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galacticnova3 · 3 years

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Tell us about your other ocs (not iru 😒🙄) please

GHHGGHHGHJJHHN LOVE THIS ASK!

Ok so I’m gonna talk about Roa in that case!

She’s another Umbramaker (mirror Starcutter), but unlike Iru she isn’t terrible! She’s basically Lor’s mirror counterpart, but not technically because no soul to be reflected and stuff. Due to the nature of Umbramakers basically being bootleg Starcutters, though, Roa is actually 2000 years younger than Lor. Not that that would be super obvious based on how the two act, though; she’s a lot more serious, a bit behind the times, much less outgoing, and others would probably say she’s not as fun. The truth is she just never really figured out how to loosen up until very recently, and even then she’s more of the nerd sort than the memey type. If you get her talking about something she’s interested in, such as Another Dimension and Parallel Dimension (which are different parts of the same place), she could infodump for ages, going on tangent after tangent and yet always bringing it back to the same subject. She would probably get along well with Magolor; science nerd buddies!

In terms of her actual connection to Lor, as. I said, they aren’t true counterparts. They both had super similar life experiences, and just reacted to them differently. Instead of her mistreatment driving her to become a troublemaker like Lor, she became extremely anxious and servile, because she was constantly fearing for her life but knew if she dedicated herself entirely to Working and Being Useful she would be spared. While Lor didn’t get along with other Starcutters because they found her annoying and thought she got in the way, Roa wasn’t well liked because the other Umbramakers basically thought she was a bootlicker. She was very well liked by her pilots though, because she was So Well Behaved and Always Put Others First and Worked So Hard! Their only complaint would usually just be her lack of confidence. Of course, they never took the time to figure out why she was the way she was, though she wouldn’t have told them she knew what went on behind closed doors anyways.

As I’ve said previously, unlike Overworld Halcandra, Mirror Halcandra could afford to throw out their ships if they weren’t performing to a satisfactory level, and she was very much aware of the recycling going on. However, unlike Lor, who hacked herself her own admin rights, accepted her circumstances, and decided if her life had to suck she was going to cause problems on purpose as revenge, Roa actually started formulating a theoretical escape plan. Because she was technically a newer model than Lor, she couldn’t just hack herself and go nuts with her abilities, so she had to be careful. At least, that would have been the case, were it not for a shortage of pilots after a combination of multiple missions in Parallel Dimension going terribly wrong, and a subsequent wave of quitting until safer conditions were promised. Now, for her whole life, Roa has basically been the poster child of a perfect Umbramaker. Never did anything out of turn, stayed in the lines like a fill tool, and just in general had a long record of Not Doing Anything Unexpected. In other words, she also had a ton of trust built up with basically everyone who worked with her that wasn’t another Umbramaker.

So, they(the government) reasonably thought, with the information available to them, that maybe Roa could function on her own, without a pilot, until pilot numbers returned to how they usually were. She could still get measurements and stuff from Parallel Dimension and be in a fleet and all that, just without someone driving her. So, Roa was given admin permissions over her systems, and things went on as usual because she was too scared to do anything. Haha, yeah, no, that second part was a lie. Literally as soon as the officials left the room she took off; carefully plotted escape was out of the airlock, she could leave Right Now and was fast enough that they couldn’t catch her or stop her from warping somewhere else. She left in such a frantic hurry, though, that uh... well, I’ll just say a few people got hurt, which is pretty expected if you get hit by a giant ship taking off. She still holds that against herself; she never wanted to hurt anyone.

Unfortunately, though, in her frenzy, she forgot one key detail: other Umbramakers. Who had their pilots. Who had communications with the port. So, as she’s fleeing, but before she gets the chance to make a portal to Somewhere Else, three other Umbramakers start trailing her; one to her left, one to her right, and one just behind her. They didn’t really have a choice in what they were doing, but Roa has always assumed they wouldn’t have done anything differently if they did anyways. The one behind her shot holes in her sail, which she still has now, to drastically slow down how long charging her vortex would take were she to switch into her combat mode. The other two kept her from going to either side, closing in until she couldn’t go anywhere but forward. In the end, this leads to the main thing she has in common with Lor; she was cornered and forced to enter a cavern in the side of a volcano, and the entrance was collapsed with her inside. Unlike Lor, though, she was still awake, but didn’t have the space to warp herself out.

That’s where she spent the next 27 thousand or so years, eventually putting herself into a sort of sleep mode to retain power and not be conscious the whole time she was trapped in a pitch black cave. She’d wake up when any noticeable physical events were detected, which could potentially mean freedom, but for the most part she would only wake up because of periodic earthquakes and eruptions that didn’t help her. Until, eventually, something else wakes her up; a mirror Halcandran teen, who had been slowly excavating her in secret, having found records indicating there was an Umbramaker buried in the volcano. He was none other than Magolor’s mirror counterpart, Magoroa, who was planning to do the exact same thing as Magolor. Unlike his Overworld counterpart, though, he was not checking out a ship who had been put in the AI equivalent of a coma. He manages to get inside and vibe in Roa’s library for an hour or two, grabbing some books to translate and read during his journey for domination, before she figures out what’s going on and kicks him out. She was free, and she was not risking anything jeopardizing that, even in the form of a teenager.

She flew off without him, leaving him with just a bag of books on magic and potion brewing. After escaping Mirror Halcandra unnoticed and getting caught up on important Mirror World news, such as that whole Dark Mind situation that happened while she was away, she decided to check out Mirror Popstar because apparently Halcandra stays away from there. That’s where she gets in contact with You Know Who, so now she had him to deal with, great. She eventually visits the Overworld to see if maybe she could hide out there. Stuff happened that I haven’t written yet but plan to, she meets Lor... or rather, Lor heard reports of another Starcutter and went looking for her, found Roa, chased her until she could establish “>MA’AM I’M NOT A THREAT PLEASE I HAVEN’T TALKED TO ANOTHER SHIP IN THOUSANDS OF YEARS”, and they subsequently talk and find out they have a lot in common. Now Roa spends more time outside the Mirror World than in it, but she still stays away from basically anyone who isn’t Lor, Magolor, or a select few of the Star Allies. Meta Knight knows of her but isn’t sure what to really do or what to think. He doesn’t trust her because she has no pilot, but also she is so much more mature than Lor that he’s tempted to just leave her be.

I couldn’t think of a place to plop this in the post, but here’s what she looks like in her combat mode! I haven’t talked about it here but Starcutters and Umbramakers can have elements, kinda like the weapons in Star Allies(which is what inspired this headcanon); Lor is bluster wind element(based on her attacks, could explain what I mean in another post if you’re interested), for example. What element do you think Roa is?

Fire. She’s fire element. Doesn’t look like it, but that is 100% intentional on my part and in-universe!

Anyways, if you read this far I owe you my life and also like 10 minutes of your time back.

#long post #asks #rambling #my art #my characters #roa #im so sorry that I don’t know how to not shut up but also no I’m not because I like Roa

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twdmusicboxmystery · 3 years

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TWB 1x08 + TTD Clues

Hey Everyone! So here, at last, is my TWB post. Sorry it took me an extra day to get it finished. But before I get into the awesome TD symbolism, I want to say something. Today is Thanksgiving in the states. It’s a day we eat lots of good food and appreciate everything we have and tell each other what we’re thankful for.

So today, I just want to say that I’m extremely thankful for this fandom and for all my lovely followers and fellow TDers. It’s been such a huge part of my life for these past years. It’s kept me company and shaped me in ways even I probably don’t appreciate. So thank you so much for all being on this journey with me. I’ve no doubt that our girl is coming home. And soon!

Okay, onto the episode. First, a quick run-down. Most of the episode is centered around whether or not Silas killed Tony and what they’re going to do about it. We do get a humdinger of a twist at the end: Huck is a double agent.

I rewatched part of episode 1 because I thought I remembered the lieutenant colonel (Julia Ormond – I’ll just call her LC, okay?) saying something to the girls about having a kid. And she did. It’s in the scene where Hope and Iris talk to her in the dark, still back at the University, and she gives them the map. She says she has a daughter who’s older than them and who is a soldier from the CRM, so she’s away from her mother a lot and LC misses her. Guess who that daughter is? It’s Huck. So, she’s been a spy for LC this whole time, and has been living at the university colony specifically to do her spying. When she “scouts ahead” of the group, she’s often reporting back to her mother.

LC asks Huck how “the asset” is and Huck says the asset is fine. My fellow theorists and I talked about who the asset actually is, and we’ve agreed that it’s probably Hope. I think the most obvious answer is Iris, because she’s more the “main” character and the one LC connected with the most in episode 1. But I think that’s misdirection.

Not only because of the flashback conversation Hope had with her dad, where he hinted there might be something she needed to know that he hadn’t told her, but also because Huck is always with Hope. She’s the one Huck is friends with. Anytime the group splits up to check things out or look for supplies, Huck goes with Hope. Like she’s protecting her or something. So for now, our theory is that Hope is the “asset.”

But let’s turn to Silas. We finally get flashbacks as to what happened with his father. And this is where more his Daryl-ness comes in. His father was super abusive. Silas beat him up in a fit of rage/self-defense. And while his father didn’t die immediately (it wouldn’t be fair to say Silas actually beat him to death) he died later of his injuries. And then as a walker, he attacked Silas’s mother and Silas had to put him down. It’s all pretty brutal and you understand why Silas is kinda messed up.

The point is, he has rage blackouts. That’s what happened with his dad. Silas goes into a rage and actually blacks out and, for at least a time, doesn’t remember what happened. So in the episode, even Silas thinks he probably killed Tony and Percy. I don’t think he did. The best evidence is that, when it happened with his dad, he didn’t remember what happened immediately, but within a few minutes, it does come back, and he remembers what he did.

In this episode, he doesn’t remember what happened with Tony and Percy, and it never comes back to him. And they specifically show us that that’s not how it worked with his dad. So, I’m thinking someone hit him over the head and that’s why he doesn’t remember: he didn’t do anything. But even he doesn’t believe that.

So, this struck me as being Silas’s Them episode. He’s super sad, hates himself, grieving a lot of things, and at one point even sort of gives up and is going to let a walker bite him until Hope shows up and saves him.

But the biggest thing is that he leaves at the end. Felix and Huck are trying to decide whether to leave him behind or not. They don’t want to, but they don’t know much about him and, in their eyes, he could be dangerous. Even if he doesn’t mean to, he could have another rage blackout and hurt someone.

Iris talks to him and says “just tell me you didn’t kill anyone and I’ll believe you.” He says he can’t because he thinks he might have done it. Then he just leaves so he’s not a burden on them anymore.

TONS of Beth dialogue at this point. Iris says he’s “gone.” He says he’s glad he got to know Iris (what Beth said of Zack in 4x01). So he leaves by himself and Elton wants to go with him (Hope finally confesses to Elton about his mother, so this episode ends very sad).

But here’s the real kicker, guys. At the end, we see Silas walking through the woods by himself, and he’s wearing his headphones. A walker comes toward him. The walker immediately caught my attention because it’s blond and female. Truly, it wasn’t any more or less Bethish than any other blond walker we’ve seen, but it still jumped out at me after all the other Beth symbolism around Silas in this episode.

He grabs a board or a branch and kills it. Doesn’t seem like that big a deal. He does injure it in the forehead, but it’s on the right side. And you know, no gun or anything.

But then, at the VERY end, it shows the walker lying in the road up close and we see Silas walking away in the distance.

And then it pans over, and his walkman and headphones are on the ground next to the walker. He left them behind.

And the thing is, I don’t know why. Did he just abandon the music? Or did it stop working? I almost wonder if the walkman broke when he was fighting the walker.

If that’s the case, it’s a MASSIVE parallel to the broken music box. Lying next to the blond walker. With the forehead wound.

See why I’m having feels about this episode?

So, either he’s just a massive Beth proxy, or he’s heading toward wherever she is. I almost feel like the writers are telling us Silas is heading toward Beth. (And granted, I’m not at all objective about this; it’s totally my TD hopefulness kicking in. But there’s one other reason I think this could be a thing. I’ll come back to it in a minute.)

Huck said something weird, too. When Iris told everyone Silas had left, Huck asks Felix, “Do you think he’ll change his mind and come back for us?” It’s just a weird way to word it. Why would he need to come back for them? Besides, they’re going to look for the girls’ dad, so they’re not going to hang around in the same place.

I feel like that’s definitely a foreshadow on the writers’ part. And it really may just be a Silas/plot thing. But it suggests that at some point he’ll return to save the group in some way. …Which is exactly what we’ve always thought about Beth, no?

Let’s talk about Percy for a minute. They couldn’t find his body, but there’s a trail of blood that ends at the river. The thing is, they’re all assuming Percy is dead. They think either he’s a walker and staggered away, in which case the river current simply took him. Or that even if he was alive when he staggered away, he was wounded, and no one can survive the river’s currents and undertow. If he went in wounded, he’s probably dead anyway.

It just stuck out to me that that’s EXACTLY what we think happened with Beth. The group went back for her, didn’t find her body, but maybe some blood or a trail that Daryl followed for a time, searching for her. But they’re assuming she died/staggered away as a walker (hence blond tree walker in 5x15) but they never found a body.

I siriusly doubt Percy is actually dead. It’s just meant to look like he is. And my main theory throughout the episode was that Percy must have killed Tony and framed Silas. No idea why he’d do that, but we’ve already discussed that Percy has kind of a sinister vibe about him, and I’m happy just going with it and waiting for them to eventually explain what happened and why.

But the reveal about Huck at the end throws a wrench in things. We have a second suspect, now. I still don’t know why, exactly, she would kill Tony and either kill or attempt to kill Percy, but the two of them did know a lot about CRM resources and were kind of flouting their rebelliousness and thievery. If she’s loyal to the CRM (because LC is her mom) maybe that would be enough for her to kill them. Or maybe something else went down we have no idea about yet (kinda like at Grady?). Or maybe it really wasn’t her. No way to know, yet. But it’s an interesting possibility.

There were plenty of other symbols to be had in this episode, but I don’t think I need to go over most of them, because by now you all know how to interpret them. Lots of stars.

Boots. Pig references. Clocks. The scene where Elton and Iris talk and he tells her the stars she THINKS are dead are actually very much alive. (If that’s not on-the-nose, I don’t know what is.) And don’t forget the title: The Sky is a Graveyard. Lots of focus on the stars, including a shooting star indicative of Sirius, a blue bird toy at the playground, a song called “The Crosses Made.” Oh, and there were tons of dinosaurs behind Silas, especially in his room in flashbacks, which was interesting.

So yeah, you get the idea.

I said I had one other reason to think Silas might be heading toward Beth, right? Well, this didn’t come from the episode. Rather, it came from TTD, which they did for both FTWD and TWB this past week.

Among others, the actor who plays Silas (Hal Cumpston) was on. At the very end, as Chris Hardwick always does, he asked what the actors could tease about the rest of the season. Various answers were given, but Hal Cumpston said, “Rick.”

Now, don’t anyone freak out. The way he said it, laughingly, made it obvious he wasn’t being serious. He was teasing. It actually reminded me a lot of Lauren Ridloff being asked about Connie and Daryl and teasing a shower scene. The huge grin on her face is what let’s you know that’s not actually happening. She’s just having fun teasing fans about it. This was similar.

And let’s be real: if Rick WERE going to show up in TWB, no way they’d let this kid spoil that for everyone.

But one other possibility comes to mind: Beth. I have no idea if she’s what he was alluding to, but given the “new sheriff in town” symbolism and how interchangeable Rick and Beth symbolism is, it wouldn’t surprise me. I could be wrong, of course. I’m just throwing it out there as a possibility.

And given how many Beth parallels were in this episode, to have him say this on the TTD right after? Yeah, giving this a long, hard, side-eye.

That’s all I have for today. Happy Turkey Day, everyone!

#beth greene #beth greene lives #beth is alive #beth is coming #td theory #td theories #team delusional #team defiance #beth is almost here #bethyl

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nikatyler · 5 years

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Since you’ve mentioned having mixed feelings about Miracle’s storyline as well as Miracle and Adam, I was wondering if you could go into more detail about how you feel about them? Sorry if that’s a weird question I’m just always interested on how feelings change over time. Plus you always have such interesting things to say about your characters.

Sure thing! I hope this rambling won’t be too confusing. I’ve rewritten it like three times already because I just don’t know where to start. There’s so much to talk about, so many personal influences and whatnot, and I don’t know how to go about it without revealing too much personal stuff while also making my point clear...you know what I mean? But this is my final try, I don’t want you to wait any longer...even though I probably should’ve done that because my head isn’t in the right place today. You know how yesterday I said I wasn’t freaking out about uni at all? Yeah, I spoke too soon.

It’s under the cut because I talked too much, but here’s a TL;DR: Basically other ships just inspire me more, Miracle and Adam are bland compared to them. Also, Miracle’s storyline has some moments I’m not proud of.

I guess I don’t like them as much anymore because they don’t really have anything to offer. They’re a cute, happy, perfect couple, but that’s kind of it? I’m not saying good, happy couples are bad irl, it’s just that when I’m reading something and that’s the only thing I can say about a ship, then it’s not a ship I enjoy as much as others. I think Miracle and Adam might be too perfect. Even the best couples get into arguments sometimes, but they never had to face anything like that.

Let’s look at my other ships, the ones I claim are my favourites. I’ll give you a few examples of what they offer other than “we’re cute and happy”. Might contain spoilers but eh, as always, when will I get around posting these stories anyway?

Tyler and Sharon: They both carry these insecurities and secrets they don’t tell anyone about, only each other. Tyler might seem very confident and whatnot and often makes fun of his siblings, but deep inside, he thinks that they’re all so much better than him. He also has this mindset of “if I’m not good at music, then I failed at everything”. I won’t go into detail about Sharon’s secrets because that’s something I would really like to reveal when the time is right but…let’s just say that there’s a lot beneath this “we’re a badass couple oh and we also joke around each other a lot and sometimes it looks like we hate each other but nope, we’re actually madly in love”. I also love how equal they are in their relationship, like screw the traditional roles, we can do whatever the hell we want in our household. And like I mentioned, there’s this whole music thing, their relationship is very impacted by that. Last but not least, I just love the chemistry and dynamics that they have, this playfulness, sarcasm and sass. They’re just fun for me to write about.

Ross and Caleb: Okay, I will admit, they do fall a little bit under the “cute and happy” category now, but what I love about them is their long history and how their relationship developed over the years. There’s been quite a few changes and ups and downs. They started off as very unlikely friends, where actually, at first the friendship was kinda one-sided and Caleb was just like “okay, whatever, I’ll play videogames with you”. Over time, they grew closer, then they grew apart during Ross’s worst years…and so on. I feel like I get into this every other week in an ask, so I won’t repeat it again, I’m sorry :D

Caleb and Rachel: (other Caleb. original Caleb. my Caleb. redhead Caleb.) Again, seemingly just another “cute and happy” ship, but I think it works in their case because of this irony, I guess you could say. Caleb actually doesn’t want much, he just wishes for a happy boring life with a happy little family where nothing extraordinary happens, but he got the exact opposite. At one point his life was totally awful (divorce with Angel, he found out he couldn’t have children, was fired, and I mean, even the alien abduction kinda sucked, let’s be honest), then things changed again (birth of Miracle) and now he’s learning to live with all that because there’s no way he’s getting that boring life he wished for. And then there’s this whole fact that he’s kind of grumpy and sad and always sees the worst, but then he meets Rachel, who is always smiling, and she shows him how to be happier too. They’re not complete opposites though, they both share many interests. And yes, they do fight sometimes. Remember when they found out Rachel was pregnant and Caleb didn’t want to believe it?

Zoey and Isaac: My two nerds I hardly ever talk about but they own my entire heart. The progress of their relationship is one of my favourite things in this Golden Days story that I’m writing. They become close friends in ts3 universe, help each other heal, then the whole parallel universe mess happens, Zoey is thrown into the ts4 universe (I’m trying to really simplify it here because this whole post is getting too long and we’re not even halfway through), finds this universe’s version of Isaac too and so on. He knows the things she’s gone through, he’s always there for her, she’s there for him too because he has his problems too. They’re dealing with a lot.

I could talk about Josie and Lucian too but it’s too early for that and who knows, maybe eventually I’ll find out they’re not actually one of my most favourite ships.

And I know what you might be thinking - “but Miracle and Adam had a story too! They struggled too! ” Yeah, they had and yeah, there were struggles. But after that, they turned/I turned them into your generic happy cute couple. It’s partially because of the mess that gen 5 was, there just wasn’t space for any more interesting development.

I think one reason why I don’t like them as much anymore is Miracle’s storyline as a whole. I don’t connect to it as much as I did when I wrote it. It was really influenced by how I was feeling back then and I just didn’t know any better. Without getting too personal and sad, if I wrote it today, some things would be vastly different.

Yeah, Adam was a nice guy who turned out to be dating a mean girl, that’s kind of a cliche but whatever. Sometimes I enjoy cliches in a way. I would be cool with that, even though it’s dumb and, well, a cliche.

The thing that bothers me the most is the mixed message about insecurities. So yeah, Miracle doesn’t think she’s pretty, she thinks everyone would hate her if they knew she was half-alien (because that’s how it was for her at school before) and has low self-esteem because of that. And yes, there are people who are terrible to her because of that. But her friends and the people who matter (her family, Adam, Billie and Ed) would never give a damn about it, first and foremost they like her for who she is - a nice, kind, humble person. Then everyone finds out she’s half-alien, Adam then comforts her and tells her it doesn’t matter and that he actually loves her and she finally starts believing that okay, maybe it really doesn’t matter, maybe I’m pretty even though I’m not like the others.

At this point, if she had remained that way and just learned to love herself that way, that would’ve been fantastic and a great message. It’s also something I myself have learned in the past months. I don’t want to sound cheesy but yes, I found a way to love myself even though I’m not the definition of beauty standard in the slightest. (I know it’s not quite the same thing, but my relationship with myself was a big influence for Miracle’s storyline, so that’s why I used it as an example here.)

But no, I made it so that she still goes and finally changes into a fully human form. So yeah, people don’t mind her being half-alien, but still, let’s get rid of that aspect, it’ll be easier or something. A non-story reason why I did this is simply because I once found out what she would look like without the alien eyes and liked it a lot and wanted her to look like that in the legacy, which…I guess again contradicts this whole “you’re beautiful no matter what” message. I don’t know. It’s hard for me to talk about these things.

I kinda hate the fact that she only started believing in herself after a guy she loved told her to. Like…okay, I’m not saying it doesn’t happen in real life, but wouldn’t it be so much more satisfying if she realized that on her own? She would get so much stronger. What actually happened in the story didn’t get rid of her insecurities, in my opinion, she just hid them for years (until one day, she understood there are things in life that matter more than what she looks like - see Regan’s story in gen 6).

There was also this damsel in distress aspect of her story at that point where Esme and god-knows-what-his-name-was find out who she is, threaten to beat her up (which is something I’m not proud of writing, that was too much and surely I could’ve done something else about it), suddenly Adam storms in and beats the guy up instead (which, let’s be real, is very much out of his character, but hey this damsel needed a knight to save her I guess - god, this bothers me so much).

Alright, so that happens, they move out of the dorm into their own house with Billie and Ed (that’s another relationship I have issues with, but that’s a story for another day)…and they turn into this exact happy perfect couple that doesn’t really inspire me to write anything about, except for maybe late night nightmare and comforting short stories. There’s not really anything else. Adam lowkey didn’t have a personality, Miracle is just a good girl who now doesn’t have to deal with what used to haunt her, and every interesting thing I could start a story about is gone. There are not even any good opposites about them, nothing in their personalities that would clash and make for interesting conflicts.

Wow, this was long and I’m getting lost in it. I didn’t think it would be so hard to talk about it, but it was hard. In my head, I know exactly how I feel about them, but then putting it down is difficult. Still, thank you for asking, it was interesting for me to go back to them.

#Anonymous #answered #i'm tired #if some things don't make sense it's because i'm tired #also it's totally okay if you like ships that are just happy and cute and that's kind of it #we all have different opinions and that's great #also i'd say it's a lot about a point of view #this story was heavily influenced by my own inner problems #they have since then changed and therefore the way i see the story changed #but maybe you still like it or you still connect to it (if you remember it because it happened 2 years ago)#and that's cool! i don't blame you for liking it #okay fine i'm leaving i'm actually tired and i still have things to do #this will be fun #also hey it's my sister's 15th birthday today! happy birthday!#sorry i will be no fun today i guess

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surveys-at-your-service · 5 years

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Survey #218

“give me liberty or death. ... ah, fuck it, just give me death.”

Do you know anyone who had to have tubes put in their ears as a baby? Me. What is the nearest glass object to you? A cup. Were either of your parents baptized? I'm sure my mom was, but I have no clue about Dad. The last concert that you were at, was there a mosh pit? No. What was the last computer game that you played? World of Warcraft. If you had to choose a new cell phone, what phone would you pick? Some sort of iPhone. I hate my Samsung. Has anyone killed one of your pets before? People have run over our cats before, but I'm certain that wasn't intentional. Does your bathroom have a theme to it? No. Are any rooms in your house themed? No. Is there a song that as soon as you hear it you are happier? At least to a degree. Do you have a push lawnmower or a riding lawnmower? We don't have one; Mom pays someone to do it. He uses a riding one, though. When was the last time someone teased you? Idr. Would you trust a vehicle that automatically parallel parks for you? Lmao could probably do it better than I could. Have you ever hit a car while parking? No, but I rarely drive anyway and never park close to others. When you are eating fast food, do you tend to get burgers or chicken? Burgers. When was the last time you used Microsoft Excel? No clue. What was the last thing that you recorded? I was WAY too excited the rare felhound mount dropped for me in WoW so I had to show Sara while I screamed lmao. Have you ever edited an article on Wikipedia? No. Do you like the show Futurama? I've never been into what I've seen. Have you ever found an arrow head? I don't remember ever having had. Have you given up any bad habits for someone? Don't think so. Who is with you? My cat's in the room, as is of course Venus. In what part of your life so far, have you learnt the most about yourself? 2017-2018, probably. Have you ever been in a fist fight? No. What aggravates you most about people in general? I guess if you want to put all humans together, I guess you never know what's gonna hurt who. When they have a valid reason to be hurt by it, anyway. Are your ears pierced? Twice in each lobe and then my right tragus. What did you last say out loud? Something to Teddy about wanting so much attention. Not at all in a bad way. Do you like anything about being angry? Fuck no. Did you have a summer job this year? No. Where do you wish you were? I've been dying to be at Sara's BAD LATELY MY MAN. Do you get surprises often? No, nor do I like them. I get too nervous. Name a crime you have committed? Illegally downloading things. Do you tell people when they get on your nerves? No, not normally. You're in jail… Who bails you out? Dad, most likely, taking money into account. I don't even know if he could afford bailing someone out, though. Are your feelings hurt easily? YEAH. What’s the ultimate cake topping? Just frosting. Have you ever ridden a motorcycle? No. Do you ever forward or reply to chain mails? Never. Have you ever tried to make your own alcohol? Nope. If you were to join one of the armed forces, which would it be? Lol no. Have you ever been to see stand up comedy? No. Have you ever needed stitches? At least twice. Have you ever been in a submarine? No. What would you do if someone proposed to you tomorrow? I'd say no, even if it was Sara. We're not ready for that yet. Which fictional character do you wish was real? Sobs all my favorites of everything are villains and therefore shouldn't be brought to life. Uhhhh. Idk. Maybe Harry Mason from SH 'cuz the entire human population deserves a dad like that. Do you own a lava lamp? I wish. Have you ever been in a hot tub or sauna? Yes to hot tub, but you couldn't pay me to set foot in a sauna. Have you ever had chicken pox? No. Do you believe there used to be dragons? No. We would've found fossil evidence by now, I think. Who’s your favorite god from ancient history? Man, idk. I love mythology. But memory is pretty faint though so I don't remember what most did/what they stand for. What was the last present you received? Uhhhh I'm not sure. Could you go out with someone who had a child from a previous relationship? No. I am not being a mother figure for anyone. What was your first alcoholic drink? Hard lemonade. What was your first detention for? I've only ever had detention for excessive tardies. Did you ever have a treehouse as a kid? No. Have you ever appeared on YouTube? EW LET'S FORGET THAT. Have you ever been on radio? No. Do you like your own name? I do. Could you ever have an affair with a married person? Fuck no. Could you ever split up a couple for one reason or another? I mean I'd urge one to leave the other if they were abusive or not really in love or something like that. I wouldn't out of my own interests. Which celebrity do you find the most annoying? The Paul brothers are fucking obnoxious trash. Is there anyone you work with that you don’t get along with? Why? N/A Have you ever been romantically interested in a coworker? No. Have you ever been romantically involved with a coworker? No. What is the game you’re currently playing most often on your phone? None. Do you have an opinion on adopting/purchasing a pet? Adopt. I understand the temptation of wanting a certain breed of pet, but you've gotta think beyond your desires here. There are so, so, SO many homeless cats and dogs especially that need homes. When was the last time you climbed a tree? Never, I believe. Why were you last pulled over? I never have been, thank GOD. Do you have any friends that own a private lake? I can just about guarantee no. Are you cool with swimming in a lake? It would depend on the lake. Do you have a drone? No. Do you have any t-shirts from any local businesses? No. Do you listen to any talk shows or podcasts? Only Mark's and his friends'. Do you know anyone who’s had their own podcast? I don't think so. Where were you the last time you stayed in a hotel? The beach. Do you know anyone who is freaked out by cats? No. What kind of music do your parents listen to? Mom loves (classic) metal and rock like me, but she also enjoys Christian music. Dad likes rock and classic metal/rock. What do you do when you can’t escape thoughts of your ex? I mean, I'm a bad person to ask, because my PTSD is tied to my ex. My case is far more extreme. All you really can do is try to do things to distract yourself. What do you think about indoor pets? Love 'em. How it should be most of the time for most animals. Would you agree that love is blind? Very. Did your first real significant other change you at all? Yes. Are you waiting to have sex until you’re married? I don't think so, if I was to ever be in that situation with a man again. How many schools have you been to? Five, but I'm about to start my sixth. Do any songs give you goosebumps? I get goosebumps very, VERY easily when it comes to music. I don't even have to really like the song. What do you think about divorce? Sadly necessary in extreme cases. What’s your favorite way to eat peanut butter? In a Reese's lol. Do you still watch any cartoons meant for kids? I don't watch TV now, but if I was still into watching shows, I'd totally still follow Pokemon. What’s your favorite kind of cereal? Man, idk. Maybe Cinnamon Toast Crunch. What were you doing the last time you were on a roof? Just sitting up there. Do you have any stickers on your car? Mom has I think one? Have you ever given someone flowers? I'll always remember this one Mother's Day where I went down our old path with my sister and friend and we picked up SO many flowers to put in a glass cup as a bouquet for Mom. So yeah. Do you have any stickers on your laptop? No. Do you listen to Nirvana? I don't usually search them out, but they're on my iPod, and I won't generally skip 'em if a Nirvana song comes along. What is one thing stopping you from becoming a veterinarian? I hate seeing animals in pain and/or dying. Are you easily scared by horror movies? Not at all. How old were you when you were first pulled over by the police? I've never been pulled over. When was the last time you drank out of a champagne glass? I've no idea. Do you enjoy plane journeys, if you’ve ever been on one? If we're just talking the ride and not the process leading up to it, and so long I've the window seat, yeah, they're fine. What’s the last movie you’ve seen in theaters and can honestly say you enjoyed? I adored the live action TLK, truly and thoroughly. I didn't at all get the hate. Like I know a common criticism is they took the realism too far (they were lacking in expression), but I liked that, honestly. It made it feel all the more real. I mean honestly, I possibly liked it more than the animated (save for the "Be Prepared" singing), and that movie is sacred to me. Have you ever seen your father cry? I've only seen him tear up like once in my life. How would your parents react if you got pregnant? They'd be confused as fuck because I'm the polar opposite of promiscuous, monogamous, advise that to only happen after marriage, and am with a girl. If you’re in a relationship, how is it going? If you’re single, are you looking for someone? It's going great. We're just ready to no longer be long-distance. How big is your bed? Queen-sized. Do you believe the Holocaust happened? No??????????? fucking????????????????? shit??????????????????????????????? Ever spent any time on a military base? No. Have you ever tried putting black pepper on mac ‘n’ cheese? (It’s good!) Yes, delicious. Has a wild animal ever been loose in your house? Not our current house. We lived in the woods beforehand, and we did have mild mice problems in the winter. Have you ever felt a temperature below 0? No. Have you ever seen a volcano? Not in person. Are you a fan of Janis Joplin? I've actually never really listened to her. Have you ever mowed the lawn (even a little bit)? No. What’s the closest river to you? The Tar River. Don't mind sharing considering it's ginormous. Who were the last 3 males you talked to? My nephew, his dad, then my own dad. What was the last form of communication you used to speak to your best friend? (e.g. text message, phone call) Text. What was the last alcoholic drink you tried for the first time? Uhhhh I think some kind of white wine? Did you like it? Not in the slightest. What’s your favorite feature of the person you’re currently interested in? She has the cutest random little freckle on her hip. Do you remember the first CD you ever bought? I believe the first I personally wanted and got was the Swan Songs album by Hollywood Undead. Where is your favorite place to get fries? You have NOT lived until you've eaten Bojangle's fries. They have a special seasoning that is absolutely spectacular. The Bojangle's experience is so important that it's the first place we went when Sara first came here lmao. Do you know anyone who was raised by their grandparents? Don't believe so. Have you ever made your own pie from scratch? No. What is your favorite gaming console? PS2, always. What was the last major city you visited? Chicago. I mean, or Raleigh, if you count it as a "major" one. How many romantic relationships have you been in so far? I only really consider Jason and Sara as "romantic" relationships. Have you ever used a leaf blower? No. What would you say is the worst part of high school, period? The shift from child to young adult. Hormones make the experience so, so much more difficult than it needs to be. What is your favorite color of apple? Red, green or yellow? Red. They're usually the most crisp. If you were dying who would you say goodbye to first out of everyone? It'd either be Mom or Sara, definitely. I can't really say without being in that moment, idk. Are you someone who actually likes to babysit children? Fuck no. I've only ever done it once and never will again, even though the one occasion went fine. Who was the last person to call you fat, if anyone at all? Myself lmao. What color skin does the last person you danced with have? White. Has your mother ever called your school because of your grades? No. What is the worst name a friend has ever called you? Do you remember? I can promise you one has most certainly called me a bitch or worse. Have you ever wanted to be in a band? What position exactly? At the start of high school, I remember I'd sometimes daydream about being a guitarist, but it was never something I like, actively craved. Who is your role model or hero in life if you have one? *blinks* Do you ever call your cousins just to talk to them randomly? No. When did you last spend the night at someone’s house? December of last year. Do you ever have to wash your clothes at someone else’s house? If I'm at Sara's. Do you prefer it when it gets darker earlier? NO. I'm much unlike I used to be in that I prefer brightness. It actually does affect my mood; I recommend to aaaaanybody who suffers from depression to stay in a bright room. I used to live in the dark as well, and I promise, it makes a difference. Have you ever learned any self-defense? If not, would you be interested in learning? No, and yes, especially with how incredibly paranoid I am. Do you like Gushers? Yaaaaas hunty. Can you touch your nose with your tongue? No. When was the last time you felt like you didn’t have anything to worry about? LOL HUH??????? NO WORRIES??????? How old was the last child that you spoke to? Three. What is the name of the last perfume you put on? "Crazy Lady." That perfume is years upon YEARS old. It was a birthday present from Summer, and seeing as I barely ever wear perfume, it's still in my room. Expired, I'm sure, lol. Are you waiting for something to arrive in the mail? No. Have your parents ever forgotten your birthday? No. Do you like your orange juice with lots or no pulp? NONONONONONONO. I absolutely will not drink orange juice with pulp. Did the Spanish classes have an “El Dia de Los Muertos” (Day of the Dead) fiesta at school? I think so? How long have you had the hairbrush you are currently using? I use a comb now that we've had actually forever. What projects are you doing now for school? I'm not in school, not quite yet anyway. :') Do you know what durian is? Do you like it? No. I would never try it. What’s the most number of comments you have on a Facebook picture? What is the picture of? I don't know, and I don't plan on looking. Most likely some selfie. Do you like coconut flavored things? NO. Coconut is disgusting. Have you ever met a famous author before? No. Do you know anybody who has been raped before? I don't think so, and I truly hope not... How often do you get a fever? Like, never. What kind of laundry basket do you use? It's just a plain, white, plastic one. As a child, did you ever have a clown or a magician at your birthday parties? I actually believe I had both. I know I had a pair of clowns once, and with how into magic I was, I would expect I've had had one. Do you have a permit or license? I have my permit. It's more than due time I work more towards my license... List all the stores you’ve been in this past month. I think the only one is PetSmart. Have you ever thrown food at a stranger in a movie theater? No, because I was never that childish. Does/did either of your parents serve in the military? No. Do you like sour candy? My favorite! Where would you like to go on your honeymoon? Most likely Pink Sands Beach in the Bahamas, but honestly I'm terrified of the Bermuda Triangle, so that's unlikely, lmao. That black sand beach in Hawaii, however, will do. Are all nighters something you have grown used to? BIIIIIIITCH I've outgrown that shit. I'm rarely up past 10 at the latest these days. Is there anybody you’re not ashamed to tell anything to? Anything, no. Smoothies or slushies? Slushies. Ignoring nutrition, could you live off veggies for the rest of your life? Nooooooo. Elaborate on a way you have volunteered? I once volunteered at PetSmart during an adoption event, giving the cats and dogs attention while people visited. I absolutely fell in LOVE with a dog there that I begged Mom to get, and she came pretty close. I cried leaving, ha ha... Does anybody know about your sex life other than your partners? No. If you could see any musician live, front row, who would you choose? Um, Ozzy????? Duh??????? My Dad???????? Is great?????????????? If you had to choose between a million dollars or to be able to change a regret? And here you have it, the stupidest question I've seen on a survey. Have you ever been around someone who was high? Yeah. Could you handle living with a male roommate? No, with how afraid I am of men. It'd only work if it was with a long-time bf. Have you spoken to your mother today? Father? For once, both. Do you live by yourself? No. Do you shower every day? No, it's unhealthy and I don't find every day necessary. Especially when you live my hermit life. Is English your native language? Yes. Who is your favorite character from Harry Potter? N/A Do you watch PewDiePie? Very, very rarely. I'm not that into his content anymore, and his humor changed from more original to heavily meme-ish. Are you married? No. Did you ever color your hair pink? No, but totally not apposed. Do you have any subscribers on YouTube? Yeah, some. Do you salt your popcorn? Sadly. Do you like McDonalds? Don't even try to bullshit, you don't mind McD's. Do you have a Steam account? Yeah. Have you ever played Five Nights at Freddy’s? No. It's a cool series though, and I enjoy watching LPs of it. Do you like horror movies? YESSSSSS my favorite. Is your favorite animal a dog? No. Do you like chicken nuggets? mmmmmmmMMMMMMMMMMMMMM What color is the ceiling in the room? White. Do you like religion? It's interesting, but has done a shitload of evil. However, it has also made wonderful people. It depends on how you use it. Have you ever tried Akinator? Yeah. Can you twerk? Idk and idc. Do you like dabbing? It looks remarkably stupid/like you're sneezing into your elbow. Do you like fishing? I do, but I've stopped doing it. I feel too bad for the fish. Do you like sleeping? Oh fuck yeah. What do you think of Fifty Shades of Grey? Fucking disgusting, whether in book or movie format. Do you swear in front of children? No. Which Pirates of the Caribbean do you like the most? Never watched 'em. What do you think of Rob Zombie? I enjoy a lot of his music. How far out of your age bracket would you date? Once you hit 10 years, it's a no for me. Have you ever had an STD? No. Is the area you live in more liberal or conservative? I live in the South. Take a wild guess. Have you picked out flower petals, saying, ‘He loves me, he loves me not?' No. Do you like to pace? It's not that I "like" to, it's just a habit. What’s the greatest thing about science? Learning about the world around us. Discovering how life works. Does it annoy you when people dumb themselves down to be cool? It's not "annoying," it's just stupid. Intelligence is cool. What’s a song you like from the genre you hate? "When The Stars Go Blue" by Tim McGraw is a heavy exception. I adore that song. Are your parents divorced? Yeah, they separated when I was like, 16-17. Who was your first friend? Brianna. Have you ever been to Germany? Hell, I wish. What do you hear right now? I'm currently obsessed with "Brand New Numb" by Motionless In White. Have you ever been ice skating? No. Have you ever been to the Statue of Liberty? No. Would you consider yourself a shy person? I am one of the shyest people you will ever meet in your life. Do you like techno? Yeah, actually. I've really gotten into electronic music. How many windows are in the room you’re in? Two. Can you whistle? No. My lip ring is probably what makes me unable to anymore. How many X-rays have you had in the last 2 years? Three. One of my knees, then over the course of two years, I believe two for my teeth at the dentist. Are you on good terms with your last ex? Yeah. Do you own an Xbox? No. Favorite Snapchat filter? I've never used Snapchat before. How many pillows do you sleep with? Two. What’s the worst thing you have ever done? Depends on how you mean "worst." Most damaging to me, let myself turn Jason into a god in my head and nearly kill myself for it. As far as most immoral, probably be partially responsible for why my former best friend and her bf broke up because he wound up liking me because I was a dumb 12 y/o. What's your favorite candle scent? Probably coffee or cinnamon rolls. Do you take any medications daily? Yeah. What is your skin type? (oily, dry, etc) An annoying combo. What type of house do you live in? (big, small, etc) A small one. Are you going to change your last name when you get married? Yes, I hate my last name. Last person you called? Mom. Chocolate or rainbow sprinkles? I don't like sprinkles at all. The texture ruins treats. Who was the last person you cried in front of? Mom, I'm sure. Do you think vlogging in public is scary? I wouldn't say "scary," just incredibly awkward. You'd never see me do it. Would you want to be in a collab channel on YouTube? I don't even want to risk popularity, so no. Do you watch any collab channels? Which ones? Game Grumps and Sam & Colby, mainly. What colors have you dyed your hair, if any? Black, purple, and red. What is your gender and sexual orientation? Female and bisexual. Have you been to an escape room? Was it a success? No, but they seem REALLY fun. Ever performed on stage? Was it scary or amazing or both? Yeah, many times for dance. It was really neither for me. Have you ever recorded a cover of a song? No. Have you tried the Beyond or Impossible burger? Thoughts? No, but I want to, especially as I plan on returning to vegetarianism at one point. When was the last time you ate your all-time favorite candy? Oh wow, months. When was the last time you made friends with old enemies? Some time last year, Rachel and I reconnected. She's cool as hell now. When was the last time you took time to pray? It's been a long time. I don't believe it does anything. What is a movie that you heard about recently that you do NOT want to see? Is that "Cats" movie real or was the trailer a fever dream???? What do you do during long trips in the car? I just blare music. Best kind of music to dance to? And the worst kind of music to dance to? I really love "different" songs that warrant a modern sort of dance style. It was my favorite when I took dance, and it's by far my favorite to watch. Worst, I guess like, screamo. How would you dance???? Last candy you tried that you did not enjoy? Or one that you did enjoy? Oh my god. So I tried that new Reese's doughnut from Krispy Kreme today, and it. Was. Repulsive. A candy I actually liked, idk. I rarely ever have treats anymore. Were you a chubby or thin baby? I was normal. Have you ever not given a tip at a restaurant? Why didn’t you? N/A, y'all know my money situation. What is the most outrageous thing you’ve considered doing lately? Okay, I'll admit I at least briefly pondered the possibility of getting a nipple pierced after an eternity of saying I never would lmao. I'm not, tho. Have you ever known somebody who ran away? Most likely. What are your thoughts on Batman? I think it's cool he has that policy of never killing anyone, and he also doesn't have any actual powers, does he? I don't remember. The whole Batman universe (or comics for that matter) is one I don't really connect to anymore, as it was Jason's obsession, so it's a dangerous topic for me. When I say Dr. Seuss, what is the first thing that comes to mind? Green Eggs and Ham. I loooved that book as a kid. Rollercoasters that go upside down… yes please or no thank you? Hell to the motherfuckin no thanks. Is there a certain place or store you especially hate going to? Grocery stores. What was the last animal/pet that you met? There was a BEAUTIFUL standard poodle Mom and I briefly interacted with at the pet store a week or so back. Is there something in particular you always seem to forget? Straighten the shower curtain after I get out so it dries properly. When was the last time you had to wait in line for longer than a few minutes? *shrugs* Have you ever written a review for a product you bought online? No. What was the last board game you played? I think it was all the way back when Sara, Girt, and I played Scrabble.

#survey #quiz #questions #random #bored

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travllingbunny · 5 years

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The 100 rewatch: 1x12/1x13 We Are Grounders (Part 1&Part 2)

So I’ve come to the end of my rewatch of season 1. (The season 2 opener post will come soon. I’ve already rewatched it.) Overall my opinions on the quality of the season haven’t changed much, though I did like some episodes more and some episodes less this time. It was, however, interesting to see how much foreshadowing there was of later events and how many moments later got callbacks and parallels in later seasons.

I’ve also tried to now keep track of the timeline and body count in every episode...but I’m now starting to realize, after how confusing the numbers got in 1x11 and in these two episodes, that I’ve probably given it much more thought than the writers ever did. In the end, I had to look up The 100 wiki – but it seems just as confused as I am.

Back when I first binged the show, some 7 months ago, I was posting about it on SpoilerTV in the daily discussion threads. Sometimes I wrote just a few lines, but about this two-parter, I wrote a very detailed post - and I wish I had posted it on Tumblr, too. Maybe I’ll dig it up and post it as an annex or something. Funny thing, before that, after 1x11, I made my list of predictions for the two-part finale, and all of them turned out to be true. I liked it anyway - predicting things isn’t always bad, it may mean that the storytelling is logical and that plot points were well foreshadowed. But it’s also one of the reasons why I didn’t find it as mind-blowing as the S2 one or S4 , or even S5 one. (But it’s certainly miles better than the S3 finale. Although that’s not saying much, since the latter was pretty anticlimactic and is one of my least favorite episodes.)

I’ve always felt that Part 1 was the stronger episode, and that hasn’t changed.

Ranking and ratings of season 1 episodes:

1x12 We Are Grounders part 1 - 10/10

1x13 We Are Grounders part 2 - 9/10

1x08 Day Trip - 9/10

1x10 I Am Become Death - 9/10

1x05 Twilight's Last Gleaming - 8.5/10

1x06 His Sister's Keeper - 8/10

1x03 Earth Kills - 8/10

1x11 The Calm - 8/10

1x04 Murphy's Law - 7/10

1x07 Contents Under Pressure - 6.5/10

1x09 Unity Day - 6/10

1x02 Earth Skills - 4.5/10

1x01 The Pilot - 4.5/10

Season 1 overall - 7.54/10

Part 1

One of the few things I didn’t guess about this finale in advance was Ark coming down the way it did. It’s kind of funny that Kane tried to have a sacrificial redemptive death, but Jaha got there first, and had his best and most useful and most heroic moment ever… but then the show didn’t let Jaha have a redemptive death but let him live. And then he went on to make terrible mistakes and be an antagonist for at least 2 seasons, before having a morally grey (and most suited to his character) role in S4.

Every time someone tries to sacrifice themselves on The 100, they live on, and almost every time a major character has a big heroic moment, they are brought low the next season and make terrible mistakes and/or do antiheroic things.

I like it whenever the show has a flashback of the life on the Ark or goes into the past in some other way. And it’s always nice to have another little reminder of the time when Wells used to exist for 3 episodes, which usually happens through his father’s memories or hallucinations. Here it’s Jaha watching an old video of Wells and Clarke, which helps him figure out the solution to how to bring the Ark to the ground.

And look at Jaha opening a 97 year old bottle of scotch, “The Baton” This bottle is almost a recurring character - doesn’t it also appear in the season 4 finale?

I remember that I Kane and Abby’s chemistry was so obvious in this episode, and their scenes so close and extremely friendly (what a contrast to where they started... like mother, like daughter?) that I made a comment that they seemed like they were going to start making out any moment, LOL. And I wasn’t even shipping them then, it was more like “Wait, is this going to be a thing now?” Well, I wasn’t wrong, it just took them 2 more seasons.

A few bullet points about things first mentioned in this episode:

First appearance of Tristan, sent by Lexa, who tells Clarke “I’m the man sent to slaughter your people”. Well, at least no one can say the guy is not honest and straightforward. Also the first time we hear about the existence of “the Commander” and learn that Anya isn’t actually the leader of the Grounders. An interesting bit of trivia I’ve learned since is that the Commander was originally supposed to be a child. JRoth must be really In love with this idea, since he went back to it eventually with Madi.

First time we hear about and see the Reapers, and the scenes with them looked like something right out of a horror movie and was genuinely horrifying. Lincoln not answering Finn’s question what they are but simply saying “Pray you never find out” was, of course, a way to keep it a mystery for us a bit longer, but now we know it was really more about, pray you never get to become one, which happens with Lincoln in season 2, while Finn will unleash his inner monster in another way.

First mention of Luna by name, though Lincoln had already talked about her people to Octavia earlier in the season. I wonder how much of her role was already planned in season 1. With all the Mount Weather mentions and other things like the acid fog, Lincoln’s drawings etc., it’s clear that the main arc of the first 2 seasons was planned since the beginning, with Grounders as secondary antagonists that the 100 mostly deal with in season 1, and the Mountain Men as the main villains, who will get focused on in season 2. But I’m not sure that this was the case with any of the season 3 arcs.

Lincoln finally explains why he is helping the 100 and that it’s not just about Octavia: “What my people are doing to your people isn’t right”. The same reason why Maya and the other rebels in MW will be helping the Delinquents in season 2. In the show where people too often justify their actions by “it was for my people”, it is great to have characters who prioritize what is right.

And god, how good it feels to hear lines like that again. Maybe JRoth and the rest of the writers should have rewatched season 1 and remember the things that actually happened in their own show? Back when they still hadn’t gotten it into their heads that the 100 were somehow the bad guys in that scenario because they were desperately trying to survive after being forced to go to the ground (sent by the Arker leadership because the Arkers were going to die in space), and that Grounders were somehow the good guys for attacking and trying to kill them all for no reason but paranoia and prejudice?

Two big things that happen to Finn: he has a reaction to having directly killed someone for the first time (even though it was a Reaper) and then made his big love declaration to Clarke- only to be rejected, in one of my favorite moments of season 1. I’ve always found Clarke’s reactions throughout that storyline and particularly in this scene really relatable - her feelings for him haven’t gone, but she was hurt and couldn’t trust him or go there again. “You broke my heart... I’m sorry. I can’t.” I always thought that she would never give him a chance again, and that, while the feelings were still there, she was slowly starting to move on and that, in any case, he was her past rather than her future, long before he killed a bunch of people and she had to mercy kill him. Overall, while I really didn’t like Finn/Clarke or Finn/Raven as relationships, the atypical way the C/F/R love triangle was resolved (both girls reject Finn, and become friends) was one of my favorite things about S1.

Finn’s line “I should have fought for you” always struck me as odd (that’s not exactly what I’d say was the problem: he should have been honest with her and told her he had a girlfriend, or then he should have been honest with Raven and told her the truth, he shouldn’t have been playing both of them, he should have made up his mind and been honest about it rather than waiting for Raven to dump him…), and I’m not sure what exactly he meant (fought against whom? Or did he just mean, been more decisive and not let passively wait for things to happen?) but I guess it reflects Finn’s state of mind? He was always trying to play a white knight, first to Raven on the Ark, then to Clarke. And in retrospect, this may be one of the first signs that of where he ends up in S2, when he becomes violent and obsessed with the idea that he’s going to find and save Clarke. But the show has never been fully clear on how much his mental state was PTSD due to war and fighting, and how much his increasingly unhealthy obsession with Clarke.

Speaking of saving Clarke, the fact that Bellamy was able to be very rational about the fact Clarke, Finn and Monty were missing and focus on protecting the camp rather than going on a rescue mission, as opposed to the way he acted in 3x02 when he learned Clarke was in danger and immediately got dressed as an Ice Nation warrior and went on his own behind enemy lines to rescue her, says a lot about how much Bellamy’s feelings for Clarke became stronger between the end of season 1 and beginning of season 3.

This was the episode when Bellamy definitely became one of my 2 favorite characters, with how he dealt with the Murphy situation, and showed what a leader he had become. (Which Jasper also recognized, verbally and with a big hug.) If I were to dig up my SpoilerTV post I wrote back then, you’d see a lot of very embarrassing fangirling over Bellamy. ;)

This time I was able to focus more on Murphy’s motivations and characterization, which I didn’t think that much before. When Murphy is trying to taunt Bellamy - after putting a noose around his neck - saying things like “You think you’re so brave”, “You think you’re stronger than me” – I’m pretty sure that’s what Murphy thinks, deep inside. He has a deep inferiority complex. Which is exactly why he wanted revenge on Bellamy in such a way, hoping to see him afraid and brought low. He used to defer to Bellamy in the early days at the ground, so when Bellamy threw him to the wolves, then later tried to kill him in rage, exiled him and showed multiple times how little he respected him or cared for him (compared to, say, a little girl), that must have brought on a lot of resentment. But the whole “I know the truth, you’re a coward” thing would work better if it wasn’t in a situation where Bellamy was risking his life to save Jasper and actually being just as awesome as Murphy was trying to prove he wasn’t, so the whole revenge attempt was a huge, pathetic failure by Murphy. And Murphy going on about how he’s maybe now going to become the leader of the 100 after both “the princess” and “the king” die, now seems less like a villain’s threat, and more like empty bragging that he probably didn’t even believe in himself. He knows he’s not a leader type and he’s much better at making people hate him than follow him.

The speech Bellamy gives at the camp is impassioned and emotion-driven and gets the Delinquents full of passion to stay and fight – for a moment, until Clarke gives her short speech where she simply points out that they’re likely to die if they stay and convinces them to leave. This is a good example why and how the idea of Bellamy as “the Heart” and Clarke as “the Head” makes sense: it’s not that he is all emotion and can’t think rationally or that she’s emotionless – both of these things are obviously untrue – or that he’s always acting on emotion or that she’s always making her decisions rationally (there are plenty of examples of either of them doing the opposite), but it’s how they tend to approach leadership and decision-making and the arguments they used to appeal to people: his tend to be emotional, hers practical.

Part 2

…And Clarke points that out to Bellamy when she convinces him to go with the others rather than stay on his own to fight, in one of her many pep talks to Bellamy about what a great leader he is. “You inspire them”. (She’ll tell him the same in the S4 finale.)

The Blake siblings scene was beautiful and emotional and one of my favorite scenes in season 1. But now, after that relationship got a lot more dysfunctional in the following seasons, I can’t help but notice that, while Bellamy takes back his statement from 1x06 that his life ended when Octavia was born, saying it was the opposite, Octavia never really took back her accusations that Bellamy was at fault for their mother dying and pretty much everything. (In the following seasons, Octavia will keep the tradition of always blaming Bellamy for everything ever. She does, however, tell him“I love you, big brother”. I believe she says that two more times, in the S4 finale and the S5 finale. But in the latter, it understandably doesn’t get quite the same response.

And here we go again, Murphy is once more captured and tortured by the Grounders… how many times does Murphy get tortured or has other bad things happen to him during seasons 1-3?

Fans who like Finn more than I do have argued that he jumped in and saved Bellamy during the battle because they are comrades. But since he was earlier willing to let Bellamy stay behind and probably be killed, I think the main reason Finn did it was because Clarke was showing concern for Bellamy and upset about him potentially dying.

My main problem with Part 2 was always the scene where Clarke has to pull the lever and close the dropship door, before Jasper incinerates everyone outside. Or rather specifically, the scene where she and Finn stare at each other for a couple of seconds during battle, with dramatic music and all, which was weird because he was pretty close by and it looked like she could have yelled at him to get inside, and he could have come inside, so I was never sure if the scene was just badly done, or if it was supposed to be deeply meaningful (Finn starting to lose it and desperate to prove himself as her hero? A reaction to her rejection? PTSD? All of that at once?) but it didn’t quite work because she looked frozen and emotional, but he was just kind of blankly staring at her… And I’m afraid I still don’t have no idea what the scene was supposed to be.

In any case, the entire thing with Clarke’s dramatic and heartbreaking choice to close to door on Finn and Bellamy to save the others should have felt more epic and had more weight, but it kind of does not. It happens quickly, and then there’s more focus on whether the Delinquent crowd will act inhumane and lynch a vastly outnumbered Anya. And, of course, there’s also the fact that I’m pretty sure no one in the audience ever thought Finn or Bellamy were actually dead. But at least the scene where Clarke goes outside and stares at two charred skeletons was good because you really felt what she must have been thinking.

However, I love the parallel/contrast to this scene in the S5 finale, when Clarke keeps waiting for Bellamy to come inside the ship and doesn’t pull the lever to close the door (while Raven is hurrying her to do it, same as Miller was here).

The visual of the Ark coming down is beautiful - it looks like a ‘falling star’ - a callback to the earlier conversations about making a wish on a star.

Kane and Abby looking at the Earth together kinds of reminds me of Bellamy and Clarke watching the new planet in the S5 finale. (Except the former two at this point aren’t nearly as close to pull each other in an embrace.)

The ending with the Mountain Men is well done, but that was one of the things I predicted at the time: that the finale will mostly be about fighting Grounders, and then the Mountain Men will appear at the end, and they will be very technologically advanced. With so many mentions of them, it wasn’t hard to guess they had to be the S2 antagonists who appear at the very end of S1 in a cliffhanger - shows often do that. (I actually didn’t even make the Mount Weather connection, since I’m not from USA and had no idea what it was. But the mysterious Mountain Men had to be different from Grounders and Reapers, and the opposite of what you’d normally expect from people called ‘mountain men”. Which doesn’t mean it was not a good twist - it’s just hard to fully surprise fans like me who have watched so much TV .)

Timeline: I used to think season 1 lasted about a month, month and a half, but now it seems that it can’t be more than 3 weeks, at most. And even that’s a stretch.

We know for sure that episodes 1-6 lasted 10 days (and a week passed between 1x03 and 1x04), but events in episodes 1x06 to 1x09 were happening very fast, it couldn’t have been more than a couple of days, and ditto for episodes 1x10-1x13. The only possible times when more time could have passed was between 1x9 and 1x10.

Body count:

Part 1:

1 Delinquent (Myles), wounded last episode and now murdered by Murphy as revenge for the lynching.

1 patient on the Ark that Abby wasn’t able to save.

1 Grounder killed off-screen by Lincoln

2 or 3 Reapers

1 or 2 unfortunate Grounders being eaten or about to be eaten by the Reapers.

Part 2: Lots of people.

About 300 Trikru warriors (and some of the Reapers who had been fighting them, probably) – most of them burned in the ring of fire.

Either 31 or 29 Delinquents – first a redshirt Drew, killed by a scout before the battle, then a bunch of them in battle with the Trikru (or maybe burned). This is where it gets confusing. At the start of Part 2, Bellamy feels he’s failed and says there have been 18 dead, and Clarke tries to comfort him, saying 82 are still alive. But only 16 Delinquents were killed before 1x13. So, either 1) two more died of that illness or were killed by the Grounders off-screen, or 2) he was assuming Monty and Murphy were dead or would soon be dead. And in season 3, Bellamy tells Kane “Trikru killed 37 of my friends before you even touched the ground”. Out of the 16 Delinquents who definitely died in the first 12 episodes, 6 were killed by Grounders (3 directly, 3 by bio warfare/illness). That would mean either 2 more + Drew + 29 in battle, or Drew + 31 in battle. In any case, in season 2, 48 were captured in Mount Weather, while 6 survived outside of it (Octavia, Murphy, Finn, Monroe, Sterling, and one boy killed by Tristan in 2x01) – which would make 54, plus Bellamy and Raven.

A bunch of people died in the landing of the Ark, but there’s no info how many. In 1x07 they said there were 2,237 people on the Ark. (Which means that, before they sent the 100 to the ground and Raven took the escape pod, there were at least 2339.) In 1x11, Kane said there were about 1,000 survivors on the Ark. But he also said 1,500 died in the shutdown of the Ark, which definitely doesn’t add up, as it would mean there were about 2,500 people before that, and that’s without the few hundred that died with Diana on the Exodus ship (which Kane may or may not counted?). Either Kane is terrible at math, or the writers got things mixed up. Anyway, let’s say that 1,000 survived, that means about 1,200 died either on Exodus or due to the shutdown on the Ark. But some of the 12 stations probably exploded before touching the ground, so a few hundred more Arkers probably died.

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laurenlistens · 3 years

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Solar Power

Oh Lorde. From the moment my 13 year old self played Sober at 4:00 AM on an emotionally charged and vulnerable 2017 summer night, I just knew I had found the one. Lorde is one of those “no-skip” artists. I genuinely can’t think of any of her songs that I can’t bump to, even just a little bit. Of course there are the weaker links, Biting Down and Million Dollar bills, which is a shame because some of the other songs that came along with the Pure Heroine Extended album are masterpieces (i.e. The Love Club). Those are reviews for other days however, because I am here to talk about the loooooong anticipated third studio album: SOLAR POWER! This review is a part one, because the album literally came out 14 hours ago and I feel as though my opinions are subject to change. These are just my first impressions after all. Expect a part two in a couple of months, because her music can be interpreted in so, so, SO many different ways, especially depending on what your current mental state is. Now... Onto the album!

I feel as though Lorde is in her “Magical Mystery Tour” era. The album has countless references to psychedelics as well as simply being high in nature, and I am eating that up. When I listened to the whole thing for the first time I really couldn’t help but make parallels to the Beatles because of all of the sound experimentation and added noises, as well as drawn out endings to many of the songs. I genuinely don’t know if the Beatles serve as an inspiration to her or Jack Antonoff, however I can’t help but think that they had significant influence on the album. Perhaps my lens on experimental sound in pop music isn’t large enough and I could be written off as ignorant for saying “lol it sounds like the Beatles” but it DOES! I really love the use of harmonies in the album. I’m obsessed with harmonizing to anything that I listen to, and the fact that she just has these beautiful chords created with her voice built into all of the songs is absolutely amazing. The lack of harmonies was one of the things that very mildly upset me about Melodrama, up until she released the live recordings of select songs at Electric Lady. I can’t wait to see what she comes up with for her live shows in terms of backup singers, because I just know that will be amazing. The overall sound of the album was different from what she’s put out before, but I support it! Melodrama was super different from Pure Heroine, and I think that while Solar Power and Melodrama have similarities, Solar Power stands out as it’s own original entity. While some of the tracks were juuuust a little Taylor Swift-y, the album was raw and different from what we’ve heard from Lorde in the past. Solar Power exceeded my expectations (which I knew it probably would have, I worship the ground Lorde walks on) but I have to admit, I was a little afraid due to the title track...

Solar Power, the title track and the first single released, was not my fave. Far from it, actually. When I first heard it I was so overjoyed by the feeling of Lorde dropping new music that I looked past the fact that I just didn’t really like the song that much. While the music video was camp and it set a good vibe for the summer, I felt as though the song just wasn’t Lorde. I don’t know who it was, but it wasn’t Miss Ella behind those lyrics. It just seemed a little too happy and cute for her down to Earth and raw emotional style. I was let down by that, and I think a lot of other fans were too. Don’t get me wrong, the song definitely still had it’s moments. I love it when Lorde speaks in her songs, it’s sexy as hell and also adds a whole new personal layer. Solar Power was definitely catchy, but if it wasn't Lorde behind the rather kitschy tune then I would not have listened to it.

Stoned at the Nail Salon was good. A solid song. I really don’t have much to say about it other than that. I think it’s one of the weaker tracks on the album and I completely forgot about it after it’s initial release a little bit ago, but I think the lyrics are lovely and real and I liked it!

I LOVED Mood Ring. I loved it. The first time I listened to it I was very eh, but then I reallyyy listened to the lyrics and the tune just blossomed into a beautiful butterfly! As a crystal-charger and stargazer who turns to superstitions to balance my emotions myself, I think Mood Ring is insanely relatable and just the song I need for when I want to connect to my sad girl side! I love the chorus when she says she can't feel anything and implies that she consults the metaphysical to figure out her thoughts and feelings. I felt that too much.

Ahhh The Path!! I really liked how Lorde opened up about her experiences being a very young artist in Hollywood, and this song is a beautiful and emotional representation of that. This track was the perfect opening to the album, it is just so Lorde. I’m such a sucker for sad lyrics with happy music, and this song is so, well, that! I love how the song picks up with the drums, my first time listening to that yesterday was borderline orgasmic, just full body chills. Fantastic beautiful song.

I like California but I think I need to listen to it more. It was a little forgettable, but it’s a pretty tune and I want to have more experiences with this song. The lyrics just don’t really hit it for me! It reminds me of Lana Del Rey but from Lorde’s perspective, if that makes sense. I also don’t love the chorus but honestly that could be subject to change if I keep obsessively listening to the album, which I will be doing.

Fallen Fruit is beautiful. The use of harmonies and guitar solo really make this track special. I explained earlier that I was a sucker for harmonies, and this song takes it to a new level. It sounds a lot like Leader of the New Regime (and oh MAN will I get to that song) and I like that a lot actually! Also, the second verse changes everything up in a way that doesn’t stray away from the initial vibe of the song, and I love it. Fallen Fruit is a fantastic song, it’s imaginative and different from what kind of music is put out today.

Secrets from a Girl (Who’s Seen it All) is adorable. I really like it, it reminds me a lot of Pure Heroine, even though it doesn’t really sound like a Pure Heroine song! I love her coming of age music, and while this song is a little bit Taylor Swift-y, I really do like it. The lyrics are relatable to any girl out there, and it’s a great feel good song. I also think it sounds like Unwritten by Natasha Beddingfield, and that is one of my all time faves. The “wshhhhh” that she does gives me goosebumps. The ending is my favorite part. Oh my goodness, the airline voice, and music in the background is so sexy and so fresh. Lorde doesn't miss y’all!

I am not sad enough to talk abut The Man with the Axe. I feel like I literally can’t have an opinion on it yet because I haven’t figured it out yet. It’s a great sad song though. Like I know I’ll be crying to this in bath in a few months time.

Dominoes is short, sweet, and a great song. The chorus gets me good, and the lyrics are hella cute and also kind of sad! I love this song, it’s amazing and so versatile, like you could apply this to so so much in your life. I’m moving to college in a few days and I know Dominoes will be such a staple.

Oh my god Big Star!! When I listened to this for the first time I was like, holy shit. This is a Beatles-esque song to me for some reason! That’s not the only reason I like it, it’s beautiful and real and the guitar is lovely. I really wish the English language had more words for beauty and love, because then this review might be a little more interesting. This song represents the emotions that Lorde invokes within in me, and I think that is a very pretty thing.

THE LEADER OF A NEW REGIME!!! Honestly my favorite track on the album. The harmonies, the lyrics??? Way, way, way too good. What can I say, I love her shorter songs so much! It just gets the message and vibes across without being drawn out. This song is everything I needed it to be, and I am absolutely in love with it. It’s hard to put my feelings about this song into words, it’s one of those tracks that makes you smile and gives you a feeling in your body that makes it want to contort to the beauty of the song. I don’t know. I really love this one.

Now last, but certainly not least: Oceanic Feeling! Hard Feelings/Loveless has a very very special place in my heart for being a longer song that tells a bit of a story, and I think that Oceanic Feeling gives off very similar energy. It’s a very beautiful and calming track, something that is perfect for just zoning out and taking in the music. It’s a very sunny and beachy song, and it makes me angry that she didn’t release Solar Power at the beginning of summer but alas! At least it’s here now. This is a hardcore summer song though, and I don’t know how enjoyable it would be if I wasn’t in a warm watery climate. I don’t know if it would make Ohio winters more bearable or increase my yearning for the summer, but honestly I’m fine with any of those feelings. The last minute of the song wraps the album up perfectly. It’s a perfect last track. It leaves the listener guessing, and I think Perfect Places did that with Melodrama too!

If you made it to the very end of this review, wow! This was my first ever music review and I hope I was able to share at least some of my love of Lorde and song interpretations with you. Solar Power is a radiant and glittering ball of angst, love, and yearning, and I absolutely love it. It honors the power of the sun and the Earth while not being weird or preachy about nature, and it embodies her growth as an artist and a person perfectly. The emotion and rawness is there, as I hoped it would be. Yay for an actually sad album! Anyways, I’ll be back soon to talk about another artist I’ve been crazy about lately, and I hope to see you back again soon.

Much Love,

Lauren :)

#lorde #solar power #music #review #solar power review #music review #album review #pure heroine #melodrama #ella yelich o'connor

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deadparrish · 6 years

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BOOKS READ IN 2017

total count: 78

goodreads: punknicole

i’m going to give a rating and a brief review of each book— just a sentence or two, depending on how much i remember about the book. this is mostly for fun, but I hope someone gets some use out of this! happy new year and happy reading! and, of course, possible spoilers ahead.

I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson: 5/5. Everyone and their mother has read this, so I’ll keep it short and sweet. I really enjoyed this book because I found it difficult to support just one specific character— everyone had flaws and they were all multi-dimensional. I appreciated the fact that each part of the story eventually matched up with the others.

Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon: 4/5. This was a cute book. I didn’t have too many strong feelings about it when I first read it, but it was enjoyable in a passing way. I thought the diversity was really wonderful but it was a bit overhyped.

The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater: 5/5. I was rereading this and I loved it even more than the first time I read it. I feel like if you follow me you’ve probably read this, since this is a mostly trc blog, so I won’t go too deep into this. It’s wonderful.

The Color Purple by Alice Walker: 5/5. I loved this a lot!!!! I think that the style it was written in is really interesting and the fact that it’s about a black lesbian is wonderful. It’s also a classic so I’d say that this should be on everyone’s reading list!!

The Foxhole Court by Nora Sakavik: 4/5. I never got as into these as everyone else seemed to. It was good and I read it really quickly, but it isn’t something I’d want to read again? I only read it because it had lgbt+ representation and honestly I think that’s all it has going for it.

The Raven King by Nora Sakavik: 4/5. Again, I read this really quickly. I can’t really remember what happens. I think this is the book that triggered me a bit— there was some pretty awful sexual assault.

The King’s Men by Nora Sakavik: 4/5. I remember being really disappointed in the ending, but I’m not sure why. I think I expected something a little more dramatic. Again, I read the whole trilogy over the span of two days, so it all kind of blended together. I’d suggest reading these so you can understand what all the tumblr posts are about, but they aren't my favorite.

The Elements of Style by William Strunk JR. and E. B. White: 4/5. Ah, the first book that I finished that was for school! This was basically a mini textbook, and I found it really informative if a bit dry at times. I’d recommend reading it if English is something that you’re passionate about.

Another Day by David Levithan: 2/5. This was awful. I had high hopes for it, because I really liked Every Day, but this just gives you insight into how awful the main character is. It’s completely unnecessary, and I wish I hadn’t read it.

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald: 5/5. I LOVED THIS!!! I read it for school and I absolutely fell in love. It’s extremely heavy handed on symbolism, but the language is so beautiful. I have a twitter thread about how I think that Nick is in love with Gatsby here.

We Are the Ants by Shaun David Hutchinson: 5/5. I really liked this too, and I recently gave this to my mom and grandma to read and they loved it too!! I think that the storyline was really interesting and it dealt with some really existential issues about life, which I always really enjoy.

You Know Me Well by David Levithan and Nina LaCour: 5/5. This was really cute!! I remember really enjoying the wlw representation in this, because most lgbt books focus on white guys, so this was refreshing.

Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes: 5/5. I bawled my eyes out reading this. I can’t even explain it but it is... so fucking good.

The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway: 2/5. Ugh. I didn’t even finish this. I know it’s a classic, but I just really couldn’t get into it. I might try again in a few years but it just didn’t work for me.

Deathless by Catherynne M. Valente: 5/5. I tried to find this books in stores for at least a year before I finally took the leap and ordered it online. I love it so much— it’s one of the first books on my reread list. The language is really beautiful and I love the aesthetic, but it is a bit dark.

Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls: 5/5. A book straight out of my childhood! I love it just as much as I did when I was a kid, and I cried even more than I did the last time I read it, which had to have been at least ten years ago. It’s timeless and beautiful and I think it’s a must-read!

Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur: 4/5. Honestly, I think this book is a bit overhyped. I enjoyed some of the poems but it didn’t leave a huge lasting impact.

Beauty Queens by Libba Bray: 3/5. This was a really fast read for me, and I sort of liked it? It was lighthearted and kind of funny and had incredible representation, but it wasn’t a favorite for me.

The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde: 4/5. I love Oscar Wilde, so I’m a bit biased, but I thought this was enjoyable. It was clever and passingly funny, but I think it would be better to see it performed live.

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini: 5/5. This was my second time reading this, and I loved it even more than I did the first time I read it. I read this for school the first time and I’d definitely recommend that everyone read it at least once! It’s an incredible story and it really touches your heart.

The Black Swan by Mercedes Lackey: 4/5. I consider this a guilty pleasure book but I’m not exactly sure why. I read it when I was really young, which might be part of the reason why, since it has some really mature themes, but it’s a good read.

The May Queen Murders by Sarah Jude: 2/5. I remember seeing a lot of posts on here about this book, so I was disappointed when it ended up being really boring. I just didn’t like it, and I wouldn’t recommend it.

The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck: 4/5. I read this for school, and I’ll probably never pick it up again. I didn’t hate it, but it definitely wasn’t a favorite. I would recommend it, though, just because it’s a classic and it’s something that you Have To Read at least once.

Tell Me Again How a Crush Should Feel by Sara Farizan: 4/5. This was another book that I had really high expectations for because I saw a lot of hype for it on tumblr. I did like it, but it wasn’t life changing like I expected it to be.

The Uncensored Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde: 5/5. This is probably my favorite book of all time. I can’t say enough good things about it, so just read it.

The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison: 5/5. This was incredible! It really makes you think about American standards of beauty and how that affects your day-to-day life.

The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros: 4/5. I’ll be honest, I feel like I missed a huge part of this book because I read it really quickly, but I still liked it.

1984 by George Orwell: 5/5. Everyone needs to read this, especially in our current political climate. There are quite a few parallels between what happens in the novel an what’s happening today, and it’s really helpful when it comes to trying to understand what people on the news are talking about when they say we’re “living in 1984.”

This is Where it Ends by Marieke Nijkamp: 4/5. I remember being a little disappointed in this, but I still really liked it! I think I cried but I’m not super sure? I guess it didn’t leave as lasting of an impact as I thought it did, but I remember liking it as I read it.

Vampirates: Tide of Terror by Justin Somper: 4/5. This is definitely a guilty pleasure book and I’m not ashamed to admit it. My cousin recommended them to me at least ten years ago and every so often I get into a phase where I want to reread them. The title is pretty self-explanatory— vampire pirates.

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak: 5/5. One of my favorite reads of the year! The narrative style is really interesting and it’s really beautifully written. I absolutely recommend it!!

The Strange Case Of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson: 2/5. Ugh. Again, I couldn’t even finish this, and I’m not sure why. It just seemed so boring! I’ll try to reread it at some point but definitely not any time soon.

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath: 5/5. I really enjoyed this!! It also got me into the good graces of my english teacher this year (she saw me carrying it around school and talked to me about it) so I’d recommend it!

Animal Farm by George Orwell: 5/5. I first read this in middle school and really liked it, so I figured I’d reread it and see if it held up, and it did. It’s another classic that I think should be on everyone’s read list!

The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner’s Dilemma by Trenton Lee Stewart: 5/5. These are really fun books that I’d recommend you read if you have a free afternoon! They’re clever, engaging, and easy to read.

Peter Pan by J. M. Barrie: 3/5. I didn’t like this and I can’t remember exactly why. I think that it was a bit dry for my liking, although it might have just been because I didn’t like all the talk about mothers. Either way, I wouldn’t recommend it.

Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness by Susannah Calahan: 5/5. This was really interesting! I don’t usually read memoirs, but my mom gave this to me to read and I actually really liked it.

The Scorch Trials by James Dashner: 4/5. I’ve tried to get into the Maze Runner series a few times, but it never quite manages to get me interested enough. I liked this well enough but it didn’t leave me invested enough to go out and buy the next book in the series, so it’ll probably be another year (at least) before I revisit this series. Oh well.

The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux: 4/5. The movie with Gerald Butler is yet another guilty pleasure of mine, so I really wanted to like this, but it kind of fell short. It was decent, but it took me a while to read, which always means that I’m not loving it.

The Holy Bible: 1611 Edition, King James Version by Hendrickson Bibles (compiler): I can’t write a real review for this because I only read certain parts of it for school, but I counted it on my goodreads because I wanted it to count towards my 2017 reading challenge. It was interesting, I guess?

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett: 4/5. I didn’t expect to like this as much as I did! The characters were really sweet and I enjoyed their growth, and the plot was interesting.

Howl and Other Poems by Allen Ginsberg: 4/5. I picked this up because I had just watched Kill Your Darlings and I wasn't as impressed as I wanted to be. There were some good poems but nothing that stuck with me.

The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket: 5/5. The beginning of my series of unfortunate events reread! I love these books a lot and they were a huge part of my childhood. Everyone should read these books! I don’t have much to say about each individual book but I’ll try to make a comment or two on each one.

The Reptile Room by Lemony Snicket: 5/5. I love snakes so this is one of my favorites out of the series!

The Wide Window by Lemony Snicket: 5/5. This book helped create my tentative fear of heights. I always remember being horrified of the image of Aunt Josephines house.

The Miserable Mill by Lemony Snicket: 5/5. Nothing about this one really ever stood out to me besides my own outrage at child labor.

The Austere Academy by Lemony Snicket: 5/5. This is my favorite of all the books!! I think it’s because I’ve always been obsessed with the idea of boarding school.

The Ersatz Elevator by Lemony Snicket: 5/5. Climbing an elevator shaft would suck.

The Vile Village by Lemony Snicket: 5/5. I would love to live in a village filled with crows.

Mythology by Edith Hamilton: 5/5. I read this for school and it was really fascinating! I already knew a bit about Greek and Roman mythology (mostly because of Percy Jackson) but it was cool to learn more about it and Norse mythology.

A Clash of Kings by George R. R. Martin: 5/5. All I have to say is that A Song of Ice and Fire is so much better than Game of Thrones.

Witch & Wizard by James Patterson and Gabrielle Charbonnet: 3/5. I had found this in a box and wanted to reread it, and it wasn’t as good as I remember it being. It was a really fast read and fairly interesting, though, simply because of the magic.

The Hostile Hospital by Lemony Snicket: 5/5. I feel like this is when the books really take a dark turn, which makes them really interesting to read.

Blockade Billy by Stephen King: 5/5. I listen to this in the car with my dad whenever we take a long trip, and I always really enjoy it. There’s nothing super special about it, and I’ve never been super interested in books about sports, but this story is cool because it’s also about murder.

The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood: 5/5. This is amazing! It’s another book that’s been in the news a lot due to the Trump presidency, so I’d say give it a read simply because of that, but it’s incredible and should be read in its own right. A total cliffhanger ending.

Witch & Wizard: The Gift by James Patterson and Ned Rust: 3/5. Honestly, I can’t remember what this was about.

The Carnivorous Carnival by Lemony Snicket: 5/5. Those lions deserved better.

Holes by Louis Sachar: 4/5. This is one of those books that you’re supposed to read as a kid that I never got around to. I did like it, but I think I would have liked it a lot better if I had read it ten years ago.

How to Read Literature Like a Professor by Thomas Foster: 5/5. Another really awesome pseudo-textbook! It really teaches you a lot about certain aspects of literature that you’ve probably never thought about before, and it’ll really change the way you read!

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass by Lewis Carroll: 3/5. This was really boring for me to read and I’m not sure why. I think I just expected it to be something else, and I didn't really like it.

Medea by Euripides, translated by Rex Warner: 4/5. My World Mythology class read this out-loud and it was really entertaining. It’s not a necessary read but it’s kind of fun.

The Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Samuel Taylor Coleridge: 5/5. This is super hard to read so I’d definitely recommend paraphrasing it as you go, but it’s a classic, so you definitely need to read it at least once.

The Turn of the Screw by Henry James: 3/5. Again, this was a book that I really wanted to like, but just couldn’t force myself to. I think I ended up skim-reading at least three-fourths of it.

The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks: 4/5. I think this is probably the first straight up romance novel that I’ve ever read, and I actually kind of liked it. It wasn’t my favorite, but it was cute and I cried a little bit at the end.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon: 5/5. This was excellent! I’d never read anything like this before, and the format was super unique as well, and it was all around a good read. It was also really sad and made me really uncomfortable at times, which I think speaks to how well it’s written.

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley: 5/5. Super good. I read this for class and I’m really thankful for that, since I think there’s a lot of deeper meaning to the book that I was able to examine thanks to class discussions.

All the Crooked Saints by Maggie Stiefvater: 4/5. I liked this okay, but it’s definitely not on the same level as The Raven Cycle. I really enjoyed the characters in this— they were all extremely different from one another, and that was refreshing.

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins: 5/5. This started a minor obsession with murder/thriller novels!!! It was extremely well written and had me guessing until the end (I didn’t see the final twist coming!) I actually leant this to my mom and she also loved it!

The Fellowship of the Ring by J. R. R. Tolkien: 4/5. I was desperate to like this more than I actually did. There were parts of it that I really liked, and parts of it that had me literally falling asleep.

Bridget Jones’s Diary by Helen Fielding: 3/5. Ugh. I didn’t like this at all. It’s only redeeming factor was that it’s a really fast read.

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty by James Thurber: 3/5. Extremely underwhelming.

The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien: 5/5. I wasn’t super into this in the beginning, because I don’t like war books, but I had to read it for class and I ended up loving it by the end. There’s definitely some triggering content but the book mainly focuses on the idea of truth and storytelling, and it’s really fascinating!

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson: 4/5. This was okay. I found myself getting annoyed with how dramatic everything was, but it’s a story about overcoming odds and finding strength within yourself, which I know some people are into.

The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger: 3/5. Yikes. The narrator is so fucking annoying in this that I couldn’t take it seriously. I know it’s a classic, but I really didn’t like it.

The Giver by Lois Lowry: 4/5. This is another book that I wish I had read in a classroom setting when I was a little younger because I feel like I missed out on a lot of the deeper meaning because I sped through it in an hour or two. I did really enjoy it, though.

The Martian by Andy Weir: 4/5. This is one of the rare instances where I prefer the movie to the book. I liked this book okay, but there were big lengthy descriptions of the “science” that I found really tedious.

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn: 5/5. I wish I had read this before I watched the movie, though I still really enjoyed it. It’s another book that leaves you guessing about what’s going to happen until the very end, and it leaves you feeling really unsettled.

Misery by Stephen King: 5/5. This is my first Stephen King book that I actually read (aka didn’t listen to)! I’m glad I picked this as my first book of his to read, because it’s shorter than some of his other stuff without being boring. It’s more violent and gory than I usually go for, but I still really liked it!

And that’s it! Happy new year, everyone!

#mine #books #books read in 2017 #books read #book recommendations #book rec #2017 books

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tomhollandarling · 7 years

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Star What? Part Two

Summary: There’s a few complications with finishing a chemistry worksheet. That being Peter’s internship, and oh yeah, a stolen truck. Part Two of Star What?

Part One

Masterlist

Word Count: 2260

Pairing: Peter Parker x Reader

A/N: Hey! Finally back with part two. Sorry it took a while to update! AP classes have me swamped. Don’t take APUSH, it’s a trap. ALSO: sorry if the perspective switch is kinda confusing. I didn’t want the whole story to be from the reader’s perspective since I did start part one being Peter’s. I think it makes it interesting. Hope you guys like it! I’m definitely going to continue writing this. (ALSO I FOUND THIS CUTE GIF AND IT GOES WITH THE BEGINNING OF PART TWO KINDA)

4:48pm

As soon as Peter picked up on the unusual amount of sirens due to his heightened senses, he knew something was up from where he was situated: the ledge of someone’s fire escape, eating a sandwich with his mask half off.

Discarding his food, Peter pulled it down to fully cover his exposed features, hiding his identity. Taking one last moment to admire the setting sun of New York, he quickly began to swing from concrete rooftop to rooftop, paralleling the skyline on his way as the city slowly fell into evening’s grasp.

---

It was nearing five and Peter still hadn’t texted you the address to his apartment complex or even contacted you. Just meeting him and all, you were hesitant to text multiple times. You didn’t want to annoy him or come off as rude and you’d already texted him earlier. Although, being a student in NYC, students got together at each other’s apartments all the time to work on projects even if they weren’t super close. It was no big deal. Maybe you could just finish the questions on your own. Yeah, yeah. I’ll do that if I don’t get a reply by 6.

But, Peter had mentioned an internship so that could have occupied his time more than usual? Where does he intern though? Either way, you decided to not let it bother you, instead turning to make home on the plush couch in your living room. You knew Peter was a good student, or at least that what was what your peers said. He’d have a good reason.

To your left was a window looking out at the city buildings and streets. Your mom was working late tonight and your dad was on a business trip so you had the whole apartment to yourself. Always working. You sighed. The faint sound of traffic carried upwards into the area, more sirens than usual going off around the block. Typical New York crime on a Monday night. You mentally rolled your eyes.

Snuggling up with a thick maroon knit blanket and a mug of tea, you turned on the news to learn what the commotion was about.

5:02pm

“Just around the 12th avenue bridge multiple vehicles have been involved in an accident regarding a stolen Stark Industries transportation semi that has been hijacked by unknown personnel. Police and officials are doing their best to keep the situation contained. We at 7News advice you to stay inside and off the streets as the individuals inside the vehicle are heavily armed and have already injured 6 civilians…”

Dang, that sounds bad. What the hell is in that vehicle that they wanted? You wondered.

---

Shit. I was supposed to have (Y/n) over.

Peter barely had time to think as he was in the midst of running across a street that was packed with ongoing traffic, let alone send you a text. Angry drivers and taxis honked their horns, shouting and making rude gestures as they had to slam their brakes in order not to hit the masked teen. He was, after all, jaywalking in the middle of the street. Probably not the smartest move but...I could’ve stopped one if I had to. A wave of satisfaction washed over Peter as he realized his strength again: it never got old. Wait, I can stop a car. I can actually stop a moving car with my bare hands. He smiled under the suit.

Peter sprinted down 12th avenue’s sidewalk and up towards the bridge, the scene of the crash just ahead. Red and blue lights surrounded the accident and detour signs had been placed around the stretch of road. He rushed over, analyzing the area. Ambulances were already stationed and medics had started to help the victims. Three cars were involved in the crash he noticed. Allegedly the stolen Stark Industries truck had been tailgating, urging the car on as a means to get away faster. That’s what caused the crash.

“He started ramming into my bumper and at this point I was gettin’ pretty mad, you know, so I rolled down my window, makin’ a gesture, which I know I shouldn’t a’made, but you gotta understand he was ramming my back! An’ that’s when I felt somthin’ hit my hand.”

One of the victims was explaining how the crash started, showing Peter his hand as a medic finished wrapping it, the white fabric already a bit stained with crimson. “An’ then I span out of control. Thought I was gonna land in the lake.” He noted.

“I can’t move it now. I can move my arm, but not my hand.” He said, alarming Peter. “They don’t know what hit me.” The man continued, referring to the medics. “No evidence of a bullet. They think it’s gonna be paralyzed for a while.” He rambled on.

Peter stood there at the sidelines of the crash. He couldn’t muster up an idea. “That’s really weird. There’s nothing to prove what hit you? Nothing in your hand?”

“Goose egg, son.” The man sighed, completely unfazed about a teenager in a spandex suit interviewing him. Police started to make their way over to the man as they needed statements. Before they could ask Peter what he was doing there, he quietly excused himself and casually walked away towards the crash.

Taking the chance to explore the site, Peter slipped under the police tape and behind the crushed cars unnoticed, looking for something. Anything. There’s gotta be something. Come on.

He shuffled around pieces of broken glass and shredded metal and peered through the car windows. Peter didn’t know what they he was looking for but how on earth could something leave no evidence? Especially since it was something that was shot at someone, he assumed.

Peter was just about to give up searching around the crash to pursue looking for the runaway truck until something got caught in his peripheral vision. He turned on his heels, jogging over to the one of the totaled cars. This must be that guy’s car. Peter observed, referring to the man he was just talking to, as the bumper was crushed inwards and some of the tires were torn off. The drivers side mirror was missing from the vehicle but it wasn’t due to the fact that the car had rolled. It looked as if something had blown it off.

Where’s the mirror? Peter squatted down, running his fingers over where the mirror would be and scanning the car’s surroundings.

Peter closed his eyes, visualizing what could have happened. He walked over to where the tire skids were burned into the asphalt in a wavelike pattern, assuming they were from the car’s.

“..An’ then I span out of control. Thought I was gonna land in the lake.” Peter recalled.

The lake.

Okay okay. You got this Peter. You’re the Spider-man. He pumped himself up, deciding to go down into the water as he made his way over to the guard rails. He peered side to side, checking if anyone was watching. The crash blocked him from view to his right and there wasn’t any movement to his left. All clear.

Peter gingerly stepped up onto the railing, still holding on, and swung himself over to the other side. He glanced down at the rushing water. The breeze started to pick up, sending chills down Peter’s spine. He tightened his grip on the rusted guard rails.

Shooting a web, he attached it to the side of the bridge’s concrete, pulling on it to test the strength. Slowly, he inched his other hand away from the rail and put his trust into the web. He started lowering himself down at a reluctant pace. Checking the durability once more, Peter tugged at the web. You’re fine. It’s fine. People hang over the side of bridges all the time.

Descending downwards he was halfway there when his phone started buzzing uncontrollably, making him jolt in surprise.

What the?

---

5:20pm

Taking a sip of your tea you noticed that your phone lit up. Hoping it was from Peter, you urgently grabbed it. Just another news notification.

Still nestled in a blanket on the couch, you were getting impatient. 5:22 is close enough to 6 right? Yeah, okay. I’m just gonna call him. You decided. Internships don’t go this late. Not for students.

You found his contact and pressed call, holding up the phone to your ear waiting for an answer. It only took 7 rings for him to pick up.

You heard Peter clear his throat. “H-hey.” He spoke.

“Uh, hey.” You started, unsure of how to start the conversation. “So, it’s um past five. Weren’t we gonna finish the chem paper?”

“Oh. Sorry about that I got held up at the..the internship. Yeah the internship.” The sound of wind filled the phone, making it hard to hear him. Where is he?

“Where are you?”

“What do you mean? I’m at the internship. Avenger’s tower.” He sounded nervous.

“Are you outside or something? It sounds windy--wait Avengers Tower?”

“YeAH.” His voice quickly went up in a frenzy and you heard some muffled movement.

“Peter? You okay?”

“Yeah yeah! I’m good. Just slipped. I’m...outside on one of the balconies.”

Avengers Tower? Peter Parker interns at Avengers Tower? No wonder he has no time. To your surprise, anger wasn’t what filled you, it was concern. How does he manage all his homework and the internship? Even you weren’t finished with all your work, being in advanced classes just like Peter, the teachers piled it on every night. It was hard to imagine how much he must have.

“Okay, well I can finish the questions then if you’re still there. Who do you intern for?”

You heard some more movement on the line. “Peter?”

“Yeah.” He let out a deep breath of relief.

“I asked who you intern for.” You repeated.

“Uh. Tony Stark.”

“Woah seriously? That’s so cool!! What do you do?”

He seemed really distracted by something. “I can explain to you tomorrow?”

“Oh. Okay, sure. That works.” You put your attention towards the tv, bringing your knees up to your chest.

“...As the chase continues, NYPD have sent out backup towards the situation…” The screen panned an aerial view of the crash.

“Wow. Have you heard about the crash?” You asked, following along on the news story.

He coughed in surprise at your comment “Y-yeah. Why do you ask?”

“Well, you’re at Avengers Tower so I don’t know, I guess you might know more than me or the news right? There’s a runaway Stark truck.” You laughed a little, trying to cheer the situation up. He seemed uncomfortable.

“Oh, heh. Yeah…” Peter trailed off. “I heard-”

Suddenly his voice disappeared and you heard a weird crash. “Hello?” No answer. “Hello? Peter?” You called. The phone call beeped and ended. Well okay then.

“That was weird.” You commented to yourself, staring at the black screen.

---

“Peter, you’re an idiot. An actual idiot.” He said to himself, watching his phone fall down into the lake, sending ripples outwards once it hit the surface.

Just as Peter was lowering himself down towards the water you had called him...and he answered...as he was hanging halfway down the side of a bridge with nothing but a spider web for support.

“Why would you answer? You could have called back? YOU ALMOST FELL.” Peter continued scolding himself, webbing the tear in the web rope again for extra measure. It had ripped as he was declining towards the lake and of course he’d botched his words.

��YeAH.” He mocked himself, remembering the conversation and how just as the web snapped half-way he sorta fell. “You know it’s fine. Just tell (Y/n) that you’re Spider-man and this all would have gone well.”

“Oh hey, (Y/n)! Whats up? Yeah me too. Nothing much, just chilling. Hanging on a web halfway down a bridge over a lake trying to find a car mirror.”

He tilted his head back in frustration. He’d have to explain what happened to you tomorrow. “Yeah I tripped on the balcony at Avengers Tower and then I dropped my phone off the ledge.” Peter rolled his eyes. “Ned’s gonna get a kick out of this.”

Peter finally made it to the water. A determined red and blue reflection stared back at him. Alright. Back to business.

---

6:12pm

You decided to finish the chemistry worksheet since Peter was still busy with his internship. Retrieving your chem binder, you flipped through the pocket to find the lab papers, clicking your mechanical pencil you began the questions. They weren’t difficult at all, there was just quite a handful of them. Also, being invested in the story on the news didn’t help either as it distracted you. Emergency notifications kept popping up on your phone involving the incident and you were still tuned into 7News.

“..Just in: Officials have reported that the hijacked Stark Industries semi has crashed into one of New York’s finest jewelry shops and stole some of the merchandise. As of right now, we do not know how this relates to the heist. Luckily, with the help of Spider-man, police are closing in on the scene.”

Diamonds? Really? What does that have to do with anything? You sighed and returned to finish the assignments, still wrapped in the blanket that hung around your waist, hoping the situation would be resolved.

After a while, you finally clocked out around 11 and trudged off to your room, forgetting the day’s troubles when your head hit the pillow.

Part One Part Three

Masterlist

#peter parker #peter parker x reader #peter parker x you #peter parker fic #spiderman #spiderman homecoming fic #fanfiction #peter parker fanfiction #tom holland #tom holland x you #tom holland x reader #series #writing #spiderman x reader #spiderman x you

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twdmusicboxmystery · 7 years

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2017 Re-Watch: 7x11 - Hostiles and Calamities

So this is the episode where Eugene is taken into the sanctuary and becomes a card-carrying member of Negan's team. I talked about most of the symbols around Eugene already HERE. The lobster and the author he mentions are both indicative of Oceanside.

We also see pickles around him a lot in this episode. (X, X) In fact, I believe it was this episode that led me to formulate the whole Eugene/Pickles/St. Nicholas theory.

In his fridge are apples, mustard, pickles, water bottles (reminds me of Aaron leaving water bottles for TF in 5x10; remember Eugene tried to test them) and a lot of greens.

We also see alcohol bottles. Most are brown, but one, in the back (kind of hidden) is obviously green.

We also see the dartboard in his room. It's different than the ones we seen in the past because it's all yellow with no green or red on it. I'll come back to that.

There's a foreshadow when Negan asks Dwight (who's in Daryl's cell as punishment for Daryl's escape) "You gonna change your stripes on me, Dwighty-Boy?" Dwight answers and spends the rest of the episode convincing Negan that he is loyal. But it's a foreshadow that Dwight would change his stripes and go over to help Rick and TF. At one point, Negan asks "who are you?" Dwight immediately replies, "I'm Negan." So once again we have evidence that he's the anti-Daryl.

The doctor says, "You get it," which mirrors Beth's line. "I get it now." And it works well because many people have theorized that Beth meant she understood the corruption of the system and what was expected from one to stay alive. He truly understood the Grady system in all its hypocrisies. The doctors uses it the same way here. He recognizes that Dwight knows what it takes to survive under Negan's rule.

Of course, Dwight's car is almost exactly the same as Beth's.

Here's something intriguing:

Not only does a fish point to Oceanside but there's things hidden in it. Which might show something hidden will come out of Oceanside. Dwight pulls both cigarettes and Sherry's note (a major parallel to Beth's journal and thank you note) from the fish. This feels like a symbolic way of saying Beth (and perhaps Sherry?) will come out of Oceanside.

When Dwight takes off to go to the cabin and look for Sherry, the camera pans down so we can see his reflection in the puddle on the ground. (I'm not sure if it's meant to be water or blood; it's in the parking lot where Joey was killed) but you can't really see Dwight very well. The reflection is dark and murky, and he almost looks like Daryl. Not sure what they're going for, but it's interesting.

When Eugene is with this blond chick, she says, "beer, bread, cut your head.” For the record, beer = moonshine, Beth's name means bread or house of bread, and the “cut your head” bit is pretty obvious, yeah? She also says it's his lucky day. (Luck Theory) And she gets him the pickles. Lots of interesting symbols there.

Eugene specifically says he doesn't have an eidetic memory. That means a photographic memory. I feel like there's some symbolism in that. We see a photograph of Sheri and Dwight, and we've seen some other pictures throughout the seasons, but I also wonder if we could somehow link it to Beth's memory loss. I'm not sure exactly how and maybe I'm reaching, but it jumped out at me as kind of a strange reference to throw in.

Eugene also mentions T. Brooks Ellis again when he starts reciting his same old story from before about the cure. I'm not sure if it's important that he says the name again, but remember that there were 3 names on the sign that Aaron and Rick found, as well as for the man Eastman killed. It's kinda suspicious that he says the name again but I'm not sure what it necessarily portends. Maybe a callback to S5/Self Help, which was happening concurrent with Grady?

Eugene tells Negan to use metal to protect the walkers and weld them to the fence. It's the fulfillment of a foreshadow from S6.

He particularly emphasizes that it will protect the head from trauma and then adds in, "from hostiles and calamities." Sounds like a Beth reference.

Okay, so check out these two references. “The bulk of my work for the HGP fell under the auspices of the Black Box Program…” As an idiom, that just means it was top secret ad he couldn't talk about it. But I wondered if it could mean anything more. Look at this:

So I'm side-eyeing the fact that it means the inner workings are hidden (that could be a Beth thing) and also notice that it mentions the human brain.

The “opaque” bit reminds me of the blurry blond we saw in the 6b promo pics:

I also noticed that a Savior comes out while Eugene is getting ready to set off his fire works. The girls call him Keno. I wondered if there was meaning in that. Some definitions I found for the word Keno:

1 – A game of luck or chance. (Luck Theory anyone?)

2 – Someone who doesn’t take shit from anyone.

3 – The base of the word “kenosis” which is a word from Christian culture meaning to “empty oneself” and be totally open to God’s will.

Not sure what they’re going for, but kind of interesting definitions.

We can add Dwight's cabin here to the cabin motif. It looks like the moonshine shack and the cabin in the picture when Tyreese died. Then the cabin that Carol is now living at outside the kingdom.

So something occurred to me while watching this: this is the fourth cabin we've seen like that and it's also the fourth instance of the dartboard I can think of. Not really sure what to make of that, other than the first cabin and dartboard appearing in Still, which was in season four. S8 will be 4 seasons later. And the dartboard is yellow which = escape. Just an observation.

HERE's my original analysis on Sherry's note and all of the symbols in the cabin, including beer and pretzels. Beer obviously links to Still. Pretzels have a very Christian connotation. One of the notes mentions goldfish which is a and Oceanside/fish reference.

Check out: Comparing Voice Overs and How it Helps TD.

At one point in her note, Sherry says, "You're lucky you don't remember things. D." Jumped out at me because of The Lucky Theory, as well as a memory sort of thing.

I had someone asked me to do a Master Post on parallels between Bethyl and Sherry/Dwight and also between Bethyl and Amber/Mark. I haven't gotten around to it yet and I can't promise I will before the season starts (though I'll try).

Sherry specifically tells Dwight that she felt like she was dead, and that's why she had to leave. She said the sanctuary was not worse than death. Being there was worse. So she had to let leave in order to live emotionally. I'm just thinking that with all the other Sherry/Beth parallels, we have her separating from Dwight in order to gain emotional strength.

For Amber, we found out that her mom needed meds, and that's why she became one of Negan's wives. That MIGHT correlate to Beth. We can't say for sure until we see her again and know what her medical condition is, but it also strikes me that Tina needed meds, which is why she, Sherry and Dwight left to begin with. We've known for a long time that Tina is a proxy to Beth. So, if both Tina and Amber, who seem like parallels a Beth, needed meds, chances are Beth will need them in some capacity too.

Another possible parallel with Amber is that the other two wives told Eugene that Amber wanted to commit suicide. It wasn't actually true (that we know of; she definitely seems depressed). They just wanted Eugene to make the pill so they could kill Negan. But we have a case where somebody says she wants to commit suicide but it's not really true. It seems like a season 3 to Beth reference because Andrea said Beth thought she wanted to commit suicide, but really she wanted to live.

The lady Eugene took stuff from (including the grumbling gunk), her number was 16. We've seen that number a lot since Coda and it's probably important that it's around Eugene. It generally means life and reunion with TF. More evidence that Eugene's arc will be entangled with Beth in some way.

It's also significant that Dwight says Sherry died. That gives yet another parallel between Daryl and Beth because Daryl thinks Beth died, but really she's alive somewhere and just missing.

Also, Dwight was responsible for getting Dr. Carson killed, right? So, to save Sherry, Dwight frames the doctor. That's an anti-parallel to Grady. In that case, the doctor (Edwards) framed Beth to survive. Given the Dwight and Sherry are the anti-Bethyl this anti-parallel works well.

I also think that we have a foreshadow of Dwight's death here. Don't know if he'll die soon or not for several seasons, but I think I might know how. Before killing Dr. Carson, Negan says that if Dwight is lying and Sherry is alive out there somewhere, he'll find her and then burn Dwight's face until he dies. I don't think Dwight is particularly worried about that right now but it feels like a dialogue foreshadow. Negan will probably find out sooner or later that Dwight lied about Sherry and kill him for it.

HERE'S is my post about all the different songs that were in this episode. Most are very suspicious and have lots of potential TD symbols.

That's it for this episode. Thoughts?

#beth greene #beth greene lives #beth is alive #beth is coming #td theory #td theories #team delusional #team defiance

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july-19th-club · 7 years

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The Roommate Pt. 3

(Part 1 HERE) (Part 2 HERE)

I told you I’d put one up today! Figure from now on the structure might be more “here’s a one-shot scene that ultimately fits into a larger narrative about Adam’s life at college but doesn’t necessarily lead one-to-the-other” and less “everything is meticulously chronological” because who has the time? Again, I’m so glad people are enjoying this, and some of y’all’s comments and tags have made me so freaking happy, so I hope this thing really satisfies~~

IN WHICH: I Introduce You, Kind Reader (and Adam Parrish) to the Lush Green Hills of My Own Dear Campus, and Some Characters Bond over Tarot

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The kid from the seminar didn’t turn up to go running. It wasn’t that Julia had one hundred percent expected him to; he’d had a look on his face when she asked him that said very clearly that he’d been interested up until the running part. But the running trails at the school were all in the woods, and Julia, who’d lived her life in a city block where even backyards were shared or nonexistent, didn’t trust the trees. A deep, greening ravine bordered the entire south and west portions of campus, and over the first weekend she’d been down with a group of sophomores who went regularly to the riverbed to party. There were public and private hiking trails bordering the rush of water; swimming holes with old wet rope swings reaching out on precarious branches. She’d almost tripped in the dark over the growing roots of the trees on the bank and a girl who’d been charging ahead at the front of the group had told a story about walking in the gorge by herself one day, nearly falling on a slick river slab into one of the larger and rockier holes, and only scrabbling back up onto solid ground by sheer force of determination. “I was alone, and it’s not like I wanted anybody to come along and see me like that, you know? Embarrassing. Plus, you know, the fall. So I pretty much swore my way out.”

You do this often? Julia had wanted to ask.

Since that story, and her own cautious explorations down the ribbons of trail that riddled the cliffsides, Julia had been wary. But she had always run long-distance; where before she’d tugged on her shoes and plugged in her music and jogged down block upon block in the steamy afternoon streets, now she ducked into a leafy gap in the treeline and jogged into the birdsong of early morning. At first, the trail was wide, and she liked the soft feel of the trampled-down loam under her feet better than the unforgiving spring of concrete. Looking for obstacles kept her busy – tree roots, branches, checking ahead every few seconds to make sure she could see where the trail was going. Soon the path opened up at a wide overlook topping a cliff: no railing, nothing but your own caution to keep you from sprinting right up over the rise and off the edge, down past the red iron rocks and to the thin grey river below.

Once she got over her shock, the view was amazing, rolling treetops on hills that ran into one another, crowded, as if to save space before the land was reclaimed by the town on the other side of the reserve. The canopy was unbroken except for the thread of a power line. Catching her breath, Julia looked for the next part of the path – did it just end here? To the left, there was an open clearing of trees, green and brown glass from past parties glittering, unswept, on the forest floor. To the right, there was a path, leading down a hill and parallel to the cliff’s edge. Julia took this, slowing to a near-walk as she realized that the path’s descent created dangerous steps in the hillside, tree roots jutting and rumpling the surface of the path. Running downhill was easier than running back up, so she followed – out into the open air again, across a walkway between two hills, three feet of room between the twenty-foot drop on one side and the thirty-foot one on the other – back into the forest, down another incline, coming to a frightened rest at last on a wide riverside clearing. The path from here seemed to stretch, lazy and obvious, back up to the public entrance, but when Julia looked back at the way she’d come, she couldn’t believe she’d made it down a hill that steep. She pictured clambering her way back up, clutching at tree trunks and digging her running shoes into the loam. She found a log by the streambed and sat down, fast.

It was while she was sitting, contemplating taking her shoes off and putting her feet in the water, that she began to hear the voice. Whoever the hikers were, she assumed they’d come down the public path; she’d only found the thin cliffside one by accident. She took out her headphones, turned off Elle King. The voice grew more distinct, and as she stood, she realized that there was, indeed, only one speaker. Whether they spoke English or not was debatable: words poured out as she listened in a steady chant, but as she followed the source – off the path, into a cluster of pines – nothing became clearer. Her feet silent on piles of pine needles gone brown and soft, she was able to stay quiet long enough to find a thin figure sitting cross-legged, back to her, on the ground. As she watched, a boy – a student? He looked her age – placed both palms on the ground, speaking steadily. Ave, ave, ave, terra, ave silva –

Julia stepped from behind the boy to the side, and he looked up, voice breaking off. “Oh, uh –”

He fumbled on the ground in front of him, and she saw that he’d spread out a number of cards in front of him, some flipped to their face and some flipped to the back. Tarot – a beautiful, smoky-looking deck, with wispy and wistful artwork. He stacked them hastily, and replaced the deck in their box as he stood up and brushed pine needles from his pants. “Sorry. Shit. I’ll get out of your way, it’s a public trail–”

“What deck is that?” Her best friend of middle school had been the first person to introduce her to tarot cards, back in their seventh-grade New Age phase, and the interest had stuck with Julia long after they’d moved to separate schools and separate lives. She still had the pocket-sized Rider-Waite deck she’d bought online, stubbly little cards with fuzzy edges and tears, unused for many years and probably in her dresser drawer at home, where she’d hidden anything she’d thought her parents would disapprove of.

The boy brushed a speck off the plain cardboard case and frowned. “I don’t…actually know,” he said. He nearly smiled, and it softened his face from a bony, abrupt thing into something merely lean and focused. “I inherited them, and so – well, I don’t know where she got them, exactly, but. Yeah. They’re nice.”

There was uncertainty in this, an extremely polite hesitation, as if he was testing the waters, waiting for her to laugh or say something rude. “My deck’s at home; maybe I should’ve brought it with me,” she said, to put him at ease. “Not that I’ve read in a while.”

“I don’t –” Halfway through his sentence, he seemed to register what she’d said, and it caught him off guard. He stopped, started over. “I don’t read them traditionally. Not sure if I can? I mean, I guess you don’t have to be psychic, but…I just kind of let them talk.”

Again, the hesitation, waiting to be corrected or interrogated. She felt guilty, now, for interrupting him, and told him so.

“It’s fine.” Now he began walking out of the pine grove and back toward the path. “I didn’t think I was really getting anywhere today.”

“Sure?”

“Yeah,” he said. He tucked the cards into a back pocket, the better to shove his hands into the front ones. “I was about to head out.”

“How’d you get down here, anyway? You took the main path, right?”

“Uh, no.” The question seemed to surprise him. “I climbed down this cliff. There it is.”

He pointed up the scrambling, knotted trail Julia had taken, and without words, they agreed and walked back by way of the riverbed together.

#i decided between friday and today that julia-pronounced-yulia should def. know something about tarot #i feel like adam needs a friend at school who shares some of his unusual interests and whom he can be open with #julia's very chill and down-to-earth and i also feel like since NONE of his friends are chill he needs that influence #trc #the roommate fic #who among the gangsey is capable of reminding him to do things like eat and sleep in a calm and effective way??????#nobody that's who #they mean very very well but they also can't calm down

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drink-n-watch · 4 years

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It’s been quite a week! Things are fine for me but that seems selfish considering everything that is going on right now. These are some tough times and I hope you’re all doing o.k. If you can find some sympathy and understanding in yourself for those around you, we need it now more than ever. I understand it’s trying. I hope that didn’t come off too preachy. Crow I hope that you are doing well today.

Trying to find words to say what you’re saying. I’m glad some other ani-bloggers have posted guides of how to contribute, help, or be generally supportive. I was really proud of my daughter the other day — she’s a teacher, and she posted a guide from some educators.

Well, it won’t help by not doing our thing here, so here we go!

Oh, I’m in plain text and there will be spoilers. Whew! That was close… That last bit will make more sense a little later.

Let’s talk about My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom! We are at episode 10, and it seems like we’ve rejoined the main storyline. The episode starts off with the teaser from last week. Essentially it’s the doom scenario from the game or Catarina’s trial. Sadly, Catarina did not get the chance to save herself and instead everyone else came to her rescue… by calling her too stupid to be evil? For awhile I thought that was a dream sequence. Everyone was kinda mean…

Turns out it wasn’t, and all of Catarina’s friends really do consider her an idiot. Yet she’s the most highly desirable one. My friends were right, studying really is a waste of time! (It’s not, it’s great and useful!)

I think Alan was probably the most blunt when he said, “She’s so dumb, all she could do would be to fight her head-on!” But Mary wasn’t far behind — calling Catarina “simple-minded” did seem a bit harsh. Come to think of it, Keith’s “My simple-minded sister isn’t even capable of such elaborate harassment” might have been the worst.

Sure, we joke about Bakarina, but I kinda feel like they went too far.

Geraldo quite a bit less, I noticed! And he still stood up for her. Good for him! He’s completely turned around my opinion of him.

Geordo did pull some extra effort though and found out that the event was magical in nature and the girls involved had no memory of it. He went on to describe dark magic, it’s powers and origins. Is it just me or does the way that Geordo was describing how dark magic can make people do things they wouldn’t have thought of otherwise and how it gets into their heads, a little reminiscent of exactly the type of influence a player would have on game characters. It’s not what they are going for, at least not on a text level, but I did find the parallel rather interesting.

Dark magic does sound like an unfathomable external influence, doesn’t it? Now I almost feel guilty playing video games — like I’m taking away some poor character’s free will! Or what if it’s like Log Horizon, where the NPCs are actually sentient! I’m getting off track again…

Geordo also mentioned that dark magic manipulates “negative” emotions like jealousy, doubt and fear. This is a very tired trope in my opinion. Good things can come from these emotions. Jealousy is very bound to ambition and doubt and fear are there to protect us. It’s all about how you use these emotions, you know?

But it turns out that Catarina is too simple to have any of these so that’s why she wasn’t affected. I’m beginning to wonder if the show is being super mean to Catarina on purpose or is it fridge insults.

I really couldn’t tell if Catarina not having negative emotions was a slam or not. Remembering Geraldo was nicer to her than the others during the earlier confrontation, I almost felt like he was affectionately saying she wasn’t affected by those emotions. I’ve never really heard him say anything unkind to her, even when she summoned the harem and he wanted to be alone with her. Though, maybe I’m not being overly optimistic here. This episode did take a dark turn.

As soon as Geordo mentioned dark magic it was obvious that oh wait SPOILERS SPOILERS, watch episode 10 first if you don’t want to be spoiled. You only need to watch a bit of it, things get spelled out very quickly.

Don’t worry! I’ll add a note earlier in the text! There, done.

Never hurts to be extra careful.

Like I was saying, it becomes pretty obvious that Sirius has dark magic. In case his name wasn’t enough of a clue. The episode spells it out in detail later on when Catarina remembers what Achan told her about the secret route, but by that time everyone already knows and the scene becomes redundant.

At that point, even Catarina called herself an idiot for not remembering. But honestly, I thought she was being too harsh on herself (as usual!). I mean, she had died, right? She’s trying to remember a previous lifetime, merge its information into a new life in this world, and make good runtime decisions. I think she’s been doing great being able to keep things even almost straight!

It also seems that Maria, as a light magic user can “see” Sirius’ dark energy or something and she goes off to confront him but gets disappeared in the process.

Everyone is searching for Maria and Catarina feels particularly guilty at leaving her alone, which may explain the anxiety dream she has where all her friends are dead(?) asleep (?)… It’s the bad end of the secret route it seems.

Did you see how Acchan described that path? She called it “a super bad ending.” So I guess there were clues all along, but damn — this got dark fast.

Eventually, Catarina and Sirius find themselves in the courtyard alone by chance. Even though Geordo specifically told Catarina not to wander the school alone. And after a cheesy bad guy reveal, Sirius put Catarina in a magical coma. I understand that there are only two episodes to go, but I feel like they really rushed this part. They could have skipped one of the filler episodes and stretched out the suspense a little more.

What did you think of this turn of events Crow? Bit much? Not enough?

I’ll preface this by saying I still really like the show, and it’s because I like the show and its characters that I found this episode a little upsetting. First, Maria abducted? Not cool! Not only is she such a sweet young woman, but Catarina investested a lot in keeping her safe and happy. Her abduction is bad all around.

Second, we got some hints in earlier episodes that Sirius was probably up to no good, but this turn is so dramatic that I have a sense the narrative didn’t adequately prepare us. At the very least, I wasn’t prepared. Catarina’s so warm-hearted that she even tried kindness on Sirius — right before he put her under! This episode almost felt cruel.

All I can say is this: If Mary finds out what Sirius did, unless his dark magic is super powerful, he’s in for a world of hurt.

My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom! ep 10 – Sharks It’s been quite a week! Things are fine for me but that seems selfish considering everything that is going on right now.

#anime #blonde bishie #comedy #My Next Life as a Villainess #otome #reverse harem #romance

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recentanimenews · 7 years

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Random Reads #1

All hail the debut of a new recurring column of sorts, collecting reasonably short reviews of disparate books.

A Banquet of Consequences by Elizabeth George While A Banquet of Consequences is not the best Lynley and Havers mystery I have read, it’s still great heaping loads better than the last one (Just One Evil Act). In fact, in my review of the latter, I wrote “I wanted a book with Havers triumphant. A Havers showing that, despite her problems with professionalism and authority, she really has something amazing to offer.” And that’s pretty much what we did get this time around.

When Claire Abbott, respected feminist author, is found dead in a hotel room while on a book tour, her death is first ruled a heart attack. After her persistent friend and editor insists on a second opinion, a more thorough toxicology screening reveals the presence of poison. Having met the author and her truly odious personal assistant (and chief suspect), Caroline Goldacre, Havers begs Lynley to pull strings for her so that she can investigate, which doesn’t go over very well with Superintendent Ardery. Happily, Havers does do a competent job, though this doesn’t go very far in improving Ardery’s opinion of her.

Mystery-wise, there were elements that I guessed, but I did still enjoy the element of ambiguity that remained at the end. Too, I liked that in the next volume, the Italian detective from Just One Evil Act (probably the best thing about that dreadful book) is going to be visiting England. He was quite sweet on Havers, as I recall! My one real complaint is that Lynley had hardly anything to do, except intercede on Havers’ behalf, contemplate his relationship with Deidre, and look after an admittedly adorable dog.

Still, it’s good to have my faith in this series somewhat restored!

The End of Everything by Megan Abbott Lizzie Hood and Evie Verver are thirteen years old and have been BFFs and next-door neighbors for as long as they can remember. Lately, though, Lizzie has begun to realize that Evie is no longer the open book she once was. (“I know her so well that I know when I no longer know everything.”) When Evie goes missing, Lizzie does all that she can to help bring her home, while being forced to acknowledge that maybe there had always been a darkness hidden within her dearest friend that she had never noticed.

In addition to the mystery of what’s happened to Evie, this book deals a lot with Lizzie’s burgeoning sexual feelings. Though she has some contact with boys near her age, she’s really smitten with Evie’s gregarious father. She longs to be close to him, to provide clues that give him hope, to take his mind off what’s happening. She exults in her ability to affect him. In the process, she somewhat usurps the place that his eldest daughter, Dusty, has filled. What I actually liked best about the book is that Abbott leaves it up to the reader to decide—is Mr. Verver’s relationship with these girls crossing a line? Perhaps his intentions are utterly pure (and, indeed, it seems like he might be crushed to hear someone thought otherwise), but there are some things he does and says that just seem so inappropriate.

Ultimately, I liked this book quite a lot (though I feel I should warn others that some parts are disturbing). Abbott offers several intriguing parallels between relationships to consider, and I think it’s a story I will ruminate over for a long time to come.

The Ex by Alafair Burke Twenty years ago, Olivia Randall sabotaged her relationship with her fiancé, Jack Harris. Now he’s the chief suspect in a triple homicide and Olivia, a defense attorney, is hired by his teenage daughter to represent him. Initially, Olivia has absolute faith in Jack’s innocence (and feels like she owes him because of how she treated him) but mounting evidence eventually makes her doubt whether she ever really knew him at all.

In synopsis form, The Ex sounds pretty interesting, but the reality is something different. Olivia herself is not particularly likeable. Setting aside how she treated Jack in the past, in the present she drinks too much and is having a casual relationship with a married man. I think we’re supposed to come away believing that this whole experience enables her to grow past some parental issues inhibiting her ability to find real love, but it’s glossed over in just about the most cursory way imaginable. And because the narration is in the first person, other characters who might have been interesting—namely a couple of other employees of the defense firm helping with the case—are exceedingly undeveloped.

The mystery plot itself is average. The final twist wasn’t something I predicted from the outset, but once a certain piece of evidence was revealed, it turned out to be very similar to another mystery I’d just read so it was a bit of a slow slog to the inevitable conclusion. The writing is also repetitive, with the significance of various clues being reiterated over and over. One genuinely unique aspect of the book is that because Olivia is a defense attorney and not law enforcement, she wasn’t overly concerned with actually solving the case, so much as finding plausible alternate suspects to establish reasonable doubt. Perhaps that is why some things the culprit did were left unexplained and some evidence unaccounted for, though it could have just been sloppy writing.

I don’t think I shall be reading anything else by this author.

Girl in the Dark by Marion Pauw Set in The Netherlands, Girl in the Dark is told in alternating first-person chapters between Ray, a man with autism who has spent eight years in jail for the murders of his neighbor and her daughter, and Iris, a lawyer and single mother who discovers by chance that Ray is the elder brother she never knew she had. She is convinced of his innocence, despite evidence that he is capable of destructive rage, and begins investigating the case and pursuing an appeal, while trying to get her icy mother to talk about her past.

Although the book is advertised as a thriller, most of the time I was more infuriated than thrilled. Leaving aside the question of Ray’s guilt or innocence, the way he was/is treated by others—including Rosita, the opportunistic neighbor who used and then rejected him, as well as one of the employees of the institution he’s been transferred to, who seemingly frames Ray for smuggling drugs into the facility (there’s no resolution to this minor plot point)—generates a great deal of empathy. In particular, there is an especially cruel scene near the end of the book that made me literally exclaim, “Jesus Christ!” Although he occasionally exhibits frustrated fury, Ray is also shown to be sweet and thoughtful, at one time a skilled baker (thriving in an environment that prioritized both routine and precision) and obsessed with the welfare of his tropical fish (currently in his mother’s care).

I didn’t come away with as vivid a sense of Iris as I did Ray. The scenes involving her job and clients were, in a way, mental palate cleansers from the stress of Ray’s situation, largely bland and unmemorable. When she finally gets her hands on Ray’s case files, her end of the story improves, but there are aspects of the final resolution that are kind of ridiculous. That said, I thought the ultimate ending was satisfying and I doubt I’ll forget the book any time soon.

Mr. Kiss and Tell by Rob Thomas and Jennifer Graham Mr. Kiss and Tell came out in January 2015. I had pre-ordered it the previous May, but when it arrived I just couldn’t get into it, despite a few attempts. A couple of months later, iZombie debuted. It had all the hallmarks of a Rob Thomas show and, lo, I love it. So much so, in fact, that I started to feel like I’d be okay without further adventures in Veronica’s world. Mr. Kiss and Tell spent the next two years occupying various spots in my living room. Then, finally, I read it. And I remembered how deeply I love these characters and now I am totally sad that there aren’t any more books beyond this one. Yet.

I was somewhat disappointed that the first Veronica book, The Thousand-Dollar Tan Line, did not follow up on the movie storyline about police corruption ion Neptune. Happily, that plotline gets some attention in this book. Weevil is acquitted of the charges against him, but his reputation and business has taken a hit, so he agrees to a civil suit against the county. Keith works to find others who’ll testify about evidence-planting, and meanwhile a candidate enters the race against Lamb, who’d been running for reelection unopposed. There’s some closure on this by the end of the book, but still plenty of room for more going forward.

Veronica, meanwhile, is hired by the Neptune Grand to investigate a rape that took place in their hotel. The case has quite a few twists and turns, although it surprised me some by not twisting as much as I expected. (So is that, therefore, a twist?) By far, however, the best parts of the book are the conversations between the characters. Veronica and Logan, Veronica and Keith, Veronica and Weevil… I could vividly imagine each being performed by the cast, which is almost as good as not having to imagine. I especially liked that things still aren’t 100% perfect in Veronica’s world, and Logan is only home for a few months before the accidental death of one of his friends means that his shipmates are a man down. Veronica struggles to understand why he feels so strongly that he must return early, leading to my favorite scene, in which Logan reveals what his life was like in the years she was gone, and how he ended up in Officer Candidate School. It’s a bit implausible that they hadn’t had this conversation before, but it’s riveting nonetheless.

In fact, my only quibble is a bit of timeline fluffery near the beginning. On the whole, this was immensely satisfying and I will continue to hope for more books in the future. After all, never giving up hope has worked out for Veronica Mars fans in the past!

The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie This was a reread for me, but one I hadn’t yet reviewed, since I read it shortly before creating this blog. (I did review Christie’s second and third books before getting sidetracked. This time I shall persevere and read them all!)

A soldier named Hastings, invalided home from the front, runs into John Cavendish, an acquaintance who invites him to recuperate at Styles Court, where Hastings had often visited as a boy. It is Hastings who narrates the story of what happens there. In brief, instead of John inheriting Styles Court upon the death of his father, the property was bequeathed to his stepmother, Emily, upon whom he is presently dependent for funds. When Emily is poisoned, suspicion initially turns to her strange (and substantially younger) new husband, Alfred Inglethorp, and then ultimately onto John himself. The cast of suspects is rounded out by siblings, spouses, friends, and servants. Hastings suggests bringing his old friend Hercule Poirot in to investigate.

I did remember “whodunit,” along with the explanation for one perplexing aspect of the case, but otherwise, most of this felt new to me. In fact, I think I enjoyed it even more than the first time. Oh, I still find Hastings annoying, but Christie’s depiction of Poirot’s appearance and mannerisms struck me as especially vivid this time around, and I was left with a more distinct impression of him than I’d held previously. (I had somehow acquired a mental picture of Poirot that had him looking like Alfred Hitchcock!) Although some of the clues are a bit convoluted and/or improbable, the overall solution is satisfying and makes sense. What’s more, my enthusiasm for tackling the rest of Christie’s oeuvre has been rekindled!

The Outpost by Mike Resnick In an effort to broaden my horizons and read more science fiction, I went looking for books that might appeal to fans of Firefly. In the course of that search, I came across The Outpost. The notion of a bunch of space-faring outlaw types gathering at a bar on the edge of the galaxy, swapping stories, then banding together to fight off some aliens sounded appealing. Don’t be fooled like I was.

While it is indeed true that a bunch of space-facing outlaw types do gather to swap their stories, these recitations are actually highly embellished tall tales, and they seem to go on for an interminable amount of time. Finally, during a brief middle section of the book, the bar’s patrons go off and fight some aliens, and getting a glimpse of reality, including several pointless and unheroic deaths, was the best part of the novel. All too soon, they’re back at the Outpost, telling their war adventures with varying degrees of embellishment. It’s at this point that several very boring arguments on the ethics of “improving” history ensue.

It’s true that sometimes, I did smile or laugh at something, but on the whole this book just riled me up. None of the characters has any depth whatsoever, and several are positively odious. Many of the stories told by the guys involve busty and lusty women, and it’s fine if the characters themselves are sexist (to be fair, one of the female characters does call them out on this eventually), but most of the female characters created by Resnick are also vampy vixens whose stories are sex-oriented and bodily proportions repeatedly emphasized.

I listened to the unabridged audio version read by Bob Dunsworth, and I cannot recommend it. He frequently misreads and mispronounces words, so that at one point someone is wearing “flowering” robes instead of “flowing” ones, “defenestrating” loses a syllable, “etiquette” gets a “kw” sound, et cetera. Making it through the book was a tremendous slog, and more than once I cursed my completist nature.

These Vicious Masks by Tarun Shanker and Kelly Zekas I can’t for the life of me remember how I heard about this book. I immediately put in a materials request with my library, but when it arrived I didn’t remember it at all. It does have hallmarks of something that would appeal to me, though: a setting of England in 1882, superpowers, romance, one of the authors mentioning Buffy in the dedication… It boded well.

I found it a bit disappointing at first, however, despite an independent and snarky heroine (Evelyn Wyndham, and is that a Buffy/Angel reference?) and dialogue that made me snicker right from the start. It just seemed so like “Pride and Prejudice with superpowers” that I began to wonder who was meant to be who. (“That charming fellow Mr. Kent, set up as a romantic rival to surly and brooding Sebastian Braddock, must be the Wickham surrogate!”) Too, the constant bickering between Evelyn and Sebastian, as they work together to rescue her sister the healer from a scientist who wants to experiment on her, did grate after a while.

However, in the end the book surprised me. Not just by deviating from the Pride and Prejudice mold or by imbuing people with unsuspected powers, but by taking the plot in a direction that absolutely made sense and which I absolutely did not see coming. A sequel (These Ruthless Deeds) has just been released and verily, I shall read it.

By: Michelle Smith

#Anime #News #Manga Bookshelf

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