#but i lowkey miss my multi which is why i probably will put a lot of my other blogs back on here as well oop

[hufflautia]

The Boyfriend

Dedicated to the anon who came up w this idea and to @eatacrackerandstop <3. There's a small Shadow and Bone reference; if you find it, you get a high five✨

Summary: Slytherin and Hufflepuff meet their daughter’s boyfriend for the first time, and Slytherin has a few concerns.

~

Hufflepuff closes the door behind her daughter, who stepped out to privately wish her boyfriend goodbye on the front stoop, and turns to Slytherin.

“He seems like a sweet kid,” she smiles. Slytherin follows her into the kitchen with a disgruntled expression. He leans against the countertop as she begins washing the dishes.

“What’s taking her so long,” he eyes the door. “It only takes a couple of seconds to say goodbye to someone.”

“They spent the entire night with us. They probably just want a little alone time,” Hufflepuff replies. She glances at him when he sighs and crosses his arms. “Do I sense a little disdain for our daughter’s boyfriend?”

Slytherin scowls.

“I don’t like him,” he states plainly. “He gives me...bad boy vibes.” His scowl deepens when she laughs incredulously.

“Bad boy vibes?”

“Yes,” he says indignantly. “Bad boy vibes! Did you see his smirk when she laughed at his joke?"

"You smirk a lot,” she points out, to which he grudgingly admits. “Besides, is it bad that he can make her laugh?"

"'Course not," he huffs. "But did you see how he put his arms around her?”

"I'm pretty sure that's called a hug, honey."

Slytherin steps between her and the sink. She shoots him a look as water drips on the floor.

“Please get out of my way, Slytherin. You’re acting like a child.”

He takes her hands into his own, not caring that they’re wet. “Honey, you’re not listening to me.”

“I am! I just don’t agree with you.” She continues before Slytherin can object. “You’re worrying over nothing. Our daughter is old enough to make her own decisions on who she hangs out with and what she does with her time."

“She’s only in her seventh year—”

“Slytherin," she says sternly. “Our baby is grown now, believe it or not. I trust her judgment. You should too.”

His brows furrow, and he doesn’t respond right away.

"It's not that I don't trust her," he finally says. "I just don't want her to get hurt."

Hufflepuff softens in this rare moment of vulnerability—his grumpiness and frustration often mask his fears.

"We can't control what happens," she says gently. "We can't control who does what or who hurts who. But what we can control is what we do and how we act." Slytherin remains silent as he considers her words. "I think the best thing we can do is support our daughter. And if things don't end well in their relationship, she will know who to come to: the people who have always been there for her."

Her words sink in, and Slytherin nods.

"You're right."

"'Course I'm right."

He smiles somberly. "I’ve only ever wanted to protect her."

"You will," she assures, pulling him into an embrace. "But you will do so at a healthy and reasonable distance. No threatening the boy."

Slytherin snorts and says, "I'm not that type of dad." He rests his chin on top of her head. "But if he breaks her heart, I keep no promises."

"Good," she murmurs into his shirt. “I'll be right behind you.”

Their moment of peace is interrupted by the sound of the front door opening and closing. They see their daughter, Giselle, standing by the doorway with a flushed grin.

"Hey kiddo," Slytherin smiles.

She makes a face. “I'm 18, Dad. I'm not a kid anymore."

"Alright." Hufflepuff notices a familiar gleam in his eye and tries not to smile as he continues. "Do you prefer muffin? Sweet pea? Or perhaps cupcake—"

Giselle covers her ears. "Dad!" she groans. "Eat a cracker and stop."

He holds his hands up in defeat as he chuckles. "Okay, okay."

"So," Hufflepuff says once things settle down. "What did Dorian think? Did he like us? What about the food? Was my cooking okay?" A look of horror washes over her face. "Oh shoot, should we have given him some leftovers to take back to his family? He probably didn't get too far, I'll go get the food from the fridge and—"

"Honey," Slytherin laughs, resting his hand on the small of her back before she can scurry off in search of tin foil and plastic containers. "It's fine."

"Yeah," Giselle assures. "The food was great, and he loved meeting you guys."

"And we loved meeting him,” Hufflepuff says warmly. “Tell Dorian he's welcome to come back at any time."

"Okay," she grins. "Can we start our movie night now?"

Slytherin nods. "I believe it's Mom's turn to choose the movie."

"I know exactly what we should watch tonight," Hufflepuff beams. They pile onto the couch, and when she puts the disc into the DVD player, everyone but Hufflepuff's face falls when they see the title.

"Aw, not this movie," Giselle complains. "We watched the trailer last week, and you said it yourself that it looked like trash."

"Wha—I didn't say trash!"

"I think you did," Slytherin interjects. He stifles a laugh when she shoots him a look.

Hufflepuff purses her lips. "Ravenclaw and I watched it at the movie theaters a few days ago, and it was a cinematic masterpiece!"

He arches an eyebrow. "So you're gonna watch it again?"

"Yes! Because it’s that good. And I want you guys to watch it with me. The movie has adventure and plot twists and romance—I mean, what hurts more than a broken heart?"

"A severed head," Giselle replies, to which Slytherin snorts a laugh.

Hufflepuff scoffs and shakes her head, but a smile tugs at her lips. “You’ll see what I’m talking about after we watch it, but I need to use the bathroom first. I’ll bring back some popcorn.”

“Can you also get some Sprite?” Giselle calls after her.

“Okay.” Hufflepuff lingers by the doorway. “Do you want anything, sweetie pie?” she says to Slytherin.

“No thanks, snuggle bunny.” He snickers when Giselle visibly cringes. He and Hufflepuff liked to call each other outrageously sweet pet names in front of their daughter for the sole purpose of grossing her out.

“Yes,” Giselle says in a deadpan voice. “This is the exact spot I want to be in right now.”

Hufflepuff laughs and winks at Slytherin before leaving. He watches her walk away before whispering to Giselle, “How likely is it that she’ll accidentally trap herself in the bathroom and we get to pick another movie?”

“Extremely likely,” she replies. “If we put a rubber item underneath the door to act as a door stopper, she won’t be able to open it from the inside…” Slytherin is looking at her weirdly, and she swallows her words. “...I mean, I don’t know.”

Slytherin smiles but doesn’t say anything. Giselle may have inherited her mother’s looks, but she has her father’s mischief.

While they wait for Hufflepuff, Slytherin speaks. “Can I ask you something personal?”

“Sure,” she says cautiously.

“Do you love him?”

Her eyebrows rise—she didn’t expect this question. She takes a moment to think.

"Not yet.”

He nods. "But you're happy?"

"I am," she smiles.

His eyes crinkle. If she was happy…well, that was good enough for him.

“I’m glad, kiddo.”

This time, Giselle doesn’t roll her eyes at the term of endearment. Instead, she takes his hand and squeezes it three times. Slytherin, who taught her the gesture, squeezes her hand four times in response.

“Who’s ready to start the movie?” Hufflepuff walks in with popcorn and sprite, unaware of the father-daughter moment she just missed.

“As ready as I’ll ever be,” Slytherin sighs, scooting over to make space for her. She plops down beside him and settles the bowl between them.

“Oh,” she perks up. “Before I forget. Accio tissue boxes!”

Slytherin looks bewildered as tissue boxes come flying their way. “Do we really need tissues?”

“Absolutely,” she scatters the boxes over their laps. Slytherin raises an eyebrow and glances over at Giselle, who also looks perplexed.

“My teen angst bullshit is about to have a body count,” she whispers as the movie begins playing.

A/N: This fic is somewhat connected to Different Love Languages, another one of my fics. Is the slytherpuff couple in that fic the same couple in this one? That's up to you, dear reader😌

I lowkey hate the title, but I couldn't come up w a better one. Also, this fic was longer than I planned. I originally decided to write something like this:

“Why don’t you like him?”

“Because I used to be a bad boy, which is exactly why I don’t trust him.”

Basic dialogue, plain and simple. But the darling anon who told me their idea deserves a full-length story <3

Let me know what you thought of this one-shot. Feedback makes me happy <3 If you prefer to stay anonymous, the anon option for asks is available! Be safe and well, everyone.

Tag lists are open✨ Let me know via ask/messages/comments if you want to be added or removed.

@slytherpuff-shenanigans @axieleration @sunnniiee @just--another--bean @determinedpines @zenobiagrace @asterinflower @cinnamon-roll-unicorn @mossy-axolotl @dumbbitch11 @hitchhiker-of-the-galaxy @notsowiseravenclaw @arianatorpotterhead @eatacrackerandstop @luciferswife16 @walkinganomaly @asunshinepuff @lewispoolerpayton @adreameratdawn @thewitcheswords @oncergleekpotterhead @princessstoopid @stardustzainy @flvrqnce @multi-fandom-nutjob @eunnieah @iamahufflepuff @1hufflepuff @introvertedrae @princessstoopid @jasminedayz @magnoliamermaid @HOPEFUL-HUFFLEPUFF-PEEVES @peanut-in-the-goal @pufflehuff929 @sophiexteresa @da-fox-rangerrr @dawinehouse @shipping-book-keeper @xxavaloraxx @silverhetdanes @im-a-solanum-lycopersicum @elegantcroissantplaidpony @theoriginaljohnwatsonsblog @theoriginalsherlockholmesblog @vickeyunicorn @arianatorpotterhead @hmilkwhoney @simpering-simpleton @grandcyclecreation @sweetinvisiblewriter @marvelenthusiast10 @mvlpksvthisht @qiaopa @beardedhumanoid @jadefox05 @justanotherperson @inkedintothepaper @minty-malfoy @trippy-morgan @fangirlgeekandfreak @boilyourteeth @absentmindeduniverse @colettedelaurel @halfelven1 @happy-puff @coloring-bud @in-love-with-remus-lupin @autumnpleaves @crakencc @flyme--tothemoon @hedgepuffgirl @littleemotionalpanda @pancakes-and-sugar @korra4321 @aquietkindofthunder @qixnsriess @porksoba @thatfann @hellounicorn @i-have-a-bad-feeling @aasa2102 @zuko-28 @annie-mcl @clementines-x @writtenfoxscreams @randomwriter23 @cryingabtwandavision @coolninjavoid @urfaveslytherin @malfoys-demigod @tumlbr-trasher @violayaxley @wolfpack-arts-industries99 @zainieees-stuff @blueberry-9-pancakes @stressy-depressy @royalelusts

[aubrey-plaza]

Hi!! I just read all three of the staubrey fics that you recommended. Do you happen to have a longer list of your favorite staubrey fics, I would love to read them!!

this became long, so I put it under a cut

Obviously, I would be remiss to start any favourite fics list without including the two stories that got me into this ship at all.  

I used to be a major Bechloe shipper (like, I even ran a fanblog when pp1 first came out) and even though I’d read the Stacie/Aubrey pairing in fic before, I’d never quite clicked with it.

And then I read She’s Out of My League by OmACAgee / @omacagee​ and it was the definition of ‘came for the Bechloe, stayed for the Staubrey’ because I was immediately hooked on these two.

I have no idea what it was about that story specifically that hooked me in as opposed to the countless other Bechloe ft side-Staubrey I’d read before but that was it, it was like flipping a switch.

I then gravitated into the tag and found honey_hill / @relaxingwithhoney​‘s Sweeter Than This; read that in one go and I’ve been Staubrey trash ever since.

(more under the cut)

I love this ship so much so here are my favourite fics (in no particular order):

anything/everything backinthebox / @girlneedsadonut​

literally like I cannot express this enough: read all of them.

I’m going to highlight a few here but they are ALL my favourite

The whole Welcome To The Lodge At Fallen Leaves series which is STILL being written!  

You’ve Started Something is a triumph of characterisation and story building and, again, is still ongoing. The fic is a gorgeous exploration of these two characters and one of the reasons I love them as much as I do.  

Tears Are Something to Hide by backinthebox(long) oneshot — complete — canon-divergence: after Pitch Perfect 2

This story hurt my fucking soul. There are no other words for it. I’ve always believed that Stacie and Aubrey were the type of couple who, once together, could (and would) conquer the world and that little could really come between them and yet this author has written one of the only scenarios wherein I could see them apart, and really apart, not taking a break or splitting up where it’s inevitable they’ll find each other again but really break them apart with all the heartbreak and angst that comes with it.  

Set against the backdrop of being in the South, dealing with grieving someone with whom you have a tumultuous relationship, and the Bellas being fiercely a unit and a family, this story hits every beat perfect and is honestly a masterpiece.  

I had to read the story at least 3 times to really get the full force of it because it’s so beautifully nuanced and layered and every time that I go back to re-read it, I find something else about it that I love.  

This story will make you ache for these characters and it is possibly — probably — the best Stacie/Aubrey fic I’ve ever read.  

There is no standout or favourite line because the whole thing is sheer perfection.  

Énouement by backintheboxmulti-chapter — complete — canon-divergence: Pitch Perfect 1 timeline

I can’t say much about this fic without giving the plot away and what a delicious plot it is so just go read it because it features flirty freshman Stacie and assertive, confident Aubrey and lowkey the reason I headcanon Aubrey being a discreet but total player

standout line:  

And the fact that someone could blush about being good in bed had Stacie wanting more.

You Came to Me in January by Lucky_13 / @number-thirteen​multi-chapter — work in progress — canon-divergence after Pitch Perfect 2 (I think, it’s not really specified and not really important)

I love everything about this story. It finds Stacie and Aubrey a few years after (Stacie’s) graduation and they reconnect and it’s a beautifully mature telling of them falling for each other. They mesh so well together and their characterisation is absolutely on point. The author delicately balances their feelings, humour, and surroundings in a wonderfully immersive story that I keep coming back to.  

there is no specific standout line because it’s all so great, but I particularly love every scene with Mia (honestly kudos to any writer who gets me this invested in an OC!)

Prelude in Lydian Mode by Knappster / @ss-staubrey​oneshot — complete — canon divergence but not really important to the plot

I’m a sucker for the ‘we’re just sleeping together but have now developed feelings’ type of story (clearly) and this one hits it out of the park. It’s mutual pining meets secret hook ups with just enough background angst to drive the story forwards and I, for one, am in love with this fic.

standout line:

“She deserves better than someone who just fucks her at her friends’ weddings.”

The One Where They Find Out by Knappster(long) oneshot — complete — in-canon: Pitch Perfect 2 timeline

Hiding a relationship from the Bellas? Sign me the fuck up because I am a whore for those stories. I don’t know why but I just am and this fic has it all. Weird Lilly, struggling™ Beca, Jessica and Ashley duo-ness, a sprinkling of jealousy, developing feelings, heat, and just general gooey fluff.  

standout line:

Get your shit together. Get it all together and put it in a backpack, all your shit, so it’s together!” She started to walk away but walked back after a few steps. “And if you gotta take it somewhere, take it somewhere, you know? Take it to the shit store and sell it, or put it in a shit museum. I don’t care what you do, you just gotta get it together.

Aubrey in Wonderland by Knappstermulti-chapter — work in progress (seems discontinued) — in-canon & AU

ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME WITH THIS. Honestly, I put off reading this story because I saw that it was unfinished and didn’t want to get my heart broken but in this case it is better to have loved and lost than never loved at all because this fic is absolute GOLDEN. I never in a million years would’ve imagined Stacie as Cheshire Cat and yet, reading it, it completely works and I’m dying for more. It’s the right amount of crack and humorous that makes this fic work.  

standout line:

“Tamed. She’s like a house cat now. She’s practically purring.”

Snowbound by ACamp_Toner / @ss-staubrey​multi-chapter — complete — in-canon: Pitch Perfect 2 timeline

the sexual tension here is OFF THE CHARTS and it somehow increases after they sleep together. 0/10 would not read in public again. But at it’s core it’s a wonderfully fleshed out story with adorable playful fun, set against a backdrop of a ski vacation which is unlike any other story I’ve read before.

standout line:

“Nice hat, Posen,” Beca smirked.

“How can you see it from all the way down there, Hobbit?” Beca’s smirk turned into a glare but it couldn’t rival Aubrey’s.

“Okay, okay, knock it off you two. Aubrey, the hat looks adorable on you. And Beca,” Stacie paused, thinking, “I’m sorry you’re so short.”

The One with the Roommate’s Girlfriend by ACamp_tonerone-shot — complete — AU

Friends would have been made a 1000% better with more lesbians and that’s what we have here and it’s honestly a little astounding how well this fits. This fic works beautifully and I’m in love with this AU.

standout line:

“Oh, yeah. Yeah, I found this great place called ‘Invisible Things for Aubrey.’ Can you give me a hand with all of this stuff?” Stacie motioned dramatically to the empty space next to her.

i hate you i hate you (i really love you) by Euterpemulti-chapter — complete — in-canon: Pitch Perfect 1 timeline

one of life’s greatest disappointments is finding an amazing fic, clicking through to the author profile and finding that it’s their only fic for your fandom/pairing and this is it, lads.  

This fic is one of few written from Aubrey’s point of view that I absolutely ADORE and her inner monologue is both relatable and so damn funny. The characterisation for both is splendidly done and the story is fun to read.  

standout line:

Simply put, as her father would tell her, she has lost control of the situation. The proper course of action in this case is to calmly handle whatever problem there is until everything is under control again. But for some reason, Aubrey can’t bring herself to push Stacie away. Her arms aren’t responding to the screaming messages from her brain, like in that movie where the guy gets possessed by little people who control him like a robot.

The First Time by youarefire / @shiaa-esttoneshot — complete — in-canon: between Pitch Perfect 1 and 2

Stacie singing to Aubrey is my absolute weakness (I have a lot of them if you can’t tell) and this story is just so soft and tender (no pun intended).  

standout line:

“I’ve been singing to you for three years, Posen, you finally got the hint.”

can my heart beat quiet? (no) by DJ Jiggle Juice (babytobin_horse) / @backtobasicbellas​ oneshot — complete — in-canon: Pitch Perfect 2 timeline

What did I say about being a slut for sneaking around and hidden relationships??? Because here we have another Stacie and Aubrey hiding their relationship from the Bellas. A particular highlight in this one is Beca’s A+ snarkiness and her and Aubrey sniping at each other while Stacie tries to keep the peace.  

standout line:  

And Stacie still isn’t quite used to this, seeing more than just lust from someone, but Aubrey makes her feel wanted all the time and sends her care packages and reminds Stacie of just how smart she is and god, Stacie thinks she’s -

love is a losing game (oh, what a mess we made) by DJ Jiggle Juice (babytobin_horse)(long) oneshot — complete — in-canon: Pitch Perfect 1 timeline — additional note: it’s a half Staubrey/half Bechloe story featuring a Steca friends with benefits type thing (but the listed pairings are endgame) (side note because I have poor reading comprehension skills and completely missed the steca tag and was HELLA surprised by that turn of events)

Basically, our lovely foursome are all in DENIAL and Beca and Stacie being as emotionally stunted as they are decide that maybe sleeping together to get over their (supposedly unrequited) feelings is the best way to go about things and it backfires.  

The Stacie/Aubrey stuff makes my chest hurt and my throat close up it’s so wonderfully written.  

It’s a lovely story and if Bechloe isn’t your thing, you can skip their scenes but I don’t recommend that because the whole story flows a lot better if you read the whole thing

standout line:  

Aubrey smells like vanilla and lavender wrapped into one. She holds Stacie tight, hand running up and down her back before she pulls away.

Stacie misses her touch already.

Can’t Fight This Feeling by snowtamale / @snowtamale​oneshot — complete — AU

I love a fun exploration of Aubrey’s issues within an AU because they tend to be similar to in-universe stories but manifest in different ways and this fic explores that. As mentioned, I also like a sex-then-feelings type of story and this one includes that. Coupled with the hi-larious sidebars? I’m here for it.  

standout line:  

(Ready to give up on love: check) 

Holding The Frame by jdc15oneshot — complete — canon divergence after Pitch Perfect 2

I don’t usually venture back to fanfiction.net for stories but this one is well worth it. For as much as I love college era Stacie and Aubrey, there’s just something about them being slightly older and slightly less unfortunate with their feelings.  

This story finds them a year after Pitch Perfect 2 ends and it’s absolutely beautifully written. 10/10 would go back to ff.net for this author.

standout line:  

“You and Aubrey have excellent chemistry. And to dance the tango, if you have chemistry, you have half the dance. You are beautiful together.”

and also the final line which I won’t spoil for you but is possibly the best ending to a fic I’ve ever read wow.  

Juncture by jdc15oneshot — complete — AU

jesus christ this story is hot. Assertive Aubrey is a thing of dreams. This author writes great smut and are the only reason I’m still subscribed to a ff.net author

standout line:  

Aubrey’s lips are soft and sure, confident yet polite, and Stacie is glad for the wall behind her because without it to lean against she’d already be a puddle on the floor.

Nowish by Psy456 / @chloes-yellow-cupmulti-chapter — complete — canon divergence after Pitch Perfect 2 — additional note: Bellas squared ship

This is… not technically an exclusively Staubrey story but it’s such a masterpiece that I can’t leave it out of this list. It’s a beautiful written work and pretty much the only fic I find myself shipping all of these women together because it is so well fleshed out (no pun intended). It’s both hot as hell and sweet as sugar and an all around great fic.  

no standout line, but all of the smut was wow-ee 0/10 do not read in public

also I re-read my own fics like all the time but this isn’t a time for self-promotion

I strongly encourage everybody to read all the other fics by the authors I’ve got here because most of them have more than what is listed here and just because a story isn’t listed doesn’t mean it isn’t absolutely incredible, especially since I don’t have the space to list every single story I love (it was hard enough picking out these to be quite honest).  

Also! If you go on a reading binge please comment; some of these stories are criminally under-commented on (especially the multi-chapters) and with all of the hate going around these days, it would be nice to show some love to the authors for their incredible writing and this awesome ship

[rochellespen]

Watching Doctor Who Season 37 (Series 11), Episode Four

Ok, I’m going to have to say it: Doctor Who has a checkered past in regards to spiders.

I mean, I understand the temptation to go with arachnid-like monsters. Spiders often creep people out, so giant, mutant spiders should have an even greater horror vibe to them. Unfortunately, it seems arachnids of all sorts never fare well when appearing in Doctor Who. 

Thus we have comically stiff spiders with goofy voices in Planet of the Spiders. We have genuinely threatening, but also drama-queen diva spiders in the meh  The Runaway Bride. And then you have  what could have been truly creepy spider-like creatures in Kill the Moon which were wasted by being featured in a dire episode like Kill the Moon.

So when I saw the title of this one, I had to resist the temptation to roll my eyes. And not just because we got another music pun/reference in an episode title (first Bowie and now the Sex Pistols...). I figured we could be in for some very first class cheese with this one.

All that said, I decided to give Arachnids in the UK a go with as open of a mind as possible.

As usual, spoilers from here onward....

Episode Thoughts

This episode went back to the season opener’s structure of having things happen that appear unrelated at first, but quickly fit together into a main plotline well before the episode ends. It’s a smart technique as it can help to cover any thinness to the plot. 

We start with Robertson, a guy who is suspiciously similar to another hotel-owning, multi-millionaire businessman with a crass, harsh personality who decided to run for president. Seriously, not since The Happiness Patrol have we been given such a painfully obvious reference to a real-life political figure on Doctor Who.

 And wait, is that Chris Noth? Why yes, yes it is. That’s something I seriously did not expect and it’s fun to see him in this. XD

Anyway, Citizen Robertson here rants about a possible threat to his political future and fires a random employee for being at the wrong place at the wrong time. This actually turns out to be not so random later on....

(Side note: They do name drop Trump later in the episode with Robertson mentioning that he can’t stand the guy. I guess that’s one way to deflect the obvious....XD)

Meanwhile, the Doctor actually manages to get her companions back to their correct time and place and soon appears to regret her efficiency. Fortunately for her, Yasmin is up for inviting everyone to tea which everyone immediately accepts.

After wonderfully awkward moments with Yasmin’s family and some poignant moments alone with Graham, we finally get to the spiders. Well sort of. We just get one spider to start out with, but there was plenty of foreshadowing before that to let us know that it won’t just be one spider.

Soon, the plot ties together when we realize that it was Yasmin’s mother who got fired and a neighbor of Yasmin’s family has a friend/co-worker/? who is a specialist in regards to spiders and who is worried that she hasn’t shown up for a few days. This eventually leads to a showdown in the lavish, recently finished hotel between humans and arachnids. 

Some more quick side notes....

The hotel they chose for the principal location is a good one. It has the right Overlook Hotel vibe to it which is perfect to accentuate the horror in this episode.

Ok, having Yasmin’s mom be the one who got fired by Robertson is a solid way to tie the plot together. Having an arachnid expert be friends with someone who lived in the same building as Yasmin’s family and having her show up just as the Doctor starts to investigate teeters dangerously toward deus ex machina territory.

But on a much funnier note, did anyone else notice someone (Ryan, I think?) making shadow puppets in the background while the Doctor and McIntyre were talking about Serious Spider Stuff in McIntyre’s lab? That’s the sort of offhand detail that I just love...

Now, back to the rest of the episode...

As can be expected with someone like Robertson, all of his employees are taken out by the spiders leaving the Doctor, her companions, Yasmin’s mom, Naija, and our new friend, Dr. McIntyre to find out that there’s is both abandoned coal mines underneath the hotel (which is niffty for the spiders to get around) and a toxic landfill that was very poorly managed.

Ok, at this point I need to stop to consider something that’s bothering me about the plot. 

I think we can all agree that Robertson is a terrible person and was horribly negligent in allowing the landfill to combine stuff willy nilly. But if we’re going to assign blame for the mutant spiders, shouldn’t some of it be placed on McIntyre and her lab? These scientist are manipulating spider DNA and apparently not being careful enough in making sure the specimens are dead before disposal. Even if Robertson didn’t have an unusually toxic landfill mutating these spiders further, those half-dead “super spiders” could have wrecked havoc on local ecosystems. Thus, I hardly think McIntyre should be acting like she’s on some sort of moral high ground compared to Robertson.

In the end, it’s decided that it’s more humane(?) to suffocate/starve all the baby spiders in Robertson’s panic room and drive the huge mother spider out of the hotel...to where, I don’t know. However, Robertson clearly wanted a chance to kill something and thus, shoots the giant spider before it can asphyxiate. 

This leads to another little issue I have. The Doctor and McIntyre were just going to watch that giant spider slowly suffocate and die. Robertson shot it once and put it out of its misery quickly. I guess I’m at a loss as to how Robertson’s solution in and of itself is crueler than a slow death. 

And the thing is, I think the writers missed an opportunity here. Having Robertson clearly show no remorse for what he did was chilling enough. But I think we could have added an even more sinister edge to his character if it was made clear that his decision to shoot the spider would be considered merciful and correct by many and that it wasn’t a black and white decision. 

That way, the horrifying aspect of his character would not have been what he did but instead the mindset and motives of why he did it. Few things are more evil that someone who hides their malevolence under the guise of good intentions. 

After that painfully abrupt ending, the Doctor prepares to leave and discovers, much to her surprise and delight, that Graham, Ryan and Yasmin aren’t ready to say goodbye to her and traveling through time and space. 

So did Arachnids in the UK avoid the usual trap of tacky spider themed episodes? Well.....

The thing is, there are several things this episode did right. The number one was a wonderful mix of humor and lowkey scares. We get moments like Ryan and Graham’s two man comedy act leading up to a terribly creepy shot of several giant spiders skittering toward them. The atmosphere of the hotel and some well placed jump scares are balanced by the hilarious sight of mutant spiders gravitating a energetic grime tune (actually listened to it again while writing this, and it really set the mood). 

The problem for me has to be the easy out the plot took. I get wanting to keep this an Earth-bound problem (and making an eco-statement). But the separating of the so-called “good guys” and “bad guys” wasn’t neatly done and the ending felt far too much like the writers couldn’t think of a good solution in the time they had left. 

Thus, this episode works far better as a showcase for humor, atmosphere and characterization than it does as a carefully plotted story.

Character Thoughts

So how about that characterization then?

Two things were well defined in this episode. 

The Doctor is going to continue to be socially awkward, high-energy goofball.

This Doctor is not one who wants to brood by themselves somewhere even for a few moments. She clearly is one of those Doctor who vastly prefers to travel with companions.

Continuing in the tradition of each Doctor often being a “reaction” to the previous one, Thirteen is certainly far less prickly and much more openly social than Twelve. She seems to thrive on the “family” environment a crowded TARDIS creates. The only Doctor I can compare that to is probably Five who also seemed very invested in traveling with a group although there is far, far more harmony on Thirteen’s TARDIS than there ever was on Five’s. 

Myself, I’m enjoying a return to the idea of the Doctor being warmer and more familial as I never thought being difficult and prickly were necessary solely to create a sense of “otherness” about the Doctor. Whittaker still manages this with Thirteen’s scattershot, quirky approach to experiencing new places, people and events.

A lot of the humor in this episode was pulled off nicely by Whittaker whether it’s the cringing moments of awkward around Yasmin’s family or her sudden thought that The Spider Mother in the Ballroom could be “the best novel Edith Wharton never wrote.” 

Meanwhile, Ryan and Graham also have some wonderful bits together as they (very reluctantly) keep having to go out on spider-related missions in the hotel. The two of them continue to be a fun team who are slowly trying to figure out this family “thing” they have been thrust into.

Funnily enough, while on the surface this could look like an episode that would focus more on Yasmin since we are spending time with her family....it really doesn’t. The most we get is some insight as to why she wants to travel with the Doctor: because she loves her family, but clearly doesn’t always get along with them that great. I think this is another opportunity the writers missed as we could have gotten a bit more insight into how her family played a role in the person she became. Instead, their presence seems to mainly service the plot (Naija) or try to add to the humor (the rest of her family). 

The Last Word

I’m afraid Doctor Who may never have a completely solid episode featuring spiders....even with this effort. This is episode is a fun ride most of the time with some great moments of humor and characterization, so it manages to not be truly cringe-y. However, it would have been nice if the writers had put more thought into how to end the main plotline and found more interesting ways to develop Yasmin’s family and by extension Yasmin herself.

[dumbbelle]

do you have any favourite blogs??? like any kind of blogs!! (just curious skmfmd)

This got outta hand so quickly. But here was my overall answer:

I follow a lot of seventeen blogs. Like a lot. But I also follow a lot of people who are generally nice and who have cute tags because they help brighten up my day. I like art blogs and those calming aesthetic blogs because they make my dash prettier. And I follow my in-real-life friends like @leechansthighs and @verifiedspheniscidae and @vernaans no matter their content (although their blogs are all still A+ content and I’d probably follow them regardless). And I like @myetie so much that I played Mystic Messenger just to better understand what was going on in her artwork because her art is cute and funny and I stumbled upon it accidentally so I had to catch up. 

But to get specific? Hmmm, well, in no particlar order…. 

Of course I have my mutuals like @miiinghao @kimbapkidding @thatgirlcatt13 @jeonwonxwoo and @kw0njisol who I probably forgot to reply to like 3 billion years ago in chat but are still amazing and I love with my soul but am too nervous to say anything to because I know the only reason we’ve stopped talking is because I’m disorganized af. 

And then, well, @fyhoshi probably dominates my dashboard with HD Hoshi pics (not that I mind, really). Seriously, if you’re a Hoshi stan, follow them (you likely already are). You won’t regret it. In a very similar way, if you’re a Woozi stan, then you’ve gotta follow @woozioppa for all her constant updates and flooding of your dashboard. Just from following her, Woozi jumped like 5 spots on my bias list because of all the Woozi content.

@pristeen-23 is honestly such a good friend (used to write on her blog but not anymore,,, GIRL I’M STILL MOURNING). She’s friends with so many people because she’s a beautiful human being and deserves to be loved and rolled into a warm blanket and fed good food bye. 

OKAY so who hasn’t heard of @woozifi? Honestly, whether it’s for Tessa’s art or Tessa’s writing (CHECK OUT HER AO3), she excels in whatever she does. Talk about multitalented. Her commissions are open here. 

I like art blogs a lot!!! @bodtster was probably the first fan art blog I ever followed and I am lowkey,,, in love,,, with Annie and her work (her personal @sailorpeach is hella aesthetic if you also wanna check that out.) Her commissions are open right here.

@94wnd Graphics man, graphics. She’s the pop of colour on my dash that always makes me stop and go “ooOoOhh” because her graphics are so vibrant and pleasing. And her writing is great too! Definition of that one mom friend who always makes you feel like honey, starlight, and warm hugs on a Thursday afternoon. She makes me feel good about my angst and I love reading her tags okay. 

I frickin love memes and shitposts, and I recently discovered @amemericans [I know, I know, y’all are all like “where have you been?” and ur rite where have I been?]. They’ve got the best memes in the business. We have recently formed the idol group Clickb8,,, and are accepting all applications – so rhymes, limericks, and haikus thx. 

@incorrect7teen always makes me laugh with her incorrect quotes and love for DK,,, She’s really sweet and interactive too. Her little window into her daily life and thoughts is really so entertaining, and one can’t help but want to be friends ^^

@doyomi has some great incorrect NCT quotes, so if any NCTzens are floating around. @gwikimchi is her main blog but she has like a million blogs that I apparently don’t follow even though I know them by heart??? FRICK I’M THE DAMN WORST. ( @lordyoungho for kpop horoscopes and @sebooty-lyfe for writing). 

Choco from @choco-seventeen is such a sweetheart and her writing is stunning. Legit, her writing will probably make you want to cry. Heck, I have cried while reading her writing. And I will continue to cry because she always gets better and better and is always looking to improve and wow everything she does motivates me. 

Did you know that if you looked up talent in the dictionary you’ll get @hansolmates? Legit when I saw her writing for the first time I blanched. I wish man, I wish. Her timing is terrific, her fluff makes me melt, and her angst makes me jealous. I wish I had an ounce of her skill. 

Another art blog I follow is @cutiepatoodieart, who never fails to impress. Joey’s style is absolutely breathtaking and I love her art so so much. As well, she always says what’s on her mind without holding back, which I think is admirable. Her commissions are also very open right here.

@hoshbrownie is precious. Absolutely precious. Eva will talk to you and make you feel like you matter. She will think about you and tag you in things and I’m actually teary-eyed because she’s so precious and every not-so-anonymous anon (hoshbrownie i see u) I get from her makes me so happy. 

@svt-husbands THE WELL OILED AND FAST WORKING MACHINE. You guys know who they are, of course you do. Great quality writing at insane speeds, these guys are everything I want to be bye. I remember first talking to one of the admins @squishteen , and I was like ??? How do such interesting people exist ??? She’s amazing and writes on her main as well, go follow her. I more recently started talking to @jeongguktm, and can confirm that yes she is as adorable and kind as one might expect her to be. ALSO JUST REALIZED THAT I RECENTLY MISSED HER BIRTHDAY and tf is wrong with me, this isn’t how you make friends. Happy belated birthday sweets

Jackie from @tookorean lowkey intimidates me because everything she does turns to gold. She’s hard working and loves Woozi and if that’s not enough reason to follow then I don’t know what is. Sometimes translates, sometimes does this. Another multitalented goddess on our hands, this is getting overwhelming. 

@vitaminniedk just read her tags and you’ll understand why I follow her. She also has probably the best theme around? Vivienne is as much of a sunshine as her bias, and you’ve probably seen her gifs floating around. 

Gen from @wonnhao is a gif goddess that you are probably all aware of and her interactions are really cute too so of course I’m following her. Aren’t you? 

@wasabi-duck who is on an indefinite hiatus but you should still see her writing anyway. She was the sole person who attracted me to the bullet-point style that’s getting more and more popular around here these days. My friends and I would like read her stories out loud at lunch over sandwiches and I feel nostalgic just writing this. She’s also very kind and I like the stuff she reblogs on her main @clockwork-lullaby.

@mounteenbase is back from the dead so check her out! Lots of fun lil blurbs and bullet-point fics. Fluff master and a lowkey meme master. Very cute and easy to talk to, fun and interesting as one can see from her main blog @mounteenbase-main. 

@saythename17scenarios is graceful. Perhaps that’s not the right word but heaven knows my vocabulary isn’t extensive enough to describe how I feel about Kimbap Mom. Her writing is distinctive and tactful, and she often finds the greatest of beauty in the simplest of concepts. One day she might write a full length multi-part fic and I will be here eagerly awaiting each update because I’m trash for her. 

@moodboards-and-profiles flowers and unicorns and everything pure. When we first talked she was legit one of the most encouraging people I’ve ever met, and I’m sure that remains the same despite our lack of communication! Actually has some really cute moodboards (that she should tag because she can gain some major attention winkwinknudgenudgeshoveshove). 

Oh and recently I started following @askjournalismsvt and this is probably my favourite SVT Tumblr AU ever. Sam and Kei perfectly portray Seventeen as members of the “Diamond City University journalism department” and answer questions with the cutest of doodles ack. They’re also hilarious and I want to be this funny. 

And whilst writing this, @puppetwritings popped into my head even though I just followed her like now. She was the first fanfic account that I got into way before I actually made an account and since I didn’t have an account I would just check her Tumblr constantly and put her in my bookmarks. I got busy after a while and then made my account after another while, but I can’t believe I forgot to follow such a phenomenal writer.

Anyway thanks for the question love! This was fun to write up and reflect on :)

[thenotoriousgib-blog]

Wrestlers of the Year So Far (#100-76)

Over the past few weeks I’ve been working on this project, basically spending every minute of my free time watching wrestling to have the most accurate half-year wrestling report. It’s very much imperfect, but I felt the need to still share it.

The ranking is based entirely on my ratings for matches I’ve seen throughout the year. Every match I have at ***+ gives an individual wrestler points weighted by how many stars it gets. Then I add everything up, rank it, and do a little write-up on my thoughts. Any tiebreaker is broken by my personal opinion of which wrestler is having the better year.

I’ll address some questions you might have along the way:

Why Is _______ Not on the List?

This could be for a variety of reasons. As much wrestling as I consume, I can’t watch everything, and unfortunately I’m very much behind on some promotions I love. I’m massively behind on promotions like Stardom, wXw, and CWF Mid-Atlantic so a lot of wrestlers I really like - Io Shirai, Ilja Dragunov, The Carnies, Kairi Hojo, The Ugly Ducklings, etc. missed the cut because I just haven’t been able to watch enough of their stuff this year.

Why Is _______ So Low/High?

There are wrestlers I really like who aren’t as high on the list as they would be if I wasn’t making use of my star-rating-based rankings. There are also wrestlers that I don’t like much at all who are on the list because they’ve still been in a number of matches I liked. The list is biased towards wrestlers who work a lot of places and have consistently good-to-great matches, even if the matches aren’t always MOTY category. Consistency matters, and number of matches matters.

Before I start the countdown, I’m gonna throw out some honorable mentions who just barely missed the list: Toni Storm, Oney Lorcan, Io Shirai, Jay White, Kassius Ohno, Kairi Hojo, The Authors of Pain, Alexa Bliss, Hirooki Goto, Frightmare, LuFisto.

100. Ethan Page: Page has come a long way for me in the past year.  I used to not be able to stand All Ego at all, but he’s improved quite a bit. He’s a great character worker who gets good heel heat, and he’s progressively getting better in the ring. His matches still aren’t always my cup of tea, but I think part of that is also how he’s been booked.

99. Rocky Romero:  I love RPG Vice so I’m happy they’ve had a good enough year for Rocky to make an appearance. It’s gonna be interesting to see what Rocky does now that RPG Vice has split up for Trent to make a singles run in New Japan. I hope he doesn’t get left behind because he’s a very solid tag wrestler. 

98. Penta El 0M/Pentagon Dark:  Penta is one of my favorite brawlers in the world, but his 2017 hasn’t been my favorite. He’s honestly underwhelmed me a decent amount as a singles wrestler this year (his stuff with his brother Fenix is still *kisses fingers*). I’m hoping maybe I’m just missing some of his standout matches and his stock will be up for me later in the year because he’s such a charismatic performer.

97. Bayley:  The WWE women’s division has struggled a bit in 2017. There doesn’t seem to be a lot of story developing and the women often have just kinda been thrown together seemingly at the last minute. Bayley’s still managed to have a solid year in the ring despite her character being booked rather terribly. Her feud with Charlotte wasn’t always great in build but it had some very good matches.

96. Jimmy Havoc:  Havoc’s had a solid year but not as good as many of the other big PROGRESS guys. Still, his brawls with the likes of Pete Dunne and Will Ospreay in the company have been phenomenal. Hardcore wrestling isn’t always my shit, but when I’m in the mood, Jimmy does the job very well.

95. Martin Stone:  The Guv’nor is one of the most underrated wrestlers in the world, in my opinion. He’s worked really well as a developmental guy in WWE while still having dope matches in the UK and southern indies. It seems he’s gonna be on NXT in a slightly larger role now so I’m hoping more people pay attention.

94. Sammy Guevara: Guevara’s a guy I want to see more of. He made this list because he’s made appearances in quite a few multi-man spotfest matches that I’ve enjoyed. He’s a fun, young wrestler who has a ton of potential. I’d really like to see where he goes from here. 

93. Jason Kincaid:  “The Gift” is one of the most unique wrestlers I’ve ever seen, and I need to seek out more of his matches from this year. He’s lowkey been one of my favorite EVOLVE wrestlers for a minute and impresses me just about every time. Watch out for him.

92. Chris Jericho:  Jericho’s getting up there in age and is more limited in the ring than ever, but he can still put on an occasional show if he wants to. From an in-ring standpoint he’s no longer the best in the world, but he still reinvents himself enough through his character work to stay relevant.

91. Raymond Rowe: Hanson didn’t make this list and Rowe did because Rowe has more singles matches that I’ve seen. War Machine is a really fun tag team of big boys that I wish had a bit more competition. They’re perfect for New Japan and ROH but I don’t need to see them wrestle the Bucks, TenCozy or Guerillas of Destiny ever again.

90. Shinsuke Nakamura: Nakamura barely made it on this list despite being rather underwhelming in WWE. Since the Zayn match he’s never felt like too much of a big deal like he should, at least when he’s actually in the ring. Nakamura’s still great, but I’m hoping he finally puts together another standout match later this year instead of coasting on “fine” matches.

89. Mark Haskins:  To be honest, I’m a bit surprised Haskins made the list. I’ve never been a huge fan of his. Something just doesn’t connect. I think a lot of his matches are good, but they never really reach the next level for me.

88. Moose:  Moose made it here on the small amount of TNA/Impact/GFW I have seen, as well as some indie appearances. He’s still not really at his full potential yet, but he’s improving steadily.

87. Austin Aries: The Neville/Aries matches were some of the biggest highlights for the WWE cruisers this year, and that’s all I really have to say about Aries. He was rock solid in his role, and I’m hoping he can continue to be rock solid back in the indies or wherever he signs next. 

86. Jushin “Thunder” Liger:  A lot of people were disappointed with Ligers’ final BOSJ run but I didn’t mind. I thought it was cool to see Liger put over all the younger guys (except Taichi) in his final tournament. Liger’s another guy that’s lost a step or two but can still go when he wants. He’s having a nice, consistent year. 

85. Hallowicked:  Hallowicked’s run as Grand Champion might be one of the best things in indie wrestling that not enough people were paying attention to. It’s easy to get caught up in behind-the-scenes drama or Quack’s crazy ideas when talking about Chikara, but they still have some great, underrated wrestlers and Hallowicked’s at the front of the pack. 

84. Randy Orton: Orton got here because he had some solid matches while he was in the Wyatt Family and was actually interesting. Since Mania he’s basically been a wet fart to me, aside from the second Jinder match. 

83. John Cena:  Cena being this high was a big of a shock to me considering he hasn’t done too much all year, but when Cena’s in the ring at this point, it’s usually pretty special. The Styles match and Elimination Chamber stand out of course, but he also had some really good TV matches.

82. TK Cooper:  Cooper’s one of the most improved wrestlers over the course of this year. It sucks that Visa issues got in the way of further impressing people. Can’t wait to see him in BOLA.

81. Ryan Smile:  Smile stood out on a bunch of the British shows I watched at the beginning of the year, but I’m massively behind on my UK content so I haven’t seen him in a bit. He’s still very solid.

80. Mustafa Ali:  Ali should be the one to dethrone Neville as cruiserweight champion when the time comes. WWE probably doesn’t know what they have with Ali, but here’s hoping they figure it out. He’s a champion.

79. Finn Balor:  Finn’s done good work since returning from his injury but he’s lacked much direction by no fault of his own. Here’s hoping he gets a bit more of a push soon.

78. Dolph Ziggler:  I hate Dolph Ziggler but he’s been in enough decent matches to coast by to this list. I hate it.

77. Dezmond Xavier:  Xavier’s a younger guy who’s impressed me a lot on a variety of indie shows that he’s been on. Scarlet & Graves is a really fun tag team and Xavier’s doing great work pretty much everywhere.

76. Austin Theory:  Theory’s a guy that impresses me when I see him, but I’m waiting for that standout match where I say, “Wow this guy is GREAT.” Theory’s young so he has plenty of time to do that, but right now he’s on the bubble.