WildIrish23

Time to dust off this space. I used to be Arrow and Olicity, but that's a long time over. I will be getting rid of those posts as I relearn Tumblr. Now: C-dramas, K-dramas, BL, K-Pop, and Taylor Swift. My longstanding obsessions are The Untamed/Wangxian, Love Between Fairy and Devil, Love Like The Galaxy, Who Rules The World, and Kimchay from KinnPorsche. Also expect politics and whatnot. 

[wildirish23]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Arrow (TV 2012) Rating: General Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Oliver Queen/Felicity Smoak Characters: Felicity Smoak, Oliver Queen, William Clayton Additional Tags: olicity - Freeform Summary:

After being attacked, Felicity visits Oliver in prison for the first time. She's done doing this his way.

[wildirish23]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Arrow (TV 2012) Rating: Mature Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Oliver Queen/Felicity Smoak, Oliver Queen & Felicity Smoak, Olicity Characters: Felicity Smoak, Oliver Queen Additional Tags: Smut, Olicity Desserts, Don’t look for much of a plot Summary:

After their wedding reception, the happy newlyweds sneak away for one night together before facing reality again.

[wildirish23]

Tomorrow is S6 premier. I pray summer reenergised you, healed you from your health issues, and helped you managed the "host of responsibilities". I most assuredly will miss the regular episode reviews if you choose not to write them. I truly enjoy reading them because they're above the "fluff". I hope you'll change your mind if S6 is better than exhausting S5. Thx for including me in 523 review. I'm the Anon who thought Olicity kiss was meh (still do). Take care.

Thanks Anon for this message. I did write one for the premiere. It should post later this morning. Last year I made a promise to do every episode. I struggled with it and I won't make that promise again. All I can say is I'll do what I can. I had an enjoyable hiatus but unfortunately many of the issues I talked about are still troubling me. Thank you for your concern, btw. I'm glad you like my reviews so much. That's always rewarding to here. Lol, though, because fluff isn't exactly how I'd describe Arrow. That's more TF or LOT in my opinion. Anyway, take care. Hope you like the new review.

[wildirish23]

Arrow and the BLM Episode

I’m probably not the person to be writing this post. I am a white woman. Discussions about race and racism are not my jurisdiction. This isn’t my argument. Except that maybe because I am a white woman I should be the one to speak up about this and put the privilege I was born with to use. I truly do not intend to offend or step on anyone’s toes but I simply cannot sit silently by while I watch part of the Arrow fandom choose to stay silent or take the “wait and see” approach to what is clearly a train wreck in the making. We need to be unanimous and strong out of the gate not only to Guggenheim, but to the studio and the network that we do not want this.

Marc Guggenheim announced plans to do a Black Lives Matter-focused issue episode in the upcoming season. This was to be in the same vein of the issue episode in season 5, “Spectre of a Gun” (5x13). An episode that as far as I can tell was universally panned by critics and fans alike. Arrow was not the platform for gun violence discussion. It is even less of a place for a BLM discussion. Significantly, the show and its producers and writers never addressed the issue people raised with this episode.

So now they are going to double down on such foolishness and attempt a Black Lives Matter episode. Whether that means they will use the group directly or just create their own version for the show is unclear. But the implication is the same—Arrow wants to use something it has no business using to tell a story that it has no business telling.

 Understandably, black viewers took umbrage with this idea. Made worse yet by the fact that Arrow has absolutely no full time black writers on staff and that Guggenheim said they would be “bringing someone in” for the episode. That’s tokenism. That’s downright offensive—black writers aren’t good enough to employ full time but you can bring one in so you can save face and say that you used a black person to write what will assuredly be a tone deaf episode?!

Arrow is simply not the show for this. It already has issues with race. John Diggle has been a lead character on this show from the beginning. His roles have been bodyguard, black driver, and unemployed. Most notably this character has had a few turns in jail that got old real quick. He was sidelined in s3 to bring a white woman onto the team—who they later killed off because she wasn’t particularly useful—and they realized their mistake in sidelining Diggle.

Not to mention that this show’s history with women of color is crappy. First, there haven’t been that many. And never a main character. Yes, the actress who plays Dinah Drake is of mixed race but since the show has yet to let her claim that heritage on screen, Dinah plays as a white woman. That’s the show walking both sides of the fence—technically appeasing people looking for inclusion and not irritating the ones that believe in “comic purity.” (Re: Keep characters white. Gross.)

Shado was killed to save the life of a white woman. Amanda Waller—undoubtedly a complicated woman who made it hard to like her most times but a black woman of incredible power in a difficult job—was casually shot to death just to give Diggle’s wife Lyla, a white woman, the job. That’s not to say that Lyla isn’t a good character but the cruel way that Waller was killed when she was their last recurring character of color at that point was insensitive to say the least.

Many of the people I see and interact with online have spoken out against the idea of a BLM matters episode. Marc Guggenheim’s cavalier response to this was, “Thanks for the vote of confidence.”

Some in the fandom have decided they don’t want to enter the fray. That they are rising above bickering behavior by not using their platforms to help elevate the voices of black people and other people of color who are saying that this episode shouldn’t happen because it is offensive. We don’t need to speak for them; they are saying it quite well on their own, in my opinion. But what is being asked is that we be better allies to them and help their voices be heard. This is my attempt.

Then there is the whole “wait and see” approach to the episode. I don’t think it’s the appropriate approach for this one. I’m a level-headed person and I try to see everything before making a judgment. I took that approach for the 4x09 promo simply because Arrow promos are designed to be misleading because they want to keep you guessing so you tune in to see what really happened, if this person died, did this person kiss whoever, etc. For 4x09, I said that if Felicity really is in a gas chamber that it would be offensive but I didn’t want to assume that she was because I know that promos aren’t always that reliable.

After that episode aired, people took the showrunners to task for showing a Jewish woman being dragged into a gas chamber during Hanukkah. Jewish viewers spoke up in horror. I’m not Jewish but I certainly echoed their sentiments and raged against the decision in my episode review. It was so gross and unnecessary and only done to ramp up angst. They could have found another way for that angst-filled Olicity exchange through the glass besides that. Guggenheim’s defense against this anger? He was a Jew.

That’s not the only offensive and insensitive story to be carried out on this show. Most everyone I knew was soundly revolted by the Nyssa and Oliver storyline. It was in such disgusting taste—a lesbian was forced to marry a straight man by her father. Ra’s Al Ghul even threatened Nyssa with rape if she didn’t comply with the marriage. The entire storyline was repulsive. More so because this is something that still happens in the world. All around the globe, LGBT people are forced to deny their identities and are forced into heterosexual relationships. Many are forced to endure horrible “treatments” for their “conditions.” Repulsive. And Arrow paid no attention to the real world implications of this storyline—it was just something used to shock and also to create angst for Olicity shippers who wanted Oliver and Felicity to be together. It was thoughtless. And the showrunners were made aware of how people felt about this. You know their response? To make the marriage a joke. Nyssa—who would rather have died than be forced to marry Oliver—now refers to Oliver as her “husband” every time she pops up. It’s not amusing. They had the perfect opportunity to lay this disaster to rest when Nyssa gained control of the League of Assassins. They had her disband the League but not declare the marriage null and void. Because it amused the writers.

Yeah. Haha.

Arrow fails at being an “issue” show because it has failed from the pilot in addressing the one issue most appropriate for this show: PTSD. In the first episode of the show, Oliver Queen is found after theoretically spending five years on a deserted island. You know what he got? A bodyguard. The doctor warned Moira that the son she knew was gone but never once did the show ever suggest that Oliver seek counseling for his trauma. In fact, he was often yelled at because he didn’t live up to the expectations people had for him to be “normal” and “like himself.” There was little consideration on the part of Oliver’s family for his mental health. How the hell could he not be traumatized—forget all the ridiculous flashback stories—from the basic principle of he was in a shipwreck where everyone died and he spent five years as a lone castaway?! I’m not disregarding John Diggle because this show and Oliver need him in equal measure; and he’s proven to be an armchair psychologist to Oliver but the show has never once attempted to address Oliver’s PTSD in a real meaningful way. In real life, people with mental health issues don’t put on a costume and become vigilantes.

Since the start of the show the main characters have all been through such traumatic events to give them their own PTSD and still their mental health has never been properly addressed by the show. If Arrow already fails so spectacularly at handling issues that already exist in its world, how can it be expected they’d handle an episode about BLM properly?

Another thing this show has failed at addressing is the real classism in this show. Malcolm Merlyn attempted genocide on a section of the city because of its crime rate and criminals. I’ve already addressed this in a season three meta; but to summarize, this show has never addressed the racist and classist undertones to this storyline. The Glades is just another term for the ghetto. It was implied the area was predominantly home to minorities and poor whites. Their homes were destroyed in 1x23 and besides a few scenes in 2x01, the show never once ever addressed the consequences of—or the implication of—the Undertaking.

People were angered by the gas chamber and Felicity scene; people ridiculed the gun control episode—which by the way was immediately followed up in 5x14 with a huge shoot-out scene, therefore so much for Mayor Queen’s magical gun legislation; they loathed the Nyssa and Oliver marriage. Many have decried the show’s improper handling of its characters mental health issues. All of these things listed are things that we learned of after they were written and filmed and ultimately aired.

That’s what makes this time right now so crucial. We aren’t hearing about something after it’s all said and done. We can speak up now and hopefully have our voices heard. If Guggenheim doesn’t want to listen, we can move up the hierarchy of those in control of Arrow.

Arrow already has a history of failing to be the platform for issue-driven episodes. The fact that it doesn’t even have a full-time black writer on staff only doubles down on the idea that this BLM episode will be a disaster. If we’ve already witnessed storylines we didn’t like and wished Arrow hadn’t done, then don’t we have a responsibility now to speak up before another one is made? It’s what our fellow black viewers are asking of us. They want our support in their justifiable outcry at this episode premise.

BLM is not just a trend. It’s a matter of life and death to Black Americans. In this day in age, in this political climate, in a world where a young boy can get killed in a park for playing, that a pregnant mother can be killed in her own home after calling for help, that a man cannot drive his own car without being assassinated, violence against black people does not need to be exploited for “entertainment.” Black pain does not need to be sensationalized by a white man just to prove that he is “woke” and “progressive” by talking about this issue. Or whatever other reasons Guggenheim has convinced himself of in regards to this episode.

If Arrow wants to make a statement about this—why doesn’t its crew and cast speak out for Black Lives Matter? Its star got in some trouble for defending a state and its institutional racism over the senseless arrest of a boy and his clock. Guggenheim has his own spotty record with online behavior and women and minorities. He once called a WOC a “self-righteous jerk” in a conversation about verifying if he’d carried through on a promise to diversify the list of episode directors. Make a statement about BLM by being more inclusive in your hiring from cast members to writers and directors and other crew members.

If we were living in a perfect world, I wouldn’t have to write this up to help magnify the voices of POC because their much better worded arguments would be enough and their feelings would be heard and respected. But then again, if we were living in a perfect world, we would have no need for the BLM to begin with.

This isn’t a wait and see. Black people have been told that for ages. This isn’t a time to hold your tongue. Black people can only get so far without having allies. And being white is a privilege. And if you want to do some real good in this world—much like our beloved heroes attempt to do—then you need to use that privilege to speak out now and make a difference before any damage is done. An Arrow episode about the BLM movement would make a mockery of it. Use your voices. Speak up. Say we don’t want this.

[tan8942]

Firstly, I’d like to thank you for using your voice to help elevate the voices of your fellow black Arrow/Olicity fans. This is one of the many ways other white fans can be an ally to Black people and other POC. As you’ve so eloquently outlined in your post, there is visual evidence of why a BLM episode shouldn’t be attempted by Arrow. If Arrow and it’s show runners truly want to show allyship they would hire full time black writers and other NBPOC (non black people of color). They should diversify the staff behind the camera, they should allow characters who are played by actors of color to be identified as such onscreen (stop toeing the line) i.e. Dinah, her character is played by a WOC but in show is a white woman. Dig, Curtis and René should have arcs that tackle the socioeconomic issues that affect people of their race, gender and sexual orientation. We should have a series regular black female character. Recurring POC, especially women shouldn’t be callously killed or disregarded to further the male plight. MG’s answer of “bringing someone in” is pure and simple tokenism. There are real life consequences for Black people, there are countless examples of black people losing there lives to police brutality hence the creation of the BLM movement. We already have a fundamental misunderstanding of what the BLM movement is about, we don’t need Arrow giving a “both sides POV” or an “All lives Matter POV. BLM’s purpose is not to diminish the value of other lives, it’s to ask to value our black lives equally as we do others. Which currently isn’t the case, there is so much systematic racism embedded in our justice system, that tho it should be, “all lives”, are not valued the same”. Cops have in recent weeks been caught on camera stating “we only kill black people” to comfort a white woman stopped for a traffic violation. We can be the most law abiding citizen and still be at risk to die from police brutality because of the color of our skin. So we don’t have the luxury or privilege to wait and see. I’m not asking for Arrow to become all political and preachy, but if it wants to dabble with these sociopolitical issues, it cannot be done as a topical episode and forgotten for the rest of the season or series. 40 mins is not enough time to deftly address the complexities and nuance needed for said issue. If they have an unwillingness to fully commit to addressing issues that affect these marginalized groups/communities that many of their main characters belong to, then stay away from realism and stick to pure fiction/fantasy. Gun violence, BLM, Anti-senitism, LGBT rights are not things to take on to boost ratings or get buzz. The consequences are far to real for many of us to be used so callously in this regard. For those of you that have this privilege, I respectfully ask you to start thinking about said privilege and how it is needed to fight for equality for all the marginalized & disenfranchised groups in the United States and around the world. We need you to not speak for us, or over us, but with us as we try to stop things like this from happening. Black pain or the pain of any minority group shouldn’t be exploited so a privileged white man can say he tackled a sociopolitical or cultural issue. I personally agree with the suggestion that taking on PTSD which not only affects Oliver, but every member of Team Arrow to vary degrees is a better suited issue to address if a topical episode must be done. Lastly, as a black Arrow/Olicity fan I thank you for being an ally, and thanks to anyone else who reads this post on here or Twitter and decides to join the fight.

[wildirish23]

@tav681 I’m reblogging this to signal boost your great add. 

I feel like this show really screwed themselves when they went into this fantastical angle. I loved how rooted and gritted the first couple of seasons were (or as grounded as a story of Mirakuru could be). The Green Arrow isn’t a superpower having superhero. If they had kept that track and and really focused on telling the story of the city instead of just having Oliver stupidly learn and unlearn all the same lessons over and over there could have been a chance that topical episodes might fit into the show. But that version of Arrow exists in a parallel universe. 

I can’t begin to stress how much the fear is real in me that they are going to take an “All Lives Matter” stance on the show. After all, Guggenheim twisted Felicity into a pretzel just so that he could have someone on the show argue the point that talking about issues (in this case, gun control) should be avoided. Even when she was a victim of gun violence. Guggenheim’s excuse was that they never considered her a victim of gun violence just of a big bad. 

It’s that kind of mental gymnastics that’s going to have him giving lines of dialogue like “All lives/Blue lives matter” to Diggle or Curtis. Or hell, maybe Felicity again. 

For those of you that have this privilege, I respectfully ask you to start thinking about said privilege and how it is needed to fight for equality for all the marginalized & disenfranchised groups in the United States and around the world. We need you to not speak for us, or over us, but with us as we try to stop things like this from happening.

JUST TO REMIND READERS OF PRIVILEGE THAT WE ARE BEING ASKED TO HELP BLACK PEOPLE WHO ARE OUTRAGED BY THIS EPISODE. 

As for your kind words, I don’t feel comfortable saying “you’re welcome” for something that should be basic human decency. I will say I’m thankful that it was received in the manner I intended and thank you for adding your wonderful insights to the post. You enriched it. 

[arrowiefan]

@wildirish23 I think you should tag Marc for your post and @tav681 post or make him aware how we feel about this. I’m lucky living in a country that accept diversities and differences where some places are not. I truly hope Marc doesn’t do this topic for Arrow. It is not something he can solve overnight or in 40 minutes, he should realise that. 

[wildirish23]

@marcguggenheim Read this thread. Please.

[androgynousrangi]

Negative Speaking Tones

Accusatory - blaming other people

Agitated - emotionally distured; perturbed

Angry - mad

Anxious - worried or excited; uneasy and eager

Apologetic - sorry

Apprehensive - uneasy or fearful about something that might happen

Arrogant - too proud

Beguiling - deceptive; cheating

Bitter - angry or hateful

Bored/Boring - not interested

Callous - insensitive

Childish - befitting a child; the undesirable and unpleasant characteristics of a child

Cold - lacking in passion, emotion; not affectionate or friendly

Concerned - worried or interested 

Condescending - looking down on other people; feelings superior

Contemptuous - feeling disgrace; disrespectful; scornful

Critical - finding fault

Cruel - mean; hurtful

Cynical - questioning the truth or sincerity; skeptical

Defensive - defending; protective

Defiant - going against authority

Depressed - unhappy; sad

Desolate - solitary; lonely; dreary; dismal

Desperate - frantic; without many options

Despondent - profound hopelessness, discouragement, or gloom

Detached - disinterested; unbiased; not involved or concerned

Diplomatic - trying not to offend people

Disappointed - discouraged; unhappy because something went wrong

Disdainful - scornful; insulting

Dissatisfied - unhappy; not satisfied

Egotistical - thinking only about himself; self-centered

Envious - jealous

Fearful - afraid

Fretful - worried, annoyed or discontent

Frustrated - angry because of not being able to do something

Gloomy - dark; sad; depressed

Hateful - hating something or someone; angry hate

Haughty - proud; vain; arrogant

[oneofthosecrazycatladies]

So I’m on AO3 and I see a lot of people who put “I do not own [insert fandom here]” before their story.

Like, I came on this site to read FAN fiction. This is a FAN fiction site. I’m fully aware that you don’t own the fandom or the characters. That’s why it’s called FAN FICTION.

[adiwriting]

Oh you youngins… How quickly they forget.

Back in the day, before fan fiction was mainstream and even encouraged by creators… This was your “please don’t sue me, I’m poor and just here for a good time” plea.

Cause guess what? That shit used to happen.

[ohbeckoh]

how soon they forget ann rice’s lawyers.

[emma-regina4ever]

What happened with her lawyers.

[racethewind10]

History became legend. Legend became myth….  And some things that should not have been forgotten were lost.

[tiger-in-the-flightdeck]

I worked with one of the women that got contacted by Rice’s lawyers. Scared the hell out of her and she never touched fandom again. The first time I saw a commission post on tumblr for fanart, I was shocked.

[demonicae]

One of the reasons I fell out of love with her writing was her treatment of the fans… (that and the opening chapter of Lasher gave me such heebie-jeebies with the whole underage sex thing I felt unclean just reading it.)

I have zero problem with fanart/fic so long as the creators aren’t making money off of it. It is someone else’s intellectual property and people who create fan related works need to respect that (and a solid 98% of them do.)

The remaining 2% are either easily swayed by being gently prompted to not cash in on someone else’s IP. Or they DGAF… and they are the ones who will eventually land themselves in hot water. Either way: this isn’t much of an excuse to persecute your entire fanbase.

But Anne Rice went off the deep end with this stuff by actively attacking people who were expressing their love for her work and were not profiteering from it.

The Vampire Chronicles was a dangerous fandom to be in back in the day. Most of the works I read/saw were hidden away in the dark recesses of the internet and covered by disclaimers (a lot of them reading like thoroughly researched legal documents.)

And woe betide anyone who was into shipping anyone with ANYONE in that fandom. You were most at risk, it seemed, if your vision of the characters deviated from the creators ‘original intentions.’ (Hypocritical of a woman who made most of her living writing erotica.)

Imagine getting sued over a headcanon…

Put simply: we all lived in fear of her team of highly paid lawyers descending from the heavens and taking us to court over a slashfic less than 500 words long.

[pagerunner-j]

all of this

[fanfichasruinedmylife-deactivat]

Reblogging because I can’t believe there are people out there who don’t know the story behind fan fiction disclaimers. 

[hils79]

Yep I used to have disclaimers on all my Buffy fic back in the day. The Buffy creators were mostly pretty chill about fandom but it’s not like it is now. You did NOT talk about fandom with anyone except other fandom people and bringing it up at cons was a massive no no because of stuff like this.

I think Supernatural (and Misha Collins specifically) was when that wall between fandom and creators started to break down. It’s a relatively new thing.

I remember going to a Merlin panel down in London and a girl sitting next to me asked the cast about slash and I thought she was going to get kicked out!

Fandom history is important.

[cracktheglasses]

Oh, this brings back some not so-awesome ‘90s fandom memories! 

[griesly]

Oh man, let me tell you about the X-Files fandom. Lawyers for FOX sued, threatened, and generally terrified the owners of fan websites on a regular basis. God help you if you wrote or created original art set in their (expansive) universe or worse - dared to write about their characters. Even people who weren’t creating fanworks, just hosting Geocities pages about how much people liked the show would be sent C&D orders or actually fined. When I was first discovering the concept, the first rule of fandom was you do not talk about fandom because the consequences could be devastating.

It was such a strange and uncomfortable experience for me when fans in LOTR and Potter fandoms suddenly started shoving their work in people’s faces speaking publicly about fandom and wanting to engage in dialogue with the creators and actors of the Thing they were into. Fan stuff was supposed to stay online, in archives and list-serves and zines we passed around because it just wasn’t cool to talk about it and it could get you in a boatload of trouble. The freedom we have to create and gather together in a shared space, or actually be acknowledged in any way by people outside the fandom was inconceivable to my fannish, teenaged self. I want fans these days to understand how amazing modern fandom really is, cherish the community, and appreciate what it took to get us here. 

[oyveyzqueer]

“if you found this by googling yourself, hit back now. this means you, pete wentz”

[tbqtalks]

Oh hey, even more blasts from the past.

I was one of the ones who got a love letter from Anne Rice’s lawyers. Bear in mind that up until that point her publisher had encouraged fanfic and worked with the archive keeper (one of my roommates at the time) to drum up publicity for upcoming books and so on.

I could tell such tales of how much Anne screwed over her fans back then. The tl;dr version is that she and her peeps would use fan projects as free market research and then bring in the lawyers once it was felt Anne could make money off of it herself. (Talismanic Tours being one of the most offensive examples of this.)

But where fanfic is concerned not only did we get nastygrams but one of my friends had Anne’s lawyer trying to fuck up her own privately owned business which had NOTHING TO DO WITH ANYTHING ANNE RELATED. Said friend was a small business owner with health issues who wasn’t exactly rolling in money, so guess how well that went?

On top of that when yours truly tried to speak out about it I discovered that someone in Anne’s camp had been cyber stalking me to the point where they took all the tiny crumbs of personal information I had posted over the course of five years or so and used it to doxx me (before that was even a term and in early enough days of the WWW that this wasn’t an easy task) and post VERY personal information about me on the main fandom message board of the time. Luckily for me the mod was my friend and she took that down post haste, but it was still oodles of fun feeling that violated and why to this day I am very strict about keeping my fandom and personal lives separate online.

Hence why those of us in the fandom at the time who still gave enough of a shit to want to keep writing fic DID keep writing fic, but shoved it so far underground and slapped it with so many disclaimers they could’ve outweighed the word count of War & Peace. It wasn’t just for the purpose of protecting fic but for trying to protect our personal lives as well.

(Also would love to know who @tiger-in-the-flightdeck knew. Life paths crossing after so many years….)

[dubiousculturalartifact]

Lucasfilm also sent cease-and-desist letters to Star Wars fanzines publishing slash.

My favourite bit I read from one included the idea that you weren’t allowed to have any explicit content, of which anything queer, no matter how tame, was included, to “preserve that innocence even Imperial crew members must be imagined to have”.

Yeah. The same Imperial crew members who helped build the Death Star to commit planetary genocide.

(It’s one reason Sinjir Velus, while I still have some issues with him, feels like such a delicious ‘f*** you’.)

Later on, they were apparently persuaded to ‘allow’ fans to write slash, provided in ‘remained within the nebulous bounds of good taste’.

(On a related note, if I wasn’t quite so attached to my URL, I would 100% change it to ‘Nebulous Bounds’, because that’s just downright catchy)

[thepioden]

Anne McCaffrey had this huge long set of rules about how exactly you were allowed to play in her sandbox. Dragonriders of Pern was my first online fandom, and I was big into the Pern RP scene - and just about every fan-Weyr had a copy of these lists of rules McCaffrey wanted enforced. One of which was ‘no porn’ and another was basically ‘it can’t be gay’ (and for a while ‘no fanfiction posted online’? which??? anyway.)

She relaxed a little as time went on, but still. 

[mikkeneko]

Let’s not forget: the reason AO3 is called ‘Archive of our own’  is because it was created in response to some bullshit that assholes were trying to play with fan creators. Basically (if I remember the fiasco correctly) trying to mine fandom creators for content which they could then use to generate ad profit on their shitty websites. When the series creators objected, the fans tried to pull their content, only to find that the website hoster resisted, claiming their content was all his now.

That wasn’t even all that long ago…

[bebopsisyphus]

fandom history class

[snowglory]

Interesting! wow

[i-own-loki]

I remember back in the days having to put a disclaimer on EVERY. SINGLE. ONE of my Twilight fanfic chapters. That’s what everyone did. Even though sometimes it was simply a: I don’t own these characters. I play with them.

It was so strange not doing it on AO3 at the beginning.

[snowballschanceinahandcart]

I still disclaim. Fandom may be more mainstream, but you never know who might get lawyer happy. You can bet I’ll cover my arse best I can at all times.

[bluehooloovo]

Oh man, Pern fandom. I was originally in Pern fandom in the early 00s, when the Rules were still going strong. When I left the fandom and came back and found that there were FORUM CLUBS?! With the posts just where ANYONE COULD READ THEM?! AND NEW DRAGON COLORS?!?! Holy shit, mind blown.

And I remember the list on ff.net of authors whose work you weren’t allowed to fic, including Anne Rice. And literally everyone putting some kind of disclaimer on their fic. It was just how fandom operated.

[pocketseizure]

This isn’t even ancient history. Back in 2010, there was an extremely nasty incident in which Diana Gabaldon (the author of a number of formally published Doctor Who self-insert fics the Outlander series) put up a blog post that began like this…

OK, my position on fan-fic is pretty clear. I think it’s immoral, I _know_ it’s illegal, and it makes me want to barf whenever I’ve inadvertently encountered some of it involving my characters.

As if this weren’t already a strong statement coming from a woman who seems to be oddly invested in writing sexy assault scenes (not that there’s anything wrong with subversive female fantasies, but I’M JUST SAYING), Gabaldon continued in the same vein, comparing fanfic to home invasion and adultery (as well as other bizarre and unsavory things in her responses to the comments on the now-deleted post). When “fandom” rose from the depths of Livejournal to challenge her, she became even more offensive and belligerent, and other popular writers (such as George RR Martin, who was ironcially part of the Livejournal fandom culture himself) came to her defense. This “debate” led to a number of think pieces in mainstream media about how entitled and ungrateful fans were destroying traditional publishing, not to mention high-profile male creators publicly complaining about cosplay, teenage girls attending comic conventions, and other visible manifestations of fandom.

What has changed since then is that the young people (primarily women) whose work was nurtured in fandom communities have become professionals, and they’re transforming the entertainment industry from the inside. Fanfic writers are now publishing original novels and editing their own literary magazines for genre fiction. Fan artists are now working for Marvel and DC and putting out original graphic novels with major presses. Video game fans work as programmers and localizers, and cosplay enthusiasts have become character and set designers.

This cultural shift is not just a white thing and not just a straight thing and not just an American thing. Representation in fiction and art - traditionally published or otherwise - is hugely empowering, as is being part of a supportive community. I don’t mean to suggest that fandom is changing the world… but it kind of is.

[roachpatrol]

one thing i particularly love is how shows have characters that write fanfiction because shows have writers that wrote fanfiction. current fan culture hasn’t been this way for very long, but it’s been this way for long enough, and now it’s in children’s cartoons like adventure time that if you like a book or a show, you might write your own adventures for it and read it to your friends, no big deal. i don’t remember seeing any girl in any show writing fanfiction where that wasn’t the punchline, that she was a sad freak…you still see that joke sometimes, but increasingly there’s also support and approval for the collaborative, imaginative storytelling fans do for fun, and that’s really cool.  

[subtlefire]

Oh man. I remember my first fan war, part of which was “any gayness is automatically rated R/18+ and thus not acceptable on this forum THINK OF THE CHILDREN.” Good times.

[sursumursa-deactivated20180131]

THE NORTH REMEMBERS. Fanfic, and why I’ll never read an Anne Rice book: https://youtu.be/bHVCQuJvAB4

[logicheartsoul]

There is a reason livejournal took off so well and became the home of fandom for almost 15 years. It was easy to use. You could filter your posts by friend locking it or allowing certain individuals to see it, so you can interact with real life and online friends. LJ cuts made it easy to post long fic (you see it today in the “keep reading” thing on tumblr) and it was easy to join communities. Communities had similar properties to individual LJs. You could also filter your friends list so it was easy to catch up on stuff. The tagging system actually functioned well! The expression of things through icons! Comment threads were wonderful. You could actually organize and talk about stuff without it being all over the place!

I miss LJ ok?

[fishey-me]

On that note, I remember when it was common practice to bump the rating of a fic up if it contained slash. At all. Two dudes holding hands? PG. Two girls kissing? PG-13. There were so many het fics that were complete smut (which we called lemons) that were rated R, but the same smut for gay characters was NC-17. And that was before ff.net changed its rating system.

[faedreamer-deactivated20180128]

and don’t even get me started on the backdoor hidden speakeasies where RPF was forced to hide. these days 1D fic gets pulled to publish by mainstream publishers, but once upon a time not so long ago to write anything about real people was so taboo you risked losing friendships and being kicked out of forums and mailing lists and shunned to hell and back.

whispered passwords to locked forums passed through private messages, praying the person you were inviting wasn’t just looking to out you and get you kicked from the main fandom areas.

it was a whole different world not even ten years ago kids. be grateful for what you have and never forget the burning times.

[petermorwood]

Fascinating stuff. And yet I know someone quite well - @dduane - whose sole requirement is “please tag it #notyoudd”. :-)

[themagdalenwriting]

My bio on FF.net is largely a series of statements acknowledging who holds the copyrights for the various canons in which I’ve written.  I got into fanwriting during the middle of the disclaimer era, but I also came out of academia where “fair use” is a thing and specifically out of literary criticism, where “pastiche” is absolutely a thing (and even more specifically out of medieval literature, where everybody rewrites everybody else’s stories because the stories are common property).  So I never bothered to disclaim, but I did acknowledge my sources.  Then again, I also stayed far, far away from the fandoms where creator wank was a thing.

[rhpotter]

I miss the golden age of LJ … ;__;

[darthrose]

Oh god, the flashbacks (I think I have a C&D letter from AR’s lawyers somewhere in my file folders… kept is just for LOLs, badly photocopied junk that it was…)

[androgynousrangi]

Positive Speaking Tones

Amused - entertained; thinking it is funny

Appreciative - grateful; thankful

Awe - solemn wonder; amazement

Calm - relaxed; not excited

Carefree - without worry; lighthearted; joyous

Cheerful - happy

Complimentary - politely flattering

Composed - calm and serene

Courteous - nice; respectful

Determination/Determined - not giving up

Diplomatic - trying not to offend people

Dreamy - soothing; restful; quieting

Earnest - sincere; honest; intense

Ecstatic - great enthusiasm; a trancelike state of delight or ecstasy

Eloquent - expressing ideas in a nice way; poetic; good with words

Encouraging - optimistic; trying to convince you to do something because of a belief that you can do it

Enthusiastic - excited; energetic

Exultant - highly elated; jubilant; triumphant

Formal - respectful, appropriate behavior

Friendly - the way a person treats friends

Funny - humorous; amusing

Gentle - not hurtful; careful

Giddy - frivolous and lighthearted; impulsive; flightly

Happy - cheerful; in a good mood

Honest - truthful

Hopeful - looking forward to something; optimistic

Humorous - funny

Idealistic - thinking of what is best; optimistic; not realistic

Imaginative - creative; using the imagination

Innocent - not guilty

Inspirational - encouraging; reassuring

Intimate - very familiar; the way one talks to close friends or family

Jovial - happy

Lighthearted - happy, carefree

Mirthful - joyful, jolly

Mischievous - playing tricks for fun

Nostalgic - thinking about the past; wishing for something from the past

Optimistic - hopeful; cheerful

Patient - willing to wait; not in a hurry

Placid - pleasantly calm or peaceful; tranquil

Poetic - expressing beautiful thoughts or words

Poignant - affecting or moving the motions; sincere; heartfelt

Relaxation/Relaxed - relaxed; not worried; not busy

Relived - stop being worried

Reverent - respectful; treating something with honor and respect

Sentimental - thinking about feelings, especially when remembering the past

Sincere - honest; truthful; earnest

Surprised - startled; amazed

Sympathetic - compassionate; understanding of how someone feels

Thankful - grateful; giving thanks

Tolerant - accepting of others

Vibrant - energetic; vivd; full of life

Whimsical - playful; funny; odd

Zealous - devoted; enthusiastic; eager; passionate

[diethoroscopes]

Core Strength

Tone It Up Tighten & Tone Your Abs video

Pop Pilates Flat Abs Challenge video

Pop Pilates 3 Minute Ab Challenge video

Thighs and Butts

Pop Pilates Slimming Inner Thighs & Calves video

Pop Pilates Inner Thigh Insanity video

Pop Pilates Saddlebag Shaver video

Pop Pilates Standing Pilates for Legs, Butt & Obliques video

Pop Pilates Butt Blaster video

BodyRock 300 Squats Challenge

Skinny Yoga Girl Legs & Butt Workout

Your Whole Body

Tone It Up Arms, Abs, and Legs Pyramid video

Pop Pilates Till The World Ends video

Pop Pilates Summer Slimdown Part 1 and Part 2

Bodyrock I’m Into You Workout video

Skinny Yoga Girl 1000 Rep Workout

Skinny Yoga Girl Full Body Cardio & Strength Workout

Skinny Yoga Girl Burning Body Workout

Strictly Yoga

Beginner Yoga 20 minute video

Hurts So Good Power Yoga 95 minute video

Blissed Flow Yoga 90 minute

Sun Salutations video

Sun Salutations 2 video

Hip Stretches

Tara Stiles Bend It Like Tara

40m Yoga weight loss  Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4

Yoga Fitness Plus 45 minute video 

Yoga Sculpt30 minute video

Yoga Fitness Fusion 45 minute video

Try Some Zumba:

Basics

Cardio Party

Bikini Bod Time

Bikini Abs & Thighs

Sandcastle Workout

Bikini Blast Circuit Workout

Tone It Up Itty Bitty Bikini video

Tone It Up Bikini Beach Bum video

Tone It Up Bikini Abs & Thighs video

Tone It Up Sandcastle Workout video

Tone It Up Bikini Body Workout with Self Magazine!

Tone It Up Bikini Blast Circuit Workout video

Tone It Up Bikini Body Workout with Self Magazine!

Pilates

Flat Abs Challenge

3 Minute Ab Challenge

Slimming Inner Thighs & Calves

Inner Thigh Insanity

Saddlebag Shaver

Standing Pilates for Legs, Butt & Obliques

Butt Blaster

Sexy Workouts: 

Aerobic Striptease

In the Bedroom (don’t even need to get out of bed)

“Body Rock”

Cardio Part 1

Cardio Part 2

Cardio Part 3

Cardio Part 4

BodyRock.tv Hot Body Workout 

BodyRock.tv 4 Minute Workout

BodyRock.tv Hardest Workout

BodyRock.tv Hard Bodies Getting Harder Workout

BodyRock.tv 6 Minute Workout video

BodyRock.tv Run The World Workout video

BodyRock.tv Hot Attack video

“P90X”

Chest and Back/Ab Ripper X

Plyometrics

Legs and Back

Cardio X

Kenpo X

Shoulders and Arms

Core Synergetics

Stretch X

Chest, Shoulder, and Triceps

Back and Biceps

“Insanity”

Fit Test

Plyometric Cardio Circuit

Cardio Power & Resistance

Cardio Recovery

Pure Cardio

Cardio Abs

Core Cardio & Balance

Max Interval Circuit

Max Interval Plyo

Max Cardio Conditioning

Max Recovery

Insane Abs

Max Interval Sports Training

Upper Body Weight Training

[nerdfangirl1996]

New Year, New Workout!

[bimbocracy]

every single negative stereotype about women was dreamt up by men who were projecting. fight me about it.

[bimbocracy]

“women can’t drive”

It is so well known that women are better and safer drivers than men that OUR CAR INSURANCE RATES ARE LOWER. Women get into fewer accidents, get fewer DUIs, and receive fewer speeding tickets than men.

“women never shut up”

Several scientific studies have shown that not only do men talk more than women, they also think that women have been talking for much longer than they actually have. Men interrupt and talk over women, dominate conversations, and still think women talk too much.

“women are shallow”

Lol next

“my wife is my ball and chain lmao”

Multiple studies have shown that marriage between men and women: Increases male lifespan, decreases female lifespan Decreases male depression rates, increases female depression rates Decreases male stress levels, increases female stress levels Increases male health and happiness, decreases female health and happiness Increases a man’s chance of getting a raise or promotion, decreases a woman’s chances of getting a raise or promotion

“women are too emotional”

Men love to say this about women after hurting them, in order to shift the blame and dismiss their feelings in one go. In reality, women are taught to hold our tongues and control ourselves quite literally from birth. We’re taught to put men’s needs and wants ahead of our own emotions regardless of the personal cost. Men are taught to do more or less whatever the fuck they want to women. Men take their emotions out on women while women are expected to shove theirs down.

I could go on and on but I don’t really think I need to.

[please-unfollow-this-blog]

“women can’t drive” (The Guardian) (CBS News) (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)

“women talk to much” (PBS, resources included)

“women are shallow” (just read the book, Dataclysm. by okcupid founder (?) that includes data about sex, gender, race, in finding online romantic partners)

“ball and chain” (University of London)

for all you pissbabies crying about sources

[plentyoffelipes-deactivated2022]

reasons i’m not getting married 👆🏻

[daily-writing-tips]

Writing a Relationship Your Readers Will Ship

Relationships, especially in beginner writer’s works, have a tendency to feel forced. Even in some popular and famous works of fiction, the relationship doesn’t feel natural. It seems like a boring afterthought which the writer added in at the last minute. Far too often, I find myself completely indifferent to a character’s romantic life. A good romance in a story will give the reader a bit of second-hand infatuation. They’ll root for the relationship, beg for it. If the romance is well written, you can make a reader smile and blush just by reading a few sentences. When done properly, it can even compensate for a weak and cliché plot.

But first, decide whether the romance is needed. If you’re adding a character to the plot simply for the sake of being a love interest, it’s probably not a needed romance. You can still add it, of course, but it will be much harder to keep your story focused on the central plot.

Step One Make sure the characters have chemistry.

The characters should compliment each other’s personalities. If he’s loud, stubborn, and aggressively opinionated, a more tranquil and soft-spoken love interest would suit him well. Two headstrong people wouldn’t be likely to have a lasting relationship in real life, unless they (impossibly) agreed upon every subject. But, there should be some similarities. While opposites do attract, polar opposites will not and the whole relationship will feel forced. The characters should have something in common. It could be morals, a parallel backstory, the same motivations, whatever. As long as there’s a reason for them to be drawn to each other, there’s potential.

Step Two Slow burn ships are fantastic.

Don’t make your characters fall in love right off the bat. There can be attraction, of course, but genuine feelings of true love don’t happen instantly. Your characters should become closer as people, feel at ease around each other, and truly know the other before they fall head-over-heels. The readers will crave the relationship far more, like dangling a treat right in front of a dog’s nose, but keep pulling it away. Teasing is a beautiful thing.

Find ways of showing (NOT TELLING) the characters are falling for each other. Have them stand up for one another, be protective. Have them break their own normal routine for the other. For example, a callous, guarded character could lower their walls for a moment if their love interest needs emotional support. These scenes can be awkward for the character changing their typical behavior and that discomfort can demonstrate how much they care for the other, altering their own selves for the other’s benefit.

Howeve, make sure that you combine these cute emotional moments with distance. Make the characters deny their true feelings or even distance themselves from their love interest upon discovering their feelings. The more the characters long for each other, the more the reader will long for them to be together. Build barriers between them for your characters to have to work to knock down. Keep them close, but maintain that distance until the moment is right.

Step Three “_____” translates to “I love you”

The first example of I think of when I think of this is The Princess Bride, where the male protagonist tells his soulmate “as you wish” when he really means “I love you.”

This falls under the category of show, don’t tell. Hearing a character say “I love you” has become so boring. Unless it’s done in a surprising confession or unique way, it’s boring and stale.

Come up with a phrase that you can repeat in moments throughout the story until it has a meaning of love for the characters and both know exactly what the other means when it’s spoken.

Step Four Taking a break can help create tension.

You know you loved someone if you leave them and feel awful. Apply this into the writing. Your characters can break up, then get back together in a joyous reunion.

Step Five Not every couple has a happy ending.

Sometimes, things don’t always work out for different reasons. An ending that leaves readers craving more can be a good move.

[badassunicorn2016]

Writing Tip June 4th

A list of body language phrases.

I’ve included a very comprehensive list, organized by the type of body movement, hand and arm movements, facial expressions etc. In some cases, a phrase fits more than one heading, so it may appear twice. Possible emotions are given after each BL phrase unless the emotion is indicated within the phrase. (They are underlined for emphasis, not due to a hyperlink.)

Note: I’ve included a few body postures and body conditions as they are non-verbal testimony to the character’s physical condition.

Have fun and generate your own ideas.:-)

Eyes, Brows and Forehead

arched a sly brow:  sly, haughty

blinked owlishly:  just waking, focusing, needs glasses

brows bumped together in a scowl:  worried, disapproving, irritated

brows knitted in a frown: worried, disapproval, thoughtful

bug-eyed:  surprised, fear, horror

cocky wink and confident smile:  over confidence, arrogant, good humor, sexy humor

eyes burned with hatred: besides hatred this might suggest maniacal feelings

eyes flashed: fury, defiance, lust, promise, seduction

eyes rolled skyward: disbelief, distrust, humor

forehead puckered:  thoughtful, worried, irritation

frustration crinkled her eyes

gaze dipped to her décolletage: sexual interest, attraction, lust

gimlet-eyed/narrowed eyes: irritation, thoughtful, mean, angry

gleam of deviltry:  humor, conniving, cunning

kept eye contact but her gaze became glazed: pretending interest where there is none/bordom

narrowed to crinkled slits:  angry, distrust

nystagmic eyes missed nothing (constantly shifting eyes):  Shifty

pupils dilated:  interested, attraction to opposite sex, fear

raked her with freezing contempt

slammed his eyes shut:  stunned, furious, pain

squinted in a furtive manner:  fearful, sneaky

stared with cow eyes:  surprised, disbelief, hopeful, lovestruck

subtle wink:  sexy, humor/sharing a joke, sarcasm

unrelenting stare: distrust, demanding, high interest, unyielding

Place To Place, Stationary Or Posture

ambled away:  relaxed, lazy

barged ahead:  rude, hurried

battled his way through the melee:  desperate, anger, alarm

cruised into the diner:  easy-going, feeling dapper, confident

dawdled alongside the road:  lazy, deliberate delay for motives, unhurried, relaxed

dragged his blanket in the dirt:   sadness/depressed, weary

edged closer to him:  sneaky, seeking comfort, seeking protection, seeking an audience

he stood straighter and straightened his tie:  sudden interest, sexual attraction

held his crotch and danced a frantic jig: demonstrates physical condition – he has to pee

hips rolled and undulated:  sexy walk, exaggerating for sex appeal

hovered over them with malice/like a threatening storm: here it’s malice, but one may hover for many reasons.

hunched over to look shorter:  appear inconspicuous, ashamed of actions, ashamed of height

leaped into action feet hammering the marbled floor:  eager, fear, joyous

long-legged strides:  hurried, impatient

lumbered across:  heavy steps of a big man in a hurry

minced her way up to him: timid, sneaky, insecure, dainty or pretense at dainty

paced/prowled the halls:  worried, worried impatience, impatient, diligently seeking pivoted on his heel and took off:  mistaken and changes direction, following orders, hurried, abrupt change of mind, angry retreat

plodded down the road:  unhurried, burdened, reluctant

practiced sensual stroll:  sexy, showing off

rammed her bare foot into her jeans: angry, rushed

rocked back and forth on his heels: thoughtful, impatiently waiting

sagged against the wall:  exhausted, disappointment

sallied forth:  confident, determined

sashayed her cute little fanny:  confident, determined, angered and determined

shrank into the angry crowd:  fear, insecure, seeking to elude

sketched a brief bow and assumed a regal pose: confident, mocking, snooty, arrogant skidded to an abrupt halt: change of heart, fear, surprise, shock

skulked on the edges of the crowd: sneaky, ashamed, timid

slithered through the door:  sneaky, evil, bad intentions

stormed toward her, pulling up short when: anger with a sudden surprise

swaggered into the class room:  over confident, proud, arrogant, conceited

tall erect posture:  confidence, military bearing

toe tapped a staccato rhythm:  impatience, irritation

tottered/staggered unsteadily then keeled over:  drunk, drugged, aged, ill

waltzed across the floor:  happy, blissful, exuberant, conceited, arrogant

Head Movement

cocked his head:  curiosity, smart-alecky, wondering, thoughtful

cocked his head left and rolled his eyes to right corner of the ceiling:  introspection

droop of his head: depressed, downcast, hiding true feelings

nodded vigorously: eager

tilted her head to one side while listening:  extreme interest, possibly sexual interest

Mouth And Jaw

a lackluster smile:  feigning cheerfulness

cigarette hung immobile in mouth: shock, lazy, uncaring, relaxed casualness

clinched his jaw at the sight:  angered, worried, surprised

curled her lips with icy contempt

expelled her breath in a whose:  relief, disappointment

gagged at the smell: disgust, distaste

gapped mouth stare:  surprised, shock, disbelief

gritted his teeth:  anger, irritation, holding back opinion

inhaled a sharp breath:  surprise, shock, fear, horror

licked her lips:  nervous, sexual attraction

lips primed: affronted, upset, insulted

lips pursed for a juicy kiss

lips pursed like she’d been chewing a lemon rind: dislike, angry, irritated, sarcasm

lips screwed into: irritation, anger, grimace, scorn

lips set in a grim line: sorrow, worried, fear of the worst

pursed her lips:  perturbed, waiting for a kiss

scarfed down the last biscuit:  physical hunger, greed

slack-mouthed:  total shock, disbelief

slow and sexy smile:  attraction, seductive, coy

smacked his lips: anticipation

smile congealed then melted into horror

smile dangled on the corner of his lips: cocky, sexy

smirked and tossed her hair over her shoulder:  conceit, sarcasm, over confident

sneered and flicked lint off his suit: sarcasm, conceit

spewed water and spit: shock

stuck out her tongue: humor, sarcasm, teasing, childish

toothy smile:  eagerness, hopeful

wary smile surfaced on her lips

Nose

nose wrinkled in distaste/at the aroma

nostrils flared:  anger, sexual attraction

nose in the air:  snooty, haughty

Face in General

crimson with fury

handed it over shame-faced

jutted his chin: confident, anger, forceful

managed a deadpan expression:  expressionless

muscles in her face tightened:  unsmiling, concealing emotions, anger, worried

rested his chin in his palm and looked thoughtful

rubbed a hand over his dark stubble:  thoughtful, ashamed of his appearance

screwed up her face:  anger, smiling, ready to cry, could almost be any emotion

sneered and flicked lint off his suit: conceit, derision, scorn

Arm and Hand

a vicious yank

arm curled around her waist, tugging her next to him:  possessive, pride, protective

bit her lip and glanced away:  shy, ashamed, insecure

brandished his fist:  anger, threatening, ready to fight, confident, show of pride

clamped his fingers into tender flesh:  anger, protective, wants to inflict pain

clenched his dirty little fists: stubborn, angry

clapped her hands on her hips, arms crooked like sugar bowel handles:  anger, demanding, disbelief

constantly twirled her hair and tucked it behind her ear:  attracted to the opposite sex, shy crossed his arms over his chest: waiting, impatient, putting a barrier

crushed the paper in his fist:  anger, surrender, discard

dived into the food: hunger, eager, greedy

doffed his hat:  polite gesture, mocking, teasing

doodled on the phone pad and tapped the air with her foot:  bored, inattention, introspection

drummed her fingers on the desk:  impatient, frustrated, bored

fanned her heated face with her hands: physically hot, embarrassed, indicating attraction

fiddled with his keys: nervous, bored

firm, palm to palm hand shake:  confident, honest

flipped him the bird: sarcastic discard

forked his fingers through his hair for the third time:  disquiet/consternation, worry, thoughtful

handed it over shame-faced:  guilt, shame

held his crotch and danced a frantic jig:  physical need to relieve himself

limp hand shake:  lack of confidence, lack of enthusiasm

propped his elbow on his knee: relaxed, thoughtful

punched her pillow:  restless, can’t sleep, angry

rested his chin in his palm:  thoughful, worried

scratched his hairy belly and yawned:  indolent, bored, lazy, relaxed, just waking

shoulders lifted in a shrug:  doubtful, careless discard

slapped his face in front of God and country:  enraged, affronted/insulted

snapped a sharp salute:  respect, sarcastic gesture meaning the opposite of respect

snapped his fingers, expecting service:  arrogant, lack of respect, self-centered

sneered and flicked lint off his suit

spread her arms wide: welcoming,  joy, love

stabbed at the food: anger, hunger, determined

stood straighter and smoothed his tie:  sudden interest, possible sexual interest

stuffed his hands in his pockets: self-conscious, throwing up a barrier

sweaty handshake:  nervous, fearful

touched his arm several times while explaining:  sign of attraction, flattery, possessive

wide sweep of his arms:  welcoming, all inclusive gesture, horror

Sitting or Rising

collapsed in a stupor:  exhausted, drunk, drugged, disbelief

enthroned himself at the desk:  conceit, pronouncing or taking ownership

exploded out of the chair:  shock, eager, anger, supreme joy

roosted on the porch rail like a cock on a hen house roof:  claiming ownership, conceit, content

sat, squaring an ankle over one knee:  relaxed and open

slouched/wilted in a chair and paid languid attention to:  drowsy, lazy, depressed, disinterest, sad, totally relaxed, disrespectful

squirmed in his chair: ill at ease, nervous, needs the bathroom

Recline

flung himself into the bed: sad, depressed, exhausted, happy

prostrated himself: surrender, desperate, miserable, powerless, obsequious, fawning, flattering

punched her pillow:  can’t sleep, anger, frustrated

threw himself on the floor kicking and screaming: tantrum

Entire body and General

body stiffened at the remark:  offended, anger, alerted

body swayed to music:  dreamy, fond memories, enjoys the music

bounced in the car seat, pointing:  excitement, fear, eager

cowered behind his brother:  fear, shyness, coward, desperate

curled into a ball:  sorrow, fear, sleepy, defensive

heart galloping:  anxiety, joy, eager

held his crotch and danced a frantic jig

humped over his cane, each step shaking and careful: pain, aged

inhaled a deep breath and blew out slowly: buying time to find words/thoughtful, reconciled

quick and jerky like rusty cogs on a wheel:  unsure of actions, self-conscious, tense, edgy

rocked back and forth on his heels:  impatient, cocky, gleeful

manhandled the woman into a corner:  bully, anger

slumped shoulders: defeat, depressed, sad, surrender

stiff-backed:  priggish, haughty, affronted

stood straighter and straightened his tie:  sexual interest, wants to make an impression

stooped and bent: aged, arthritic, in pain

stretched extravagantly and yawned:  tired, bored, unconcerned

sweating uncontrollably: nervous, fear, guilt

tall erect posture:  confidence, military bearing

was panting now at:  afraid, exhausted, out of breath, sexual excitement

-Sharla Rae

[thewritershandbook]

Creating a language?

Tumblr user @thewritingsofvale has created the blog @constructedlanguages There they post information about creating a language. As well as offer to help people with creating languages.

Want a language?

If you are interested in creating a language for your story or combining snippits from a book, video game, etc. into a cohesive whole, send me a message! I love creating languages and I’d be happy to work with you.

[wildirish23]

Arrow 5x12 “Bratva” Review: Crossing Lines

This was a good episode. It was a lot like 5x10 in that it was a decent episode with a very crappy ending. I had hopeful expectations during the summer hiatus that we’d return to Russia in the present time; a callback to 2x06. But then season 5 began, and whatever hopeful expectations I had started to wither and die. With that in mind, there was a lot more to this episode that was enjoyable than I thought possible. I mean, except for that one part. And yes, I’ll get into. I also do not hold back anymore on Suzie Q. I say very not nice things about her. I have no regrets.

OTA

I’m going to start with my babies. It’s been such a long time since we’ve had a decent OTA scene and we really got a couple in this episode.

We start with them in the Bunker. Together. Alone.

I know. Rejoice.

Felicity greets Diggle with, “Welcome back. Hugs, kisses, warm feelings.” Diggle returned the favor.

RIGHT IN MY DELICITY FEELS.

I loved that Diggle and Felicity were both open with Oliver about how the mission to Russia was personal for both of them. Diggle needs to take down Walker once and for all; Felicity needs to do everything she can to stop another Havenrock from happening. Oliver misappropriates the City Hall private plane and they all travel to Russia with the rest of the team—save for Rene and Lance.

My favorite was in Russia when Oliver told them that he needed them to walk the line for him. They were the ones that brought him back when he’s crossed the line himself. Diggle is Oliver’s moral compass. Felicity is the one who harnessed the light inside of him; she’s the one who guides his way. As Oliver spends another/the season debating about whether he’s a good man deserving good things, he needs his core to retain their goodness.

And it’s a beautiful moment. Because in that scene Oliver is attempting to guide them. It’s what I was hoping for in 4B where Oliver would be the one to lead them into the light out of the darkness but the writers shortchanged us on it. It’s important to note that Oliver learned to fight with the light inside of him; and he did it because of his association with Felicity and Diggle. There is reciprocity to that; as they affect him, he affects them. He can guide them to the light because they taught him how to do that.

Keep reading

[wildirish23]

Arrow 5x12 “Bratva” Review: Crossing Lines

This was a good episode. It was a lot like 5x10 in that it was a decent episode with a very crappy ending. I had hopeful expectations during the summer hiatus that we’d return to Russia in the present time; a callback to 2x06. But then season 5 began, and whatever hopeful expectations I had started to wither and die. With that in mind, there was a lot more to this episode that was enjoyable than I thought possible. I mean, except for that one part. And yes, I’ll get into. I also do not hold back anymore on Suzie Q. I say very not nice things about her. I have no regrets.

OTA

I’m going to start with my babies. It’s been such a long time since we’ve had a decent OTA scene and we really got a couple in this episode.

We start with them in the Bunker. Together. Alone.

I know. Rejoice.

Felicity greets Diggle with, “Welcome back. Hugs, kisses, warm feelings.” Diggle returned the favor.

RIGHT IN MY DELICITY FEELS.

I loved that Diggle and Felicity were both open with Oliver about how the mission to Russia was personal for both of them. Diggle needs to take down Walker once and for all; Felicity needs to do everything she can to stop another Havenrock from happening. Oliver misappropriates the City Hall private plane and they all travel to Russia with the rest of the team—save for Rene and Lance.

My favorite was in Russia when Oliver told them that he needed them to walk the line for him. They were the ones that brought him back when he’s crossed the line himself. Diggle is Oliver’s moral compass. Felicity is the one who harnessed the light inside of him; she’s the one who guides his way. As Oliver spends another/the season debating about whether he’s a good man deserving good things, he needs his core to retain their goodness.

And it’s a beautiful moment. Because in that scene Oliver is attempting to guide them. It’s what I was hoping for in 4B where Oliver would be the one to lead them into the light out of the darkness but the writers shortchanged us on it. It’s important to note that Oliver learned to fight with the light inside of him; and he did it because of his association with Felicity and Diggle. There is reciprocity to that; as they affect him, he affects them. He can guide them to the light because they taught him how to do that.

Also in that scene, Felicity, despite being in darkness was saddened to hear that Oliver still thinks badly about himself. She still sees the good inside of Oliver. It’s why she still fights alongside him. She wishes that he could see what she does. Soon, I feel that those situations will be reversed. I hope so anyway.

Unfortunately, he was only able to influence one of them. He was able to help Diggle re-center his moral compass which has been out of whack since 4B. That re-centering was never going to happen in the Army for Diggle and I argued as such; his time in the Army was about self-flagellation. He was punishing himself for killing Andy.

There was a return to that moment in 5x12 with Walker. Much like Andy, Walker promised to never stop using his resources to destroy Diggle’s life and that included threatening his family. Instead of unloading a clip into Walker, Diggle spared his life, recaptured him and made him face justice for his crimes. I will say there is one slight difference in the situation: It was entirely possible to put Walker on trial for his crimes; it would have been really hard to put declared-dead Andy Diggle on trial. So there were certainly different circumstances and I’ll never judge John for killing Andy. For me, he did it to save his family. But I was glad to see that Diggle found a way to rein in that anger that was just oozing out of him in this episode.

And it was a nice moment when Diggle reminded Oliver that OTA brings out the best in one another. It’s not just that Diggle and Felicity bring the good and Oliver the bad. It doesn’t work that way. Sometimes they had to work harder to remind Oliver of the good inside of him but he had it. Friendships don’t break even all the time; sometimes the scales tip one way or another. It’s much like that mentality in the Bratva that you do something for me and I’ll do something for you; but it’s far healthier. Bratva’s “brotherhood” isn’t rooted in any real sentiment; it’s about power. Oliver, Diggle and Felicity have created a family together. Their bonds are made of love and affection and forged in fire. So this was a nice moment where Diggle reminded Oliver that he has also brought out the best in the rest of OTA. That the darkness that exists inside of OTA isn’t just his—and any darkness in Digg or Felicity isn’t his fault. Everyone comes with their own light and dark.

We are getting our wise Diggle back people. We are returning to normal.

Except for Felicity, who fell a little deeper down her rabbit hole. Felicity is seduced by the power of the Pandora files. In fact, she’s leaning on the USB quite easily to make quick work of things. Much like an addict does their drug of choice. Felicity is not ready to walk the line now. She’s jumped over it and she’s in a free fall right now. Rory tried to warn her about the danger of abusing power. For Felicity, her power has always been her brain. She’s always been able to hack and have access to these files but she was stopping herself from doing it. But now Helix has cut down the middle part and given her immediate access. Given her the means to see how bad people are doing bad things in the world. Felicity doesn’t feel as though her previous choices to fight have been that effective because she couldn’t stop bad things from occurring. Now she’s playing offense instead of defense. She’s fighting fire with fire.

It’s important that she’s keeping it secret from Oliver and Diggle. She’s telling Rory and while he’s a good friend to her, she can easily ignore him. Oliver and Diggle have a lot more sway over her and so she’s not telling them the truth about the Pandora files.

Pandora opened her jar and chaos entered the world with all the bad things the gods had filled the jar with. It happened rather fast. In this case, Felicity opens Pandora and little chaos seeps out at a time. But I do think at some point there will be a moment when Felicity will see the harm in what she’s doing.

And that brings us to:

Olicity

This was a strong Olicity episode despite certain horrific things. This was a good OTA/Olicity episode in general and a lot of that was because the newbies weren’t front and center that much.

Oliver was dismayed to see Diggle having tortured Walker’s man for information. But what pushed him over the edge was Felicity’s flippant reaction to it. 

That’s something that Oliver cannot bear. Felicity has always been the best of all of them; she’s the one who harnessed his light. He needs her to always be that person—no matter the cost to himself. So Oliver crosses his own line and does the Bratva a favor so they can get a line on Walker.

Oliver noticed last week there was something a little off with Felicity when she talked about getting the NSA files for John. But she rebuffed him. Oliver’s not quite sure how to approach this. They are friends and they’ve always had a strong emotional connection but she’s also the love of his life. She’s the one he would have by his side always if it was up to him. But Felicity said “No” and they’ve both “moved on” because, well, you can’t force someone to be with you if they don’t want to be. (Or well, you shouldn’t, because that’s just creepy.)

But if Oliver had his way he’d pick Felicity. But he’s not quite sure how to help her now because of their romantic relationship which he screwed up. They failed as a couple because of his mistakes. So this is another awkward line Oliver has to walk because Felicity has certainly put up walls between them. That doesn’t mean that Oliver hasn’t also failed to be a friend when she most needed it. That’ll always bother me: The times Oliver has failed to be there for Felicity the way she deserved.

But if they go where I feel like they may go with this storyline and Felicity, Oliver may finally have the chance to be there for her. He might be the one to harness the light left inside of Felicity when she feels it’s all gone.

Hope is a light that guides people through their darkest times. Hope is the one thing that didn’t escape Pandora’s jar. There is still a hope inside of Felicity even if right now her life seems rather bleak. Oliver will be the one to show her. Remember, Prometheus’ brother was Epimetheus, who was Pandora’s husband who loved her rather a lot. Despite everything. Oliver is Epimetheus. Felicity is Pandora. Oliver will remind Felicity that not all hope is lost.

But she has to hit rock bottom first. She can’t do that if she allows Oliver in; she has to isolate herself from his influence because he (and John) is the only one truly capable of reaching Felicity at this moment. We might be at the turning point for Oliver and Felicity.

Or they might just be baiting us. Who knows with this season?!

And that hug between them: Perfect. He ran to her even though she was trying to disarm a nuke. She threw herself into his arms and he naturally accepted her there. And even more naturally protected her the second he realized the imminent danger. He put himself between her and the blast as if his body could be enough to protect her from the blast. Or maybe he did it because the blast would hit him first. I’ve always argued that Oliver never wants to live in a world where Felicity doesn’t exist. He can’t see it happen. It’s why he closed his eyes in 4x09 while she was in the gas chamber. It’s not a reality he’s prepared to handle. He can’t bear to survive her for even one second.

Oliver/Suzie Q

Well the nasty bit happened. Thankfully we didn’t see any of the act but just saw one of the most awkward post-coitus snuggle sessions I’ve ever seen. First of all their entire interactions this episode were horribly awkward. Ugh.

Their first scene together in his office was some of the most awkward dialogue I’ve ever been forced to endure in my life. Like the writers really twisted themselves up to somehow manage to bring sex into the conversation. Seriously: What the hell is so bad about her saying they are “seeing” each other? People say that all the time. It’s not like it’s a phrase she resurrected from the 1700s here, Oliver.

And then she made it worse because she’s like, “Well, I can’t talk about our relationship in regards to sex because we aren’t having any.”

First of all, honey, begging a man for sex is never a good look on a woman. Second, that you have to beg Oliver “Manwhore” Queen for sex is even worse.

(I apologize for the gif but I really needed to point out who physically uncomfortable Oliver looks in this scene and I have no way of doing a screenshot and cutting her out of it. Sorry I’m tech stupid.)

Then we end the episode with Oliver doing his best impersonation of a corpse on her bed while staring bleakly into a void as he contemplates the ways to get the hell out of the room, up to and including biting his own arm off. Seriously his facial expression was screaming: “I MISS LIAN YU.” But beyond the painfully awkward body language between them this final scene was so vile.

I’m about to break a lot of girl code rules and I don’t care. I don’t like to engage in slut-shaming because I think a woman has the right to enjoy sex as much as a man does and shouldn’t be impugned for it. But I am going to slut-shame the fuck out of Suzie Williams right now.

Susan Williams is a whore. She’s nothing more than a prostitute.

Why do I say this? Because it’s how they wrote her. She was completely interrogating Oliver in bed, wanting information about the origin of his Bratva tattoo in particular.

(Never mind the fact that we’ve all been here for 5 years and are still waiting on the full stories ourselves, so shut up bitch.)

Suzie Q has been investigating Oliver for months now and meanwhile has also been acting as his somewhat girlfriend. Now she is sleeping with her story subject for information. She traded sex for confirmation that he was part of the Bratva. Later, she leaves bed and meets with a source/investigator that also shows her a picture—convenient he didn’t have this photo months ago when he had the other photo of Oliver with the Bratva—of the Hood/Green Arrow in Russia. And Suzie Q the “brilliant” investigative reporter discovers the worst kept secret in the history of Star City.

So she’s either sleeping with her story subject for her investigation or she’s investigating her lover. Neither is particularly professional or classy.

There is a misogynist tone to this that bugs me. I’m not Suzie Q’s fan at all but I’m disgusted by the implication on the writers’ behalf that a woman has to resort to these maneuvers to further her career. These are exactly the kind of allegations women in all sorts of jobs have been fighting against for years. So fuck off writers. You’ve sidelined your two female leads this year; you’ve completely erased one from the landscape as of late; you made the only girl the bad one out of the new Recruits; you also dressed said 17-year-old girl up as a hooker; and now you’ve prostituted a woman for her career. None of these are good looks Arrow writers. All of this on top of the rather negative female-fan interaction on behalf of certain people associated with the show. Do better, Arrow.

Okay, the misogyny aside, now that they’ve had sex, they are over. It’ll be the exact same thing as what happened with Ray and Felicity in season 3. As soon as they got together, his very existence was rendered redundant. Now that the writers have pushed Oliver and Suzie Q together, their entire storyline will stall out. She’s not important. She’s a place holder—a rather subpar one but nevertheless.

There’s no coincidence that Oliver said, “I think my past was what was stopping me from moving forward with you” in the same episode that Felicity casually drops “What happens in Russia stays in Russia” and is rather flippant about Oliver sleeping with another woman. Kind of like she gave permission (because I didn’t really note much jealousy in the delivery to be honest and it lacked the pain from the first time Felicity ever spoke the words and I really can’t figure out why the hell they bothered to even bring this up in this episode otherwise). Oliver slept with Isabel because he didn’t believe he could be with someone he could really care about (Felicity). Oliver slept with Suzie Q because he believes, again, he can’t be with the one he really cares about. Who is Felicity. It will always be Felicity. The way he looks at her, the way he speaks to her, the way he protects her: It’ll always be Felicity in Oliver’s heart. There is no choice to make.

It’s kind of like, “If you can’t be with the one you love then love the one you’re with” kind of mentality. Not that Oliver wouldn’t be with Felicity if he thought it was a possibility. (See the Olicity section). But he’s been given one more example from Felicity that there is no chance there (yet). But as Felicity falls farther away, Oliver will be drawn closer to her, determined to save her from herself. From his mistakes. Hopefully, as I said, this will lead us to a rebuild between them. It’s taking a God-awful long time.

I have an unpopular opinion in regards to Suzie Q: I wish it will be Thea and not Felicity that takes down Suzie Q. Not that there is anything wrong with having Felicity hit someone else with either a van or her fist—

both are perfect images—but Oliver’s relationship with Suzie has always bugged me because of Thea and not really Felicity. Not that I enjoy seeing them with other people; please, I’m not some savage animal. But Suzie Q has already shown her true colors when she went after Lance and betrayed Thea. So it’s always been particularly aggravating for me to have to endure Oliver’s blatant stupidity in disregarding Suzie’s intentions.

When someone shows you who they are, believe them.

But Oliver, who has sacrificed himself many times for his sister, who would do anything at all to protect her, can’t seem to stop himself from dating and screwing the woman who screwed his baby sister over. 

There is a reason that Thea gives Suzie Q looks of death—she earned them! And thus Suzie Q shouldn’t freaking whine about reaping what she sowed with Thea. If Thea believes Suzie Q is untrustworthy it’s for good reason! Every single time a woman in Oliver’s life has spoken up and warned him to not trust someone and he’s ignored them, he’s regretted it. He didn’t listen to Felicity about Isabel and that turned out fantastic. God even Laurel warned him about Sebastian Blood and as annoying as LL could be she was right about not trusting Blood. Hell, even Thea tried to warn Oliver there was something untoward between Malcolm and Moira in S1. Admittedly she thought it was something as mundane as an affair because she had no way of expecting something like the Undertaking but Oliver ignored her instincts.

Maybe Oliver’s next life lesson is to learn to shut up and listen to the smart women in his life. It would make life a lot easier.

So because Oliver refuses to listen to Thea, because he’s purposefully ignoring how Suzie Q has already lied to, manipulated and embarrassed Thea, I’m really hoping that Thea carries through with her threat at the start of the season. Destroy her, Thea. Harness your inner Moira and destroy!!!

*Caveat: I will accept Thea and Felicity teaming up to destroy Susan too. I just really want to see Thea involved in it. Not to mention it’d give her something to do for once. Maybe even something on that Pandora file that Felicity can use against Suzie Q? Damn. Sounds good.

Anatoly/Bratva

I’m not entirely sure why Oliver thought that he could keep going to the Bratva well without giving back in return. He knows that’s not how it works. Frankly, that’s now how even good friendships work. You can’t always be the taker, sometimes you have to give. Now granted the things the Bratva ask you do are a lot different than say cat-sitting for a weekend or something. But nevertheless the sentiment is the same: Oliver can’t keep asking Anatoly for something without showing some respect in return. He knows that’s now how the Bratva works.

It’s also pretty clear that Oliver becomes Captain once he kills Gregor in the flashbacks and thus makes Anatoly the Pahkan (I hope I spelled that right).

Though, did Anatoly threaten Oliver in that finally scene between them in the present day? Kind of felt like it. And I have to wonder if we will once again be seeing the Bratva back in current Star City later on in the season.

Also, are we supposed to think that Anatoly knows about Oliver being the Green Arrow?

When Anatoly punched Oliver I knew this episode would be considered a good one. That one punch alone had already elevated the episode. Thank you, Anatoly.

Lance/Rene

I was not expecting this duo. Never would have thrown them together. But it worked. Unsurprisingly, because Paul always tends to bring out the best with all of his scene partners. Lance is a no-nonsense dude and so he’s not afraid to give Rabid Pup back any of his sass. It was nice having Lance back, by the way. Now if only we could get anything on that APB for Thea. Who has been missing for weeks.

First of all, it needs to be said: Rene is a better reporter. *Snickers*

I do like the fact that Lance didn’t come back from rehab cured of the reason why he wants to drink. The man has known unspeakable loss—this is the third time he’s lost a daughter—and I don’t think several weeks drying out could ever bring him a sense of peace with this. As annoying as LL has become, it makes sense for Lance’s character to still be angry by it; to still be focused on it. There can be no greater pain for a parent to experience than the loss of a child. And LL was murdered to punish him.

But I like that this episode showed that even though he still has this understandable demon around his neck that he’s going to find a way to move forward without drinking. To find a way to make a difference. In little or big ways; which was a significant point in Rene’s story at the end of the episode about how a young Lance once helped Rene as a boy.

Now, I’m not an idiot. I understand why they came up with this pair. It was a rather convenient connection he had to Lance; though it was a nice note on Lance’s character that he didn’t just haul Rene in for his crime but instead encouraged him to do better. Mostly, it seems like Rene tried to follow that advice, though his personality still needs a lot of work. But this connection with Lance is another example of the writers working hard to endear this character to the audience, who did not warm up to him in 5A despite the hard sell.

They are using any way they can—Diggle, Curtis and now Lance—to forge/force an emotional connection to him by the audience. I’m not saying the scenes haven’t played nice since the return from the break. He has been admittedly less annoying in his scenes with Curtis and now with Lance than he was in 5A. But I still can’t avoid feeling like they are trying to manipulate me into buying a character I don’t care about. Yeah; his scenes have gotten better. But he didn’t earn his spot at the table. And frankly, upon first introduction, I wouldn’t have even let him sit at the kids table let alone with the grownups.

I keep seeing things like, “But you liked Roy!” So naturally we have to like Rene. (And there has been talk on Twitter that if we don’t it’s because we are racist). 

But there was a very marked difference in the introduction of Roy and Rene. Roy started out slow. Yes, he was a punk but he was also a lot younger than Rene is. The mistakes that Roy made that Rene also makes don’t play the same. Rene is older and should just grow up at some point. I think Roy was either 19 or 20 when we first saw him. So he was a lot younger; angry with no outlet. But then we saw him change. He wanted to do more than just steal; he wanted to make a difference and we watched him fumble every attempt at it until finally Oliver as the Arrow took him under his wing.

Roy didn’t immediately get drawn into Team Arrow. He wasn’t shown the lair; he wasn’t given people’s names. Oliver kept him separate and he had to earn it. It was a big moment when Oliver revealed himself to Roy and when Roy was introduced to Diggle and Felicity. Now it’s treated like an everyday thing—and nowadays it is. Oliver’s secret identity is literally the worst kept secret ever. Anyone who buys a ticket gets to see the heroes unmasked now. There is less significance to it now and that’s not a good thing otherwise why still wear a mask at all?

And true story: No matter how much Rene’s scenes improve, he’ll never be Roy to me. Roy was the first “kid” Oliver and Felicity raised on Team Arrow. Roy had true character progression; he was significant to Thea and I’ll always, always ship Theroy. So Rene will never be Roy.

Talia

I might be alone in this feeling but I just don’t like her that much yet. Frankly, she just feels like a master manipulator right now. I’m not saying that I’m not glad to see FB Oliver finally given some direction because it was starting to look rather doubtful that FB Oliver was ever going to get the point where we see him at the start of the pilot.

But as a person, I still can’t get a feel for Talia. I can’t figure out how or why she learned about Oliver to begin with and why she then spent time hunting him down. And she knows every single detail of his life story—down to the kinds of drugs he stopped his sister from taking two years ago at Tommy’s birthday party. (So that remark last week I made about her commenting to him about him seeing the love of his life two years ago wasn’t all that off.)

I can’t help but wonder if she’ll end up playing a role with the big bad. Eventually the FB will tie somehow into the present big bad. In S2, it was Slade. In S3, it was that dude and the virus. S4, it was the totem and magic. I doubt that Anatoly will end up the big bad of the season—even if he does reappear later in the season in Star City.

I also doubt it’s Kovar. Simply because that wasn’t really about Oliver; that was about Bad Russian Accent chick and also a rather boring way of getting him to Russia.

Talia has magically appeared in these flashbacks. They’ve pointed out there is a connection between her and Prometheus through that “special” flip. Now we have to wonder what the connection is. I think when we are finally shown who Prometheus is we might have a better understanding of where Talia Al Ghul stands on the scale of good/evil. Until then I’m watching with a cautionary eye.

But she’ll always get my gratitude for putting Oliver in that first green suit. Yum.

Random Thoughts

1.       Lance is back and still not impressed with Oliver’s relationship with Suzie Q. I’ve missed you. And thank you for stopping that awful conversation.

2.       That awkward conversation between Suzie Q and Oliver about not having sex was a total foreshadowing to the end of the episode. I wasn’t surprised by it and was actually expecting it. I just wasn’t quite sure how it was going to play out.

3.       Adrian Chase also doesn’t like Suzie Q. Another point in his favor. He’s adding up points lately with me.

4.       What kind of help can Rene—who is even less knowledgeable about dealing with the media than Lance—really give?

5.       Though is Rene now going to start working at City Hall? I kind of had that impression. Maybe as Lance’s assistant or something?

6.       How they hell did they explain a visit to Star City’s “sister city” in Russia whereupon Oliver was joined by anyone other than people who work at City Hall?

7.       Diggle, Amero-Russian relations are such that lately it would indicate that safe house should be all set to go with a fully stocked bar.

8.       Not working with ARGUS because ARGUS doesn’t really exist on Arrow anymore and Audrey was busy.

9.       Rory and Curtis look like Bratva? The two geekiest geeks on the show? Omg. Too funny.

10.   Felicity called Dinah a “total unknown quantity” and summed up people’s frustrations with much of the season.

11.   Felicity threatened a man’s family for information. Not their bank accounts but their lives. She’s definitely gone dark.

12.   Anyone else think that Oliver’s face looked a little jealous when he opened up the van to find Felicity and Rory alone together?

13.   I enjoyed the Felicity and Rory’s scenes together. That van scene was about not abusing power. Just because you have the power to do something doesn’t mean you should.

14.   Rory was the only one really paying attention to Felicity for the entire episode. He’s the one who pointed out she crossed a line to Oliver. So it’s no surprise they had to usher him out now. Rory’s sole role this season has been tied with Felicity. But Felicity needs isolation now; Rory would always notice and either attempt to reach her himself or tell Oliver about what he’s noticed. Getting rid of him also means, hopefully, Oliver will begin paying better attention himself.

15.   Now that they’ve gotten rid of Rory when can we be expected to be liberated from the rest of the newbies?! Any day now.

16.   Somehow I doubt Oliver’s pronunciation is any better than Curtis’.

17.   Finally used Ragman and it was Felicity and Rory working together to stop a bomb.

18.   Felicity was willing to sacrifice herself. I’m not sure she’s suicidal but more resigned to the fact that she can be collateral damage in this war she’s waging; much like Oliver’s mindset in seasons 1-3.

19.   She’s going dark like Oliver was in S1 as he took names off of a list. Now Felicity has her own list of people.

20.   My Brotp scene: We make each other better. SOBS.

21.   They follow up an episode that ends with Oliver and Suzie Q in bed with an episode that is supposed to be focusing on Rabid Pup. It’s like they want to drive us away.

22.   How exactly are Rory’s rags broken? Is this a comic thing? Do they get fixed? And will we ever see sweet Rory again?

23.   Kojo’s real name was revealed as Alena. Since Greek mythology is so prominent this season, its Greek meaning is “Light.” Interesting play on words there. Not that she’ll lead Felicity into the light but that she wishes secrets to be brought into the light. Or ironically, she’s moving Felicity away from the light.

24.   Felicity looked amazing as a Bratva wife. Damn.

25.   She also looked super cute her in her hat. According to @juliesioux it’s a toque and not a beanie (Idk the difference). Either way, she looked adorbs. And really the important thing is no grommets! :P 

26.   Stephen doesn’t even pretend to try to have chemistry with other actresses anymore.

As an apology for that awful gif, have this: 

Thanks for all the well-wishes for me and mom. She’s doing a little better. I’m still dying slowly of a plague virus that will not die. Forgive any mistakes. I attempted to do this with little cold medicine but I’m still slightly delirious anyway.

Note: If you “reply” to this post know that I can’t reply back because I simply don’t know how. I think I accidentally did it once but I don’t know how. So either reblog with a comment or send me an ask to my inbox or a msg if you want a comment back. I try to reply to those that I can. 

Tagging: @scu11y22 @boo-shaka @olicity-arrow-s36 @u-r-notdonefighting @fullychippedcreation @kmart1885 @red-devilkin @mochababychristy @onceuponarrow @myfuturequeen-reblogs

@juliesioux @flailykermit @taurusclh @chlolicity @glennyb @punchdrunkdoc @screamlikeacanary  @musinginga @dontmockmyawkwardness @queenaeron @geniewithwifi @iheartarrow @elenajones23 @pimsiepim @arrowiefan @dipfender @pjcmfalcon

[wildirish23]

HI im wondering if you can help me with a meta/analysis about Nyssa Al Ghul.

I'm not really sure I can? I am comic book blind, really. I only know of her through Arrow. Without more info, I couldn't commit. And truthfully, I just don't have the time at the moment. Maybe someone you know can help? Good luck, happy meta-ing.

[wildirish23]

Arrow 5x09”What We Leave Behind”: Should Be Better Than This

I don’t even know where to start for this episode. I truly don’t. (My thoughts may wonder; apologies. I tried to keep it all cohesive.) It was such a colossal disaster of epic proportions that they spiced up with not one but two fan service scenes. This was not the episode I needed while my passion for Arrow is teetering on the brink. I don’t believe it’s the show the fandom needed in general and that the writers think it’s their best MSF ever? No. It’s really not. Flip a coin between 4x09 or 3x09. This—this doesn’t even best 1x09. It is the last horse in the race—so far back you’d think it was part of another race.

Maybe it was.

Because this certainly doesn’t feel like the show I’ve been investing years of my life into anymore. These characters are not my characters anymore. What I do see on screen are things I often don’t care for or about; while the things I feel are necessary to keep the core of the show strong and push it forward I’m being told happen off-screen. On a TELEVISION show.

I don’t even know if the writers are aware of what their jobs are anymore.

Prometheus

I think it’s clear in my previous reviews this season I’ve been underwhelmed by Prommy. I also made it pretty clear I was keeping my theories for the season to myself based on the state of the fandom. Well, I’ll show my cards now because it’s clear I was wrong. I was putting far too much thought into Prometheus than the show writers were/are.

I didn’t buy into Tommy as Prometheus solely because I know of Colin Donnell’s contractual obligation to Chicago Med. That’s a full season show; he’s a cast regular and it’s also on a rival network—it’s not on the affiliated CBS—so all of those reasons never sold me on Tommy as Prometheus. Story wise? Oh, gosh that’d be fascinating to see how Tommy went dark and then redeem him. But my realist nature prevented me from investing.

So I went to two other theories: 1) That it was someone that we saw in season 1. I went back over season 1 episodes trying to figure out who it would likely be. I wondered if because this season has a real boner for S1, and the pilot in particular, if it’d be Adam Hunt related. Or maybe the brother to the guy who called himself a Savior. (I don’t recall them saying he and his wife had any children so I was thinking other relative). The Savior was someone who was inspired by Oliver’s first run as a vigilante who took the law into his own hands and dealt out his own justice. The Hood didn’t like that; and to save Roy, Oliver killed him. I kind of liked that idea too because it plays into legacy (family and the people Oliver has inspired, for good or ill. 2) My other idea was slightly similar to the idea of it being someone related to the Savior: I thought it would be Slade Wilson’s son, Joe. I can’t recall the age they said he was—and I didn’t feel passionate enough about Arrow or this storyline to go hunting—but I figured ten years might be enough to age the kid up. I really liked this idea better than the first theory simply because the show constantly sets Slade up as Oliver’s biggest nemesis. I certainly felt stronger about this idea after last week’s episode where he faced off against Slade in the hallucination. Oliver feels a certain guilt about creating Slade Wilson the villain; I just could see the parallels if Joe were to be Prometheus.

Anyway, clearly, I was wrong. So I’ll admit to my theories now and eat my crow pie or however the saying goes. Win some, lose some.

It clearly doesn’t matter who Prometheus is because the writers are making this stuff up as they go along. I was so frustrated to learn all about the possibility of Prommy being this Clayborne guy or his illegitimate son because we’ve never heard of him before. There is clearly no freaking way anyone could have come up with Prommy’s identity because they just made him up. Literally picked a name off a list. Do I really believe Prommy is Clayborne’s kid? Not so much. But what the show has done is make it not matter. There is zero investment in this guy because we know absolutely zilch about him. This comes from them playing with their cards too close to their vests. They really needed to loosen the grip a little because the audience is now just sitting here going, “Huh?”  

If it’s not someone from Oliver’s s1 past then pattern would dictate that it’s someone from Oliver’s current life. We have an abundance of new characters to pick from—though one less after 5x09. Though, let’s not rule out Billy having faked his death. Nothing would surprise me at this point with this show. But if it’s not Billy then that only leaves Adrian Chase as the new guy suspect. Or it could be a woman, but physically, the person appears to be a guy. But for equal opportunity, I’ll throw Suzie Q in the mix too.

However, Adrian Chase, I’m like 100% convinced is the Vigilante guy that just goes around shooting everyone up. Are we dealing with some kind of Jekyll and Hyde situation—or well, split personalities because there’s Adrian, there’s Vigilante and there’s Prommy and there isn’t a one of them I like? I don’t know. I’m super confused at this point.

I also don’t care because the writers don’t seem to care either. As Arrow focuses its seasons on the big bad they have once again failed. Season 3 was underwhelming to the say the very least. Ra’s Al Ghul/League of Assassins was an erratic villain—the rules changed every week on what the LOA could do. It was a hot mess that I went into further detail here in my meta detailing the failings of season three. Season 4 became a farce because Darhk’s magic never fit into the show’s landscape. It was solely Neal that pulled that off. Not to mention the rules of his magic were played pretty fast and loose. Arrow has not successfully set up a big bad since season 2. Merlyn worked in S1 because he was Tommy’s father. It was personal—same with S2 and Slade. I think they were trying to do this in S5 with Prometheus because he’s a consequence of Oliver’s actions but if the audience has no back story, there’s little investment. Prometheus has become another failed villain at this point.

Olicity/Oliver/Felicity/Billy/Adrian Chase/ And ton of misogyny  / Sorry this part’s a hodge podge

Well they’ve certainly made things more challenging for any reunion between them with this episode. I was very unhappy with the twist that Oliver kills Billy (you think that they decided that at SDCC?) because it’s an unnecessary obstacle for them when they haven’t cleared the last William Mountain problem.

Personally, I felt the Olicity S1 Flashback scene was ship baiting. I didn’t at first. I thought it might be a turning point for them. Here’s why: They lead into the FB from Feliciy’s POV off a line about being true to yourself. 

Keep reading

[maria102375-deactivated20210212]

Pure genius. Everything expressed here is exactly what I felt too. This season is crap and what they are doing to my favorite characters is abysmal. Felicity is being used as nothing more than let’s see how much shit we can put her character through to just show Oliver’s man pain. She has no feelings anymore and she is being used as a prop. I’m sorry but this season is unwatchable.

[wildirish23]

@maria102375 Thanks so much for reading and commenting. Calling this pure genius feels like hubris but thanks nonetheless. The treatment of Felicity this season has been truly horrible and I can only hope that in 5B it’s better. I will, however, not hold my breath because fool me once...

This season just isn’t Arrow that I spent years watching. I didn’t know I would have to tune into a whole new show in year 5. 

[wildirish23]

Arrow 5x09”What We Leave Behind”: Should Be Better Than This

I don’t even know where to start for this episode. I truly don’t. (My thoughts may wonder; apologies. I tried to keep it all cohesive.) It was such a colossal disaster of epic proportions that they spiced up with not one but two fan service scenes. This was not the episode I needed while my passion for Arrow is teetering on the brink. I don’t believe it’s the show the fandom needed in general and that the writers think it’s their best MSF ever? No. It’s really not. Flip a coin between 4x09 or 3x09. This—this doesn’t even best 1x09. It is the last horse in the race—so far back you’d think it was part of another race.

Maybe it was.

Because this certainly doesn’t feel like the show I’ve been investing years of my life into anymore. These characters are not my characters anymore. What I do see on screen are things I often don’t care for or about; while the things I feel are necessary to keep the core of the show strong and push it forward I’m being told happen off-screen. On a TELEVISION show.

I don’t even know if the writers are aware of what their jobs are anymore.

Prometheus

I think it’s clear in my previous reviews this season I’ve been underwhelmed by Prommy. I also made it pretty clear I was keeping my theories for the season to myself based on the state of the fandom. Well, I’ll show my cards now because it’s clear I was wrong. I was putting far too much thought into Prometheus than the show writers were/are.

I didn’t buy into Tommy as Prometheus solely because I know of Colin Donnell’s contractual obligation to Chicago Med. That’s a full season show; he’s a cast regular and it’s also on a rival network—it’s not on the affiliated CBS—so all of those reasons never sold me on Tommy as Prometheus. Story wise? Oh, gosh that’d be fascinating to see how Tommy went dark and then redeem him. But my realist nature prevented me from investing.

So I went to two other theories: 1) That it was someone that we saw in season 1. I went back over season 1 episodes trying to figure out who it would likely be. I wondered if because this season has a real boner for S1, and the pilot in particular, if it’d be Adam Hunt related. Or maybe the brother to the guy who called himself a Savior. (I don’t recall them saying he and his wife had any children so I was thinking other relative). The Savior was someone who was inspired by Oliver’s first run as a vigilante who took the law into his own hands and dealt out his own justice. The Hood didn’t like that; and to save Roy, Oliver killed him. I kind of liked that idea too because it plays into legacy (family and the people Oliver has inspired, for good or ill. 2) My other idea was slightly similar to the idea of it being someone related to the Savior: I thought it would be Slade Wilson’s son, Joe. I can’t recall the age they said he was—and I didn’t feel passionate enough about Arrow or this storyline to go hunting—but I figured ten years might be enough to age the kid up. I really liked this idea better than the first theory simply because the show constantly sets Slade up as Oliver’s biggest nemesis. I certainly felt stronger about this idea after last week’s episode where he faced off against Slade in the hallucination. Oliver feels a certain guilt about creating Slade Wilson the villain; I just could see the parallels if Joe were to be Prometheus.

Anyway, clearly, I was wrong. So I’ll admit to my theories now and eat my crow pie or however the saying goes. Win some, lose some.

It clearly doesn’t matter who Prometheus is because the writers are making this stuff up as they go along. I was so frustrated to learn all about the possibility of Prommy being this Clayborne guy or his illegitimate son because we’ve never heard of him before. There is clearly no freaking way anyone could have come up with Prommy’s identity because they just made him up. Literally picked a name off a list. Do I really believe Prommy is Clayborne’s kid? Not so much. But what the show has done is make it not matter. There is zero investment in this guy because we know absolutely zilch about him. This comes from them playing with their cards too close to their vests. They really needed to loosen the grip a little because the audience is now just sitting here going, “Huh?”  

If it’s not someone from Oliver’s s1 past then pattern would dictate that it’s someone from Oliver’s current life. We have an abundance of new characters to pick from—though one less after 5x09. Though, let’s not rule out Billy having faked his death. Nothing would surprise me at this point with this show. But if it’s not Billy then that only leaves Adrian Chase as the new guy suspect. Or it could be a woman, but physically, the person appears to be a guy. But for equal opportunity, I’ll throw Suzie Q in the mix too.

However, Adrian Chase, I’m like 100% convinced is the Vigilante guy that just goes around shooting everyone up. Are we dealing with some kind of Jekyll and Hyde situation—or well, split personalities because there’s Adrian, there’s Vigilante and there’s Prommy and there isn’t a one of them I like? I don’t know. I’m super confused at this point.

I also don’t care because the writers don’t seem to care either. As Arrow focuses its seasons on the big bad they have once again failed. Season 3 was underwhelming to the say the very least. Ra’s Al Ghul/League of Assassins was an erratic villain—the rules changed every week on what the LOA could do. It was a hot mess that I went into further detail here in my meta detailing the failings of season three. Season 4 became a farce because Darhk’s magic never fit into the show’s landscape. It was solely Neal that pulled that off. Not to mention the rules of his magic were played pretty fast and loose. Arrow has not successfully set up a big bad since season 2. Merlyn worked in S1 because he was Tommy’s father. It was personal—same with S2 and Slade. I think they were trying to do this in S5 with Prometheus because he’s a consequence of Oliver’s actions but if the audience has no back story, there’s little investment. Prometheus has become another failed villain at this point.

Olicity/Oliver/Felicity/Billy/Adrian Chase/ And ton of misogyny  / Sorry this part’s a hodge podge

Well they’ve certainly made things more challenging for any reunion between them with this episode. I was very unhappy with the twist that Oliver kills Billy (you think that they decided that at SDCC?) because it’s an unnecessary obstacle for them when they haven’t cleared the last William Mountain problem.

Personally, I felt the Olicity S1 Flashback scene was ship baiting. I didn’t at first. I thought it might be a turning point for them. Here’s why: They lead into the FB from Feliciy’s POV off a line about being true to yourself. 

Keep reading

[juliesioux]

And now I hate that piece of shit episode even more.

I was angry when it finished but now I am angrier. It was a disgusting shitpile of hot garbage.

[wildirish23]

@juliesioux I’m sorry Julie! I didn’t mean to make it worse for you. :/ Technically, I didn’t know I had that kind of power. 

Hot garbage. That’s a good summation.