reaction faces to the weird town they’re in, and when the Mane Six are being brainwashed she has some great dry humour as well. Still funny when not even trying to be funny! A good example of an episode where Pinkie is not effective whatsoever at being comedic relief is the season three premiere. Pinkie’s just being really loud and screechy. Even if I did like the flugelhorn bit where she yells “FLUGELHORN” into a flugelhorn while trying to play the flugelhorn.

I think the reason why this movie gave such focus to Pinkie over the other five instead of someone else is that Pinkie is the most popular character among the target audience. All the little girls adore her. She’s definitely not the most popular among the brony community, but I’m glad the little girls have great taste! Also Twilight messes up and SHE gets captured, not all her friends at once! It is her friends who she alienated and ostracized that came to the rescue instead. I like this because even though Twilight is the Princess of Friendship now, it doesn’t mean she’s some flawless individual who is the end-all and be-all to friendship. She is the princess because she has many great friends, and they all complete her. It doesn’t make sense for a princess of friendship to not be doing things with her friends. That’s like Luna with no moon, or Cadance without a husband.

Also while Tempest whatever has a much better backstory than Starlight, I still find it a little annoying that MLP has a habit of infodumping a villain’s (that is meant to be redeemed) backstory blatantly in our face, and now we have to feel sorry for them and completely understand their motivations. I thought her villain song started out strong but fell apart when it just jumped into her backstory like that. Again, if the movie had more runtime we could have explored her backstory and motivations in either much more subtle ways, or with more depth, or not all at once. Still despite her edginess she was one of the more fleshed out new characters, so I’ll give her that. 

The movie actually reminds of two fanfics I’ve read that have sky pirates and a world outside Equestria. In one, the villain is trying to find and kidnap the protagonist for their dastardly deeds, just like in the movie trying to kidnap Twilight for power, and the cast runs across faraway lands to escape. The other just has a bunch of sky pirates. I love those sky pirates. I made a sky pirate AU for ponies once that if I weren’t so invested in my RWBY AU powered by 1000% salt I might actually attempt to write. SKY PIRATES!!1!11!!!

It’s like the movie was pandered directly to me. Good Pinkie content and sky pirates. Yay! So, with all that bias included I’d give the movie a solid 8.5/10. But that’s just me personally. If Pinkie ISN’T your favourite character or you enjoy more complicated plots with more unpredictability you might rate it a more objective 6 or 7 out of 10.

8.5 tho. Just for Pinkie. PINKIEEEEE!!

[yellowsugarwords]

Walking Dead Game FanFiction - "Down By The Pond"

Title: Down By The Pond Characters: Clementine, Kenny, AJ Summary: In a bit of downtime, Kenny teaches Clementine to fish while AJ gets his first ever swimming lesson. Author’s Note: Oh Gooood I’m so sorry that this took forever. As I said in my current projects document, it’s been finals time and I’ve been studying opposed to writing. But now, finals are done and I can get back to it. Thanks for sticking around. I hope you enjoy this :) Requested By: Anonymous ———♥️♥️♥️———- Finally, they felt at peace.

It had been ages, far too long, since Kenny had felt any kind of calm. With each passing tragedy his “calm” period got shorter and shorter. Maybe it was because he was slowly getting used to the chaos. He often argued that the anxiousness he felt merely dwindled from being external to internal, but deep down Clementine knew that was a lie.

They were getting used to this world, even comfortable with it. Too comfortable maybe. But the concern of loosening up seem to vanish from Kenny’s mind seeing the grin that few across AJ’s face as Clementine piggy-backed him down the hiking trail.

“Look AJ, do you see that?” Faintly, Kenny could pick up Clementine’s voice from where he was lagging behind. They had switched off, Clementine giving him the supplies while she took AJ and wandered farther ahead. Not more than a few feet, of course. They had established these boundaries long ago. “That’s a beach.”

Of course, she never got a response.

It had felt like ages since they had been declined from entering Wellington and had been on the road in search of a place to stay, even if it was just temporary. All Kenny cared about was finding them a place to shield their heads from the rain. However, they didn’t have much luck.

There was a squeal from up ahead, and removing his gaze from the forest Kenny capturing AJ’s smile aimed towards the waterfront, giggly with glee over the sight of fresh waves.

“Take him closer, Clem.”

His voice caught the child off guard, halting her walk and turning towards him. She allowed her chest to remain forwards so AJ could watch the waves in mesmerized awe. “Really?”

“Really.” Kenny shrugged. “We’ll take a breather.”

Clem smiled in bliss, sliding down the slight sand hill branching off of the pathway. “Come on, goofball! Let’s take you to the water.”

The happiness in her voice and the smile on his face would always be worth it, even if it dented a few minutes of their hike to their future home. A small detour so that they could be happy, so that they could forget about the world for a few minutes, Kenny would gladly sacrifice.

Kenny, remaining behind to set down their few bags of things, watching as Clementine wandered up to the edge of the water, kneeling and taking the youngest off of her shoulders to let him brush at the water with his fingers. The giggle at the contact of water against his skin pushed a smile onto his supervisors’ faces. They would both agree that he deserved the world.

“How’s it feel AJ?”

The child turned around to face the male speaking to him, waving his arms to get the water off giggling all the way. Kenny took that as an “it feels great”.

Instantly, AJ turned and wobbled his way in deeper. The water had only just barely began to climb his shoes when Clementine swept forwards, scooping him off of the ground and into her arms. “Nice try, goofball!” Despite his squirming in her arms, Clementine remained firm, being ever careful to ensure that he wasn’t in pain.

“No, Clem.” Kenny called, snagging her attention. “Let him go in.”

“What?” She drew out the ‘w’ and stared confusion. AJ matched her gaze, only because he wasn’t aware of what the two were talking about.

“He has extra clothes. Besides, we’ve been carrying him for miles, he could use some leg work.”

“He doesn’t know how to swim.”

“Then we’ll teach him.” Kenny drew closer, positioning his hands on his hips as if the answer was obvious.

Clementine rolled her eyes, sitting herself on the sand and folding AJ into her lap. With ease, he slipped into a comfortable sitting position. “You make it sound like it’s going to be easy.”

“Oh it sure as hell won’t be.” He shrugged, drawing closer. “But it’ll be fun. Here,” He held his arms out, gesturing for her to pass the child between to him. “If you stand back and watch the stuff, I’ll get him started.”

Clementine bit the inner corner of her lip, glancing out to the small lake. They were absolutely surrounded by trees, and the chances of them being filled with walkers was extremely high. AJ was too young to understand to not make a lot of noise, so the chance of them drawing in walkers was great.

Yet, still, she passed him AJ with a mute expression as the boys shared ones of thrilled excitement. As she made her way back to their things, Clementine’s hands stuffed themselves into the pockets of her zip-up hoodie; the one she had switched to since it had begun to grow warmer outside.

How long had it been since she had seen Kenny like this? The thought made her turn, removing her attention from the two backs she studied wading into the water. For Kenny, the liquid barely touched his ankles, but AJ was having the time of his life frolicking in the water that crept closer to his kneecaps with every wobbly step.

It was out of character, especially recently, for Kenny to be so easy-going when it came to progress on finding a new home. Normally, they would wake up, hit the road, and on the way rarely get a chance to break. They walked almost the entire day. So why was he so suddenly keen on hunkering down and taking AJ out for a dip in the pond? Taking a seat and leaning her back against the largest of the luggage, Clementine couldn’t seem to piece it together.

“This way ya goof.” She could hear Kenny claim, a gentle grip on AJ’s arm as he directed him to go deeper in a straight line, opposed to running to capture every ripple in his little hands. He was so innocent. It was amazing how he wasn’t yet tainted by the world around him. It was even a little noble. Was it ironic that Clementine found a toddler and his joy something to look up to? Who knew.

Leaning her head back, Clementine could see AJ jumping up and down, splashing the front of Kenny’s pants in a joyous fit to see what the water felt like seeping through his clothing. Then, before her eyes, she could see AJ push himself through the water, moving back and forth between Kenny and the open waves. Sure it was only from his waist up, but for a toddler, it was impressive nonetheless.

Kenny gave a single, hearty laugh. “He’s a natural!”

“We always knew he was special.” Clementine responded, sitting up more. Luckily, such an action helped cushion her stomach from the laugh that rippled through her at the sight of AJ tripping into the shallow end of water, reaching for something within it. “He keeps trying to catch the waves, he doesn’t know what they are.” Pushing herself to her feet, Clem drew closer to the water’s edge to assist in AJ’s cleanup.

Kenny smiled in her direction, but as he helped AJ to his feet his gaze grew more serious, studying the water he had previously been trying to grab. “I actually think there’s something in here, Clem.”

Wandering forwards to tug the child out of the water, she froze. “What?” Quickly, she swung AJ behind her, resting him against the sand. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, I think there’s something swimming in here.” Gradually, he wandered his way out of the shallow pond. “Like fish.”

Clementine stood mute, hands firm by her sides. A wave of embarrassment flooded her at how she had overreacted to something as simple as a fish. Maybe this was what the world had done to her; it hadn’t made her stronger, it only made her more paranoid. In bitterness, she crossed her arms. “Is that a good thing?”

“If you think a fresh cooked dinner is a good thing, then yes.”

“That’s a great thing.”

“That’s what I thought.” He claimed, patting the girl on the shoulder. “Go grab the fishing rod and catch us some dinner.”

Clementine turned, her gaze following him as he drew closer to AJ and hoisted him off of the ground, attempting to brush the sand off of his pants that had clung to the damp fabric.

“What?” She seemed almost breathless, confused at his request. “Me?”

“Yes, you.” He shrugged. “I gotta tend to this lil bugger. You should go and snag us some fish before they hear us and retreat.”

“I don’t know how to fish.”

Kenny froze, halting his motions. His gaze turned. It didn’t seem to be one of anger or shock, rather of keen interest and intent. “You don’t know how to fish?”

Clementine shook her head. “My Dad was never much of a fisher.” Of course, nobody else in her life had ever taught her. Leading up to the death of her parents, she had been too young to learn how to fish. After their death, survival was key. Learning to fish, cook and drive was all an afterthought. Well, until Kenny came around that is.

“Well we gotta fix that.” Clementine could swear that in that moment, hoisting AJ towards their things and rummaging through the bags for the fishing line they managed to snag, that there was excitement in his voice. She couldn’t help but wonder if he had ever taught Duck how to fish.

“Clem, I’ll get this setup if you don’t mind taking AJ?” He flashed her a smile. “I don’t think it’ll be hard to find him something to do out here.”

Within the instant of sweeping the child into her arms, his only desire was to throw himself back into the water. But this time, setting him down by the waterfront, AJ sat himself down at the shallowest point and watched in awe as the tide washed up and kissed his belly. He gurgled in glee, and the sound was a blessing to both of his caretakers.

“Okay,” The voice, now closer behind her, captured Clem’s interest. “Let’s get you to catch us some dinner.”

Clem’s hands placed themselves firmly against her hips, raising an eyebrow as he held out the single fishing rod to her. “I told you, I don’t know how.”

“And I told you that we gotta change that.” Kenny, wandering forwards, swept his arm around the girl’s shoulders, gingerly tugging her closer to the water.

They waded in slightly deeper than AJ who, upon seeing such, scooted himself forwards to sit by their feet. Their shoes were submerged in the cool tide, sending a brief and single shiver up the girl’s spine before gripping the fishing pole extended out to her.

“Okay, I’ll set you up.” Carefully, Kenny swept his hands over Clem’s. He placed her hands in the proper positions, pulling away and smiling at her. “Now, let’s practice before we find you some bait. Just cast it out.”

“How?”

Kenny chuckled playfully, as if a dream was coming true being able to teach someone how to fish. He turned around, scanning the beach before snatching a small twig and holding it the same way Clem held her fishing rod. “Okay, watch me first and then follow my lead, okay?” Swiftly, Kenny flicked his wrist, showing how the line would find it’s way into the water. “Like that. It’s in the wrist, okay? Try it.”

Clementine, nervously staring at the pole before her, attempted to follow Kenny’s lead. When she turned to her side, Kenny was smirking and promptly gave her a thumbs up. “Pretty good for a first timer.” He chuckled. “Now let’s find you a worm.”

Just as Kenny went to scan the beach for one, he caught AJ squishing a worm in each of his hands, giggling and poking at the two strange creatures in his little palms.

“AJ’s already better at this than me and he’s a toddler.”

Kenny laughed audibly at Clementine’s claim, reaching down and sliding out of the duo out of AJ’s hands. He squealed at the feeling of the worm slipping it’s way out of fingers and Kenny popped back over beside the girl, placing the worm onto the end of the line. “Okay, now just cast that out. Then we play the waiting game.”

Clementine nodded, a small smile of confidence against her cheeks as she cast out her line followed by a proud pat on the back.

“Beautiful. Now we just gotta relax and wait.”

As they waited, Clementine watched Kenny kneel to speak with AJ in the water. She watched as the toddler proudly held up the worm he had previously to be met with giddy smile from Kenny. He seemed glee at the idea that AJ was finding enjoyment in their break.

Maybe this was going to take them a ways off of their destination. Maybe it was going to be difficult to continue to push themselves onto the road again. But maybe, at the end of the day, it would be worth it.

Clementine learned to fish. AJ was wading in the shallow water, snagging worms and playing with shiny rocks found under the surface. Looking at the both of the kids he was in charge of, they both seemed happy. Dare he say, they both forgot about the horror of a world they lived in.

Clementine, looking past the water, watched the grins of the boys beside her. AJ paddling through the water on his hands and knees and Kenny smiling as he watched the kid he knew he needed to raise. In that moment, she would even say that Kenny looked happy.

Suddenly, Clementine felt a tug.

“Hey, look at that!” As Kenny hoisted AJ up to get a better look, he gurgled at the sudden thrashing of a fish dancing on the surface of the water. “Reel ‘em in, Clem!”

With a grin, she did exactly that.

Maybe Kenny didn’t mind it taking them a while longer to find a place to stay. Maybe it was just what they needed after all. ———♥️♥️♥️———-

[earthnashes]

Did a quick doodle for the Infected!AU again, this time of Big Mac and Granny Smith! I’ve been itching to draw the two of them; it’s been quite a while since I last did, and I’m happy with the result. Also the first time I’ve drawn them anthromorphic! :3 Once again, though, don’t mind what he’s holding too much; it isn’t his actual weapon, it’s a farming tool, and the only reason it’s here is just to give him something to hold over his shoulder (like I did with AJ). Could I have done a gun? Yes. Was I too lazy to draw one? Yes. As for the fam pic, it was mostly to put them all together and partly to show off the height differences. Big Mac’s clockin’ in at about 7ft there.

Anyway, the characters: let’s start with Big Mac. He, like the rest of his family, are the de-facto lead farmers of the settlement (which I’ve started to tentatively call “Sanctuary”) Shining leads. Aside from farming and the occasional outing to hunt, Big Mac is basically a “blacksmith”, if you can call it that. Not in the traditional sense, but in the sense that he’s really handy stallion that can fix and build primarily weapons and tools, given the right supplies. He can kinda work on cars too, but that’s more Caramel’s thing.

In this AU Big Mac still doesn’t talk much, but moreso if that’s at all possible. His usual quips of “eeyup” and “eenope” don’t happen as often, and he opts to answer with his expressions, body language, or huffs of sound (grunts, laughs, snorts, you get it). There’s rumors among the kids that it’s because he remained quiet to avoid getting found by the Infected for so long that he forgot how to speak. Which honestly isn’t too far from the truth: not that he’s forgotten how to speak, but he prefers to listen and watch than to speak. You never know what’s lurking in this world, so Big Mac makes it his own personal job to do a lot of the listening and watching so the others won’t have to be as hyper aware. It’s because of his attentiveness that he barely misses anything; he’s usually the first to catch on to when things aren’t quite like they seem (Mac was the first to realize Twi was bitten but that her bite was actually healing when she returned to the settlement, something the bite wounds shouldn’t actually do if it were a normal infection). His silence makes him all the more intimidating and, as he should, he isn’t quick to trust, but he can still be the gentle giant we know him to be.

Fun notes: the watch he’s wearing belonged to his father, and he’s wearing two lockets: one contains a family photo of him and the Apples, the other contains a photo of him and his spouses, Caramel and Cheerilee.

So now Granny Smith!  Whenever I watch MLP and Granny’s featured, despite the way she sometimes move she doesn’t seem like and elder who is fragile or “rickety” as it were. Despite her age, Granny moves like someone half her age, and though she sometimes needs aid moving about with her cane she doesn’t let that stop her from helping as much as she can. The elder mare can often be seen either working the farm, planting or harvesting crops, acting as the settlement chef, sewing and making clothes, tinkering... she’s pretty good at a lot of things, farming and handling a gun specifically. She’s good enough to be one of the teachers for the youngsters in how to properly handle a weapon, anyway, and she can be a mean strategist, what once being in the army in her younger years and all. Even still, Granny remains a steadfast matriarch of the Apple Family and basically is everyone’s grandma in Sanctuary; special treats, sneaks the kids cookies before desert (when they have the ingredients to actually make cookies anyway), that sort of thing. As for her eye? She lost it a long time ago and usually wears an eyepatch on it (the thing she’s holding). She loves telling the gruesome story of how she lost it to youngsters, and they eat it up every time.

So yeah! I hope you guys enjoy the image and thank you for takin’ a look! You’re more than free to ask me questions if you have any about this AU. ^.^

[junker-town]

Fastlane 2018: 5 reasons to watch WWE's March PPV

SmackDown is a show that airs every Tuesday at 8 p.m. on The USA Network and this is their latest pay-per-view, end of dek.

Five reasons to watch, huh? Are we married to that number? Oh, hold up, the readers are here, let’s pretend we are super stoked for this pay-per-view, they’ll never catch on.

I’m kidding, but only kind of, which is the best way to kid, because I can both inform you about WWE Fastlane as planned while also hiding behind ironic detachment as often as I have to.

Fastlane will air at 8 p.m. on the WWE Network on Sunday, March 11. If I can’t convince you to watch, you can at least follow along with our live blog that’ll kick off right before the event.

Shinsuke Nakamura is wrestling Rusev and this reason to watch is legit as heck

Nakamura’s entrance into WWE’s main roster was a dud, because they didn’t know how to utilize the superstar for what he can be, which is basically a force of nature. Instead, he got into some weird, overly lengthy feud with Dolph Ziggler where Dolph didn’t look like a nerd the entire time, and in 2017-2018, that is like, the only point of Dolph Ziggler. He shouldn’t be making Nakamura work from underneath, he should be getting kicked in the face early and often and then going back to changing the designs on his pants a lot or whatever.

Nakamura won the Royal Rumble, though, and WWE has been doing a better job of making him feel important at those major events: the fact he’ll now have a main-event-level match at his first WrestleMania when he challenges for the WWE Championship is further evidence of this. Getting to face Rusev beforehand is a downer only because it means Rusev is bound to lose, but Rusev getting to face the guy about to challenge for the WWE Championship? Oh yeah, that’s more like it for both of these performers.

Rusev has consistently been one of the best characters in WWE, and is one of the reasons to endure SmackDown during a stretch so poor there are rumors floating around that even the people involving in making the show know it’s not good. Nakamura had his first signature WWE moment, and gets to follow that up with a pay-per-view match against someone of Rusev’s caliber and then a Mania main event. This is the good stuff, and let’s hope they give the two time to perform, because, unlike Dolph Ziggler, Rusev is not a nerd who should be kicked quickly and disposed of. I want to see Nakamura earn this W.

Ruby Riott is challenging Charlotte Flair for the SmackDown Women’s title

I’m also very into Ruby Riott facing off against Charlotte Flair, because Charlotte is a legitimate superstar and face of the women’s division, and Ruby will be right there with her someday. Riott likely has no real chance here, as this is the kind of match where Charlotte gets an opportunity to show how strong of a challenge she’ll be for whoever takes her on at Mania, but, like with Rusev and Nakamura, this is also a spot for the presumed loser to look real, real good in defeat, helping to carve a path out for what they’ll be doing at Mania as well.

The fact this spot is going to Ruby Riott instead of one of the more established SmackDown women like Natalya or Becky Lynch is good news for Ruby, and hopefully, this match is one of the standouts on the card and not in a wishing on a monkey’s paw kind of way either.

I’m just covering my bases.

The New Day are challenging the Usos for the SmackDown Tag Team Championships and you know what, I don’t care if we’ve seen this a ton before, it’s always great, they are great, this could be the best thing on the entire show, let’s do this and make greatness happen once again between the two greatest tag teams in WWE.

That just about covers it.

Bobby Roode is the United States Champion and he’s facing Randy Orton

This is a reason to watch, but in the ironically detached way I talked about before. See, it pays to read the intro.

Bobby Roode works best as a heel. He is currently a face. Randy Orton works best as a heel. He is currently growing his hair out, so that’s taking up a lot of his focus. Maybe, just maybe, one of them will shave heir head go back to being a full-blown heel during this match, and then the whole feud will improve. Please. Just tell me what I need to do so that at least one of these two works as the best version of themselves. I’m not too proud to beg.

Instead, we’re probably going to continue with this weird thing where neither of them is working their natural alignment to its fullest and this is just setup for something else we’ll have begging feelings about a month from now at Mania.

Everyone wants AJ Styles’ WWE Championship and basically everyone gets to fight him for it at Fastlane

AJ Styles is WWE Champion and everyone wants to see him face Shinsuke Nakamura at WrestleMania 34, so SmackDown is teasing us with five different outcomes to increase our nervousness: maybe John Cena wins his record 17th WWE Championship, and has the space on the WrestleMania card he so desperately wants. Maybe one of Kevin Owens or Sami Zayn turns on the other in order to become WWE Champ, or fails to do that but tries it, which sets up a whole thing for the two of them at Mania. Maybe Dolph Ziggler wins the WWE Championship? No? Not buying that? It’s okay, I didn’t believe it when I typed it, either.

Baron Corbin is also here, and while I once believed he’d be a WWE Champion and maybe that can still happen, it’s not going to happen now.

Cena winning is unlikely, but believable, and believable is all you need for intrigue sometimes. Zayn and Owens is the real exciting potential sidetrack here, because maybe we end up with a three-way for the WWE strap at Mania to include both of them and Nakamura and their very complicated friendship slash rivalry, or a four-way because Styles would be able to invoke his rematch clause. This is much more unnecessarily complicated than just Styles vs. Nakamura, and therefore it can’t be discounted as a possibility.

This is probably a match that should be very aware of the lack of tension about the wrestler with the best chance to win, as that’s Styles retaining his title despite the fact anyone else could pin Dolph Ziggler at literally any time during the match and become champ instead. To make up for that relative lack of tension and surprise, things should probably go super off the rails, with false finishes and broken set pieces and Baron Corbin throwing someone into the crowd and then using a fan as a weapon or something.

You can’t always rely on “absolutely bonkers” as a match strategy, but in what should be a pretty straightforward pay-per-view in general, ending with chaos while also nailing the expected and correct-est ending is probably the best way to go.