Just got DMC3:SE for the PC (to replace my other version while I lack a PS2). After I finally got the gamepad to work right with the blasted thing, I spent all day trying to figure out why it was still playing like a fucking albatross even on Turbo before finally realizing I didn't have Trickster maxed out anymore. I have no idea how I managed to max out the other styles on the original, I can't do anything without my tricks. I have to earn back all my shit up to DMD...kill me now.

#Stupidproblems aside, it's fun to play a truly intuitive hack-and-slash again. No other game has DMC3's replay value for me - no matter how tired the levels, there's always new and awesome ways to kill things and gain ridiculous style points. Also new and awesome ways to hate yourself, because how did I get this bad that even Cerberus is taking me to the cleaners? It's like, dodge, dodge the fucking ice, you complete nitwit, I'm pressing the buttons, move, this is why you'll never become a man, goddamn it.

Leverage is just the best show in so many ways. Very episodic, which has always been one of my favorite forms of storytelling, character and plot development spread out across dozens of smaller stories. Subtle, carefully understated romance that never takes over the main story, so you look forward to hints of it rather than getting sick of hearing about it. Constant humor and absurdity, refusing to take itself too seriously while knowing how and when to be serious. Inverted stereotypes (Hardison, the nerdy, genius hacker who happens to be a muscular black guy; Parker, the weird, socially-awkward kleptomaniac who happens to be a hot blonde girl; Eliot, the violent, abrasive bodyguard who happens to be a long-haired pretty white boy.) Extremely capable and unique female characters who are consistently (this is key) just as funny, smart, and cool as the guys (when not more so). Talented actors who excel at being required to switch up their roles constantly due to the nature of playing con artists, up to and including integrating the actors' real-life talents with that of the plot (i.e. Christian Kane really plays the guitar and Aldis Hodge really plays the violin). Smart and shamelessly feel-good plotlines as the rule, not the exception. I love a good tragedy as much as the next person, but grimdark bullshit is freaking everywhere these days, so it's nice to have at least one drama that knows how to laugh, lets the main characters succeed way more often than they fail, and wants you to walk away from every episode feeling elated, rather than vaguely suicidal.

And best of all, it's maintained this formula for three whole seasons without some jackass coming along and insisting "Hey, we need more sex, death, and misery up in this motherfucker, because ratings." Leverage was kind of a dark horse when it turned out to be so popular, despite refusing to be gross and exploitative like so many other dramas out there. As much as I love risque stuff, I've gotten so tired of blood and boobs for pure shock titillation, no intelligence behind it whatsoever. And I really can't stress this enough, three fun seasons without any emphasis on romance is such a breath of fresh air. This show is all about friendship and people who'll go to the ends of the earth for each other and doing the right thing, and who doesn't love that?

I haven't seen the fourth season yet, but I'm hoping the pattern of awesomeness continues right up into the fifth season. And then, I'll be honest, I hope it ends after that on a strong note and everybody goes home happy, because all my favorite shows got stupid after five seasons (Supernatural, Buffy the Vampire Slayer) and it would break my heart if that happened to Leverage. So, you know, fingers crossed, praying hard.

Finally (and most importantly): Aldis Hodge, let me love you.



Let me love you forever.

This latest change is one of many little adjustments seemingly designed just to make Livejournal harder for me to use, on both my desktop and my phone. Gmail has done their novel best to accomplish this, too, in their standard view of my mailbox. Youtube is starting to function like a complete albatross. I could go the fuck on. Plain HTML, still the most efficient form of using the internet, is going the way of the thylacine in favor of bloated animations and extremely limited mobile sites. And I haaaaaate it.

But why should I expect people to stick with what works instead of what (they think) looks good? That would make sense and benefit us all, and if that happened, humanity would implode.

So I finally saw the "Breaking Dawn" trailer a million years after everyone else. I'm not gonna lie, I'm so excited I could pee my pants. It is going to be such epic and hilarious fail and look good while doing it. Sprawling scenes of Brazil. Super-strength sex*. Taylor Lautner's naked torso. Kristen Stewart's naked everything. Unholy spine-breaking unborn baby oh my god I can't even. You guys, this will be amazing.

*When your significant other is basically a marble statue and can snap you in half by accident, seriously bad idea to be on the bottom. Tie him to the bed, pony up, and ride that sparkly horse into the sunrise. But what am I saying? Good wives have no idea what "cowgirl position" and "recreational bondage" mean. Though I'm surprised Bella didn't learn what "pelvic fracture" means long before the demon baby took root.

Since getting LJ back, I have used it almost solely to continue reading Authur/Eames fic. I have a hundred bookmarks now, which means in the last three weeks I have read almost twice that in stories altogether. I am in the middle of a 100k word AU WIP. I'm a little scared. Apparently I have many preferences I was unaware of and this pairing is running them all down in a Hummer and kneecapping them so they can never escape into the recesses of my mind again.

Oh god the voice in my head that should sound like me sounds like Tom Hardy. Fucking Brits, with your sex consonants and your 'colour'.