Lil Sis just watched the new Vampire Diaries episode.

Her reaction, literally as soon as the last scene was over?

"Oh, shit." Pause. "Wait. Who's dead and who's alive? I'm confused."

(click on the picture)

I just spammed a zillion Paul Simon lyrics prompts. Because I am me.

GO FORTH.

So I'm getting ready to read all of y'all's thoughts on last night's TVD (in scanning my flist, I saw about 8 reaction posts. Which makes me laugh), but I just have one thing to say about it myself.

( spoilers, duh )

That is all.

+ Does anybody else think that the reason they kept Benedict Cumberbatch's role in the new Trek movie a secret is because they knew people would be incredibly pissed at this white guy taking Ricardo Montalban's place and they didn't want to deal with the fallout until they were able to say "Oh, it's too late, we already filmed it"? Because I hate to be that cynical about things, but I'm kind of that cynical about things. Needless to say, I'm pissed. I've been looking forward to this movie, itching for this movie since the last one came out, and now this. Also: if any character didn't need to be rebooted, it was definitely Khan. Ugh. I am distressed.

+ Well, Mark at Mark Watches pretty much had all the right reactions to Fool for Love, my favorite episode of TV ever. And I thought he was surprisingly subdued and thoughtful about it. I was pleased.

+ I have watched four episodes of Queen In-Hyun's Man AND IT IS THE MOST WONDERFUL THING. Kim Boong-Do is a wonderful little scholar-turned-resistance fighter (of sorts, it's complicated) in 1694 Joseon Korea, and through some plot machinations he ends up traveling to the future on several occasions and meeting up with this actress who is playing the queen he serves in a new drama. And what is delightful about this show, besides how brilliantly it's shot and styled (which is brilliant), is the character of Kim Boong-Do. I like Choi Hee-Jin, the heroine, quite a lot, too, but Kim Boong-Do is flawless.


source

He's adorable and precious for one thing. But he's also loyal, smart, and incredibly competent. I feel like most time-travel stories really go overboard with CULTURE SHOCK, but Boong-Do's reactions are very calm. He doesn't know things, but he learns very, very quickly, and he has a good enough mind that he can put two and two together and figure things out instead of acting like an idiot. He acts exactly like a smart guy would if he was suddenly time-travelling. He even figures out that he's time travelling all by himself. I can't get over how well the show is handling him and his jumping around through the centuries. It's brilliant.

There is nothing I love more than a show that lets its characters be smart instead of forcing them to be idiots for the sake of the plot. If your plot requires your characters to be idiots IT IS NOT A GOOD PLOT.

[Also, the kid playing Han Dong-Min is insanely cute. THOSE CHEEKBONES.]

+ I feel like King 2 Hearts is becoming kind of sloppy? But I'm still invested, mostly because of Eun Shi-Kyung and his earnestness and his face. Love of mine. Between Ji-Hyuk and Shi-Kyung and now Boong-Do, I am falling in love with kdrama guys right and left.

+ NEW EPISODE OF LOVE RAIN WAITING FOR ME TONIGHT. I DIE OF LOVE.

+ I've watched the first five or so episodes of Young Justice. I like it, but I don't have loads of feels yet. Hopefully those will come.

+ It seems like Vampire Diaries' goal in life right now is to remind me of why I hate love triangles. IT IS WORKING.

+ I am having Bonnie/Jeremy feels again. I know it's insanely underdeveloped, but THEY ARE SO BEAUTIFUL TOGETHER. I'm rarely struck by how a couple looks aesthetically because I'm so busy being obsessed with their characters, but these two are so beautiful individually and when they're together they become even more beautiful and speaking of beautiful if you aren't on tumblr you missed this, which just reminded me of how aesthetically pleasing Buffy and Spike are. Seriously one of my favorite tumblr posts ever. I look at it, and I think, "This is why tumblr exists."

+ I went to see Avengers on Sunday by myself, because that's what I do when I want to see a movie and no one else will go see it with me. I think it's strange that this is considered strange, considering that you're SITTING IN THE DARK and that common courtesy demands you not talk during the show. And yet you're supposed to feel like a loser if you go by yourself? I do not. My mama said that the reason you go with people is so that you have someone to talk to about it afterwards. I said, "That's what I have the internet for." She said, "Oh, yeah. I forgot." TROLOLOLOL.

( Avengers feelings be here )

All in all, it was just a popcorn movie, but it was a good popcorn movie because it cared about its characters. And I love a good popcorn movie.

+ I am now dreading Anne Hathaway as Catwoman even more than before. DO NOT WANT.

+ Lil Sis graduated on Saturday. Which makes me feel old. Lots of family times, and though it was great seeing everybody, it was overwhelming to have everyone together in my parents' house like that--so many people in such a small space! I loved them but was glad when they were gone and I could breathe again.

+ I have discovered the best barbeque place in town. If you're ever in the area ASK ME WHAT IT IS so that I can tell you and you can get some of the best barbeque I've ever had. Everyone in the family agrees that it's so good that you don't even need sauce.

+ I just finished The Man without a Face about Vladimir Putin, and now I am depressed about the world. It was an excellently written book, fascinating and insightful, but being reminded that there are people with so little regard for human life, who will sacrifice anyone and everyone to get what they want...it just reminds me of how broken the world is.

+ I have hit the climax for my novel. And...I have no idea of how to make my hero end up in the vicinity of my villain for a show-down. It would frankly be stupid for her to go into it on purpose, because she is so outmatched, and yet I can't have the villain go to her because of reasons. I think I have written myself into a corner and am not sure what to do. This is the first time since I started the book 65K words ago that I don't have any idea of what to write next. UGH. I really don't know what to do. I didn't write yesterday and I probably won't today, and I do not like what this is doing to my momentum.

+ So apparently last night's TVD pissed everyone off? I haven't seen it yet, but I'm bracing myself for it. Do y'all sometimes wonder why we watch this ridiculous excuse for a show? I often do, and then ever_neutral writes perfect meta and I suddenly have feelings all over the place and I remember.

+ In case you missed it (read: in case you're not on tumblr), Joe Dempsie is perfect, and I want to glomp him:




+ For snickfic's amusement: this thing has informed me that Lauren is made of kitty cats, cherries, and awkwardness. With a dash of porn. WITH A DASH OF PORN. I still need to steal your "I'm bored and your porn is boring" icon.

+ Love Rain continues to be so perfect I could die. This week's episodes were so unrelentingly adorable that I almost couldn't stand it. I expect the angst is coming soon, but I have high hopes of getting a happy ending for Joon and Ha Na, so I'm happy. If you need something to watch, you should high-tail it over to dramafever.com and watch the heck out of this show. These kids have faces and sometimes they put them together.



+ I will probably try to FINALLY watch some of Young Justice this weekend. I have to write my rarewomen fic, but I'm hoping to get into this show because I am overwhelmed with love for y'all's feels. You know how sometimes you love a thing because your friends love it but you really know nothing about it? That is how I feel about this show. I love it though I haven't seen it.

+ I dreamed I was Fox Mulder's assistant last night (I have no clue where Scully was). Which I guess is my subconscious telling me to finish that damn show.

+ All of my GoT feels continue to be about the Stark girls. And Oona Chaplin being flawless. When is The Hour coming back? I need more of it in my life.

+ I can't decide whether I love or hate y'all who have been reblogging quotes from 50 Shades of Grey all over my dash. On the one hand: so incredibly, ridiculously bad that it's hilarious. On the other hand, I can never erase those things from my mind. dollsome has noted (and is indeed correct) that the series seems to exactly reproduce the feel of the Twilight books (not to mention Bella's characterization) only now with 100% more pr0n. It's kind of amazing. AMAZINGLY BAD AND DISGUSTING. I feel sorry for the women who are so into this series because they don't realize there's better porn on the internet for free.

+ 60,000 words on the novel! Only about 20,000 more to go!

+ I realize that some of you might not be nerdfighters (though you totally should), so if you missed this video you should watch it now. I really feel like it's one of the best that Hank has ever made, and it's dripping with truth.



+ It is Friday.

+ That's...it? Feel free, as always, to tell me about your lives, because I am always interested.

Hey, y'all! Have some recs!

+ Tangled: Freudian.
*AU* Flynn Rider's terms of parole include going to therapy, and they don't expressly forbid hanging around with that one awkward graffiti girl.
OMG Y'ALL READ THIS. A contemporary AU of the best kind, it makes me flaily and happy and it's just deliriously wonderful. I cannot even. It's a WIP, but it was recently updated, so I think it's safe to start it.

+ Vampire Diaries: Talk You Down.
Use your heart, not your head.
Grayson and Miranda Gilbert have an important discussion. I wouldn't have thought I'd enjoy a fic about Elena and Jeremy's parents but this is a great little look at life in Mystic Falls.

+ The Book Thief: pro patria mori
It is good and sweet to die for one's country—because if you say a lie long enough, loud enough, and often enough, people are going to believe it—ten people who didn't.
OH MY HEART. Read this if you've read the book and let your heart bleed.

+ Wizards of Waverly Place: call that a comeback
Alex destroys the world. But really, its all Justin's fault. Written for apocabigbang at LJ. Post 'Wizards vs. Werewolves.'
ALEX RUSSO CAUSES THE APOCALYPSE. I know it's a stupid kids' show on the Disney Channel, but I love Alex and Justin so much. And ever_neutral, if you don't know Alex Russo, you should change that. YOU WOULD LOVE HER.

+ Nu!Trek: World as We Know It
Leonard McCoy doesn't hate Jim ALL the time. Just, you know. Mostly. // You couldn’t subdue Jim Kirk if you put a muzzle on him. And anyway, McCoy’s looked it up, and they don’t make them for humans. Jim/Bones friendship.
Kirk/Bones is my favorite bromance. THESE BOYS.

+ Doctor Who: the woman named to-morrow
Of course she misses it.
A little slice of Martha/Mickey, that appreciates them both. Why is there not more of this in the world?

+ Life with Derek: move in circles around you
disasters are kind of their specialty.
I don't understand why there is so much quality Derek/Casey fic in the world, but I am so glad there is. Here's the latest.

+ Sherlock: Sustain (or Concerto for the Famished in D Minor)
"So now you're behaving like a six year old 'cause he didn't take you along on his honeymoon?" Lestrade said. "Grow the hell up."
Um, so this is a Molly/Sherlock fic. A long Molly/Sherlock fic. A believable Molly/Sherlock fic. So, um, you should probably read it.

+ Hunger Games: The Unrecorded Hours
Katniss and Peeta in the weeks and months after the war.
Oh, hey! It's a long, satisfying fic about the Katniss/Peeta stuff I really wanted to see which is: when they actually fall in love (because I'm not convinced it happens in the books. I have very mixed feelings about this pairing and its potential vs. its execution. Anyway). This is kind of moody and quiet and it makes loads of sense. It fits perfectly in before the epilogue and it's become canon to me.

+ Hunger Games: Scylla and Charybdis
Finnick decides that, come hell or high water, he is bringing his tribute home from the seventieth Hunger Games. That tribute is Annie Cresta. But Finnick never thought that he would have to choose between bringing her home and keeping her safe, and he wants both. How Annie Cresta crept up on Finnick Odair.
I SHIP IT SO HAAAAARD. I want ALL the Finnick/Annie fic. Gah, I love living in Finnick's head. Best boy.

+ Hunger Games: and our dreams will break the boundaries of our fears
Johanna and Finnick flirt with rebellion, and learn that the Capitol has teeth.
This fic hurts my heart, but in the best way. Gah.

+ Okay, so I did this thing where I wrote a scene for my novel before I actually started writing the novel in the proper order (I do this a lot). And I liked it! It was a good scene! So I was kind of writing toward it, if that makes any sense, and I was really looking forward to reaching the point where I could plug it in to the story.

Well, I just reached that point only…I realize that I wrote it from the perspective of Boy Character when the rest of the novel has been from the POV of Girl Character. SO I HAVE TO REWRITE IT. Even though it’s really good as it is! *sigh*

+ I have (at least) two big climactic scenes in the novel (because my novel is a lady, not a man), and I’m getting very close to the first one and FREAKING OUT. What if it doesn’t have the right emotional resonance? AAAAAH! I can’t figure out why this is so much harder for me than fic is. Is it a psychological thing? Was fic this hard for me when I first started writing it? (That was over 10 years ago! I don’t remember!)

+ Even if you have no interest in Kdramas, you should probably get on Hulu or Dramafever and watch City Hunter. It is so damn accessible. And Korean Batman >>>>>>>> American Batman. Plus: best heroine EVER! She hella competent and strong and has taken care of herself for years but she’s also incredibly emotionally open and adorable, which is a combination I don’t feel like you see a lot of? She’s the best. And check out these boyfriends (unless you're a spoiler-phobe. But I feel like it's only vaguely spoiler-y?).

+ Also, Lee Min Ho is rather attractive.



So there’s that.

+ The kdramas I've been watching lately (specifically Mawang and City Hunter) have these fantastic, complex relationships between guys, especially guys who are very different (think, like Spike and Angel level complex). And I love them. If I was going to be a big slasher, I would slash the heck out of kdrama guys. BUT. It makes me sad that there are no complex relationships between ladies. They're either A) good friends but usually not on a complex or plot-related level or B) competitors/enemies. And hey--this is a problem with Western TV, too, I just happen to be watching more Korean TV at the moment. And it makes me wistful. Why is it that guys get all the nuances of relationships and ladies never do? It makes me pout.

+ You know what was a good show? Recess. I was probably a little too old to be watching it, but I enjoyed it so much with the King of the Playground and the Mean Girl clique of all the girls named Ashley (and then that one random girl who WASN’T named Ashley, and they had a whole episode where the truth came out that one of the Ashleys wasn’t really an Ashley and it was THE DRAMA) and kickball being the Most Important Thing in the World. I was thinking of the episode the other day where the big guy (whose name I can’t remember) sings in the bathroom (and I feel like he was singing “Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Seen” or something like that) and he sounds fantastic but then when he sings outside the bathroom he can’t sing at all? And for some reason the other characters need him to sing outside of the bathroom so they, like, put toilets or something in the place where they need him to sing so that he can pretend it’s the bathroom? LULZ.

Anyway, that was a good show.

+ Vampire Diaries meta all over my flist all the time. How does this show that started out so silly inspire so much awesome meta? Damon Salvatore's self-awareness, I love you.

+ And, as expected:





+ Let us not talk about Sansa beating Buffy. I love Sansa loads, but BUFFY ♥♥♥♥♥


+ I actually cannot choose between Scully and Donna. I ended up going with Scully but only barely. HOW CAN YOU POSSIBLY MAKE ME CHOOOOOSE? Caroline vs. Veronica was also evil. EVIL EVIL EVIL.

+ Tami hasn’t got a chance in hell, but you should vote for anyway. *wistful sigh*

+ mollivanders has some thoughts on Molly Hooper which are excellent. Oh, oh, oh Molly.

+ upupa_epops has brilliant, brilliant thoughts on Katherine and Elena (and by extension Damon and Stefan)

+ lutamira has stats about the Oscar noms that are simultaneously depressing and not at all surprising. [eta--this is flocked, too! But the article is here and if you want to rant, you can totally do it here in the comments]

And now I'm going to go back to work/taking breaks to read Derek/Casey fic because who am I.

the most frustrating thing about not getting the channel Vampire Diaries is on and then going to bed before I can download and watch it is that it's always Friday night before I can see it, and by then I feel like I'm way late to the conversations, even though it's been like 24 hours since the episode aired.

Fandom is weird.

+ So I overslept, which meant I ran out the door, which meant that I didn't take my pills, which means that I will probably be feeling like I want to die at about 1:00 when my brain chemistry starts FREAKING OUT. Oh, anti-depressants. The things you do to me.

+ Anyway! I have a question for y'all who are X-Files-y inclined.

( x-files question )

+ And another question: if I want to change the text on my journal so that all of it (in the entries/comments) is in a darker font so that I can read it a little better (I love the color scheme, but it does require some eye-straining), what code do I need to look for in the CSS? I've changed a few colors, I thought, but nothing seems to have changed, so I must be changing the wrong thing, I guess? Any thoughts?


+ snickfic's latest fic revived all of my Jo Harvelle feelings and now I want ALL the fic where Jo's interacting with Dean (shippy or non, I don't even care). Any recs, y'all?


+ I miss Leverage already.

+ And a quick poll:

[Poll #1815188]