#and then he was like well the nuclear bomb was good bc we have nuclear fission now. and dudeeee we would still have that. in some way.

[chironshorseass]

tired from debating with my elon musk lover cousin about whether or not rich people are assholes i need a good bath and a margarita

[fluffypotatey]

Hello hello, S5 ep 9 let's-a-go! Warning, this one is BRUTAL. QXT: Macaque, what are you doing! M: Xiaotian, stop! You don’t need to do this. QXT: I do need to do this! M: I did tell you before to make your own choices, but this isn’t the way Xiaotian! QXT: You don’t understand. If I don’t do this, everyone will be done for! Everything will be destroyed! M: It doesn’t always have to be you! There’s always another way! QXT: But this is the only way! M: That’s not true. You don’t get it! Nines: Who says…*interrupts/traps* ...he doesn’t get it? Not bad. Who taught you that trick? Who did you make a deal with? M: What deal? Nines: Well, that’s not important. Everything’s ending soon anyways. The Harbinger of Chaos knows his mission. Only by sacrificing himself will you all be able to live. Nines is a real piece of work, making it seem like MK has a choice. That he doesn't care what he does, okay bud. Says that he's tired of being controlled by others LOL. Oh, the irony is enough to make this EP taste metallic. Tired of humans locking themselves in cages, ignoring chaos and destiny, etc. The quiet, seething way Macky asks "what deal?" almost seems guarded. Haha, perhaps he knows. MK saying "not this time" feels like a parallel to another episode, but I can't put my finger on it. Maybe something Wukong said? Yeah, that sounds right. "Sorry bud. Not this time." Yeah, S3 no? Wasn't there something like that?SWK: Xiaotian, no! Macky, watching this: *sighs* Even if this doesn’t work, I still gotta give it a shot. HELLO SIR YOU TOTALLY KNOW WHAT IS UP WITH YOUR WEIRD POWERS HUH? I'm skipping some parts, mostly the gang and Nine bc this ep is loaded, but note the way Mac's shadows infiltrate and surround the midsection where the power core usually is. SWK: Huh? What? My boi just turned himself into a shadowy nuclear bomb. I don’t like his prospects for the next season. Nines: You- what did you do? Why have I been separated from the chaos? I- I can’t feel it anymore! What did you do?! *screams lungs out as Macky gasps for breath on the ground.* HELLO MACKY IS MY POWER STEALING HC TRUE???? AYOOOOO Nine's is really flipping here, voice going all glitchy, robotic and echo-y. SWK: Macaque, you good? M: What are you waiting for? Stop Xiaotian! It's all about the tentative way Wukong steps forward and asks and Macky is clearly unwell...Is it worse or better than he was down for longer after fighting possessed!Wukong so we couldn't see his half-lidded eyes/struggle for air. He got himself up in the background of the SunBurst hug in a way that could be memed, but this? Nope. I brought it up bc I wanted to see if possessed!Wukong was holding back bc someone said he was re: laser eyes, maybe they meant him not using it until that fight, or the slow way(?) it charged up bc some part of him didn't want to kill Macky, idk. SWK: I won’t let you sacrifice yourself! QXT: Don’t stand in my way, Monkey King. Please. SWK: Not a chance, Xiaotian. You never abandoned me, and I won’t ever abandon you. QXT: Don’t force my hand, Monkey King. EVILLLLLL. JUST LIKE WUKONG SAID TO MACAQUE- don’t make me do this, Liu’er! SWK: No, Xiaotian. Don’t force mine. DOUBLE EVIL OH MY GOSH HE SAID THE THING AND HIS EYES WENT BRIGHT GOLD HE MEANS BUSINESS. They gave us serious scary Wukong FR.

I’m starting to see how things so easily went wrong for Macky. Wukong does NOT play around, even if you’re MK. Seeing him use the same spell LBD used to trap Macky on top of all this is making me LOSE IT.

QXT: No! No! SWK: There is still a lot I haven't taught you yet. QXT: Monkey King, please! This is my destiny! This is the only way! Let me just say I HATE the expressions Wukong has been making this entire episode. They're ruining me. This one too. SWK: Yes. You're right. It seems like this really is the only way to save everyone. QXT: Then- Then let me go! SWK: Nuwa, or destiny. No matter how you look at it, as long as we came from the same stone... QXT: What? SWK: You don't have to bear this destiny. Let me bear it. QXT: No! Monkey King! SWK: This world needs you, Xiaotian. Thanks...for everything. QXT: Monkey King! Stop, please! THE DRAMA FLUFFY THE DRAMA-! AND WUKONG IS CRYING AS HE FLIES AWAY- and then MK USES THE FREAKING SPELL. I swear everybody is trying to hurt each other and squabbling for the right of who gets to sacrifice themselves first and I'm FLIPPING. WHAT IS THIS?!?!?! This is what happens when you put two sacrificial morons with personal issues in a room together. SWK: No! Xiaotian! No! No! Stop Xiaotian! QXT: I'm sorry. I will be the one to bear my destiny. SWK: Stop! Don't Xiaotian! So anyways, Fluffs. We had all this angsty audio about Wukong crying/yelling if MK got hurt taken from Goku...and now we have to HEAR IT FOR REAL. And like, his VA is seriously good and I think I'll be crying for months if I heard that. I'm going to be crying to YOU about it and that is a threat. We'll cry together. I can kind of see Buddhist influence here since the cycle of reincarnation, while normal here for the characters, is actually the goal to "escape from." So to MK, it's not a good thing. Asides from how much angst Wukong gets from it. You would think it'd be like "oh I get to meet my friends in the next life" but nada, MK here is shook by it. Tho maybe it's because it's not natural, letting them live out to the end, but forcing it early?

OH MY GOD EPISODE 9

I TOOK ALL THE SUNBURST DUO SCREENSHOTS THAT MADE ME FERAL

like…..HELLO?????? 911?????? THERE’S BEEN A MURDER

AND THE FUCKING EXPRESSION BEFORE THE FIGHT🫠🫠🫠🫠 I AM SOBBING

[forgive me for the bad quality 🤧]

AND SWK SO READY TO TAKE MK’S OLAXE BECAUSE “hey, we’re from the same stone, so this destiny of yours should also be tied to me” AND WHAT IF I DIED???? WHAT IF THIS DIALOGUE STABBED ME???? LMK ANSWER FOR YOUR CRIMES

and the way Macky mourned Wukong privately while everyone else cried for MK (bc they assumed the Pillar repairing itsel meant swk failed) since he knew the Monkey King would try to take MK’s place i— 🫠

also Pigsy trying to change MK’s mind and when that didn’t work:

SOMEBODY SEDATE ME 😭

THATS HIS SON!!!! THATS HIS LITTLE BOY WHO LOVES NOODLES AND SUCKS AT DELIVERING THEM AND SPENDS MOST IF HIS WORK HOURS LISTENING TI TABG’S STORIES BUT PIGSY WOULDNT HAVE IT ANY OTHER WAY

🫠

also i think @/lunarwandering mentioned this in a post of theirs but Nines is so confusing lmaooooo like bro 🤨 do you or do you not want MK to sacrifice himself???? “i am giving you the choice he free!!! but i will also make sure to stop your friends from stopping me and you from operation Commit Die!”

the way he snaps at being called a monster 👀 Nines please share in a way that isn’t the Allegory of the Cave (like sir, that is Greek Philosophy come on) (tho interesting that the borders of the “cave” from ep8 looked like Nuwa 👀

ans Nines clearly has some beef with Nuwa 👀 so. what’s up with that)

i have so many questions about Nines

[beliscary]

@necromycologist #<< Prev. who is this guy i need to know more rn

omg. okay.

so there's a supporting character in a videogame called final fantasy 16 and he has like THE most wonderful two hours of screentime, a potential ally with noble intentions amongst antagonists. that's Prince Dion Lesage. and then there's his boyfriend Sir Terence w like 8 minutes. and at this point I've glued his face on top of a prayer candle in my heart

I have to set the scene a bit first. this is broad strokes I hope it makes sense.

calling them catholic is a shorthand but their religion is ehhhh basically that. their emperor is the pope and also conceptualized as god on earth. they live in a world that's dying from overconsumption of magic as a resource(accessible materially through mined crystals)—crops failing, the land being blighted, that kind of thing. people who are born w the ability to draw on magic are enslaved, branded, and used up for their power/the convenience until they die from it (they turn to slowly to stone! it's very painful and visual dehumanization! the whole thing is awful!)

Dion is one of these people who can use magic, but he's extraordinarily powerful and in a position of some privilege bc of that. but also he's trapped by it. So like, dragons are sacred in their religion, and Terence's boyfriend Dion (I have to point out that I don't say this glibly, they are together) can transform by his magic into their Sacredest Dragon, whose entire thing is Light and Hope and Deep Religious Obligation, etc etc.

this power is a once in a generation thing that happens to a single individual (there are more of these godlike lineages for other elements like fire, ice, darkness, etc scattered across the world, as well as massive crystals to mine. you can see where this might lead to some instability and power jockeying esp with massive areas of land rapidly becoming blighted and unlivable. so he's kind of also the empire's nuclear deterrence.)

he's trying desperately to believe that by fighting wars and using his power he's doing good for his people who are trying to survive in this dying world, but his dad the god emperor is the resource hungry warmongering ruler of an expansionist slave empire with bloodline supremacy at its heart. so. (also dad had another kid that he likes better because that kid's not a bastard. as though that's dion's fault. a golden boy bastard imperial prince who upholds evil bc he Has to be a good and dutiful son.... ugh)

he's been at war since he was like 15 and he's 28 now. and his father just keeps sending him out to fight. like whatever he's already got another heir to inherit it all, and now dion is the spare. dad can reaaally use the bomb without worrying abt the continuation of his line now.

SO. boyfriend Terence. he's 2nd in command of Dion's holy knights, and we learn he climbed his way up through the ranks to get there. and he did this just to be able to be near dion and support him through all these wars and most likely watch him suffer and die horribly anyway. bc Oh Yeah none of the phenomenal cosmic power exempts dion from the turning to stone thing.

so anyway, in the 8 mins we do have of them together, we see Terence:

-subtly chastise his prince for his recklessness and then pray for his safety

-deliver a missive intended for his prince which he clearly already opened & read. just so he can soften the blow of the bad news himself as dion reads through it

-bandage and salve his man's arm, showing us they both know and see the inevitability of the slow creeping death dion keeps throwing himself towards

-suggest dion rely on his army rather than his magic, gently defying dion's father (whose word is holy decree)

-kiss his prince

-smile and yearn and make a sad face so cutie cute cutely

-declare very purposefully to the man who is constantly ordered around and used as a weapon that he will always be his servant, while on his knees. concise! thorough!

(i hope I'm establishing a pattern here that it appears when it comes to His Place In Society he knows the boundaries perfectly but also knows the location of every single hole in the fence)

-crack a joke about the death of a titan being a small mercy. king 👑

-shoo a messenger one piece of bad news away from getting his head bitten off out of a tent with Perfect economy and comedic sensibility

(god this is small but huge TEW ME... you see him react to bad news by lightly balancing his fingertips on a table and thinking carefully... this is in contrast to Dion throwing a guy around, punching a table, and having to visibly count backwards from ten)

-nearly throw down with another god-lite and only halt on his boyfriend's command. it's immediate too he's got great brakes !!

(seriously if you pay attention this man has like nooooo respect for authority or divinity on their own so-called merits and yet he's so calm and polite and steady and measured and kind in his demeanor and we KNOW he still prays too. it's. it's GAP MOE)

-continue to call dion His Prince. even after dion has been removed from any chance of ascending to the throne officially. like yes he is technically still a prince just not crown prince so it is a proper form of address but atp dion's purpose is pretty much expected just to be an obedient weapon of conquest who will die if ordered to, with no hope of that changing. so it kind of feels Pointed.

-like, yeah no, I heard what "god" said. but my prince is My Prince. he earned that. you can't tell me shit. my prince can't tell me shit about my prince either. what are you gonna do, fire me? that won't stop me either, my prince.

-get asked by THE sacred dragon if a coup is the right course of action. should the opinion of a mortal matter at all to a god? hm well it does to this one

-functionally do 300 wife nod dot gif in order to:

-support a coup against the newly declared emperor (the not-bastard brother) (who is, amen I say to you, theologically god)

-👆 do this without ever once telling his ordered-around-used-as-a-weapon/seen-as-the-symbol/the-potential-of-his-power-rather-than-as-a-man boyfriend what he should or shouldn't do

-seriously terence had all of dion's power laid down at his feet like frodo offering galadriel the one ring and what he ends up saying is p much 'whatever you choose to do, your men are with you'. even starts with an "I" statement and then cuts himself off and starts over!!! CONCISE. THOROUGH. KING 👑 POWER REVEALS!! AND IT HAS REVEALED terence has always wanted dion to have control of his own life and choices 🥺

-the rest is deep spoilers but My God. He's the Patron Saint of Smiling Through Tears. also and most importantly he's nobody he's doesn't even get a last name he's not even an important noble he's got no magic to speak of he's just a guy w a sword kneeling in front of a man asking him to stop killing himself for nothing (or, more accurately, an evil that undermines all the light and hope he thinks he champions--),,,,

(there was a loredrop later that explained they were childhood friends to lovers and had been together for 10 years by the majority of their in game scenes... terence had been in love with dion since they were both young and was gonna be quiet about it forever until dion took a blow defending him in battle at age 18. and I almost died in real life bc I had assumed it was a mutual agreement that the good of the People always took precedence and dion would never choose terence over that. but he almost died to save this one guy. he was ready to give up everything he could do for the world with his power... for his boy best friend. and they hadn't even kissed yet)

anyway yeah I Like Them I Like Putting Them Under A Magnifying Glass And Into Situations 🥰

[interplanet--janet]

1, 3, 6, 13 ^_^

most overrated character? honestly even tho he's my boytoy i think kakashi is kind of overrated. people especially get way into his combat abilities (which I get it) but no one understands him like me

3) were naruto's intentions with sasuke selfish? i think especially at the beginning and the start of shippuden they were!!!! but over the war arc especially i think it changes. despite how it shouldnt have been them going back to the village but moving forward together (away from the feudal meritocracy)

6) what makes the Naruto ending bad? im too high for this literally where do i begin. i mean we can talk abt the buildup with kaguya that was ass, or how silly it was to have sasuke hold all the tailed beasts hostage, but most of all its the compulsive heterosexuality and nuclear family propaganda. i know shinzo abe is behind boruto i know it. 13) was kakashi trying his best? / was he a "good" sensei? MANS WAS A TERRIBLE SENSEI. he has cptsd. he is a child soldier PRODIGY. he was a state assassin before he hit puberty. he was trying his best in between hallucinations, paranoia, and childhood trauma. and then to be put in front of THOSE KIDS? hiruzen when i find you hiruzen. its amazing he didnt immediately paper bomb himself into oblivion but hes too good of a loyal dog to konoha anyways. it could be argued that he was an okay sensei to sasuke (totally failed naruto not to mention sakura) BUT sasuke is too much of a mirror for kakashi and so of course he teaches sasuke his assassination jutsu. bc youre a well adjusted young man. i know i said in the beginning that kakashi was overrated and he is. i stand by it. hes also misunderstood and has so much more depth than what most fans realize

[dreamwritesimagines]

OOF THE TITLE–i have a hunch what’s coming but AAAH let’s do this. (future me here: lmao okay, it got lengthy at the end bc I HAVE SO MANY THOUGHTS)

“Did I get trampled by a horse while sleeping?” you reap what you sow Cherie, you reap what you sow. “No, because I am dying—” // “Don’t joke about that.” oh no :// Anthony still has those nightmares sometimes doesn’t he? gosh i feel like he needs to talk to Cherie whenever he gets those. make him feel safer.

“I will never drink again.” // “You know, I’ve heard your brother say that multiple times and you’re both liars.” LMAO Anthony has experience taking care of both siblings being hungover now. “Cecily doesn’t need the stress of thinking her sister has been in a carriage accident, Y/N.” good point Anthony, always the logical one alskalsk Cherie has all the dramatics taken care of. “Raw eggs and garlic.” the perfect mixture of salmonella LMAO. but no, Anthony taking care of Cherie while hungover is just the cutest and sweetest thing in the world.

“Remind me again why we’re doing this?” meanwhile in the other house, Percy is already complaining why they invited Anthony too when it should have been fine if it was just Cherie LMAO. i can hear him grumbling from miles away. “You can say that at my funeral after I get poisoned at tonight’s dinner and leave you a widow.” LMAAAAAAAAAAAO i can definitely see Percy already paying Aunt Lavinia and begging her to do something about this alskalks. like this whole scene with Anthony and Cherie i am so so sooo sure the mirror of it in the Avon house is Percy complaining to Aunty L. it’s just too funny to picture it like that lol.

ah we’re still at the boy or girl debate i see lmao. i can’t wait for them to find out it’s both. “Nah, you should probably save that list for yourself for the near future.” KENNETH LMAO NOT IN FRONT OF PERCY’S SALAD. he’s not helping Anthony’s case here alkslaks that chaotic energy i love. “Well, you told me to dance with him—” // “You’re the architect of this union when you think about it.” BWAHAH ELIAS. YOU REAP WHAT YOU SOW MY GUY. is that a theme here alskalsk i feel like that’s the theme of this chapter lmao. “None of this would’ve been possible without you.” LMAO I LOVE THIS. Elias is just rethinking his life choices now ALSKALSK he planted the seed, now he’s eating the fruit, or in his perspective, the weed lmao. dear lord this dinner alksdsdbdlaj the chaos. “We all know that’s a lie Ken.” BWAHAH WAIT DOES CECE KNOW?? pls i loveeeee. i need more of Cece teasing Hugh and Kenneth every single chance she gets. but lmao, Cece has such a good point everyone in this family does fall in love head first and so so fast. the evidence is astounding like. it’s in their blood LMAO “Don’t worry, you can ask Benedict about what I was like when I was so much as in the same room with you.” i wonder how many times Benedict has rolled his eyes during those times. world record if you ask me.

“Oh my, I hope I’m not interrupting.” WHAT THE FUCK IS HE, THE FUCK?? WHY WOULD HE JUST BARGE IN??? he’s already getting on my nerves UGH. “a look that you could only describe as anger crossing his face” HE HAS NO RIGHT TO BE ANGRY FUCK YOU. god he’s such a FUCKING ASSHOLE UGH. why is he so fucking smug about this??? he’s taunting them and he’s fucking enjoying it. this fucking vile, poor excuse of a human. can someone pass me that knife, i won’t do anything bad i promise.

“grabbing the knife on the table” OMG ALSKALSK GO CHERIE. LMAO i actually didn’t expect to predict that lmao. “I’ll carve your fucking heart!” OOF!!!! i’m pretty sure in that era, that F-bomb is more than just a bomb, it’s more a nuclear explosion especially when it’s Cherie saying that lmao. i mean look at their reactions. my god this is intense.

“What do I care what you want?” sigh….she’s misplacing her anger here and ugh. trust me, i get her. and i’m all for it, she has every single right to be angry and i would’ve been all for it if she got just a tinyyyyy stab there. BUT, she’s aiming it at the wrong direction now. and sadly, this is not going to end well if she keeps going. as much as i have faith in Anthony’s patience, i honestly am not sure how long he’ll be able to take being Cherie’s punching bag if ever she gets like this again. bc that’s not okay, even if she’s angry, and even is she’s hurt and all, it still won’t excuse it If And When™️ (bc i have a bad feelings it’s bound to happen) she says something bad and hurtful all fueled by anger. i’m sure Anthony will be able to understand the situation or why she’d snapped at him but, i mean, Anthony has a lil bit of a temper and stubbornness of his own. we’re all human after all, we can only take so much and control our emotions to a point. everyone has limits. and just bc the words are said due to intense emotions, that doesn’t mean they won’t hurt.

“It’s not your place to give me orders. Nor will it ever be. Keep that in mind the next time you have the audacity to assume otherwise.” ….Sigh™️ i’m back at it again with my sighing LMAO. AND AND i’m pretty sure i’m going to bring back the whole Communication Is Key™️ again bc let’s be real, it’s will solve all their problems since chapter 1 lmao.

okay, thoughts have be thunk. i’ll be honest, i didn’t interpret what Anthony said as ‘giving her orders’ bc i mostly saw it as him telling her she can’t go back bc she will do something she will regret. in a way, yeah, i understand why Cherie saw it that way but honestly, what was Anthony supposed to do? i feel like either choice he made, he’d lose. it’s another case of choosing the lesser evil, which in this case had been obvious enough and actually has a VERY big difference in consequences.

stopping her and taking her out of the room led to them having this argument, their first fight. which could’ve been handled better i’m sure but everyone’s shocked, everyone’s frustrated and angry. Cherie is full of so many emotions all at once, i mean this is the man who ruined her and her mother’s life. and then we have Anthony getting frustrated bc he honestly can’t see why she’s now angry at him when he technically didn’t do anything wrong. and i can’t blame him for that either bc i will get to that in a sec. so now she’s angry at him, and everything is tense between them. but it’s much more manageable and fixable once they sit down, all calm and clear headed and have a conversation like Mature Adults™️

but the other way, say Anthony let her hurt that man, get her (earned) revenge. one: it would NOT make her feel better and she will realize that once it’s too late. two: Anthony will take the blame of the whole ‘why didn’t you stop her’ not only from himself, but everyone else around them. granted, Cherie isn’t his to control nor is she his responsibility in a way, but at the end of the day, he is her husband.

i mean, Percy himself turned to Anthony for help to get her away. hell, he called him Anthony no Lord Bridgerton or formalities whatsoever. idk about you but i don’t think Percy would’ve done that and dropped his pride or that boundary so so sooo quickly if Cherie’s safety wasn’t a concern. and if what they say that Cherie truly had Cassie’s temper, i’m sure Percy would’ve been the one person who at least had an idea how to deal with it. bc i’m sure he’s seen it before, multiples times at least and have probably been the receiving end of it. and i’m sure, after everything that happened, he’s spent years contemplating on what the better ways he could’ve gone about it every time he and Cassie got into an argument.

and oh my god wait, i just realized something too. in between Anthony’s nightmares, and then him saying earlier in the chapter about her not to joke about dying. i can only imagine that that flashed before Anthony’s eyes for split second. i mean, him saying about her getting hanged if she murdered someone. but what if, what if, Fuckwad™️ manages to get the upper hand? what would happen if he hurt Cherie badly? played it off as an act of defense? with how fucking insane and vile this man is, i honestly do not doubt him going that far, in midst of his anger AND hatred for Cherie, do we really think he’s above hurting her? Anthony is already so so scared to lose Cherie to something completely out of his control, and even then, he will stillblame himself for it. what more if it was something he could’ve stopped? especially if he was right therei mean, he was sitting right beside her.

not to mention, they’re not the only ones in the room. and i’m not talking about the staff and everything and gossip and what not. i’m talking about the safety. we’ve got to remember, Cece is pregnant here. not only will it cause stress and shock, but what if in midst of the chaos if Anthony hadn’t stopped Cherie, the table topples over Cece by accident? or she gets hit by something, like some glass breaks, or other cutlery gets in the way? what if it’ll end up hurting someone else? Aunt Lavinia, Iona, someone could’ve gotten hurt in the middle of it. what if Anthony’s reflexes hadn’t been great, miscalculated it and instead of stopping Cherie from lunging at Fuckwad™️, he ends up getting hurt himself while he tries to stop her? what if that knife had hit him instead? what would Cherie feel after the dust settles and she sees what she’s done?

so Anthony dragging her out of the room, i honestly can’t see a better way he could’ve done or approached that. desperate times, desperate measures. he had to think quick or else it would’ve been so so soo much worse.

i’m honestly not one for taking sides bc both had a few lapses in their judgement and i see where both of them are coming from but, i will say, Cherie was more blinded than Anthony. bc the difference is that, Anthony really didn’t have much of a choice and acted accordingly especially with how fast everything happened. whereas Cherie, especially her words, is being run by intense emotions and being clouded with said emotions after the case when they’d already reached the backyard.

and honestly, yeah, Anthony could have given her comfort, but with how angry she was, i’m afraid she’ll probably take it the wrong way. and boy, if he told her to calm down i swear that would’ve been a bad choice too. i honestly can’t see any other way Anthony could’ve done. maybe he could’ve been gentler and tried to sweet talk her to calm her down and provided comfort but with how stubborn and angry Cherie was? i doubt that would’ve worked either. idk. i think she needs a reminder that Anthony isn’t against her here. he’s on her side and he will always be on her side. he didn’t stop her for some selfish reason, he did it for her, and her safety and her sanity bc i honestly can’t imagine what it would do to her once all that anger dies down and the adrenaline has fizzled and all she’ll see is the blood on her hands.

honestly, i’m so glad Elias was at least calm about this, the best he way he could. i mean, we’ve seen it before when Cherie got angry at him few chapters back, he really isn’t one to blow up. kinda like how Percy is in this situation too. it’s like they’re father and son huh LMAO. but no, i’m glad bc not only will it make it worse if he had a temper, Cece would’ve been so so concerned and stressed and i’m pretty sure that’s not good for the baby. i’m sure that crossed Elias’ mind too.

goooood, i know the next chapter is going to be just as intense. especially since since this is their first big fight. but i’m sure they’ll work through it. they just need to, come on say it with me, Communicate™️ but aaah we’re closer to the end, and i know it’s going to be bittersweet but i can’t wait for the next one! this was intense but i loved it nonetheless.

– TM Anon™️

TM ANON OH MY GOD-

Honey I want to print this analysis out and pin it on my wall THIS IS AMAZING AND YOU’RE AMAZING AND I’M TOTALLY FANGIRLING OVER YOU❤🥰

AAAAAAA I’M SO EXCITED-

I didn’t think anyone ever read the title names, this took me by surprise in such a lovely way! ❤

Anthony definitely has those nightmares where she dies 💔 He has them very often! 💔

Lolll I feel like Cherie and Elias are somehow similar when they’re hungover, they’re both extremely grumpy and dramatic 😂 And Anthony has some experience with that, because of Elias 😂

“Remind me again why we’re doing this?” meanwhile in the other house, Percy is already complaining why they invited Anthony too when it should have been fine if it was just Cherie LMAO. Ooooh I love this mental image so much! 😂 And that is so true, Percy was no doubt complaining about how they didn’t need to invite Anthony, and how Cherie didn’t have to bring him with her 😂 Meanwhile Lavinia was facepalming and reminding him that Cherie and Anthony are married 😂

Kenneth pretends to be above all the drama but he deep down loves it, that’s why he messes with Anthony right in front of Percy and Elias 😂 And Anthony and Cherie are so going to remind Elias that he’s essentially the reason why they’re together now 😂 If it weren’t for him, I doubt they would have met or get that close ❤

Cece knoooows 😏❤ She totally knows and she talked to Hugh about Ken already❤

Oh Benedict probably rolled his eyes like millions of times whenever Anthony was in the same room with Cherie before they got together because Anthony is not subtle at allll😈

i’m pretty sure in that era, that F-bomb is more than just a bomb, it’s more a nuclear explosion especially when it’s Cherie saying that lmao. EXACTLY!

Cursing in public was a big no no, like especially in front of ladies, and a lady wasn’t even supposed to know that word let alone use it like that 😂 It flew over Iona and Cece’s heads but all the men at the table were SHOCKED 😂

She is directing her anger at the wrong direction, I agree! ❤ And that will lead to some real tense moments, because as you said, Anthony is patient but he has his own temper and stubbornness 😈

They need to work on their communication! ❤

in a way, yeah, i understand why Cherie saw it that way but honestly, what was Anthony supposed to do? i feel like either choice he made, he’d lose. it’s another case of choosing the lesser evil, which in this case had been obvious enough and actually has a VERY big difference in consequences. I agree with this so much! ❤ He did what was right, and even if Cherie can’t see that right at that second, things could’ve gone so much worse than a lover’s quarrel in the backyard if Anthony didn’t do what he did ❤

i mean, Percy himself turned to Anthony for help to get her away. hell, he called him Anthony no Lord Bridgerton or formalities whatsoever. idk about you but i don’t think Percy would've done that and dropped his pride or that boundary so so sooo quickly if Cherie’s safety wasn’t a concern.

I AM SCREAMING-

You noticed that tiny detail! 😱😍 Omg you expressed it in a much better way than I could, yesssss! Both Percy and Anthony could see things in a very clear way the moment she lunged for the knife and Anthony pulled her back, and this first priorities were;

1)    Get Cherie out

2)    Keep her safe and away from there

And that could only happen if Anthony got her out of that room! And Percy knew he could trust Anthony with Cherie’s safety, no matter how “annoyed” he pretends to be by him, Anthony is the one person who Percy trusts completely with Cherie ❤

and if what they say that Cherie truly had Cassie’s temper, i’m sure Percy would’ve been the one person who at least had an idea how to deal with it. bc i’m sure he’s seen it before, multiples times at least and have probably been the receiving end of it. YESSSS!

Percy has seen it before for sure, with Cassie! And considering Cherie’s temper is like a reflection of Cassie’s, he knew the best bet was to get her out and give her time to calm down ❤

in between Anthony’s nightmares, and then him saying earlier in the chapter about her not to joke about dying. i can only imagine that that flashed before Anthony’s eyes for split second. i mean, him saying about her getting hanged if she murdered someone. but what if, what if, Fuckwad™️ manages to get the upper hand? what would happen if he hurt Cherie badly? played it off as an act of defense?

Ooooh this is a genius idea, I haven’t thought about this before BUT IT MAKES SO MUCH SENSE! 😍 Like, Anthony already had nightmares about her dying when everything was going absolutely great, and now that there’s an actual danger of that happening? It probably did flash before his eyes! ❤

Yessss, her trying to attack Frederick was already incredibly dangerous for her own well being but also for the others as well! ❤ Like, for example Elias wanted to attack him too, I’m sure he did, but one touch from Cece was enough to make him remember that protecting Cece (and his family) was above taking revenge right there and then ❤ It could’ve gone so badly, thankfully it didn’t! ❤

so Anthony dragging her out of the room, i honestly can’t see a better way he could’ve done or approached that. desperate times, desperate measures. he had to think quick or else it would’ve been so so soo much worse. THIS IS SO TRUE!

That was the right call on his part, for everyone in that room❤

and honestly, yeah, Anthony could have given her comfort, but with how angry she was, i’m afraid she’ll probably take it the wrong way. and boy, if he told her to calm down i swear that would’ve been a bad choice too. i honestly can’t see any other way Anthony could’ve done. maybe he could’ve been gentler and tried to sweet talk her to calm her down and provided comfort but with how stubborn and angry Cherie was? i doubt that would’ve worked either

Exactly, and the way Anthony sees it, making sure she’s physically alright was the first priority there! Like, in his perspective, calming her down could wait until he was sure she was unharmed, or that she wouldn’t do anything that could possibly lead to her getting harmed❤ He was being pretty logical about the situation, and that’s also why they clashed that badly because Cherie is led by her emotions at that point while Anthony is using his logic❤ That fight was inevitable, because not only do they not understand each other, they also didn’t listen to each other❤

i think she needs a reminder that Anthony isn’t against her here. he’s on her side and he will always be on her side. This is a great point! ❤ Anthony and Cherie are in love but they still aren’t used to “working as a team” yet, and that will be something they’re going to have to learn in the next chapters, and it will improve their relationship for so much better ❤

Elias and Cherie are absolute opposites when it comes to expressing their anger 😁 Elias took after Percy on that, while Cherie took after Cassie🥰

Oh I have loooots of ideas for the next chapter and I’m so excited! I hope you’ll like it! ❤

DARLIIING THIS WAS ABSOLUTELY AMAZING! I love your analyses so much, and it makes me see the chapter from such a different and new perspective, I can’t thank you enough for this! ❤❤ Love you! ❤❤❤

[digital-arts-etc]

Eye-Opening Historical Snapshots No One Was Shown In Class

Sarah Schuman

History class was often a bunch of boring facts and dates, not to mention names without faces. But maybe the subject never was boring at all. We've tracked down some of the most fascinating snapshots from the olden days as well as more recent times, and they are truly remarkable. Take a look at these pictures and get some insight into the folks that lived before us. They probably failed to mention these historical events in class, but they're absolutely fascinating.

Ever Wondered Where the Great Wall of China Ends?

We bet you thought the Great Wall of China was one long barrier. But no! It is actually series of fortifications. Several walls were built over centuries and united under Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of China, around 200 BC. Why? Well, a variety of reasons, like protection against invading groups, border controls, and a way to stop and tax goods transported on the Silk Road. It's an impressive brick project, but eventually, it does end. Where exactly does that happen?

3,889 miles of actual wall end right here, at the edge of the Bohai Gulf. This spot is called Shanhai Pass, also nicknamed "Old Dragon's Head". Unsurprisingly, it is a popular tourist destination.

This Is What A Test of a Super Conductor Looked Like in 1901

Nikola Tesla might sound like a familiar guy: He's the man that inspired Elon Musk's car brand name. A pioneer in electrical tech, his place in science history is secure: The man had 3304 patents in his lifetime! Here he sits, reading in his Colorado Springs laboratory testing his latest contraption. It looks totally futuristic. But sometimes, his ideas remained a theory. One of his more outlandish concepts included the Thought Camera. But what was that all about?

Dickenson V. Alley / Wellcome Images / Wikimedia Commons

Tesla explained: “I became convinced that a definite image formed in thought must, by reflex action, produce a corresponding image on the retina, which might possibly be read by suitable apparatus.” So far, no one has managed the task. But some say social media is getting close in its own way.

A WWI Bulgarian Soldier Giving His Best Battle Cry in 1916

WWI was a long time ago, and few of us really remember the stakes and grudges. Ever wondered what Bulgaria was up to during the great fight of this time? When the conflict began in July 1914, Bulgaria was still recovering from the effects of the Balkan Wars. For this reason, they initially declared neutrality. But as their allies got more deeply involved, they did throw in their hat just a year later. How could they not?

Here, a Bulgarian soldier screams at the camera, presumably practicing his battle cry. He would fight in the trench with machine guns and grenades. These new, modern weapons produced such gruesome effects that plastic surgery became a new field of medicine.

We Are Touched by These 2,800 Year-Old Lovers

The "Hasanlu lovers" are a famous archeological find that amazed professionals in the field. It was determined that the pair died around 800 B.C. in Iran when a hostile force invaded their town. In their last moments, they appear to be hugging or kissing. For millennia, they stayed that way until their discovery in 1972. But despite the way things look, modern analysis shows they may not have been a couple.

The University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeologyand Anthropology

Dating the skeletons showed that one is around 20, and one is around 30. Both are male and seem to have no diseases. Just two healthy guys in their prime, and possibly related. We don't know for sure. But it is interesting to imagine their story!

This Underwater Detonation of a Nuclear Bomb Looks Out Of This World

Once upon a time, the U.S.government just wanted to see what could happen to submarines, should a nuclear war break out. The Baker Test was the first underwater nuclear explosion ever conducted. The massive explosion resulted in a cloud that rose up like a mushroom in the sky. The base surge created a 500-foot high wall of radioactive spray and mist, which wasn't exactly refreshing. What happened to life in the area?

United States Department of Defense / Victorrocha / Wikimedia Commons

According to the official military report at the time: "All of the pigs and most of the rats on the ships died either from the blast or from radiation exposure. Of the 57 target vessels, eight either sunk or capsized as a direct result of the explosion...Most of the surviving vessels had to be subsequently sunk as too hot to handle."

This Is How They Cut Down a Giant Redwood by Hand

Today, it is illegal to cut down a redwood tree. These giant plants in Californiaare an unbelievable sight in person, and regularly attract tourists just to witness their size. But people during frontier times had other sensibilities. They needed a constant supply of wood to build houses and keep fires burning. When they saw these gigantic trees, it must have seemed like a dream come true! Redwoods can grow up to 240 feet high with a 15-foot diameter.

Mendocino Model Railroad and Historical Society

In this picture, an old-time logger poses next to a massive Redwood that's being cut down. Today, most are gone: Only 5% are still standing. Seriously, 95% were cut down since the 1850s. What a sad fact!

The First American Robot, Steam Man

Some people fear that killer robots may come to get us all one day. But what about their ancient ancestors? Way back in the 1860s, Zadoc Dederick was a young machinist with curiosity and free time. Along with his buddy Isaac Grass, he invented the first American robot. Combining a steam carriage with a metal man figure, the pair exhibited the invention and inspired crowds around the country in Boston, Chicago, New Orleans, and St. Louis.

Zadoc P. Dederick / New YorkPublic Library / Wikimedia Commons

In 1868, Zadoc and Isaac got a patent for their robot. Still, the concept led to more walking machines over the coming years. It even inspired dime novels, like The Steam Man of the Prairies by Edward S. Ellis.

These Gentlemen Are Testing a Bulletproof Vest in 1923

For police and soldiers in the line of duty, the bulletproof vest was a critical invention. It's fairly new, as a product of the 1920s. Thanks to the Protective Garment Corporation of New York, service members were able to wear a revolutionary lightweight vest. The idea probably sounded too good to be true, which is why they did this demo in the middle of DC. These salesmen are going to an extreme!

National Photo Company/Library of Congress / Wikimedia Commons

The men happened to be the inventors, and they clearly trusted their own product. It all came just in time, too: With the onset of the great depression and prohibition, police had to deal with all kinds of armed gangsters. Finally, they had a little protection!

That Time Boston Had a Deadly Explosion of Two Million Gallons of Molasses in 1919

It sounds like something straight out of Willy Wonka, but it really happened: In one cold Boston winter in 1919, two million gallons of molasses exploded from a tank at the port. It resulted in 15 ft-high waves that raced through the city at 35 miles per hour. The sweet syrup destroyed everything in its path, killing 21 people and injuring 150 others. It almost swept a train off the tracks and toppled electric poles. Live wires hissed everywhere. It knocked buildings down, too!

Boston Public Library / Wikimedia Commons

Why was there so much molasses oozing around? Apparently, it was the main sweetener at the time. Not only that but it could be made into a type of alcohol used for manufacturing munitions. A sticky situation, indeed!

Rwanda Had Pretty Hip Hairstyles 100 Years Ago

We often think that the style of yesteryear was old-fashioned. But sometimes, it can be downright futuristic! Take this traditional hairdo from Rwanda. It's called the Amasunzu, popular 100 years ago. This was the way that tribe members explained their social status. Those who didn't have this ultra-shaped style were looked on with suspicion. But at some point, it went out of fashion. Today there is a bit of nostalgia, and some are trying to being it back.

At its peak, Rwandans wore around 30 different styles. It could communicate that you were a warrior or a virgin, for example. Married women had their own look, too. Overall, it seems to have been an important language through hair.

This Is the Big Moment When They Opened King Tut’s Tomb

In 1333 BC, King Tutankhamun was just nine years old when he became both a ruler and god for ancient Egypt. He died young, and no one really knew what became of his body. The discovery of his burial place was super exciting in 1922 when British Egyptologist Howard Carter and his team excavated the Valley of the Kings. There was a constant problem in Egyptology: Thieves kept robbing mummies of their gold and jewels. Would they find a stripped tomb here, too?

Harry Burton / Wikimedia Commons

King Tut was mummified and buried with artwork and treasures. But since his tomb was in the desert, the sand shifted around and buried the site over time. Hidden for 3,000 years untouched, Carter's team found it all!

Imagine Keeping This Giant Squid in Your Bathtub in 1873

Man was sure there were sea monsters for hundreds of years. Sailors told tales too bold to believe, but science would validate them one day. Here was one such moment: In 1873, Candian naturalist Moses Harvey collected the first intact specimen of a giant squid. Fishermen found it in Portugal Cove, Newfoundland. When Mo heard about their novel catch, he knew he needed to get his hands on its tentacles.

Unknown Author / Wikimedia Commons

He paid them $10, which is the equivalent of about $200 today. What did he do with the 27-foot creature? Why, he used his bathtub for safekeeping. At the time, there was no other option at short notice.

Al Capone Opened a Free Soup Kitchen During the Great Depression

Legendary gangster Al Capone made a fortune during prohibition by bootlegging liquor and bringing it to the black market. The people viewed him as a bit of a hero, in a way. Sure, he murdered, extorted, and intimidated his way to riches. But there was a lot of demand for the freedom to drink, and he helped tremendously. Some of the admiration for Capone is also due to his generosity during the great depression.

National Archives at College Park/ Wikimedia Commons

Al Capone’s soup kitchen served breakfast, lunch, and dinner. On a given day, 5,000 men, women, and children might eat free of charge at this charity. Undoubtedly, it was great street cred for the gangster.

The Bomb Known as 'Fat Man' Killed Millions in an Instant

WWII was the first time atomic weapons were used to kill thousands of human beings. In an instant, whole cities in Japan were destroyed. But the bomb itself doesn't look so intimidating. Here, we see 'Fat Man'. This was the second bomb of the series, detonated over Nagasakiin 1945. The specs are pretty technical, but it's worth noting that this deadly device weighed a whopping 10,800 pounds. Very fat, indeed!

U.S.Department of Defense / Wikimedia Commons

The debate over the morality of such weapons continues to this day. Some say it saved lives, in the long run. Others say it was evil on a mass scale. Truthfully, even many physicists involved in the project felt guilt over the war technology. To this very day, no one has used it since.

This is How George Washington Was Carved Into Mount Rushmore

At present, tourism is South Dakota's second-largest industry. The biggest attraction in the state has got to be Mount Rushmore, with more than 2 million visitors a year. Americans love the majestic sight of four major presidents carved into a mountain. It's a tech and art marvel, and we wonder how they got it done in the old days. Perhaps this picture of George Washington's half-finished face will give us a clue!

Rise Studio, Rapid City, S. Dak./Library of Congress / Wikimedia Commons

The 60-foot memorial took 14 years to complete. Real people carved it by hand from 1927 to 1941, blasting stone away and shaping it into the faces of Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln alongside George.

Little Samuel Reshevsky Defeated These Adult Chess Masters

Samuel Reshevsky is still in the history books as one of the greatest American chess players. He was a seven-time U.S. champion and made it to the top of world challenges. In his prime, he defeated seven other world champions, including Bobby Fischer. And it all started very early for this genius: Check out little Samuel at age 8, right here. Without breaking a sweat, he is beating several chess masters at an event in France in 1920.

Kadel & Herbert / Wikimedia Commons

We may not all be interested in chess, but it's impossible to deny that it is a tough game. Out of 7 billion people in the world today, around 1500 rank as grandmasters. It's pretty impressive that Sam qualified in elementary school!

The Original Mickey Mouse Was Pretty Horrifying

Walt Disney was a clever man, and his empire lives on well beyond his lifetime. His classic character Mickey Mouse is one of the most lovable characters around in the cartoon world. His cute little face has provided entertainment for generations of children. But a hundred years ago, the prototype was actually kind of disgusting. Look at this early Mickey, and be honest: Would you allow this scary thing around youngsters?

ScaryPictures / Reddit

Once his ears got rounder and his base was made shorter, Walt had the modern Mickey. We think the original had a disturbing design. But the kids in this old photo seem to be enjoying him, anyway!

How Did This Mormon Girl Get This Distinctive Tattoo?

Back on the frontier, there were constant conflicts between settlers and Indians. Competing for resources and lacking a common language, this is not terribly surprising. But some may not know that there were occasional kidnappings during raids. Olive Oatman here was a young Mormon girl when she was taken away from her family and made into a slave. Her entire family was killed, except for her sister who joined her in slavery.

Benjamin F. Powelson / Wikimedia Commons

Olive was later traded to another tribe that wore these tattoos. As she became part of the group, it appears they gave her one, too. Despite having chances to escape, Olive stayed with them for years. When she was finally rescued, she claimed the tattoo marked her as a slave. Historians are not sure that was true, however.

The Eiffel Tower Construction Happened in Stages

The Eiffel Toweris an iron monument on the Champ de Mars in Paris, France. Engineer Gustave Eiffel commissioned his company to design the tower for the 1889 World's Fair. It was intended to be a grand entrance for guests. We say he succeeded! After the fair, it was too iconic to take down. To this very day, it's synonymous with Parisitself: Every year, nearly 7 million people visit.

Unknown Author / Wikimedia Commons

The Eiffel Toweris 1,063 feet tall, and it took more than two years to construct. Here it is, halfway through the building process. Even half of it is pretty elegant!

The First American Spacewalk Took Place in 1965

By the 1960s, Americans had shot many things into space. But a human had not yet dangled in those harsh conditions, and NASA wanted to give that a try. In 1965, Ed White impressed the world as the first American to walk in space. He went outside the safety of the Gemini capsule and met the cosmos firsthand. This was historic, and Ed truly went where no man had gone before. What were his observations up there?

NASA / James McDivitt / Wikimedia Commons

Ed reported: "This is the greatest experience, it's just tremendous. Right now I'm standing on my head and I'm looking right down, and it looks like we're coming up on the coast of California. There is absolutely no disorientation associated with it."

The Aftermath of Bonnie and Clyde’s Death Was Grim

Times were tough during the great depression, to be sure. Some people ate potato soup. Others decided to embark on a life of crime. We've all heard of lovers Bonnie and Clyde. Their real names were Bonnie Elizabeth Parker and Clyde Chestnut Barrow. And they're not just a legend: The pair was responsible for at least 13 murders and numerous bank, shop, and funeral home robberies. That spree didn't end well, as seen here.

​Unknown Author / Wikimedia Commons

Bonnie was eating a bologna sandwich while her boyfriend drove on a rural road. He cruised right into a trap where Texas rangers were waiting for them. 167 bullets were fired into their vehicle in less than 20 seconds, killing them both. Behold, the aftermath!

The HooverDam Construction Was a Magnificent Sight to See

The Hoover Dam was one of the most important construction achievements of its time. At its completion in 1935, FDR marveled: "We are here to celebrate the completion of the greatest dam in the world, rising 726 feet above the bedrock of the river and altering the geography of a whole region: we are here to see the creation of the largest artificial lake in the world-115 miles long, holding enough water, for example, to cover the whole State of Connecticut to a depth of ten feet."

Bureau of Reclamation Photographer / Wikimedia Commons

He continued: "We are here to see nearing completion a powerhouse which will contain the largest generators and turbines yet installed in this country, machinery that can continuously supply nearly two million horsepower of electric energy." An impressive feat indeed.

This Rotor Ride at Coney IslandWas the Wildest Thing to Do in the 1950s

Amusement parks are full of rollercoasters and water rides, these days. But one of the quirkiest rides around used to be the Rotor Ride, a carrousel that created a centrifugal force that caused you to stick to the wall. During the '50s and '60s, it was exhibited at European fairs and made it to Coney Island in New York. People couldn't get enough of it: The floor would disappear, and you would be suspended. How novel!

Today, this ride does still exist. You may have tried the updated version, the Gravitron. But just imagine the thrill back in the day. It was the definition of futuristic, surely.

NASA Prepped for the Apollo Moon Landing With This Low-Tech Simulator

How can you prepare to go to the moon if you've never been there before? NASA was faced with this challenge when it decided technology was ready to send a man to the chunk of cheese in the sky. But they had some concerns that astronauts would be unprepared. Obviously, they needed a simulator. Here it is! Did you expect it to be a little more advanced? Well, too bad. NASA

Various screens were set up to show how light would reflect off the surface of the moon at different altitudes. The machine looked just like the cockpit users would ride in with colleagues. Scientists anticipated harsh light and glare in the weird conditions of space. Looking back, this was perfectly effective prep.

This Man Poured Acid in the Pool When Black People Tried to Swim in the ‘60s

Believe it or not, there was a time in Americawhen blacks and whites were not allowed to go to the same schools or use the same drinking fountains. And swimming pools? Well, that was totally out of the question. Eventually, people rebelled. It was too insulting to continue, and protestors of both colors jumped into this motel pool in Florida. The whites who had paid for rooms invited the blacks as their formal guests. But the manager poured acid into the water!

This swim-in was actually planned by Martin Luther King Jr. himself. And the acid stunt didn't really work. There was way too much water diluting it. Perhaps he just wanted to scare everyone. But the photo went viral, and really didn't help his cause.

Don’t Be Scared of the 1920s Electric Permanent Wave Machine

In the early part of the 20th century, a revolutionary hair machine was brought to market by Nestle, before they just became the chocolate people. In only 12 hours, you could be a brand new lady! They advertised it as follows, in 1908: “Nestle’s Improved Permanent Hair Wave means the imparting to the straightest and lankest hair & wave, which in texture, character, desirability, and appearance cannot be distinguished from the natural grown wavy hair.”

The hot device combined with chemicals produced some cool coiffes if you were willing to wait it out. Occasionally though, there were burn victims. Regardless, Mr. Nestle made the equivalent of around $44 million today with this beauty device. Thankfully, it has been replaced with plain old perms!

Elvis Being Sworn Into the Army

Sure, he could have gotten out of serious service. The army said he could just play concerts for the troops. But American singer Elvis Presley was a patriot, and he decided to enlist like all the other guys his age during the time when the Vietnam war began. In 1958, he became a regular soldier despite being the most popular entertainer on the planet. According to the king: "The army teaches boys to think like men."

Elvis received both basic and advanced military training and ended up at a base in Germany. Back home, he had both fans and critics. Some thought his entertainment was too vulgar. But when he came back as a veteran, Elvis had new respect from all sides!

British Anthropologists Found The Happiest Man in Chinain 1901

When photography was first invented, people were not sure exactly how to pose. Westerners decided that being serious was the best kind o portrait, and old photos rarely show a smile. But when a British traveler brought a camera to China for the first time, such notions didn't exist yet. The Chinese didn't know it was such a serious affair. Look at this man happily eating his noodles! He's a real goofball, we will say that.

American Museum of Natural History / Wikimedia Commons

At this point, the identity of this subject has been lost. But it's interesting to see the real emotions of the people from the past, in a rare situation where they didn't know smiling was forbidden.

Arnold Schwarzenegger Was Already Bodybuilding at Age 16

According to legendary bodybuilder Arnold Schwarzenegger: “Not many people understand what a pump is. It must be experienced to be understood. It is the greatest feeling that I get. I search for this pump because it means that that my muscles will grow when I get it. I get a pump when the blood is running into my muscles. They become really tight with blood. Like the skin is going to explode any minute. It’s like someone putting air in my muscles. It blows up. It feels fantastic.”

That's all pretty intense, we must admit. But Arnoldwas into the sport since he was a teen. One day he would become Mr. Universe himself. Look at him posing as a 16-year-old, here!

Say Hello to the Head of the Statue of Liberty in 1885

Sure, The Statue of Liberty is an enormous neoclassical sculpture. She sits on Liberty Island at the New York Harbor. And she has lots of fans, too. But what did she look like, at the beginning? Here, we can see her before she was fully assembled. This face hasn't been attached yet, and a few ladies are admitting her in copper. She wasn't always green, of course. That's just what happens to the metal over time. Just like a penny!

Unknown Author / Wikimedia Commons

France gifted her to new ally America in 1886. She was designed by sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi and became an icon of freedom that generations of immigrants have seen upon arrival. Merci, Fred!

The Is First Known Photo of Abraham Lincoln

This is a man who once said: “My father taught me to work, but not to love it. I never did like to work, and I don't deny it. I'd rather read, tell stories, crack jokes, talk, laugh — anything but work.” But do we believe it? First of all, he looks quite serious. Second of all, this is honest Abe Lincoln, 16th president of the United States.

Nicholas H. Shepherd/Library of Congress / Wikimedia Commons

The president who taught himself law out of a book he found in the trash, who freed the slaves, and kept the union united is quite young here. It's fascinating to see what he looked like before that bushy beard. We like what we see!

Mister Rogers Did This Outrageous Thing for a Reason

François Clemmons was the actor who played Officer Clemmons on Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. He had one of the first recurring black roles on kids' TV, but Fred Rogers was not content to keep things the way they were. In 1968, he invited his pal to sit with him at a kiddie pool. They took off their shoes and dipped their feet in the water. Then, they shared a towel. Why was this significant?

John Beale / Focus Features

Well, it was illegal to do this in a real public pool at the time. Mister Rogers wanted to make a statement to his young viewers about the issue. The episode stands out as one of the most notable ways the color barrier was broken on TV at the time.

Margaret Gorman Was the First Miss America in 1921

In 1921, an American icon was born on the boardwalk in Atlantic City. Margaret Gorman was crowned the First Miss America and started a tradition we still enjoy today. According to the organization: "Miss America is more than a title, it’s a movement of empowering young women everywhere to dream big, to insist that their voices be heard and to inspire change in the world around them. Of course, Miss America wears a crown—she rules."

After answering all kinds of tricky questions, Margaret proved she had both inner and outer beauty. She won a 3-foot golden mermaid trophy as the grand prize. Today, the prize has improved a lot. The winner gets a $50,000 scholarship!

The First Underwater Photograph Was Taken in 1899

The first underwater portrait is a little blurry, we must admit. But it's still interesting to see what people were able to produce in 1899. The man in the picture is Emil Racoviță, a Romanian biologist and oceanographer. It took the photographer about 30 minutes to capture the image because he had to wait for the right amount of light down there. We certainly see how that might be a challenge with a vintage camera!

Since that first, underwater photography has improved considerably. Vibrant images of fish and coral have probably been your screensaver, at some point. No big deal! Even if we can't make it out to a reef ourselves, it is now pretty easy to feel like we are there.

These Are Blind British WWI Veterans in Their First Ever Walk Event

After WWI, there were plenty of funerals. But the surviving soldiers were often terribly maimed, and sometimes blind. Blind Veterans UK still holds an annual walk for soldiers who are blind, which started after the first world war in 1922. The organization explains: "For our early blind veterans learning to walk independently was a crucial stage in their rehabilitation after losing their sight. In addition to the obvious value of not needing a sighted person to accompany them everywhere, confidence in walking on their own also helped maintain their fitness."

Blind Veterans UK

Here, we can see British vets on their first walk, which took place from London to Brighton. This was an impressive distance of 52 miles. Eight men finished the race alongside sighted partners, starting an important patriotic tradition.

This 1890 Photo Might Be the First-Ever Image of a Surfer

We might think of surfing as a modern water sport, but that is certainly not true. As it turns out, surfing has been a part of Hawaiian culture for at least 1,000 years. During ancient times, leaders and royals were given the best surfing spots and used boards made of local Koa wood. Their boards were 24 feet long. The common people would surf too, on 12-foot boards.

It's fascinating stuff. But since that all took place long ago, people don't know the rich history. Starting in 1890, we do have this photo. All we can say is this guy is ripped!

Danish Arctic Explorer Peter Freuchen and His Wife Are a Spectacle

Giant Danish Arctic explorer Peter Freuchen led a remarkable life exploring the most northern places on our planet. On his expedition to Greenland, he discovered the Inuit culture and ended up living there for 15 years. 800 miles from the North Pole, he traded and married an Inuit woman. He hunted polar bears. He experienced three months of darkness and encountered native cannibalism. And he documented all of this for Western audiences to study.

Sadly, his Inuit wife died. But he got married again, which wasn't hard. Ladies love tall, adventurous men and 6-foot-7-inch Peter found a wife named Dagmar, seen here in 1947. After all his travels, the two settled in NYC. Their size difference is remarkable, isn't it?

1920s Gals Worked Out on This Early Treadmill

Fitness is a big deal, these days, Some of us like to go jogging. Others like to lift weights. For those who want something in between, there is always the treadmill. The earliest version is actually quite old, with U.S. records showing a patent was issued in 1913. Back then, it was called a training machine, but the rotating belt and moving flor were all recognizable as a concept. Look at these vintage ladies go!

Today, these machines have become much more advanced. Most have fancy settings to choose different programs to vary the speed. Medical facilities and gyms alike use treadmills. Even Olympic training centers and NASA use them!

The Real Models Once Posed in Front of Their Iconic Portrait

We all recognize “American Gothic” when we see it. The Grant Wood painting is surely the most iconic portrait ever done of a farmer and his wife. It's quintessential Americanafor sure. The suit jacket, the pitchfork, the overalls: It's all there. The question is, were these people real? If you ever had doubts, we're here to put those questions to rest. Here, the real subjects pose in front of the art so a photographer can snap the double image.

In real life, they look less rural. Maybe that's because the woman is the painter's sister, Nan. The man is his family's dentist, Dr. Byron McKeeby. Why, they're just a bunch of city slickers, after all!

Young Winston Churchill Looks Totally Dapper

This fellow once said: “You have enemies? Good. That means you've stood up for something, sometime in your life.” Was this young man really that wise? Maybe not yet. But one day, he would become an inspirational figure with plenty of saying just like that one. This is a photograph of a very young Winston Churchill, dressed in his army uniform. The wartime prime minister had his handsome years, it turns out!

Imperial War Museums/ Wikimedia Commons

Here in 1895, his destiny has not yet been realized. He is merely 2nd Lieutenant Winston Churchill, serving the queen. Decades later, he would help change the course of the world.

https://en.247mirror.com/historical-snapshots-no-shown-class?utm_source=twitter2&utm_medium=paid&utm_campaign=create&ly=native_one&mbid=lr1j58mpbi&twclid=11500863881727684608

[carcinized]

oh man you guys im so tired. i spared so much excitement and curiosity and perserverance today im TIRED now

[lepusrufus]

Teeny little drabble because writing angry Mia is always such a joy. Ft a very messy sketch bc I'm slightly burnt out and can't be bothered with more detailed things.

---

Miranda was extremely close to making a comment on how Mia's pacing back and forth would tear a hole through her living room carpet. The fact that it was mildly amusing kept her mouth shut, for the time being.

The woman was angrily muttering at herself while occasionally checking her phone, and who could blame her, really. She packed her things and all but ran away with her daughter the day prior, only to wake up exhausted and with a plethora of missing calls and vaguely threatening messages from the BSAA. Miranda wasn't going to go back on her word, she did mean it when she told her that she was welcomed to come to the Village would the need for a safe place arise, but the situation had to be dealt with. Having armed agents at her doorstep and threatening the deal she carefully crafted not even six months ago was not an option.

She sighed when Mia stopped pacing only to narrow her eyes at a window, set off by the rustling of branches outside. "Nobody can cross the border if I don't allow it, calm down."

"Then there's no reason to deal with them," Mia snapped back.

Another sigh and a slight eye roll. "They can't come in but that means we're also trapped in here, Mia. This has to be solved."

"You do it then."

The phone that flew in Miranda's direction was caught without much effort, almost letting out a snort at the childish retaliation. Mia was notoriously good at avoiding anything that had to do with "bureaucratic bullshit", as she liked to put it, even back in their days at The Connections. She knew her way through it, just well enough to be able to duck her head, dodge some files that would then be left in her partner's care, and move on to the more hands-on tasks. Miranda would've called it idiocy in the past, but now she could recognise it as sheer stubbornness.

"Fine," she replied, already looking through the contacts and pressing on the name Chris.

Mia widened her eyes almost comically at the abrupt compliance. She almost expected the phone to be thrown back at her face. She almost hoped that'd happen instead.

It took a total of five seconds to get a reply, the dial tone barely having time to repeat itself twice. "Mia? Where are you are you-"

"It's me."

A long pause, that dragged on for entirely too much.

"Miranda?! Where's Mia and why the fuck do you have her?!"

" 'Have her' is barely the description I would use really," she replied, an amused smirk pulling at her lips. How some people could be so dense was beyond her.

"If you touch a single hair on her or Rose's-"

Miranda took the phone away from her ear, a muffled rant going on that she had grown bored of. She pushed the small device in Mia's hands with an eye roll. "Here, take it. Try not to make them drop a nuclear bomb on us."

And with that, she stepped past her, going to sit on the couch not too far behind them where both Eva and Rose were playing with a small mountain of plushies. She didn't quite feel like getting screaming in her ear first thing in the morning. Besides, no matter what was said here, she knew a meeting with the BSAA to discuss this would be in order soon, so this phone call was nothing but a pesky personal issue between the two of them.

"Yes?" Mia's voice was almost shaky, though most of it could be blamed on those who were meant to protect them getting on each and every single one of her nerves.

"Mia, why on earth are you there?"

"I really like not having a gun pointed at my daughter 24/7, you know," she replied, eyes narrowing.

"You know that's not true, it's just part of our protocol. Nobody wants to shoot Rose."

"Yeah well tell that to the fucking idiot that almost put a bullet through the both of us because she was a normal. Fussy. Baby." Her words were now coming through gritted teeth, probably in an attempt to not scare the two infants in her vicinity by yelling.

"... I'm sorry about that. We shouldn't have assigned a rookie to you two." A deep sigh could be heard through the phone, but it did little to placate Mia's anger.

"I don't care Chris! The BSAA fucked up and your little rebel parade is not gonna fix shit!" Then, three years of frustration just washed over her and crammed themselves into her thoughts and words, coming to drip out like acid. "We moved all the way here, we did everything you asked, even went through your stupid military training that you knew was useless. You owe me."

Chris paused for a moment. He was taking the anger thrown at him rather gracefully, all things considered. "Fine, whatever you like."

"What I like is not being a goddamn prisoner Chris. You can't do shit about Rose, you're not equipped for that whether you want to admit it or not. You know who is though? Miranda!" Her words were accompanied by an angry gesture towards the other woman, who simply chuckled. She was right. "I'm not going back."

"Mia you can't stay there-"

"Book a meeting with the BSAA." She looked at a calendar hanging on the wall. "Thursday. At the southern edge of the border. I'm not coming back with you and god help you if you fucking try anything."

And then she hung up before any reply could come. She was exhausted and mad beyond belief, having spent almost six months under constant surveillance and surrounded by people that were ready to shoot both of them at the drop of a pin. Not to mention the plethora of medication meant to suppress the effects of the Mold.

She blinked in confusion when a mug was pushed in her field of vision. Apparently Miranda had gotten up sometime during the heated phone call and made tea, the sweet fruity aroma calming her nerves just a little.

She accepted the beverage and heard the other woman chuckle. "You have almost a week to prepare your speech, better make it a good one. Now come sit, I'm assuming you didn't get much sleep last night."

[spine-buster]

peaceful easy feeling ft. b.boeser | one

A/N: Here’s the beginning of my new mini-series!  I hope you all enjoy it.  It will definitely be a bit of an emotional rollercoaster, so be prepared!  There will be five parts!

SUPPORT MY WRITING HERE: https://ko-fi.com/spine_buster

CONTENT WARNING: parents with disease/sickness (Parkinson’s); swearing; sex; alcohol use; lots of emotions.

                                                                   *     *     *     *     *

Brock Boeser felt like he was at some sort of Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, with everybody around the circle introducing themselves and their similar predicaments.  The group was in a big meeting room at the local community centre, and when he walked in, he saw a group of dads playing basketball in the gym.  He sort of wanted to join them instead of being here, in this room, with all these people that he didn’t know talking about what they were going to talk about, but he’d done this back in Minnesota, at his mother’s behest with his siblings, and he was going to do it here, too, in Vancouver, to make her happy and ease her mind and to make sure that he was easing his own mind.  

“Um, hello everyone.  My name is Brock Boeser.  I’m from Minnesota, but I’m living in Vancouver.  And um, I’m here with you all because my dad was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease.”

“Hello Brock,” everyone smiled at him, and he smiled and nodded back.

“So it was your dad that was diagnosed,” the leader, a kind, older woman named Esther who had greeted him at the door and stuck with him until everybody sat down, egged on a conversation.  He knew she was doing it because he was new; everybody in this room probably already knew each other.  A part of him actually wondered if anybody knew who he was.  “When?”

“Um, he—he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2010,” Brock revealed, stuttering it out.  He knew he’d have to be open at these things – open so people could empathize with him, open so he could empathize with others – but it was still tough for him to do so.  “But he—it’s—it’s not just Parkinson’s.  Two years after he was diagnosed, he was in a car accident and suffered a traumatic brain injury.  In 2017, he was diagnosed with lung cancer.  He beat it but then in June it returned to his liver and chest.  In July, he had a heart attack and his heart stopped beating for 15 minutes.  I was with him and—I—it’s—it’s a lot, as you can imagine,” he tried not to start crying right then and there.  Imagine that – first meeting with a Parkinson’s Society of BC support group and he’d bawl like a baby.

“Goodness me, Brock,” Esther said.  “He has support at home?”

“Um, well, money isn’t an issue now, but when I was growing up my mom worked three jobs to make sure we were all taken care of,” he revealed.  “I’d pitch in too wherever I could, obviously.”

“But it’s been tough for a number of years.”

Brock paused.  It had been tough for a number of years.  It had been really tough for a number of years.  He nodded his head.  “Yes ma’am.  I try to take it day by day.”

Esther nodded as well.  “I don’t know if you pray, Brock, but I know a couple of members around the circle do, and, well – you’ll be kept in all our prayers.”

Brock saw a few people nod their head.  Another older woman, probably his mom’s age, clutching a rosary; a Sikh man dressed in a casual suit; a younger woman, probably in her thirties, with short blonde hair.  He appreciated the sentiment.  He knew that people took prayer very seriously – that people suffering took prayer very seriously.  It was, realistically, one of the kindest things somebody could ever say to you: “I’m praying for you.”  “Thank you very much,” he said, nodding his head once.

***

There was an arrangement of cookies at the end of the meeting.  Even after the 90 minutes of everybody talking about their experiences and emotions, they apparently liked to stick around afterwards as well just to mingle.  It didn’t all have to be doom and gloom, he thought.  It didn’t all have to be about Parkinson’s or about sick people or losing your loved ones all the time.  Maybe some people just wanted to talk about the news.  Maybe some people just wanted to talk about sports.  The weather.  Anything.  Anything to make a connection with someone beyond something so tragic.  

After stuffing an entire Fudge-O cookie into his mouth, he looked up to see a young woman staring at him, holding her trenchcoat in her arms.  She was smiling to let him know she was friendly.  He was embarrassed because he knew she just saw him stuff an entire Fudge-O into his mouth.  “Hi,” he said, his mouth still full of cookie, the sound of his voice reflecting that fact.

“You’re Brock Boeser, right?” she asked sweetly.  “You play for the Vancouver Canucks?”

“Yeah,” Brock couldn’t help but smile.  He swallowed the rest of the cookie even though he didn’t really finish chewing it.  “That’s me.  Are you a fan?”

“My step-brothers are more so than I am,” she said.  “But I’m a fan of the team, yeah.  I’m Grace Gillespie,” she extended her hand to shake his.  “God, they’re not gonna believe me when I say I met you.  They’re gonna freak.”

Brock couldn’t help but chuckle slightly.  “Do you—I mean, do you want a picture?  I don’t mind at all.  I’ll sign an autograph on a napkin if you want me to.”

“Well…it’s a bit awkward to ask you at a Parkinson’s Society of BC meeting, but we could go to the Starbucks down the street and I could buy you a coffee.”

Brock was slightly taken aback at her forwardness.  He shouldn’t have been.  Girls came up to him all the time.  All the time.  And they were most definitely not shy.  But he wasn’t exactly expecting it to happen here, of all places.  A bar, sure.  Out with Petey or any of the other guys, absolutely.  But not here.  “Yeah…yeah sure,” he stuttered out.

“Then we should go,” Grace smiled.  She turned to look behind her.  Brock saw Esther picking up a few Oreos.  “Thank you for leading another great session, Esther,” Grace said.  

“Oh you are most welcome Miss Gillespie.  How is Hamish these days?  You didn’t speak much today.”

“He’s been doing fine lately.  His caregivers have been working around the clock for him.  They just work wonders, don’t they?”

Esther nodded.  “They are angels on Earth.  Anyways – we’ll catch up next week,” she said, leaning slightly on her leg to look beyond Grace and to Brock.  “I hope to see you here again next week, Brock.”

“Thank you, Esther.  See you next week,” he said, realizing he made the commitment before he could even realize what he was saying.

***

“I take that was your first meeting?” Grace asked as she set down the two lattes on the table against the window where Brock was waiting.  

“Was it really obvious?” Brock asked.

Grace shrugged her shoulders.  She didn’t want to make him feel self-conscious.  “It was the stuttering that gave it away, at least to me.  I know I stuttered a lot the first few times I came to these meetings.  I wasn’t the most comfortable talking about my dad’s condition to a room full of virtual strangers.  But within just a few months I realized the people in that room are the kindest, most empathetic, most amazing people that I’ve ever interacted with.  So I became a lot more open.”

Brock was transfixed by every word that Grace was saying.  “So you’ve been coming here a long time,” he said.

Grace nodded.  “My dad got diagnosed with Parkinson’s when I was fourteen.  I didn’t start coming here until I was about eighteen, though.”

Brock knew he shouldn’t ask.  He knew he shouldn’t.  But his brain had ulterior motives, and his mouth – well, his mouth listened to his brain, because it apparently needed to know.  “Is your—is your dad like my dad?” he asked.  “Does he have, like, other problems complicating things?”

Grace shook her head.  “No,” she said softly.  “But the Parkinson’s is enough for him.  I mean he was diagnosed just short of ten years ago and he’s already on puréed foods.  It’s not—I mean, you know as well as I do that it doesn’t regularly develop that fast.  But that’s…I don’t know how you do it.”

Brock didn’t know either.  Some days he didn’t.  “I just take it day by day,” he said simply, just like he said in the meeting.  “If I think about it too much…that’s when it’s bad.”

“I hear ya,” Grace said, taking a sip of her coffee.  “But let’s…not talk about this for too long.  Do you like Vancouver?  Do you find it nice?”

Brock appreciated the change in topic.  “I love it here,” he nodded his head, smiling.  “The city’s great.  The fans are great.  My teammates – I mean they’re amazing.  What do you do?”

“I’m a dance teacher at Goh Ballet – little kids and teens, mostly.”

He wasn’t expecting that.  She was drop dead gorgeous, sure – Brock wasn’t blind – but he wasn’t expecting to hear she was a dancer.  “Do you, like, dance in the real ballet?”

Grace snorted slightly at his phrasing of ‘real ballet’.  “No.  I pursued it only up until a certain point.  I was good, but uh, I stopped when my dad got diagnosed.”

“Why?  Don’t they always tell people like us to have, like, an outlet or whatever?”

“They do.  But I loved my dad more than I loved dance.  And I would have rather spent the time that I was spending on dance with him instead.”

He understood where she was coming from, and he wasn’t there to judge her.  “And your brothers you mentioned, did they help too?”

“Oh no no no.  Sorry – I should have specified.  I’m an only child.  Like, the only child between my parents.  But they divorced when I was six and when my mom re-married I gained two step-brothers, Jasper and Theo.”

“How was the divorce?” Brock found himself asking.

“You ever see footage of a nuclear bomb exploding?” Grace giggled as she asked the question.  It caused Brock to laugh too even though the analogy she was making was dreadful.  “It was awful.  The type of divorce nobody deserves, you know?  I became a pawn, basically, and my parents would only speak to each other through lawyers.  Even stuff concerning me.  It was bad.”

“That sounds horrible.”

“It was.  But it’s the only life I know,” she said.  “He was lucky my mom ended up marrying another rich guy.  I mean, my mom only marries rich men,” she giggled slightly again.  “That’s how Jasper and Theo became my step-brothers.”

“So your family has money?” Brock clarified.  “What’s it from?  Dad a lawyer or something?”

“Not exactly,” Grace said.  “My dad and his brothers own a private equity firm that started like this,” she pinched her fingers together, “and went like…” she continued, spreading her fingers and moving her hands around her like a bomb explosion.  “Gillespie Brothers Investments.  I’m sure as a Vancouver Canuck you’ve heard of them.  I mean they wanted to buy the Canucks before the Aquilinis.”

Brock hadn’t heard of them, but he now knew he’d have to do some snooping when he got home. “I haven’t heard of them.  But I mean – sounds like they were successful.”

“Three billion dollars is pretty successful to me,” Grace quipped.

“B—Billion,” Brock sputtered out.  “With a B.”

“With a B,” Grace nodded.  Brock had no idea he was sitting across from the daughter of a billionaire.  She didn’t act like a billionaire.  Not like Brock knew what billionaires acted like.  He’d never met one before in his life.  Well, besides Francesco.  “But tell me more about what you like about Vancouver.  What about the nature?  I always kind of fine a good long walk along the Seawall or through Stanley Park really clears my mind from all…this.  What about you?”

Brock smiled.  “I find the white noise of downtown clears my mind.”

***

“You want my number,” Grace said as a statement rather than a question as she and Brock exited the Starbucks.  They were kicked out.  They’d been there for so long that they’d been kicked out because they were closing.  Their coffees had gotten cold.  They hadn’t ordered new ones.  And now they found themselves on the deserted sidewalk, jackets put on hastily, and Grace came up with that.

Brock looked down at her.  They’d been able to look into each other’s soul for the past few hours.  “Of course I want your number,” he said.  There was no reason to hide it.  No reason to deny it.  No reason to have to wait until next week to see her again as they sat around in a circle in a community centre talking about their parents.

He took out his phone.  She gave him her number.  He texted his name to hers so she’d have his.  When that dance was done, she looked up at him.  “I’m really glad I met you tonight,” she said, her voice sincere.

Brock nodded.  “I’m glad I met you too.  I—I really enjoyed this.  And I mean—I needed it.”

Grace smiled, nodding her head.  “I needed it too.”

“D’you—” Brock stopped, trying not to get too far ahead of himself.  “D’you need a ride home?”

“Oh no no, my driver is right there,” she motioned her head towards a black Mercedes waiting by the curb.

Brock hadn’t noticed the car until now.  “Chauffeur?”

“Billionaire dad,” she winked.  Brock understood.  She took a few steps back before smiling one more time.  “Call me,” she said, before flipping her hair over her shoulder and walking towards the Mercedes and getting into the backseat.  Brock watched as it drove off, making a right at the end of the street.

He would definitely be calling.

[starshine-selfships]

Okay!! I wanna do some timelining n stuff to talk about pouf, I've mentioned some stuff before but I wanna make a formal post about it

Heads up, not just for major ch.imera a.nt arc spoilers, but also for uhhhh discussion of war, the aftermath of war, mentions of death, and trauma. I'm not going super hard on the discussion, but it's all gonna be brought up so proceed with caution if any of that's an issue!

Alright so, the Lore tl;dr is:

Unstable man + War Is Hell is not a good combo at all and he flat out refuses to address anything that went wrong, even with how he felt before everything fell apart. Post-war he's doing even worse and has flat out just given up, until he ends up meeting someone who's also moving through some wild rough patches who helps him put one foot in front of the other in a sort of mutual recovery type of way.

If you wanna see some specifics then you're in luck bc I've also got a 7 paragraph long version of info regarding canon events and the eventual segway into what this blog's mostly about 👀, let's go:

We're operating on a post-war "no one dies" timeline lmao. For the uninitiated, this arc builds into a small scale war between ants and humanity bc ants wanna replace humans as the dominant species and there's a little too much death involved for anyone to feel comfortable about it; amongst other things that happen, this continues to escalate until the detonation of a nuclear bomb with a rose shaped cloud (that detail is a surprise tool that will help us later). Long arc, lots of gray morality, lots of discussion of what really makes you human, etc etc.

Pouf himself is a royal guard protecting a king alongside two other guards/siblings (he's the middle child U_U); as the arc progresses he becomes more and more attached to his own personal idea of what the king should be and it looks increasingly more like self destructive devotion as well as unbelievable homoeroticism, just a small man with a big crush and self worth issues as he bases his own personal value on his ability to effectively serve his king. You can already see how this just doesn't work 😔. Pouf + his younger brother actually witness the bomb detonation and immediately head to ground zero to find their king at the brink of death, but he does end up surviving until the effects of radiation poisoning start kicking in.

Backtracking a bit, the king keeps talking to a human and he learns that maybe not every single person is terrible, something that really distresses pouf bc That's Not How It's Supposed To Work. Post bomb, pouf kinda learns that he doesn't have a lot of time left after seeing his brother dead in the dirt and starts actively trying to kill this person out of sheer desperation, tl;dr he can't do it, he feels like he's failed his singular purpose in life, the king he loved and admired literally turned his back on him and walked away, and then the poisoning FINALLY actually kills pouf, we get one last shot of him laying in the dirt, covered in his own blood and tears.

Wow, that's kinda heavy, let's back that up a bit 👀

The ants were pretty sturdy, and the bomb itself canonically carried poison, not specifically radiation, but poison, and that's the detail I'm hinging all this on. Strategic human retreat after one of the most powerful explosives in existence doesn't do the job, maybe some kind of "if you don't do anything then we won't do anything" truce or smthn; the oldest guard had their own things going on outside the bomb, but they also manage to get through their ordeal. There's some ant casualties, a few ants even worked for the opposite side, but the guards and their king make it out alive, albeit in varying amounts of pain as they all wait for the poison to eventually purge itself.

No one is okay after this, no one brings it up, but all the guards are noticeably jumpy and quiet after the war. Pouf wasn't doing so well before it, afterwards he's a mess. The king can pretty easily hold his own in a fight and spends more time without his guards, starts spending more time that one person that made him realize why life is special. Pouf barely sees his king (read: the most important person in his life) anymore and spends every day after the war inconsolable. He feels like a complete failure with a shattered heart. If he cried a lot before, at this point it's rare to see him without tears in his eyes; spends lots of time just staring out the windows, sometimes he plays music but it sounds upsetting enough that no one wants to be around for it. He continues isolating himself, and eventually gets pushed to play outside by someone who's also feels poorly. He always comes back in the evening, but he gets a little farther away each day.

But then one day, the strangest thing happens. He's already so wary of humanity, after everything he saw and what it did to his king, but he's too tired and upset to really protest; the eventual discussions that start breaching mental health cause him to open his eyes a bit more and really think about what he's doing with me. He's still on guard, waiting for a stab in the back that will never come, but gradually learns how to be more comfortable with himself and his experiences. It's a lot of work that occasionally gets very painful, but it's so rewarding when he realizes that he's able to be genuinely happy for the first time in a long time.

This man works through his p.tsd and severe anxiety with someone who's had to do the same; he finds someone who shares his thinking and behavioral patterns and finds out he's neurodivergent. He's got a rose trigger that vexes and haunts him bc he's a romantic at heart and just feels so sickened and uneasy around roses, and that's also something we work around and through.

Solace and comfort in mutual growth and healing.

[leverage-ot3]

notable moments from The Rundown Job

leverage 5.09

the HEART EYES in parker and eliot’s eyes as they watch hardison crack the code of the vault is my religion

- - - - -

Hardison: Kiss for luck?

Parker: Who needs luck?

confident baby

- - - - -

(Parker begins doing elaborate moves and turns to get through the lasers, quickly reaching the far wall)

Hardison: I never get tired of that

THE HANDSHAKE BETWEEN HARDISON AND ELIOT BC THEY LOVE THEIR BADASS GIRLFRIEND

- - - - -

Parker (opens a case to reveal it is full of diamonds): Oh! Bup-bup.

(Eliot snaps at Parker to get her attention)

Hardison: Eight new schools. Okay, take care, sister Agnes. (hangs up)

(Parker closes the case and gives it to Eliot for mailing as Hardison dials the phone)

Hardison: Hey, Nate, we’re done in D.C. We’re flying back tomorrow. See you.

Parker: They’re so shiny. Couldn’t I have just kept one?

Hardison: Road to redemption, Parker. Just think how good it’s gonna feel when you get that Christmas card from those orphans. Hell, we may even get Eliot to smile.

parker deserves all the shiny things

“the road to redemption” THEY CHANGE TOGETHER

- - - - -

Riley: Why’d you quit, anyway? (pushes button again)

Eliot: Started running with some different people...

(Riley pushes button again but it doesn’t seem to be working)

Eliot: Like a hacker...

(Hardison enters room and nods. Riley pulls a gun from his drawer and shoots toward Eliot, but the gun is empty)

Eliot: And a thief.

(Parker taps on Riley’s head. He turns. She is holding the clip and a bullet from his gun)

Parker: Click. (tosses clip and bullet on table)

eliot “I started running with some different people” spencer loves his partners and I adore that with my whole (whole) heart

- - - - -

Eliot: Good night.

(Parker stuns Riley, who slumps on the desk)

I’m glad they’re enabling her tasering obsession

- - - - -

Eliot (checks his watch): I’m gonna keep her alive. You guys find a way to get her out of here.

Hardison: With what? I…

Eliot (walks away): You stole a Michelangelo with tinfoil and chewing gum. Figure it out!

eliot is like bitch please you’re smarter than this

- - - - -

the way the three of them back up to each other, covering their backs ,,,

- - - - -

Hardison: This is a violation of my constitutional rights.

Vance: You’re Alec Hardison. You cracked the Pentagon servers when you were 12. N.S.A. has a file on you a mile long.

Hardison: Do they? What do they say about me? I hope they gave me a cool nickname.

Vance: Parker here... No file on you, which is...

(Parker appears to be sleeping)

Vance: Is she asleep?

Eliot: She bores easy. What do you got on us?

hardison probably does have a cool nickname

also I LOVE how they still have no clue about parker

+

eliot being like “she bored easy” 🤷🏼‍♀️ the MARRIEDNESS

- - - - -

Hardison: Y-you’re talking about stopping a terrorist attack in an afternoon. We’d need all your intel.

Vance: That truck back at the crime scene... It’s an N.S.A. Mobile response intelligence unit–

Hardison: With the Schneier cryptography system and the j-dam satellite uplink? That... I know nothing about, ‘cause that would be treason and wrong. (to Vance) Are you for real

hardison: I wouldn’t know anything about that because that wouLd Be TrEaSoN

- - - - -

Vance: So, you grab the truck... (moves to sit by Eliot) Hell... Your girlfriend’s already out of her cuffs.

(Parker sits up holding the handcuffs and tosses them to Vance)

...they didn’t deny that parker was eliot’s girlfriend. they didn’t bother to correct him because it is, in fact, true that she is both their girlfriends. in this essay I will-

- - - - -

Agent: No, I can’t let you in the truck.

Hardison: A gigabyte gone... your job, gone.

Agent: Security clearances.

Hardison: You’re not gonna let who...

Eliot: What are we, terrorists? Okay, that was my plan was to come here, show you a real badge that I somehow got, and then bring somebody crazy to break into a secure vehicle? We’re gonna move this down the block. He’s gonna spend about an hour doing spot-checks on databases. I showed you my badge. Man, here, take my badge. (tosses it to Agent) Call it in. I got to deal with this guy

it’s funny because it’s true

- - - - -

Hardison: It’s got every database... N.S.A., CIA, FBI. It’s got hard backdoors into most commercial systems, live feeds into every security camera on the grid. Man, if this wasn’t such a gross violation of our civil liberties, I would be in love right now.

they never stop calling out the government and I’m Here For It™

- - - - -

Parker: Where do we start?

Eliot: We start with getting you two on a plane out of here. You didn’t sign up for this. Trust me.

Hardison: And you? You’re going to handle this by yourself? Come on, she’s a lady, man. She needs the right touch. What you gonna do with your big punching hands... Punch the screens? No.

Parker: We agreed we all change. Better or worse, we change together.

Eliot (after a moment): What do they got on the gunman?

ELIOT JUST WANTS HIS PARTNERS SAFE

also,,, for better or worse, we change together??? BITCH THOSE ARE WEDDING VOWS

- - - - -

Parker: Do you know why you bring a cooler full of ice to a robbery? No? I do. Everything we need to know is in that basement. I’ll drive.

Hardison: Hold on.

Eliot: Exactly.

Hardison: No, hold on. (holds on to table)

Eliot: Oh, you... oh, hell, man (sits down in chair across from Hardison. the van horn honks twice and eliot looks around, fumbling) No seat belts up in this thing- (looks at Hardison) d-do you got a seat belt?

Hardison: No, uh-uh, hold the wall (holds the wall)

eliot and hardison being exhausted boyfriends at parker’s reckless driving, I love this song

- - - - -

Parker: How do you lose track of a whole laboratory?

Eliot: There’s over 200 tons of uranium missing from the United States nuclear storage.

Hardison: The air force lost a hydrogen bomb off the coast of Georgia.

Eliot: Countries are big things, Parker. A lot of secrets slip through the cracks.

wow I love knowing these things and having to live with it

- - - - -

Hardison: The Spanish flu killed 50 million people during World War I, and now somebody’s got it. (opens door)

Parker: Look, we can do this. Just treat it like any another job.

Hardison: This isn’t just any other job.

Eliot: All right, all right. Stay focused.

Hardison: I focused! That bug in there killed 50 million people! 50! And that was when the population was lower.

Parker: Now?

Hardison: Now? 150 million people. 150 million dead. Hey, we’re thieves, man, and we’re good at what we do, but this is way, way out of our league. And you expect us to go catch some psycho with a city killer? A country killer?

Eliot: You scared?

Hardison: You’re damn right.

(Hardison turns to enter the truck but Eliot grabs his wrist, holding him back)

Eliot: I’m not. I got the best thief And the smartest guy I know chasing this guy.

(Hardison looks at Parker, but Eliot grabs his head and pulls him back)

Eliot: Hey, listen to me. You’re smartest man I’ve ever known, Hardison. I need that brain to get me to him. ‘Cause you know if I lay my hands on him, it’s done. Get me to him. (lets Hardison go)

tHe WaY hE gRaBs HaRdiSoN’S fACE

eliot knows hardison is spiraling but he also knows how to get him out of it because he knows hardison like the back of his hand and knows how to get through to him

THEY LOVE EACH OTHER

- - - - -

there are so many good ot3 shots in this episode it brings me so much joy

- - - - -

parker climbs hardison like a T R E E to turn off that detonator as eliot provides counterbalance

- - - - -

Eliot: Did it work?

Hardison: I... I don’t know. I’m trying to get the phone speaker.

Vance (on phone): Move, move, move! Get to cover! Pull everyone back to the perimeter!

Eliot: Ohh! My boy! (hugs Hardison) That is what I’m talking about!

tHe HuG, yOuR hOnOR

- - - - -

they really be playing grand theft auto in this one

- - - - -

(Udall fires toward the trio and they dive for cover. Eliot and Parker look at each other and nod. Parker looks at Hardison)

Parker: For luck.

(Parker kisses Hardison, then she and Eliot nod at each other. Parker grabs the briefcase and runs off the train while Eliot runs toward Udall. Hardison goes after Parker, and Udall shoots Eliot in the leg. Eliot reaches Udall and punches him, knocking him out. Hardison continues after Parker, who stops and opens the briefcase)

F O R L U C K

also high key the look parker and eliot share? it had the same vibes as “we do the things that they can’t, won’t”

+

parker high key kissing hardison “for luck” but also kissing him because eliot can’t

- - - - -

Hardison: Yeah. Yeah, that’ll do... that’ll do it. (he pulls her into his arms) Don’t do that to me. I can’t lose you. Do you understand? I can’t lose you. Don’t scare me like that.

Parker: Yeah.

Hardison: I can’t

he loves her so, so much

- - - - -

Vance: Promise you’ll at least consider working with us again.

Eliot: I work with them now.

Vance: Honor among thieves?

Eliot: Something like that. (walks away)

something like that,,, HE LOVES THEM, YOUR HONOR

- - - - -

Vance: World can always use some more good guys.

Parker: Yeah, well, too bad we’re the bad guys

smh, “sometimes the bad guys are the best good guys”

- - - - -

Parker: You’re shot. You should go to the hospital.

Eliot: I don’t do hospitals. (drops crutch)

Hardison: I told you. He takes getting shot very lightly

he drops his crutch to lean on parker and hardison THIS IS NOT A DRILL

- - - - -

after watching this episode, I agree with y’all wholeheartedly that this was an ot3 GOLDMINE

edit: also, notice how much is written in pink (the colorcode for ot3 notes and meta). like, more than half of it. because LITERALLY ALL OF THIS IS OT3 MATERIAL

[luckycheesefoodie321]

Idk I see mixed feelings about WW84...(spoilers + long post)

I’m about the same... some bits felt a bit slow... idk some of the action didnt feel as sharp and powerful, maybe just a bit too smooth? Idk maybe that’s just me being desensitised to how OP Wonder Woman is... it’s not necessarily a bad thing, just didn’t capture the same wow factor as the first time we saw her get to work...

some of it was a bit goofy looking, like the flying scene, that was kinda funny to watch, but yknow I get it... moment of peace for her to finally reconcile with losing Steve a second time but this time actually letting him go...and so finally figuring out the one gap she had that he had occupied...

Some questionable choices as well... that scene where they use a bomb to save those four kids...I’ve heard it echoes a very real life tragedy that apparently Gal Gadot has expressed support for? Cant say for certain on the matter since I don’t know enough but just wanna put that info out there... also that one bit with the “middle eastern” man with a rifle wishing for more nuclear weapons...necessary? I don’t think so? The Irish thing too? Idk if they’re trying to call out people’s racism or endorse it but just something to note down...

What they definitely got right was the emotional chemistry between Diana and Steve, and using Pedro Pascal’s tried and true struggling dad with a lot of feelings acting so well... even if I feel it wasn’t that earned, kinda shoe-horning his backstory towards the end there... Pedro Pascal is sublime at ringing out those emotions, so maybe that’s why I couldn’t really connect with him as the over-the-top bad guy, but I suppose that could’ve been intentional? He had effectively whitewashed himself to try to get ahead in the world after dealing with an abusive home life and general indoctrinated bigotry and racism at school... an experience many people of colour face and are forced to go through... I genuinely did not recognise him when we see him on the TV the first time so props to the makeup/wardrobe team for that subtle costuming decision...

As for Steve and Diana...man just the way they kept brushing their hands across each other’s hair and faces and body after that initial passionate kiss, and just delighting in each other’s presence as they walk along the (Washington monument pond thing?) really made me feel how much they adore and missed each other... and the little walk through the city with Steve discovering the 80s and Diana indulging him and letting him explore and look around in wonder AND THE DRESS UP MONTAGE... way to reverse the first movie...

Really loved how equal they are in protecting each other... Steve is confident in Diana’s strength and lets her fight but is prepared to back her up and is always tying up any loose ends or protecting her blind side... and when her strength had clearly weakened, he doesn’t hesitate to support her and she’s readily reaching for him for help... that part where Steve is acting like a blocker for Diana and shoving through the rioting streets was a nice scene...

Also Diana almost exclusively in pant suits? Heck yeah...

OH BUT MAN... that second goodbye between them but this time Diana actively letting go? That hit hard... Diana just wanting to be a little selfish for once and keep him and find a different way... but then Steve saying “I’m already gone” bc his physical body was gone, and he’s already died once. He was literally borrowing someone elses body and time. Y’all I can’t. And you don’t even see him disappear or say his “I love you” to Diana because she needed to rip herself away from him in order to revoke her wish... and the feral screams of anguish as she ran away? So good.

Barbara/Barbra having a very typical “loner wishes to be like someone she admires/popular and it turning against her because of her greed” type of arc but it wasn’t really resolved at the end though nice touch to see that she just quietly revoked her wish off screen and we just see her human again... gotta love that they just let Kristen Wiig go from super cute to super hot throughout the film until she became a leopard... lol but she was the walking embodiment of the “take the glasses off she was beautiful all along” trope XD

I wonder what that dude thought he did while the whole world was going to shit? Did he just get thrown back into his body when Steve left? Or did he wake up back in his apartment where Steve had come to in the first place to really reverse the effects?

OH shout out to that one guy and his cows who wanted a farm...

OH AND THE OG WONDER WOMAN LYNDA CARTER MAKING AN APPEARANCE AS THE FIRST GOLDEN WARRIOR LADY WHO WAS CONSIDERED THEIR FIRST STRONGEST WARRIOR... friggen pass that torch babey

Anyway yeah I’m done...

[ford-ye-fiji]

@honeybeesblr okay so here is the AU, finally! (For anyone who wants to know what the heck is going on in fallout- i made a really quick summary here) 

Nuclear War happens- the Hargreeves have a vault bc Reggie is rich. Reggie is also super shady. When the nukes hit, Reggie isn’t home. Everyone in the house, the kids, Pogo, and Grace get to the vault. Reggie doesn’t.

Pogo, without Reggie, follows his “emergency orders” for what to do if something like this happened

Thus we have the cryogenic freezing situation

Five is kidnapped by, instead of Kellogg- by the Handler (Ben is either shot here in the process or his powers absolutely do not mesh well with freezing and he ends up dying. It could go either way)

Everyone gets put under again

They wake up later when a malfunction happens to find out that Pogo has been dead for years and Grace, a now 200 ish year old robot, isn’t exactly functioning well. She insists the radiation is terrible outside and that everyone is dead. They all want to go after Five but also they’re thirteen. Plus, to them it hasn’t been 200 years. It might as well have been yesterday.

A couple of years pass in the vault? Finally, they just all leave I presume at 18 ish one by one (bc they can’t stick together to save their lives I swear.) Thus, activities happen until we get to the seventeen year mark since Five’s disappearance. Diego is one of the last minutemen because he totally would be. He still checks up on Grace, who putters around the vault. Allison ends up in the Underground Railroad which, instead of there being an Institute- fights the Commission- Diego occasionally helps Allison out. Vanya, I think, would be a sort of traveling bard/occasional help because the apocalypse world would eat up that type of access to new music and knowledge. (There is, of course, a particular farm that she passes by very often). Without access to her pills, she’s discovered her powers and gone through all this growth and character development on her own so when her siblings eventually meet up with her again, she’s grown into herself and is also, “sup I have powers now sweet right”. Klaus ends up becoming a ghoul. He totally becomes the Hancock. He’s in charge of Good Neighbor, Ben is responsible for most of his good decisions. Luther leaves the vault last, but without Reggie he has to find his own path. He joins the Brotherhood of Steel. They provide the structure and responsibility that he felt empty without.

They sort of all keep vague tabs on each other. Until Allison gets word of a woman with a kid in Diamond City. The woman matches the description of the lady she remembers stealing Five. Plus she was seen with a thirteen year old boy who could vanish on command.

Allison loses it, contacts her siblings, they meet up in Diamond City and she’s all “FIVE IS FREAKING ALIVE” and they attribute his still being thirteen thing to him figuring out how to time travel. Maybe he escaped his captors temporarily by time traveling?

Allison and Luther have some tensions because Luther is BoS and Allison is Railroad. Diego literally has no time for either of them. He’s chill with Allison, but won’t really go out of his way for the synth cause. He has no patience for the BoS agenda and constantly spits in the face of authority because he can and he’s Diego and that’s what he does.

When Luther finds out Klaus is a ghoul he has a massive crisis. This is the first crack in the BoS propaganda when he doesn’t shoot his brother for being what he is.

Instead of Nick Valentine (sorry Nick I still love u I swear) we have detective Patch who helps them find their way to Kellogg/The Handler. They find out the Commission told her to kidnap Five. Why? They don’t know.

Plot progresses pretty much evenly in comparison to the game except faster because super powers. When they find out you have to teleport into the Commission, they collectively lose their minds.

They teleport into the Commission-Institute. I think they’d follow the Minuteman route up to this point. Allison still gives the railroad info, but because the minutemen are neutral ground with Diego, they do all the stuff there. Anyway, so they get to the Commisstitute and find little Number Five. This is where I’m changing things. Five knows them. He’s awfully confused stating that they are “dead” and “how can they possibly be here”- which is when he just shuts down, and Father walks in.

The sibs take their turns threatening him obviously, demanding to know what he’s done to Five, and that’s when Father reveals that he is Number Five. That it’s been way longer than 17 years for him.

The Father Five timeline is this. The Handler kidnaps him from his family. She takes him to the Commission, which is basically just the Institute but with Reggie. Reggie convinces Five to stay. They need him because he hasn’t been tainted by the radiation, thus he’s the perfect model for the human synth that they’re creating. Reggie is super freaking old. Because he’s an alien and he can live longer than most people. (Yes aliens exists in Fallout this would totally still work). The Institute in Fallout was initially under the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. I’ll go with that same premise here. He was in a similar type of place when the bombs fell, took shelter there and ended up creating the Commission. He is old and dying and desperate for solutions in returning the earth to normal, he thinks human synths are it, and of course, knew where some perfect untainted subjects were. So we have Five who is raised solely by Reggie until he dies and then is guided by the Handler. This Five loves his family, yes, but he’s lost sight of his original goal. He’s always been capable of terrible things, but now it’s worse, he isn’t concerned only with their happiness. Their survival yes, and also the survival of the world, but in a much crueler and colder manner.

His family is creeped out by this, especially by prototype child Five who Father Five states is their newest model. He has lots of kinks to work out, but he’s the first synth that they’ve successfully integrated his teleportation powers into.

Luther is having the biggest crisis of his life. Not only is one of his brother’s a ghoul, the other one is the leader of the evil organization that his organization is fighting. And then another version of him is also a synth.

Cue them being led around the Commission, meeting everyone etc. Lila is a synth there. Diego obviously gets her to flip and join the Railroad. They spend a lot of time with synth!Five who is, y’all guessed it, more the Five that we know and love and not this warped version that Father Five is.

Everyone is agreed on one thing though. The Commission needs to go. Which is where the railroad and the minutemen start tag teaming it. Luther has to make his decision to join his family or stay with the BoS. Of course, he chooses his family, but there’s a lot of struggle there. Taking down the Commission seems easy until they face Father Five. This a Five not afraid of harming his siblings, this is a Five who is doing this all for “their own good” this is a Fovd with years of experience under his belt, who has prepared himself for this exact scenario. It looks bad. But, of course, there’s one factor he didn’t take into account.

The synths are sentient. And, there is one person who knows him the best. Himself. Little synth!Five gives the siblings the edge they need to defeat Father Five. They don’t want to kill him. But they’ve got him under control. He’s sitting there beaten, broken, and tells them it doesn’t matter. He’s dying anyway. Some sort of cancer. (In accordance to the actual game). He tells them they might as well just leave him and move on. He’ll be dead soon anyways. (Cue crisis of faith and, even though he was literally just their enemy, sad boy hours for everyone)

The sibs depart bc they are on a time limit and blow up the Commission. Of course, there’s also them having to fight the Brotherhood of Steel later but I’ll just leave it there for now. Father Five, the original Five, ends up dying. Synth!Five is with them though. He was made with the blueprint of the original Five’s mind, so that paired with the year or so he’s had with the Commission leaves him cynical, bloodthirsty, and with pretty flexible morals, but he still has that deep love for his siblings, that desperate need to protect them. With synth!Five, the siblings find that they have a second chance with their brother.

[plush-anon]

Happy Halloween Scooby Doo! Review

Muahahhhahahhahahaha! Thanks to the Walmart tradition of stocking movies for sale weeks before the intended release date, I have myself a copy of what claims to be Scooby Doo’s FIRST Halloween adventure!

…in spite of movies like Witch’s Ghost and Goblin King, holiday specials like WNSD’s A Scooby Doo Halloween (which had a haunted Scarecrow too…), BCSD’s EL Bandito (for Dia de los Muertos - obvs not the same, but most companies act like it) and Halloween, The NSDM’s Halloween Hassle at Dracula’s Castle, and the DTV short film Scooby Doo and the Spooky Scarecrow (which, ironically enough, did NOT take the opportunity to feature Dr. Jonathan Crane). 

So let us take a look now at Happy Halloween Scooby Doo! and see whether this film will be a graveyard smash of a treat, or a black licorice bomb of disappointment.

Full review (and SPOILERS TO GO WITH IT) are below the cut in my new review format; if all goes smoothly, I’ll go with this for future Scooby films.

WARNING: This review is very long.

One minor note before we begin: the Special Features actually include BCSD’s Halloween, WNSD’s A Scooby Doo Halloween, and PNSD’s Ghost Who’s Coming to Dinner

...so they were AWARE this was not the first Halloween adventure of the Scooby gang, and yet still use that tag line. Hm. 

Still, kudos for including them - this’ll help boost the reasons to keep this movie, if it turns out to be a real Milk Dud of a movie *ba-dum tish* :D

-----------

The movie starts off rather abruptly, actually - no slow pan over the setting, just WB Animation credit and BOOM, we’ve cut to a Halloween parade and Elvira is talking. 

I’m of a mixed opinion including Elvira on top of having Bill Nye and a Batman Rogue - while she most certainly fits the Scooby aesthetic, it doesn’t feel as grand an impact after her weird little cameo in Return to Zombie Island (ugh) and I’m not sure how well the movie will balance her in wait a minute

wait just a

WAIT A MINUTE

Did - did that parade float skeleton just sing Crystal Cove as the town’s name?

oh no. 

Oh No.

....also their song is terrible and they should feel terrible.

-------

Fred: We got him! Banh Mi Shop, second floor!

me: the heck is a Banh Mi Shop? *mild googling noises*

So I guess Jonathan Crane really had a craving for a Vietnamese sandwich before he enacted his Halloween scheme.

...you think he’s a lemongrass chicken type of guy or a BBQ pork guy? It’s always hard to guess at these things, esp when coffee and pumpkin spice aren’t on the table (as per fanon, of course)

-----

Velma: We have a flawless track record!

So I guess WB is just gonna ignore the past few DTV retcons established in 13 Ghosts and Return to Zombie Island?

I mean that rather defeats the purpose of them existing at all, but fcuk YEAH I can get behind throwing that retcon garbage out of canon!

And STAY OUT!!

------

Shaggy, talking about ghosts being real: I’m like the boy who cried wolf - I keep warning you but like, you won’t believe me until I finally get eaten!

Yet again, Warner Bros makes a wolf reference to Shaggy. Yet again, I am torn asunder between wanting werewolf!Shaggy in a new Scooby property, and fearing for the appearance of werewolf!Shaggy in a new Scooby property. 

-------

Velma: Point is, being afraid is a waste of time!

Scarecrow, LITERALLY EXPLODING THROUGH A BRICK WALL three buildings away:

------

He’s floating through the air and t-posing to assert his dominance 🤣🤣🤣

Gods bless animation 😁

------

Daphne @ Shag and Scoob locking themselves in the van: Are you serial?

Me: wait, SERIAL? *re-reads captions* yup, that says “serial”.  

Is this an editing mistake? I don’t think that works here…unless that’s supposed to be a joke on how they always do this. But then why would that be an irritating surprise, they literally do this EVERY episode 🙄

-------

Oh hey, Red Herring’s Party Screams truck has Red Herring running out of it

Could this be a hint to how the story goes? The villain appearing on a literal Red Herring?

Naaaaaah, WB’s not THAT smart

-------

So if we take @captainbaddecisions​​ crack theory on Jonathan Crane being Shaggy’s uncle seriously, does this mean that Jonathan is using magic to fly, float fear toxin orbs around himself, and making things explode, a la the family trait of Crack Theory A? 

Logically he’s probs using wires or magnets or some shit, but it’s a fun thought to entertain 😁

------

Welp, we finally get the opening credits! … with Jonathan Crane smashing through the Mystery Machine’s windshield, set to a slow poppy song straight from the 60s, and spewing the title of the film out in glittery pink mist.

All the while Scooby and Shaggy throw candy at each other, deliberately obtuse to the cloud of fear toxin enveloping their friends and the townsfolk, the steady destruction of the Mystery Machine they’re laying in as multiple cars crash into it and send it spiraling, and the general mayhem and destruction that Scarecrow is causing

Never change, guys, never change

--------

I just choked on my lemonade

There’s an article plastered to the roof of the Mystery Machine titled “Talking Dog Confounds, Ignites Ethics Debate Over Dog Labor”

ahahahahaha

-------

Annnnnnnnd there goes the Mystery Machine, tumbling in the air and over the roads with Shaggy and Scooby still inside without seat belts. Will they perish in this horrible road accident? Will Death finally come to claim them at last?

Of course not. This is Shaggy and Scooby we’re talking about - I’m almost positive they can survive anything up to and including a nuclear bomb. This is child’s play to them.

-------

So they “capture” Scarecrow… by pinning his cape to a tree with crossbow bolts. 

And they do not try to at least tie up his arms or his hands in ANY capacity. 

JUST the cape. 

...you know, Velma, for a team with a “flawless” track record, you guys are making a hecking TON of mistakes in facing against one of Batman’s ROGUES GALLERY, ESPECIALLY with no Batman in sight, good freakin’ grief. 😩

------

Yaaaaaaaaas, this Scarecrow design is LUSH

He’s got the lank, the height, the BTAS costume colors, the elongated face with beaky nose and pointed chin and angular cheekbones, the eyebags like Gucci, the furrowed brow… honestly the only thing missing is the more reddish color hair, and even that isn’t mandatory. I love 😍

Not to mention the HOT DAYUM voice he has - low and velvet rough and so godsdamned particular in a way that could either tie in to obscuring a southern accent as in fanon or just as a stringent academic, oh my yes. He’s voiced by someone called Dwight Schultz, who’s most well known for playing Captain ‘Howling Mad’ Murdock in the OG A-Team show, and someone called Reginald Barclay in Star Trek TNG and Voyager, if any of y’all know that character in particular. 

And of course, the first line he says is a delightfully wry “Oh, but I AM getting away with it,” with the sort of smirk that absolutely lends credence to why he’s a threat to Batman, and not some simpering wimp that can be defeated with some crossbow bolts in a tree.

I think I’m going to enjoy this movie at least somewhat, so long as we get to see him 🥰🥰🥰

(tho on a side note: Daphne why on EARTH are you trying to film Crane saying the meddling kids line? Do you have a video compilation of past villains who’ve done that, and you hope to add his to it? Was your phone damaged when you went up against the Riddler a few DTVs ago and you want a second shot at recording a Gotham Rogue saying it? Bc I don’t think a Gotham Rogue would be too pleased with seeing himself as a Mystery Meme on the Youtubes, you get what I’m saying?)

-------

Okay, so the floating orb things are explained away as fear toxin bomb drones somehow… despite looking nothing like the other drones and being much smaller with no visible propulsion, while also flying unassisted through and around objects to explode against places once flung…

(tho interesting note, none of them are aimed directly at the crowds, just behind them - odd, that)

But how did he heckin’ FLY at the beginning?

Yeah, they show him wearing wrist-mounted grappling hooks at the end of the intro song sequence, but they are NOWHERE IN SIGHT at the beginning - and I do mean in sight, since he emerges against a backdrop of flames. There was nothing there (see the T-pose above for further evidence), and nothing there when he FLEW THROUGH THE MYSTERY MACHINE’S WINDSHIELD AND FLEW BACK OUT AGAIN. And these things are pale silver, which stands out like crazy against the darker backgrounds, so no hand-wavy ‘they were always being used’ bullcrap we’ve seen in other movies. 

Hmmm *scribbles in notepad* note to self, add notation concerning Crack Theory A on magic!Shaggy to “Uncle Crane” theory files - evidence denotes that Crane is able to fly (or at least hover in mid-air unassisted) for terrorization purposes. May boost strength of CTA by family association, lending credence to magic inheritance along the bloodline...

------

“Avocado Toast Generation”? Crane, I honestly don’t know if you really mean that, or if you understand just how much that phrase gets under any Millennial/Gen Z kid’s skin. Having seen multiple variations of your character, it really could swing either way (tho kudos on the dead switch idea - very nice 👍🏻) 

Although this does lead to an interesting stand-off: Fred, upon seeing the town threatened with 3 days worth of fear toxin, immediately moves to let Crane go, while Velma stops him and refuses to consider compromising if it means Crane escapes.  They both look legitimately frustrated at the other for taking the stance they do. 

Fascinating~

------

Hmmm

Crane honey, I don’t know if your drones are made of flash paper and hope, or if Scooby and Shaggy are using the reeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaally old candy (the stuff made about ~3 years ago most neighborhoods give out to the teenagers that knock around midnight on Halloween) to shoot them down, but either way you may wish to speak with the manufacturer about this

Then again, this IS Shaggy and Scooby - they probably could’ve spat marshmallows at the drones and brought them down with equal success and explosions 

(and good on them for shooting those down! Atta boy 👍🏻)

-------

Aw dang it

1. They still have Crane captured and now in handcuffs (despite having… you know… NOT been bound by anything except cross bolts in his curtain cape thing)

2. Dwight Schultz has decided to pitch his voice higher and more nasally than what he has. Hopefully this is more of an incredulous sort of pitch than something that sticks for the rest of the movie, ugh.

Also, I think they’re framing the movie to be more Velma-centric this time around - she’s the one explaining to Crane how they tracked him down, apparently through a piece of fan mail he sent Elvira (is that the only reason she’s there? Also why was Velma examining random pieces of fan mail for toxins, Elvira probs gets hundreds a week irl) and it looks like they’re framing something up on how fear isn’t something you can pretend isn’t there. neat!

------

whajit

53rd? 

53rd?!?!

ONLY 53rd?!?!?!?!

Boooo, Scarecrow’s WAY more popular than that! I call foul

---

Okay why is Daphne’s schtick so far to spit laaaaaaame slang after every sentence Velma says

I would rather this not be her schtick

Actually could she go back to filming mystery stuff, bc at least I can pretend it’ll build into the OG Zombie Island Daphne

----

Phew, his voice has returned to its low, raspy goodness

also, Crane needs to learn about personal space, good grief

(interesting clue brought up tho - Crane only steals tech that CAN’T leak his toxin, ergo it can’t be tracked until he releases it. Sensible use, given that Batman probs tracks it if it does.)

----

Velma: I’m not afraid of you, Crane. Fear is an illogical reaction to an imagined threat. 

Crane:

-----

Crane: Fearless, then. Intelligent. Proud and stubborn. You remind me very much of the one person in this world I care about. 

uhhhhhh

Yourself? Harley? Edward Nygma? Ichabod the raven? Idk, I’m honestly curious as to where this thread will go 🤔🤔🤔

-----

Fred, leaning against the Mystery Machine: Guys, it’s gonna be okay. She told me!

O_o

Fred? Honey? Are you sure you weren’t supposed to join Crane in the transport vehicle back to Arkham? 

----

OH SWEET JESUS SHAGGY GREW YAOI HANDS

WHAT THE HECK 

THAT’S WAY MORE UNNERVING THEN YOU GUYS NOT BEING AFRAID ANYMORE

(although the fact that they’re both unsettled by NOT constantly shaking or having their heart racing is honestly kind of heartbreaking. Y’all need therapy, good grief)

----

Shaggy and Scooby just chewed up candy (wrapper and all) to make themselves a Halloween costume of… what looks like barfed-up candy (ew)

Before then proceeding to dance so well that everyone around them also starts dancing in a 60s-70s era rainbow light show and giving them candy

I worry for these two sometimes - that kind of power seems to be getting to their head 😬😬😬

---

Oh hey, acid green toxic waste is spilling from an 18-wheeler onto the Fear Toxin drones and emitting a purple pink haze that envelops a pumpkin patch! That won’t do anything suspicious at all I bet!

(wait is Poison Ivy going to come into this at some point)

(also major kudos to the music here - very 80s horror synth, I like)

----

So the Pumpkins have grown faces, limbs, consciousness, the ability to fly and a lust for human flesh

And they appear to be led by the Pumpkin King of the Pumpkin Patch mentioned in the Charlie Brown Halloween special

He’s not as friendly as I pictured him being, sadly 😕

---

Why is this random ass cop coming up to FD&V to say that they’re in over their heads… AFTER the mystery’s been solved?

Like dude, you’re only making yourself suspicious at this point, go home

----

Huh, interesting - the gang are being interviewed for a tv news network while they’re considered the town heroes

Why am I getting bad vibes from this…

Eh, it’s probably nothing

----

Velma: {Shaggy and Scooby} are, um… REALLY into the Halloween spirit. 

Shaggy: THIS ISN’T COSPLAY, VELMA!

I’m dying 😂

------

Holy Shit

Velma just snapped and went off on Shaggy and Scooby for acting scared and doing nothing to help wrap up the mystery

(even though these guys are the ONLY reason that the gang didn’t have to choose between setting Scarecrow free and poisoning the entire town for 3 days straight, but hey, what do I know - I’m just writing an in-depth reaction post to this movie and taking note of details like this, clearly I know nothing *eye roll*)

Last time I saw Velma critique the guys’ usual mystery solving shenanigans, it was much more low-key and without knowing they were nearby

But I’m sure that’s just a coincidence

------

What the

Bills?

Bills?!?!

Fred just mentioned that fixing the Mystery Machine was going to leave a hefty bill and that they may need to get dishwashing jobs to earn money

Which is more of a job you might expect a high schooler to get on the go and yet

They actually have to pay bills 

How old are they here??!

------

wait a tic

THIS is how they introduce Bill Nye?

He just calls up Velma with no explanation other than Velma saying “Oh hey, it’s Bill Nye!”

I just - what?!?!

How do you know him so well that he can just pull up your number and call you, and then geT YOU A NEW FREAKING CAR LIKE

WHAT?!?!?!?

Was there a Scooby episode with him in the past two years where the fcuk did this come from

------

Also the car is dressed like Bill Nye

And he can talk to the gang directly as the car

So that he can solve mysteries with them whenever he wants

This… this was not what I was expecting to come about from the Bill Nye cameo 

(alas, poor predictions of being Crane’s roommate, you will not come to pass this day) 😔

-------

Ooooo, purple haze throbbing on the horizon! That’s always a good sign of things to come! 😀

------

 And now Daphne’s… asking Elvira to mentor her fashion wise. And Elvira’s taking her on as her unpaid intern/personal assistant.

Yooo, movie, can you pick a direction and stick with it for Daphne? You’ve gone from her spewing outdated slang to wanting a costume for trick-or-treating, and now this. 

-------

Welp, now I can say I saw a giant pumpkin dog vore an old woman

I didn’t WANT to see that mind, but I guess I can say it now 😐

------

OH SHIT NO

IT TURNED HER INTO A FLYING PUMPKIN SHAPED LIKE HER FACE

ABSOLUTELY UNSETTLING, 0/10 WOULD NOT RECOMMEND

-------

At least we get a nice scene of Daphne kicking the pumpkins’ collective butt

Something normal

------

Elvira: WOW! You’re a regular Mary Sue!

*falls over cackling*

------

And now there’s a giant purple fissure opening up in the concrete to swallow the town of Crystal Cove whole 

(good, i whisper softly into the darkness of my living room. Let it fall)

--------

Man, I feel so bad for this single father right now

He’s gotten wrapped up in all of this nonsense with his daughter, and he is just Distraught at being chased by Jackal Lanterns, having the town collapsing under his feet, and having to gorge jump in his sedan to get away from the worst of it

It’s okay, Mike Dad - we would feel the same way in your shoes

-------

Hologram Bill Nye is wearing Cat ears and cat whiskers/nose, and is cleaning his hands like a cat cleans its paws

Why was this the movie we found out Bill Nye was a furry

Why Warner Bros 

Why would you inflict this upon us in a Scooby Doo-Scarecrow mystery

-------

Hey, can Jonathan Crane return now? The movie needs its dignity back. 

------

A clue on the whys here - the town was built on top of a MASSIVE lithium deposit, with the talks to mine it being scrapped due to environmental concerns. That’s actually a decent lead in for why some 

-------

Welp

The Jackal Lanterns just went full Mad Max with the Halloween Parade floats and cars

No, I don’t have any idea why either, just roll with it

-------

Nice, they confirmed that Fred’s full name is still Frederick Herman Jones XD

Also a great little action sequence with Daphne - while there’s not much movement, they frame the scene dynamically, with some good quick wordplay. Very nice. 

--------

Velma has a mind palace

Aight

--------

Velma: Shaggy, I could kiss you!

Oh, to hear this as a child, when I still hardcore shipped Shelma *sigh*

------

Oh thank gods we’re going back to Scarecrow again

------

Shaggy ate some Scooby Snacks, leapt out of a moving vehicle, and onto the backs of two flying pumpkins that he promptly reined in to fly to Crane’s prison transport

...yet again, I am amazed at the sentences I am led to type for Scooby Doo DTVs

------

Ah, how very Hannibal Lector of you, Jon 

Man, he actually looks very meek in normal clothes - red long-sleeved shirt and grey slacks

-----

Hmmm

So Crane ISN’T behind the Jackal Lanterns - in fact he’s outright befuddled by them. This means his whole spiel to Velma earlier about both of them being caught in the same trap was… metaphorical? The breakdown doesn’t actually go into WHY he thinks they’re in the same trap - Crane’s whole schtick is tied to accepting fear, not denying it, so why would they be the same?

Either way, someone is using both him and Mystery Inc to do something to Crystal Cove (please be Red Herring, please be Red Herring, please be Red Herring)

Actually, that reference at the beginning really WAS a red herring - they framed it as being Jon the whole time when it wasn’t. Kudos!

Additional kudos to having Jon be seen more out of mask than in - he is a looker, and I aim to look as much as I can ;)

-------

Annnnd Daphne’s now trying to convince Elvira to switch clothes with her

I don’t get it - how on earth did we get from Daphne trying to find a good costume for trick-or-treating to asking Elvira to switch oh there it is nevermind.

-----

There is literally a scene where a giant buzzsaw is slicing towards Crane

and he just

stares at it

going “huh, that’s different”

And I LOVE IT

------

And here we have another fascinating scene: Velma going to free Crane from his cell, as Daphne tells her to just leave him to die by pumpkin

I’m wondering if they meant to draw a parallel between the two here - Velma starts by reciting a nursery rhyme, then overcoming her fears in order to release madness to take control. It’s not done very cleanly - mainly bc we barely have any time with Crane in this movie - but I wonder if they meant to insinuate that Crane was like Velma once, where he refused to acknowledge he was afraid, which caused him to lose focus on his initial goals

Idk, ignore my ramblings

---

Crane, smirking: I’ll need my personal effects - extenuating circumstances.

Me, fanning myself: I’ll need you to remove yours first

(i am not even kidding, Crane is an absolute DILF in this movie and it flusters me. Stupid sexy animation)

---

YAAAAAAAAAAASSSSS

SCARECROW TO THE MOTHERFCUKING RESCUE BABY, SCYTHE AND FCUKING ALL!!!

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

----

FCUK YEAH THE GIFT THAT KEEPS ON GIVING

HE HAS A DANCE LIKE QUALITY WITH SOME OF HIS FIGHTING MOVES

VIOLENT DANCING BRINGS THE GIANT JACKAL LANTERN DOWN BABY

THEN HE BACKFLIPS AND GYMNASTIC SWINGS INTO THE VAN

ROCK IT SCARECROW FCUKING ROCK IT

(minor note here, but the subtitles show Dr. Crane instead of Scarecrow - unsure if that’s more that the movie calls him Dr Crane or if it indicates he’s acting more heroic than villainous)

---

GODDAMNIT

THE GIANT PUMPKIN SNUCK VINES INTO THE VAN AND STOLE HIM BACK 

WHEN CRANE WAS... wearing a seatbelt before, but isn’t now.

...

BOOOOO

---

Yet again, we find a Scooby movie that attempts character development, but with Velma

Unlike Shaggy’s Showdown however, I’m mixed on how successful it is.

For starters, Velma hasn’t been this cocksure in other DTVs we’ve seen, so it’s a bit odd to see it now. While not 100% out of place - after all, the gang DID capture one of Batman’s Rogues Gallery on their own - it still feels a touch forced. Compare that to Shaggy’s Showdown, where Shaggy has ALWAYS been a coward (one that, in more recent years, writers have had willing to abandon his friends for safety), so the character development there feels more natural. 

The progression of events with Velma actually work somewhat okay - but again, here’s where past DTVs come to bite them in the ass. The past handful have had the gang be wrong, have had them fail, or catch the wrong guy. This makes Velma’s attitude here at odds with the other films, something that sticks more due to a character that’s appeared in the past few films as a minor inconvenience - a Sheriff who keeps telling the gang not to interfere, they’re doing things wrong, etc. If this had been a character who was completely wrong in the past AND SHOWN TO BE WRONG FOR HIS OPINIONS, while the gang never guessed wrong, this would work much better. Unfortunately, it doesn’t, and here we are. 

I think it would have flowed better if Velma’s cockiness came solely from catching Crane on their own. Have a random cop character or reporter or whatever (just not the recurring cop), insinuate that the gang is in too deep with Scarecrow, that he should be handled by the adults or professionals or whatever. Velma could bristle, overcompensate, and THEN fall from her pedestal like we see, reach out to the gang and commiserate over feeling scared, and grow. Again, it’s not too far to reach for, but they handle it poorly; as a result, the outcome feels a little more shoehorned in. 

It’s an honest shame, bc we haven’t had a Velma centered story since Frankencreepy, and we all remember what a hideous fcuking mess THAT was *shudders*. Still, it somewhat gets its point across, I guess.

---

Fred why did you rip your shirt off

Actually better question why do you not have nipples

--- 

Awwwwwww

Velma just apologized to Shag and Scoob for snapping at them earlier, and admits how she doesn’t appreciate how much they make Mystery Inc what it is

Also she eats a Scooby Snack with them and admits they taste pretty good

----

Huh

Velma’s mind palace is the Mystery Machine driving through space

Also Shaggy and Scooby are able to telepathically follow her in and communicate with her

Literally, they actually followed her into her head telepathically, and show her their memories of things she hasn’t gotten to see tonight (while also possibly enhancing her ability to remember things, given how much DETAIL she captures perfectly of things that she would maybe have glimpsed in a millisecond AT MOST)

...another tally for Crack Theory A of magic! Shaggy and Scooby *scribbles*

-------

Fred, be very very thankful that there are no people operating those pumpkins in person cause uhhhh

Those traps would be spraying red instead of orange

------

Another weird music choice - the gang goes up to fight the Jackal Lanterns, but the music is the same 60s bubble we heard earlier 

Not terribly atmospheric, really

(wouldn’t a Smashing Pumpkins cover of Scooby Doo be more appropriate, or did you guys spend all your money on hiring Elvira and Bill Nye?)

------

Dang

Velma just admitted her fears and jumped into the mouth of the Mega Pumpkin, before getting Fred to use the app from earlier to shut it down, revealing it to be a giant drone surrounded by smaller pumpkin drones

This feels… counterintuitive, but I’ll try to explain at the end

---

Okay

I’ll admit it

The Whodunnit is actually pretty decent in concept

There was a sprinkling of tidbits that could be assembled for the final conclusion and still make a decent amount of sense, all to find the sheriff doing it 

Only he isn’t a sheriff

He’s a former Tech CEO who was also busted by the gang years ago in a case the Sheriff kept bringing up throughout the movie - due to his prison sentence, he lost more than half his wealth and the opportunity to expand it further with the Crystal Cove Lithium deposits

He was also someone who sold tech to Crane for his fear toxin distribution, where he got the idea to frame him for it

(tho on a side note, Crane is an absolute dork and a terrible liar - just look at the email he sent XD and that profile pic, my gods)

He deliberately picked at the gang for the past few DTVs (specifically 2: Return to Zombie Island and Curse of the 13th Ghost) to fracture their confidence, undermine them, etc - all so that in one fell swoop, he could retake his fortune, frighten everyone in town away from the mines so they couldn’t interfere, frighten away the gang (while also ruining their reputation as mystery solvers), and take Crane off the docket so he couldn’t identify the CEO when he pretended to be the sheriff

This… is actually a pretty damn good plan, for a Scooby villain. He was patient, manipulative, and clever, learning how best to tie up loose ends and win back what he lost. A clever revenge story that came so close to coming to fruition, and could have honestly been sold convincingly… 

...if it hadn’t been done so much better in Scooby Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed. 

Yeeeaaaah, this movie basically lifts the rough framework up from that one - past mystery villain comes back to attack the gang and ruin their reputation (tho this one decides to also make his fortune back and tie up loose ends with former criminal contacts, a la Crane). Gang is embarrassed in front of the news folk, another villain is framed for it (like Old Man Wickles of the Black Knight fame), and the gang must reconcile to foil the villain for good.

Although it also??? Merges elements of Frankencreepy in it?? The movie is focused on Velma, who is struggling to admit when she’s wrong (which ties into her fear, somehow… I’ll think on that point a little) and things purportedly go haywire when she won’t bend. This… isn’t illustrated as well here, since there’s very little direct cause-and-effect from Velma’s actions that would prove this point - that insisting her way is the right, best, and therefore only way to go ends up making things worse.  

As much as I despised Frankencreepy (and I DESPISED IT), it did do that part well - showing that refusing to budge on something can lead to you hurting your friends (literally, in that one), and that admitting you were wrong and need help isn’t the end of the world. 

(that movie also had former villains returning to gain vengeance upon the gang using psychological warfare, hm - may need to go over that one again, unfortunately).

It’s a shame, too -  the basic elements for this plot are all here, they just need to be polished and reworked a bit to make a really fascinating movie. 

------

Anyways, back to the asshat CEO who just… faked being a sheriff. Because white people can get away with that so long as they have the outfit and the car *throws up hands* (the sad part is this is probably something that actually happens)

As he drives away we see a familiar silhouette looming in the cornfields, watching him approach

Velma had Bill Nye on speaker, so he could record the entire confession for the federal officers nearby (who were taking Scarecrow back to Arkham), and track the phone signal to his exact location

And right as his holographic call cuts out, we see the shadow of a Scarecrow looming over him, causing him to scream.

When the feds arrive at his final location, both his body and the money have vanished. The car still sits, engine running, before the crows leering over him from the field vanish into the sky. 

-------

Now that he’s dead, the gang walks and finds themselves at a Halloween party, with friendly faces and good food. The mystery is solved, though the culprit may never be found again. 

Then Daphne admits to NOT trying to steal Elvira’s costume for Halloween, but instead trying to steal Elvira’s identity and replace her. 

Something that she’s apparently nearly gotten away with on past mysteries working with Phillis Diller

*sighs* movie, why couldn’t you just stick to the costume schtick? This is just… so much worse. 

-----

From there, Elvira walks off to wrap things up, reveal the monster face on the back of her head sans wig (which was also a monkey), and start the credits, where we see the gang working to bring the Mystery Machine back to its former glory a la Frankenstein pastiche. 

This movie… this movie is a hot mess, but at least it’s an OKAY hot mess. 

It really does feel like someone started writing a decent Velma-focused movie concerning the Scarecrow and a past Mystery Inc villain interfering, but was bogged down by notes from higher-ups: Wait! Write in Elvira! Also write in Bill Nye! Hey, let’s have a Mad Max car chase with the Jackal Lanterns! And have Daphne obsessed with literally becoming Elvira! Also make reference to things that we’ll insist be explained this way instead of a way that makes sense! Great!

(seriously tho, we never find out who Crane cares about most that reminds him of Velma, what the heck?)

It’s like two or three different scripts were smooshed together without being cleaned up - stuff is said that doesn’t get resolved, the celebrity guests don’t get to breathe much and feel squished together, and the build-up for the villain feels… less impactful, even knowing that he’s been in the past two films. 

It might have worked if he’d been in… let’s say like 5 or 6 DTVs in a row, speaking roles for dissing the gang growing in each (ex start with “Good job kids! But maybe next time, leave it to the professionals, okay?” and growing more bitter from there), but only 2 feels kind of meh. Still, I do appreciate the clues we got to collect together, and they all work in the final breakdown of the scheme - some DTVs can feel like they pull stuff completely out of nowhere, so kudos there. 

I appreciate what they wanted to do with Velma - give her a character development arc similar to Shaggy’s in Shaggy’s Showdown. Unfortunately, it wasn’t set up quite so neatly: they blended her ‘refusal to admit fear’ with her overconfidence that she was always right, and it led to a weird conclusion. To face her fears, she leapt into the Giant Pumpkin, which… proved that she was right all along about it being fake, and that solves things somehow. It doesn’t address how she can get something wrong sometimes, it doesn’t really address what she’s afraid of (which is honestly quite good: she’s afraid of failing in a way that allows bad guys to escape justice and in a way that hurts her friends), it’s just a bit of a mess. Points for aiming the focus the right way (and in a way that DOESN’T sexualize the underage teenage girl, unlike some DTVs cough cough Frankencreepy cough cough), but it’s very very messy how it goes about it. 

The movie actually balanced pretty well for the whole gang - no excessive focus on one leaving the rest in the dust (too much at least - Fred was a touch underdeveloped, but nowhere near as annoying as past iterations have been. Shaggy and Scooby were kind of meh in some places but great in others, while Daphne was just odd. I think they were trying to recapture the BCSD Daphne characterization, but they failed. Still, she did spend some good time kicking ass with the pumpkins, so that was fun.

Now for the Rogue, Jonathan Crane. If you like Crane, this movie gives you: maniacal Scarecrow, calm and creepy Crane, a brief glimpse at fanboy!Crane (he admits in his own awkward way that he’s a fan of Elvira, and later tells her he loves her work - it’s fun), and (best of all for me) a heroic Crane - one who helps the protagonists and ends up kicking ass pretty damn well, brief as it was. And while DILF Crane is always a treat, he feels underutilized in this. In comparison, Scooby Doo/Batman Brave and the Bold really utilized a lot of different aspects of Riddler, to the point he actually does feel pretty menacing by the third act. It’s a shame we don’t quite get that with Crane, but I do love seeing him 1. More out of mask, and 2. Acting as a good guy (in his own way), so he’s enjoyable on the whole. 

I kind of wish that the whole movie was spent more with Crane, but again, the script is a bit of a mess on this part - the fact that he’s not completely screwed over is a goddamn miracle. 

Elvira was… okay. She didn’t have much of a purpose beyond getting the plot started and giving Daphne some hooks to play off of. Bill Nye (abrupt as his introduction was) did provide some necessary elements to the mystery, as well as the tech; he wasn’t too bad by the end. (still a touch bitter we didn’t get ex roommate Nye, but hey, what can you do)

Humor was… mixed. Some good, some meh, but very few long enough to feel painful. Some bits felt extraneous at times, but they did help to build to the conclusion, so points for effort.

At the end of the day though, I’m probably keeping this more for Jonathan Crane than anyone else. It does have a lot of fanfic potential tho 🤔🤔🤔

That’s all from me tonight, folks! Hope you enjoyed my own little breakdown of the movie. 

[zozophoenixxx]

Friendly reminders about The Flash⚡️

Things I had forgotten or little details I just noticed on my rewatch, maybe even Unpopular Opinions 🤭👀

✨Season 3✨

Flashpoint... oh gosh I used to hate this episode, I literally always skipped it but this time I'm gonna watch it you guys I promise😂

Nvm this episode might not be so bad, we get to see Barry all happy and with his mom and Dad and i-🥺

Omg do y'all remember in season 2 when Barry, Cisco and Harry went to E-2 to stop Zoom and Cisco said that he thought his doppelganger would be like a rich tech genius or sum like that... Not Cisco from flashpoint being a rich tech genius 🤭😃😂

Caitlin... She's a pediatric eye doctor🤭🥲😂 (flashpoint)

Wow wtf I had completely forgotten about Julian 😳

I swear I hate it when they mess so much with the timeline, I just can't keep up

West-Allen kiss count (approximately): 30😘

⬆️ approximately bc I might have messed up 😅

Wow I thought season 3 was all savitar, I did not remember alchemy

Rival, Magenta (portrayed by Joey King, we love her),ɹǝʇsɐɯ ɹoɹɹıɯ and top, monster, shade, plunder, abra cadabra

OK Y'ALL I JUST NOTICED THAT IN THE MAGENTA EPISODE *breathes in* Barry and Iris go on their first date and electric love was playing... The fact that that's the song used in the trend where you kiss your best friend seems rights

Jesse got her powers 😃 we stan Jesse Quick⚡️

CECILE AND JOE I-🥺

Bro HR 🥺

Julian really was a b*tch at the beginning of this season, but his accent tho🥴🤤🥵

That height difference between Cecile and Joe is what I need in life I love them 🥰

Iris is such a badass bro I love her

Savitar is apparently the Hindu god of motion 🤭

Killer frost episode 🤭😃 I love the fact that Caitlin got powers but I still felt so bad for her like she didn't want that, she didn't want to hurt anyone 🥺

She really said some pretty hurtful things to Barry, he messed up everyone makes mistakes 🥺

Barry tricking Killer Frost into turning back into Caitlin was 🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺 and then when she wanted to apologize and Cisco just hugged her and Joe too i- 🥺❤️🥺❤️🥺❤️🥺❤️🥺❤️🥺❤️🥺❤️🥺❤️🥺 I think that was the first time when we saw Joe And Caitlin hug 🥺

Julian's such an ass bro he really forced Barry to quit and he really did just to protect Caitlin

Y'all ever get chills or just overall goosebumps whenever the music from the other shows start playing in the crossovers? No? Just me? Cool just wanted to know 😅

Felicity fangirling is me

Also Diggle throwing up every time Barry takes him from somewhere is hilarious or just him being done with anything that's not normal 😂

Bro supergirl I- 🥴🤩

NO AND THEN SARAH AHDHAHHAHAA she really said "it's kinda hot" (referring to Supergirl being a bad ass) when they were training lmao I cantttt

Cisco was getting visions of Dante, who was actually Savitar, and was manipulated into opening the box which brought Savitar out and really if it hadn't been for Caitlin, Barry and Wally would've been killed

DANG CECILE AND JOE JUST KISSED WOWWW😁

Their apartment i-

HR really got them a turtle named McSnurtle y'all i-

GYPSY

That scene where they told Joe that Iris was meant to die in the future was so🥺😞😩 I don't even know how to describe it

wally and Jesse were cute 🥺🥰🤌

Cisco and Harry were kinda mean to HR🥺

Grodd just tried to kill Joe and Harry and Cisco came up with a way to see into Grodd's memory through Joe and Istg Joe's face lmao, he's just so done with everything 😂

Dang Grodd's plan really was to kill everyone with nuclear missiles by controlling that military guy and Barry had to try every password combination to stop it just like he did in season 1 or 2 (idk lmao) when he was helping Snart and his father with a robbery

Y'ALL BAHSHHHAHAHA I love GYPSY she really just straight up kissed Cisco and went like "even if I did [like you] you couldn't handle me"

AND CISCO was all like "I'll marry that woman"😩😳😂💀

BARRY DID NOT JUST PROPOSE

Y'ALL WHAT I THOUGHT THIS WAS WAY LATER

I love that scene where they tell everyone 🥺

Bro why was Barry always so mean to Wally like I know he was stressed out about Iris but bro it wasn't Wally's fault 🥺

OMG JULIAN JUST KISSED CAITLIN🥺 they're adorable

Wally did watch Iris die

Jesse moved to E-1 when she was dating Wally for a bit and she stayed at Joe's house with the both of them

Savitar used The Greek myth of Atla to explain why he needed Wally to get out of the speed force ➡️ Atla can't let go of the sky without having someone take it from him.

Ok so by taking a part of the philosopher stone before it was thrown into the speed force, Caitlin technically kept Savitar from coming back. So if Wally hadn't had those visions where Savitar manipulated him into throwing that little piece of rock into the speed force... He wouldn't have been able to escape

That was kinda hard to explain. Idek if it made sense I'm sorry y'all I'm not good with words 😂

I love Harry 🥺

NOT EDDIE IN THE SPEED FORCE 😳

Ok y'all but whenever y'all watch it or rewatch it, there's this very cute and funny scene in S3 E16 min 17:00 between Caitlin And HR where she takes away his drumstick and he just takes out another one but it's very adorable because they keep messing around🥺

Bro the speed force was really being b*tch to Barry when he was trying his best to save everyone and change the future 😩😞

And Jesse was so mean to HR on Ep16🥺

Jay saved them 🥺

Ok relationships are so confusing wtf

THE MUSICAL EPISODE, MON-EL, SUPERGIRL OMG ITS BEEN A WHILE WTH!! Imma rewatch supergirl too😃

Melissa Benoist is so gorgeous 🥴🤩

The way Barry looked at her when she was singing I-

I love their friendship but I kinda ship them too🥺

OH I REMEMBER! this guy was trying to teach them a lesson about love, because they were both having relationship problems

He was also on glee. THE 3 OF THEM! I-

Darren Criss, I didn't know his name

I love this episode

Cisco and Winn And Malcolm singing and dancing, this couldn't get better

Omg I would love to see a Winn-Cisco-Felicity trio. I feel like they would work so great together 😁

IRIS AND MON-EL well actually Tommy Moran and Millie

Their fathers being gangsters is hilarious and their accents 😂

Everyone's facial expressions when John revealed that he was also an Alien 😂

Millie having 2 dads and those being Stein and Joe is great lmao although I never knew if it was because they were hay or it was more like Barry's situation 😂

JOE AND STEIN SINGING AND BARRY IN THE BACK Y'ALL IM🤭🤩🥺

I never thought I needed this 🥰

THEIR DUET IS COMING VDXHSBFVDHA

THEY'RE DANCING 🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺

This is officially one of my favorite episodes 😃

When they got shot they were very worried for each other and I just love their friendship

HE'S ABOUT TO PROPOSE, HE'S SINGING AHHHHH

COME RUNNIN HOME TO YOUUU 🎶🥺

I really liked how in the episode where Caitlin gets hurt when Abra Kadabra throws a bomb, Julian's the one to operate on her and Iris is right there with him trying to help out, even though they weren't truly friends until later on it shows that they're all really a family

And also Wally and Barry carrying her to the room 🥺

Also the fact that it was Caitlin guiding Julian through her own surgery shows how strong and amazing she is I love her 🤩

Caitlin (killer frost actually) is the 1st to know who Savitar is

BRO CECILE JUST TOLD JOE SHE LOVES HIM AND HE DIDNT- this got too ~umconfy~

Bro killer frost's outfit is pretty hot 🤩

Cisco was afraid of killing Caitlin on accident and that's why he didn't shoot her whenever they were trying to get her🥺

"She's my best friend... And I'd rather it be me than her"

I love him. And I love their friendship.🥺😞

BAHSHAHHA do y'all remember when they erased Barry's memories?

He's hilarious

JAHSHAHAJAJ and now they left him alone with Wally who told him they're basically brothers AND BARRY STRAIGHT UP GOT HIS HAND OUT OF HIS POCKET AND LOOKED AT HIS SKIN COLOR I-

Barry loved anime

He's so happy without his memories, he's gone through so much 🥺🥺🥺🥺

Snart prevented Barry from killing King Shark

HR and Tracy 🥺

The way HR blamed himself after he told Savitar where Iris was and the fact that he does end up saving her at the end is...🥺

Bro I felt really bad for Savitar later

But then he betrayed and 🙂

And now Barry just left

I swear I hated this cliffhanger sm

Cause whenever I started watching it this was the last season and I-

Also Iris killed Savitar

[seancekitsch]

first observations from the trailer

ok so the worlds ending 11/25/63, three days after jfk gets murked, so im assuming central plot is going to mimic dallas arc a lot more. they gotta put time right and kill jfk to save the world. im assuming if he lives theres gonna be a worldwide nuclear winter bc theres tanks deployed, destroyed buildings and you see the nuclear launches and the trajectory of where each country with nuclear access is sending their bombs, no one is safe. also confirmed five is the last one to come back and everyone else has kinda made a new life for themselves. but its so nice to see hazel back!! maybe he snuck agnes back with him?? we have ten days to save the world!!!

ok im just gonna go down the line as reggie boi labeled the siblings as useful to him so starting with #1

luther- is comfortable with his body??? hes shirtless as fuck in that trailer. first in the fighting ring and then in front of that explosion. i think hes learning to be himself without the number one label and hes doing a lot of growing. hes also the first one five calls for??

diego- that nerdist article said hes gonna be the one in charge trying to bring the lil fam back together again so i am excited to see that. he also looks so attractive sos i like the long hair so much. but uhh it looks like hes also in some kind of mental hospital? so i guess thats where he finds lila? also shes a possible love interest? bc like for a brief second you can see her grab his face

allison- looks like shes gonna be a really strong player this season and have a good relationship finally with her sister. also, shes participating in a sit in! shes 100% going to be a part of the civil rights movement in this season and she DOES in fact have her voice, so if they do the twins arc from the comics theyre gonna have to find a new way to manipulate her and use her voice. 

klaus- i wanna join his cult, like so badly. his cult looks fun, and hes 100% using the fact that hes from the future and his powers to become a prophet. which, like, i dont blame him thats lit as hell. i dont hate the beard as much as i thought it would and it looks like it gets shaved quickly. he also learns how to drive??? i think with all the blue looking blasts we see in the trailer hes gonna learn how to use more of his powers bc his powers manifestations were blue last season. also it really looks like hes just not tryna find dave so either he already tried and it was a no go or hes moved on and learned to live with it.

five is the last to show up. hes also going to be going back and forth between the commision and the group just like last time, and he has the added advantage this time around of his siblings all having gone through this already and not only knowing the past but the future. they know how to find people that would have been alive in this time period and how history turned out if all goes well with them stopping the apocalypse. can they give him mr pennycrumb the dog whos only powers are being adorable??? and he eats ice cream?

ben is still dead what the fuck/???? but he seems to be more fleshed out as a character this season and i cannot wait to see more of him. a good good boy all i can say is im excited. 

vanya- nerdist confirmed her amnesia so she gets to move on without her trauma and shes got like??? a gf and step kids??? i hope. but other than that we get to see her dancing with klaus and allison and i hope the three of them get to bond and be cute and she deserves to have fun with her family and when she eventually regains her memory i hope it can be growth and easing from her pain. also her just existing probably puts missy and her kids in a lot of danger and imdb isnt showing how many episodes theyre in as of the last time i checked. 

the swedes- im assuming are carmichaels top assassins sent for the umbrella academy specifically bc of how royally they screwed up the 2019 end of the world. we see diego face off against them a lot in the trailer. 

carmichael- FISH HEAD FISH HEAD FISH HEAD im SOOOOO EXCITED TO SEE CARMICHAEL SOS IM SCREAMING I THOUGHT THEY WERE GONNA DO IT AND THEN THEY SAID NIC CAN HAVE A LITTLE CARMICHAEL AS A TREAT my favorite little sadistic shubunkin top authority of the temps!!!

lila- marry me bih. she looks so cute and fun. imdb confirms shes in every episode so shes not gonna get fridged like patch. she seems cool i want to see her constantly. im sure just being near diego makes her a target for the swedes as well. 

the monocle- reggie boiiiiiii i think theyre gonna discuss more of his origins and whether or not hes actually human. im assuming the fuckin tiki bar is his house bc hes a rich weirdo. dont forget even tho he was a piece of shit hes probably a really really really useful superscientist for the hargeeves siblings right now in the current time period. 

pogo- were gonna see his origin story, and by that delve deeper into reggies work with super intelligence and chimps. im excited, and now maybe we will get a pogo that since hes younger is less willing to hide things from the kids later if they save the world and then regular time plays out and theyre born 20 years later and all.