got tagged by @bethereforme for a:

🖤✨ bias check ✨🖤

i'm not actively into a lot of groups anymore so rip

tagging @amaranth @littlesunshinedae @myeonplane @xiuminscheeks and @xiu-bee

Can to tell me more about your carmen sandiego oc?

YEYSYEYSYRYSYEYEYS

Code Name: Blank (like a Blank Slate)

Gender/Pronouns: He/They Transgender + Genderfluid. (he doesn't mind being told She/Her aslong as it's not often and not meant in a transphobic way)

Age: 15 (as of S1 of CS. 13 years old when he first joined vile)

HE'S AS TALL AS IVY (5'6 or 5'7, he's still growing lol) and kinda looks older/younger than his age (depending on who you ask)

Blank Specializes in Craftsmanship, Disguises and Illusions. He's a very Crafty operative (kinda like Paper-star but instead of paper, he uses anything he can find)

Can and will use anything as a weapon. and i mean. ANYTHING. stones? sure, book? yeah why not, Chair? yeah, a frying pan? why not! even a blanket? yeah! Dust, snow, and Dirt from the ground? he can and will >:)

he uses his environment to his advantage and he likes setting traps.. either literally or like bait and switch.

his fighting style is definitely agressive and upclose. but instead of just using normal punches and kicks, dude literally uses his body like a literal weapon. dude will come at you plunging. (and i saw some tiktok video about a girl doing a fighting move called "the whirling candy" or something, Blank's fighting style is based on that girl :D i saw on tiktok)

his personality is always based on whoever he's around with or whoever he talks to.

blank is the type of person to adjust for others, and if there aren't anyone, honestly he's just. empty or something (hence the code name "blank" because other people fill in the blank space within him whenever they're around)

his code name was actually supposed to be "the chameleon" but Blank didn't like that name for some reason. (didn't want to be based on an animal like Le Chevre, El topo, and Tigress)

YOU CAN ASK FOR SPECIFIC DETAILS ABOUT MY OC IF YOU'D LIKE :D

dropping some thoughts about vida here

i started watching this show for melissa barrera and i absolutely enjoyed it and have rewatched some episodes bc it's very entertaining

s3 felt kind of different, it was almost like the sisters switched roles at some points

i might be reading too much into it, but in the first few eps as emma and nico's relationship was going well i would look at emma's face and be like she's happy but she's still waiting for the other shoe to drop, and of course it did. and i was so sad to see her clam up again and fall back into her whole "vulnerability = weakness" thing. for a few episodes she just looked so dead inside like she was seriously depressed and triggered with everything going on, like nico's secret wife and her awful dad making himself known

i love lyn so much but i need her to be single. i'm so glad she finally realized where her true priorities lie and that she needs to work on turning into a chameleon with the men in her life but i just hate that it happened in the last like 20 minutes of the series finale

side note but i was not expecting lyn to get so into religion for a hot minute. i mean i understand that it was her yet again molding herself to the people in her life, so i think she snapped out of it once her father showed his true colors but still like it was so jarring. god the man gave me such awful vibes and the last scene of him and emma after she confronted him was legitimately hard to watch

the sisters spent so much time apart and on different pages this season it made me sad :( i completely understand why but i do miss the moments in the first episode or in earlier seasons when they were sisterly and messing with each other

i love that mari had some more time this season to build herself up a little more and yes this is cruel to say but her dad dying is a blessing ! now she can finally look after herself and find people who appreciate what she does. honestly that man pretty much killed himself after he kicked out the only child who actually took care of him. ladies ask not what u can do for machismo but what machismo can do for u

speaking of this family i can't STAND johnny oh my GOD get off my screen and get away from the women in ur life all u do is hurt them

god i wish this new generation of shows had longer seasons. a 6 episode season is nowhere near enough to develop the characters and storylines better (even tho this season the episodes weren't all 30 min like s1 and s2). i was like holy shit things are happening so fast it's one terrible thing after the other but of course they are, they only have like 5 hours to tell the story!!

i'm really fond of this show and how witty it is, its integration of mexican and american and mexican-american cultures, the spanglish, the butch rep!! everything

actually one of my favorite moments this season was when lyn was talking to that european dude at her bf's mom's bday party (fuck her bf and his mom by the way holy shit he was such a weirdo) and she was talking about how difficult it is to be perceived as mexican by gringos while still not being mexican enough for mexicans. when she said she couldn't even hold a conversation in english or spanish i was like u read my mind. i'm literally incoherent. anyway it really resonated with me as an immigrant and i think it's such an important conversation to have!!

anyway emma and lyn repaired their relationship and their bigoted father is rotting in hell and they keep the bar and eddy's back too and everything is going better than ever, they told me so themselves <3

literally losing my mind at the inclusion of Chameleon in the Superior Six,, all the others in this panel showing off their powers or fancy tech and then theres just. some dude. who's actually pretty bad at fighting.

LOOK AT HIM THE POOR GUY 😭😭 no powers,, no disguise,, i don't even think he has a weapon ?? bro was fr just there to get his ass beat 😭

Finally watched that American Psycho movie everyone keeps talking about

and I don’t see what all the hubbub is about with this Patrick Bateman guy.  He’s a complete fuckin loser this dude, an absolute nobody.  Everyone keeps talking about “Aw fuck this dude is a psychopath  and nobody can even tell because society is so shallow and vapid” like shut the fuck up nobody cares about your armchair psychology 101 diagnosis of the least interesting man on the planet.  Congrats, you picked up the DSM-5 and can read we’re all so impressed good for you.  The reason nobody knows that Patrick Bateman is a psychotic serial killer is because nobody is interested in Bateman in the goddamn slightest.  Any idea that Bateman is interesting, significant, or in any way notable comes only from his own internal narration.  The guy is a generic Wall Street failson with delusions of grandeur, that’s it, that’s the character, that’s the American Psycho.  People will really watch a movie where the protagonist is a fragile man who’s routinely mocked, looked down upon, and called a spineless twit and come away thinking “Wow he’s so cool, he’s an edgelord that nobody likes, what a guy.”.  The horror of American Psycho isn’t about the socially stunted serial killer dude that no one respects.  It’s the existential dread that comes from crying out kicking and screaming into a world that just doesn’t care.  It’s the absolute lack of consequence and catharsis that arises when after confessing to all of his various murders in the midst of a mental breakdown, Bateman’s lawyer thinks that it’s a joke, because Patrick Bateman as he sees it, is a guy who has and will never do anything worthy of mention, let alone kill 20 to 40 people.  The horrific climax of the film is Bateman sitting down at a table, and finally realizing that absolutely nothing he has done means anything to anyone.  That he’s completely incapable of changing his own circumstances.  That nothing about how he lives has affected the world at large in any significant way.  Do you think Bateman is cool?  Do you think he’s clever or suave?  Do you think he’s some sort of social chameleon, whatever the hell that means?  Well you’re wrong.  Bateman is none of these things.  Bateman literal tells a drunk coworker, Paul Allen, to his face that he dissects women and is a fucked up dude.  The man is a literal manchild crying out for attention, for someone to give a shit about what he does, and it goes completely unacknowledged as Allen can only think of to ask about his tan, because Allen cares a lot about tanning, so much so that he has a tanning bed at home.  As a matter of fact, the only reason he and Allen are talking is because Allen mistook Bateman for another person because they both wear the same type of suit and go to the same barber.  There is nothing that distinguishes Bateman from any other guy in his office, so much so that not even his own lawyer recognizes him.  Bateman is so petty, unremarkable, shallow, and pathetic that he kills Allen in a jealous rage because he had a better looking business card and could get a reservation at a restaurant that Bateman couldn’t.  His murder of Allen is little more than a violent temper tantrum with “It’s Hip to Be Square” playing in the background.  Bateman doesn’t register that Allen’s prestige might come from doing something people deem important (getting the opportunity to work on the ever elusive Fischer account), and instead spends the film pissing and shitting himself over the fact that Allen can get seats at a restaurant he can’t, Allen has a nicer business card than he does, Allen has a more expensive looking apartment.  Allen has nicer things than Bateman and that just doesn’t gel with his worldview that he’s an important special boy that people should care about simply because he exists. Do you think that Bateman is cool?  Do you think he’s some sort cutthroat businessman who clawed his way to the top through being cunning, savvy, and not caring about who gets in his way?  Is that the impression you get of him as he walks into his office listening to the 80′s hit “Walking on Sunshine”?  Because Bateman isn’t the product of his own abilities.  He’s the Vice President of a company his father owns.  He’s a wealthy guy born into wealth like most other wealthy guys, completely insulated from failure thanks to the power of corporate nepotism.  Bateman never had to try to accomplish anything, so what if he graduated from Harvard Business school?  That’s not a measure of personal merit for him, he has a rich dad who could easily use his vast resources to get him into an ivy league through any number of ways, donations, legacy, straight up paying someone to get good enough test scores for him to get in, and considering that we never, and I mean never, hear about Bateman working on anything, leads me to believe he legitimately does no work ever.  The most we learn about Bateman is his needlessly convoluted morning routine, how many crunches he can do, and whenever he prompts someone to ask him about what he does, and they actually humor him, all he can think to mention is how he kills people.  The only two topics he gives a shit about are geeking out about serial killers and droning on about the music he likes.  There is no more to his personality than that, and he has nothing of value to say.  Everyone will wax lyrical about how the world of American Psycho is shallow, but Bateman is just as, if not more. You can’t possibly think that Bateman is a deep guy can you?  That he’s got some intriguing and engaging view on the world, and isn’t simply a thoroughly detached bozo who cares more about displays of power and dominance than actually engaging with people and the world around him, can you?  Bateman likes the arbitrary social hierarchy that exists, and he wants to be on top of it so bad.  He wants the prestige, the admiration, for other people to submit to his will, but not even the restaurant Dorsia’s will take him seriously, laughing him off the moment he tries to make a reservation, and that upsets him, because he’s Patrick Bateman!  He’s a cool Wall Street guy!  He has lots of money!  He’s the vice president of Perkins & Perkins!  Turns out, none of his other rich pals give a damn, nor do they find him particularly impressive.  In the world of rich socialites, he’s at the absolute bottom.  Bateman is simply a dude who’s obsessed with the attainment and wielding of status.  Violently cutting down anyone he perceives to be above him, and callously stomping on those below.  Yeah he killed a homeless man in an alley.  Was that shocking to you?  Did it make you think “Wow Bateman is a fucked up guy for doing that.  He must be a real psycho™ to be brutalizing the poor.  He’s nothing like the other wealthy characters in the film.  Surely, Bateman must be intrinsically different from them in some way!”?  Yeah sure uh huh, Patrick Bateman is the only rich guy who has ever shown disdain towards the poor and the homeless.  Patrick Bateman is a real outlier of a person for abusing his vast economic power to routinely cause harm to working class people for his own selfish gain.  Patrick Bateman is the American Psycho and thank god every other obscenely rich person is normal and not at all like him.  Bateman is shown to routinely maim and kill sex workers just to get off, and film makes it pretty clear that there are no consequences for him doing this.  Not even when he openly shoots a woman on the street.  The only murder of his that gets investigated is the death of Allen, another rich guy.  Surely this not-at-all subtle imagery has zero subtext relating to the real world in any capacity.   By the way, Bateman’s alibi that lets him get away with Allen’s murder?  A bunch of guys not realizing that he wasn’t actually at a restaurant with them on the night Allen died. I think there’s something to be said about mocking people who idolize Bateman.  Not that they’re in reality nothing like he is, but that chances are, they are just like him.  An aimless edgelord who’s only qualm with the status quo is that he isn’t at the tippity-top of it, and that they, just like him, lack the self-awareness to realize how absurdly idiotic and empty a sentiment like that is.  The sort of person who would come away from watching Bateman’s deluded view of himself come crashing down around as he wishes nothing but pain and suffering on the people around him as state of mind to aspire to.  That somehow his perpetually unfulfilled state is really cool and interesting actually and not at all a product of his wanton inability to grow, engage in introspection, or achieve any level of depth and intimacy.  I’d say I hate the guy, but what is there to hate?  He’s a nothing man living a nothing life where he achieves nothing and gets nothing from the experience.  Watching American Psycho took me on a dizzyingly meandering ride before ending on pure unadulterated emptiness as it explores just what it means to have absolutely nothing going on behind the eyes.  It’s a good movie I refuse to talk to anyone else about because anyone who wants to talk about American Psycho above literally any other film isn’t a person worth talking to.  This movie taught me hatred and caused me to dissociate after I went to bed.  It is excellently executed total depravity and I have no idea what movie everybody else was watching because it’s not that fucking deep.  It’s a movie about a rich guy who has nothing better do with his life killing people, and just how insanely boring that guy would be.

Season 2 episode 15

Im not going to say anything I am not going to say anything

He’s just a guy look at his hunchback Just a guy that can change colors and can’t go anywhere near school grounds  I am very uncomfortable with that selection of words in that specific tone Hera Why is the chameleon good at ballet Oh no they lost the chameleon car where could it ever be

“I hope they didn’t follow him to HQ” please you think they would think of that they stupid as shit

“It sure smells really good” -Dilluk Yep its cocaine Half a cup of cocaine into each pot can’t be good right Like is that enough to OD on 

DUDE FUCKING CHILL JESUS

Oh grandpappy back

Oh boy new tobot

ALRIGHT R TRANSFORMATION RATING RIGHT INTO THE MEAT OF THE BONE I love this tobot so much The slow pan up to the torso in the beginning lots of inbetweens so that the transformation doesn’t leave you dry  Lots of stuff happening FUCKING GOES SO HARD Also that catch of his gun doohickey at the end MM it FEELS crispy

Fit check:

Might be better than C I love the fact that on the body it's only like 5 colors that work with each other very well The shoulder pads are bulky and this mf built like a truck literally  Boots are clean hands are clean only real gripe is that weird blue silhouette in his chest but I can see myself getting used to in 10/10

Are they checking their reaction time holup NO WAY IN HELL KORY DID THAT IN 100 MILLISECONDS THATS FAKE THIS KID IS CRACKED

all these ladies gonna go to jail storming a police officer like that shame

4/10

006 - Interview with a Lover (Part II)

After reading the first interview, another previous partner was interested in discussing our situation in depth in the name of sex positivity and openness.

I don’t even know how to start this, so I’m just gonna jump in with an anecdote about when I knew you were a freak.

Hahaha, please do!

So we had already hooked up a few times. And I remember I was coming to see you one day. I was at the gym. I sent a selfie and said something like “Can’t wait for tonight,” and you were like “Why wait? Come over now.” And I was like “Uh, I’m at the gym dude. I’m all sweaty.” And you were like “That’s why I want you here now.” And it was hot, but also scary? Because I had never done that before…

Hahaha I remember that! Good times. You were like, “Are you absolutely sure about this?”

Yeah! I mean, there’s a difference between like, fresh sweat, when I’m still glistening and the smell hasn’t really kicked in yet…and, you know, an hour afterwards driving to your place, when everything has had a chance to dry…and funk up my clothes, and get swampy…

True. But that’s when it’s the best! The stronger the smell the better.

I remember walking through the door, and you closed it behind me immediately, pushed me up against it, spun me around, pulled my pants down…

And buried my face in your ass.

And buried your face in my sweaty ass!

Like I said, good times.

That’s when I was like, “Alright, this dude is a freak.”

People are always surprised at that.

Because you don’t project it. I don’t know if you purposely keep it hidden or what. But it’s always the quiet ones I guess right?

Ha, well I mean, it’s not like I can bury my face in your ass in public, you know? It’s not like I can showcase my freakiness in public with women looking on like “Oh wow, that guy’s freaky.” It’s not until we’re actually intimate that it comes out.

Well, either way it’s hot.

I remember I hooked up with this one chick. Afterwards we’re just laying in bed and she said something like “Damn you were hungry for that haha.” I was like, “You think so?,” she was like “Umm, dude, you were growling. Yes I think so.”

You were hungry for pussy. Grrr. Nom nom nom.

Hahaha I mean, yeah. Well, I go through dry spells here and there so in some instances yes I’m quite literally hungry for pussy. But either way, what’s sex without passion and intensity? You need the growling and the grunting and the biting and the spanking.

So I know you’ve talked about being both dominant and submissive depending on the mood, but would you say you’re more dominant just as like a default?

In bed? My entire energy just feeds off the woman. Whatever side of me she wants, she’s getting. I just feel like most women enjoy being submissive, so I have no choice but to be dominant more often than not. Because that’s what she wants me to be. Outside the bedroom? I don’t really feel a need to be any one thing. No labels. I just live my life and whoever’s into me is into me, and whoever’s not is not. I don’t change who I am as a person for anyone. But in bed, I’m a chameleon.

Love that. So back to this smell thing, which I know you’ve talked about more than a few times…what do you think is the psychology behind that?

Well, it’s primal, for starters. I don’t think sex should be this super clean, organized, scheduled thing. Like “Oh you want to have sex? Let me take a shower first.” It’s animalistic, and it’s in the heat of the moment. So that’s part of it. I hate how insecure some women are made to feel about their scent, so part of it is me wanting to ease their concerns and make them more comfortable and confident in bed. Part of it is me genuinely loving the smell of unwashed pussy, and part of it is this idea of her marking her man. Pheromones are a real thing. I love this idea of a woman putting her scent on me - my face, my fingers, my cock - and essentially saying “He’s mine.” Putting her pheromones all over me to mark what’s hers. And there’s a balance to that. A lot of women want to feel “taken,” right? They want a man to do things to her in the heat of the moment that shows how much he craves her body. When I’m fucking her - in that moment - her pussy is mine. I’m inside of her. There’s nothing more intimate than literally being inside of someone. So on one hand, she’s mine, but at the same time, I’m hers, because now her smell is on my cock. So it’s not just me “taking” her. She’s taking me too.

Okay wow hahaha. Like I said - freak. I don’t even know if there’s anything more to say after that. Whew.

Hahaha. Like you said - it’s always the quiet ones.

rip everyone who watched this live in 1967 & had to spend a whole week thinking Jamie was literate just because he pointed out the Chameleon Tours sign on the door, thankfully episode 2 was ready to set the record straight, upside-down newspaper and all

“Sentibubbler” summary? “Sentibubbler” salt?

Why not both at the same time?

Something a little experimental, though also somewhat reminiscent of some of my past videos. Calling it “summasalt” for now, based on the word “somersault” because this episode was an exercise of my patience.

It’s basically just me going through the episode with my usual episode summary, but salting along the way instead of making you guys read a wall of text without any images or clips or me making snarky comments.

(By the way, yes, I did in fact have caffeine before recording.)

script below for anyone who wants/needs it:

"Sentibubbler" begins with Marinette having food with the Cesaires and I already know this isn't real because Marinette is actually getting to interact with her best friend's family. That's only happened, like--when, two episodes of Season 2? [”Sapotis” and “Anansi”]

Marinette sees Trixx and points out how they're supposed to be a secret, and Alya asks why while calling Marinette "Ladybug." Marinette plays dumb but is told by Nino that everyone already knows her secret. Chloe is also there, chiding Marinette for her identity rule - it's not Marinette's rule but after "Reflekdoll" I've just gotten used to Marinette being blamed for things she didn't do - and Marinette goes to question Chloe's apperance when there's a knock on the balcony door. Alya invites Shadow Moth in and--[Shadow Moth has to duck to come inside]--huh, I thought Sole Crusher was seven episodes ago.

Anyway, now obviously, Marinette is just being ridiculous and overemotional as usual, because why would Marinette ever think that Alya would reveal any information to--["Feast"]--oh yeah, that's right.

Tikki doesn't transform Marinette and says that Marinette shouldn't have trusted Alya with her secret. Enter Chat Blanc, who says that they can be together now without any secrets. Not really sure what this episode is aiming for with the mixed message of "your identity rule sucks" but also "your fault for trusting someone instead of having a mental breakdown," but a’ight. Trixx also gets another dig in on Marinette for giving Alya the fox miraculous.

Marinette wakes up from her nightmare and panics, but Tikki reassures her that Alya is loyal. [”Chameleon”] Mm. Also, that kind of support might've been nice from Tikki literal seasons ago when Marinette could've used a confidant.

Wayzz - I swear, they've had eyelashes more often than not in this season - points out that Trixx is mischievous and Xuppu talks about Trixx being the cause of the Loch Ness monster rumors, which worries Marinette further. Marinette runs out in her pajamas and I can already predict that neither Tom nor Sabine are going to check on her later or care.

Marinette finds the Cesaires looking for something, their words vague enough for Marinette to think that they're talking about Trixx. Alya brushes Marinette off and tells her to help with looking instead of lecturing her.

Marlena makes a comment that reminds Marinette of her nightmare, only increasing Marinette's stress. A tarantula crawls up a ladle and Marinette freaks out when she sees it, which Marlena has a laugh at because Marinette's anxiety, fear, and panic is hilarious, guys!

This is my laughing face. [not a laughing face]

Nino exits, having been too afraid of the spider to leave the room, so Nora compares Marinette to him. Nino tries to play it cool, then changes the subject to point out Marinette's pajamas. Alya wonders aloud why Marinette showed up and Marinette tries to act casual, but Alya sees through it and states that she doesn't usually lose things when someone lends them to her.

I presume the exception is Marinette's trust. OH-HOOOOHHH, we'll get there.

Nora takes a jab at Alya for losing the spider and Marinette drags Alya away to talk. Nino tries to join but Alya states that it's between her and Marinette, which makes Nino sad.

Nino, does the phrase "guys' time" ring a bell by any chance?

Marinette is explaining her nightmare and is simply told to calm down by Alya, though Marinette is briefly startled by a phone ringing. Marinette puts together what she knows that Shadow Moth knows, including that Alya is Rena Rouge, adding on that Shadow Moth could steal the fox necklace if he figured out that Alya has it permanently. Alya reassures her that no one will ever know and Marinette states that this must include Chat Noir. Alya agrees and brings attention to the fanny pack around her waist, which Trixx has been hiding in, and Marinette has Trixx promise not to show up at the dining table like in her nightmare. Tikki tells Marinette that everything will be fine and Marinette admits that it was silly of her to worry, which it was! ...If you ignore all the anxiety, mental scarring, and constant pressure to be perfect or risk Paris lighting itself on fire, much like I presume they accidentally did with their original script for this episode.

Alya tells Marinette to trust her and also herself - I'll be sure to keep that in mind, Alya, thank you - then Alya loses her temper at the phone continuing to ring. She leaves to find an empty living room, then answers the phone only to hear Shadow Moth on the other line. Alya turns upon hearing Marinette scream to see that Marinette has been trapped in a bubble. Cue the reveal/return of the Bubbler, who is definitely Nino akumatized and not--like--a sentimonster, because the episode didn't spoil it at all with the title of Sentibub--

show, this is freaking embarrassing. Why even bother akumatizing someone when you can mold a sentimonster with the exact power you want?

At least they reveal it quickly, though that also means I have to live with the knowledge that Shadow Moth wINKED AT ALYA, NO.

Anyway, Shadow Moth tells Alya that he wants her to betray Ladybug. Marinette, meanwhile, is panicking over being unable to transform while in public, whereas Tikki remains calm and reassures her that Alya will figure something out and it's why Marinette gave Alya the fox miraculous in the first place.

Weird, I thought it was for the show to continuously validate Alya as a worthy choice for a confidant despite repeatedly covering up her sINS and so the show can push for more anxiety on Marinette's part while simultaneously not having to make a new hero model for Alya, which they would have to do if the realistic decision had been made to give Alya a different miraculous due to Shadow Moth knowing her identity as Rena Rouge.

Marinette texts Alya to inform her that the Bubbler is a sentimonster and so Rena can tell Chat not to use Cataclysm on him or the bubbles will burst due to the sentimonster's lack of control.

Hate to burst the show's bubble but Alya could literally see Nino up in the sky and they could see her; the bubbles are in viewing range. Did this even go through a quality check?

Alya goes to look at Marinette's text, but the phone is bubbled away by Sentibubbler. Marinette sees the phone floating by and panics, only to be reassured again to trust Alya and at this point I vaguely wondered if I was watching this episode on repeat. Tikki also adds that Alya has never let her down - [”Ladybug”] MMMM - and Marinette agrees, also certain that Chat Noir will show up soon.

Oh yeah, he exists. Oh no.

Cut to the Agreste mansion where Adrien is watching the news - dude, how is there never anything better on when you need to be told that there's an akuma? here, look, I'll show you [”Silencer” Lukabug clip] there, much better, see? - and it's pointed out that the bubbles are identical to the ones Bubbler had, yet Nino is in one of the bubbles. Adrien readies himself while Plagg is - for once - okay with leaving since his cheese isn't "edible" yet.

I feel like he should be a little more concerned about Marinette being in a bubble.

Meanwhile, Shadow Moth is explaining to Alya that Ladybug will come to give her the fox miraculous due to the bubbled people in the sky - plenty of other choices that aren't within breathing range of the obvious danger zone, but a'ight - and SentiBubbler will catch Ladybug. Alya brings up Chat Noir saving her but Shadow Moth states that she'll create an illusion of Ladybug and Rena to lure Chat Noir, who won't see Sentibubbler coming, at which point Rena will hand Shadow Moth her miraculous. He adds that her loved ones will only be returned once all three miraculouses are in his possession, though if she tries to warn the heroes then Sentibubbler will send the bubbles into space, too far for any hero to save them.

[clip of space power-ups] Hm.

Also, I would've just let her keep the miraculous as an extra bribe since he doesn't need the fox and she wouldn't have time to recharge anyway - at least to his knowledge - but that's just me.

Marinette is relieved that Alya still hasn't been captured--TIKKI, I KNOW, YOU'VE BEEN PARROTING THIS ALL EPISODE, I KNOW--but Marinette changes her tune when she sees Alya blindly calling out for Ladybug's help, unaware that Alya is buying time. Marinette laments the idea of transforming there and having using the rabbit to go back in time to reverse, as that's never a good thing (seconded), but gets the idea for Tikki to take her miraculous to someone else. Tikki rejects the idea, as the earrings won't go through the bubble, and Marinette realizes that Chat Noir is their only hope.

I mean, it was nice knowing them. Sure is interesting how Marinette has only been getting herself into these situations where she requires saving when the show needed to present Alya as a valid choice for a confidant.

Meanwhile, Chat Noir is leaving a message for Ladybug about the bubbles in the sky, saying that he'll wait for her; I already see where this is going and I don't like it.

Alya mutters to Trixx about how they need a plan to release Marinette. Through Alya Vision, we're shown Sentibubbler, a bowl of fruit, and the bathroom door. Alya tells Sentibubbler that she needs to go to the bathroom and - wow, we're really doing this, aren't we? - which Shadow Moth rejects. Shadow Moth is also on top of a building holding a coffee cup which honestly makes about as much sense as the rest of the episode, so whatever. Alya claims that she can't wait and that it'll be awkward for Ladybug to find her like that, which gets Shadow Moth to relent but also remind her of what's at stake if she tries anything. Alya states that she can't do anything without a miraculous anyway, then purposefully falls onto the table, concealing her long enough for her to transform and allowing an illusion of herself to go to the bathroom while she escapes. She detransforms in the twins' room and feeds Trixx with some grapes that she'd picked up.

Alya explains her plan to trick Shadow Moth and Sentibubbler since they don't know that she has a miraculous, though she also has to make sure that Chat won't ruin things. Rena then proceeds to call Chat Noir and claim that Ladybug wanted her to call him with her plan, but adds that it's a two-person plan and Chat himself isn't needed, so he needs to wait for further instructions. Chat demands that Ladybug call him to tell him herself, but Rena insists that she can't, as Ladybug is very busy. She warns him not to use Cataclysm if he sees the Bubbler, as he's a sentimonster, then promises to talk to him later before hanging up.

She uses Mirage again, making the Alya illusion reappear as well as creating a Ladybug. Chat Noir, infuriated at being left out, destroys part of a building with his baton. He then dismisses the action because Miraculous Ladybug will fix it.

Spoiler alert, it will, which is a very fascinating detail! I mean, I can't imagine another situation where a hero did something while there was an akuma going around and Miraculous Ladybug decided to help 'em out, but it just goes to show what happens when you're the writers' pet. Just look a little pitiful and they'll give you all the sympathy in the world.

By the way, didn't expect them to actually confirm my theory that Chat Noir does Chat Noir things because he knows that Miraculous Ladybug will fix it anyway, essentially allowing him to earn brownie points from Ladybug via sacrificing himself regardless of how it affects her mentally, yet here we are and I don't know whether to be sad, angry, disappointed, or a mixture of all three.

Chat Noir sees the Ladybug illusion jumping off and gives chase, refuses to stay where he is. Marinette, seeing that Rena Rouge's illusions are active, panics at the sight of Chat Noir, as the illusion will vanish if Chat touches it.

I like to imagine the immediate concern is the idea that Chat Noir will try to take Ladybug's hand while trying to flirt.

Anyway, Marinette flails inside the bubble in an attempt to reach Chat Noir, while illusion Alya and SentiBubbler get into position. Chat Noir watches what he perceives as Ladybug heading into the Cesaire house with Alya, but Marinette gets to him in order to tell him not to go anywhere. Chat complains about everyone telling him to stay put, but Marinette explains Rena's plan to him. Chat is skeptical of how she knows that, to which Marinette insists that she saw it from where she was. Chat Noir relents with a sigh and stays where he is.

SentiBubbler watches as the illusion of Alya and Ladybug talk to each other, Rena making it look like Ladybug is piecing together what happened and refusing to give Alya a miraculous ever again due to Shadow Moth knowing her identity. She claims that she'll find another holder and give them an even more powerful miraculous, which interests Shadow Moth and gets him to follow after the Ladybug illusion. Once Sentibubbler leaves as well, Chat sees this as his chance to stop the sentimonster, as the Ladybug illusion will vanish if it's touched. Marinette strokes his ego for the token love square moment of the episode, and Chat Noir fights SentiBubbler while Shadow Moth goes after the Ladybug illusion.

I'm noticing a real lack of tension in this episode. Once Alya has her plan, it's kind of a clean sweep from start to finish with no interference or unexpected roadblocks in the way. Even Shadow Moth following the Ladybug illusion goes fine, with Shadow Moth even punching a building thinking that Ladybug actually got away from him.

Dude, it's fine, Miraculous Ladybug will fix it, just put on your best sad face. Maybe Chat Noir gets it from you actually, is treatment from the writers a hereditary thing?

Sentibubbler and Chat Noir are still fighting. Shadow Moth shows up and Marinette tries to warn Chat, but Chat gets caught in a bubble and Marinette apologizes; she doesn't have anything to apologize for but after "Reflekdoll" I--wait I already did this.

Chat Noir uses Cataclysm to escape, only to get caught in another bubble. I'd just like to throw out there that this guy's a hero three seasons going and the love interest for the main character, yet his role in the episode has amounted to complaining about the authority of a hero Ladybug chose, throwing a property-destroying tantrum over being excluded, and wasting his power without a single thought which just got him captured again.

Chat, does the name "Syren" ring any bells by any chance? I'm just sayin', you could always quit. In fact, wasn't it you literally one episode ago saying that you understood if Ladybug couldn't always come get you? Then, after seeing the jump from "Glaciator" to "Frozer," I'm about as shocked as rubber.

Back with the competent one, Alya notes to Trixx that Rena Rouge can no longer be seen by Shadow Moth or else the jig is up. She transforms and texts Marinette to be ready, creating an illusion of Marinette that simultaneously hides the real version, allowing her to transform into Ladybug.

Chat Noir's bubble gets dragged down and Shadow Moth gets SentiBubbler to mute Chat Noir's bubble.

[clip from “Silencer” where Ladybug takes amusement in Chat being muted]

Ladybug uses Lucky Charm and receives a pot, her Lucky Vision spotting Shadow Moth's coffee cup, then SentiBubbler, then the tarantula trapped in a bubble. Ladybug deduces that the cup is the sentimonster's object, then pulls the horse miraculous out of her yoyo and unifies it with the ladybug--oh.

Oh my.

You know, it's times like this where I'm reminded that the show knows nothing about fashion... or girls... or good writing actually--there's just a lot of stuff they don't know.

Sentibubbler does a countdown, then starts sending the civilian bubbles up into the sky. Chat Noir is about to de-transform while PegaBug notices of Shadow Moth's two miraculous, up for grabbin'. She notes that she won't be able to catch everyone, so she forms a portal behind Shadow Moth and goes for the coffee cup first, thus putting her in control of SentiBubbler, who happily brings the bubbles back down at her command.

Shadow Moth erases SentiBubbler from existence though, causing everyone to fall, but Chat and PegaBug manage to catch them. PegaBug de-transforms and presents the Cesaires with the tarantula, which had been trapped inside the lucky charm. Ladybug and Chat Noir watch Shadow Moth escape and Ladybug laments that it could've been the end of Shadow Moth once and for all because it's not a Miraculous episode without Marinette being at fault or feeling guilty in some way! Chat Noir reassures her [*by “reassure,” I mean he might as well have said, “Well, you saved ME, so you did great!”] - wow, that's two token love square moments for the price of one episode, don't I feel spoiled - and Ladybug leaves to retrieve the tarantula's tank.

Rena Rouge is waiting for her and they hug, with Rena repeating that she doesn't lose something that someone gives her. Ladybug states that she never should've doubted the idea of giving Alya a miraculous and Imma just give you guys a counter real quick. [counter that shows that Tikki has complimented Alya four times, Alya has complimented herself/told Marinette to trust her thrice, and Marinette has said that she was wrong thrice]. Miraculous Ladybug is cast and everything returns to normal, with Alya explaining what she did and Marinette being relieved that Shadow Moth won't be going after her anymore. Alya confidently asks if she was smart and Marinette is happy to praise her, confirming it and stating that Alya is a real superhero and honestly? If the narrative wanted to marry Alya this badly, they should've just used some of the budget to buy a ring instead of projecting onto the other characters.

Then again, the apparent budget can't even afford a new hero model nor new akuma to a very noticeable degree, so I guess they're taking what they can get.

Alya praises Marinette as well for her work as PegaBug and they do a fistbump, thus ending the episode. There's also this ever-so-lovely post-episode scene with Gabriel and Nathalie where Gabriel laments the fact that Ladybug never makes mistakes which--I... has he even watched the series at all? Gabe, babe, Babriel Agreste, it's literally part of the show's formula that Marinette makes a mistake in every episode and she felt guilty like a minute ago over not yoinking your miraculouses when she had the chance, where have you been?

But, yeah, anyway, the episode.

Needless to say, not a fan. Like I said, the show seems so intent on immediately validating the choices they make with Alya in order to make her look like a better character. "Gang of Secrets" basically replaced her with someone different at the end of the episode, and the episode immediately afterwards in chronological order, "Mr. Pigeon 72," did everything it could to push Marinette out of her guardian position long enough for Alya to figure out the grimoire despite having zero onscreen experience with it, the episode even trapping Ladybug in a situation that forced Rena Rouge to come into play to validate that decision as well.

And now we have "SentiBubbler" here following immediately after "Optigami," desperate to reassure its audience that Alya is cool, smart, truthworthy, and that not needing to make a new model--sorry, I mean Alya continuing to have the fox--was a good decision. All the while, they continue pushing Alya's flaws under the rug [Note that it’s not even considered that Alya is even remotely at fault for Shadow Moth going after her specifically after her stunt in “Optigami” when no one else but Ladybug and Chat have ever given out a miraculous], hiding them instead of Alya actually acknowledging them, the only reason she did so in "Optigami" being the same as in "Gang of Secrets"; to make her look good while Marinette makes a big decision in their relationship.

The episode tries so hard to drill in this idea that Alya is a good friend who can be trusted, and I'm just not here for how much they try to hammer it in. Marinette's very real anxiety over Shadow Moth's power and ability to plan things is played off as her being silly instead of something to be concerned about, and instead of giving her a hug and trying to help her calm down - [clip from “Heart Hunter” of Luka hugging Marinette] I miss Luka - she's just told to trust and believe and hAVE fAiTh in Alya.

Shadow Moth is an adult; he has abilities that the teenage heroes don't. I'm not even saying that Marinette isn't overreacting [Basically, her concern about Shadow Moth is valid, especially after “Optigami” where her identity was almost found out], but she has anxiety and some obvious trauma over "Chat Blanc." I was already upset that Alya got a free pass to Marinette's identity, but the constant stressing over how much Marinette should trust her just doesn't affect me when I know Alya and I know the kind of stuff she's done that the show blatantly ignored in favor of pushing for her.

But okay, show, I'll give Alya the benefit of the doubt that she doesn't deserve. Let's say that she's turned a new leaf, and has become the reliable, trustworthy, and loyal partner that Marinette deserves. I'm sure that Alya has Marinette's back, and will never go behind said back in order to do something completely unsurprising and wholly indicative of the character I actually know her to be.

Especially not a mere three episodes later...

It's no coincidence that the few times we see Adrian out of costume he's wearing either his dorky busboy uniform or a dowdy sweater and over-sized jeans (plus the glasses). They tried SO hard to make Freddie Stroma not look like Freddie Stroma, even though regular, fitted clothes would've destroyed all their efforts immediately. So instead of obviously-and-distractingly hot, the best they could do was tooth-achingly adorable. At least they tried!

LMAO literally literally. and freddie stroma can get pretty beefy like

so compare him to adrian, who's noticeably skinnier,

they put in work to make sure adrian came off as the less bulky, "average" dude next to john cena's peacemaker. also freddie stroma just for real transforms with every role it's kind of shocking to see like. everyone talks about how certain actors are chameleons (first off the top of my head is johnny depp, who has been put in costumes and covered in makeup to transform. no shade to him but it's the costumer and makeup artists doing the work lol)

but i think the only real chameleon is freddie bc he doesn't even have to wear anything super outlandish or different and he just becomes a different dude entirely.

It had been a long day at the Spicer house, from morning till noon Jack had locked himself in the basement. While Buttercup and Bubbles gave up and went to bed hours ago, Blossom had traveled to the basement and found herself enriched in the project. It was a literal monkey suit that would mimic the advantages of the Monkey staff. Despite having enough data from using the monkey staff and a stable power source, the suit would glitch and malfunction in every test.

"Maybe it's the plasma energy your using to replicate the tail." Blossom commented. "It's dragging energy from the rest of the suit and might be is conflicting with the magnets." Doing some calculations in her head, the red headed leader tapped her chin. "What if we swapped the energy type from a electrical base to a mixed one." Sketching out a quick diagram on a separate sheet of paper to show what she meant." Similar to the one you put in chameleon-bot but channeled threw a alloy based core. We could jump off of the center you used for Dud-bot.  It should work better with keeping the ever changing suit." To her surprise Jack was just staring at her in awe. " Something wrong?"

"Bright eyes your amazing! I can't believe I didn't think of this before!" Jack exclaimed adamantly. "Not only are you smart, but creative." This surprised Blossom, she was used to the smart compliments but creativity was always Bubbles thing.  "You're amazing Blossom."  Jack shot over his shoulder before looking for the lost Dude and chameleon bot plans.

'What a dork' Blossom thought as she watched him dig threw old plans. 'Can't be to annoyed that's one of the reason's I love him so much' Blossom sighed watching him fondly when realization hit her like a train. 'Wait did I-' 'Oh No" ----- Small disclaimer I know next to nothing about robots and that sort of stuff so sorry if the description sounds off. I used google and got a bit brain fried lol. This was inspired by both Sick days and Secrets by Earthsong9405 on DA and A Realization part 1 . It made me start to think when Blossom would realize her feeling in my AU and this is it. A few months after they first met while helping him work in his lab. Jack fell for Blossom pretty early (still working when he realized) and has been open, flirting teasing the works. It hit's Blossom like a train when she finally realizes her feeling and you can be sure she bolts two seconds after. Any way I hope I own nothing but the picture and hope you guys like it.

I don’t know how to feel about the animatronic dick in Pam and Tommy

i think however you feel, or end up feeling, it’s a perfectly acceptable reaction.

fwiw, this is my (snarky ass) two cents on the whole situation-

first of all, it’s tommy lee. who is more than qualified to be crowned king of the idiots. or if idiot-land isn’t a monarchy, he could be an elected official, given that the ballots used small words and could be filled out in crayon

so, this is DEFINITELY a dude who talks to his dick. it’s literally a chapter in his autobiography. if you can find it for free on the internet—read it (seriously though, don’t pay for it, that mountain of oozing dick tips doesn’t deserve your money). that’s all i have to say about that

now i know seb stripped down in monday, but this scene in pam & tommy is most likely not going to be a quick cock pep talk. so there’s no reasonable expectation that seb’s real dick would be in any way… up for the challenge (i know i know. i made a pun. sue me)

i also suspect that the documentary isn’t going to gloss over tommy lee’s dumbfuckery. because being a dumb fuck is like 85% of his personality. (the other 15% is roughly dedicated to really bad tattoos, sti’s, and the cum stains he leaves on his zipper every morning after he chokes his chicken to pics of himself)

so i am very very pro-ANYTHING that makes tommy lee look like unhinged, self-absorbed prick he literally is

i’m old enough to remember when the sex tape drama was happening in real time. i do look forward to seeing what went on behind the scenes, because i don’t doubt that there was a LOT more to the story than what came out publicly

and i am here for seb as a rockstar. i‘ll never cease to be amazed at what a chameleon he is, and i just gotta see him with tattoos and piercings, even if that means i have to laugh my way through him talking to a fake cock

i’ll watch anything that gorgeous mfer is in. it’s just who i am, and i’m okay with that. so i’m just gonna embrace the absurdity

wait so fellow adhder I'm I think that actually all of the TFW are actually ND. Cas has autism, dean has adhd, and hear me out, Sam has ocd. the intrusive thoughts? obsessive behavior? eating and acting clean literally to a point where it is inconvenient for everyone involved? I think he is obsessing over being clean and fresh (compared to demon blood and souless Sam, sleazy and nasty Sam) also I have a few reasons for thinking dean us adhd but y do u think so sorry I'm rambling

let’i’ve been waiting all my life for you to come into my inbox and talk to me about this

of COURSE TFW are ND!!! of course!! and yes, yes, we all know Cas has autism I love my autistic angel and i love the hc that Sam has ocd because it does fit really well!

(sectioned all of this out because it’s better for adhders to read, you get it)

his ocd directly bleeds into his poor self-esteem like you said with the demon blood! he feels the need to be pure and even though he canonically knows that these things (like eating clean, running, etc) can’t help his problem, he still tries because he kind of... has to. 

also OCD is often connected to a need for control, and the physical state of sam’s body is the one thing he has control over (which is also where we get into eating disorder territory). Sam has had so little control over his life, especially growing up, and for most his childhood, he didn’t even control what he ate (with Dean making/buying his meals). SO once he gets out of that environment, he hyperfixates on this new freedom!

we can also go to the hand pressing with this. a literal compulsion that even after the effect of the pain wears off once the hand heals, he still does it as a grounding method. nonsensical compulsion to calm anxiety? yes OCD 

can also be linked to childhood trauma but what ND can’t be amirite

emotional regulation once again - remember Angry Boy King Sammy? So angry he doesn’t know what to do and can’t control it and feels like he’s gonna explode with the rage?

intrusive (sometimes violent) thoughts are a huge marker for OCD and Sam’s obviously sometimes come from Unnatural means but they are also a part of him and kind of always have been

religious themes are also huge in OCD which Fits and makes me EMOTIONAL Sam I’m so sorry he spent his whole childhood feeling unclean and unholy and Fixated on that to the point of praying to a God his family didn’t believe in just so he could be Clean fuck

also i think it’s really interesting and cool that of the two brothers, Sam shows the most obvious signs of OCD even though he is canonically the messier brother and the brother not worried about IRL germs (i know the writers didn’t try to do this but i don’t care they didn’t play into the OCD means i must germex! trope)

AND ADHD DEAN!!! 

let’s first look at the obvious: Dean is highly skilled in combat, even though he hates physical exercise. Why? ADHD brain tied up with anxiety is hardwired into flight or fight, not sit and focus on one thing. it’s constantly picking up on threats and peripheral vision and all that shit 

he also has a spotty history with books! like i’ve said before, not shit writing, this is Dean’s ADHD. Dean as a kid read some high-brow books and he still does occasionally but he doesn’t nearly as much as an adult because it became much harder!! and because he just couldn’t devote that much attention, even as a kid, to things that he wasn’t really interested in! This is why he hates research

he’s known far and wide for his impulsiveness, his knee jerk decisions. it’s part of what makes him a good hunter and part of what makes him human disorder incarnate - It’s ADHD

Low frustration tolerance and rejection-sensitive dysphoria! Dean has a really hard time regulating his emotions and especially anger - especially especially especially when he feels like he’s being rejected or abandoned. it’s literally his worst fear 

^^^^ rejection-sensitive dysphoria also plays into his low self-esteem (god poor kid to have RSD in an environment growing up where Everyone Was Constantly Busting Each Other’s Balls and couldn’t be emotionally available to also tell you they actually love you), high self standards, and social anxiety (he’s a bullshitter, his chameleon charm is also a symptom of his social anxiety and RSD) 

also Dean has lots of sleep problems both ways and complicated relationships with motivation and inner restlessness versus a yearning for stability 

comfort items / food!! now i can’t find the research on this so forgive me because i know i’ve read it somewhere that ADHDers tend to gravitate toward familiar things or foods! (like Dean’s burgers and his car / motels that are all basically the same) it is a very ND thing in general as well

along that line, ADHDers tend to have sensory processing issues - it’s why Dean has an Outfit Recipe of the same types of clothes that he sticks to - also why he delights so much in sensory stuff like magic fingers and the Dead Guy Robe

(((jfc i thought of this point while writing out the last one and then forgot it and had to stare at the screen for a minute, now I’ve forgotten it again while writing this thank you adhd))) AH YES! auditory processing! Remember how we make fun of Dean for his lame comebacks? Remember how we make fun of him for his buffer speed in The Scene? baby that’s because it takes him five extra seconds to translate those words let alone RESPOND

not to mention people with ADHD often have much higher rates of anxiety/depression (duh) and substance abuse (yes)

lmao in researching this the article I was looking at says that lead exposure as a child can lead to ADHD and jfc you KNOW those shitty motels had Exclusively Lead Paint smh

BUT ONE OF MY FAVORITES of course has to be that Dean gets along so well with autistic Cas!! as an adhd dude with an autistic best friend, WE DIG! adhd and autism go so well together because we can get each other in ways that others just Can’t. adhd and autism have a lot of overlap/similarities in brain function and shit. 

tend to eschew social conventions and be much more straightforward/want that in others

they can both have the tendency to fidget and depending on upbringing mask that for some people - which also leads to being social chameleons

they both have comfort items / foods that NT find really strange or childish in my experience

sensory disorders!!! cas with his ONE OUTFIT and Dean with his different colored ONE OUTFIT 

Anyway i’m in love with this and i have so many thoughts but here are a few of them thank you very much for this ask i love that you came to me 

"greek-Bros": No Bois Allowed

*after a rather loud conversation with Artimes and Zeus about an all Girls Hunting Party, the Bois decided to crash it without any context*

Artimes: Alright listen up. Now I'll make this very clear that there are very simple but strict rules in the Hunting Club.

Some of Artimes's hunting maidens: *talk a little amongst themselves in agreement*

Artimes: 1. No boys allowed. Seriously if you invite like one guy here everything goes tits up. 2. None of my half brothers allowed, they're cringe as hell and they cramp my style. 3. Chastity, a huntress must be cold, a virgin, unyeilding and straight up hardcore, well masterbation is fine I guess you do you.

Callisto: *raises hand*

Artimes: yah?

Callisto: Ugh... wasn't there a 4th rule?

Artimes: oh fuk yeah rule 4, when in doubt, tits out.

Hermes, Apollo, Dionysus and Ares whom all have decided to infiltrate Artimes's Girls club: *all disguised as huntresses* ???????

Hermes: *whispers to Apollo* you didn't say she hunts in the nude.

Apollo: *whispers* Do I look like I know what she does?!

Dionysus: Dude come on if we're caught we'll end up like Acteon.

Ares: Ugh...who's that?

Dionysus: He was peeping at the girls and Artimes turned him literally became dog food.

Ares: bruh.

Artimes: *straight up takes off her shirt* aight, surprise headcount.

Huntresses: *some of them take off their tunics and such*

Apollo: oh shit.

Hermes: Fuk! What are we going to do?!

Dionysus: *has taken off his shirt and literally no one seems to have noticed* .....well at least I can feel a nice breeze.

Hermes: easy for you to say, you got more curves than Aphrodite.

Dionysus: Like a chameleon, I blend in to my environment. *Wiggles a little*

One huntress: Ugh, what the fuck is that Dionysus?

Callisto: Hey you're not supposed to be here! This violates our agreement between the huntresses and maenads!

Dionysus: Haha! I don't count because you guys buy my wine.

Artimes: *turns hearing this* WHAT THE? What are you doing here-*notices the others*.....those better be maenads that you're hanging out with.

Apollo, Hermes, Dionysus and Ares: *tries to pretend they haven't been noticed but they starts to panic*

Ares: ugh...*thinks of an idea* ..HEY LOOK OVER THERE ITS A FLYING SQUIRREL!!!!

*literally everyone looks to one direction*

Ares: *quickly shape shifts into a wild boar and dashes out of there*

Artimes: *turns around because now Ares has triggered her predatory instincts* Gotcha you little bitch. *Points and half of her huntresses go after Ares while he screams in the distance*

Apollo, Hermes: *turns pale*

Dionysus: ..... dang I can't believe Ares took one for the team.

Hermes: I'm pretty certain that wasn't the intention.

Artimes: *sneaks up to Apollo's face* I'll give five seconds to leave*

Apollo: ok.

Dionysus: *stretchs his arms upwards* well, I guess I can stay considering in MY case I live nearby.

Artimes: *walks up to him and pulls a few chest and armpit hairs right off of him*

Dionysus: AH!

Ares: *in the distance* OH GODS HELP ME THEY FIGHT DIRTY!!!!

Apollo: Sorry! *Starts running away*

Hermes: YOURE ON YOUR OWN! *fallows shortly after*

Dionysus: *fallows as well* SORRY BUD!

Ares: FUK YOU GUYS!

Artimes: *feeling like she's let them off without a warning*

*later*

Zeus: *walks into the trown room and sees a stag, a boar with a bunch of bandages wrapped around him, a rabbit and a big shaggy black bear* .....*deep sigh* not again.

Dionysus: *as a bear, licks a little honey he found* hey dad. Can I be the god of mead now?

Zeus: no.

Apollo: *stag, ear twitches* This is Artimes's fault. Please sent her to Hera and have her EXCONSECRATED.

Zeus: Not if you boys started it first. You know it matters a lot.

Ares: *Stuck as a boar for a few days* kinda just really bummed out* my back hurts.

Hermes: *as a rabbit, scratches his ears* well, can you change us back?

Artimes: *comes in* no but I think you guys need to think about what it MEANS when I say "No boys allowed".

16. Who is the most human Doctor?

17. Best multi-Doctor story?

18. Best Doctor monologue?

57. In your opinion, what makes a monster good?

71. Favourite piece of alien tech?

80. Will DW age well/stay popular in the future?

81. Time period you’d want to go with the Doctor?

87. If you could ask the Doctor anything, what would you ask?

88. Historical figure you’d like to meet?

89. How do you think you’d meet the Doctor?

91. Historical event would you like to see in DW?

92. Issue you’d like to see addressed in DW?

100. If you could write an episode of DW, any ideas for what you’d do?

if you have the time for all these 👀

*cracks knuckles* HERE WE GO

16: oh, lord- okay. so, i think that they're all human and inhuman in different ways, which makes this really challenging to answer. they all feel very human, and at the same time, alarm bells go off in my brain when they do literally anything! thirteen is anxious and more skittish, twelve has physical boundaries but is very kind (like a lot of people i know), eleven is a total dad but also very not human, and it goes on and on.... it's hard to choose.

if you forced me to, i'd say that five is the most human. he radiates That's Just A Guy energy like nobody else, despite the celery.

17. do i even have to say it??

in the show: THE FIVE DOCTORS

in the audios: ZAGREUS

18. it's fuckin... fucjin THIS SCENE, IT KICKS SO MUCH ASS!!!!!!!!! AAAAAAAAAAAAA-

these scenes are tied for a VERY close runner up slot-

57. well... funnily enough, i don't really think about the monsters in doctor who! for me, they exist to facilitate stories in which characters overcome limits, form friendships, and try new things. so, i suppose, any monster that makes the characters develop as people or face their fears is a successful one.

71. my favorite alien tech is mostly gallifreyan - the fob watch, chameleon arch, confession dial, stellar manipulator/hand of omega. i'm mostly a fan of the show because of the lore and the characters, and these devices facilitate a lot of stories! they also look dope-

80. honestly, i think we passed the point of no return a long time ago. doctor who will always be a beloved show - if not for its plots and characters, then for its endless sandbox universe of infinite potential!

81. it seems like, no matter where anyone goes, they're always on the brink of death, or kidnapping or poisoning or getting maimed or blown up or shot or- anyway. seeing this, i'd take the risk and go to an alien planet in the distant future. i want to see new things!

87. oh, jesus. if i could ask them anything?? to be fair, i'm not sure if i'd even want to know most stuff about them, since it would probably be hopelessly depressing. i guess... i would ask if they miss being a parent. then i'd finally get closure about whether or not they see most of their companions as friends or replacement grand-children. (sorry susan)

88. historical figure i'd like to meet.... probably fuckin nobody. i feel like i radiate socialist atheist leftist vibes and they'd sense it and hate me instantly. and i don't want to meet any old dudes (oscar wilde, darling, you're exempt from this), so that's like 70% of historical figures that are totally off the table. i guess... gráinne o'malley. maybe.

89. i'd meet the doctor by running towards an explosion to see if i could help anyone. when i get there, they'd probably be like, "here! hold these two wires together!" and then run off. and i'd just... hold the wires.

91. god, i'd love to have a historical joan of arc episode, but i think it would be way too dark for the show... i know that she's problematic, and that religious topics are largely a no-no, but her story is so tragic but inspiring for young girls - not in the "violence is the answer" way, but in that "standing up for yourself/being steadfast in a society that hates you for existing is a moral imperative, and if they don't see it now, then your strength and resilience will change the future for the better." same goes for civil rights stories, and the stonewall riots! GIVE THEM TO ME!!!!!!!

92. the whole bit about dancing around gender is... frustrating. because we just got our first female-presenting doctor, but so far, there's been virtually no discussion about how she feels, what she thinks, what she wants! yes, gallifreyans are beyond gender, but also, this is a brand new experience! the doctor has been male-presenting for THOUSANDS OF YEARS. regardless of how distanced the doctor is from how their body looks, i feel like there should've been... something. anything. i feel like the BBC just didn't want to deal with gender because then they'd risk angering Those Fans™️ by validating/exploring body dysmorphia and the trans experience in a way that isn't a joke.

100. i'd basically do what Stranded, or The Power of Three, or Vincent and the Doctor did! i want an episode where the doctor and their companions are stuck in a normal place and a normal time, and they have to deal with the cabin fever together. i'm not sure how well that would translate into just one episode - it would be more of a season, and the doctor would start finding aliens to talk to on earth, maybe forming a little support group for their own sanity. then, at the end, the companions and this rag-tag bunch of aliens would come together to save the world! all around, a season about friendship.

Lost Legends

Okay so I read Lost Legends: The Rise of Flynn Rider and general thoughts? It was cute and fun, and I have gripes here and there but I can still recommend it. I don't want to compare it to WOWM because it's like apples and oranges but Lost Legends wins points for me by actually acknowledging the TTS storyline and characters, even though it's kinda brief and not quite as... entertaining.

And before I go into the in-depth spoiler review I'll jot down a few thoughts here: there's a lot to be said about tie-in media and 'canon', but where I think it becomes contentious is where two pieces contradict each other, and whether those contradictions necessitate a canonical hierarchy or cancel something out completely. And the reason I'm bringing this up is because while LL borrows TTS lore it also contradicts it? which is. ironic.

but i'll get into that. Spoilers ahead

Basic Summary of The Plot

Our story starts at the Dark Kingdom, with a short prologue. It's all stuff we already know from the series: King Edmund tries to grab the moonstone, his wife dies, Eugene gets sent away for his own safety. What's funny is that Ms Queen still doesn't get a name, but her Lady in Waiting/Handmaiden gets a name (Maeve), and it's Maeve who really drops the ball on dropping Eugene off at an orphanage instead of raising him as Prince Horace. Go girl give us nothing

And from here the LL timeline begins, as Eugene and Arnie are now twelve year olds (I think?) in an orphanage in Corona. Which is the first contradiction to 'canon' but shelve that thought for now. Eugene and Arnie are good little boys but they're getting too old to keep hanging around and the orphanage needs money for the evil Tax Man, so they decide they'll go off into the world and send some money back when they're rich off their famous adventuring. What happens instead is that The Baron's circus rolls into town (yes that Baron) and Eugene and Arnie decide to try their luck signing up for that gig.

To prove themselves to the Baron, Flynn and Lance have to perform a hazing ritual a heist. The heist is literally just to buy a key from the Weasel but it plays out as this huge dramatic thing with a guard chase which is eternally funny to me because two kids walk into a bar, buy a key and then leave, and it's treated like fucking ocean's eleven. The Stabbingtons try to betray them (those guys are here too) but Flynn and Lance outsmart them, beginning a rivalry for the ages. Also, the pub thugs are all part of the Baron's circus crew. Don't think about it too much.

Anyway, as this has all been going down, Eugene is really interested in getting to talk to this guy with a tattoo of (what we as the audience know is) the brotherhood symbol, which Eugene recognises from the note left with him as a baby. He wants to talk to this dude in the hopes he'll get a clue about who his parents are, but this dude keeps eluding him. He also hasn't had a chance to tell Lance about this yet, so when Lance finds out about it he assumes Eugene only tried to rope him into the circus so he could find his parents and ditch him. Cue an ongoing silent treatment.

Eugene eventually does talk to this guy and he learns that the Brotherhood symbol is from the Dark Kingdom but the Dark Kingdom is gone so he shouldn't bother looking for it. Bummer. And now the Baron is planning a huge heist of the reward money for the Lost Princess' return, and Eugene is getting cold feet. He's been okay with a little bit of thievery so far but this feels like too much for him, and he's not okay with pulling it off but Lance still won't talk to him.

As the plan unfolds, Lance and Eugene reconcile and then they work together to betray the Baron and return the stolen treasure that they stole back to the King and Queen. They get caught by the Baron, escape, then get caught by the guards, but it's okay because they're presented to the King and Queen and when Eugene explains that they felt really sorry about it and promise not to do it again they're let go. And so the story ends on a high note.

My Thots™

Okay so here are the thoughts

Canon Compliance?

The obvious takeaway here is that this story offers you a beautiful pie in the form of the characters you know and love and the established lore, then shoves the pie in your face with things like "Eugene already knows the Dark Kingdom and the Moonstone exist but he never brings this up" and "Eugene betrays the Baron in a very significant way but somehow they'll make up and he and Stalyan will get engaged". Which means that if the integrity of the series is important to you, you'll probably just mentally cross out Eugene knowing about the Brohood/DK/Moonstone.

And imo that's fine! My own approach to this story is a kind of general 'if it works it works, if it doesn't I'll leave it' thing to work my own headcanons around. Because there's a lot of fun things to pluck from, like a new ex-Brotherhood member and other characters that could pop up from Eugene's past and other worldbuilding details.

The Story

The story was pretty short and obviously very tailored towards a younger audience, but it still felt kind of... slow? Mostly because nothing particularly exciting is happening until the big heist and even that feels pretty underwhelming. And of course I don't expect a story like this to be particularly complex and can appreciate its simplicity, but I felt like if it had been longer there could have been more twists to keep things interesting.

For example, the Baron is set up as a character not unlike Gothel, who lavishes praise upon the boys and goes on about how they're 'family' but is obviously just manipulating them and would throw them to the wolves in a heartbeat. Eugene underestimates just how criminal the Baron is, but at no point in the story does the doubt we have in the Baron's sincerity ever amount to anything- Eugene only turns against him because he has a morality crisis, which I'll get to in a minute.

Misc. Thoughts

Okay so one thing I thought was really cute was that each chapter has a little 'quote' from a Flynnigan Rider book, and I wrote them all down so if you've read this far and want me to post those separately lemme know. Anyway I just thought it was a very cute touch.

An honourable mention goes to every time Stalyan shows up, she doesn't really do anything in the story yet still is somehow the only character holding the brain cell. Rapunzel gets an indirect cameo by Lance and Eugene stumbling upon her tower and going "Whoa that's Crazy. Anyway. " which is amazing, and Cassandra even gets a little mention by the Captain! And to answer the question nobody asked, there's a chameleon running around Corona because she's an escapee from the circus, and Pascal's mom's name is Amélie!

Characters - okay really just Eugene

Eugene/Flynn is the title character of the book and we get the story exclusively from his POV, so there isn't a lot to say about Lance. On the one hand while I can acknowledge that this is a story about Flynn, not Lance, there's a few choices that feel like a missed opportunity at best given that this book really was an opportunity to explore Lance's character in a way the series never really does.

And it feels extra egregious when the plot demands conflict between Eugene and Lance, because while the emotion between them is engaging when it's happening, at other times it just feels like a convenient way to shove Lance offscreen again. (As a side note, as contrived as the conflict is these are also two twelve year old boys so. Can't blame em too much).

Also, Eugene coming up with the name "Lance Strongbow" on Lance's behalf while he's unconscious is one of those backstory things I'm not going to be acknowledging, thank you.

The Robin Hood Dilemma

Something I touched on after reading What Once Was Mine is that Eugene's characterisation prior to the movie isn't something writers seem to really like... dealing with. And it kind of makes sense that the author received a lot of characterisation notes from Chris Sonnenburg, because little Flynn does feel very similar to the Eugene we know; only the Eugene we know is an adult man who has since grown out of his Flynn Rider persona. But the Flynn Rider persona he needed to grow out of isn't something that ought to be cast aside entirely!! Stop being cowards!!

Taking a step back, the whole premise of the book is kind of a paradox- because Eugene needs to become Flynn Rider before he can learn to embrace his authentic self, but Flynn Rider isn't hero material, he isn't a good guy, he's not the right protagonist for a story for kids. So what we get isn't Flynn Rider, it's really just Eugene trying on a new name. That works for the beginning of the story, because he is just Eugene trying on a new name, but he doesn't grow into it.

At the beginning of the story, Eugene is an orphan in a poor but still functional orphanage run by a kind old lady, and he is surrounded by nice little boys. Eugene is motivated to leave and get a job by a desire to send funds back to the orphanage, and when he joins the Baron's circus he's taken aback to learn he's among thieves. Here's where I thought: okay, this might get interesting. We might be getting a G-rated 'angel falls from heaven' story about Eugene being morally corrupted by the Baron, of learning that the world outside is tough and he needs to look out for himself first and foremost-

but no. The Baron shares his plan to steal the reward money for the Lost Princess, because all the people he's surrounded himself with are already criminals who don't give a shit, but Eugene thinks that this is going too far! What about that poor lost princess who people need an incentive to search for? (he's like, projecting about his own parent issues which is fair, but still). And so the story ends with Eugene turning on the Baron to return the money to the "right" people (aka the king and queen of a kingdom?? okay) but he takes a single golden egg for himself so he can send it to the orphanage.

Which is all sweet and nice but. He still has to become Flynn Rider, asshole extraordinaire. He still has to lose his morals to the point where he'd take an inexperienced young woman to a pub that he, in this book, recognises is a dangerous place in the hopes that he can ditch her. He still has to go and become a wanted thief and rejoin the Baron and then ditch Stalyan on their wedding night.

The reason I'm going on about this so much is that the appeal of Eugene to me is that he is this good guy who wants to be a better person for the people he loves, but that means recognising that he has behaviour he needs to change, and his development is meaningful for that. Watering him down to a righteous Robin Hood hero does him a disservice.

The Real Villain Was Capitalism All Along

I will not elaborate nor should I