Animation Reviews: OK KO: Red Action 3: Grudgement Day

Whelp I said i’d do all three in one day and I MEANT IT. And I may do it again just to stay on schedule in the future, but for now i’m just proud and exausted to have gotten this done. And after a rather “eh it has some things but it’s mostly just there” episode” we’ve come to our last episode and my personal faviorite, Red Action 3: Grudgment day. Also as a quick note I forgot red was actually a major part of “I hope this thing flies” back in my first review, but I probably would’ve left it out as while the plot is her racing with Rad, it’s entirely a rad episode, and like plaza prom which I had to realize wasn’t important, isn’t really necessary.  One last where we are in the series thing. We’re in season 3 and as I mentioned last time, RIGHT before the final episodes and one episode before the three part final arc and unrelated but beautiful epilogue that closes out the series. I didn’t go into my throughts on season 2 but it was good, the ending was just a  really sloppy end to an otherwise good arc that i’ll get to. Season 3 is somehow even better, using it’s shorter run time to tie up loose ends and character arcs left and right and , after trying all series to do it, crossing over with Sonic the hedgehog, another thing for another time, and the final episodes, both the wrap up to the story arc “Let’s fight ot the end” and the wonderful where are they now epilouge “Thank you for watching the show”, are absolutley amazing and how you end a show.. and thankfully endings of this calibur became the trend this year given that same year star vs ended terribly and the bad taste is still in my mouth over that one but that’s a story for another bunch of reviews. The point is as I said the crew used the time wisely and wrapped up most ongoing character and story arcs that needed resolution. And given they spent two episodes on it the team decided to pull the pin on red and enid getting together, and solve one dangling issue the fans likely had all in one go. IT’s grudgment day under the cut. 

We open with Rad and Red arguging and KO looking at them in a way that just screams:”Third mom, Rad, please stop fighting”  Enid comes in and wonders why one of her two best friends and her girlfriend are fighting. She dosen’t use the term but given the kiss at the end of the episode, more on that when we get to it, the general way Enid acts about this and the way Red acts around her this ep.. their a couple at this point.  I do wish they had an episode of them becoming offical, adressing Enid and Elodie.. bucnhes of other things but I concede that the crew was blindsighted by having a smaller season and had they you know NOT BEEN CANCELED FOR NO GOOD GOODAMN RESAON, we might have gotten more renid and more stories and a full on steven universe crossover with both sides. But I digress.. CN’s managment is terrible right now... but that’s not the reason for this article so we’re moving on.  Anyways Enid wants to know why their so pissy when she arrives, and Red .. is in the right this time. Showing her growth while she still got heated with rad.

Rad did at least start it, as she simply came in to take enid jelly surfing and was kind enough to ask him to come along.. and KO implictly given he’s there and their buds now and all that. But when rad insults her again she quits the explaning and goes right back to arguing with him while Enid and KO look on awkwardly. Then Red decides to go into a mocking impression of rad, which is not NEARLY as mean as it could’ve been given the guy has canocially, had a super virus get worse because he refused to get rest something the villian that gave it to him was COUNTING on as part of his evil scheme, was left on the floor in pain over his cocoa being too hot, and once confused his 6-11 year old friend for a doppleganger despite having GIVEN said friend his nametag, though to be fair red’s own best friend also thought he was rad and gave him her number, so everyone was kind of dumb that day but still, the point is she has a LOT of ammo. In contrast Rad STARTS light saying she says words like Cowabunga (she only does once at the end of this ep and has not at any time).. before saying Enid deserves someone better and flinging her surfboard... which Crinkly Wrinkly jumps on and crashes into a wall because of course he does.  Anyways Enid is offended at this and reveals rad’s been acting like a raving dickhead to Red anytime she shows up, which were this season 1 would be on brand but after 3 seasons of becoming a better person and an episode earlier this season where he rejected his dudebro friends once and for all, who by the way: Beefer and Mega Football Baby are the worst and I hate them and i’m greatful that their final apperance is rad realizing what a bad influence they’ve been and telling their asses off for their toxic masculinity. But I will however give OK KO credit as their SUPPOSED to be obnoxious, and the crew still dialed back hteir apperances to almost nothing when they realized it went horribly right, versus Rusty whose still mildly to massively annoying, but has yet to be fixed or removed from LIncoln’s crew, despite the show having a good track record for taking problematic characters and fixing them. And i’ve gotten entirely offf topic because all three of them piss me off so much, so let’s move on.  Where were we.. ah yes, since Rad being a dickhead this consisently is now an exception not the rule, Enid rightfully demands to know why and Rad.. makes up two very petty, weak and obviously pulled out of his butt to try and cover the real reason up reasons for his actions: Red didn’t follow him back on Social Media, which is both a website and what the website is in this universe apparently which Is brilliant, and that she took the last bit of cake at prom... you know after he realized he was screwing it up and fixed it all with a homoerotic dance fight. Plaza Prom is amazing. When pressed because Rad fired his stupid friends, Rad hastily challenges red to a power battle, which I haven’t had to cover yet: Basically a hero can challenge another hero to a fight, usually for respect, to settle a grudge or who took the last bagle, and it’s a socially accepted thing called a power batttle. Really given it seems like KO’s world has not had a hero civil war, and the one time we’ve seen heroes on heroes outside of these things has been when POINT was acting shady as fuck and thus needed to be stopped, it seems like a resonable mesure, especially since most heroes just.. shrug off damage from battles and stuff after a bit.  Unable to convince her girlfriend not to punch her best friend in the face, however much he deserves it, Red gives enid her belt with her time capusles inside, so they don’t go off mid fight and gives her an air kiss. Awww. Enid bemoans the fact this is happening for such dumb reasons when KO relaizes they can just use the belt to fix what once went wrong and end this petty fight before rad dies.  First stop, the Bodega a few months ago, which KO proves both by the fact they have mean beans, which theys topped selling months ago and is one of the single best refrences this show did and it’s done a LOT, and the social media feed being from months and months ago, with Beefer bragging elodie beat him up. Ewwwwww.... I don’t wnat to kjnow what he’s into. Gah gotta scrub my brain. ONe brain scrub later Rad needs only one more follower to 100. I hear when you get 100 this happens. 

Rad asks for a follow for follow from Red, who says she dosen’t have her phone. Enid is sure she’s lying, which she is, and follows Rad for her. Also I love rad’s file photo

Seriously they use this any time they need a picture of him. It’s one of the series best runners and is only topped by homer simpsons various terrible ones and this gravity falls masterpiece as being the best stock photo used for a character.

I will use this any time I have an excuse to and I have no shame about that. Anyways they go back but

As things have only gotten more heated at the power battle, so they try the prom to see if that’ll help.  Cue PROM. Seriously why they never did a second Plaza Prom episode is really beyond me. Lot of potetinal with that concept.. plus I like episodes that put tons of cast, main and supporting, in one event together, ever since venture bros. It’s always a fun time. Anyways, Enid wants to stop a paradox but KO has already interacted with his past self.. which is the KO enid’s talking to and a great gag.  So the two seeing Rad and Red both about to go for the cake decide to pull a destraction: Enid goes over and talks to Red to hold her off and get the cake to rad, while KO does what any sane person would do: Jumps onto Rad’s face while yelling rad I love you, and Rad is clearly more annoyed he’s on his face and this has very obviously happened before. .... I miss this show.  Anyway after giving the explination that she’s a shadow clone to explain why her past self is still up there DJing, she offers to dance and the two have a good cute time until enid gets the cake into rad’s mouth and bolts.. and now we get the thing I hinted at earlier. Red talks to the other Alley Teens about it, and notes that while she dosen’t know Enid she kinda likes her.. then backpedals as the teens make faces but are clearly not fooled by they all look really creepy especially Gregg. 

WHelp I have ny nightamres for tonight. But yeah this is implied to be what got Red to ask her out in the first place. Time travel is weird and inconsietent. This does give me a chance to adress the fact that the alley teens.. sorta stopped beiing a thing eventually. I mean their stillf riends as of the season 2 openoer but red and drupe show up for their own eps or supportingroles while Gregg just kinda vanishes, poor person. That being said given this interaction and how close they were I DO think their still friends; I mean gregg and drupe was confirmed by the flash forward as they visit rad’s cafe, but Red would still be their friend, they just all likely have more stuff to do as they grow older: by the end of season 2 Drupe has a buisness and gregg is probably in college. But I expect Drupe would be Red’s best woman at her wedding. I mean gregg would probably be her best person but still. Anyways they return to the present again and.

Yeah that. Their now battling in cars and Enid decides to cut the bullshit and just ask Rad why he’s pissed at Red, asking Red to pause the fight, which she agrees to.  KO and Enid throw rad int he back of his van tied up and ask him to be honest about why he’s so pissed off. After some dithering he says he lo.. lo.. and instead of saying he loves enid, thank god i’m so sick of love triangles, may they die in a fire, like the episode hinted at it’s a swerve. and unlike a vince russo swerve which ends in A “Buff Bagwell’s mother on a forklift match”.. no really

This is actually a great one: Rad’s fully moved on and I like that, evne if the finale does leave it vauge if those bodegamen at the end are theirs or not, given Rad’s her best friend by the end and she and red would need a surrogate, it’s not a huge stretch to say Rad sperm donored for them and is still a beloved uncle and figure in their lives. Anyways the point is Rad’s real beef is.. suprisingly sweet. Turns out Rad’s still pissed at the whole “Teens humilating, burning and spanking” ko thing and Red posting it online. Which is likely to adress the fact they.. never adressed that and was a good call and a good way to show rad’s growth: he’s not jealous , he’s not mad she’s taking up enid’s time, he’s mad that his best friend is dating someone who beat up his other best friend for just trying to help them then put it online for a cruel laugh. Granted Drupe did the same thing and he not only danced with her but is on good terms with her to this day, but odds are given they see her more and she’s in fact the designer for their mission outfits in season 3, she probably apologized off screen while Red figured KO forgiving her was good enough and just wanted to forget it, running away from things as usual. IT speaks to the diffrence in their personality: Red runs hot is stubborn and takes time to admit she’s wrong, Drupe is very chill and as the series goes on very nice, and probably wanted to get it out of the way asap given she frequents the bodega more often, either in the background or foreground.  Anyways after KO reveals he actually enjoys the video as a treasured memory of when he first met the alley teens, disturbing his friends, seriously this kid needed to remerge with his edgelord side yikes, Enid gives rad a headpat and kudos for being normal and Enid decides to take all of them to go fix this.  Back in the past we’re back at the bullying and before past red can post, present red explains she should stop and after clarfying this isn’t an end of the world situation, not an unfair assumption given you know time traveler, she reveals it’s for someone unimportant.. but whose important to someone they care about, and that what they were doing was a terrible thing they’ll be ashamed of anyway. It’s a good scene that shows how far red’s come: from pushing everyone but two people awaya nd treating most like garbage in a vain attempt to avoid being who she used to be, to accepting it, finding love, and becoming friends with someone she hurt and accepting she hurt him. Rad is also clearly moved seeing that Enid did indeed choose wisely. Back in the present. 

... NO not this time. No instead red and rad are pals, talking about how shredded they are and what not, and while Enid finds it annoying, understandably, she’s glad their not trying to kill each other and dosen’t have to buy Rad’s gravestone or visit her girlfriend in prison. In the alterted timeline, which their also aware of by rad’s comment, time travel just go with it, they were already planning on going jelly surfing and invite enid, and implictly ko along. 

So we end on our main trio and Red jelly surfing, Enid and Red sharing a board before wiping out, laughing about it and then, as if you hadn’t already seen the header but fuck it. 

Yup. The subtext just became.. text. Awww. In case you were wondering, I do like them as a couple, especially after this quintology, as it’s made me realize just hwo much they click and how much chemistry they have, and by this point their just adorable, their drama gone and they can just be happy and gay together. And that’s something cartoons are doing more of and tha’ts wonderful and it’s wonderful that, with all else he had to wrap up, Ian felt confirming the gay couples lasted was extremley important, as two others are shown married in the finale. And we’ll get to the finale more in a bit, but first Rad floats by with an “I support this”, to approving smiles, and enid thinking he’s a weirdo. Also I love the meta text of having a character voiced by the shows creator say that.  KO however is sad that the video is gone but ENid says the memories will last. Rad is understandably not sad about it suggests they make new ones and we end on our quintent taking a selfie together. THE END. Before final thoughts, this wouldn’t however be the last we saw of them. The finale has a bit more as it flashes forwards a bit: the relevant part is one shows Enid take over KO’s mom Carol’s dojo. with red, the two kissing again and alllooking over some supsciously familiar kids who look supsciously like the hue troop, but are probably there great grandparents. While Red dosent’ show up again after that, and could’ve gone back to the future eventuallyf or all we know, I like to think she stayed, and that as noted above, she and enid had kids together with Rad’s help given the similar looking kids we see running the bodega... which admitely was kept vauge by Ian on purpose so fans could draw their own inclusion so that’s the one i’m drawing; rad is still there for them aand still family to them, but isn’t with Enid in a romantic sense, if you think diffrently that’s fine. But My ending is these two crazy kids worked it out and are now happy ever after. and that ain’t bad.  Final Thoughts: A fantastic episode with TONS of great jokes, call backs and a great resolution , showing off Rad and Red’s character development greatly,f ixing a possible plot hole and giving fans the kiss that many of them had wanted for some time. ONe of the series best I can’t gush enough about it but I shall stop for your benifit. If you liked this review, subscribe for more, check out the backlog via the convient pages on my blog, and shoot me an ask, wether it’s to suggst an episode or just to ask me about my opinons or yell about them or ask what I think about certain shows or what i’ll cover. And until next time, later days. 

Survey #258

“as above, so below, what you reap is what you sow. what you give comes back threefold, as above, so below.”

Who was your favorite cartoon character when you were a kid? Pikachu! Have you ever asked a guy out on a date? No. Who do you consider your best friend in your workplace? N/A Do you have to have your bed or anything else in your room a specific way before you go to sleep? I think I almost always have to be facing the left, but I can't really say with total certainty considering you don't really like... *realize* when you fall asleep. Have you changed your mind about anything lately? I've been on the fence about things. What do you dream about most? What is the general tone or mood of your dreams? They're either uncomfortable, melancholic run-ins with Jason or horrible nightmares about being attacked in some way and being incapable of fighting back. Do you mind going grocery shopping or is it something you enjoy? Does ANYBODY enjoy it?? If you could have a physical feature like wings, horns, a tail, ect., what would you have? GIVE ME RAM HORNS. What is something you wish more people understood about who you are as a person? A lot of my struggling goes on in my head. Like I think I'm relatively open about when I'm having a hard time, but it's come to my attention recently that there's a lot of battles people don't see and leads to the belief I give up easily. Have you ever gone through a time when you had no friends? How did you deal with it? No friends I ever hung out with or anything, yes. I just had to start reaching out and opening up a bit more, and that's when Colleen came in. What is your favorite food to have as a snack? It depends on what flavor I'm craving. Usually though, something sour and gummy. What time do you usually eat dinner? That can vary from as early as 5:30 to as late as like, 8:00. When was the last time you felt extremely happy? Like about a week ago, the second night Mom slept on the pull-out bed a family friend got us versus that damn couch she's slept on for years. Her doing it a second time was like, verification that she was more comfortable and would keep doing it, which she has. Has any food ever made you sick to the point where you’d be afraid to try it again? No, thankfully. What is something you wish you had the opportunity to do more often? Get out of the house. Do you have any interests or hobbies you thought you would outgrow, but haven’t? I wasn't sure if I would ever "outgrow" RP. Apparently I won't. Is there an outfit that you wear much more frequently than any other? There are a few shirts, yeah. How old is your television? We got it when my parents were still together, so it's old. Do you have a laptop or desktop? A laptop. Do you own any television series box sets? Just Meerkat Manor. Have you ever been in a fight with your best friend? Yeah. Was the last movie you watched a horror film? No. Where is your favorite place to go when you’re depressed? On a car ride where I can blast my music. In high school, were you in trouble a lot? No. I only ever got in trouble for too many tardies in the morning. Do you enjoy your hairstyle? Yeah. Do you have weak upper body strength? Yikes yes. Do you think hugs are awkward? Not if they're friends or similar. People I don't like and/or know well but am expected to hug anyway, yes, it's uncomfortable. Story of my life with my sister's in-laws. Do you think facial hair is gross? ... No...? I mean sure, if it's not groomed it can be, but it's very natural and normal? Would you ever dye your hair an unnatural color? UGH I want to. My hair has such a hard time holding color... Has anyone ever been weirdly obsessed with you? No. What is your favorite band of all time? Ozzy Osbourne. Always. Would you consider getting a tattoo any time soon? Literally ASAP. I was supposed to get my Mark one tidied up big big time for my birthday by a really professional artist with both holiday and birthday money, but Mom literally had to use it to keep this house and the car. It was admittedly frustrating, but I could tell she was far from happy about it and I can't *rightfully* be pissy about it. Then the cancer came along and threw a massive wrench in the plan, so now idk when that's happening now. What movie did you last watch with someone? I THINK it was the live action The Lion King with Dad. It's been a long time. Are you afraid of airplane rides? Not very actively, no. I acknowledge the risk, but it's not something I deeply worry about. If you’re reading a book, what page are you currently on? Don't have a book to read currently; I just finished the second Wings of Fire book, now I'm moving onto The Testaments by Margaret Atwood when we can order it over Amazon. Do you have a job you like? I don't have a job period. Have you ever lived with a roommate before? Yeah. How many scarves do you own, if any at all? Maybe one? If even that. Did you tell your last girlfriend/boyfriend that you love them? Yeah. What was the last thing your parents got mad at you for? Idk about Dad, but Mom... probably something I said? But I'm not sure. Do your pets have favorites? I'm the only one who handles Venus, and I'm Roman's favorite. How many people could sleep comfortably in the room you’re in? Just two if we share the bed. Would you like to have a treadmill in your house? I DESPERATELY want one. My legs are getting bad again now that I haven't physically been in school for what, a month? What’s the longest you’ve ever liked someone without telling them? Well, that would be Girt, but I went on-and-off with like-liking him for years... Since freshman year, really. It's hard to say because of my mind constantly changing. When is the last time you were on a swingset? Wow, no clue. At sleepovers, do you usually sleep on a bed, couch or floor? I haven't had one of those in too long of a time to really tell you. It would depend on the relationship, too. What’s the sweetest thing a gf/bf can do to get you to forgive them? Changed behavior. How hot does the temperature get in the summer where you live? High 90s/lower 100s. Was the last hoodie you wore too big for you? No. Did it belong to someone else? No. Have you ever taken Ambien to fall asleep? I was given it at the hospital, but it never did much for me. Did your last ex try to get back together with you after the break-up? No. Do you know someone who has 6 or more siblings? Possibly, but I don't think so. Do you rent movies frequently? Nope. What is your favorite thing to do outside? Take pictures. Will we ultimately end up destroying our own race? Yup. How do you think the world will end? Human life, climate change. Earth itself, probably like a meteor or black hole or something. I believe the universe itself will always exist. An alien ship lands at your house, and they want you. Do you go with them? Errrr no. If I even had the option. What’s your favorite meal to cook? I don't cook. Homework: Do you actually READ the chapters, or just skim through them? I read. I'd be too nervous about missing vital info to skim. If you were in a horror flick, would you be one of the first ones to die? Probably, but it depends on the predicament, I guess? What movie has been taken WAY too far, as far as sequels go? I don't know. I'm not a film buff. Do you refuse to eat certain foods because of what they look like? Yep. Green olives, for example, look so fuckin gross to me. Would you ever become a fan of a team you hate to please your spouse? No? Can you handle scary movies? I love scary movies. I enjoy the adrenaline of 'em. How often do you get a new purse…and for guys a new wallet? Not often at all. What is the most money that you have ever spent on getting your nails done? Never done that. Do you have a fake I.D.? Nope. Would you date someone 5 years older than you? Yeah. Have you ever been fingered? Yes. What is your favorite horror movie? Hmmm. I've got a bias towards Silent Hill, of course, but I also really enjoy both The Blair Witch Project movies, as well as The Crazies. Has a little kid ever fallen asleep on your lap before? Yeah. What’s your favorite kind of float? (coke, root beer) I can't remember the last time I had one of those. If you heard your best friend’s significant other was cheating on them, would you tell them? Even if you couldn’t prove it? UM yes. I mean it kinda depends on who told me this, like it could be total bullshit, but, they'd deserve to know that there was a possibility. If you discovered you were pregnant at this point in time, would you keep it or abort it? Why? If I got pregnant now, it'd have to be a case of rape, in which case I would probably abort, considering I'd be fucking traumatized worse than I already was. What is the last thing you googled? Uhhh shit. I think the definition for a word to ensure I was using it correctly? Have you ever jumped off a high dive into a pool? Nooo. I always wanted to as a kid, but I was ultimately too scared. Do you like hot, cold, or lukewarm showers? Hot, usually. Do you plan on having both your parents at your wedding? Yes. Where did your mother and father meet for the first time? I think work. Have you ever stayed in a cheap motel? No. I'm too much of a germaphobe for that. Have you been to Mount Rushmore? No. Do you sleep with the door open, kinda open, or completely closed? Open or kinda open, depending on if the cat moves it or not. How old were you when you got chicken pox? Never got it. What’s your sexual orientation? Bisexual. Do you have full or thinner lips? Uh idk, they look pretty normal to me. Which of the Pirates of the Caribbean's was your favorite? Never watched 'em. Do you press the delete key or the backspace key to get rid of a mistake? Backspace. How far do you live from your parents? I live with one. How many family photos do you have in your home? Like, on display/the walls? A pretty decent amount. Are you happy with how much money you make? I make none, so like... guess. Are you the type of person that will parallel park? Fuck that. To you, what is “the best thing since sliced bread”? Probably the Internet. Do you read and believe your horoscope? No. Do you have rules for naming your future children? I'm not having kids, but if I was to, no. Which actor, in your opinion, played the best Batman? I haven't seen them all. Have you ever TURNED DOWN an invite to a wedding? Why? No. Do you believe people should get married in a church? lol get married wherever the fuck you want. Name a movie everyone else thought was funny, but you couldn’t stand: *shrugs* Does the mall you go to have an arcade? Do you go in there? No. What is your favorite Little Debbie snack? This is ACTUALLY impossible. Don't ask me this question lmao. Got any interesting wigs? I don't have any wigs. What Mario game was your least favorite, and why? I've literally only ever played Mario Kart. I'm not that interested in the games. Have you ever been snowed in? Not to where like, we couldn't go outside. Does playing games in 2-D bother you because you now play mostly 3-D games? Oh no. Graphics absolutely do not make a game. Sure, they're more desirable considering it greatly improves immersion, but still. Sometimes 2D fits the "vibe" of the game. Tell the weirdest name of a town/city you’ve ever heard: Conetoe. You're pronouncing it wrong. Do you know anyone who DOESN’T have a cell phone? I don't think so. Do you like pineapple? Oh yeah. Do you get a flu jab each year? No, but I should start. Did you ever dream about being an animal? Maybe? Idk. What's your favourite colour on a dog? Orange/red. Do you have an electric or gas cooker? Gas. What do you like to drink at a restaurant? I usually get a soda. If we're at some fancy place for once, I'll usually get some light, fruity alcohol. What was the last book you read that also is a film? I don't have a clue. Have you always known what you've wanted to do with your life, career-wise? It's changed many, many times now. Would you stay at a haunted hotel? Hell yeah. What is the best HAND-MADE present you've ever received? It was this long, extremely sweet letter my mom wrote for my b-day two years back. It meant a lot to me. Have you ever gotten pizza delivered to your house that you didn't order? I don't believe so. Do you follow a 5-second rule after dropping food on the floor? NOOOOOOOOO sir. Did you take Flintstone vitamins or any others as a child? EW, no. We were lucky enough to have fruity chewy ones, not chalky crap. What types of things do you think the government is hiding from us? Oh my fucking god, a universe of information. Aliens probably being one of the least scary things. How do you like your soda: I think it tastes best cold from a can. Have you learned anything valuable today? No. What's your favorite kind of Doritos? Cool Ranch. Do your parents have MySpace pages? Mom has a Facebook. Be honest...ever peed in the pool? Noooo. When I was a kid, you went behind the pool and handled that. Have you ever pulled a fire alarm? Nope. Have you had your tonsils removed? No. Isn't Chef Boyardee awesome? Not a fan. What reality show has been taken WAY too far? I don't watch enough TV for this. Must you grab a souvenir from almost everywhere you go? Nah, not always. Did you enjoy making things out of Play-Doh as a child? I did. What do you put on hot dogs? Mustard and ketchup. Can you swim? Yeah. Hot dogs or cheeseburgers? Cheeseburgers. Your favorite hobby? Taking pictures, particularly of animals. Do you wear glasses? Yes. Do you have a phobia? Plenty. Can you drive a stick? Never tried. How many TVs are in your house? Two. Do you like to sing? Not very long. Favorite car? Idc. Is there anything (out of the obvious) that makes you feel really ill? Perhaps, but I'm not certain. Maybe some smell. WELL WAIT, gasoline can give me a real headache, but I don't feel like, REALLY sick. Do you know both of your biological parents? Which one do you prefer? Yes, and I don't want to choose between them. When was the last time you wrote so much your finger ached? My final exam for Writing last semester. What is something you think about yourself that nobody agrees with? Quite honestly, I wouldn't put extreme emphasis on my loyalty, but only because if you prove to me that you're undeserving of my friendship, trust, or anything like that, peace. I'm out. Family, friend, whatever; I don't care. Yet most people who know me have pointed out I'm extremely loyal, but really in all cases I can think of, I remained loyal because the person was worthy of it. What about something people think of you that you don’t agree with? This depends on the person and situation of course, but mostly, that I put on a damn good front of not being a socially anxious mess. Teachers and friends have pointed that out quite a bit, but I could NOT disagree more. I think I do awfully. What design is on your calendar this year? I don't have a current one. What is your favorite type of video game? Horror. What’s the weather like where you live? (All year round, not today) The baseline is IT'S HOT. Even our winters are - usually - very mild. Summer usually soaks the shit out of us; afternoon storms are literally an almost daily occurrence, so as you can imagine, the humidity could kill a man. The weather in general is very unpredictable year-round. When was the last time you climbed a tree? I've never actually properly done so. I grew up with almost exclusively pine trees, which only have branches much too high to climb.

Stormy weather 2

I've just been watching Stormy weather 2 and now I really have to get my opinion out, I'm genuinely angry. This. THIS is what you all are so pissy about? Are you all kidding me??

That was a more than solid recap episode, summarizing all the changes of the past seasons, wrapping it up and forshadow and set up the new ones. I literally can't with this Fandom anymore JESUS GIVE ME STRENGTH yall are blinder as you pretend Adrien is! Playing high and mighty and complain about the writing when, it's seems like, 90% of this Fandom wouldn't recognize appropriate writing FOR A SHOW WITH A STRUCTURE LIKE THIS when it would hit you in the face! I really didn't wanted to be like this and thought about just saying nothing but then I watch the actual episode and you all are so obliviously and aggressively HATEFUL against this show rn I freaking CAN'T anymore!

"we did see the fight with stormy weather!" We didn't NEED to see the fight because this wasn't a normal akuma-fighting-episode. You wanna see them fighting against her? Watch the first SW episode, that episode was about her and dealing with her. THIS episode rightfully kept its priorities somewhere else, the characters and their recaps! (PLUS the reason they chose Stormy weather is because the first one was the pilot for the entire show, it's only fitting to use her for the recap) Besides in the last part of the fight we were in the pov of the citizens, we were supposed to see the fights for once with their eyes! They were scared, confused and glued on their tvs and phones to follow the news to at least understand a little bit what's going on! You complain about not seeing the fight? Oh well my dearies THAT WAS THE POINT! The citizens never get to see what we see and in an episode where the fight is literally just an afterthought, it was the perfect opportunity to show us that side of reality.

"the episode was mostly scene from other episodes?" And how is that a problem with A RECAP EPISODE? Just because old scenes were reused doesn't it automatically make the episode bad. Just the fact that some of you think that way makes me rip my hair out in frustration! Yes alot of old scenes were used again, but it was done so the characters could give us their thoughts and opinions on them WHILE giving the happening and purpose of the scenes in the first place a conclusion and wrapping them up for what's to come. "the scenes went on too long!" well I personally disagree that it got too much, but here at least I can understand possible complaints. There certainly were scenes (like the CN and LB glaciator scene) that could have been cut down a little (but really not too much) but once again, I didn't mind. Because I figured that these scenes were chosen for a reason, so casual viewers and kids need all the informations given in them, so yeah I DIDN'T MIND

"they undid all of Chloes character development!" No they didn't, because the show never pretended like Chloe suddenly turned into a better person after being a jerk and bully for so long. Everything the show did up to this point was showing us that Chloe IS capable of changing and that she'll eventually grow into her better self and a hero in time, with patience and the right motivation. We are in season 3 of 6, why are you all expecting the show to unrealistically rush this redemption? We. Have. TIME! "This only proves that Chloe shouldn't have gotten the miraculous!" not right but not exactly wrong either. It proves that Chloe rn shouldn't be giving the miraculous for good or in normal fights that don't involve her parents because she isn't worthy of it yet. That is why the episode makes a point by showing us LB and CN not reacting to Chloes "queen bee signal" while at the same time showing us that Chloe might think she deserves to be a part of this already but everything she has done in recent past and even THIS EPISODE tells us the complete opposite. Still I understand complaints that Chloe shouldn't be the bee miraculous holder in general but I understand the two times she was Queen Bee (one was against her father so yeah makes sense and the other time was in the heros day finale where Hawkmoth literally was on the loose alongside 10.000 other akuma villains with no end in sight. I can understand the logic of giving it to her again since a fight like that certainly doesn't need a totally inexperienced hero in there and Chloe at least knows how the powers work so yeah 2.0) and the overall idea of what her character is supposed to represent in the end. Chloes character is there to show that even a rotten bully child is eventually capable of redemption and becoming a good person and hero. That is a valid and important topic in a kids/family show. I think alot of people often forget that this show is not only there to tell a "lovey dopey everything gone bad can be resolved and learned in 20 minutes go lucky story" this show and its characters are literally there to help and guide children/the viewers (I'm 20 and Adrien helps me ALOT to deal with my family issues honestly). Believe it or not children/people like Chloe exist and so do the people who have to deal with them. And it helps them NOTHING when they make Chloe a "look at what a horrible person she has been for YEARS but oh would you look at that! Now she did a couple of good things, obviously that means that she left most of her horrible ways in the past and we don't have to worry about her relapseing again, she's only getting better now" character. Honestly that helps nobody because real life people don't behave and change like that. The way they are doing it rn is very good, because this way we can see the transition between villain/bully Chloe to good/redeemed hero and friend Chloe in alot of varieties and steps to make her character more fleshed out and relatable to the audience so they actually understand the complexity of a person/situation like that and that she IS indeed worthy of redemption after everything she has done (keep in mind, she's 14! She may have done horrible horrible stuff but a 14 year old CHILD should ALWAYS be allowed to change and redeem herself).

Okay last one now since it's already half past fuck in the morning.

"Adrien is a stupid idiot for dismissing/not realizing it was Marinettes poem and they are only unnecessarily stretching the love confession out" okay first of all, Adrien DID figure out it was Marinettes poem. He no shit acknowledged that and I have no idea how yall missed that. Second of all, Marinettes love confession/feelings for him are a BIG part of the structure and overall plot of the show and it will continue to be that way (same for CN and LB), so yeah of course they are stretching it what are you expecting here? Besides, SW2 is an episode that is written to watchable everywhere in season 3, so if you actually expected from the end scene to end any other way than the writing is not the problem here. It's more than logical and obvious at this point that they cant/wouldn't do the actual step of Marinettes actually and REALLY confessing her love to him(that's a move for like the season 4 finale). But still they got us further in the plot. Adrien acknowledged the possibility but dismissed it for obvious reasons I'm getting to in a bit. Still, the step of him connecting the dots was there, stop pretending like it wasn't. Yes its stretches the whole confession thing and I KNOW that's not what yall impatient shippers wanna see, but that doesn't change the fact that the "dismissing" step is a valid and by God more than enough forshadowed step for this show to take (plus do you all actually think it's an appropriate way for the show to let Adrien find out about Marinettes love for him FOR GOOD in Form of a letter and an old poem? Gosh people Marinette deserves better than that. I'm proud of her for how far she has come but this plot arc of hers deserves a better solution than THIS). And last but not least, third of all. Adrien had solid reasons to dismiss the idea of Marinettes being in love with him, yall just pretend like literally 95% all the shows plot doesn't exists because it doesn't play out the way you want or isn't BAM IN YOUR FACE. The whole "and there is Luka" thing is not coming out of nowhere yknow? Adrien saw that Marinette showed interest in Luka and Luka in her in "frozer" plus the episode gave us a flashback of "troublemaker" where Marinette literally SAYS TO HIM no I'm not into you, I'm into fashion. I like you/I'm interested in you BUT NOT LIKE THAT! Honestly, if a friend of mine said that to me and showed interest in someone else I also would tend to dismiss the option of them being in love with me. PLUS, same as with Chloe Adriens character is actually supposed to HELP children/the viewer in simular situations as them. And the way some of you react to Adrien it tells me that you have a better home situation as him (which im REALLY glad about believe me) still you all gotta accept that children with bad parent/s like Adrien exists and they NEED to see themselves represented and dealt with. Gabriel is a horribly neglectful and distant parent and THIS can fuck up a child self worth and self esteem REEEEAL GOOD believe me. Chances are not low that Adrien couldn't believe That anybody could actually be in love with him, and even if, they would totally only be in love with the "perfect Adrien" he has to be in public. The show certainly showed us enough of Adriens insecurities, self esteem issues and inferior complex to make this an possible option. Never forget that these characters are made the way they are to help and tell/teach something to the audience even if sometimes the character or the lesson provided and learned or helped with IS NOT FOR YOU. Adriens whole character helps me personally IMMENSELY but I still see him being dismissed left and right in the Fandom. Same way with Alya for example for me, she and her arc are not made for me, still I respect her presence and importants in the show.

Okay, I'm gonna make a cut here now cuz its REALLY late now but this was worth it.

12, 14, 15, 20 (Fanfiction questions)

Questions here - 

12. Who is your current OT3? Theron Shan/Lelu Kallig (my OC Sith Inquisitor)/Andronikos Revel. It is a “V” relationship, in that Lelu is involved romantically with both of her boys, but Theron and Andronikos are not involved that way with each other. They are best friends, though, and they do all share their lives together. It was just easier that way, the living together part, because of who she is (my Outlander) and because their lives are all in a rather constant state of flux. It took a long time to get there, and yes, jealousy can be and still is a thing from time to time (we all suffer from it - it’s what we do about it that can make it unhealthy). They have to work at it, negotiate and learn as they go, and it’s always going to be that way. There are four relationships that make up this one whole…and each one is as important as the next - there’s the relationship Lelu has with Andronikos, the one she has with Theron, the friendship between Andronikos and Theron, and then the dynamic they all share together. If one suffers, they all suffer. 

(artwork by the lovely @dingoat)

14. Go on, who are your BroTPs? Well of course Theron and Andronikos have a rather important BroTP. It wasn’t always that way. Theron kind of belly-flopped into the happy little life Andronikos had going with Lelu, and Nik was rightfully pissed off, jealous, and apprehensive. There was a lot of tension at first. I wouldn’t say hatred…kind of pissy? Dick measurey? But then Lelu was taken away from both of them when she was captured by the Eternal Empire and locked in carbonite, and the boys were forced to overcome their differences and work together…first to stay alive and to maintain some semblance of a foothold as the power of the Eternal Empire washed across the known galaxy…then to form the beginnings of what would become the Alliance…and finally to find and recover the one who would lead them, the woman they both loved. 

Andronikos is also very good friends with Lieutenant (and eventual Major) Mason Pierce. Nik was never able to really get along with Imperial military, they had history…bad history…and he couldn’t stand that they all had gigantic sticks up their collective bungholes. But Pierce pretty much broke that mold. He was still Imperial, and still towed the line when he had to, but he was also laid back, and knew how to relax and be a person and not just a walking regulation. They hit it off almost immediately, and they continue to work together from within the Alliance. 

I suppose I could call it a BroTP, even though one of the members isn’t a “bro” - can I? I dun care, I will - Theron is very close with Raz, my Jedi Knight. One night in the Jedi temple on Coruscant, a very youngling Theron encountered a sniffling little Twi’lek girl, huddled in a corner, crying for her grandmother. It was Raz’s first night as a youngling and she was scared. He gave her a hug, and stayed with her all night, and they’ve been joined at the hip ever since…absolutely partners in crime. 

15. Is there an obscure ship which you love? I suppose SW x Pierce is kind of obscure. There aren’t many loud shippers for that one, Quinn almost always wins out, but I just love those two together. Quinn is okay, I have nothing against that ship at all, but I really just love my SW with her Pierce. Last time I checked I think there were only like 7 or 8 fics with a SW x Pierce tag, and three of them were mine! *gigglesnort* Come, join me in my Pierce canoe!

With LoTRO, I have a couple of obscure ships, and I’d say they’re obscure only because there aren’t any actual romances in the game. But I do have two main characters, and I ship each of them with different NPC’s. My Rohirrim Captain, Rosawyn I ship with Jajax, a quest-giving Corsair encountered in the Gondor region. He has turned his back on his people to support the Free Peoples of Middle Earth. My Dunedan Loremaster (ok, you can’t actually play a Dunedan but I HC it, so fight me), Lengariel aka Lennie, I ship with Lothrandir, a Dunedan Ranger who joins the Grey Company to journey south and answer the call to fight for the heir of Isildur. 

20. Any ships which you surprised yourself by liking? Honestly? SI x Andronikos. It took me a couple playthroughs and writing about it to see the depth of Nik’s character and just how awesome he is. And wow, yeah…to go from “meh” to the top of my list was a giant move…and I’m totally glad it happened. 

Thanks for asking!

zoey’s cat hierarchy.

cat pokémon, like real cats, have a solid and well-defined pecking order in any community they form. this encompasses both big and small cats, intact and fixed cats, dead and alive cats--if there’s more than one cat on a team, you can bet they’ve formed a ranking. in human-owned clowders, dominance is usually determined by how well a cat does in matches compared with the rest of its teammates; there are occasionally individual spats for dominance, but that’s more important in feral clowders. dominance affects things that we humans would consider petty, such as who gets to eat in what order, who gets to play with what toys first and who gets to sit where in the house. but dominance also affects things that humans would consider important, such as self-respect and propriety of behavior.

the rank of zoey’s cats are as follows.

1. ZOEY

surprise! you thought i was going to start with an actual cat, weren’t you? well, in her feline’s eyes, she’s not merely the lowly human they’ve trained to serve--she’s one of them. just as owen grady is the alpha of his velociraptor pack, zoey is the alpha of her clowder. by no means is she the only human who is viewed this way: being seen as lesser is fine if you just want to keep the cat as a pet, but to get a cat to listen to you in battle, you have to convince them that you are a leader, not a servant. 

this keeps her accountable, as any being’s position as alpha cat depends almost entirely on their competence. character of course is a must--an alpha cat that nobody likes won’t stay in power for long--but the nicest trainer in the world won’t do if they are a poor leader. unlike dogs, cats are predisposed to be skeptical, self-interested and assertive about their beliefs; this means that unlike a dog’s loyalty, a cat’s loyalty is always conditional. if following you is no longer a good deal--whether you make stupid mistakes in battle or suddenly start treating your cat like dirt--then the deal is off.

2. GLAMEOW

as the cat nearest and dearest to zoey’s heart, this feisty feline naturally takes the beta spot. she is the de facto leader of the ying cat tribe, second only to zoey when the trainer gives commands on the field. for the most part, zoey lets glameow run the clowder how she wants; she’s noticed that even after accepting a human alpha, cats prefer to settle issues within their own species. glameow is bold and assertive, and isn’t stepping down anytime soon. as zoey’s longest, most consistent companion, and one of her strongest and smartest, she has more than earned her position of top cat--and she knows.

3. MISMAGIUS

he’s by far the oldest cat on zoey’s team--he was a luxray who served her father as a military pokémon, and spends much of his time reverted to his past life form. in times past, glameow tried to defer to him as the beta--many people think she was zoey’s first cat, but in reality, her love of cats started with him. he commands a position of extreme respect among all of zoey’s pokémon as a war vet who fought team galactic and died in the line of service.

there’s one major reason why mismagius isn’t the beta still, even though he’s by far the strongest pokémon on zoey’s team: his guilt. once upon a time, he’d stayed faithfully by zoey’s father’s side through the earliest parts of his current trainer’s childhood; he served as her father’s primary support for his war trauma, and zoey has vague memories of his comforting presence, both in mismagius and luxray form. but as team galactic activity in snowpoint grew worse, he found living there more and more unbearable--it was a trigger for him. eventually he decided that it took such a toll on him, he had to leave the city for his own mental health. too ashamed to admit he was leaving, he instead quietly snuck out at night without even a word to the family he loved, leaving a devastated PTSD-wracked father and his sobbing child behind. he became zoey’s pokémon years later to make amends, and even though he was forgiven by both parties, he still feels like his behavior shows that he doesn’t deserve to be beta.

4. ESPEON

this cat was low on the ranking of felines as an eevee, having formerly been one of zoey’s weakest pokémon. but a while after she evolved, she and zoey learned a technique straight from chinese meditative practices that made her toweringly OP: the calm mind god technique, which you can read about here and here. subsequently believing herself capable of defeating any opponent, she developed a god copmlex and challenged glameow for supremacy over the group. when glameow defeated her, she was forced to accept it…for the time being. she’s biding her time, watching for weaknesses, waiting for the right moment to claim what she thinks is rightfully hers. truth be told, however, she’d be a piss-poor leader: she thinks that the others are inherently beneath her, which rankles with her teammates’ feline pride--no alpha cat ever lasted long who had that attitude, because cats--unlike dogs--simply won’t put up with it.

5. PYROAR

born blind and seemingly without a hope of making it in battle, zoey’s half-vaporeon hybrid pyroar quickly rose up the ranks to become one of her most successful pokémon. he’s like a water-type toph, capable of sensing movements through sent and air or water currents. he used to take fifth spot, but with a series of recent wins he outpaced froslass in terms of his success rate, allowing him to advance up the ladder. he’s complacent with where he is right now, and has no intention of challenging for dominance--he feels like he’s earned a high rank through his strength and prowess, but feels that taking a spot from mismagius or glameow would be overstepping his bounds.

6. LEAFEON

though one would think that she’d outrank pyroar due to her seniority compared with him, leafeon is actually content to be where she is right now. she’s in a friendly competition with pyroar to see who can score the most wins, but if she loses, it’s no skin off her back. really, being the dominant cat on the block was never a priority to her; she’s just content to lay in the sun and photosynthesize. and yeah, sometimes she has to yield her spot to a higher-ranking cat, but when that happens she just shrugs and moves elsewhere.

7. FROSLASS

the ghost sister of zoey’s glameow, froslass is eternally bitter that her sibling lived while she died--and she’s also eternally bitter about her place in the pecking order in general. she believes she deserves to be beta, even alpha, even though her win record compared with those of the cats above her says otherwise. 

her low ranking also has to do with her personality. she’s literally had beef with every single other cat on this list; if she challenged for dominance, at least one of them would back up the cat she challenges. she constantly guilt-trips zoey and glameow for attention, and if glameow leaves her alone for even a MOMENT when she’s needy froslass tells her that she isn’t being a good sister. she’s said that leafeon is the weakest one among them and should be at the bottom, and to the shock and horror of all those who love leafeon, has attacked her for the sake of beating her up. hell, she even pissed off klefki, who never fights with anybody. the last straw came when she insulted mismagius’ record as a war hero, saying that anyone who fought and died for a human cause was nothing but a fool who deserved to get shot. this opinion would actually be popular among many cats if you look in the right places--but this is not so among zoey’s cats, as they were raised by someone from a military family. 

even though froslass thinks she deserves to be beta, no cat will follow a leader that they think is unjust. unless she changes her behavior, she’s pretty much shot her chances.

8. KLEFKI

by all accounts, they shouldn’t be here. when they use the calm mind god technique, their strength actually exceeds espeon’s due to the fact that they aren’t corporeal, rather a disembodied spirit of a sylveon that zoey trapped in a set of keys. however, like leafeon, klefki is incredibly laid-back and doesn’t give a fucking shit about who is top cat. all they care about is constantly honing their ability to play pranks on zoey, and perhaps someday find a clever excuse to leave her leadership.

9. PERSIAN

this newcomer to the squad could probably claw her way up the ranks in no time due to her aggressiveness and ambition, but like all newcomers to any clowder, she starts at the very bottom. try telling that to her, though. she doesn’t know the meaning of “know your place,” and when she tries to boss around the higher-ranking cats she gets all pissy when they don’t obey. she lacks nothing in terms of power, but she has yet to figure out that advancing oneself in a clowder depends on one’s personality as well. cats are stereotyped by humans (and dogs) to be assholes, but the truth is, cats have a zero tolerance policy of assholish behavior among their own kind and anyone who exhibits it is roundly punished. it’s a lesson that zoey and her pokémon are all too willing to teach.