#keeping my commentary to a minimum after the show

[youhideastar]

Fit for Purpose Deleted Scenes I: Alternate Version, First Half

Hi all! I have a lot of deleted scenes for Fit for Purpose - I mean A LOT, 10,000 words of deleted scenes, and that's in part because there's a whole other version of the story that I wrote and then mostly trashed: a three-chapter version where the first chapter looks like what Fit For Purpose looks like now, alternating present day and flashbacks; the second chapter retells canon (i.e., goes through WWX's story sequentially in flashback); and the third chapter picks up again in the present day with no flashbacks. I did this because (a) I was really worried readers would find it implausible that this universe's WWX would leave Yunmeng Jiang to defend the Wens and I wanted to show how that would go down and (b) there were some really cool flashback scenes that shed light on the worldbuilding or the characters' relationships that I loved but that didn't fit in the love story that Fit for Purpose was supposed to be all along.

Basically, there were two versions of this story fighting each other--one the love story, one the backstory--and the love story needed to win, and did. Ultimately, I imposed discipline on the story by creating a rule that every flashback had to be about (1) LWJ or (2) sex/romance. I then broke that rule several times 😂, but even trying to abide by the rule helped keep the story focused.

So the first set of deleted scenes I'm going to share is the first half of that alternate version middle chapter: retelling the drama's plot, but in this universe. It's just the first half for now (second half forthcoming) because I don't think you want to read a 5,000-word post 😂 and I'm going to try to keep my commentary on the scenes to a minimum so as not to make this post longer. Other deleted scenes posts are linked in the masterpost. I hope you enjoy!

The flashback chapter began with the Cloud Recesses arc. A pared-down version of this section made it into the posted fic.

When Wei Wuxian is seventeen, Yunmeng Jiang sends a delegation to Cloud Recesses for a year of study.

It gets off to a rough start when Jiejie’s betrothed—her betrothed!—kicks them out of their inn, and Wei Wuxian leaves behind their invitation. But it improves almost immediately when he finds himself dueling on moonlit rooftops and tackling cultivation mysteries with Gusu Lan Sect’s own head disciple: Lan Wangji, the sect’s alpha heir and one of the famed Twin Jades of Gusu Lan.

Lan Wangji is an impressive swordsman, and his cultivation knowledge is both deep and broad. He’s a challenge, a rival – something Wei Wuxian has never had. It’s exhilarating. The Second Jade of Gusu Lan is talented and beautiful, razor-sharp and bright-shining…

But.

But. He’s also such a fucking stick-in-the-mud. It’s not enough that he never has any fun – he doesn’t want anyone else having fun, either. Not even harmless, normal fun like fishing, or drinking, or fighting!

Wei Wuxian turns the problem over in his mind, and concludes that this is a boy who really, really needs to do some ‘practicing for the wedding night.’

Now yes, technically, what alphas and omegas do with Wei Wuxian is against the rules—sex is supposed to be reserved for your mate, and only your mate—and the upright, uptight Lan-er-gongzi is obsessed with his rules. But really. It would be a public service for Wei Wuxian to get that rigid fuddy-duddy well and truly laid, and that’s exactly what he intends to do.

He begins his campaign in the library.

Then you have the library and getting-LWJ-drunk scenes, which made it into the posted fic. Then this:

Anyway, after that, Wei Wuxian tones it down a little. He still tries to make Lan Zhan understand that he’s available – “many benefits to being my friend,” and all that. Still wants to make sure Lan Zhan knows he can come to Wei Wuxian for that, when he needs it. If he needs it. (Still hopes he will, because he stands by his opinion that Lan Zhan could use a tumble, for his own good.)

But he’s not sure anymore that Lan Zhan does need it. Lan Zhan is… weird. He’s prudish and judgmental and obsessed with rules and wound way too tight—Wei Wuxian still isn’t over the part where he turned himself in for drinking even though it was against his will—but Wei Wuxian is starting think that might just be… him. That’s Lan Zhan. And Wei Wuxian…

Well, he likes it. He likes Lan Zhan.

He likes his mean glares, and the way he ruffles like a startled cat when Wei Wuxian provokes him, and how fucking good he is at everything, how he can keep up with Wei Wuxian, and even push him, in a way that Wei Wuxian has never gotten to have and didn’t even realize he was missing. And he likes that Lan Zhan expects a lot of himself. That he holds himself to his sect’s annoying rules, even though he’s a rich, highborn alpha and could probably just coast on his birth and his brother’s reputation.

So. The embarrassing truth is, Wei Wuxian kind of likes Lan Zhan the way he is. Does he think Lan Zhan would be a lot happier if he were getting laid? Absolutely yes, and he’s not giving up on making that happen. But he doesn’t think he needs to fix Lan Zhan by getting him laid. Lan Zhan’s not broken. He’s just weird. And weird, Wei Wuxian decides, is okay.

Weird is, maybe, kind of great. At least when it’s Lan Zhan.

*

The thing with Lan Zhan, though, is that he kind of… makes Wei Wuxian forget. Forget what he’s supposed to be doing, forget what he’s supposed to be. Wei Wuxian’s life has been all about Yunmeng Jiang for so long that having something else—someone else—important in his life makes him—

No. That’s not fair. It’s not Lan Zhan’s fault. Whatever it is, this flaw in Wei Wuxian, this arrogance… it was there from the beginning. In his bones.

*

It starts in Cold Pond Cave: standing side-by-side with Lan Zhan before the great Lan Yi, joined at the wrist by Lan Zhan’s ribbon in a way that would be scandalous, if Wei Wuxian weren’t a beta. If it actually meant anything.

Lan Zhan swears to find and seal the Yin Iron, and Wei Wuxian, standing beside him, bound to him, promises the same.

It doesn’t feel wrong.

It feels amazing. Swearing his allegiance to a goal, a responsibility, a quest – a shared responsibility, him and Lan Zhan, spurred on by chivalry and the common good. It feels like the only thing he can do, when so much is on the line. When the whole cultivation world needs this, needs him.

And then he makes the same mistake at Qixi, side-by-side with Lan Zhan again, watching their shared lantern rise into the sky. He makes a vow.

Not to serve Yunmeng Jiang Sect. Not to protect Jiang Cheng and Jiejie. Not to do what Jiang-shushu saved his life to do, what Yu-furen charged him with, all those years ago.

No.

He vows to curb the wicked, and protect the weak; to always stand with justice, and keep a clear conscience. And he can tell Lan Zhan is with him – that Lan Zhan is committed to the same ideal.

That feels good, too. It feels right.

Only later will he look back at that kid in the cave, that kid on the cliff, and feel a terrible tightness in his chest. Only then will he see where he went wrong – forgetting himself, forgetting his place, his purpose.

That life of chivalry, that fight for justice—that’s not what he’s for. That’s for alphas and omegas. His purpose was determined for him at the moment of his birth.

But stubbornly—selfishly—he had wanted more.

*

Because of that, A-Yuan will live.

*

Because of that, Jiejie will die.

*

He doesn’t know any of that yet. That Qixi night, the biggest threat to Jiejie, as far as he’s concerned, is her stupid betrothed.

Jin Zixuan snarls, “I said, I don’t want to hear about that girl,” and Wei Wuxian decks him.

It’s his duty: he’s known his whole life that he might be called on to die for Jiejie someday, so getting in a little fistfight for her is nothing.

Lan Qiren agrees. “Fighting is forbidden,” he says, explaining to Jin Guangshan why Wei Wuxian is not being punished for blacking the eye of his son and heir, “but of course a beta must defend his sister.”

It’s probably the first time he’s ever agreed with Wei Wuxian about anything. But then, who could better understand a beta’s obligations?

Jiang Fengmian is summoned, too, because of the insult to his daughter. When his meeting with Lan Qiren is over, he hugs Wei Wuxian and tells him, “I’m proud of you, A-Xian.” Holding Wei Wuxian by the shoulders, gaze warm and direct, he adds, “A-Li is lucky to have a brother like you.”

I really liked showing how the JZX fight reaction would have been totally different in this universe; that was one of the things I hated to lose.

Here are a couple other versions of the Lan Yi cave scene - it was so pivotal to explaining why WWX would ultimately choose justice over his family that I knew I needed to get it right.

It’s a good thing, Wei Wuxian reflects later, that Lan Zhan got dragged into Cold Pond Cave with him, and not one of the alpha or omega disciples. Lan Zhan would never have wrapped his ribbon around them—it would have been tantamount to an engagement.

Then, in retrospect, he fucks up.

It doesn’t feel like fucking up at the time. It feels like the only thing he can do: the problem of the Yin Iron is his problem, because it should have been his mother’s problem, because it was her shizun’s problem. When he swears to help contain the Yin Iron, and prevent it from being misused, it feels right.

He won’t realize until later that this is where it all started to go wrong.

That a beta who belongs to Yunmeng Jiang has no business making promises to anyone else.

If Yu-furen had been in that cave, he’d never have made it out alive.

*

In Cold Pond Cave, Lan Yi gives him a charge – a mission.

It feels strangely familiar.

He remembers Yu-furen telling him, “You protect your jie and a-Cheng. You live for them. Die for them.”

It doesn’t occur to him until later that those missions might conflict.

It’s only later that he looks back at that kid in the cave and wants to shake him, wants to slap him—

He sold something that day. Something that wasn’t his to sell.

His allegiance, after all, was already spoken for.

It was spoken for when he was seven years old.

This next scene is just a sketch. I would have fleshed it out more if I'd posted this.

He really wants to go with Lan Zhan to find the Yin Iron. JFM notices, gives him permission. After all, didn’t he defend his sister so well?

But, in fact, you should take A-Cheng with you!

And Wei Wuxian is thrilled. He is! Even better, to take A-Cheng on the quest, too. How could he possibly be disappointed?

When they catch up with Lan Zhan, he pretends he’s not happy to see them, but Wei Wuxian isn’t fooled. They travel through Tanzhou, and then to Yueyang, where the innkeeper has a spooky story for them about the home of the Chang Clan.

Well. Of course they have to go.

*

When they get to the Yueyang Chang compound, Wei Wuxian is immediately on edge. Lan Zhan and Jiang Cheng are calm, though.

“There’s no one here,” A-Cheng says, impatient. “We’d smell it if there were.”

Wei Wuxian can’t shake it, though. He keeps hearing little sounds that shouldn’t be there, seeing flickers in the corner of his eye.

“Who has the sense of scent here? Me or you?” A-Cheng bites, irritated as usual.

And that’s when Xue Yang appears with a fistful of purple powder and almost leaves all three of them permanently blind.

Then we'd pick up with the Xue Yang and Wen Indoctrination scenes that make it into the posted fic. There's also a Xuanwu Cave scene in the posted fic; here's a previous version of that, emphasizing WWX already starting to choose LWJ over his family, while the final version treats him staying in the cave as an act of sacrifice for his family:

In the Xuanwu Cave, Jiang Cheng motions him over, hisses his name.

WWX hesitates.

He knows his duty. His place. It’s by his didi’s side.

Lan Zhan looks up at him, bloodied. His brow is creased with pain.

“Go,” Wei Wuxian tells Jiang Cheng. “Send someone back for us!” Hopefully by that time, Jiang Cheng will be safe back in Lotus Pier.

It’s not a question of starvation this time. No one will rescue WWX – he’s served his purpose, in getting Jiang Cheng out. Any further use isn’t worth the danger and effort of the rescue. And with the Gusu Lan still in hiding, it seems unlikely anyone will come for LWJ. They have only themselves.

Then there's the Yunmeng Shuangjie scene in the posted fic.

And then…

Then there are arrows, and a kite—and the long, bloody price of Wei Wuxian’s clear conscience begins to come due.

*

For a moment, it seems like he can pay that price himself. With a whipping—and then, when that’s not enough, with his right hand. He would pay it willingly, joyfully, to keep Lotus Pier and Yunmeng Jiang Sect safe.

But it’s not enough.

His entire purpose in life was to protect the Jiang sect and family. And now…

Lotus Pier is overrun, then lost.

A few lucky disciples are scattered; the rest, slaughtered.

Yu-furen and Jiang-shushu are dead.

Jiejie is pale with fever.

A-Cheng is destroyed by grief; is missing; is mutilated. Nothing lives behind his eyes except a slithering kind of self-loathing.

It is Wei Wuxian’s fault, all of it. He knows this.

Yu-furen tells him so; Jiang-shushu, too. A-Cheng, with his hands around Wei Wuxian’s neck. Even Jiejie doesn’t argue when he confesses that he’s the one to blame. The knowledge of his own culpability rots in his heart: noxious, lightless, and thick.

When he finds the technique for the golden core transfer, all he feels is relief that goes all the way down to his marrow. Finally—finally, he can begin to atone. Finally, he can start to make it right.

These events are also super pivotal, so I took several cracks at the fall of Lotus Pier. The problem with this next one is that it surfaces the idea of WWX being LWJ's mate - not good! That idea is supposed to be unthinkable (literally, WWX can't think it even though it is obviously the most plausible explanation for LWJ's behavior), and having YZY make this accusation here would undermine that. It's also just a freaking long speech for YZY to make. People don't make speeches like this in real life; I try to use them very sparingly.

The whip marks again, from Zidian as always, as Wang Lingjiao looks on. Wei Wuxian doesn’t fight. If by his death or mutilation, he can spare Yunmeng Jiang, then of course that is his duty.

But it’s not enough.

When Yu-furen shoves them into the boat, she snarls at him. “I hate you, you ungrateful boy! You had one purpose in this world, one, and you couldn’t do it – too eager to play omega for that Lan Wangji. You’ll never be his mate! This is the only family you’ll ever have, and you tried to destroy it, you hateful, hateful, unfilial boy.” She sucks in a breath. “This is your last chance. Protect A-Cheng and A-Li. Don’t you dare keep anything for yourself that could go to them. Not even your own life. Now go.”

So then I reworked it to take that part out, and work JFM in.

When Yu-furen shoves them into the boat, she tells him what a failure he is; screams it, with tears in her eyes.

“I hate you, you ungrateful boy! You had one purpose in this world, one, and you couldn’t do it.” She sucks in a breath. “This is your last chance. Protect A-Cheng and A-Li. Don’t you dare keep anything for yourself that could go to them. Not even your own life. Now go.”

Jiang-shushu is kinder. But the message is the same.

“Promise me you’ll always watch over A-Li and A-Cheng, A-Xian.”

And then, they’re both gone.

Okay, we pick back up with the aftermath of the golden core transfer:

It works. It hurts like nothing he’s ever felt before, but that doesn’t matter, because it works. Wen Qing asks him to stay with her until he’s fully healed, but A-Cheng and Jiejie need him. That comes first.

And so, empty, grey, and bleeding, he finds his way to the Yiling Tea House to meet with A-Cheng.

There, he finds an ambush.

Wen Chao laughs as his lackeys land their kicks in Wei Wuxian’s ribs, then turns away as if Wei Wuxian is beneath his notice. “A beta with no family is a dog without a master. Throw it in the Burial Mounds with the rest of the trash.”

*

Then he’s in the Burial Mounds.

In this want, he can knit together the strands of himself that had pulled apart. Revenge, for Lotus Pier and Jiang Sect, for Jiang Cheng’s core and Jiejie’s broken sobs, for Jiang-shushu and Yu-furen’s lives and the disrespect of their bodies after death. And revenge as another word for justice; revenge on the strong, for the weak; on the wicked, for the innocent.

He is revenge. And in that understanding, he walks out of the Burial Mounds. But not out of the dark.

The posted fic has a Burial Mounds flashback, too, but it's more... atmospheric, I guess? And it focuses on WWX being a tool for others to use, not on this theme of WWX trying to reconcile the ultimately irreconcilable values of justice and family.

The same is true of this next bit: there's an analogous bit in the posted fic, but it's the "why won't Lan Zhan just use him and shut up, like everyone else?" bit, focusing on LWJ's refusal to make use of WWX, instead of focusing on the conflict between what Lan Zhan wants from WWX and what WWX's siblings want, like this does:

When he comes back from the Burial Mounds, it’s so hard. Lan Zhan keeps saying, “Come back to Gusu with me,” keeps wanting to help. But WWX has learned his lesson. He cannot abandon JYL and JC to go to Gusu. He has to win this campaign, for them. So they can be safe. So they can return to Lotus Pier.

He can’t rest until that happens.

And all he wants, all he wants, is to rest.

That's all for now! Part II of the alternate version will be posted tomorrow-ish, and then assorted other collections of deleted scenes that are more traditionally deleted-scene-y, if you know what I mean. Feel free to ask if you have questions about any of this, I don't know that I explained everything super well!

ETA: second half of this is now here! Other deleted scenes posts are linked in the masterpost.

#the untamed #my writing #deleted scenes #fit for purpose #wangxian #cql fic

[somanyfuckedupiftruebooks]

Mag 38

We love a man who's well organised <3 He has experience with needing to get the fuck out of dodge and I respect that.

Surely these can't all be Leitners? It would be insane to store them like this, right? And as far as we know Salesa isn't a moron.

Although it is cool to think that he stole them all from (laughed out of town cowboy motherfucking) jurgen leitner after his internship ended. Punitive damages.

Homophobic vase??? Already??? I didn't know this was a Season 1 statement! I thought this motherfucker showed up in like 3 or 4.

Anyway, great to be like, 'This disorienting vase had a pattern so impossible that it gave me a headache. It was amazing and I bought it immediately.'

What is with people in TMA wanting cursed shit in their homes? (Remembers thst I have a framed bat skeleton on my bookshelf next to a Japanese puzzle box full of replica human teeth and directly opposite the lovechild of a porcelain doll and a rusty tin can that I have to keep nailed to the wall) ...nevermind.

Hello David, the gaslighting king. I had a headcanon about him that relistening to this episode may have ruined, but I'll expand on that later.

Wild that Salesa now seems to be afraid of that vase. I mean, it makes sense from his POV. He just received a photo of what is obviously a Spiral artefact that he has absolutely no memory of but apparently owned at one point. Fear is an appropriate response here; he's obviously only narrowly dodged some kind of bullet.

But what about when he had the vase originally? How did he get it? Did he not know what it was, or what it did? I know he lives a dangerous life, but it seems deeply reckless to be a person who makes a living by aquiring and selling goods and in any way interact with something that makes it impossible for a person to keep or own anything. If he hadn't somehow fluked his way into passing the vase along without consequence, it could have destroyed him.

Actually you know what commentary cancelled. I am being such an idiot. I am asking how and why Salesa came to own a thing cannot be owned and (at a minimum) distorts the memory of anyone who tries to buy or sell it. Salesa had never set eyes on that vase until the exact moment that Andre wanted to buy it, then he lied and pretended to know what it was until the sale was over (because he's a criminal) then he promptly forgot it ever existed.

These certainly do seem to be the actions and thought patterns of a person who is mentally well.

Again, I've said this before, but Spiral statements like this get under my skin because they feel so unfair. Of course a person will start losing track of their sanity if you mess with their literal reality to the point at which they can no longer determine what's real. David isn't gaslighting Andre, Andre isn't losing tough with reality, it's the vase's fault for changing reality around both of them! And even saying that sounds crazy!

Alright Salesa, no need to be a cunt about it. This could have very easily been happening to you.

You see this shit? How can this not break your heart? He's not wrong; it's the vase's fault!!

I don't know why this kind of thing bothers me for the Spiral specifically when all the Entities do basically the same thing. It doesn't feel unfair for the Buried to eat cave divers alive, or for the Lonely to isolate depressed loners, but when the Spiral takes people who are perfectly sane and fucks around with them until they are paranoid delusional messes it just feels like bullying I guess.

It's not fair how crazy he sounds when he is accurately describing what is literally happening to him!! The Spiral can fuck off.

Keep these details about David in mind for the theory I will be expanding on later.

#a mag a day #reeah reacts to tma #mag 38 #homophobic vase #the spiral

[theweavingserpent]

"Old Time Burials" [1]

The following transcripts are from the second Foxfire book from the chapter "Old Time Burials." Trigger warnings for death, funerals and dead bodies.

While reading the following transcripts, please keep in mind that Appalachia has a unique dialect. Many of the words and phrases shown may be foreign to you. They are not misspellings; they are a reflection of Appalachia's dialect.

All transcripts are indented. Any quotes of peoples direct words are bold and italic. My own commentary will be normal text.

I'm making a particular note of the following transcript, because it reflects how society has lost its sense of community and empathy. Even if you choose not to read the rest of the transcripts below the cut, I encourage you to read the following.

While working on this chapter, we learned to value the qualities of unselfishness and concern that people had for others in the time of death and to appreciate the unlimited time they gave of themselves. Showing their genuine sympathy, respect, and love for the family of the deceased, people traveled great distances in wagons and on horseback to attend wakes, help dig and fill the grave, make the coffin, wash and dress the body, and to help the family in any possible way. And they did it, usually, free of charge. As Margaret Norton said, "Th'family didn't have t'pay nothin'. They dug th'grave free of charge. Men went in together and dug th'grave. And you made th'burying clothes, and you made th'box t'be buried in, and there wadn't no payin' goin' on. Th'preacher never charged for a funeral- for preachin' the funeral. They'll charge for funerals now, preachers will. They're not supposed to. See, most preachers is paid by salary, and that's one of his jobs. He ain't supposed t'charge y'. But many of'em'll take anything."

As soon as a person died, a number of things were traditionally done almost simultaneously: a bell was tolled announcing the death; a neighbor was contracted to produce a casket (unless it had been made in advance under the supervision of the person who had died); relatives who lived away from the community were notified as quickly as possible- sometimes by means of a letter edged with a black border; and the body was washed and laid out in preparation for the wake that would take place that night in the home of the deceased. The "settin' up" was held in the home since, as Maude Shope said, "They didn't have no funeral homes t'take'em to, y'know. If one was t'die here last night, we laid'im out. What neighbors was already here 'cause somebody'uz sick would strip th'bed off and put'im on a plain plank till y'got yer casket." Most of our contacts told us the number of times the bell tolled depended on the age of the person who had died. Ethel Corn, for example, said, "Quick as the news went that they was dead, why somebody would go ring th'bells. And then they'd toll th'bells for however many years old they were. You could count th'bells a'tollin' and you'd know just exact how old that person was."

The thing that stands out the most to me here is the fact that small communities made somebody's death a community-wide event. Showing up to the funeral was just the bare minimum. People made it a point to help the sick during their final days, as well as the family of the sick. Even after death the family's neighbors would contribute to make the wake and burial process easier.

This expression of sympathy and compassion is a rare experience these days. People will show up for funerals, offer the family of the deceased food as a sign of compassion and things like that. Nobody goes to such great lengths, as it has been recorded in this book, to help a friend or neighbor these days. Even in the largest of families, it is almost always left to a small few to sort out the funeral arrangements.

Even pastors, the people who are supposed to be the most compassionate and generous towards their communities, will demand payment or a donation to their church to perform any services for a funeral these days.

It's honestly disgusting to think about how many people profit so much off the dead and their grieving families. The viewing, burial, service fees, transport, casket, embalming and other aspects of a funeral can cost thousands of dollars. Putting the dead to rest shouldn't cost people so much money- especially when families are grieving.

By the time the casket was delivered at the home of the deceased, many of the neighbors in the community would have gathered around those who were mourning. "They'd go spend th'night, y'know," said Mrs. Tom McDowell. "They'd go set up of a night and sing, and people'd come in. And when they died, somebody'd go and toll th'bell at th'church. And that let th'community know. If we'uz workin' in th'fields and somebody died, we quit and we went. Tom's grandmother had a big old sheep horn. And when she died, they got up and blowed that horn. Now we heard that all around. They blew th'horn that noon, and th'horses heard it, they all come in. People didn't work no more till she was buried." "The neighbors usually did everything," said Mrs. E. H. Brown. "Usually they'd be someone go spend the night with them the first night. They thought they'd be lonesome or something." The night following the death, it was customary to have a wake, or a "settin'up with th'dead." In fact, this is often still done today. When we asked Fidel Crisp why, he remarked, "Show your respect to th'dead man is all I know. It's th'respect they have for you after you die. And they set up with'im on that account. But now y'die, they don't give a damn whether you live or walk."

The part about spending the night with the dead is intriguing. To many southern and Appalachian folk, it's believed that the dead need time to process their own death and pass on. "They thought they'd be lonesome or something" implies that the dead are still present shortly after their death occurs, and they want comfort. Spending time with the deceased after death wasn't just about comfort, but also respect.

Digging and filling in the grave was a sacred act that was often reserved for friends and neighbors who were close to the family. Ada Kelly verified this by saying, "Friends dug the grave and filled it up afterwards. And some do here now. They used t'be a bunch a'men had tools, shovels, and ever'thing that they needed t'dig graves. And some one person usually had charge of those tools. Different ones in th'community would dig th'grave. It was always very sacred. It'uz just a custom." Florence Brooks added, "They'd just carry th'casket up t'th'cemetery, and they'd have th'grave already dug. All th'neighbors helped dig it. They'uz a lot a'difference back then. Seemed like people had better feelin's for other people than they do now. Now they don't care if y'set up by yourself all night or not."

This is what I have been talking about this entire time: respect and compassion. Throughout these parts of the chapter it is constantly reiterated that all of these customs have meaning. It was a standard to give beloved members of the community a good send-off.

When reading this chapter I felt a sense of melancholy. It's amazing to see how much people cared about their neighbors way before profiting of the deceased was normalized, but it's a sad reality knowing that people just don't care like they used to.

#section: book transcripts #section: appalachian history #section: death work #book: foxfire book two #info: funeral customs

[crowentity233]

Spare Shadows (pt. 3)

(Slow Burn Type Story)

Mako x Reader

Pt4 Masterlist

Summary: Darkness is hovering over the city. Dae is one of many struggling to survive in the city without any control. Police have exhausted all efforts to save the city. The Avatar saves Dae after being captured by Bolin and Mako. Dae, a master swordswoman, then follows the group to save her spirit friends in the city.

(No warnings, I'm attempting at a storyline that would fit into Korra. If you can watch korra, you can handle this, so rated what the show Is rated.)

The group of young adults all surrounded a screen. Nuktuk was saving the world in the mover.

They sat making commentary about the mover. Dae was watching with her eyes wide. "Bolin, you're moving in pictures." She spoke astonished.

"You haven't seen this?" Asami brows lifted.

"No. Why? How long has this been a thing? I've never heard of a mover. I thought you guys were kidding." Dae giggled through the embarrassment. She gripped the blanket, covering her legs, trying to soothe herself.

"You aren't from Republic City, are you? This was a big thing when the watertribes were having a problem. That was years ago. Varrick hasnt been able to expand the release of them yet to other towns. It's mostly in the big cities." Korra explained.

"No, I'm not. I was in a small town. I left to get a better life." She admitted the embarrassment settling in her bones further. She continued soothing herself.

"It happened for us. We grew up in an alleyway on the street." Bolin said abruptly.

"Im still shocked. We became what we used to run from." Mako added.

"I grew up locked away. I had no idea what the city was like either." Korra said

"I was always successful, but my company went under a few times after my father left. I had to take it over and struggled for a while to get it back together. Your father being a part of a gang can really set a business back." Asami trailed.

"The small town wasn't bad. This just is a lot to take in. There is a lot in the city that I've never seen before." Dae eased her tense shoulders. Everyone was so kind and open it was very reassuring. She felt a little closer to home. Small towns were much more close knit then large cities.

"I'm going to head in for the night. We have a lot of traveling before we get to the northern watertribe." Korra called out. Asami followed Korra to their room.

"Korra and Asami are sweet. Are they together?" Dae asked.

Mako tensed up immediately. The couple was still being processed in his mind. They weren't a problem. Their history was just a big adjustment to make.

"Yeah, they are dating." Bolin didn't notice his brothers uncomfortable demeanor. "We are meeting my girlfriend at the water tribe. Her name is Opal."

"Her name is pretty. I bet you two make a great couple." Dae leaned back in her seat, just making comfortable conversation with the brothers. "What about you, Mako?"

"Huh?" Mako snapped his eyes up. He had been lost in thought.

"Are you seeing anyone? We were talking about the relationships in the group." Dae asked and explained politely.

"Oh... No. I'm not." Mako spoke with simplicity.

"He isn't dating right now. He dated Asami for a while then..."

"Bolin..." Mako warned in a low voice, interrupting his brother.

"It's not important. Mako doesn't like to talk about it." Bolin finished awkwardly pressing his thumbs together.

"Well, I don't know why she'd break up with you. You're hot. She's hot. Seems like a match made in heaven." Dae said, trying to difuse the situation with compliments.

"Well, he kissed Korra." Bolin continued, his mouth always seemed to outrun his brain. "Bolin!" Mako said again.

"Well, that will do it." Dae grabbed the blankets, trying to soothe herself, knowing that things had escalated.

"I'm going to bed. Try to keep the shaming me to a minimum." Venom seemed to slip off Mako's words.

"Mako, I didn't mean to bring up..." Dae tried to remedy the situation, but mako had left. "Anything." She said quietly.

"Don't worry about him. He will be okay. He's just still dealing with it." Bolin attempting to ease her.

"Okay. I think I'm going to bed. I'll see you in the morning, Bolin."

The pair said their goodnights and Dae left to her room. It was cold, so cold she almost went back to the living room for another blanket. She decided against it and fell asleep from the long, busy day.

The next morning was less eventful and more tense. Dae walked in and sat at the table where breakfast was already set out.

"Good morning. I hope you dont mind. We let you sleep in." Korra greeted.

"Thanks." You sat down in the seat and began eating.

"Where's Mako? He's normally up by now." Asami asked, looking towards the hall.

"Dae asked if you two were dating, and I just kept talking." Bolin's lip quivered, knowing his brother was upset because of him.

"Oh." Asami said quickly.

"You two are sweet together. You both compliment each other. " Dae had seen the couple being soft with each other a few times since waking up.

"Thanks. We try to keep it tame around Mako. He is still adjusting. There's history there for both of us. We don't really talk about it around him." Korra breathed out.

"Yeah, thanks for the memo." Dae sunk down into her chair in defeat.

"He'll be fine. What is in the plans for today?" Asami asked the group changing the subject.

"We won't be at the watertribe until tomorrow." Korra said, taking a bite of her food.

"So, let's do something fun." Asami smiled at Dae and Bolin, trying to bring up their spirits. Bolin and Dae both felt guilty for Mako's absence.

"What about Mako?" Dae asked. She couldn't help but ask. She remembered how nice he was to her when she first woke up. He didn't talk much. He was quiet, and when he did talk, he had been kind to her. She was twiddling her thumbs, trying not to remember the insensitivity she had towards him.

"Bolin, why don't you go get him? Tell him we are out on the deck. Dae, did you bring a swimsuit?" Dae's eyes widened at Asami, snapping her out of her thoughts.

"No, most of my stuff was destroyed. I didn't really think about looking for it. We were in a rush."

"Hey, no worries. I have an extra one you can have. I always keep extra on the ship, just in case." Asami stood up. "Follow me, we can get changed and go get some sun before we enter the cold climate."

"But isn't this saving the world stuff kinda serious?" Dae followed Asami down a dark hallway.

"Bolin, go get Mako." Korra called out, following behind Dae and Asami. "You'll learn saving the world is kind of an all the time thing. You have to take the spare time you have and enjoy it when you can."

"Noted." Dae said, walking into the room with the couple. Asami handed her a swimsuit, and Dae left to change. She had to admit Asami had tasted. The swimwear was flattering.

She stepped out where Asami and Korra had changed. Asami definitely had great taste. Their swimwear was just as flattering. The group of girls all walked up to the deck. Asami laid out towels. Korra, and Dae put out lounge chairs.

Korra and Asami sat down in their chairs. Dae leaned against the rail. "You know this is my first time really being in the middle of the ocean. It's beautiful. I've never seen so much water."

Bolin ran across the deck. "Isn't it incredible. Me and Mako used to go play on the beach when we were younger. Mako always wanted his own ship to sail." Bolin said as he and Mako made their way towards the group. The brothers sat next to one another in their swimsuits, and Mako kept his distance from the couple. No one dared say anything about his absence.

"I wish I could have my own ship. I dont think I'd ever be on land again." Dae said watching the water.

"Maybe there's some water tribe in your veins down the line." Korra spoke up.

"Maybe..." Dae trailed. "My dad didn't really talk much about our heritage." She looked down at the water next to the ship. A group of something flew up towards her quickly. "What are those!?!" Dae screamed, falling back from the rail plopping onto the floor of the deck.  All of the group stood up, expecting a huge monster or a battleship ready to attack.

"They're flying dolphin fish..." korra said simply, turning her head to Dae, who was collapsed on the deck. "They aren't going to hurt you. You can ride on them. They're friendly."

"It just popped out of the water, and it was looking at me, and I've never seen one before." Dae scrambled to find her words and her footing. Mako gave a chuckle, and Bolin laughed loudly. Asami grabbed her hand and helped her up.

"It's okay. We get it. Do you want to ride one? Korra can take you down there and fly you back up."  Asami eyed the dolphin fish. It was keeping pace with the ship, meaning perfect riding conditions.

"Are you sure?" She was not scared. She just really was not expecting something to be keeping up with the ship just looking up at her.

"Yeah. Come here. I would for your first real ocean experience to be riding a Flying Dolphin fish." Korra grabbed her wrist and held her close wrapping her arm around her. She bent the air while jumping and landed on the dolphin. "Hold on!"  Korra yelled over the sound of blasting water.

Dae held onto the fin, and they both screamed in pure joy. The dolphin took off, knowing there were riders on its back. They were notoriously friendly creatures, and they knew how to show riders a good time.

The dolphin flew up and around. He splashed, and water flowed around, making waves that battled the ship. Laughter covered the top of the ship. Both Korra and Dae were completely soaked in water that was bouncing around them. Korra grabbed Dae and flew her back up the ship. Korra let her go, and Dae lost her balance falling into Mako. Giggles bubbled through the deck.

Mako caught her in his arms, helping her to balance. "Thank you." Dae looked up, seeing it was Mako's strong arms entangled with her holding her up on her feet. Even his lips were lifted with laughter showing through. Dae quickly recovered. She still had tension around him.

She stepped away and turned to see Korra lifting Bolin off to the ride the dolphin next. Asami stayed at the edge of the railing waiting for Korra. She laughed at Bolin's cheers.

"I'm sorry... about last night. I didn't know about any of -" timid words desperate for acceptance slipped from Dae's lips. She had wanted friends for so long, and the rejection from anyone in the group could lead her into the outcast again.

"It's okay. Just... let's not talk about it. There's a lot more to it than I care to discuss with you." Mako stood with his bare arms crossed.

Daes eyes trailed his buff uncovered arms unintentionally, shaking her head. "I have no idea what you're talking about then. Are you going to ride the flying dolphin fish?"

"No, korra took me before. It's not really my thing." Mako shook his head.

"Then what is your thing?" Dae asked as Bolin came up splashing water all over the deck of the ship. Korra grabbed Asami around the waist. She took her off the ship, and they rode off with the dolphin laughing with Bolin cheering them on.

"Not Dolphin riding." Mako stood up straight and walked off the deck to the door.

Dae's eyes flicked where his eyes were pinned. She saw what he was seeing.

Empathy for Mako placed a fake smile over her lips as she watched the couple enjoy each other's company. The sadness was far too strong for the smile to be real.

Her lenses of the world around her switched. Such an incredible group of people with a close bond had suddenly become a group of people that weren't as put together as she had once thought.

"That was so much fun!" Asami screamed as she jumped back on top of the deck.

Korra laughed loudly. As she stepped onto the deck. She looked around, and her laugh slowed in pace. "Where's Mako? It's his turn."

"He said he wanted to get some food since he missed breakfast." Dae smiled with it not quite reaching her eyes.

"Well then next time." Korra waved to the Dolphin. "Thank you!" She called out. The others in the group joined her appreciation as the Dolphin flew away.

They sat back down on the lounge chairs. The sun was still high in the sky. They laid out talking for a few hour. The air started to slightly chill over. "It's starting to get cold." Dae's arms started to cover with goose bumps.

"We hit the current a few minutes ago. It will only get colder from here. We're in the water tribe waters now." Korra said as she looked out at the sea.

"I'm going to head inside." Dae said softly.

"We'll catch up to you in a little while." Asami waved to Dae.

Dae stepped down below the deck. She walked to her room, getting changed into comfortable clothes.

She walked into the living room to get to the kitchen. Mako's eyes lifted from his book, then dropped them back down as he realized it was just Dae.

"I told them that when you came inside, you went to have breakfast. Just don't say you haven't eaten." Dae said as she passed through the doors she walked towards the kitchen doorway.

"Okay." Mako said quickly without taking his eyes off his book.

Dae nodded and walked into the kitchen. She grabbed a cup and put a pot of water over the stove.

"Thanks for covering me." Makos voice echoed within the empty kitchen as he passed through the door.

"Yeah, don't mention it." She breathed out as she focused on the cabinets looking for tea. She found a box of green tea. She grabbed the box and set it on the counter with her cup.

Mako walked through the kitchen. "What are you making?"

"Just some tea, it's freezing outsi-"

She stopped as makos chest pressed into her back. He poured the lukewarm water in the cup for her. He turned off the stove, and his hand grazed her hip as he pulled it away from the dial. He reaches around her, his arm was touching her sending chills from his warm temperature compared to her cool skin. He leaned over her with his other hand on her other shoulder. Warmth surrounded her cold skin. "I got it." He said just above a whisper, taking his fingers and bending flames to the water, making it bubble into the perfect temperature. He stepped back and walked back to the couch, sitting back down to continue reading.

"Thanks." Dae said softly just enough for him to hear as he walked away. Her breath was taken from her. He was a fire bender, but in this moment, she swore he was an air nomad stealing the oxygen around her.

"Don't mention it." He started reading again from where he left off.

Dae finished making herself tea and put everything away. She sipped on the tea, praying that it had magically ran cold just to have him heat it again.

The doors opened, letting cold air crash into the room. Bolin crashed into the room, bumping around play fighting with Korra.

Asami followed the pair. "Oh, Mako. Dae. what are you two doing?"

"Nothing. I, um, came in to get some tea." Fluster smothered Dae's voice. Mako never looked up from his book, a smirk plastered over his face. "I started reading after my late breakfast."

"Tea sounds good, maybe a game, and the fireplace going." Korra said. "Mako, can you start the fire."

He closed his book and put wood into the fireplace. He bended fire around it, creating warmth in the room. Dae sat down across the room at the opposite couch from him, sipping her tea. Her eyes lingered on him over the mug. His strong arms displayed with just a white tank top. His messy hair that was gelled when she first met him, the way his purely golden eyes reflected the blaze he had created. She flicked her eyes away from him as Bolin walked to the couch sitting next to her. "You up for a game of Pai Sho." He asked Dae, effectively breaking her from her trance.

"I would love that." She nodded to Bolin.

Tag List:

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[tutuandscoot]

SD: Sympathy for the Devil- 2018 Winter Olympics, Pyeongchang South Korea

This is probably my all time favourite VM program. As I discovered more of them there are others challenging for the top spot but this is the one I always want to watch and is the one I attach my first impressions of them to- there is always something with this program that I’m watching them like its the first time.

I’ve already raved about the costumes multiple times so lets just get straight into it.

1. The Opening (pose)

Once again we are talking about first impressions here. The first impression of VIRTUEMOIR. And what an introduction it is. I mean holy shit.. they just exude confidence. They really entered that arena and skated onto that ice like they owned it. Like instead of the olympics logo on the ice it should’ve just said ‘property of VM inc’. That soft breathe T takes as she passes the judges, them getting to make eye contact one last time before both turning to face the front. Scott telling her “lets go”. And not in a loud, excited, amped up way. Very calm but full of confidence and, yes now looking at it after knowing so much, a bit of foreboding, like, “alright T, last SD, lets show what we’ve got”. Also his clap and rolling his hands together, ughhhhh I melted… like thats just something you would not have seen him do ever before this season, maybe before this very performance, yet it doesn’t feel unnatural at all. It exudes confidence, he’s so ready to go. It just sets such a tone right away and tells you you really have no choice but to watch them. Taking their time to get to the still starting pose. The sass in their shoulders, the matching pointed toes, how their exact positions are different but complement each other PERFECTLY! Just everything about it I love it all!! Then the one shot on QUEEN T… I think this may have been where I stopped breathing. There is something about that shot of her every time I watch it where I feel like I don’t know her (i don’t- not personally, but given I blog about them everyday I feel like I have a familiarity with them now) something about it still feels like that first time where I thought ‘omg she is so stunning’- not just her physical beauty, but again, her confidence (which I’ll talk about eventually was such an important thing that she be able to have). Maybe it’s that she doesn’t often on or off ice wear make up that heavy, but I loved it and I just felt like I was looking at this real life wonder woman. She was so intimidating (in the best way possible) and just this huge energy which at the same time was so settled and contained. They haven’t even started dancing yet and I’m already shouting about how freaking empowering it was to see a woman in the most nerve racking moment of her life look that unstoppable.

Ok, sorry. This post is meant to be about breaking down the program.. lets do that now and keep the gushing to a minimum. 🤫

2. The Opening (movement)

I can’t stress enough how hard I immediately fell in love with them when I heard that first ‘OWW’. This is one of my fave songs ever and really with the costumes being the first impression and being so different to typical latin (esp ice dance) costumes, not that I thought about it but once the music started it made so much sense that THAT was the song.

On that first ‘OWW’ as T does her point and (idk what to call it so I’m just gonna say) ‘seduction moment’ and she kinda spins a bit on her blade. That had never happened before (in a performance at least) so I wonder if that was maybe one of her little micro bobbles that only she felt. It doesn’t at all look like she was off balance or it wasn’t meant to happen, in fact it looks AMAZING like this because it stretched out that moment and made it so indulgent, and especially when it’s slowed down it’s just freaking magic.

Kurt Browning said in his commentary that Scott looked like an animal who hadn’t eaten in a month when he started and the way he looked at T. That is such a hard quality to pull of well- not have it be over the top or cringy. I always come back to with this dance that they managed to balance being extremely into each other as well as into themselves- acknowledge their own attractiveness and sexuality and play off that together. [The ‘being into yourself’ bit is not to be pompous or arrogant- it about abandoning any fear of judgement and not letting any insecurities show]. That’s what I feel as though specifically Scott’s ‘animal’ vibes are. Wanting to devour her and know she’s gonna want to be devoured by him. All that already portrayed in maybe.. 2 seconds…. 2 seconds into their program and you’re already getting that sense of performance and story from them.

I love that their latin movement compared to a lot of other teams was so much more, relaxed, as well as really dancey and not out of the ‘latin for dummies’ book. It looks so fun, like they are dancing in a latin bar. The latin movement fits so naturally in their bodies (and if it didn’t fit naturally they make it look as though it did). T’s hips are fantastic. She’s not over the top with it which again makes it feel more natural. Blending it with this more casual ‘rock’ music vibes as well helped in it not looking like a typical impersonation of Latin dancing- it was entirely their own thing.

3. THE SAMBA ROLLS

THE MOMENT I WAS SNATCHED.. by that I mean that if I wasn’t already hooked by the costumes and their confidence and their beautiful faces and the MUSIC then this is where I was like oh damn! This was really my first experience watching ice dance with the understanding that it is different than pairs.. my closest understanding of it was ballroom tangos and waltzs. I’m not a trained latin dancer but I know enough about it to differentiate the styles and samba rolls are an iconic movement in samba dancing. When it’s done really well its like the man is stirring the woman. I’ve seen it done where the woman is bending almost equally to all front, back and sides, which also means the man has to be quite flexible for her the bend forward over him as he bends back. TS do this movement incredibly well. They are doing it faster then I’ve mostly seen it done and obviously their footwork is different because they are skating- they have a wider lunge position where as on the floor you would be taking more smaller steps. SO, to see a literal DANCE movement in a skating program done so well and so appropriately as to recognise this as a ‘samba’ dance, not just samba rhythm music (which I feel is what most other teams were doing) which up until now I had admittedly a naive understanding of skaters’ range of dance ability (which I still to this day maintain they are the ball around dancers without a doubt).

The movement after this is fantastic and all still in maybe the first 10/15 seconds of the program is setting the tone as this fun, dancey good time still with all the technical superiority. I almost feel like in that moment just after the samba rolls where he spins her under his arm and they have a little face to face moment, he asked her is she was all good with that little uncharacteristic slide/spin on her very first movement. I obviously have no way to know but in this interview she mentioned in the very beginning of both programs they had some tiny little glitches that only the two of them would’ve felt. Idk, its not a big deal either way but its nice to think about. It looks like they were saying something but it could’ve just been one of their scheduled key words.

4. Non-touch midline step sequence

(Bloody hell that’s a mouthful)

So this sequence mostly stayed the same throughout the season. There were actually some fun moments in the very first version at ACI, but my fave specific version was definitely SCI. It’s almost identical but there are some upper body movements that I love in this earlier version. There just seemed to be more musical detail. For example the little shoulder moment right after they round the corner. Also even though he ‘messed it up’ I like Scott’s ‘centre stage’ moment at SCI (with the ‘eyebrows’ ☺️). Other then that really there’s not much difference (I do not know how to differentiate the skating steps all I care about is the edge quality and the musicality. Their NTMLSS are in general phenomenal and beyond just their amazing skating technique which I just have to take everyone’s word for since I’m not qualified to determine that for fact (but it’s obvious) but one of the things I can identify as part of their excellence is the way they use their upper bodies. This is of course partly them having good choreography but the thing about good chore is it needs to have good dancers doing to make it appear good. I don’t like to call out specific teams on here to compare TS to, but with something like this it’s more a general thing with lots of teams. It’s what I call ‘YMCA’ skating.. where you get all the edges and turns on the music, but quite simple and stiff upper body movements. I will link the full 2018 SD event here so if you have a spare couple hours you can watch for yourself. But anyway, what I find with these types of movements is you start to see the skaters who aren’t actually “dancing” on ice.. The movement becomes broken down into lower body and upper body, with some separation in style and rhythm between the two. It doesn’t look fully coordinated, or the movement is very simple to allow for the skaters to be coordinated. I noticed this a lot both in this seasons (17/18 latin) and the season before (16/17 hip hop/blues) so you can also watch the worlds SD event to see the same thing in some teams. In BOTH TS movement you can see their shoulders move, their hips move, their body rolls. Just look where they both stop in the centre- how far Scott bends back- in a side view photo he’s bending almost 90 degrees back (that’s an exaggeration but it’s really fkn far!) It’s also in their characters- they don’t drop the spirit of the dance just because they are skating difficult steps individually. To summaries they are, you guessed it .. DANCING.. which considering the sport is called ice dance, that’s what I want to see, not skating sections and ‘dancing’ sections.

5. The musical transition

To be perfectly honest.. the very first time I was kinda bummed when the music started to fade out of SFTD.. I was just kinda like ‘oh what that’s all we got of that’. BUT that was literally only for the first time I watched it because watching it a second time knowing to was coming.. it’s is such a fantastic musical transition. I kinda hate how in ice dance they often have to have ‘medleys’. Simply because of the requirements specifically in the SD/RD that has to be at least two “distinct” musical styles. I think I maybe remember reading at one point that in the rules for, I think this season but it may have been the season before.. that the NTMLSS had to be skated on a different rhythm to the set patter, so in this case rhumba. So inevitably unless you find the perfect music that has both the rhythm being used for the compulsory rhumba pattern (coz most teams did not you what I would describe as ‘rhumba’ music) and another of the optional rhythms, at least 2 pieces of music would have to be used. If there aren’t good musical transitions and good choreography to fit those changes, I really tend to hate the medley format. This musical change from SFTD to HC was ✨INSPIRED✨. The way the ‘OWW’s continue but gradually stretch out from 4 counts apart to 8 counts- the first of the last ‘OWWs’ where HC comes in and they hit that layback position 🫠 the sustain that glide itnto the corner. That last one being on the leg flick in the compulsory pattern. It was a tonal shift that along with the layout of the choreography fit so perfectly in creating the whole vibe of the program: This fun and dancey, but also hot and intimate smoothness- rhumba not being on upbeat music, gradually transitioning out of the iconic SFTD lyrics and samba beat.. it was just beautiful..

I’ve already talked extensively about the rhumba pattern so I’m gonna skip that in this post

6. Choreographic moments between the rhumba and the circular step sequence in hold

Ok here we go, everyone’s favourite moment (although there didn’t appear to be a kiss this time ☹️). I reblogged this moment (from the TE) a long time ago when I first started posting on here that I had a very different take on this moment. Basically the gist of it was that I didn’t see it as purely this, hot, intimate, romantic, confirmation they are fucking moment. Yes it is incredibly hot and intimate and made my heart skip a beat, once again, that it’s their job to make you believe that but should be respected when they say that what most assume is not the case off ice (wonder if I’ll ever be able to stop saying that 🙄). But I personally found this to be more of a moment for them where they aren’t executing an element or any particularly difficult/complicated skating steps, to just take a moment to pause, get very close and just check in with each other. It doesn’t last particularly long but in a fast moving program, even a brief moment where they can just come back to their eyes and remind each other they are doing really well and just keep to breathing and stay focused. It can 100% be both that and this hot and indulgent moment at the same time. They can disguise it being a special moment for them in something that serves the character of the program. Also from a choreographic perspective it creates this light and shade in the program. The more complicated it is generally means there is more movement and more steps in it and with skating how it is that they are essentially always travelling and if not then standing on the spot, this acts as a nice highlight moment that also offers some calmness amidst all the intricate, technical skating.

All the lovely intertwining steps following this moment are fantastic as well (hard to see from this angle). That moment where they do stop and do their little latin swaying movement together was great and the best that moment ever looked because a few times earlier on it looked a little uncoordinated.. being much closer and making it more about their bodies then their arms waving I think is what makes this moment much smoother. After this is when I really start to love the partnering because it starts with Scott just manipulating her by holding her waist and it’s like T is rolling around him so effortlessly. Kind like he is playing with water and it just flows through his fingers and flows over each surface. T truly has the most beautiful movement quality. She hardly ever hits a bad position and the way she just fits so naturally in just about every style of movement is just magical. That is so hard. The fact that she started as a ballet dancer and took it very seriously as a young child had clearly stayed with her in the way she caries herself and used that strong core foundation to then add layers of different dance styles. This, then the fact that Scott without that strict foundation ballet training that T had can match her so beautifully while maintaining his own distinct quality of movement is just what makes them the most pleasant team to watch. Nothing feels fake or forced.

7. Some highlight moments in the circular step sequence in hold

So the key requirements for this type of step sequence (*that I know of), (the other being the NTMLSS) is this one has to be fully completed touching the whole time- including in twizzles. It must start in foxtrot hold and finish with a ‘spin/skid stop’ to indicate the end of the sequence. What I like about this step sequence is the flow in and out of traditional holds and more modern ‘open’ holds. It’s again the fluidity of their movement which especially for a rhumba is an ideal quality. In this program they do 3 really distinct Latin styles (cha cha at the end there is only as small sampling with both the twizzles and lift in that section). They dance all these styles distinctly and with the appropriate carriage, energy and expression unique to each one, but have a fluid character storyline running through the whole program which doesn’t make it feel choppy.

I love this first moment in killian hold where they stay on that one LFI turned out edge and in unison passing their free leg from to back with that beautiful epaulement and head line on that high note in the music. That followed by that lovely arch back T has. Again, so indulgent- I’m using that word a lot for this program even though there isn’t really many moments they get to indulge for too long in. Somehow though they are able to create this light and shade through fast moving movement to create moments to feel indulgence and pleasure.

Then of course another fave moment, the ‘which part of T’s arm shall I bite moment’.. aka the ‘Nivea lotion’ moment (- for those who don’t know T posted a pic of this very moment from the team event where S was very close to her bare arm and captioned it ‘when that @ Nivea lotion just smells so good’.. our one and only QUEEN being sassy, flirty, and savage all at the same time 👑) this once again very intentionally but not at all apologetically or designed to stir shit up, is another example of their maturity and new found comfort in their artistry together to express very sensual themes and carry them off so naturally. It’s in the middle of a ‘required element’ where they have to remain in contact and hit all their edges and turns, yet come up with very creative choreography to portray their theme and energy and carry that throughout the dance. It’s like what I was saying earlier about the split you get in weaker teams of the ‘dancing’ and the ‘skating’ moments. With TS it’s this seamless blend of both athletic art forms.

8. Twizzles

It’s really what happens right before these twizzles that I love so much. So once again we get a great musical transition from HC to Oy Como Va. this one more abrupt but the way it goes straight into the guitar solo and really says ‘here we go, home stretch’ like the final song of the encore at a great rock concert. The movement I really love on the build up in the music before the guitar solo starts, is they are in kinda a hand to hand hold, then Scott has his right hand on her back, he kinda delays it there and they look to each other for as long as possible before taking literally one step and then flying into the catch-foot twizzles. I love that kinda delayed contact with his hand on her back, idk it kinda makes me think of it like they’re playing tag or something, or like, ‘ready, set go! I’m gonna race ya!’ There’s something about that and the way I think of it that makes it seem really fun and without actually racing each other- like getting out of sync or off the music, is kinda a great energy to take into those very fast twizzles and the rest of the program as a whole. I also really love what they do with their hands/arms between each of the twizzles- the first one that outstretched arm and jazz hand going into the LBO twizzle, then bringing the arms down again with jazz hands before the last set.

9. I just really love this moment

Ok this is just straight up fun from here on out. I love that moment perfectly on the guitar flick where she pushes off his chest and throws her hands up into that twizzle, then by holding her round the waist he swings her round and that fabulous sweeping edge change.

10. Lift + Ending

Ok here’s where I’m gonna really expose my ‘first timer ice dance viewer ignorance’. At the time I did not know that ice dancers we’re not allowed to do over-head lifts.. VM did this lift-one of their signature lifts for that matter and I thought.. “huh.. that seems a bit simple..”

Now let me explain this. I did not think this lift was easy or simple, it was certainly spectacular- the speed at which they rotated, the one hand in the middle, the smoothness of it, oh yeh and they are on fucking ICE.. what I mean by my initial reaction is a) I was not aware about the no over head lifts thing- I just expected on of those one arm pairs press lifts or something. And b) this is a classic ballroom/Latin style lift I had seen professional Latin dancers do not even to this quality. It looked like a dance lift to me- I just wasn’t expecting that from skaters. It is of course such a great way to finish and in this same event seeing other lower ranked teams attempt this lift then seeing VM do it is really impressive and once again from a comparison pov puts them way ahead of everyone else.

The ending is just so happy. Almost immediately after the music stops they drop the hot, sexy Latin vibes and just become incredibly precious and squishy with their overwhelming joy and pride in each other that they had danced so well. That’s the other thing about them that as amazing as they are and what great actors/performers they are, they’re incredibly genuine and can’t hide their excitement (and for that matter disappointment in those instances) they always remain incredibly professional but to see their personalities shine, especially when this is the first impression of them-it just makes them instantly loveable.

#sd: sftd #pyeongchang olympics #program breakdowns

[riverdale-retread]

Riverdale s6 Ep 19 (#114: Witches of Riverdale).

Friends! Romans!  This episode was unbelievable. 

I watched this on the treadmill because I’m an #overseas Riverdale fan and I get these episodes a whole month and change after the stateside folks but I had to get off the moving walkway because I was laughing too much. I haven’t experienced this much untrammeled joy from a TV show in my recent (very faulty) memory.

Some disclaimers:

I don’t know anything about Sabrina Pun-Name (I mean really, they gave a witch the last name SPELL + MAN) so if you’re someone who knows the deep lore of that show, please let me know if I’m missing the point entirely. By the way, what I got out of this episode is that Sabrina is an unethical asshole but I don’t know if having context for her life would make me feel differently. 

This recap is going to have a lot of fandom asides and performance commentary which I usually try to keep to a minimum. 

First thing!  Jughead is narrating even though he’s dead. He acknowledges that he’s dead. This is headspinningly funny because he calls himself the narrator, and he’s dead, and he’s also somehow fully aware of what’s going on while he’s technically mostly dead (in the Princess Bride way!) and telling us about it.   He’s a dead, literally unreliable narrator who is also self aware that he is both in a story and also talking to me, a Netflix subscriber.  Riverdale is genius.

The survivors of the Girls Count When It’s a Shitty Thing version of the Death of the First Born (sons) are in the lovely cemetery paying their respects to Nana Blossom. They are Heather,  Betty, Veronica, Tabitha and Cheryl.   Nana Rose gets a very beautiful pink flecked marble gravestone that looks like wounded flesh actually, so given that she died of asphyxiation following immolation, this choice is very Cheryl. 

I’m assuming that everyone else got a headstone too just gauging from where people are looking and gesturing, but the production doesn’t actually show us, I assume for budget issues.

Poor Cheryl. How come fandom never talks about Cheryl’s trauma?  She’s always been so tribal and family obsessed, but one by one all her family has died before she even reached 30. 

Percival has the gall to show up to this gathering with Uncle Fucking Frank in tow. 

Cheryl, in the throes of her grief, yells at him about killing “my Nana and my Tee-Tee.”  Cheryl grieves literally nobody else.

Veronica yells at Percival about killing Anthony because Baby Anthony was a Baby. Percival takes his leave, which makes Jughead sound suddenly energized. He tells us with palpable gusto - “I’ll let you in on a secret.”  To which I must wonder - Who does he think he’s talking to?

The funeral was a misdirect, he says, because it wasn’t a genuine funeral since no actual bodies were in the grave. They’re dead, for sure, and in the morgue freezers.  Jughead says this like somehow this is exceptional, even though it isn’t.

We cut to Dr. Curdle (no longer referred to as Junior) eating a  sandwich dead-eyed and alone in his work room (complete with apple!).  I object to this.  Dr. Curdle is a fun funky little weirdo - he’s a big fan of Josie and he’s music night date (boy?)friends with Principal Weatherbee. Why is he relegated to having a sad solo sandwich lunch in his depressing workroom? His meal is so wholesome too - milk, apple, sandwich. He is pivotal to all the Scooby plans and yet nobody thinks to invite him to lunch - he is no more or less off putting than Kevin or Jughead at their worst, so what gives?

Then we are given a glimpse of a moment that made the top of my head twist right off:

Kevin tends to a fussy Baby Anthony in his crib.  Kevin touches Baby Anthony and tucks him in. Which is more than the now-dead Fangs ever did before his demise. 

Kevin, Cheryl, Veronica, Heather Tabitha and Betty take in Alice’s newscast, which claims that it was gang warfare that resulted in so many deaths at the Toni/Fangs wedding celebration at the Whte Wyrm.   Betty switches it off, annoyed.  Tabitha speculates the reason for Percival not killing every First Born in town - that it would be harder to cover up.  Otherwise there might be thousands of deaths. How big is Riverdale again??

We come to the Sabrina (What was Her Name Again) Spellman introduction.  She’s Buffy, right?  “Cheerleader by Day, Queen of Hell by Night” sounds like Buffy Summers, who had an intentionally silly name and not as on the nose as Spell-man.  Heather is doing the exposition dump on Sabrina. 

The resurrection attempted by the necromancing witches have to be performed within 3 days. You know. Like that other guy. The guy who came back on the 3rd day.   They only have 12 hours left, is what Veronica says, but Sabrina is nowhere to be seen.  

Cheryl has decided to display, among all her other art (like the one dedicated to long-forgotten Minerva Marble), her self portrait as a Vixen/ Furry / Fox Head thing to all her friends, who presumably are too wigged out to notice or ask about it. 

Kevin wants to know how and why Baby Anthony didn’t die, even though he was a First Born.  So how exactly does the First Born business work though?? First born to either parent qualifies? (Jughead wasn’t FP’s first born but I suppose he was Glady’s).   Betty points out that Kevin is also a first born. But then again, not every single first born in Riverdale died, so what gives?

Apart and hidden from the others, Kevin tells Betty that he thinks the reason he was permitted to survive this very shoddily constructed plague was to be punished with survival.  This is bullshit.  He has no answer to what would be worse than murdered or how survival counts as punishment.  No answer, none. He just says this so he can join Moose, who has already absconded to NYC.  He makes shit up about doing this to ‘protect’ others.  Betty arbitrarily says that ‘everyone else will understand’ but actually I think Kevin is RUNNING AWAY FROM single fatherhood with Baby Anthony.  Betty understands the urge to run away from being a parent, apparently, but the facts are these:

Baby Anthony is an orphan now, and the person who would’ve been his third parent, the person who in fact began court proceedings to gain sole custody over him is completely abandoning him now that he’s alone in the world (notwithstanding the complete faith that everyone decides to have put in Sabrina).  Kevin is a POS.

Meanwhile, Reggie, who I think is also a first born, has just made a delivery to Percival of the Daggers of Megiddo (which google says is a thing invented in the Omens movie series, and are weapons intended to defeat the antichrist) all the way from Rome. 

He did what now? Reggie went to Rome and obtained “arcane objects of immense power” on his own and we don’t get to see any of it?   

Reggie is a very precise speaker. He says he did enjoy the trip to Rome, but is irked by the death of his ‘high school friends.’  Not “friends from High School days,” not “old friends,”  and definitely not “friends” in the present sense.  

While Veronica was absent from the Babylonium for all of exactly 60 hours, Percival has managed to call a board meeting, mind control everyone into both showing up and doing his bidding (I presume mind control was involved, though Veronica was not actually beloved by her own board) and got Reggie installed as CEO. 

Either Veronica doesn’t know or she doesn’t care, because she’s ensconced at Thornhill with all the surviving girls of Riverdale.   Betty bursts in on the sad group, who are just staring off into the middle distance, to say that Mary Andrews asks her what’s going on with Archie, about whom she had a ‘bad feeling.’  Betty sounds rather frantic as she asks what they will tell Mary Andrews if the resurrection plan doesn’t work. 

I’m going to do two things here : 1) snort at the idea that Mary Andrews gives enough of a shit about Archie to have any sort of long distance intuition about him whatsoever and 2) be sad at the thought that absolutely nobody, not JB, not Gladys, nobody, has any sort of need to keep in regular contact with Jughead to make the same kind of inquiry. 

Remembering she is Catholic only in moments of need (like most of us), Veronica cautiously asks where ‘the souls’ of the deceased are, so that we can get the theology download.   They’re all in the Sweet Hereafter!

We get shown what that is!!

They’re playing Fred Astaire’s Cheek to Cheek throughout for this portion. I love this song and in this rendition.  “Heaven/ I’m in Heaven/ and My Heart beats so/ that I can hardly speak” is the way the lyrics go.  In case we the audience might be confused about what this place is. (The lyrics will do the heavy lifting the scriptwriters refuse to engage with!)

Archie’s Sweethereafter are a wife and two kids in front of a heavily laden dinner table in his house that he never wants to leave. The wife is Betty.  They named their kids Polly and Fred. 

I don’t understand this culture of naming people after other people, especially not those who lived unhappy lives or died violent deaths.  My culture doesn’t do this.  Plus there’s something frightening about Betty naming her kid Polly - it’s not as awful as naming her ALICE perhaps, but Betty had a lot of intensely negative, conflicted feelings about Polly.   Same with Archie naming his son after his father.  Grandpa Fred is such a sainted presence in Dad Archie’s mind, that I am immediately worried about Little Fred.

Little Fred is great at music and sports, but performs academically poorly. How interesting! In Archie’s perfect world, he wants a son who struggles academically and is only good at the things that he himself tried to be good at. I say tried to be, because it’s not clear whether Archie ever got actual A’s in music or if his one child molestor teacher gave him those grades for obvious reasons.  This is the opposite of, say, the desires of Forrest Gump, who also struggled but wanted his son to be really good at school.  Archie’s heaven is appallingly self serving - he wants his kid to be bad at school so he can comfort his kid about bad grades.  He will concede a daughter to Betty that achieves as much as she did.  

Oh and his same dog from his childhood is an immortal freak animal that never died.   OR he did the Michael Jackson thing and insisted on owning a series of dogs that he called Vegas over and over.

Jughead’s heaven is markedly different.  He is served coffee by Pop at the thriving Diner, with an array of Mad House Glads, his comic book, laid out in front of him.  I know this is exposition but the egotism of this is so funny.  Jughead in heaven is only inspired by the evidence of his own prolific creativity.  Oh, and further, Jughead has great draftsmanship in Heaven, instead of his sad stick figure art that he had to make do with in reality. 

Toni and Fang’s joint heaven is a very weird mishmash. I suspect (because I don't like Fangs) that this is Toni’s heaven and Fangs is just along for the ride (much like Heaven Betty is in Archie’s fantasy). 

Serpents and the Ghoulies sign a peace treaty on what looks like parchment paper. They have expensive pens in a little marble and brass stand like they’re at a summit of actual political leaders.  I am surprised they don’t have tiny flags arrayed to mark the occasion. Toni’s vanity is on a scale I had not expected from her to date.   She wants to act like head of state, and for GANGS to function like sovereign nations.  Toni takes the title Serpent Queen really very literally.  (I also think she doesn’t know a whole lot about the way treaties between warring nations frequently DON’T function, but she studied social work and not history or polisci so I will have to let this go.) 

Fangs says that Riverdale will be ‘more unified’ but I’m not sure what this means. The two gangs are no longer at war, so are they diving up territory? Did they merge?? 

Anthony is all grown up and looks older than both of his parents.  And Twyla is there with her son Timmy. The two boys look at each other meaningfully.  I’m very surprised by how much Anthony is styled like Malachai, formerly of the less Disneyfied Ghoulies - cut off sleeves, curls, muscular.  And Timmy the Ghoulie Prince is Jughead coded.

Back in the real world, Kevin is hurriedly packing up.  I hate him because he takes care to pack a big framed photo of Baby Anthony in the act of abandoning Baby Anthony wholesale. There was no discussion at all whatsoever for who should be responsible for keeping this infant alive in Kevin’s absence, you know, but gosh, Kevin will take A PHOTO with him. He is met at the door by his father and Uncle Fucking Frank, who say Percival wants a word.

Meanwhile, Reggie invites his father to come over and enjoy himself at the Babylonium, dancing and swaggering alone in the CEO suite in front of his own Lodge-esque portrait.   Reggie’s main connection to anything in this world, love or hate, is about his father, but his main influence is Hiram. 

And finally!  We are introduced to Sabrina Spellman, who took her own sweet time coming over to Riverdale because there were other things happening in other “realms.”

Then follows what must be a crossover or something because I just lost my mind. 

But I have to also ask: Am I supposed to hate Sabrina Spellman after seeing her in action? Is this what she was like on her own show?  A self serving, obnoxious liar? 

The next bit is loosely organized into a list of Sabrina Spellman’s Sins Against Riverdale:

Sabrina Sin 1: Forced conversion under a situation of duress

They are down to a precious few hours to resurrect the dead, and the first thing Sabrina makes everyone do is convert to a new religion.  They have to do a bunch of things - sign a document, chant a chant, do a dance.   All while the confirmed actual witches wink and smile at each other like creeps.  By the way, the conversion ritual is done in common speech, but I will note that Sabrina also uses Latin for her spells!  The ones that count!

However, the ceremony looked like a lot of fun and the Catholic Church could take some notes.

Sabrina Sin 2: Give incomplete information

Sabrina forced desperate people to convert to her religion, then tells them only in implication that there are OTHER ways beyond the thing she wants to do first, for her own personal reasons. 

She also only explains that the dead have to WANT TO return only after they have Jughead out of the freezer and on their ceremonial table. Except, of course, this also turns out to be a bald-faced lie.

Sabrina Sin 3: Sabrina doesn’t have to pick the body of a person she finds fuckable as the test subject to bring back from the dead as the No 1. candidate.  But she picks Jughead on the basis of finding him more fuckable than Archie.  (Given that they’ve left a baby behind, shouldn’t Fangs or Toni be the first one she picks, you know, for humanitarian reasons??)

Sabrina Sin 4:  Sabrina does not need to be the one to go, at all, to persuade the almost-completely-dead to return.  She has no connection to Jughead (or anyone) but she insists on going so she can fuck her boyfriend using Jughead’s reanimated corpse.  

The truncated bits of information she delivers is passive-aggresively designed to dissuade Jughead from coming back to life, more than anything else.   This is a complete nonstarter, to say to someone who is in some version of heaven, Come Back and Fight a Terrible Battle.  

Jughead turns out to be aware he is dead and in heaven and  to have a memory of his own death which he recalls with pain. To be fair, Jughead’s death was the most terrifying - he was absolutely alone, underground and afraid and in pain. Jughead also has retained all of his memories, including the fact that Tabitha told him they are overwhelmingly likely to lose.  

Jughead also mentions as a passing point, almost, that he can hear in heaven. Which means being unable to hear had persistently been upsetting him while alive, even though he did not ever, ever complain about it, to anyone, Tabitha included.  After a childhood in which those he loved most barely ever noticed his very serious troubles and pains, he just carries this behavior of being completely silent about his misery into his adult life. He’s a very heartbreaking character, if you ever take a breath to think about it. 

Sabrina really does not try, at all, whatsoever. In some ways, she CAN’T because doesn’t KNOW any of these people, and in fact never bothered to ask key questions before she made the leap into the supernatural. She did not bother to ask Tabitha or Betty or Veronica or Cheryl (Jughead’s current VIP,  former VIP, and people who’ve known him the longest) what would be motivating factors to bring up to Jughead to get him to leave heaven.  

I can only conclude that Sabrina never intended to succeed in bringing Jughead back, and she only pretended to come up with this idea of fucking Jughead’s body at the last minute, even to Jughead.  

By the way, getting Riverdale information initially through fandom Tumblrs can be a very confusing experience. I saw the gifs about this episode weeks ago, and you know, anti-Jabithas did some bad faith editing there.  Jughead does say about Tabitha, “I do hope to see her soon,” but that’s where the gifset ended.  They left out the smirkily joking context of the rest of the scene, because Jughead immediately adds: “NOT TO SOON THOUGH.”  

While all that is going on, Kevin is being mind-invaded by Percival.  Kevin’s touchstones to sanity are - his childhood friendship with Betty and Veronica in S1 before it fell apart (this is very honest of the show), the brief moment of domestic cohesion with Toni and Fangs in S5 before that fell apart, and the one time he dressed up in a beehive wig with a full face of make-up during the Hedwig episode. He asks to be killed instead.

Anyhoo.

We are back at Thornhill where Sabrina walks out of the portal with the reanimated Jughead corpse.  Tabitha is elated to see Jughead, runs into his arms, says how much she missed him.  

The fact that Betty has absolutely nothing to say is a little shocking to me, but we’ll let that go. ( No we won’t, actually. I mean!  It seems so out of character! Does Betty now hate Jughead? But how is that possible??  It’s only when Nick says “What’s up ladies?” that Betty snarkily comments that it can’t be Jughead - why? Because he talks to women? But Jughead has never been shy or incompetent at wooing women, ever. It’s MEN’s romantic attentions he has a hard time with.  What the heck?)  

Sabrina Sin 5:  Sabrina the asshole smiles with inappropriate glee as she tells Jughead’s girlfriend and buddies that she’s inserted her own boyfriend’s soul into Jughead’s body.  Tabitha is both tearful and furious.  She says all the right things - You stole his body?? - and the suddenly super articulate Sabrina has all the answers lined up.  It’s understandable that Jughead didn’t want to leave heaven!  She “borrowed” his body “with Jughead’s consent” because we are not in a Wonder Woman movie!

Sabrina Sin 6:   Sabrina does not say she needs Nick there to do what she should have done to begin with - send in people who have an actual emotional connection with the dead to try to get them to come back.   This only proves that the entire shenanigans about shoving Nick Scratch into Jughead’s body after deciding Jughead’s corpse is cuter than Archie’s was just a way to get a warm sex toy.   

Because Sabrina has this unfair advantage of power and knowledge, none of the new witches dares to question her for wasting ALL THIS TIME in doing this bullshit with the Jughead corpse. 

I suppooooose you could say that Sabrina had to do this magic trick bit with reanimating Jughead’s corpse with her boyfriend’s soul so that she could get the buy in from the rest to temporarily die in order to visit the Sweet Hereafter to get their people back, but I still say that’s a post-facto justification and not persuasive.  These women were willing to call in a necromancer, and dance to the goddess Hecate and do all this other stuff, so she could’ve probably persuaded them without getting herself this nice bonus.   And wasting time (I cannot emphasize this enough). 

At this point though, I started to find this entire thing kind of funny.  Jughead has officially the most desirable body in Riverdale. Like, literally the most attractive and the most fuckable, even 60 hours after death, chilling in a freezer.  Not Archie of the Abs and the Square Jaw. Not Fangs, also of the Abs and Long Lashes.   It’s Jughead.

Then the two best people in Riverdale - who are a) Cheryl and b) Veronica - agree to die temporarily so that they can, respectively, retrieve an ex girlfriend who married a man and that man, and an ex boyfriend who cheated  on her with her best friend from high school after the two of them flaunted their relationship in her face so much that she had a minor nervous breakdown at someone else’s rehearsal dinner.  Oh and Cheryl will go in for Dagwood and her Nana as well. Betty can’t go because she is confirmed by Nick Scratch on sight to be the Whore of Babylon.   

Maybe you needed to be a CAOS viewer, but the degree to which Sabrina completely accepts her boyfriend’s conclusion without question struck me as very odd.

So Sabrina is going to summon Charon to do the crossing over.  Betty is the one that nudges Veronica into dying for Archie. It’s a form of full circle, I suppose - Veronica once gulped down a goblet of poison for Betty, so she might as well be a full service third wheel.(I hate this place. Please let me out.)

Percival demands that Reggie execute Kevin, in exchange for giving Kevin’s heart to Reggie’s ailing father.  Reggie’s reaction - adorably appalled - and his reason (he and Kevin go all the way back to “rugrat” days) were a balm given how much pain I was in about Veronica at this moment.

Then we get to a truly wonderful part of this episode (sincere!).   The three best girls of Riverdale (Tabitha, Cheryl and Veronica) are  lying on the floor, ready to die.  Veronica is worried about it hurting, but Cheryl, truly faithful, is “excited” to be able to say she died and came back.  Veronica lets the air out of her sails by saying, not incorrectly, that a lot of people can say that in Riverdale. 

Nick Scratch has to use an English language incantation, but so far, out of everyone who has done one of these, he gives it the due weight and seriousness of an actual magic spell.  Or maybe this is an innate Jughead ability that Nick Scratch is making the most of.  Jughead had such a good time using the formalist portentous language of the G&G game back in the day after all.   

Then Sabrina summons Charon with another English language doggerel poem.

AND CHARON APPEARS and we are in an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer from the 1990s. Like TOTALLY  this is a Buffy episode!  I’m so into it now!  The red glowing eyes of Charon (no face to minimize special effects costs), the dorkily choreographed way he moves, the magic trick of collecting the coins on the girls’ eyes without touching them, the twinkly music, the very basic fog effect, and the fact that the ‘dead souls’ are expressed as glowing technicolor versions of the girls - just SO BUFFY.   It’s so FUN!!  Betty and Heather are appropriately creeped out by Charon. I LOVE that little performance detail Betty has where she just does not want to make eye contact with Charon.    

When the souls of the three brave girls leave for the beyond, Betty as The Responsible One asks what should happen next, and Sabrina puts her and Heather on guard duty.  Then Sabrina and Jughead as occupied by Nick Scratch smirk at each other about ‘going on a date’ and get a TERRIFIC nasty look from Betty.  (I love Lili Reinhart so much- she makes really fun decisions about how Betty reacts to any outlandish scenario.)

Veronica, in Archie’s heaven, lives right down the street and comes over only rarely.  Archie is living in a version of heaven where he won the war and then died.  This seems slightly different from the heaven Jughead was occupying during Sabrina’s visit.  Veronica says to a very stubborn Archie, who doesn’t want to leave his heaven, that he’ll “do the right thing,” not least because the Real Betty is still on the mortal plane, needing his help.  Dream Betty comes home. Dream Betty cooks and is able to offer to set out an extra plate at her table on a whim.  Dream Betty and Archie’s ideal Veronica are most definitely not best friends, definitely not B&V.  Dream Betty will look at a clearly rather upset Veronica, smile at her like a robot and blandly say “It’s nice to see you” before breezing off.  

I kind of hate Archie. 

In Toni and Fang’s dream world, they’ve stayed married for however old this tall muscular curly-haired Baby Anthony is supposed to be.  Very straight looking.  But!  Their son grew up gay (or bi, unclear).   The level of unnecessary ambiguity they’ve built into his coming out about who he wants to marry is annoying.  He wants to marry Twyla Twyst’s son Timmy.  When his parents act overjoyed at this announcement, No-Longer Baby Anthony says, joyfully relieved, that he wasn’t sure how they were going to take the news. 

Why? Because they are going to become in-laws with the Ghoulie leader who once cooperated with Percival to kidnap Anthony?   Or because he thinks his parents are straight married people who are uncomfortable with gayness? (But how can that be?  Toni and Fang’s generation of Serpents could barely scrape together a single straight person.)

Cheryl comes bursting into their domestic bliss with a very loud record scratch sound.  She should’ve gotten her slowmo entrance with a hair whip, but I suppose Sabrina wasted too much time up front for that.  

Cheryl is a trooper.  Or maybe she doesn’t pick up on this but in Toni and Fang’s joint heaven, Cheryl is a vile evil person, permanently left out in the cold as all the straights  and bis get straight married and leave her resentful gay ass behind.  Fangs says that in his version of heaven, Cheryl was a person who tried to sabotage her brother’s marriage to Polly, and also tried to sabotage Toni’s marriage to Fangs.  Cheryl advises Toni to search her “mother’s heart” for the truth, then leaves forthwith.

When Tabitha bursts in on Jughead’s heaven, the sound track plays the song Guardian Angel.  Yes OK, we get it.  

Jughead’s heaven has grown to include more people than when Sabrina visited earlier in the day.  He now has fawning fans, and I must say, rather adorably Jughead fawns right back at them. In particular he is given the proper fan freak out moment by a lanky kid who is obsessed with his works, sounds lonely, and says that not only did Jughead’s work get him through tough times, Jughead’s imaginary characters are really friends to him.  To this last part, Jughead says, Yeah, Me Too.

(Is this a wink wink nudge nudge commentary about the fact that Jughead is The Narrator?)

Jughead’s heaven does not have any meaningful intimate relationships, which is very interesting. Is Jughead’s heaven one where he’s asexual?  Or is it that he’s less controlling and prone to delusion as Archie - Jughead isn’t going to do anyone the injustice of inventing a false version of themselves to be his personal Barbie.  He wants to eventually spend eternity with Tabitha, but will wait for the real Tabitha instead of inventing one (unlike Archie and his Dream Betty).

Tabitha also finds Jughead’s joy in having someone give him positive feedback too adorable to interfere with, so she decides to let him enjoy himself.  Immediately after seating herself at the counter, she is greeted by the Angel Raphael from RiverVale, who wants to tell her some things.  We don’t get to hear what they are.

Meanwhile, Cheryl walks into someone’s heaven. It has Polly married to Jason, Nana Rose is still alive, and Dagwood is buddies with his father whom he’s never met in real life.  

Did Polly Cooper want to be married to Jason and be mistress of Thornhill (with the Parentdale generation of Blossoms long dead and forgotten?)?  

Is this Jason’s heaven? It can’t be, because Jason has nothing to say in this heaven either.   

Does Dagwood, as a minor, get to choose his heaven? If so, is Dagwood’s heaven one in which he is not a twin and is an only child to boot?  

And Nana Blossom - I’m not sure what Nana Blossom’s heaven would be (being courted by smarmy young men armed with red roses a la Reggie, perhaps) - but being the great grandma in this sort of setting hardly fits the Nana Rose we’ve seen to date.  

IF this is Jason’s heaven as well then he shares a weird code with Dagwood - because in this world, Cheryl does not live at Thornhill and is also an infrequent visitor, given the way Polly greets Cheryl (“Cheryl!  [big pause, then, hesitantly] We weren’t expecting you!”).  Why are all these het people so gross and refuse to appreciate Cheryl?

By the way, to the right of this cute /creepy family tableau, there is a decapitated baby doll’s head on a side table next to the blank easel in the living room.  Just FYI.

What Polly tells Cheryl makes me wonder if this isn’t somehow Cheryl’s heaven. The maple business is booming, trees are swollen with sap, and Polly is going to have a triplet of Blossoms, so now there will be 5 little Jason progeny running around.  Because Cheryl’s heaven is - now that I think of it - to get out of Thornhill but have it prosper and be allowed to visit whenever she wants.

But since Polly is the one doing all of the talking, the most reasonable conclusion is that this is Polly’s heaven. (Jason too, likely wanted to escape Thornhill, not be master of it.).  This makes me think very different thoughts about Polly than before. 

Polly the Dead invites Cheryl the Living into staying in Polly’s Heaven forever, but even though Cheryl is so pleased by this vision and what it gives her, she doesn’t fall for it.

Then we cut to Jughead the Possessed on a date with Sabrina the Asshole. I am going to assume that this is a post coitus meal. 

Sabrina confesses that her taking Jughead’s corpse specifically so she could fuck her dead boyfriend with it was absolutely a deliberate choice made out of pure opportunism, without a single care that this was wasting the time of people who counted on her to help them prevent The Apocalypse.  She even suggests that they abscond with Jughead’s corpse to live in a cabin somewhere. 

Was the intention of introducing this character supposed to result in my despising her?  Is she meant to be a villain?  But she’s not being treated like one in the text. 

Nick is an asshole just like his girlfriend so they only talk about their own interests.  She weeps about whatever situation they are in, and I have no idea what she’s talking about and I frankly don’t care because she’s a dick. I’m glad she doesn’t get what she wants. Who the fuck are you and why are you in my show?

Then Sabrina Spellman kisses Jughead Jones’ corpse on the mouth and I got my first taste of what it might be like to be a diehard Barchie or Bughead watching the other ship’s scenes. I HATE THIS! PUT IT AWAY.

Back at the casino, the Mantle men are having dinner.  Reggie gets his father’s absolute approval for the first time ever.   Then the worm turns and his father tells Reggie that he knows he’s dying.  Reggie, at this point, is completely willing to kill Kevin for his father.  

Reggie’s father says that even though he failed at business, marriage and fatherhood, he wants to die with honor. 

OK. Three things.   

One - I don’t know about the word choice of HONOR here because I just get the heebie jeebies when English language programming give Asian people any line that mentions the word HONOR.  (Nobody in contemporary Asia talks like this and in the East Asian self imagination of the past they also do not have people prattle on about HONOR. This is a white stereotype of Asian people all smooshed together and it’s always completely shit.  Yes, I am the authority on this. Accept it.)  

Two - That said, Jughead sneering at him during his early Serpent membership days that Reggie doesn’t know what “honor” is provoked Reggie into trying to punch Jughead in the face, so nice callback, I guess?

Third, Marty Mantle is selfish to the very last.  His personal desire to ‘die with honor’ is so unhelpful to Reggie, and doesn’t ameliorate any of the failures of his life or what he did to Reggie as a child.  He just wants this last vanity for himself.  I reject this redemption arc attempt for Marty Mantle.   Plus this is very gendered of me probably, but I much prefer that men stay alive and live long to do the dishes and change the diapers and wash the windows than ‘die with honor’ in some stupid glorious annihilation.  Please stay alive and scrub the toilet bowl.

 At the morgue, Sabrina and Nick say solemn farewells to each other while little birds come to watch. Sabrina sexually molests Jughead Jones’s corpse a second time before Nick Scratch eases back into the land of the dead. They play very obtrusive sad piano music over this but I’m repelled and confused.  Would it have been impossible to give us a very small short exposition dump about who the hell these people are and what is going on via Heather? 

The sourness of this scene is immediately washed away though by the very next scene.

Reggie, in his lonely big luxury bedroom that he stole from Veronica using the help of the devil (I love Riverdale) cries out, ‘What the hell am I supposed to do?’ about his father’s unknowing rejection of the plan to harvest Kevin’s heart for a transplant. He’s immediately answered by his own voice emanating from the Reggie Puppet.   Reggie’s conscience is much more intelligent than his normal self but the thing is, I am inclined to think that Reggie’s conscience refuses to cohabit with Reggie in his body.  Reggie’s conscience works via Puppet Zoom.  

Reggie’s distant relationship with his conscience is shown by his calling it “Bro.”    Riverdale is brilliant.

Reggie says that this is Percival testing him, and is advised by his own conscience that the best course of action is to skip town with the whole test - Kevin, his Dad, himself. 

Sabrina comes back to Thornhill, where again, nobody is asking about the Cheryl-with-A Fox’s-Head self portrait given absolute pride of place.  She asks, not very interested, on how they all made out with the highly dangerous mission to the Sweet Hereafter.  (The show also skimps out on telling us how they got back.  I wanted to see Charon bring them back.)   

Betty, the one who wasn’t Good (™) enough to even get to visit, is the one who loudly blares out that everyone failed.  This is very in character for Betty. She’s annoyed at everyone else’s failure.  Cheryl adds that ‘some’ of them were hostile (meaning Fangs, mostly).  

I want to punch Sabrina in her perfect pretty face for the way she smirks at Tabitha as she asks if Tabitha managed to “pull at Jughead’s heartstrings.”  Oh. My God. You bitch. I don’t know what happened to you on your show, but I’m glad your boyfriend is dead and you have Aunties who did whatever it was that made you cry. 

Tabitha says she just could not bring herself to ask Jughead to come back, to pull at those heartstrings.  Jabitha are fascinating - it’s sort of what happens when two too-good people, used to sacrifice and duty, get together.  Tabitha cannot bring herself to insist that her happy boyfriend come back to life, especially because she told him the truth about the overwhelming number of realities in which their mission fails and he dies.

Betty decides that everyone who doesn’t want to do what she needs them to do is crazy, and she’s backed up by Veronica who decides that the best thing to do in the face of resistance against what she thinks is right is to use brute force.

So, Sabrina, playing hide the ball TO THE LAST, finally reveals that Cheryl has the power of the phoenix and can summarily yank people back from the dead.  

Cheryl, going from reclining to gesticulating, is delightful. She asks what the hell the Power of the Phoenix is.  Even though Heather wasn’t allowed to give us the Sabrina-and-Nick exposition dump, she unhelpfully gives the useless definition of what a phoenix is. (Did Cheryl really not know?).  

This is coo-coo bananas. But I’m also kind of feeling it.

You said it Cheryl.

Heather finally lays out what the risks are:  Souls might return incomplete!  Infected with malignancy!  And will (she says MIGHT but actually it’s WILL)  resent you for the rest of their (un)natural lives!  (Just like Buffy did, when she revealed she’d been in heaven to her necromancer witch friend in the musical episode!)

 Betty seems to do a quick calculation of who has died, and she’s very indifferent to most of their potential resentment and further seems to trust that Archie probably won’t resent her. (Whatever Toni, Fangs, Dagwood and Jughead might feel about anything is of no interest to her whatsoever.)  Tabitha, the only one armed with real information about the potential futures, says that they really don’t have a lot of choice, because the worst is “yet to come.”

Cheryl is the best person in Riverdale. She really is. She’s told by Sabrina the Asshole that she has to burn all the corpses so that they may HOPEFULLY rise from the ashes. This thesis is untested then. AND she has to do it all alone, and given the hostile presence of people like Betty, take on all the blame if it fails.  But she steps up and says she’ll do it in the mines without hesitation.

Reggie’s escape plan does not quite work.  Reggie, Kevin and Marty are caught before they even gets to leave the building. Percival is not surprised, but is disappointed by Reginald.

Cheryl is not as good as Jughead’s corpse in reciting an incantation, but the spell works anyway.

To let the audience know that at minimum, Archie will not resent Betty and Toni will not resent Cheryl, we are briefly shown that Archie was willing to come back to “Fight the War” and Toni came to the realization that her reality in heaven was a fabrication.  Whoever constructed the Toni-Fangs heaven did a shitty job.  They didn’t bother making up any further photos for the photo album!  

As their corpses magically burn, the heaven-selves start to heat up.  Jughead is not given any chance to have a change of heart about coming back alive.  He’s going to be the only one yanked out of a perfect-for-him heaven in which he was perfectly happy to be resurrected in a reality in which he knows he is overwhelmingly likely to suffer a SECOND miserable death in his twenties.  

We get a Harry Potter fiery phoenix CGI effect to prove that the spell worked, after which we are shown Jughead, Dagwood, Nana Rose, Toni, Fangs and Archie walking out whole and hale from the blue flames.

Sabrina is walked out of Thornhill by Cheryl looking gorgeous in a red dress. What Sabrina does next puts the final nail in my I Hate Sabrina Spellman casket.   Sabrina tells Cheryl to “just be careful” which is a slap-buying offense for being fucking vaguefor something as serious as upsetting Death.  Sabrina didn’t give the warning for the potential risks for the spell caster before the spell was cast, and doesn’t give a proper explanation for what the risks are now that she’s taken the risk.  

Jughead is silent in his misery as he always is, and this time his pain is about being brought back to corporeal life on the mortal plane.  In very gentle, kind tones, Tabitha tearfully explains that he had to come back to the cold miserable reality of actual life in order to fight off the apocalypse. Then, because she’s Jughead-coded Tabitha says secondly that she wanted her boyfriend to not be dead because she loves him.   

It turns out Jughead can hear AND read thoughts. He says that this ‘cushions the blow.’  Which means it had REALLY been bothering him but he never spoke of the misery his hearing loss gave him.  

I’m worried that Jabitha are going to self-abnegate into oblivion.   And maybe this has to do with fitting into camera angles, but Tabitha is developing the same terrible hunched posture as Jughead.

At Thornhill, Heather asks  Cheryl how things really were in the Sweet Hereafter.  This suddenly made me a huge fan of Heather.  Heather understands that there is a public and private Cheryl, and also that access to the private Cheryl requires a soft touch, to be made in utmost confidence and discretion. 

Cheryl admits that she was pained to see her family happy without her, but that she took matters into her own hands.   Cheryl resurrected Polly, Jason and Dagwood!  As Heather looks very freaked out, Polly and Cheryl smile creepily at each other.   Polly came back wrong, right? Right?

Betty and Archie are cuddling, because Archie is given lead boy cushioning and went from being with Dream Betty to Actual Betty.  Betty is a smartie and laughs at the very dumb choices that Archie made in heaven to name their kids Polly and Fred.  The show is not as vicious to Archie as it is to Jughead, but it is unkind.  Archie is not very talented at music from the point of view of a teacher who doesn’t want to molest him and he didn’t have very good boxing skills from the point of view of a coach who knows the sport, and in his heaven he picked names for his dream children that his living actual girlfriend thinks are uncreative, because he’s just not smart.  

Tabitha checks in on Veronica.  Veronica is given not great news that she could be Endgame with Archie in the same percentage as Barchie being endgame.  Um.  Tabitha says as a conclusion that Veronica’s future is ‘up for grabs.’ Which could mean I dunno JERONICA endgame or VEGGIE endgame just as well but oh man.   

Why is Veronica not more upset about what has happened with the casino? 

In the vault of the casino Kevin Keller’s father has abandoned Kevin to be executed by Percival in the morning. I mean, the Mantles are in there too but wow that is COLD.  Reggie turns out to have a magic knife in his possession. He’s determined to kill Percival.

Tabitha is doing the rounds. She checks in on Toni and Fangs.  My general impression of that apartment is it being dank and dark, but with Tabitha there it’s revealed to be a bright yellow interior, with flowering hanging plants.  Is this the magic of Tabitha?  

Fangs, by the way, still has not touched Baby Anthony.  He and Toni are seated next to the crib staring at the baby, but he doesn’t touch him. At all. What gives??

Tabitha tells them that Baby Anthony is immortal.   Then she announces that she is Riverdale’s guardian angel.  She is lit like the Virgin Mary in Renaissance paintings as she says this.  

#anti sabrina spellman #if this was supposed to entice me to watch CAOS it failed bc i hate her now #netflix international is being very weird about when they show riverdale s6 episodes #keep yanking the dates around and then toss the episodes up with no warning! #don't do this to me! #anti fangs fogarty #anti tangs #anti archie andrews #why am i having to put all this anti tags when i loved this ep #oh while i'm at it i might as well add #not flattering to betty cooper so #anti betty cooper kinda #reggie and tabitha really saved the show! #will jason never get to talk #riverdale opinion #riverdale season 6 #riverdale episode 114 #riverdale episode 6.19 #Riverdale s6 #riverdale recap #riverdale episode recap

[analyzingadventure]

Catching up on Ghost Game, episodes 43-49 Oh boy have I fallen behind, lmao oops

Quick note, since I do want to watch these episodes in one go without it taking forever I might try to keep the commentary to a minimum because. Commenting on shit takes time (since I need to pause, take a screenshot, crop it, save it, add it to the post, write some commentary... It slows things down)

43 - Red Eye

Man this episode is gonna be rough to anybody with a fear of eyes, huh

NO NO

NOT IN THE EYE

HHHHH

OHHH I DON’T LIKE THAT, I DON’T LIKE THAT A LOT

So what the fuck is Eyesmon really after? Just? Does he just want to see and know things for the sake of seeing and knowing? Having eyes on everything? Or is he looking for something in specific?

Emma what the fuck were you gonna do with those scissors 8V

You know there’s an Eyes of Nine joke to be made here somewhere

Yeah this episode was fine, nothing great, but not bad, just fine

44 - Rust

So we got shaking buildings, rusty water, limited edition items... Unknown Digimon is stealing shit for the kid in school who redistributes them or something? Anyway Espimon don’t be a dick and steal Gamma’s choco >:(

OH WE GOT TINY DEVA BUNNIES

Ah, so the monster of the week is Jellymon causing problems dfsghfdg

Tiny Antylamon are so fucking cute tho, and funny in comparison to the Lorge Antylamon from Tamers

That looks so much like a toy it’s so fucking funny (also, the design is interesting actually, like, would an egg shaped, round phone be easier for most Digimon to hold since their hands can be all sorts of funky?)

Oh the tiny bunnies are big bunnies now

This is definitely more of an action episode than anything and all things considdered, it was a nice change of pace! Again, it was a fine episode

Oh wow we still have a few minutes to go lol

OH THE ANTYLAMON WERE MAKING SHIT FOR HOKUTO?? Huh

45 - Ghost Newspaper

OH RYUDAMON’S BACK! That’s nice

Oh jesus the girl got ran over, oh god

OH THIS IS THE EPISODE WITH THE NOT-APPMON, RIGHT (although I’m really behind I haven’t really avoided the usual Twitter spoilers, so yes I did see all the Digimon who’re appearing in these episodes, although I kinda forgot most of them). And he’s voiced by Kappei Yamaguchi, of course

Man Publimon looks so much like an Appmon lmao

We’re not done with this episode yet but this is definitely my least favorite I’ve watched so far, like, actually kinda boring

Oh shit, Publi straight up just... died. I mean, kind of earned, but, man, brutal

Yeah, meh episode at best. NEW ENDING THO! Cute!

46 - Queen’s Banquet

Oh man, Kotaro’s hallucinating, that’s bad, that’s rough, Hiro please notice, dude’s clearly not okay

Oh man the animation on the new flower Digimon is so excessively smooth

Jellymon, couldn’t you have gone with Ruri soshe wouldn’t have been alone

Oh no the Digi wants to vore Kotaro... time for Digitamamon 2.0

Oleamon, eh, that’s a lovely name

HOKUTO AGAIN... YOU ABSOLUTELY USELESS FUCK

I’m actually happy Oleamon isn’t Digitamamon 2.0, that’s fun and charming. This episode was fine once again

47 - Memory of Eternity

Oh this is the Nanomon episode, okay. Dude’s just... allowing Digimon to linger longer through human bodies?

LMAO

Man couldn’t they just go directly to fucking Mummymon and ask him for help?

OH THEY DID, FANTASTIC

Omg he has a lab coat now, that’s so fucking cute

Mummymon is so fucking cute I’m SO HAPPY he’s a reoccuring character

Oh man Nanomon is TINY

Oh man I was literally just wishing Mummymon would show up guns blazing AND LOOK WHOSE FUCKING HERE HELL YEAH

Oh man... poor Shadramon...

JKGHFJKHDFJKHDFG don’t scream that’s not polite to your doctor

OH UVER?? I mean yeah he’s there for the egg but also Nanomon?? And another letter to Hokuto, okay

48 - The White Bride

Ah this is the new Mushmon variant eh

Ah random Geremon...

Ah, Ryudamon is in this episode too

Is it weird that these Mushroom Digimon eat mushrooms?

I love this Geremon lmao LOOK AT ‘IM (and ah, this is why the Geremon was here, to be a lil helper, how nice)

Wait don’t tell me the Geremon is actually evil and behind this all, oh no

RYUDAMON EVOLVES??? RANDOM BUT COOL??

Chamblemon, eh

Limit Break!

Oh man these Chamblemon are STRONK

Why does this look like a fake sub screenshot lmao??

KIYO WHY ARE YOU EATING YOUR OWN SHROOMS?? Bro that’s really weird

GEREMON??? WHAT???

THAT?? I??? WHAT???

Good episode, uh, unsettling ending???

49 - The Crimson Harvest Festival

Aaand last episode for now, a Halloween episode! And Witchmon is here, how fun!

So Witchmon is pulling Vamdemon’s shit all over again

I wonder how Mummymon would feel seeing Hiro and Gammamon dressed up as mummies for Halloween lmao

So Witchmon wants a world for just witches... bro just go to Witchelny jdfhgdsfg

Oh she wants a castle? I mean valid but excessive

PUMPMON IS BACK! HOW?! HOW DID YOU COME BACK I MEAN I’M NOT COMPLAINING I’M HAPPY, IT’S A HALLOWEEN MIRACLE, BUT HOW

Please tell me we’re gonna see Pumpmon and get to know how he’s here, I’m gonna be really sad if he got blown away and we don’t see him again this episode

Okay we got to see him again, I’m happy

LORE BOMB??

WELL, I GUESS WE KNOW WHY GAMMAMON’S BEING STALKED.... Those are totally his former followers

God

Man, no explanation to how Pumpmon returned, that’s balls

That was a fine episode again, nothing great though, but man... that lore bomb

Next epI OH OH MEICRACKMON?? MEICRACKMON??? OH MY GOD???

#Ghost Game #GG Reaction

[meanwhileinstasiville]

Today’s theme is Phil Lee

Ashland entrance bridge: Red and white semi’s going both ways as I reach it

Ashland Overpass: Single car; white Dodge Neon going one way, Southern Oregon Comfort HVAC going the other way

Ashland Food Pantry: Seriously curated, and with three whole cans of green beans to show for it. Eric expy rolls up as I’m perusing to say “we try to keep it full, take as much as you want” to offset the past happenings I have observed there, and to assume *what was stocked there originally, and looted or redirected by latinos monitoring it for goodies, is what I’m seeing at present* when I check it out.

Such as: Woman singing the “ass bandit” song at the top of her lungs, marching her 90lb body on heels that once “I can only walk this far, to this food pantry and no farther!”, delivered several bags of cans to a nearby bathroom. She opened each one, took a bite or two, and left the mess of them in its entirety inside (She’s been observed all across town, so suspect her definition of “walking”)

The Chicago-esque guy and wife/girlfriend: Who once asked me, “What do you expect to see/find here; what do you look for?” and who is notable for putting rebottled olive oil (that isn’t olive, and in all probability is not safe) sealed with electrical tape (now with a "THIS IS NOT OLIVE OIL" crude note taped to it), inside. I told them that “it’s what I don’t hope to find, like trash, empty containers, and dirty clothes…” to which they both seemed surprised could happen. Seeing as that particular pantry has pride flags literally painted on the sign, that woman’s singing, and also the implicit disrespect makes sense in context.

The squatter heavy: Who weighs like 300lbs, unclean and unshaven and who periodically empties the food pantry because *he needs to eat a lot to stay so fat and keep everyone so thin* Cartel commentary about America via Mexico, I think.

Dear Bryan: Every mini cooper that rolls up where I go or meets me at an intersection pushes me away from your religion, toward the muslims, and some of the other Arab types. I’m sure that’s completely understandable and can be corrected, unless of course, it’s a Latin King thing, in which case its backed up by cartel murder (both seeing them, and the responsibility of the drivers for meeting me with them). And *that* pushes me even farther away from the Latinos.

And there are TWO red Hondas parked outside Love Revolution today: Not just the one, for additional cartel hilarity

Sitting at the bench above the pickleball courts to snack: Always seems to produce very heavy set to morbidly obese women, line of sight, within a minute or two of beginning to eat. “He likes to eat, he must like fat women” the cartels *suggest at sword point for their amusement*

Trying to figure out what the fuck a mommy-domme is: Has produced white haired old lady “looking for mister goodbar” stalkers in the very same cartel way. In the worst possible projected interpretation; I get the impression the cartels don’t like me very much, and the feeling is mutual.

I haven’t wanted anything to do with SNK dba Phil Lee antagonism for a bare minimum of 14 years: And I *still* occasionally get followed by the Ryan expy Pathways driver. Currently experiencing a sociopathic and *completely staged* outburst by the heavy set veteran who seems to like sleeping here. And usually while sitting at terminal 9. To go with Laurel and Hardy on terminal 10 and terminal 11, who sometimes picked him up when he fell out of his chair. They pretend to sleep at the computer sometimes for cartel gang hilarity courtesy of SNK. The guy who lives on the second street alley (the one that washes out every year) in a mobile home, itself a mystery of sorts, is kind of an unknown. He’s sitting on 5, but I think that’s probably also an SNK regular thing.

Edit: I used to be used as a dream interpreter, like a certain group of people in whose traditions I was literarily raised (after my mom had a breakdown). A house of cards formed from several race's prejudices will not exterminate Muslims, fyi. Chechen's are white; Chechen's are Muslims. Wherever you guys go, you go with you, and your generational violence by Africans forever ago comes along for the very long ride. Always got to be ready to court pharoah, right? (if anyone wonders why I *never ever* reblog cats, among other things from a specific part of North Africa)

*staged conversation about batteries from walking arsenal noisemaking guy, and his crew sitting in the corner* at: 12:46, you know. And mumbling about Japan while sitting *oh yeah suggestion and gangs* kitty corner. I'm curious, are the emphasized words including names supposed to...make someone money? Make someone respectable? Make someone win at gambling? Speaking of southern seeming street gang types. Definitely terminal 1 in weapons. Compared to the other guys who all outweigh him.

Addendum, Gang Activity: Safeway has a kid who stalks me through the parking lot, sometimes through the store, and even outside at the bottle return. Today, he walked parallel to me all the way across the front of the store, while *actively* watched by someone I later met back in the dairy aisle, and who refused to get out of his car (sunglasses and all) as though acting security. In gang style. Seems that kid was called into work for that express purpose. And you know, odd enough though it is, Safeway's bottle return *only took 7 bottles*. Someone should see how this story is going to end (those machines are all networked, and incidentally stamped Norwegian on the inside; though that's the fabrication plant while the design was in Italy). There's the alcoholc with *three whole hurry-k-knee giant cans of alcoholism* to go with his face. And his neglected kid. Ahead of me in line long enough to gang speech. There's the guy who spit at me on the plaza, saluting the hulking reference librarian who drives a Latin King colored luxury car, touting her as "a real rockstar" and "I'd expect nothing less*.

I think there's supposed to be some emotional hook to this that isn't there: Alcoholics I've known get (including my parents) get drunk and fight. Scary they're not. Sometimes they throw (or threw, I should say) up blood. A sober cousin close to seven feet tall once threw me into a wall, like he was tossing a barrel. Alcohol is not scary. Too much WWF watching. What are supposed (and I'm guessing here) ways to regulate or browbeat based on intimidation and all, as opposed to commiting the level of murder that installed BOTH Aryans and Latin gangs. They fall on deaf ears. Everyone else, and then me. Always outgunned and outnumbered; never been any different.

*An old guy wearing a "phillies" shirt walked by at the time of the writing above* (Kill everyone and then eat your lunch all by yourself)

All those things gangs can't do, and yet, why do old people identify with them?

Any of the people who are supposed to look like me who continue to gang-stalk, for lack of a better word, that pushes toward Islam too. And also potentially getting hurt for stalking me. And the woman who meets me at the entrance and exit on gang purpose, and who usually parks (and has literally rolled up on me) next to 460 down the street from the library (she's on track to getting assaulted). Thanks for understanding instead of misunderstanding on purpose.

[shlutnutt]

make it hurt

sum: punishing tate for being a bratty bitch lol

w: dom reader x sub tate, vibrator usage, handjob, oral(female recieving), overstimulation, edging, 69 kinda?

Your beloved remained silent, more than well aware of the small deep-colored vibrating toy you fidgeted around your palm. Not a single word escaped his lips nor a muscle seem to have shifted for comfort. He only layed on your guys' shared bed, the black latex suit he had on delighfully reflecting against the bright slightly orange-tinted lamp that resided just a few feet away from him. You would've believed he'd fallen asleep in his pretty boy fuck suit until you suddenly heard him voice

"i want it to hurt.."

Ignoring his neediness, you watched how Tate quickly returned to his dimming silence, filling in the quietness from his commentary and unzipping the black mask, removing it from his head roughly, just for you to encounter nothing but obvious sweat spots on his forehead, under eyes and his shaggy hair, giving it a beautiful slight wet look, whilst he only breathed heavily, attempting to inhale in the cool air that explored the bedroom.

"Im not satisfied with you behavior today, you nee-"

"yes! yes i know, please.. punish me, please. i deserve it~.."

Tate's neediness only made your insides crumble, the way he patiently waited for your arrival in his fuck toy suit, how he was positioned and ready for you. You only allowed your cunt to form those bitter-sweet juices you'd let out of whenever you were excited, whenever Tate excited you. How he'd ever so often give up his need of showing dominance and fully submit to you, never failed to drive you over the edge.

"Tell me what you want, my pretty toy?" you firmly questioned the man, observing how his eyes scanned through your body, in which you only snapped once, catching his gaze by surprise.

"I need you to touch me.. to make me yours, tease me, bite me, kiss me. I want it all.. p-please, y/n~" Tate was quick to reply, shifting his gaze from your own down to his enlarging crotch, in which's sight you hummed to, him softly whimpering under his breath from the lack of touch.

Langdon knew how much you hated when he had an attitude with you, like today, how he continuously rolled his eyes at you whilst you tried to explain why you were in such a hurry to leave for work. Obviously even after apologizing a counted amount of times, you were aware of how much he wanted to get on your nerves again, now it being knowingly known that he was aware of needing a well taught lesson as well.

You, though only looking over at his needful self, you continued to toy around the buzzing object you had in hand, deciding between which level were to be the day-maker for the both of you.

Now taking a few leepful steps towards the man, you managed to delighfully remove the lace underwear you wore under the silk pyjama gown that hugged your form nicely, standing brief-less beside Tate, his eyes becoming needier to the minimum movement.

"i ne- oh~" you heard Tate get rudely interrupted, by the feeling of your kneeled leg applying pressure onto the bed, sinking down slowly you decided to include your left leg now, lifting and accomodating it by his toned side, you straddling his suited form now.

"what was that?" you only leaned down to whisper, the feeling of your dampened cunt leading you to the thought of skipping the teasing procedure and going straight to what you came for.

Tate only breathed heavily, holding aback those sweet little moans, as you glided the powered-off toy up and down his upper chest, tapping it smoothly across his pink-tinted clothed nipples. "baby.. please. please.." he only proceeded to beg, as the little sweat that rested on his forehead multiplicated with each and every tap you'd gift him with. "m-mommy!" Langdon yelled out now, the twitching of his cock speeding up under you, more than prepared for it's release from the slight bit of sexual affection you shared with him.

"don't cum until I tell you, okay?"

"mhmm~.."

"use your words."

"yes. yes, okay? yes!"

His urgent response was what drove you over the edge, what made you quickly switch your position from regular cowgirl to reverse cowgirl ontop of his upper chest, your bare cunt only being a few inches away from his face, making him whimper to himself, his member only being a few inches away from yours, making those sweet-bitter juices now drip out of your cunt.

"are you gonna be good for me?" you questioned with need.

"i p-promise i'll be good.." hesitated Tate, knowing how difficult this task was going to be due to how bad he wanted to cum already.

Unzipping his crotch zipper now, you set his pre-cum dipped cock free, bits and bits of little juices leaking out of its reddening tip. The view only being mesmerizing and needful, you were quick to turn on the vibrator on the lowest level available and rapidly attaching it to the very tip of his cock, smoothly gliding it down to the base, lower to the balls and back up right behind the tip, memorizing how this sweet spot drove him crazy, his moans increasing suddenly to the gesture.

Enjoying his struggle you soon turned up the toy to its higher setting, now starting with the balls and back up. Adding extra pressure onto his tip you notice how his toes curled and his thighs shook repeatedly, his release not being too far from nearing.

"remember what i told, Tate." you reminded as you felt him become uncontrollable by the second, you continuing your work.

Tate was more than eager for your approval to his release, so he found a quick distraction. With your pussy being ever so near to his face, he stuck his tongue out, it surprisingly reaching your clit. Him toying around with it as you toyed around with his tip, you couldn't help but to give in and push yourself further onto his face, his cock not for once not being your main focus point at the moment.

As the toy buzzed onto his, you proceeded to gift him with his request, for it to hurt.

You only powered off the toy and threw it to the side, retracing your concentration onto what you had infront of you, you elbowed on either side of his thighs, your cunt still being devoured by the man.

Carefully utilizing his pre juices as lube you begin to jerk him off, his moaning becoming unstoppably loud onto your pussy, the humming sensation making your legs tremble. You guided your hands to firmly grip on his bulge, making your way up to his tip and down to his balls repeatdly, increasing the speed with each and every moan he let out.

Hearing Tate shout out, "i c-can't.. im close!", hinted you that you were doing more than good, so you of course had to make it better. You stopped giving him his pleasure, edging him to making him near on cry in frustration. His begging and loud raspy whimpers feeling your heart with desire and pleasure, you slowly resumed your work, feeling his hot breath fan your cunt with the satisfactory sigh he let out.

"..hmm~.. can i cum now?" Tate was hesitant to ask, his tip now turning purple from overstimulation.

"think you deserve to cum?"

"y-yes!"

In no time you felt his release shoot up, landing on you and himself, you observing as his member returned to its natural pale-pink shade.

"i don't remember giving you permission.." you looked back at him, his eyes tighly shutting closed as you got up from your stance to pick up the toy you threw out of the way previously.

Turning on the toy to its higher setting once again you decided to involve your tongue with your work now, you licking at the base of his cock whilst the vibrator did its work on his overstimulated tip, his whimpers and uncontrollability just boosting you to keep going.

"i'll make it hurt, my pretty boy."

tags// @divineruler @copy-of-a-cheeto @evanmybeloved @billyhxrgrove @sinnersblood @crssjjh @myriadofcranes @mossybank @the-hotel-cortez

(dm to be in taglist! :) )

#evan peters #american horror story #smut #imagines #ahs imagine #imagine #kinkyaf #ahs murder house #tate langdon #smut writing #writers on tumblr

[buckysdimples]

hello my loves! i think it's about time i drop in my two cents on the anthony mackie situation. fair warning, this is a long post and i don't make an effort to keep my language clean in it.

also important for me to note: i use "you" a lot in this post. it is a general you, directed at the group of people who have caused this problem. i am not directing this at all of the fandom. just the racists who caused it to get this bad in the first place. here we go!

i know people have pointed this out, but i want to make it very clear. yes, anthony mackie did word things strangely. you know what that means of him? that he's human. those of you who actively partake in fandom racism will take any white man doing the bare fucking minimum and elevate him to a pedestal that's unattainable by any people of colour in the same fandom, and as soon as a person of colour makes one (evidently dissonant with past actions) slip-up, they're the latest in the "which poc can we get out of the narrative today" game.

what makes the situation worse? a person of colour, in this case a black man who has consistently been activating and publicly lending support to many different and important causes as well as speaking up about his stance on the very issues that are so near and dear to people of colour in fandom, when they make a misstep, are absolutely torn to shreds.

meanwhile, you as a fandom whole will continue to apologise for white actors who continuously display problematic behavior, sometimes deliberately, and you either ignore it completely or make up some bullshit excuse to defend it. i'm not going to name names in this post, it detracts from the whole idea that i'm trying to get across, but these people are some of the biggest names in fandom. it is sometimes repulsive how you will use willful ignorance to apologise for them.

additionally, the full context of the interview with variety lends itself to many flaws, which you can read about in this phenomenal post by @thetransguard. the part of the fandom that attempted to eat mackie alive (which is most of the fandom) completely fucking missed this. it almost seems like you who went after him were searching for yet another reason to "fuck [poc name here], stan [white man 30495834] instead!" which honestly, is absolutely the case.

and that makes me fucking livid. you who are ripping him apart right now, your only concern for mackie and his character, sam wilson, has been sebastian stan and bucky barnes. mackie attends any interview, including interviews that are supposed to celebrate his achievements? he's only asked about sebastian stan. white fans discuss and love on "sambucky"? sam is just whatever trope he needs to be to make bucky cry, or smile, or feel better, or feel safe, and that is the extent of his character. that's disgusting. do you understand that?

stupid question. evidently not. mackie brings up valid points that yall stucky fans and now stucky turned sambucky fans continue to miss, he makes these points in admittedly a convolutedly worded fashion, but he makes them regardless. and you know what the other problem with white fans' reaction to it is? this is exactly what fans of colour in your very own beloved fandom have been trying to tell you. we attempted to make these points during the show. you know, when you lot were throwing steve in every damn chance you got and centering the show around bucky and steve and steve and bucky and who's sam? we don't know sam. all we know is a black guy who got steve's shield, and he won't pick it up, and that makes bucky sad, and bucky's doing his best, okay, he's not ignorant, sam's just mean to him, and--

it's fucking draining. from the beginning, this has been about sebastian stan and bucky barnes. you who are ripping anthony mackie to shreds were never here for him in the first place. you never listened to him. you never saw his character for who sam wilson was. and that's coming to a head in how you are receiving his words. and are you truly missing the point of his words? or is there another reason why you took apart that evidently hate-bait headline and used that specific word choice, when it was fucking clear mackie had a point that was an overtone to the words he chose, to turn mackie into a paragon of homophobia and problematic behavior?

yes, i believe there is. because it's the same fucking reason you will drown out the voices of fans of colour when we call you out for the utter bullshit you spout in regards to the media you are incapable of consuming beyond a shipping lens. it is the reason you take it upon yourselves to slam fans of colour for being selfish, or inserting into the narrative something that to your shallow interpretation wasn't intended, or reminding you that sam wilson, anthony mackie's character, is more than a racist trope prop for your favourite white character(s).

you will bemoan the lack of bisexual bucky in canon. you will throw bucky with any white man he looks once at. you will lament how "rude" poc fans are being when they ask you to focus on sam and his story. you take poc fans, black fans especially, talking and clearing up the commentary on racial and class themes that the show attempts to address, and you will tell all of us that "it's not that deep." you will turn around and shit all over bucky and sarah. sam and bucky to you is a prop to make your newly minted m/m ship canon, because stucky never became canon the way you insist it should have. that's the core of the problem, we say, that wanting the m/m ship to be canon has shifted from wanting representation to wanting two men, generally two white men, to kiss on screen so you can go crazy about it. bucky and zemo will never be canon. bucky and john walker will never be canon. you saw sam and bucky and you said, this is stucky 2.0, and you centered it around bucky and steve as an invisible third party. that is what you are advocating for. that is what mackie fucking addressed.

so the reason? the reason is that you know we're right and we have been right all along, but you're too fucking thickheaded to acknowledge that as a respectful human being. so instead, you turn to whatever the hell you can twist mackie's words into, and attempt to get him out of the fandom picture altogether. that's it, isn't it?

how fucking detestable.

just read the goddamn interview, read mackie's other interviews if you need to, and stop ignoring the truth of the messages he is trying to convey. maybe it'll do you some good to watch and read mackie solo interviews as opposed to sebastian and mackie interviews where all you focus on is the relationship between those two actors, completely ignoring what they, especially and generally mackie, are trying to convey. that's another problem, isn't it?

full circle. stop being fucking tone deaf and listen to poc fans and actors for once in your privileged, entitled lives.

thank you for reading all the way through.

#anthony mackie #sam wilson #sebastian stan #bucky barnes #marvel #racism #racism in fandom #tfatws #i'm tired

[hazelcephalopod]

The Eye of the World Ch 52-53

Oof. That… that is certainly a conclusion. Huh. Just. Rough times ahead.

More thoughts at the very end.

And I’m finished! I will edit this with the book two tag when I’ve decide what that will be.

Re-Edit: the tag will be #series of many thoughts on twot

Disclaimer: this is my first read thru but I’ve watched all of the show this far and been spoiled on some book things. So… I’m going to lean into that. Enjoy figuring out what I know, and what I think I know, and what I just don’t. Also s/x I add commentary when I edit.

Spoilers for the first book and up to the most recent episode under the cut. Potential spoilers for latter books.

Ch 52: There is Neither Beginning Nor End

Leaf

Oh. He disintegrated and melted that guy.

Oh that… just a lot

Oh so… yea. He just basically went into like a dissociative state and wrecked shit up. And now channeling sickness

… and probably the madness huh?

Yup. That’s an altered state if I’ve ever seen one

Mania? Seems like mania (editor me: Idk. Just not a good time)

Do these people have like… a holy book with all these quotes or like… is it just the ol’ folk religion?

He’s really riding that ‘I just killed the devil high’

…tbh I hope we get some of this on the show.

… and … crash

That’s. Geez guys. Wow. Harsh.

…and Nynaeve is the first to kinda reject him. So that’s harsh

“But it wasn’t me. The Light… pulled me along. It wasn’t really me. Doesn’t that make a difference.” -Rand, after explaining all the magic he just did.

… no. Sry.

Ah

Ohhh and sadness. Dropping right into the sadness

I… don’t… wow. Maybe don’t say that to him rn? ‘Yea you might be a tool of destruction. But it’s ok to be used for your purpose. Why are you crying?’

“Moiraine Sedai says we are done and we can go. Home. Rand.” -Perrin to Rand. Not knowing Rand’s the one who just channeled a lake of saidin. Yikes. Big oof

Oh that is such the bare minimum. But good on you Lan. You win the… reacting to this. Prize for the hour at least.

Yea this is a bit fucking weird. ‘Oh where we’re you Rand. The women wouldn’t let us search for you. You know the channelers and they looked distant and sad. Probably nothing.’

… I mean at least Loial isn’t human. Like. I’ll give on that.

Ta’veren I guess? *big shrug*

Oh. Cuendillar! (It’s basically magic super vibranium)

“This was one of the seven seals on the Dark One’s prison.” -Moiraine, on the cuendillar artifacts they found in the eye. I don’t like ‘was’.

Oh buddy…

Puzzle chest!

I’m sry is that the flaming Horn of Velere? In a chest in the Eyepool?

What the fuck?

Also… “Tia mi aven Moridin isainde vadin. The grave is no bar to my call.” -Loial reading the writing on the horn.

It… brings back the dead? Sry dead heroes of the ages.

Cool. Ancient tapestries.

… Im sure it’s cool.

That’s not reassuring! (I later learn it really really isn’t)

53: The Wheel Turns

The wheel of time symbol.

Uhh well that’s nice I guess?

Ya know I don’t think it’s still for a good reason personally

Mmm. That is a very vivid description of all that. *sus*

“We struck a mighty blow at the Dark One…” -Moiraine. Did you tho? I guess they killed some forsaken.

Huh. Well I guess they did something if spring is finally coming. Like three months late

Yea I guess everyone saw that then huh?

“The Age of Legends has come back!” -random. I mean…

“…hung a garland of morningstars around Rand’s neck.”

Don’t wry dude there’ll be plenty more opportunities for you to do battle. Unfortunately for everyone else

I honestly keep forgetting Moiraine is supposed to be grievously injured and exhausted rn

“We won… but I fear the last battle he has not yet been fought.” -Moiraine to Agelmar. Yup. There’s the truth.

‘Ok I’ll take that help now thnx. No you can’t keep the horn. Sry!’

… I feel a cliffhanger coming. This is all strangely neat. To clean

Seven days?

Oh sword training!

… so he’s don’t like three weeks of basic sword training in the past ~2 months? At best?

Oh! So he’s already decided to run away. Ok. That makes sense actually

Ha. Yea. Pretty sure no one ever has succeeded at doing that. No one can resist the Source for long

“I’m going away, but not home. Not ever home.” -Rand to Egwene after telling her he’s decided to leave. My heart!

Just deep into the depression now.

“… as a girl in the Royal Palace in Cairhien…” -(Moiraine). Uh I think that’s the first mention of that! Royal palace?

So she is in fact actually royalty?

“The Dragon is Reborn.” -Moiraine to herself.

The end!

Final thoughts:

… I think the show ending is better. Like this had merit and some interesting moments but really it’s just not even a cliffhanger or and ending it’s just. Ok. Well, stay tuned!

Which I will. Obviously. Overall I liked this book.

The parts I liked would be difficult to translate to the screen, and the story the show is telling -which is a bit different but in essence the same imo.

It’s right into the fires of sadness now isn’t it?

Also honestly… the horn makes as much sense being under that throne as it did being in the Eye imo. Like. That does not matter. Equally ridiculous imho.

#many thoughts on twot teotw #< block or filter to stop seeing these posts #wheel of time #the wheel of time #wot #wot book spoilers #twot book #twot book spoilers #eotw spoilers #eye of the world #the eye of the world

[doomedship]

I’m at the point where they should really just let us into the writers room lol. We’d probably do it way better after the season so far.

I’m concerned about them losing people after the break if the next two eps don’t go the way they should. It’s probably safe for a 5th season since it’s on par with other 10pm ABC dramas, but maybe if they have a sharp decline in viewers they’ll change things since they write as they go along I think? I don’t know. People are at the end of their ropes. And it probably will get worse. At least until Chenford begins looking like themselves again and gets a move on it with progression. I feel like more damage control might be on the horizon lol. Help us all.

With the frequency of breaks this show takes and the lack of overarching plots it's not the best for creating a consistent sense of momentum. It's definitely not a show that has narrative hooks. My understanding is people really just tune in because they are attached to at least one of the components, be that Chenford or Nathan or Jenna or whoever.

I think the fanbase that consists of Nathan fans is bound to be fine, steady and consistent. Nolan is the only one perpetually rammed down our throats in broadly the same manner. He hasn't had a character assassination, he's never really even had a flaw. So from that perspective, the show will keep trudging on.

However, even non-Chenford oriented reviews after Sunday are none too impressed by the writing and I think that's been noticeable.

I think many reviewers noted that the plot was weak for the last episode. I.e. they ruined the whodunnit they were building up by suddenly having that side character appear early on in the episode, turning up very conspicuously at the police station, so it was obvious he wasn't just a random side character.

Cue a very lengthy confrontation where only Nolan appears. Sidelining every single other character and removing any element of risk or doubt since there was no way in hell anything bad would actually happen to Nolan.

So if the plots are just 😐 even for casual viewers, that's when you're in dangerous territory.

On the point about damage control, I wonder to what extent the show is even aware of what's going wrong. It's hard to get the point across to the right people, after all.

I've also noted the very angry and hostile backlash from a few individuals against the people commenting that the writing wasn't great on Twitter, accusing those who comment they didn't like the episode of "ruining it" for everyone else if they let the show cast and crew know they were disappointed. I find this an unhealthy stance. There seems to be a crippling fear of critical commentary in some quarters which I'd say actually undermines any chance of seeing a return to the kind of writing that was almost universally enjoyed by the fandom.

If the show is letting the audience down such that ever larger numbers have concerns on serious topics, including the increasingly misogynistic portrayal of women or the erasure of non-white characters, I think it's totally valid to tell the people concerned, politely. An audience doesn't have much power to change a show's course but staying silent is guaranteed to lead to more of the same.

None of the @s I've seen have been hateful or lacking actual basis. It's not vitriolic or just for the sake of saying something negative. It's usually just a question, "why do the women have a lesser role this season", or an expression of wishes, "I hope Lucy has more serious storylines soon". This is, in my book, completely reasonable.

How can the show do better if all anyone ever says is thank you, that was perfect?

Obviously I'm not saying go nuts tagging all the cast and crew and demanding things left, right and centre. I myself don't particularly like directly engaging with any of them (hence why I'm on Tumblr much more than Twitter) so keep this to a minimum. The cast in particular have little say over what gets put into the show, they just bring it to life, so I don't see much to gain complaining to them about the writing.

But asking questions and holding executives and writers to account isn't a crime worthy of a witch hunt like some are suggesting.

#chenford #ds: asks #the rookie

[veliseraptor]

Hi! Can you give a brief spoilery summary of the Untamed? I just read [the pretties from your posts] died? Oh no. I tried getting information through google but it’s confusing for someone who doesn’t know the characters.

oh lord. there are all kinds of ‘brief summaries of the Untamed’ out there but I’ve always found them vaguely irritating so...I guess that means it’s time for my comeuppance in the form of having to do it myself? I’ll do my best.

I didn’t know how detailed you wanted me to get so I decided to get pretty detailed, since you did ask for spoilery. so this is like. entirely spoilers. spoilers for everything.

also, you can use, if it’s helpful, my brief character overview (‘brief’) which includes some plot information, and could be useful as cross reference also. I’m playing pretty fast and loose with a lot of terminology for the sake of intelligibility, because otherwise this would get even longer and have a lot more links.

also, because you asked me specifically for this, it’s going to have some bias. I tried to keep my interpretive commentary to a relative minimum? but. uh. yeah.

the briefest basic plot overview is (going off The Untamed canon, which you will also see abbreviated as CQL from the pinyin transliteration of the Chinese title (Chen Qing Ling)):

Wei Wuxian, a cultivation (think, loosely, magic) prodigy and creator of his own particular style of cultivation, dies reviled by most of the known world. Sixteen years later he’s raised from the dead by Mo Xuanyu, an outcast and the bastard son of one of the leaders of the main sects of the cultivation world, in order to take revenge on Mo Xuanyu’s enemies (specifically his abusive family and ~an unknown person~).

And here is where we get into the details.

Pretty much immediately upon Wei Wuxian’s resurrection, people start dying at Mo Manor, before Wei Wuxian has even done anything, because of (it turns out) a very angry spirit of a semi-sentient weapon. Wei Wuxian books it out of town after his old best friend/crush Lan Wangji shows up to help the Lan ducklings he’s shepherding (including most notably Lan Sizhui and Lan Jingyi, the only named characters of that bunch), only to wind up running into him again on the road - and not only him, but his orphaned nephew (shorthand, go with it) Jin Ling (Wei Wuxian was responsible for his parents’ deaths) and Jiang Cheng, his martial brother who (at least according to rumor) killed him sixteen years ago and still bears a hell of a grudge. In order to save Jin Ling, Wei Wuxian summons the “Ghost General” Wen Ning, who was supposed to be destroyed and whose presence confirms his identity to a very pissed off Jiang Cheng. Lan Wangji recognizes Wei Wuxian as well. Wei Wuxian passes out.

followed any of that? no? that’s fine, because now we’re heading into a thirty episode flashback that’ll clarify some things. (but not before you forget a whole bunch of things from the first two episodes.)

I’m going to split this into arcs. I’m also going to put this under a read more, because...yeah, this came out to just a little over 10,500 words. I’m...sorry.

have fun?

Cloud Recesses Summer School Arc

The time card says “sixteen years earlier” but it isn’t sixteen years earlier because that would make no sense, but it’s better to give up on timeline now or you’ll just drive yourself nuts.

This is the part of the show where you meet the main characters, some of whom you saw earlier (notably Jiang Cheng, Wei Wuxian’s younger sort-of brother), and some of whom you only know from reference (Jiang Yanli, Wei Wuxian’s older sort-of sister) and some of whom are significantly important (Lan Wangji). You also meet Jin Zixuan, the snotty heir to the Jin Sect, who will be important later. Jiang Yanli is clearly into him and he seems to very much not return the feelings.

At this point, there are five main sects that the characters belong to. They are (with the characters you’ve met from them so far: the Jiang Sect (Jiang Cheng, Wei Wuxian, and Jiang Yanli), the Nie Sect (Nie Huaisang, a flighty and sort of feckless fellow), the Jin Sect (Jin Zixuan, his social skills translator Mianmian), the Lan Sect (Lan Wangji, his brother Lan Xichen) as well as the Wen Sect (more on them in a moment). Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian meet and immediately...something. Wei Wuxian wants to make friends, and Lan Wangji seems to emphatically Not.

You also meet Meng Yao, who is Nie Huaisang’s brother Nie Mingjue’s right hand man, and also the bastard son of Jin Guangshan (the leader of Jin Sect). He is also the son of (using the words of literally everyone) a prostitute, which people remind him of at every possible moment, in case he was in danger of forgetting, or something. He and Lan Xichen have kind of a moment. 

Later on, members of the Wen Sect, led by Wen Chao storm in, posturing disrespectfully, and drop off Wen Qing to “learn” (but secretly she has a mission looking for the Yin Iron/Metal). The Wen are ascendant in power and seem to be flexing their muscle looking for trouble. 

Wen Qing comes as a set with her brother Wen Ning - the pair of them are from sort of...a secondary branch of the main Wen family, and she’s being coerced into supporting Wen Ruohan despite being not thrilled about it. Wei Wuxian bonds with Wen Qing’s younger brother Wen Ning, who has a weird situation that makes him vulnerable to possession (this is important later).

At one point Wei Wuxian proposes - in response to a question! He’s just being innovative! - to put it simply, necromancy, which is, to say the least, not a hit. Remember that for later!

Eventually, Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian end up falling by accident into some ice caves, where they learn from one of Lan Wangji’s ancestors (Lan Yi, she’s cool) about the Yin Iron, of which she has a piece. It is an spiritually corrupted metal that can’t be destroyed so it was broken into pieces and hidden in different places. Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji resolve jointly to find the other pieces.

Wei Wuxian, Jiang Yanli, and Jiang Cheng (henceforth “the Yunmeng siblings”) are picked up early by Jiang Yanli and Jiang Cheng’s dad (Jiang Fengmian) because Wei Wuxian causes problems both on purpose and not. Wei Wuxian, however, puts together that Lan Wangji is going off on his own chasing the Yin Iron, and ditches the rest of his family to go help.

Yin Iron Hunt Arc

Wei Wuxian meets up with Lan Wangji, who is not thrilled to see him (at least, apparently). They run into Nie Huaisang, who joins them. They come to a town where everyone seems to have vanished and there is nothing fishy going on in the cave with the statue that looks like a dancing lady at all. Meanwhile, Jiang Cheng leaves home to go track down Wei Wuxian and bring him back.

The statue comes to life, Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji fight together to defeat it, and then a bunch of...undead villagers (sort of, they get better) attack them, only to be lured away by Wen Qing playing a flute (this ability will never be brought up again). Jiang Cheng reveals himself as having been hanging out watching this go down. Ultimately, by killing the Stygian Pigeon that belongs to Wen Chao, the villagers are freed and they move on.

After a brief stopover in a village, they hear some rumors about a haunted house and take off to go check it out. When they get there, everyone is dead and Xue Yang is on the roof just kind of vibing. Xiao Xingchen and Song Lan manage to get him pinned down and taken captive. This is important and not just because I said so.

Nie Huaisang, who Wei Wuxian, Jiang Cheng, and Lan Wangji ditched in town, arrives here with Meng Yao, who proposes bringing Xue Yang to Nie Mingjue for justice purposes (which when I write it like that sounds...um. moving right along), which is where everyone heads next, less Xiao Xingchen and Song Lan who have their own things to do. Wei Wuxian realizes that Xiao Xingchen had the same master as his mother, and gets really excited about it; it’s adorable.

They go to Nie Mingjue, who is talked out of executing Xue Yang because they’re trying to find out where he put the Yin Iron (which they figure he has, because reasons. there are reasons, I just don’t feel like going into it.) Lan Wangji leaves in the night without saying goodbye, and then Wen Chao arrives. He is accompanied by Wen Zhuliu, who is called the Core-Melting Hand for reasons that will be important later. There’s a fight, Xue Yang gets loose, and Nie Mingjue finds Meng Yao in a very compromising position (killing a captain of the guard and among a bunch of other dead bodies). He kicks Meng Yao out of the Nie Sect.

Meanwhile, the Wens attack Cloud Recesses. Lan Xichen’s uncle makes him leave to preserve himself and the most important texts. Everyone retreats to a cave that’s hidden and walled off; Su She (who was introduced briefly earlier) caves to threats to his life and tells the Wens how to get into the Lan’s cave sanctuary. Lan Wangji returns with Lan Yi’s Yin Iron and gives it and himself up to Wen Chao’s older brother Wen Xu to spare everyone else.

Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian leave for home (Lotus Pier). We witness family dynamics, which are terrible. The Wens want everyone to send their kids, specifically their heirs, to be reeducated in Wen territory, but they’re not hostages, we swear. No, really.

Reeducation Camp Arc

To reeducation camp with the Wens we go! Where Lan Wangji is not looking so hot, and Wei Wuxian rapidly causes problems on purpose to try to get to talk to him, but mostly just ends up getting himself tossed in a dungeon where he gets attacked by a very bad puppet of a dog. Wen Qing has told Wen Ning not to associate with Wei Wuxian because they’re on thin ice with their boss (Wen Ruohan), but Wen Ning sneaks him some medicine against Wen Qing’s orders anyway.

They go on a hunt, with the non-Wens featuring as bait. Here is where you meet Wen Chao’s main squeeze Wang Lingjiao, who was formerly a servant. Everyone ends up in a cave that contains a creature whose name is unfortunately translated as “Tortoise of Slaughter.” we’ll go with “Xuanwu of Slaughter” instead, it feels better. Wen Chao and his accompanying entourage make a run for it and ditch everyone else in the cave; they manage to sneak out but Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji end up trapped with no way out. They team up and kill the Xuanwu, partially because Wei Wuxian acquires a very cursed sword. Afterward, he is feverish and asks Lan Wangji to sing - enter Wuji! their theme. You see Lan Wangji mouth that it is called “Wangxian” before Wei Wuxian passes out. (Yes, he did name his composition after their ship name. Aww.)

I’ve skated through that very fast but it is important because it’s like...the point where they seriously bond in a major way and it’s all very...like, there was only one bed only they’re trapped in a cave and injured and forced to rely on each other. So not actually really like that.

Wei Wuxian comes around outside of the cave with Jiang Cheng and Jin Zixuan, who brought help to rescue him and Lan Wangji; Lan Wangji, however, is gone.

Oh Shit Things Went Downhill Fast Arc

Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian go back to Lotus Pier, where Wei Wuxian is in big trouble with Jiang Cheng’s mother (Yu Ziyuan, seen later emotionally terrorizing all her children), who already doesn’t like him and accuses him of bringing trouble down on them by defying the Wens. Jiang Cheng’s dad is terrible, Wei Wuxian reaffirms that he and Jiang Cheng will be Together Forever, you, the viewer, know that is absolutely not how that’s going to go.

Word comes that the Wen have attacked one of the smaller sects, and Jiang Cheng’s dad (Jiang Fengmian) goes with Jiang Yanli to talk to Jin Guangshan about how to deal with the Wens.

Then Wang Lingjiao arrives with word that they’re gonna be in big trouble if they don’t punish Wei Wuxian right now. Yu Ziyuan uses her lightning whip to beat the shit out of Wei Wuxian, but Wang Lingjiao wants her to cut off his hand. Then she makes the mistake of saying that they’ll be making Lotus Pier a supervisory office of the Wens, thank you.

Yu Ziyuan reacts...poorly, Wang Lingjiao calls on her backup Wen Zhuliu (and everyone else); seeing the writing on the wall Yu Ziyuan grabs Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng, puts them on a boat, and sends them away, bequeathing her sick-ass lightning whip (Zidian) to Jiang Cheng. They run into Jiang Fengmian and Jiang Yanli; Jiang Fengmian adds Jiang Yanli to the boat full of crying children and goes to sail back to Lotus Pier.

Lotus Pier falls, everybody dies, Jiang Cheng goes semi-catatonic and then disappears, having been captured by the Wens after going back for his parents’ bodies. (Which is more important than it probably sounds, from a Western perspective.) Wei Wuxian follows him and finds Wen Ning, who smuggles Jiang Cheng out and takes him, Wei Wuxian, and Jiang Yanli to Wen Qing for safekeeping.

Jiang Cheng wakes up; his golden core (the...thing that lets him do superpowered things, let’s go with that) was destroyed by Wen Zhuliu. Melted, if you will. And it’s not the kind of thing you can just, you know, fix. He descends into absolute despair as Wei Wuxian looks frantically for a way to fix it - and finds one! Though Wen Qing is not happy about it, she still agrees.

at this point we see the return of an old friend! Song Lan, who has a bloody bandage over his eyes, but has eyes that work, despite the fact that he was blinded by Xue Yang who also killed his entire temple. He explains that Xiao Xingchen said that he was taking Song Lan to his master Baoshan Sanren, the immortal who can cure anything, and doesn’t remember anything else.

Wei Wuxian takes Jiang Cheng to Baoshan Sanren to get his core back. Psych! It’s a lie that he totally made up to explain the fact that he’s actually getting his own core transplanted into Jiang Cheng in a highly experimental procedure. Importantly, Wei Wuxian does not tell Jiang Cheng this.

Post-surgery, rather battered Wei Wuxian gets caught by Wen Chao and Wang Lingjiao, who torture him and then throw him into a place called the Burial Mounds, which is more or less what it sounds like, is Very Cursed, and from which no one has emerged alive. Then this happens:

(I want you to appreciate how hard I’ve tried to not put any screencaps in here. but I had to do this one. I just had to.)

and you go oh shit and also well that’s sexy.

Jiang Cheng, delighted to have his core back, descends the mountain only to find that Wei Wuxian is...not there.

Cool! That seems fine.

Sunshot Campaign Arc

Timeskip to three months later! The rest of the sects have allied together to take down the Wen Sect (this is what ‘Sunshot Campaign’ refers to, because the symbol of the Wens is a sun). Things aren’t looking good for the Wens, including Wen Chao and Wang Lingjiao. Wang Lingjiao hallucinates to the sound of a flute and ends up killing herself. Meanwhile, Lan Wangji and Jiang Cheng have teamed up to look for Wei Wuxian. On their way, they start finding piles of Wen bodies killed in a mysterious and grotesque manner involving an unfamiliar method of cultivation.

(Side note: around now is where Jiang Cheng frees Wen Qing from where she was imprisoned by the Wens for being a dirty traitor during the war and gives her the comb of pining he bought way back in the Cloud Recesses arc, telling her that he will help her if she asks. This isn’t...exactly important, except I wanted to note it.)

Eventually, they find a house where Wen Chao has holed up with Wen Zhuliu, and watch as it’s revealed that he has gone through some nasty shit, is terrified and traumatized and badly injured. Ominous signs: begin to happen! Flames going out: happen! Shots of someone climbing slowly and menacingly up stairs: happen! 

Yeah, it’s Wei Wuxian. New and improved, darker and meaner and very sexy about it, and with a new sick-ass flute. He starts attacking Wen Chao, and when Wen Zhuliu moves to attack Wei Wuxian Jiang Cheng jumps down and hangs Wen Zhuliu with Zidian. Lan Wangji confronts Wei Wuxian about this darker and meaner version and Wei Wuxian breaks up with him; Lan Wangji leaves Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian to kill Wen Chao because the family that murders together stays together!

(They won’t, but.)

The war goes on, but the tides have turned, and the Wens are losing. Both of Wen Ruohan’s sons are dead. Soup drama happens here, which I don’t need to explain fully but it is clear that Wei Wuxian is extremely emotionally unstable, and also will no longer carry his sword despite everyone telling him he needs to carry his sword. All is not well with the Wei Wuxian! But nobody knows why. Lan Wangji’s repeated “LET ME FIX YOU” overtures are not well received. Lan Wangji also has a nice conversation about how the Lan rules did not prepare him for moral complexity.

Eventually Nie Mingjue proposes going to attack Wen Ruohan on his own while the others move on the Wen stronghold at Nightless City (at this point, they have received a map of Wen defenses from a ~mysterious spy~). Nie Mingjue is captured, and it is revealed that Meng Yao decided that after getting kicked out of Qinghe he could find a better boss somewhere else. Outside, an undead army shows up to kick everyone else’s ass. Things don’t look good for our heroes!

Wei Wuxian brings out his secret weapon the Yin Tiger Seal and...takes over the undead army. This is very troubling to everyone involved, but it does bring Wen Ruohan out to see what the deal is. Wei Wuxian delivers one of the sickest lines in the entire show:

(i’m restraining myself! trust me! i am!)

so yeah, that’s a normal and reassuring thing to say.

And then Meng Yao stabs Wen Ruohan in the back. And that’s it for Wen Ruohan! Our major antagonist is dead! Surely everything will be fine now.

Well We Won the War, Now What Arc

[cracks knuckles] and here’s where the politics starts.

Ready and totally psyched to step into the power vacuum left by the fall of the Wens is Jin Guangshan! Leader of the Jin Sect, least impacted by the war by vitue of joining up late. He recognizes Meng Yao as his son now that he’s, like, someone that is valuable to him politically, and Meng Yao gets a commensurate name change > Jin Guangyao. Pretty much immediately Jin Guangshan starts manuevering to consolidate power - pushing to marry Jiang Yanli and Jin Zixuan, pushing to get access to Wei Wuxian’s Yin Tiger Seal, subtly undermining everyone else...the works.

Jin Guangshan is the worst, is what I’m saying here.

Meanwhile, Nie Mingjue is very unhappy about the whole “Meng Yao helping the Wens and fucking with him when he’s captured” thing, but then Lan Xichen (remember, Lan Wangji’s older brother) steps in and reveals that Jin Guangyao was a spy delivering information, actually, and also saved his life when he was on the run from the Wens, so don’t hurt him please. Nie Mingjue is still very suspicious, but he backs off. Subsequently, after agreeing to place the Wen (civilian) captives in a holding camp, Jin Guangyao has them killed (impliedly at the order of his father).

We are given cues that Jin Guangyao is bad news. Like, heavy cues. If you are me this makes you love him.

This is also where Lan Xichen, Nie Mingjue, and Jin Guangyao become sworn brothers, which is a big deal.

Meanwhile, back in Lotus Pier, Wei Wuxian is...not doing so hot! He’s drinking heavily, shirking his responsibilities in a way that is making Jiang Cheng particularly very upset with him, generally being weird and traumatized but nobody knows how to deal with that, or him. Then Jin Zixuan arrives to invite everyone to a special hunt being hosted by his father including Jiang Yanli because he, he means his mom, really wants her to be there.

The hunt goes great! By that I mean Jin Zixuan is a spectacular failure at expressing his feelings to Jiang Yanli, Wei Wuxian almost starts a fight with Jin Zixuan, Jin Zixuan’s enormous asshole cousin gets nasty until Jiang Yanli makes him apologize, in a seriously badass moment. The whole thing comes off with Wei Wuxian really not looking good, including his decision to ditch the celebratory banquet. But also Jiang Yanli getting a liiiiittle closer to something she wants (i.e. Jin Zixuan). Jiang Cheng is like “dude what the fuck” at Wei Wuxian and gets zero percent explanation. Meanwhile everyone in the vicinity pokes at his massive insecurities, because the cultivation world’s favorite activity is actually gossip.

Things only get worse at the very bad after party. This is where we meet Su She again, who has gone and founded his own sect! Lan Xichen and Lan Wangji are sort of bitchy about it. But the real issue comes when Zixun peer pressures Lan Xichen into drinking despite the fact that it’s pretty solidly against the rules of the Lan Sect. Lan Xichen does it with a very “fuck you” smile, despite Jin Guangyao’s attempts to forestall the situation.

(I feel like I have not expressed the relationship between Jin Guangyao and Lan Xichen? It’s a whole thing. Let’s just say that it’s a fairly popular ship for a reason.)

Lan Wangji, however, is not as diplomatic as his brother.

And then Wei Wuxian arrives! To ruin another party. Because he found Wen Qing wandering around in the streets and turns out that Wen Ning was taken prisoner by Jin Zixun and friends and removed to whereabouts unknown. Wei Wuxian proceeds to give the sexiest countdown ever to annihilating Jin Zixun if he doesn’t tell him where Wen Ning is.

Wen Ning, unfortunately, is in a pile of bodies. Because the Jin have been...well, experimenting on Wen prisoners, basically. Wen Ning is...not dead in this universe because censorship, but everything makes more sense if you just say “he’s basically dead and Wei Wuxian resurrects him to fuck up everyone in the vicinity who was responsible for his death, which is...everyone other than the other Wens. Eventually Wei Wuxian stops him by yelling his second (courtesy) name that no one else has used for him in speech up to this point (Wen Qionglin), because love is stored in the name. Wei Wuxian gathers up the survivors and takes off only to run into Lan Wangji standing in his way.

They have a point of no return moment. Wei Wuxian basically says “let me go or you have to kill me” only it’s better than that because what he actually says is like “if I’m going to be killed I should be killed by you, then I would know it was right” and it’s a whole fucking thing and anyway Lan Wangji steps aside and lets them all go and it is quite literally “I’m not crying, it’s just raining on my face” except he is also crying.

So...fuck.

Burial Mounds Arc

Wei Wuxian takes the Wens to the one place nobody’s probably going to follow them: namely, the Burial Mounds. Home sweet home!

Outside in the main world, rumors are flying about the army Wei Wuxian is building and the sect he’s planning to found and how ambitious he is and how he’s disrespecting Jiang Cheng and actually Jiang Cheng he probably never loved you anyway and is better and stronger and what are you good for, but I’m saying this out of concern and to be helpful (paraphrased from Jin Guangshan).

Accordingly, Jiang Cheng agrees to go and check things out and see what’s going on in Chez Burial Mounds. What is going on is basically a bunch of civilians eking out a very depressing living. There is also a child, a-Yuan, who is adorable. This will also be important later.

(are you keeping track of all this?)

Jiang Cheng also goes to see Wen Ning, who is...recovering from being dead/undead and Wei Wuxian is working on fixing him. Jiang Cheng says he has to die, and Wei Wuxian has to come home, and things are really bad, man, so stop worrying about these losers and avoid the entire cultivation world being really pissed with you, maybe?

Wei Wuxian isn’t going for it, and tells Jiang Cheng to cut him out of Jiang Sect in order to protect Jiang Sect’s reputation. It’s upsetting. They stage a very dramatic duel and Jiang Cheng announces that friendship ended with Wei Wuxian, he has no new friend actually.

This is also where Wen Qing significantly returns the comb of pining that Jiang Cheng gave her way back (remember that?) and is like. so you wouldn’t’ve helped me and Wen Ning actually, would you. And that is the end of Chengqing as a sidebar ship that never really sailed. Well done, you two.

Meanwhile, Jin Zixuan gets his shit together and proposes to Jiang Yanli by way of making her a lotus pond at Jinlintai. So that’s nice!

A bit later Lan Wangji comes to visit! Only it’s totally coincidental, he was just passing through, that’s all. He and Wei Wuxian hang out for a little while, pretending things are sort of normal, but they have to rush back to the Burial Mounds because the Wen Ning is out. They manage to get him under control and awaken him to proper consciousness again, though! Great! Things are looking up. :)

Lan Wangji does not stay for dinner, though. :(

In my notes I have written “meanwhile...political shitshow” and that is basically a summation of what’s up in places that aren’t the Burial Mounds. Specifically, Jin Guangshan, who seems to have deputized Jin Guangyao to do his dirty work generally, is making noises about how something needs to be done about that Wei Wuxian, and what about that Yin Tiger Seal anyway, doesn’t it seem Yin Iron-like, shouldn’t something like that not be in the hands of a random person? Probably it should be in someone else’s hands instead. Someone responsible with no ulterior motives. You know.

Also in here...somewhere, Mianmian tries to stand up for Wei Wuxian being maybe right about some things, gets shouted down, and decides to leave the Jin Sect entirely. Like...just walks out. Several people look at her like ‘you can do that?’, Lan Wangji is jealous, it is a total boss move. Mianmian hasn’t been a major character but this is important enough and cool enough that I had to mention it.

Jiang Yanli and Jiang Cheng come to Yiling (by the Burial Mounds) for a very secret rendezvous where Wei Wuxian gets to see Jiang Yanli’s beautiful wedding dress and eat some of her famous soup and it is very sweet and nice and Jiang Cheng is like “so do you have a plan for if everyone attacks you” and Wei Wuxian is like “absolutely. I will kill everyone is my plan.”

also possibly Jiang Yanli is already pregnant at this point??? she and Jiang Cheng are certainly exchanging a lot of conspiratorial smiles when she tells Wei Wuxian to give her future son a courtesy name.

She is for sure pregnant later, because there is a baby named Jin Ling who shows up! (Remember that name? No? He was the bratty teenager from episode 2.)  Jin Guangshan does not allow Jin Guangyao to hold the baby, for which he deserves what he gets. For Jin Ling’s 100 day/three month (again! timelines, fuck em) celebration, Jiang Cheng, Jin Zixuan, and Lan Wangji tag team to get Wei Wuxian invited, where he will come and it will be nice and everyone will discuss this Yin Tiger Seal issue like civilized people.

An invitation is sent for Wei Wuxian to come to the celebration! Wonderful! This is in no way going to go horribly wrong.

Oh Shit, Things Went Downhill Fast (Take Two) Arc

It goes horribly wrong.

On the way to Jinlintai to greet his new baby nephew, accompanied by Wen Ning, Wei Wuxian is confronted by - surprise! - Jin Zixun, accusing Wei Wuxian of putting a curse on him. Wei Wuxian denies it, naturally, since he didn’t. Jin Zixun decides the best way to deal with this situation is to kill Wei Wuxian, which will definitely break the curse that Wei Wuxian definitely cast on him.

He attacks, and Wen Ning goes Ghost General on everyone’s ass, and Wei Wuxian brings out his flute. Things are looking pretty hairy when Jin Zixuan shows up to call off the fight, trying to get Wei Wuxian to back down; he does not back down, because that would just mean getting shot full of arrows.

Wen Ning, who seems to have completely lost his mind, fists Jin Zixuan. Through the chest. This does, in fact, kill him.

His dying words are to say that Jiang Yanli is still waiting for Wei Wuxian to show up, just to make everything worse. Wen Ning kills Jin Zixun as well. This is not actually what Wei Wuxian wanted to happen.

Back at the Burial Mounds! In the wake of Jin Zixuan’s death, an ultimatum has been issued to give up the Wen siblings or else. This is pretty clearly (in my opinion) a pretext that doesn’t mean anything, but Wen Qing and Wen Ning have already decided to sacrifice themselves. Maybe they’re hoping it’ll work? Or at least that it’ll give Wei Wuxian some time? Wen Qing knocks Wei Wuxian out so he can’t stop them. The whole thing is really fucking heartbreaking.

Wei Wuxian comes around and goes to Jinlintai, where he sees Jiang Yanli, who is mourning her dead husband who got killed by her baby brother! Cool! She sees Wei Wuxian but he runs before she can say anything, partly because guards have been sicced on him. He is pretty clearly having a mental breakdown, hallucinations and all!

Cut to a gathering of...pretty much everyone important and all their followers at Nightless City, for a combination commemorating the dead/affirming the deaths of Wen Ning and Wen Qing/gearing up to kill Wei Wuxian.

Who spares them the effort of coming to find him by showing up on the roof! He proceeds to sic dark magic on everyone there except, conspicuously, for the Jiang Sect. Lan Wangji arrives to defuse the situation and fails to defuse the situation until Wei Wuxian hears Jiang Yanli calling for him.

Because she’s arrived on an active battlefield! Not her best idea but it’s not like I can actually blame her considering the week she’s having.

Wei Wuxian goes to look for her, as does Jiang Cheng who also heard her, and...suddenly loses control of his dark magic. Cool! One of the...undead? people there wounds Jiang Yanli. Even better! Jiang Cheng pleads with Wei Wuxian to get things under control, which he can’t! They have a moment while a lot of people around them are dying but you know what, they deserve it.

because like literally a second later Jiang Yanli pushes Wei Wuxian out of the way of a sword meant to stab him in the back and instead takes it herself. And dies.

So. Yeah.

Wei Wuxian loses the last threads of his sanity and destroys the Yin Tiger Seal. While everybody is fighting over it, he goes over to the edge of a cliff, and now we’re back here where we started! With Lan Wangji clinging to Wei Wuxian’s hand as he dangles over the edge of a cliff and tells him to let go.

Jiang Cheng arrives to defuse the situation, by which I mean “he tells Wei Wuxian to go die and stabs down.” He only hits rock; Wei Wuxian breaks himself loose of Lan Wangji’s grip and falls. You are left on the image of Lan Wangji’s absolutely devastated face.

nice! great. well, that brings us up to speed for the flashforward to the future, where you have probably completely forgotten what happened in the first two episodes.

For instance: remember how we saw Wen Ning despite the fact that he’s supposed to be ashes? Yeah.

And We’re Back in the Present Now Arc (Good Times in Qinghe Arc)

For some reason this is the part of the show where I remember the least and it all kind of blurs together with the exception of one scene? so I had to go look at Wikipedia episode summaries to make sure I was putting things in the right order.

Back in the present at the Cloud Recesses, Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji discover that the very angry sword spirit last seen killing people at Mo Manor (remember that?) is pointing them in the direction of Qinghe (the Nie Sect territory). They leave to go there and run into Jin Ling, who semi-accidentally terrorizes Wei Wuxian by way of dog. 

By asking around, they also learn that there are rumors of a man-eating fortress in the woods, and that it hasn’t been dealt with because the leader of the Nie Sect is absolutely useless. The leader of the Nie Sect who is now - hey, been a while! - Nie Huaisang, since his older brother disappeared under mysterious circumstances after losing his mind years ago.

The dynamic duo go off to investigate the man-eating fortress, naturally, and what they find is a tomb full of swords and a wall full of skeletons, and also Jin Ling. 

They remove Jin Ling from the wall, Lan Wangji goes chasing a mysterious attacker, and Wei Wuxian takes Jin Ling to safety only to end up running into - oh boy! - Jiang Cheng. 

They have a calm talk about their feelings and address their dysfunction in a reasonable manner. 

Nope! Jiang Cheng corners Wei Wuxian with Jin Ling’s dog, throws a cup of tea at a wall, and yells at Wei Wuxian about how he both didn’t come home right away and also how he should die ten million times (no, like, actually). Fortunately, Jin Ling arrives, lies out his ass about how he saw Wen Ning to get Jiang Cheng to leave, and lets Wei Wuxian go. 

Back to that mysterious figure Lan Wangji went running after! Turns out it was none other than Nie Huaisang, who confesses - reluctantly - that the man-eating fortress belongs to his family and is a safe home for bloodthirsty swords after their owners die, which is a normal thing to get as a family heirloom. This is also where it becomes increasingly clear that (a) the sword spirit is Baxia, Nie Mingjue’s sword, and (b) Nie Mingjue is most likely hella dead, specifically murdered. 

With this new information, Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian move on, tracking the directions of the angry sword spirit. They overhear some very depressing story about Song Lan, Xiao Xingchen, and Xue Yang, specifically how things turned out horribly for them (though without details), which drives Lan Wangji to drink.

Lan Wangji cannot hold his liquor, at all. Wei Wuxian takes his unconsciousness as an opportunity to flute Wen Ning to him again, and removes a massive metal needle from his skull, which fixes the whole “unconscious zombie” issue. Unfortunately, Wen Ning remembers nothing about what happened to him between going to Jinlintai with Wen Qing and when he heard Wei Wuxian calling by way of flute.

And now we have Drunkji, who is the most adorable, hilarious thing ever. He gives Wei Wuxian chickens, with utmost sincerity. They are wedding chickens. It is very important that Wei Wuxian have these chickens.

This interlude is not important to the plot but it is hilarious. There is also a not hilarious interlude of Lan Wangji being very sad about how he didn’t help Wei Wuxian before, and also admitting that he likes rabbits. Again: not plot important. It is adorable. 

Wei Wuxian herds Drunkji back to the inn, where a mysterious masked man attempts to steal the pouch holding the angry sword spirit, but is driven off and teleports away. Remember this guy! He’s important.

The next morning, they set off and hit the road for a place called Yi City, which if you’ve spent any time on this blog you know is deeply important in my heart if not, like, in terms of show space.

Yi City Arc Yi City Arc Yi City Arc

yes this is three episodes but this is my summary post so I get to give it its own section if I want to.

Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji arrive at Yi City, which is empty, and very spooky. They run into the pack of juniors (Jin Ling, Lan Sizhui, sassmaster Lan Jingyi and consummate romantic Ouyang Zizhen are the named ones), and shortly thereafter into a whole bunch of undead. They also run into a ghost (???) girl who is blind and has no tongue. They also also run into Xiao Xingchen, severely wounded.

Psych! It’s Xue Yang in disguise and he has an undead Song Lan under his control. what a fun twist this is! and he wants one thing specifically: for Wei Wuxian to help him bring someone back to life. Problem is that their soul is in need of some serious super glue and super glue doesn’t work on souls.

Xue Yang informs Wei Wuxian that his consent is optional and he will be participating in Xue Yang’s necromancy experiment fantasies whether he likes it or not. Lan Wangji objects strenuously to this idea. While Lan Wangji is fighting Xue Yang and Wen Ning is fighting Song Lan (corpse fight! corpse fight!) Wei Wuxian herds the juniors into a safe courtyard where the corpses won’t go, led by the aforementioned ghost girl, who shows them a coffin.

the coffin has Xiao Xingchen in it. The actual real one. There’s a bandage over his eyes, because he doesn’t have any.

Wei Wuxian goes into the ghost girl’s memories in order to find out what happened using a technique called Empathy, and the next chunk of things I’m just going to tell in full chronologically even though there’s a break where you don’t see all of it until an episode later.

The ghost girl, a-Qing, is a con artist who pretends to be blind; she runs into Xiao Xingchen (who is actually blind) when she steals his money, and he just gives it to her after stopping someone else whose money she stole from beating him up. A-Qing decides they’re friends now. They’ve been traveling together for...some amount of time when they stumble on a badly injured man on the side of the road. Xiao Xingchen picks him up and takes him home with him (to an abandoned coffin house in Yi City). You get one guess who he’s rescued and who is totally psyched to discover that his life has been saved by Xiao Xingchen, who doesn’t know who he is, because he’s blind.

So you know, everything is coming up Xue Yang.

What follows is three years of domestic bliss, including hits like “entire villages dying by Xiao Xingchen under sort of suspicious circumstances” and “threatening grocers.” And then who should show up but Song Lan! Looking for Xiao Xingchen and he’s so happy to have finally found him.

Only he notices Xue Yang first.

A fight ensues, in which Xue Yang...sort of talks Song Lan to death by digging into the fact that Xiao Xingchen is blind because he gave his eyes to Song Lan, actually, and Song Lan hurt him so bad when they broke up, and because Xiao Xingchen is blind Xue Yang has been able to trick him into killing living people when he thinks he’s killing undead ones, and oooh do you feel bad now, well, guess what, you’re gonna feel worse when I poison you into becoming undead and cut out your tongue. :D

And even worse when this means that Xiao Xingchen stabs him because, you know, undead monster.

Cool! Things are going great.

Or they would be only a-Qing saw everything, reveals it to Xiao Xingchen, who puts it together and greets XueYang coming back from grocery shopping with a sword (rude). They break up, and by “break up” I mean “Xue Yang reveals his tragic backstory, Xiao Xingchen is not convinced that his tragic backstory means all the murder was justified, Xue Yang decides it’s time to make this all go nuclear.” So tells Xiao Xingchen about how he’s been killing people actually! And guess what, bonus, one of those people was your BFF/life partner/whatever, Song Lan. isn’t that amazing, Xiao Xingchen, isn’t that so cool--

Xiao Xingchen kills himself and this is, it turns out, Not What Xue Yang Wanted. So guess who’s in the pouch Xue Yang was hoping to resurrect? Yeah.

Back in the present, with help from a-Qing directing Lan Wangji, Xue Yang gets...hella stabbed, but not before he kills a-Qing. Song Lan, freed from Xue Yang’s control, kills Xue Yang.

Oh yeah, and then we see Xiao Xingchen tenderly laying pieces of candy on a bed, which is symbolically important, and also Xue Yang dies looking at the last piece of candy Xiao Xingchen gave him, and now I’m going to cry. anyway Yi City Arc, you’re welcome. Where the only person who survives did not, in fact, survive!

Oh, yeah, I guess it’s also important that there’s a headless body buried here and it gets...pretty conclusively identified as Nie Mingjue because the sword spirit (remember that?) takes the shape of his very distinctive large sword (Baxia). Also Xue Yang recreated the Yin Tiger Seal but it gets snatched away by the masked man from earlier. There’s also a bunch of stuff about the Yin Iron plot but you can ignore it, it doesn’t actually really matter that much.

Honestly at that point I was crying too much to pay a whole lot of attention to the whole point of them being in Yi City to begin with. So sue me.

The Plot Thickens, and Secrets Are Revealed Arc

Exeunt Yi City, rendezvous with Lan Xichen to discuss, obliquely, who could be responsible for Nie Mingjue’s death. Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji delicately imply that maybe it was Jin Guangyao; Lan Xichen is unconvinced and informs us that there are no curse marks indicating that he’d teleported on Jin Guangyao’s body, he would know, and also they’ve been together every night so he wouldn’t have time to get up to shenanigans anyway.

Hm.

Still, they go ahead together to ruin another party/investigate at Jinlintai, with Wei Wuxian safely in disguise (barely), unfortunately as Mo Xuanyu, who is not exactly welcome in the Jin Sect because he got kicked out of it earlier. Mo Xuanyu is a whole...thing that I’m not really going into here because the show doesn’t really get into it either.

Wei Wuxian ducks out to investigate, and in the form of an animated paper man, to the tune of music we have never heard before in this show and will never hear again (look, it’s just weird to me), goes sneaking into Jin Guangyao’s rooms to do some poking around. His investigations are interrupted when Jin Guangyao’s wife Qin Su, in a state of severe distress, returns, followed shortly by Jin Guangyao. They argue about an unknown revelation in a letter Qin Su received that has resulted in her being disgusted by...something, we don’t know what, and angry with Jin Guangyao. She accuses him of killing their kid.

Eventually he paralyzes her and removes her to a secret room through a mirror, which is a thing everyone has, especially one with a bunch of torture instruments and a body sized table with dried blood on it. Normal!

Remember how the body in Yi City was headless? Yeah, we found the head now.

And it’s time for another Empathy flashback! 

Empathy Flashback feat. Nie Mingjue and Jin Guangyao’s Bad Relationship Mini Arc

This time with Nie Mingjue (and Jin Guangyao). We see Jin Guangyao very quickly elevated from a servant who is spat upon by the other Nie cultivators to Nie Mingjue’s right hand man, like, literally in two seconds. Flash forward to episode 10 - remember that? - where Jin Guangyao has just been caught in a compromising murder position. Nie Mingjue accuses Jin Guangyao plotting all along and is a conniving little snake who was in league with Xue Yang (which is a thing that does not make sense, actually), and kicks him out.

We next see Nie Mingjue in Nightless City, having been captured and currently being taunted by a very sexy Meng Yao, who kills some other Nie cultivators and threatens to fuck up Nie Mingjue by shattering his sword (which would be catastrophic and is, we are informed, how Nie Mingjue’s dad died). Nie Mingjue is understandably rather displeased by this to the point of probable murder, though Lan Xichen reminds him (as he did in the previous scene) that Meng Yao was acting as a spy and Meng Yao argues that he needed to play his part.

The relationship between the two of them continues to deteriorate as Nie Mingjue becomes more unstable (something that just happens to the Nies by virtue of their cultivation style). That deterioration is being delayed by healing music from Lan Xichen. Lan Xichen teaches Jin Guangyao the healing music. Jin Guangyao seems to be possibly doing something not healing with the healing music.

This all escalates into a confrontation at the top of the stairs of Jinlintai, where Nie Mingjue and Jin Guangyao argue about class politics and justifiable violence (no, really) until Nie Mingjue explodes and kicks Jin Guangyao down the stairs. 

And then proceeds to, as Jin Guangyao looks on, have a qi deviation, which is...well, let’s just call it both a physical and a mental breakdown. Nie Huaisang arrives to see this happening, and while we saw this before and it looked like Nie Mingjue was threatening Nie Huaisang because he didn’t recognize him, this time it is more apparent that he’s directing it at Jin Guangyao.

Next we see, Nie Mingjue is chained to that body sized table in the secret room. Xue Yang is there, and uses Nie Mingjue’s sword to behead Nie Mingjue. He’s psyched as hell about it. If you’re me this is adorable.

And Now Back to Our Regularly Scheduled Programming Arc

Flashback ends! And we are back in Jinlintai. Wei Wuxian goes to get Lan Wangji and Lan Xichen to storm Jin Guangyao’s bedroom, to which Su She objects, but Jin Guangyao eventually allows. They all file together into the secret room and look around, but there is no longer any severed head where Wei Wuxian left it. Whoops. 

Then Qin Su kills herself, Jiang Cheng arrives to defuse the situation while Jin Guangyao pleads innocent, and Wei Wuxian, by way of drawing his sword that nobody else could draw before now, reveals that he is, in fact, Wei Wuxian. Everyone in this room actually already knew this information except for Jin Ling, who is not thrilled to discover that his cool uncle is the guy who murdered his parents. Nobody else does a very good job of faking surprise.

Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian make a run for it only to be cornered on the stairs. Extreme romance ensues where Lan Wangji announces his intent to stand by Wei Wuxian forever against the world. 

This is where the “I was like, SCREAMS” meme kicks in.

Anyway, after that love confession (look, they can’t say ‘I love you’ but basically) in front of everyone, Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian fight their way out together and are well on the way to freedom when Jin Ling stabs Wei Wuxian. 

Nobody is happy about this, including Jin Ling.

Wei Wuxian is okay overall, though he does faint and have to get swept off to the Cloud Recesses and undressed and redressed in Lan Wangji’s underwear. Don’t worry about it. And now it’s time to talk to Lan Xichen, who is currently feeling very “what the hell is going on, you have no proof and are accusing a person I trust completely of something horrible without any proof.” 

They still don’t have any proof, but Wei Wuxian reveals that in the flashback he heard Jin Guangyao playing the soothing music but different, and it comes out that there is evil Japanese music that can kill people and be used to poison someone slowly over time. It’s literally this post:

Lan Xichen is not entirely convinced but agrees to investigate; Jin Guangyao comes to Cloud Recesses and has an absolutely heartbreaking conversation with Lan Xichen about how is our friendship over, Zewu--jun :( while Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji eavesdrop.

That conversation isn’t plot important either, I just personally find it very upsetting.

The Burial Mounds, Take Two Arc

Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji leave the Cloud Recesses, heading toward the Burial Mounds because Jin Guangyao mentioned something being up there. But they end up meeting - surprise! - Mianmian, who is living her best life. This is mostly important because she is literally the only female character who makes it out of this show alive. 

She mentions that there’s been some trouble around the Burial Mounds, so they head in that direction, running into Wen Ning along the way, who has been following them around because he loves Wei Wuxian. The Burial Mounds are indeed full of active undead and they fight their way up to the old farming commune location, which is less empty than expected because there are a bunch of kids tied up in Wei Wuxian’s old lair/cave/house. Like, all of them. Including Jin Ling, who really is having a terrible time lately, and I just feel the need to note that sometimes.

As they free the children and start to leave, everyone else arrives with the plan of killing Wei Wuxian again, because once wasn’t enough and obviously he’s Up To No Good, where else would these corpses be coming from, huh? 

Speaking of corpses. 

A small army of them shows up! All the cultivators who aren’t children lose their powers! Everyone has to retreat back into the lair/cave/house where they’ll be safe! So this is all...going well.

Fortunately, everyone being stuck in one place gives Wei Wuxian the opportunity to get his Hercule Poirot on and walk everyone through a series of deductions to get them to a place of realizing that (a) they were poisoned by evil music, (b) the evil music came from Su She, (c) Su She is working for Jin Guangyao who (d) planned all of this whole ‘everyone is going to the Burial Mounds to get killed’ thing.

Su She panics, inadvertently reveals that he alone still has his powers, and teleports out. Wei Wuxian decides that a reasonable solution to all these problems is to make himself bait for all the undead so everyone else can make a run for it, because Wei Wuxian is kind of like that. 

It’s okay, though, he and Lan Wangji make a spectacular battle couple.

(Oh, yeah. Throughout here it is becoming increasingly clear that Lan Sizhui’s identity is Significant and actually we Might Have Seen Him Before.)

Back to Lotus Pier Arc, or Jin Ling Has a Very Bad Day, Continued Arc

Safely out of the Burial Mounds thanks to Wei Wuxian, everybody goes ahead and invites themselves back to Jiang Cheng’s house. To be fair, it is closest. 

My notes here say “Wen Ning figures out that Lan Sizhui is a-Yuan, Jin Ling has an emotional breakdown” which is a more or less accurate summation of the situation. Honestly, though, I feel so bad for Jin Ling at this point, he’s had an absolute nightmare of a month and then today happened and like. I feel for him.

But Wen Ning reuniting with the last remaining member of his family! Though he doesn’t...actally tell Lan Sizhui this, and Lan Sizhui doesn’t have any memories of his early years. 

Jiang Cheng reluctantly allows Wei Wuxian inside. Wen Ning has to stay on the porch, but Lan Sizhui stays with him to keep him company, because he is a good boy.

This next part...hoo boy. It’s a lot of exposition featuring two ladies who appear to relate their stories about Jin Guangyao, featuring the part where he murdered his father by using a bunch of sex workers (who then were murdered in turn, except for one), also involving necrophilia, and the one where Qin Su was Jin Guangyao’s sister, actually, and he knew it and still married her. Sect Leader Bad Takes says that’s probably why Jin Guangyao killed their kid, because children of incest inevitably have developmental problems? Yeah, sure, buddy.

Anyway, everyone starts shouting for Jin Guangyao’s head, which is very familiar to Wei Wuxian, who leaves in some disgust. While wandering with Lan Wangji, they wind up going to the family shrine (which is, to be clear, a pretty sacred place). Which is where Jiang Cheng finds them! And once again they have a reasonable and emotionally steady conversation.

Nope. Jiang Cheng talks shit trying to provoke a fight that Wei Wuxian won’t have. As he and Lan Wangji attempt to leave, Jiang Cheng pursues because he’s not done yelling dammit, lashing out with Zidian. Wei Wuxian faints, and Wen Ning arrives to stand in between him and Lan Wangji and Jiang Cheng, holding Wei Wuxian’s sheathed sword (remember, the one nobody other than Wei Wuxian can draw). Wen Ning proceeds to initiate one of the single best devastating beatdowns of the show without laying a hand on Jiang Cheng, specifically by shoving the sword at Jiang Cheng and telling him to draw it, because hey you can do that now! Wonder why that is? Wouldn’t you like to know what’s going on there, Jiang Wanyin?

Remember way back when Jiang Cheng lost his core and got it back because Wei Wuxian gave him his core? Yeah, this is when he finds out about that. Psych! Your brother loves you and also the only reason you got to be as strong as you are is because he sacrificed himself for you! Which is also the reason why he took up demonic cultivation in the first place! 

Seriously, it’s so good, I love this scene. Probably one of my favorites in the whole show.

Jiang Cheng runs away; Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian have a moment on a lake where Lan Wangji indulges Wei Wuxian by eating stolen lotuses with him. It’s sweeter than it sounds when I put it like that.

Guanyin Temple Arc

oh god, how do I. how do I describe Guanyin Temple. partially this is hard because by virtue of censorship about dead bodies, among probably other things, there are huge gaps that make portions of it make no sense so I’m gonna go ahead and...fill in some of those that are intelligible pretty much only with some knowledge of book plot, imo.

Wen Ning, Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian go to a place called Yunping because Jin Guangyao bought some land there for some reason. There they find a slightly suspicious temple (Guanyin Temple). They come back at night, leaving Wen Ning to stand guard, and spy on the courtyard, where a bunch of conspicuously armed monks are there, along with Lan Xichen aaaaand...Jin Guangyao. 

Jin Ling arrives! And decides it’s a good idea to climb over the wall. Wei Wuxian blocks someone from shooting him by using the bamboo flute he’s been using this whole time, so he now functionally has no weapon, and also he and Lan Wangji have been exposed, so now the two of them and also Jin Ling are in the courtyard. Lan Xichen admits he was tricked and doesn’t have any of his powers. Jin Guangyao threatens Lan Wangji into sealing his by threatening Wei Wuxian with a wire. It’s sexy.

Everybody goes inside the temple, where several monks are digging up something ??? under the floor. This is never explained and that is because it is supposed to be Jin Guangyao’s mother’s body, and there are very strict rules I understand about what can be done with dead bodies in dramas like this one. Anyway, Jin Guangyao loved his mom very much and built a temple where she was buried where the statue has her face. He is exhuming her so he can take her body with him when he flees the country, which is what he was planning here. Of course, now he has a bunch of unwanted hostages (and one wanted hostage), which was not actually part of the plan.

The next person to join the party is an unconscious Nie Huaisang, brought in by Su She, who basically says “I have no idea what he was doing here but...here he is” and Jin Guangyao is like. Well, guess he’s here now. 

Next to show up is Jiang Cheng! Making an excellent and extremely dramatic entrance. Unfortunately, he still gets injured and taken down as Jin Guangyao starts poking at his very obvious emotional weak spots, including revealing that Jiang Cheng knows about the golden core thing. Wei Wuxian, who did not know that secret came out because he was unconscious at the time, goes “wait, what?” and thus ensues the epic emotional catharsis crying and yelling conversation I was waiting for for 47 episodes. Seriously, it’s really good. They end up in a place where all is not solved but things are...maybe a little better? 

Of course, they’re still hostages. 

Meanwhile, back at the dig site, something gets unearthed that is not Jin Guangyao’s mother’s body but is in fact a coffin with Nie Mingjue’s body, now complete with head, in it. The reveal also drops here that Su She has the marks that indicate he cast the curse on Jin Zixun that Jin Zixun accused Wei Wuxian of casting.

A very ugly argument ensues where everyone is poking at everyone else’s things that they’re sensitive about, until finally Lan Xichen recovers his powers and turns the tables on Jin Guangyao by putting a sword to his neck. 

The next part is basically...explaining how all the bad things that happened were Jin Guangyao’s fault? Or at least that’s the explanation given. I find it personally very frustrating as a narrative choice and sort of unnecessary, but maybe that’s just me. Anyway, Jin Guangyao is pleading for mercy from Lan Xichen, saying he’ll leave and never return, the whole thing is very emotional. 

We also find out that Jin Guangshan kicked Jin Guangyao down the stairs. People really need to stop doing that.

And now Wen Ning arrives! Punting Lan Sizhui in ahead of him. He is possessed by a very angry sword spirit (namely, Baxia). Lan Wangji cuts off Jin Guangyao’s right arm, because Lan Wangji likes doing that, apparently. Baxia-possessed Wen Ning then targets Jin Ling because Jin Ling has Jin Guangyao’s blood on him - only for Wen Ning to stop the blade with his bare hand and save Jin Ling’s life, because Wen Ning is both a badass and very good. 

Jiang Cheng throws Wei Wuxian his old flute, which he apparently has just been keeping under his bed or something for sixteen years, which is a thing that I will always never be over, and Wei Wuxian flutes the very angry sword into the Nie Mingjue-holding coffin.

Which would be fine, only then Nie Huaisang starts yelling about how Su She totally stabbed him, no, really, look, he’s bleeding. Baxia kills Su She. Then Wei Wuxian manages to put the sword back in the coffin, as well as the Yin Tiger Seal, and locks both away.

Whew.

Everybody’s sitting down and recovering a little as Lan Xichen tends Jin Guangyao’s wounds. He turns around to get medicine from Nie Huaisang, who tells him to look out because Jin Guangyao is attacking you!!! 

Lan Xichen runs Jin Guangyao through. 

Oh boy.

Jin Guangyao is a little impressed about Nie Huaisang having been plotting this all along. Because he was. He absolutely was. He’s absolutely been planning this for years. Everybody needs a hobby.

But it’s Lan Xichen who he really addresses here, telling him that he’d never hurt him. The actual line really hurts but I’m trying to not reproduce lines here, except I am going to say that he drags Lan Xichen - still with a sword through him! - deeper into the temple and says “stay and die with me” as the temple starts to collapse. Lan Xichen, who was about to strike and presumably push himself away, lowers his hand, and Jin Guangyao abruptly pushes him away and out of the collapsing building.

Romance!

(No, but seriously, it’s a lot.)

Thus ends Jin Guangyao. 

Outside in the courtyard, everyone’s taking a breather. Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian stare longingly at each other across the room and say nothing. Jiang Cheng walks away and we learn that - surprise! - the reason Jiang Cheng was caught by the Wens way back when is because he was keeping the Wens from catching Wei Wuxian instead.

Everybody in this family in just a big circle of self sacrifice. In the words of Wen Qing:

(Who misses Wen Qing? I do!)

Anyway, Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian leave with each other, only to be caught on the road by Lan Sizhui and Wen Ning - Lan Sizhui, who has remembered that he was a-Yuan and finally someone tells Wei Wuxian this, and ahhhh, okay, I know what I said about limiting screencaps but I can’t not:

Now that’s what I call a hug!

They part ways again, Lan Sizhui leaving with Wen Ning for some family time and for Wen Ning to find his own way. Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian...seem like they’re going in different directions, but then they’re at Cloud Recesses together, playing music, hanging out, vibing. They talk to Nie Huaisang, but don’t directly confront him about his scheming. Mostly just making sure he’s not, you know, gonna do anything else.

Then Wei Wuxian leaves to go on a roadtrip to find himself. People really do not like this, but I personally really do like this, especially because the last shots of the show are Wei Wuxian playing his and Lan Wangji’s theme song (the one that Lan Wangji wrote, remember, from the cave? It’s come up a lot, I just haven’t mentioned it here), and when he finishes Lan Wangji’s voice says “Wei Ying” and he turns around and just like. Smiles. It’s scrunchy and happy and perfect.

Like this:

aaaaaaand scene! fifty episodes later your life has been ruined and you will never be the same.

and the thing is that this is leaving out, like. a lot, and probably is biased because I focus on different things than another person would, &c &c, but at least it might be a starting point for...the entire plot.

and also congratulations if you made it this far, I am impressed. have a screenshot of wei wuxian as a reward, whose mental breakdown does make him look sexy

you’re welcome.

#anonymous #conversating #HOLY SHIT THAT WENT SOMEWHERE #anon if this isn't what you wanted....i'm very sorry send me another ask and i can link you to someone else's summary #but i started going and then i couldn't stop #and now here we are #the sad queer cultivators show #you know what i am going to tag this because it was kind of a lot of work #the untamed #cql #thanks for reading this and making sure it made any kind of sense james #lise does meta #i guess??????

[commentaryvorg]

Hi! I gotta say, I'm really loving what you're doing with this! I only ever watched the dub as a kid, and I only gleaned the most basic understanding of characters that weren't Thomas (I payed special attention to him because Gaomon was my favourite lol). Marcus was especially hard to get a handle on, but with your commentary going into more depth of the characters and their situations, I'm starting to really love Masaru! It's fascinating how much depth is really in this show, and also seeing how badly the dub screwed even the smallest things over (can't wait to get to the later episodes, where it becomes clear just how badly they messed up the foundations of certain plot points!) What's been the most obvious thing is Falcomon; his dub voice was normal for me, and I was curious as to why you were so adamant about it being Terrible, but I've recently started watching the subbed version and *good lord Falcomon comes across as a completely different character.* It's been SO JARRING hearing that voice come out of him, yet it also fits so much better; I see now why you keep saying this! It's so completely different! Guess that's what happens when you don't put anything other than minimum effort into a dub huh ¯\_(ツ)_/¯. Really loving your analysis though!

Thanks! I'm really glad you can enjoy this commentary from the perspective on the series that you started out with. It seems like quite a lot of my audience for this are people who enjoyed the dub as a kid and have never experienced the original, which wasn't what I was imagining when I was preparing to post this, since my own perspective is kind of the opposite, but I suppose I probably should have expected it!

Thomas is kept fairly intact, so he's probably one of the easiest characters to still appreciate in the dub, yeah. Meanwhile it's not at all surprising that you found it hard to get a grasp on Marcus; I'm really not sure what one would make of him from seeing the dub alone with no knowledge of what any of his character was originally derived from. I'm glad my commentary is helping you see and appreciate what's so great about Masaru and how he's supposed to be, and the series as a whole in general!

I suspect I know which plot point in particular you're probably thinking about that the dub completely screwed up the foundation for, heh. It's neat that you've already been able to piece together how much more sense it makes in the original's version of things.

I was wondering how my constant grumbling about Falcomon's dub voice came across to someone who's only seen the dub and thinks of that as his normal voice, but I'm glad you can see what I'm getting at after hearing him in the original! His dub voice really is just completely the Wrong Voice for him.

I hope you continue to enjoy, especially as we get into the really juicy parts soon!

#digimon #digimon savers #digimon data squad #reply: savers #thanks for the ask!

[ithinkilikeit-reactions]

NCT 127 “They realise they love you”

NCT 127 masterlist                                              Group Masterlist

Not requested, but I needed some fluff in my life ♥ 

Taeil: 

(I’ve been so attracted to Taeil lately) 

It started off with simply sitting in the same room and listening to music as you both worked on your computers. But it progressed quickly, singing along to the random tunes on the radio. Moving on to standing and dancing around to them, quite horribly. 

Grabbing onto Taeil’s hand and spinning into his chest, making him laugh. You couldn’t help but do the same as you wrapped your arms around his neck. Taeil tucked his face into neck and started swaying you back forth, slow dancing to fast music because you could. 

Taeil realised he could be as weird as he wanted with you and that you were just as weird him and he loved you for it. 

Johnny:

(I am mad that this hoody is not in my posession) 

Walking between the aisles, Johnny was looking for you attentively after he found the drinks he was looking for. He spotted you in an aisle, standing on your toes and reaching for something on the top shelf. You were just too short to reach. 

“Need help?” He asked, placing his drinks in your shopping cart. “That would be great.” You answered, smiling at him. He reciprocated a cheeky smile before crossing his arms. “Hmmm, tell me that I’m the best man in the world first.” You snorted at his words, needing to stifle a laugh. “You know what, I got it.” You told him, placing your feet on the lower shelves to reach the item you needed. Jumping down with it in your hands, you shook it at him triumphantly making him laugh. 

You weren’t shy to put him in his place with his bad jokes when you needed too and you were completely dependant on him, it made him absolutely love you. 

Taeyong: 

“It’s going to be a late night again.” Those seemed to be the words you had been hearing a lot lately, but it didn’t bother you. You were understanding that his job wasn’t like a regular 9-5 job, you knew that when you said you would date him. This time wasn’t any different for you, you accepted it and simply watched your show until you were tired. 

However it was diferent for Taeyong this time, he felt guilty for not being there and it was evident when he came home to find you simply watching your show. Taeyong walked over to you and hugged you tightly, catching you off guard. “Thank you for always understanding when I need to work. Thank you.” He felt the need to tell you, even if it was out of the blue. 

He realised every time he came home to find you still there, he loved you. He loved that you understood and that you never blamed him for his schedule. 

Yuta:

Yuta was feeling the need to be productive, tidying up the house slightly and doing some of the general housework while you were out. But when he got to your room, he found some interesting reading material. It was all about Japan, recipes, popular things to do, important culture information. This was normal, but what stood out to him were the sticky notes placed on the pages. Places he had mentioned being fun and food he had mentioned being good had little notes written by them. 

“Oh you found my book.” You remarked, looking at him from the door frame. “Yeah, what are all these notes?” Yuta asked with a smile. You moved to sit down by him and took the book from his hands. “These are places you have talked about, things you said you enjoyed doing and eating. Because well, I want to learn about what you love and what you enjoyed doing and stuff we can do and try together in the future.” Your words made Yuta smile even wider. 

You wanted to know about his interest, you cared enough to study on these things and make future plans. He loved you for it. 

Doyoung: 

The little projector in his room was perfect for movie dates, broadcasting your movie onto his wall as you both laid in bed and watched. Doyoung’s commentary was witty, the movie not really being that good... quite bad actually and deserving some harsh commentary. 

There was a lul in the film, making you slip your hands under the hoodie he was wearing, not for any other reason than he was nice and warm. Doyoung knew that and accepted your touch. “This acting is so-” He stopped midsentence once he looked at you. Seeing that all you needed was his body heat to get you to fall asleep. His lips curled up into a smile and wrapped his arms around you tightly. 

It was a small action of dependency on your end but it made Doyoung’s heart swell. He loved that you were started to depend on him, because well, he was depending on you too. 

Jaehyun: 

The record store had music playing softly in the background when you both entered. It really had a nostalgic feeling, old records filling the racks and old band posters lining the walls. You both spread out through the store, taking your time to look at records and cd’s. You were great at spending time together but not necessarily needing to be right next to each other. 

Jaehyun looked at you from across the store, simply watching you flip through the records with a little smile on your face. You looked up and locked eyes with him, waving softly once you noticed he was staring. Jaehyun laughed to himself and looked away, only to find himself staring at you once again. This time you were oblivious to it and simply flipping through cd’s. 

You always caught his attention, you were effortlessly beautiful to him even doing the bare minimum. It was something he loved about you. 

Winwin/Sicheng: 

Sicheng had noticed you had been studying something over the course of the last few weeks. That your nose was stuck in your books and it was clearly a subject you were interested in. one day, curiousity got the better of him and he couldn’t help but flip through your study books. 

“Why didn’t you tell me you were learning Chinese?” Sicheng asked you, holding your books. “I was going to surprise you. I know you’re more comfortable speaking Chinese and I want you to be completely comfortable with me.” You said softly and you could see his ears turning red. “That- I- I want to help you then! Be your teacher!” He stuttered, trying to hide how happy it made him. 

You wanted him to be incredibly comfortable with him, you wanted to be able to communicate on the fullest level and it was something he really cherished. 

Jungwoo: 

“Shhh you don’t want to wake anyone up.” You said, looking at Jungwoo’s face as you tiptoed through the dorm. “You shhh, this was your idea.” He laughed and you raised your fingers to your lips, trying to stifle your own laughter. You both made it to the kitchen and turned the lights on. Jungwoo went to the fridge and opened it quite agressively, a bottle of juice rolling out and hitting the floor with a loud thud. 

You both couldn’t hold back your laughter anymore, your adventure for a midnight snack being nothing short of a disaster and comical. Jungwoo grabbed what he was originally looking for from the fridge and handed it to you to turn around. “What are you two doing?” Taeyong asked, arms crossed and staring at you both. “Nothing.” Jungwoo quickly said, brushing past the older male and sending you into giggles. Once you both reached his bedroom with your snack you broke out in a fit of laughter. 

Jungwoo looked at you as you settled in his room, still laughing. He loved that he could make some lighthearted trouble with you. He loved that he could laugh with you. 

Mark: 

You had been considering asking him for the longest time, but you knew Mark was very busy and probably didn’t have the time too. But you still wanted to learn, so you finally took the step. “Mark... can you teach me how to play the guitar?” You asked, holding his guitar by the neck gently. The question caught him off guard, making him look up at you with wide eyes. “I didn’t know you wanted to learn how to play.” Mark said, gesturing for you to sit by him.

“I’ve been wanting too, but you’ve just been so busy. I didn’t want you to feel like you needed too.” You explained, allowing the guitar to rest in your lap. Mark wrapped his arms around you after moving the guitar. “I mean I don’t need too, but I want too. It would be really fun to play together.” Mark said and you smiled not being able to contain your own excitement. “Ahh thank you!” You hugged him tightly, making him turn pink. 

He loved how excited you got over small things and how eager you were to learn something new. It was just so endearing to Mark. 

Haechan/Donghyuk: 

You had both made yourselves comfortable, laptops and gaming computer ready to go. It was you and Donghyuk vs. Johnny and Jaehyun and you were both not planning on losing. “Y/N’s like impossible to kill!” Johnny said in frustration and you simply laughed, bouncing around the map happily. Donghyuk laughed, taking out Jaehyun as you swiftly did the same to Johnny. 

“There we go! That’s my baby!” Donghyuk cheered, knowing that the fact that you two won meant that you wouldn’t have to pay for snacks that night. Annoyed, the two older guys left to go pick up the order while muttering things under their breath. “I keep telling them to stop challenging us as a duo, but they don’t learn.” You said, settling into Donghyuk’s bed. He joined you with a small laugh and rested his head on your chest. “You’re right, we’re just too good.” You both laughed and allowed your fingers to toy with his hair. 

In that moment he realised that you and him had so much in common, even in teasing it made him realise he was head over heels for you. 

#nct #nct 127 #nct 127 scenario #nct 127 reaction #nct reaction #nct scenario #taeil #taeil reaction #taeil scenario #johnny seo #johnny seo reaction #johnny seo scenario #taeyong #taeyong scenario #taeyong reaction #yuta #yuta scenario #yuta reaction #doyoung #doyoung scenario #doyoung reaction #jaehyun #jaehyun reaction #jaehyun scenario #winwin #winwin scenario #winwin reaction #jungwoo #jungwoo reaction #jungwoo scenario