#[ looked back at the opening of the second season and comparing all the differences between

[wxtchpilot]

—

[umlewis]

lewis hamilton is interviewed during the press conference on media day, australia - march 13, 2025 (transcript under the cut)

Interviewer: "Lewis, can I start with you? The switch to Ferrari has been huge news all winter. Can I ask you about your first race vibes? How different is the experience here in Melbourne now, compared to when you joined Mercedes in 2013; even when you joined McLaren back in 2007?" Lewis: "Good afternoon, everyone. It's good to see everybody. Yeah, naturally it's… I'm very, very fortunate I've had this amazing career in Formula 1, and starting with McLaren here in 2007 was an epic feeling, and then starting with a new team again with Mercedes was, again, incredibly special. I think this is very reminiscent, probably, of my first year. I think for all those years I've gone up and down the paddock looking and seeing the red garage, and now I'm actually in the red garage, so it's a real nice feeling." Interviewer: "Quick word on the car? Is it one that inspires confidence?" Lewis: "Yeah, so far I definitely feel so. The first few days we've had in running, obviously three days in the car, but difficult to know where we stand with everyone else. But we just try to keep our heads down and just focus on our job. Carlos was incredibly quick, Kimi was really quick. It was difficult to know who's where. Looks like it's going to be close between us all. But for me, I've been just itching to get going, I guess. It's been a long time coming, and to think that this is gonna be my first grand prix… One of those other firsts with the team. As I experience that all through the year, it's pretty… I feel very honored and very grateful to have the opportunity."

[time jump] Journalist: "David Croft, Sky Sports F1. Kimi, Lewis, Carlos, great to see you back again. Lewis, you're smiling and you're in red, and it just kind of looks good and it feels good, I'm sure. But every Ferrari driver feels the expectation and the pressure. How are you turning that pressure into pleasure? 'Cause you look like you're loving every second." Lewis: "Yeah, I mean, firstly I'm smiling just 'cause looking at this youngster here, you know, and just happy for him. He's doing so well and conducting himself so well. And taking that first leap and getting that first opportunity to be in Formula 1, it's so, so special, and I know how many years of dedication it would have taken for him to… Obviously he's starting four years earlier than I was. You're eighteen now, huh?" Antonelli: "Yeah." [laughs] Lewis: [laughs] "Yeah, jeez. So [laughs] it's just exciting to see, so that's what I was initially smiling at. And then the other part is, yeah, I don't… I've not approached this role with… I think just, always through the years, the pressure that I've put on myself has always been ten times higher than any other pressure that can be put upon me, and I think I've not joined this team and been made to feel any pressure. I have an expectation for myself; I know what I can bring, I know I can deliver, I know what it's gonna take to do that, and it's just getting your head down and working away. So I come with a very open mind, coming into this weekend. It is about getting into a season, it's about getting into a good rhythm. As I said a while ago, still learning this new car that's quite a lot different to what I've driven for all of my previous career, in the sense of the Mercedes power. Coming to Ferrari power, it's something quite new. Different vibration, different feel, differernt way of working. The whole team works completely differently. I was just sitting, looking at the race trace from last year, and it's upside down compared to [laughs] the previous ones. I'm, like, looking at it from what I've…" Sainz: [unintelligible] Lewis: "Same for you?" Sainz: "Yeah, I don't understand…" Lewis: "Don't understand it at all. I'm like… [laughs] So you're looking at things all in from a different perspective, which makes it exciting and challenging, so… This is the most exciting period of my life, and so I'm really just enjoying it and I'm so excited to get in the car tomorrow."

[time jump] Lewis: "I completely forgot what the question was." Interviewer: "What are your objectives for this season?" Lewis: "Yeah, well, I think… I mean, Carlos was answering it pretty well, so I was kind of following him, thinking he's taking all the words out of my mouth, really. I think, as he was saying, joining a new team, the sooner you can get to performing at the high level and getting results, the better, but inevitably there is a transition period and there is a foundation that's needed to be built. And I'm sure both of us, that's what we've been doing over the past couple of months. And the first half of the season really is kind of… It is that foundation building; those relationshpis, the trust you're building with absolutely every single person within the team that you get to work in. And it's not something you just step into the door and trust and respect is… Whilst respect is given, trust is something that's built over time. I think, for me, of course I mean the goal is to win and the goal is to take the team forwards. I've had some not so spectacular years, and trying to see if I can have a better year than I have the last three. And yeah, there'll be lots of factors which can add to that."

[time jump] Journalist: "More or less, this question is to Lewis: After a lot of attention and expectation that have been created in these days around you and the team, after this weekend, you will be happy if…?" Lewis: "Huh?" Sainz: [unintelliglble] Lewis: [laughs] "Yeah, it'll definitely help to be in the top ten. [laughs, reporters laughing] Well, I mean… I don't remember where I finished here last time. You guys won it. I don't think it was that great." Sainz: "You didn't win." Lewis: "No, I didn't win. You won. I know, you won. [laughs] Yeah, what would I be happy with coming away this weekend? I don't know. As I said, I don't have expectations. I just ultimately wanna come away knowing that I've given it absolutely everything and I've excelled in the way that I know I can, that I felt comfortable in the car, and just one foot in front of the other. So I don't know what that means in results, but of course we won't know 'til tomorrow whereabouts we truly stand within the top teams, but I'm hoping that we're able to compete for the top five, so [laughs] somewhere in that space."

[lamentationsofalonelypotato]

Chapter 9: Wedding Bells or Gong of Destruction?

Pairing: Soldier Boy x f!reader, Reader POV

Summary: When the reader left Payback 40 years ago after a falling out with her childhood best friend she never looked back, but when two men show up to her apartment and start asking her questions about the past, the reader begins to think those things can’t stay hidden and starts to question what’s real and what’s fantasy.  This is a re-telling of The Boys Season 3, where the reader is a supe who's known Soldier Boy since 1927. The chapters will fluctuate between past and present. This is chapter nine of my "You Call It Madness But I Call It Love" series. (I'm so bad at summaries please forgive me!)

Word Count: 3.3K

Warnings: References to sex, Cursing (a few times), Soldier Boy might be, is, really, absolutely, a little OOC, pining, fluff, some angst.

Note: This is told from Reader's perspective. Any references to the reader is made using you or your. There is minimal use of y/n. I tried my best to proofread, but nobody's perfect. Reader is described as "curvy" occasionally. If you don’t like, don’t read, but if you do like, you’re my favorite!

Internal Monologue is in first person and is in italics

Series Masterlist

Main Masterlist

Philadelphia 1941

You paced at the foot of your bed, wringing your hands together, heartbeat frantic against your ribcage as your world seemed to spin to a stop. You didn't know whether you wanted to laugh or cry, scream or sob, throw up or have a stroke. Your entire body was electrified with your nerves, popping and crackling loud in your ears as the impulses jumped from synapse to synapse with ease.

And it was Howard's fault.

After three years of courting, of you trying to make up excuses to lengthen the distance between you two, of trying to find a way out, of trying to find a way to tell Ben that you loved him, it had finally happened, Howard had proposed. It wasn't out of the blue, you had been courting long enough and you were well past the age of usual engagement, something your mother continued to point out, but that didn't make any of this any easier.

Your eyes drop to the offensive chunk of jewelry on your left hand. Not only was it the ugliest ring you’d ever seen, but it was from the wrong man. You knew that deep down in your bones, knew it the second Howard came to Sunday night dinner and dropped to one knee in front of you. Hell, you knew it the second you met Howard for the first time. He was nothing compared to Ben, no one was.

You had looked Howard in the eye stunned, unable to speak, then raised your eyes to your father and mother hoping to find your voice and a plausible excuse, but before you could give him the honest answer you knew in your heart to be true, your mother had shouted "Of course she will!"

Because she's controlled everything else about my life, of course she'd do this as well.

Your tried again not to think about how ugly the ring and how it was utterly wrong for you in every way. When Howard dropped to one knee and opened the velvet box, all you could think of was Ben. You wondered what ring Ben would have chosen for you and wondered if the ring from him would have been right.  He knew you better than anyone else.

Which begged the question: shouldn't your fiancé?

You tried not to compare your best friend to Howard, because you knew who would win. Every time you began to compare them, Ben had more pros than Howard did. But you couldn't keep waiting for Ben, didn't want to. Howard was promising you a future, a family, marriage-

A loveless one. The thought is immediate and makes your heart seize in your chest.

You knew that a marriage with Ben would be different, filled with passion, romance, love-

But he doesn't love you. So basically if Ben married you it would be the same for him as you marrying Howard. A one-sided love.

Despite dating Howard, you still allowed Ben in your life. Ben stayed over whenever he wished, walked with you to the park, stole you away for drinks in the bar down the street where Howard wouldn't be caught dead in, and took you to the occasional baseball game. Howard didn't drink and he didn't like being outside. Those moments with Ben made you feel more alive than you'd ever felt and then you'd meet Howard later and try to summon the enthusiasm to sit with him at dinner, all the while you were still buzzing with happiness from seeing Ben.

It made you feel like a traitor, feeling that good and thinking about another person while Howard tried to be everything you wanted.

Whenever Howard would kiss you goodnight, it made you feel like you were kissing a statue, cold, unfeeling, and despite his attempts to slide his tongue in your mouth it was passionless. And it made you think about what Ben said about Howard's name and what he would be like in bed, as improper as it was. You think back to all the moments you and Ben had been pressed against one another when you woke up in the morning, how perfectly you fit against him. Whenever Howard tried to hug you or hold you close it was all wrong. He wasn't tall enough or broad enough, not to mention sometimes you thought if he'd even be able to pick you up. Howard was more lanky than muscular, certainly not as strong as Ben, who picked you up one time on a dare from Adam when you were all really drunk.

Howard didn’t make you feel warm when he touched you accidently, he didn’t make you feel brave whenever your mother was around, and he certainly didn’t make you feel as happy as you did when you were with Ben. Not to mention he never let you draw him, said that there were more important things that he could be doing rather than siting there posing for you.

Howard wasn’t spontaneous. He’d show up exactly on time, call when he said he would, time every single minute of your dates and he certainly never tried to surprise you the way Ben did. The only time Howard ever seemed excited about anything was when he was talking about the fiscal progress of the United States in comparison to Europe, which he weaseled into every conversation you had together.

Even when he asked you to marry him it sounded more like a business proposal than a happy moment. You always thought that when you got engaged the other person would make at least some confession of love. He hadn’t done that. Howard successfully sucked the life out of a moment you thought you would remember forever. You couldn’t even remember what he said before he got on one knee, just the awkward silence and the feeling of dread that clamped tight around your heart when he asked you the question that ruined your life.

Legally am I bound to this, because technically my mother said yes for me?

You wondered if Howard proposed because the U.S was finally joining in the war or if he genuinely loved you. He brought by flowers often, roses even though you liked lavender more, brought by caramels even though you liked chocolates, and sent you books on the financial history of the United States that were helpful when you couldn't sleep at night, they sent you right off, not to mention you'd started sketching street scenes in the pages making them much more interesting, but you weren't going to show Howard that. His head would probably explode.

You sigh again, pacing faster at the end of your bed.

Howard wanted a quick wedding within the week before he shipped out to military training on Friday, and maybe you should be scared about your fiancé going to war, but the only person you were worried about was Ben. He'd probably also join the military to prove something to his father and take your heart with him when he left. You knew that Ben was the only one you wanted to hold your heart in his hands.

You look back down at the ring on your finger, filled with dread and thoughts about a passionless future.

How am I going to tell Ben?

The tap on your window is familiar, but frightens you, because you didn't know how to tell him or how he'd react. Each time you brought up Howard around him, Ben would make a sarcastic comment and change the subject. You think about the night you danced together, when Ben said that you couldn't be Howard's and also his friend.

Does that mean he'll never want to be apart of my life when we get married?

The thought makes your heart break. You couldn't imagine a life without Ben and you didn't want to, but you could image a life without Howard.

Ben is crouched in the window, a wide smile on his face,  but this time he doesn't wait for you to let him in, he rolls up the window himself and he crosses the room to hug you.

The hug surprises you. You were usually the one that initiated them, but the hug breaks something in your chest and you hug him back tighter than you ever had to stop the tears from falling, pressing your face into his rumpled suit.

"Hey Sweetheart." Ben pulls back, but frowns when he looks at your face. "What's wrong?" Ben's hand gently cups your cheek, trailing warmth where his fingertips touch. You're surprised at the boldness of his touch, but you ascribe it to the alcohol, given the sharp tang of whiskey that floats through the air between you.

"Nothing." You clear your throat, stepping back so his hand falls and covering your ring finger on your left hand with your right nonchalantly. "How are you?"

Ben frowns for a minute at your reaction, but then shakes it off. "I've got great news." He smiles so wide that it makes the urge to cry rise in the back of your throat again.

You knew that as soon as you married Howard he would forbid you from seeing Ben. He already had after the night at the dance hall, but you didn't pay attention to him. Unfortunately, you knew that once you were married you wouldn’t be able to defy his wishes. You respected what marriage represented far too much to cross that line.

"Um me too." You smile tightly, your heartbeat so loud you wonder if Ben can hear it.

"Oh. Well-" Ben begins to say, wanting to let you talk.

"No. Please, you go first."

He won't tell me what news he has if I say my piece about Howard.

"Well, I've been thinking about what you said to me the other day about trying to figure out what I want-"

You remembered the conversation clearly. It was another day at Fairmount Park and it was an attempt to get Ben to start thinking about his future, though when you had told him to figure out what he wanted you hoped that it meant he would consider you, consider turning your friendship into something more. Your heart surges, hoping that this is it, this is Ben finally saying that loves you, that he wants to be with you.

"And I'm finally going to make something of myself." Ben's green eyes shine brightly with his excitement.

"Huh?" Your heart sinks.

"I talked to my dad." You don't miss the way Ben's jaw tightens when he says it. "And I've decided to enlist-"

"Enlist! Ben-" It takes all you have to beg him not to go, not to leave you here. Because you knew that you couldn't live without him and the thought that he would die overseas in a war destroyed you.

"Wait, listen." Ben smiles wider, confusing you. "My dad has friends in the war department, friends that are looking for volunteers for a military project."

"A military project?"

"It's a serum or an injection that's supposed to make us stronger, better-"

"What do you mean?" You ask mildly confused. You hadn't heard of the government announcing any kind of experiments or projects in the newspapers. Surely Howard would have told you about it, he was always boring you with things like that.

"I'm a not a scientist" Ben shakes his head. "But all I know is that they're looking for volunteers and they want men and women."

Surprise flits through your mind. It was odd that they were also asking for women. Although you knew that the military was beginning to accept women in their ranks, it was still surprising that they wanted female volunteers for a government project. Especially if they were experimenting on them.

Like lab rats?

"What are you saying?" You're still confused as to what he's trying to tell you, unusual given the fact that you were usually very good at reading him.

"I want you come with me." Ben can hardly contain his excitement, his smile is so wide it nearly splits his face.

It was the last thing you expected him to ask. "What?" You blink.

"I don't want to do this without you." He says in a tone that makes your heartbeat stop. "And I want you to come with me." He repeats.

Your immediate reaction is to scream yes, let him take you away from all of this, but then you remember Howard, and your mother and feel the weight begin to settle on your shoulders again.

"Ben I can't." It breaks your heart to say it to him, to watch how his face falls.

“Why not?”

"Howard is-"

"Come on, you really think things are going to work out with that son of a bitch?" Ben shouts so loud you're afraid that he'll wake up your parents.

"He loves me-" You begin to say, the urge to cry coming back strong, burning against your eyes. Because now it was that you were choosing Howard over him, even though you didn't want to, it was what your mother wanted. The future she laid out for you.

"You don't know that." Ben snaps, rolling his eyes.

"Ben, he-" You struggle to find your words, taking in a deep breath to strengthen your voice. "He- he proposed. I mean it's been three years, we're both of age-"

Ben's eyes drop to your left hand and this time you uncover your hand so he can see the engagement ring. His shoulders tense and the muscle in his jaw clenches and unclenches.

"When did he ask you?" Ben says in almost a growl.

"Tonight. He came to dinner, my mother is so excited-" You successfully keep the tremor from your voice, but it quickly feels like you're running out of air.

"But you're not." Ben mutters

"Of course I am-" Your voice cracks with emotion.

"No you're not." Ben raises his gaze to look at you.  "I know you." The look in his eyes is unfamiliar, almost afraid.

But Ben isn't scared of anything. You try to remember a moment that he acted afraid, the only time is the memory of when you first met, when his father was looking for him and you lied to help him hide. Ben was fearless, it was something that you admired about him. You could always rely on him to have your back, be strong when you knew that you couldn’t be. To see him afraid was different.

"Ben-" You try again.

"Please." His jaw clenches together. "Don't marry him. Come with me."

"What?" You blink a few times to comprehend what he's asking.

Is he saying that he wants me to marry him? To run away with him?

"You're worth a hundred of him and I don't want to do this without you."

"Ben you're asking me to give up my future, my life-" You say trying to strengthen your resolve.

As unwelcome as Howard's proposal was, it was a future of sorts, what Ben was asking you was to dive into the unknown and you weren't sure if you were strong enough to do that. To leave everything you knew behind you and go with him. But apart of you was thrilled. Maybe it meant that Ben cared for you, needed you and this was the only way that he knew how to tell you. The three little words jump to the tip of your tongue again, the words you wanted to say when you danced together under the twinkling lights all those nights ago.

"You mean the future your mother wants for you." Ben sighs.

"Ben-"

"You’ve been trying to please her your whole life. Please don’t do this for her. Don’t marry him for her." Ben says, trying to catch your gaze, but you look down at his chest for a minute.

"But-"

"You are worth more y/n. And even if she can’t see your worth I can."

"Ben-"  You look back up at him, trying to find the courage to tell him that you love him.

He stares back at you, green eyes wide and honest before he takes your hands. They're warm and rough, familiar in the best way. "Tell me that you want him. You’ve never lied to me before and I don’t think you’ll start now."

Your words die on your tongue, because you know that you can't lie to him, you never could.

"Is that really what you want? To spend the rest of your life with him? If it is I'll leave, but I want to hear you say it." His eyes are filled with promises that make your voice catch in your throat, like two blazing green fires that see through you. Ben might have acted aloof with other people, but he always paid attention to you and knew what you were thinking.  No one knew you as well as he did, well except for the most obvious thing.

No it's not what I want. All I want is to be with you. The thought is immediate.

"But what about my mother-" You say, squeezing his hands.

"If you come with me, you'll never have to worry about her ever again." He says. By now tears are trickling down your cheeks, frustration and confusion building in your chest. Ben was promising you a future with him, but you couldn't understand if he was doing it because he wanted to be more or if he wanted you with him because you were his friend.

He drops your hands and instead brushes away your tears from your eyes. "I know you don't want to marry him."

"I don't." You whisper. "But I don’t know if I'm strong enough for this-"

“Do you trust me?”

Your hands come up to the front of his chest before you can stop yourself, feeling the warmth that surges underneath your palms. “Of course I do.”

His eyes are inviting, pleading, filled with emotion. "I swear that I will be strong enough for the both of us." His hands cup your cheeks. "I swear that I will look out for you like I always have.  I swear that I will never leave you. And I don't want to leave you behind. Please y/n. Come with me." The earnest look in Ben's eyes makes you cry harder, but you know that all you want is to go with him.

You don't want him to go and leave you here, where no one understands and the future that you see is cold, emotionless, and the path dark. You see the coming years with Howard, living together, having children, lunching with other women you hardly know and talking about nothing that mattered.

When you were with Ben everything you talked about seemed important, every moment with him was fused with wonder and expectation, you were never disappointed and were always excited about what you would do together even if it was something as mundane as sitting on a bench with Ben talking while you painted. You could imagine spending the rest of your life with him.

But could he imagine the same thing with you?

The future you see with Ben is warm, inviting, filled with promises you know that he’ll keep because he’s never broken a promise to you no matter what.

But you wonder if it's the promise that you want.

You stand there in the silence of his plea, hearing the ticking of the clock on your bedside table, the sound of cars outside your window, and the sounds of the night vibrate through you bones.

He wasn’t saying that he loved you. He wasn’t confessing his love. He wasn’t making a promise to marry you.

But maybe this was his way. Ben had never been the best at expressing what he was feeling, but the look in his eyes, the way his fingers hold your face to his-

It spoke volumes.

“Yes.” You whisper. “I’ll come with you.”

Ben’s smile breaks your heart as he pulls you tightly against him, laying his head on top of yours as he hugs you and sets every nerve ending on fire. Because the hug is different. It’s filled with the unspoken words between you, the memories you’ve shared, and the great unknown that stretches beyond both of you.

And you cling tight to him, the only part of your future that’s certain.

Or so you thought.

a/n: I know, I know there's a lot of unresolved tension.😂 I promise it will all make sense and that it is going somewhere. But I will say the next few chapters are kinda... rough and are painful to write, but I can't wait for y'all to read them.

Thank you so much for reading! If you'd like to be added to the taglist for this series let me know :)

Taglist: @roseblue373 @anundyingfidelity @cheynovak @cassiecasluciluce @muhahaha303

@deans-spinster-witch @kayleighmeister @demodemo909 @fruitfacess @bobbobbobinogs

@bughill126, @simplyfixated @sleepjam, @tiredstrangerr @freefallthoughts

@onlyangel-444

[attapullman]

since fall is basically already here this is my official request for more cowboy!Bob

fall makes me think of cowboys, and cowboy!Bob is a dream boat i need.

I fear he may not be the exact cowboy!Bob you were thinking, but cowboy stats!Bob is here to give you all the cozy autumnal vibes with a little study date on the quad.

Drabble Day

There’s a soft rumble as students play touch football on the quad, and a leaf blower is blaring in the distance, but your attention is squarely in front of you, on the guy wearing Vans and a ripped felt cowboy hat.

Senior year is treating Bob well. There’s a suredness that surrounds him as a seasoned veteran on campus; long gone those lanky pledgling arms and the meek eagerness he brought his first days here. He’s more at ease with himself, the quiet confidence of a man.

It’s sexy.

The back of his crewneck is tucked into his too tight Wranglers as he flops over to compare your answers. It was his idea to take Introduction to Classical Mythology together this semester, but turns out you were much more inclined to the material than him. Not that you were complaining, as the added study dates and the frustrated vein in his forehead were big bonuses. 

He tips his hat back, big glossy blue eyes staring up at you in the early autumn afternoon. “It’s not fair you’re smarter than me.”

You give him a pitying frown while tracing the edge of his jaw with your thumb. He’s been running rush events all week on top of his classes with barely a moment to himself, the slightest hint of stubble forming. It’ll be gone by the time bids are out, but you’re enjoying the scratch of it while it lasts.

“You smoked me on all our Stats exams. Had to even the playing field, cowboy,” you tease. You sit back on the blanket he laid out for your quick study date, the big PKP letters peeking through the loose notebook pages and textbooks. 

He gives you an unimpressed look. “Yes, but I had to be good at Stats to make you notice me. How am I supposed to keep you if I can’t remember the difference between The Iliad and Beowulf? You’ll think me a fool!” He theatrically clutches a hand to his face.

You can’t help but laugh at that, the crisp wind blowing between you two as he lifts himself from the blanket. A laugh that abruptly fades as Bob rises up on his haunches, strong thighs straining against thick denim as he towers over you. His mouth set in an unreadable grin as he looks at you over that damn ripped brim.

“Wha-”

He launches on top of you in a split second, tackling you onto the combination of soft blanket and crackling leaves. Big hand cradling your head as he wrestles you into place. You pretend to resist, but there’s nowhere else you’d rather be than under your favorite frat cowboy on a sunny fall afternoon. 

Holding your hands up in surrender, your thighs fall open and Bob settles himself into place. His hat is tipped too far back, his glasses are slightly crooked, and his smile is sunshine. He won’t tell you, but he’s really glad he skipped his fluid mechanics class to study out on the quad with you.

His head dips down and he presses a kiss to both your cheeks before taking a moment too long to kiss your lips. Someone whistles in the distance and you can feel his eye roll. When he’s finally satisfied with the amount of kisses, he props himself back on his elbow. 

“Any chance I can convince you to skip the rest of your classes and head back to your dorm, cowgirl? I think I’d understand structural myth theory better with more hands on learning.” 

[bingiessm]

ANOTHER LONG POST for the Bridgerton over-analysis corner! SEASON 3 TRAILER & PROMO ANALYSIS

I JUST NOTICED SOMETHING!!

THAT IS VIOLET BRIDGERTON! IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FIRST "NON-INTRO" SHOT WITH FRANCESCA!

The first shot of any main character in the entire trailer is this one. Francesca is dancing with a suitor, the camera pushes forward and directs the eye right to Violet who is standing right in the middle, but with an unknown man in front of her.

Oh, I think there are going to be so many parallels between these two this season--especially in terms of romance. They have mostly been seen together or with "suitors" during all these promos and/or in direct comparison/association with one another.

MORE EVIDENCE:

SECOND SHOT of either of them: they are together--and are shown to be equals here, as compared to how Violet was when she presented Daphne or Eloise to the Queen:

Violet, with her other two daughters, was standing BEHIND them! (Also on their right side.) Now she's on the left, standing at Francesca's side--presenting them as equals.

Also, she isn't matching with Francesca like she was Eloise and Daphne--her outfit for this event changed slightly between the first two seasons (take note of the collar and crown), but has now changed dramatically. She at first presented herself as a fellow debutante (take note of the white dress and the gloves), but now is sporting a silver dress with long sleeves with clear grecian influence.

Violet has CHANGED, she isn't a background to or support for her daughter, she is her own person in front of the whole ton. She is also being "presented" in a way, but as this new self.

There is a new Viscountess, more of her children are married and leaving, and (as of Queen Charlotte we know that) she has had a lot of realizations about her marriage and sexuality. The world she knew as Viscountess and wife to Edmund is slowly changing, fading away to something new that she is beginning to embrace.

I think we will see her come more into her own, and not just as a mother or widow--this will be reflected in Francesca, who is going to struggle with finding a relationship that lives up to her mother & father's (and those of her siblings), especially watching her mother finally start to move on.

Right after this sequence is a sequence of Violet and her presumed new love interest, directly associating the two--they are also linked with the narration "what is the primary force that guides us along our paths?" A question I feel will be explored by the both of them.

It seems as if Violet is accepting this new love this season. Francesca, on the other hand, will struggle with romance this season. Every time we have seen her on her own, or with or having just spoken to suitors she seems unsure, worried.

Violet watches her sit at this ball (the Four Seasons one) and takes a breath and sighs in an interesting way--sort of knowingly but resigned(?).

It is also interesting to note within this dynamic that this is Francesca's first season, but not Violet's--as a mother or debutante.

TRAILER ANNOUNCEMENT:

Also, when looking at their appearances in the trailer announcement, it is interesting to see the difference in how they both were portrayed.

Violet is looking, then pulls back to look on in question, as if realizing something, but is curious for more. Francesca opens it and looks unsure again, twisting her mouth. I feel like this is reflective of how their seasons will be.

I just find the clear connection between their stories that the trailer in particular wants us to take note of to be very interesting. It is exciting to see how they will both grow/change. Especially being mother and daughter, which is a dynamic that has been explored to an extent in this show (thinking of Daphne and Violet in season 1, but even that didn't feel fleshed out), but not much. _______________

BUT ANYWAY to others who have read my other Bridgerton posts, omg thanks for chatting and indulging me in this.

I just finished a big film shoot for a project so this has been a nice reprieve from the stress of that.

Hope you are doing well!

[wordsofhoneydew]

🌟 fic rec friday 🌟

9:42, nyu apartment by @cricketnationrise

If you’d told Alex ten years ago that he’d love being pinned to his own couch and kissed to within an inch of his life by Henry fucking Fox, he’d have laughed in your face.

on my knees (i’m aphrodite) by luisasfalsegod

“Baby, we gotta start getting ready for dinner. Ma’ is gonna kill me if I‘m not on time.” June murmurs.

“Tell me to stop and I will” Nora rasps.

June shivers, goosebumps rising on her skin. “Something tells me you don’t want me to” Nora smiles as she cocks her head.

“Oh my god” June whines.

Nora unhooks her bra, pulling it off June‘s body impatiently. She ghosts a hot breath across June‘s skin, delighting in the fact that her nipples are turning harder by the second.

“Are you gonna be a good girl for me?” Nora asks, looking up at June with serious eyes.

Or the one where June and Nora are forced to attend a state dinner at the White House when all they wanna do is fuck

You’re Gonna Go Far by @inexplicablymine

He would let the rich pavement and wide open highways take him home. Texas bluebonnet wild, cicada strong, sideways pampas grass floating freeways situated between wildfire season and the inevitable downpour of hail that tramples Mother Nature's roadside finger paintings.

But he fucking can’t.

Because New York City doesn’t have cicadas; it has cockroaches.

He can’t take the key around his neck and let it be a homing device—protective shield across his heart when he’s run out of air and the gas tank goes low.

Or, After the dust settles and the Brownstone becomes home, it should all be okay. So why does it all still feel so hard?

Is it casual now? by ncfariouvs

There are a couple things in this world that are absolutely unbearable for Alex.

The sound of her parents fighting, for one. She still remembers it, the yelling, that is. It was always so loud that even headphones couldn’t cancel out the noise.

Another thing she cannot fucking stand is when people don’t know how to make good coffee. It’s not that fucking hard.

Thirdly, people not letting her explain herself. She fucking hates being blamed for things that she didn’t do without having the chance to defend herself.

There are a couple more extreme ones, such as racists, bigots, and outright assholes…

But one thing she can’t fucking stand at this particular moment is the snobby, blonde, British girl in her English class who always has her nose stuck in a fucking book.

Henri fucking Fox.

no control (all yours) by @comethedaylight

Alex feels the first twinge in his bladder as he’s moving to the fridge to grab the water pitcher, an ache that’s sharp at first, but settles into something manageable, something almost… exciting. Like a buzz under his skin that he wants to ride out, like a high.

He’s been at this point before, after one too many coffees during late night study sessions in undergrad, too distracted by his readings to take a break, but the difference between then and now is he would just cut his losses. He’d feel that first ache and get up, bookmark his spot and nip it in the bud, but that’s not the plan tonight.

Tonight, he refills his bottle, lays back on the couch, and turns to his phone.

or alex learns something about himself while trying to learn more about his husband

no bunny compares to you by winterpine

Henry is a lot of things as a person and while much of his personality transfers over to his bunny form, his physical attributes do not. Most notably, his size.

Where Alex’s boyfriend stands tall and regal, his furry counterpart is small and fluffy, unable to summit even the most minor of obstacles.

Take their sofa, for one. Alex is watching TV and minding his own business, when he hears a steady thump from just below him. Peering over the edge of the dark cushion, he spots his boyfriend angrily pounding his back foot against the carpet.

“Ha! Is my little bun too tiny to get up here on his own?” Alex teases. He’s promptly rewarded with a whisker twitch followed by a nose scrunch. Henry is pouting and it’s the most adorable thing he’s ever witnessed.

or, five times Henry shapeshifts for himself and one time he does it for Alex

never wanna stop (‘cause your taste is so divine) by strawbgrl

Henry grins in contentment and rakes his fingernails along the backs of Alex’s thighs. “There’s my good boy,” he praises. Alex muffles a whine into the bend of his elbow and Henry watches in astonishment as he relaxes against the mattress. The verbal approval settles deep in Alex’s bones. “I knew you hadn’t forgotten your manners. You just needed a bit of a reminder. Isn’t that right, darling?”

Henry gives, and Alex takes.

l’échappatoire by @anincompletelist

A sea of dark curls. Warm, kind eyes. A slanted, smiling mouth, a dimple carved into the side. One hand holding a tall, steaming coffee, the other a mug full of Henry’s favorite tea. A whisper, a brush of fingertips in the trade off. The more important details.

“Hey, sweetheart.”

It’d be something out of Henry’s most treasured fantasies if he didn’t already know they’d be the last words this man ever says.

Henry fixes anomalies in other people's timelines. It's quite predictable and impersonal work for the most part. (Save for when it seems intent on unraveling his own, of course.)

Don’t Let Them Eat Cake by Magentarivers

Something shifted in the breath between them.

"Are you going to say something sappy?”

“Maybe.” Henry grinned tightly, as though caught red handed.

“Okay good, because me too. You go first.”

It's the night after their anniversary party, and the boys just want to do what any husbands want to do. Unfortunately they are parents first.

I’ll Wait for your Love (1 day before the Reddit Post) by Swoonoveryou

Alex sends Henry flowers for their friendship anniversary. What does this mean? After all these signs, does this mean Alex could actually like him?

He thinks maybe asking the internet might help.

Vegas, Baby by @porcelainmortal

“Hold on, Nora. I need some luck.” Alex holds out his hand, a pair of dice cradled in his palm. “Blow for luck?” He winks and throws Henry a devastatingly gorgeous smile.

Henry’s breath catches in his throat but he manages to inhale sharply before blowing on the dice in Alex’s hand. Alex’s pupils dilate as his eyes are drawn to Henry’s lips. Henry feels as if time has stopped, but he can hear the people at the table still talking and the bells of the machines going off around them. Nora nudges Alex with her elbow, seeming to break the spell Henry and Alex have been under. Alex’s attention is ripped away and he turns, throwing the dice down the middle of the table.

OR, Alex & Henry meet in Vegas, get drunk, and get married. Woops.

[satanslovergirl]

Title: Protecting What’s Mine

Setting: Supernatural Season 11, Episode 9-10 – "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" / "The Things We Left Behind"

Character List:

Dean Winchester

Y/N (Reader)

---

The air in the Impala was thick with tension. The headlights cut through the dark night, casting a pale glow on the empty stretch of highway in front of them. The engine hummed beneath them as Dean gripped the steering wheel, his knuckles pale. He hadn’t said much since their last hunt, since everything had gone sideways with the Amara situation.

Y/N sat beside him, the quiet hum of the road beneath them feeling like a contrast to the constant tension in the car. The weight of what had just happened—the close call with Amara—still hung in the air, but the gravity of the situation hadn’t fully settled in yet. They had barely escaped alive, and the weight of that fact was heavy in the silence. Dean was different. Something had shifted after everything, something Y/N couldn’t quite place.

Dean’s usually confident demeanor was cracked now. His shoulders were tense, and Y/N could see it in the way he gripped the wheel, like he was holding on to something more than just the car.

"Dean?" she asked softly, her voice breaking the tension in the air. "You good?"

He didn’t respond right away, and when he did, his voice was low and distant, not the usual teasing or sarcastic tone she was used to. “Yeah, just thinking.”

Y/N could tell he wasn’t alright. The situation with Amara had shaken him more than he let on. She knew it. She could see it in the way his eyes flicked to her, then back to the road. The haunting feeling of what they’d just been through was still too raw.

He let out a breath, still not looking at her. “You should have stayed in the car, Y/N. I didn’t want you getting involved with her.” His voice was rough, like he was trying to convince himself as much as her.

She shook her head, leaning closer to him, trying to catch his gaze. “I’m not going anywhere, Dean. You know that.” She reached out, her hand resting gently over his on the steering wheel. The small touch was enough to make him pause for a second, but he quickly returned his focus to the road.

“I don’t care about Amara," he muttered, his grip tightening on the wheel. "I care about you.” His words hung between them like an unsaid confession.

Y/N felt her chest tighten at his words, at the vulnerability that shone through in his voice. It wasn’t something Dean usually allowed to show. He was always the one in control, always the one protecting everyone else. But now, here he was, opening up in a way she’d never seen before.

The night air outside was cool, but it didn’t compare to the chill in the car. The more Dean avoided her gaze, the more the knot in her stomach tightened. He was afraid—more afraid than he let on. Y/N had known him long enough to recognize the signs. This wasn’t just about the hunt. This was about something deeper.

She pulled her hand away, her fingertips grazing his as she leaned back in her seat. "You know," she began softly, trying to ease some of the weight off his shoulders, "you don’t have to do this alone. You never have to do it alone."

Dean's face remained unreadable, but his jaw clenched just slightly, his fingers curling on the steering wheel. “I’ve always had to,” he said quietly, almost to himself, the words a bitter reminder of the life they led. The life he led.

Y/N didn’t let him retreat, not this time. She knew the weight of the world rested on his shoulders, but that didn’t mean she had to let him carry it all alone.

"I’m not going anywhere," she said, her voice steady. "And I’m not going to let you push me away just because you think you need to protect me from everything. You need to understand that I want to be here. With you. Through all of this."

Dean shifted in his seat, but still didn’t look at her. His grip on the wheel didn’t loosen, and for a moment, the car was filled with nothing but the sound of the engine. The weight of their words hung in the air, but there was something else there too—a quiet understanding, unspoken but real.

“You should have stayed back at the bunker. Away from all this,” he muttered, but Y/N could hear the soft crack in his voice. He wasn’t mad at her, not really. He was just... scared.

She squeezed his hand gently, her thumb brushing over the back of it. “You know I’m not going to stay behind when you’re out there risking your life.”

He was quiet for a long moment, his face still unreadable. But when he finally spoke, his voice was soft, almost like he was afraid of saying it out loud. “I don’t want to lose you.”

Y/N’s heart stopped at his words. The sheer vulnerability in his voice—the admission that he was afraid of losing her—struck her deeply. It was the last thing she had expected to hear from him.

She turned to him, her gaze soft but unwavering. “You won’t. Not while I’m here.”

Dean didn’t say anything, but for the first time that night, his grip on the wheel loosened just slightly. His shoulders relaxed a little. He wasn’t okay yet, but he was starting to let her in. The walls he’d built around himself had cracked, and she was determined to help him tear them down completely.

---

Later, back at the bunker, the two of them sat in the library, the faint hum of the fluorescent lights filling the otherwise quiet space. Dean had showered, and though he appeared more at ease now that they were off the road, there was still something off about him. The weight of what had happened with Amara was lingering, and Y/N could feel the tension in the air. He was still on edge, still thinking too much.

Dean had been keeping his distance all evening, but now, sitting across from her at the table, he seemed to be lost in thought again. His eyes flickered to the laptop in front of him, but his mind wasn’t there. It was elsewhere, probably still on Amara—on the fear that lingered from their encounter.

“I don’t know how much longer I can keep this up,” he muttered, his voice low, the words barely breaking the silence.

Y/N watched him, heart aching at the way he looked so broken, even when he tried so hard to appear tough. “You’re not alone, Dean,” she said, her voice soft but firm. “You don’t have to carry all of this. Not anymore.”

He let out a frustrated breath, running a hand through his still-damp hair. “You don’t understand. It’s not just about this. It’s about everything—about not knowing if I’m going to make it out of the next fight. About not knowing if I’ll have someone to come back to.”

She stood up, walking over to him. There was no hesitation in her movements now—she was done being afraid of pushing him too hard. “You always have me,” she said, her voice unwavering as she placed a hand gently on his shoulder. “I don’t care what happens. You’ll always have me, Dean. I’m not going anywhere.”

His eyes flickered to hers, and for the first time in a long while, there was a glimmer of relief in them. He leaned back, letting out a long, shaky breath. “I don’t deserve you,” he muttered, his voice barely above a whisper.

Y/N smiled softly, leaning down to place a gentle kiss on his forehead. “You’re wrong. You deserve everything good in this world. And you deserve someone who loves you. Completely.”

Dean’s hand found hers, his fingers curling around it. He didn’t say anything, but the way his gaze softened told her everything she needed to know. In that moment, with everything they had been through, the only thing that mattered was that they had each other. And no matter what came next, they would face it together.

---

The night stretched on, but the weight of fear that had lingered throughout the day began to ease. The bunker was quiet, and for a few fleeting moments, it felt like the world outside didn’t exist. Y/N and Dean were no longer just survivors of a world full of monsters—they were more than that. They were each other's sanctuary, and that was enough for now.

[thistransient]

More musings on Naha:

- My Japan-visiting history includes Naha in 2018 and Tokyo in 2023 (each for 3 nights). I loved Naha the first time, but did not really have the same feeling about Tokyo (which I chalked up to insufficient planning, sprained ribs, and having gotten over the first-time-in-Japan thrill). But I also loved my second time in Naha! The factors I think are at play:

1. Public transport: there's a singular monorail, no need to navigate Tokyo's convoluted two-company labyrinth of an MRT system. It was also a brisk 12 minute ride from the station nearest my hotel to Naha International, unlike the commute from the city center to the airports servicing Tokyo. It's also only a 1 hr 30 minute flight from Taipei, can't really beat that.

2. Walkability: to get anywhere else in Okinawa one must rent a car, but it's perfectly possible to stroll around Naha center on foot. I spent quite a bit of time on the train in Tokyo (and all that that entailed) trying to explore different neighborhoods, which was tiring. I didn't feel threatened by motorised traffic in either city but I found myself jumping out of the way of bicycles in Tokyo a few times.

3. Shīsā (シーサー, 風獅爺, 獅子): "a traditional Ryukyuan cultural artifact and decoration derived from Chinese guardian lions, often seen in similar pairs, resembling a cross between a lion and a dog, from Okinawan mythology. Shisa are wards, believed to protect from some evils. People place pairs of shisa on their rooftops or flanking the gates to their houses, with the left shisa traditionally having a closed mouth, the right one an open mouth. The open mouth shisa traditionally wards off evil spirits, and the closed mouth shisa keeps good spirits in." I love these things so much, they are so fun to spot while walking around, people even dress them up in little outfits depending on the season!

(At this point I should optimally visit a third city to triangulate my experiences a bit.)

- I find if I only go somewhere for a few days, it can be really nice to not buy a SIM card, just download an offline map, save some restaurant locations, and wander around looking at stuff almost like the pre-smartphone days.

- At some point I was also thinking to myself "wow, sometimes it's nice being in a country with minimal hawkers, hustlers, and touts! No one is trying to sell me stuff unsolicited!" Then I accidentally wandered into the red light district while taking a roundabout stroll to a shrine on the edge of town. The deserted back streets of Naha sprang to life and suddenly I was very popular (I suppose it must get boring for them at noon on a Sunday, but I felt like a lone gazelle on the savanna and made a hasty escape with a lot of head shaking and staring intently at the pavement). Perhaps they intentionally put the brothels near the temple to ensnare wayward tourists, who knows.

- The silence of Naha streets compared to the incessant scooter-revving in Taipei made me wonder how much psychic damage the noise pollution is really dealing me on a daily basis. I was also operating with a Taiwanese mindset when jaywalking across a median to get to a supermarket (only because I'd seen some locals doing it), and stepped back cautiously to wait for an oncoming bus which I was sure would otherwise punch me a one-way ticket to the afterlife. Instead, it STOPPED. There wasn't even a cross-walk! I waved somewhat guiltily and scampered away full of wonderment. Frankly I did not really want to come back from pedestrian heaven where there are zero scooters on the unobstructed sidewalks and crossing the street is not a hair-raising experience.

- By sheer, strange coincidence I ran into a friend on the street (as she was getting off a bus), who definitely should not have been in Japan (she told me she was moving back, probably to Tokyo, only after Christmas)- she was in Okinawa for approximately 24 hours to look at real estate and didn't have time to hang out but it was very surreal to catch up for a couple minutes.

To be honest I had had some ambitions for trying out more Duolingo-learnt phrases, but in the moment chickened out and ended up just pointing at stuff lest I give the impression I was capable of more in-depth conversation beyond これをください³. I've had vague thoughts about language school (for the purpose of being able to communicate about print-making and/or shibari, but also to test the waters beyond the tourist experience), and I feel in theory knowing Mandarin first should help with learning kanji, but on the other hand I look at this

- I was a bit surprised when the airline queue employee in International Departures started talking to me in Japanese off the bat (something that has never happened in TPE with Mandarin, they see a westerner and have real low linguistic expectations), so I eyed her a bit blankly til she was done and then tested out my Duolingo skills with 日本語が話せませ¹ to which she responded 英語?², I said "yeah" and she told me I needed to use the kiosk first, to which I protested that I'm always prompted to go to the counter for document verification, but then for once the thing actually didn't (take note if you're doing visa runs, Peach Aviation evidently gives no shits about exit flights).

¹ I don't speak Japanese

² English?

- Last but not least, I flew back south only to find Taipei 5 degrees Celsius colder than Naha, the bidet frostier than ever. 再見琉球，等我回來 T_T

and in my mind it says "Jiùmìng dòngyī wa zuòxí no xià ni arimasu". I think I will stay in Taiwan for now. (Also apparently immigration is not super keen on people over 30 with dubious employment history rocking up for language school in Japan, but that's a bridge to cross when one comes to it).

³ Please give me this

[omies-odd-writing-spot]

Lifeboat 14 Cinnamon, oh my!

Also on Ao3. sorry I forgot to finish posting it here <_< have some more cozy GT?

.

Chapter 14:

Lana wondered if ice cream was in this world as she pressed against the warm hand that came behind her. She was still very leery of the sheer size differences between her and Sesa, but the giant woman’s hand was very warm compared to the ‘basement’ like room. It made the chill tolerable but this was not a place Lana would want to stay long without some proper clothes. 

“Are you okay Lana?” Sesa asked, setting a few jars down on the same table as the Bitta. 

“Yeah, I wasn't expecting it to be… snowing indoors.” Lana noted as some of the disturbed frost from the self above was drifting down to the counter she was standing on.

“It won't be long,” Sesa assured as she carefully pulled her hand back. Looking through the items on that shelf, setting a few things down. “Even though I have to clean up down here, it's a good sign the cold stones are still working fine with no stress. I might have to get another before the hot season.”

“That bad?” Lana worried as she walked around the things in the counter with her. Glad the ‘ground’ under her seemed to be just well sanded wood. Though cold and nippy her feet were not freezing through her shoes. 

“Some days are worse than others.” Sesa explained, “In those ones I take chunks of the weakest stone to try and cool down the cabin. When they recharge in winter, I can use them to make a food cabinet cold for most of the next year.”

“Like a fridge!” Lana laughed, walking around and looking inside a clear jar about twice as tall as her, but with frozen flowers inside. They looked vaguely familiar, about a foot to two feet long, and a muted red-orange color. They seemed mostly dried before being frozen.

There was something about the smell though that lingered around the jar.

“Sesa? What's this?” Lana asked looking up as the giant woman was inspecting some solid frozen disks that were about the size of her hand with what looked like a waxy paper covering. 

Sesa paused, taking a second to track where the tiny human had gotten to in such a short amount of time. “Oh, those are a kind of fever flower. Or…no fever? They help you if you're sick. Smells pretty strong… not sure why I put them down here.”

“Can I…this sounds strange, can I smell it?” Lana asked, sheepishly stepping back from the jar. She startled at the sudden laughter from Sesa. “What?!”

“I’m sorry, I didn't mean to scare you Lana.” Sesa set the frozen disks down and motioned gently for the tiny one to back away so she could pick up the jar in question. “The other name for this is a tree Bitta flower. There's a few flowers called Bitta flowers really, this one just comes from trees.”

The giant opened the jar, twisted the lid to break some frost. The lid was made to fit over the outside and inside of the ring of glass. Sesa carefully picked out one of the frozen flowers on top, offering it too Lana with a smile still. Not quite sure what would happen as smaller hands took it. It looked almost like the frame of a basket in Lana's hands with the wiry pebbles as she inspected it, turning the frozen flower over before sniffing it.

“It is strong, but it smells like… it smells like a mix of ginger and nutmeg.” Lana said looking up, delighted, paused and pinch off a miniscule bit to the giant to hesitantly taste. Not eating but tasted, like she had a few times to test if something would be good or not for her.

“Bleh, oh yeah tastes like it too.”

“Good thing?” Sesa asked as a chuckle rumbled through her watching the reaction. Noticing that that flower was now Lana's by the tiny body language. 

“Very good thing! It means we have two spices equivalent for pumpkin pie.” Lana laughed, flicking her tongue against the roof of her mouth. Making sure there was no odd sensation, that she was breathing right still. She was struggling a bit with remembering what all had to be done to make sure she did not have a bad reaction. 

“Really?” Sesa looked at the jar in surprise, clearly trying to imagine what this pie would taste like. “Medicinal plants are like some of your spices?”

“...I think a lot of herbs are like that.” Lana considered, “Lots of cooking herbs and stuff is good for you, even if just for a better way of absorbing vitamins.” 

“What else do we need?” Sesa mused, then held one of the wrapped disks up, “Is this enough cream?” 

“Oh plenty,” Lana assured, looking up from the flower she held, so far she was feeling alright. It reminded her of the mace off of nutmeg. Lana hoped she could see this flower blooming soon.

Sesa made an interesting sound as she was looking at things on the counter, other herbs as far as Lana could tell. 

The giant woman brightened up, “Ooh, I remember why I froze a lot of these. I was trying to beat the first big winter storm gathering things. It was easier to freeze them and deal with it later.”

Lana eyed the big…. massive basement space that was both incredibly deep and wide. It was as large as the cabin above but… a basement. There was a lot of storage space, and not all being used at all, let alone efficiently. As a lot of the middle of the room was just open. “At least you have the room to do that?”

“I probably should dry them out.” 

“Then we should do it.” Lana said, getting herself into an open spot, the lacey like flower still held. “There's going to be time to start that jar at least while the pie bakes.”

It was interesting to see the giant take a deep breath. Cheeks puffed for a moment before Sesa sighed even deeper and then started to gather a few jars to tuck in her left arm. Holding them against her body, with the frozen disk in that hand. Offering her now free right to Lana. The giant grinned as the Bitta grasped the side of her hand. 

Even though Lana hesitated, she was not flinching as much. It was an improvement from the first meeting, though Sesa was realizing she likely did not give the best first impression. Lana had been, still was painfully cute looking though.

It was such an odd thrill when the Bitta pulled herself up to sit on Sesa's hand willingly. The woman was being as gentle as she could be, holding Lana closer to her chest. Trying to make sure she would be stable.

The trip back upstairs to the cabin proper was not that long. Sesa moved into the kitchen to let Lana hop off on the same counter they used in the morning. The Bitta moved towards the wall where the improvised older stove was for her. Not yet moved to Lana's new home.

Sesa was setting things down on the counter now that Lana was safely out of the way. Then moved to set more little jars, about as tall as Lana, of cooking spices on the counter as well. The ones she found and harvested, a few traded from locals that had that same Smokey look to them. A few jars that looked like they came from the store, and possibly from farther away as one looked like dried cactus to the Bitta.

“Should I get the other medicine plants?” Sesa asked, finding a nice big bowl to put the frozen cream in. Then a few pans, one for roasting the squash and the others for drying out the frozen herbs. 

“If they're safe to eat, why not?” Lana was sitting down to wait for things to stop moving around again. She held up the thawed, lacy flower, “We might find something like this. Likely not looking like what I know, but smells and tastes like something.”

Lana was tapping the flower, it was thawing pretty quick and needed drying time. “You have a stove top, Sesa, is there an oven?”

“Not a big oven but yes I have one.” Sesa paused and considered, “I have a bigger wooden oven, smoker outside. But I think you mean for the herbs? The inside oven will do that.”

Lana nodded, then saw the giant woman was kneeling to look in a cabinet under the counter. “Yes, and the pie. Can we thaw the cream without cooking it? It needs to stay cool.”

“Oh I can do that, yes.” Sesa smiled, coming up with a pot and a large bowl. “Is that going to be too big for the… whipped cream?”

“Perfect!” The tiny woman chirped. “It'll expand a lot, even if we don't use the whole thing.”

“Having some extra cream would be nice to have with tea tonight.” Sesa thought aloud as she got up and stretched her back. Having a few free days was... nice. Some maintenance choirs aside.

Sesa wondered if she should bring Lana to the garden before evening. Or just show around some of the outside today or tomorrow. Maybe the porch? Lana did not seem like she was needing to go outside of the cabin urgently, and was currently interested in the sugar left over from the morning and finding out how to crush it even finer. It would be a really fine powder at this rate. Sesa opened the oven to her right, lifting the metal grate out and used a tool hanging to the side of the door, tapping around on top of the wide, deep stone so it would activate. Fitting the grate back on, she reached for a big spoon.

The giant got some more of the heat stone fragments around the main stone, something she normally would not bother with. It would not be hard to carve a soft stone to make Lana an oven. Sesa realized she did not make one of those yet. Able to get some of the chips for that and a new one for the little cooking station left on the counter. As the cooking hot rock from that morning was moved to the crate. 

Thinking about it, Sesa looked around, getting up to grab a small cup, oven closed up to get nice and warm. The chips and some sand put in the mug, Sesa moved to get a chair as well, grabbing some carving tools and a nice chunk of black granite. Sesa had found some nice pieces on a beach, the last fishing trip before yesterday. 

Lana was looking up and had walked to the big knife block, looking thoughtful. Sesa saw her pull a folding knife that positively looked like the ittiest bitty knife the woman had ever seen.

“I miss my kitchen knives.” Lana noted. 

“I’m sorry, I'm not sure if I have anything useful for your size.” Sesa winced, there were so many things that made life easier that… was about as big as the bitta. Not fit to her scale. 

“I at least have this, it was my foraging knife so… would you have a wet stone?” Lana turned, and seeing the puzzled look she remembered the concept of hot and cold…magic stone things. Lana tried again. “Sharpening stone?”

“Yes to that... Ooooh, wait I get it, wet stone. Need to use water on sharpening rocks for metal.”

“Exactly.” Lana nodded, thankful many things seem similar between their people. Names and size scale aside. “At least knives can be made of a lot of things for my size. Metal chips or shavings for you, if not rust. Copper? Glass, obsidian… hell even bone, antler or flint. I miss my ulu knife.” 

“What is that?” Sesa asked, setting her carving things aside until later. Not sitting just yet either as the giant started to open the jar with the fever plants. Picking the easiest out first to spread out evenly. The whole jar’s worth should fit on the flat pan. Sesa smiled as Lana brought her flowers over to neatly put in the row. 

“I think most of this will have to thaw in the jar to get out.” Sesa noted, using a fork to gently prod the mess of jammed pedals. “I packed it too tight.”

“This should be enough.” Lana was eyeing the flowers on the pan. “Let's look at the other herbs and spices and plant stuff!”

Sesa chuckled, setting the jar well away, putting the lid back on. “All right Lana. Let's see if anything is like what you know?”

“Yeees!” Lana laughed, delighted with this task. Her excitement and curiosity seemed infectious despite her small size. 

Sesa had to open the lids, some of the spices she could put in the pods. Same with the medicinal herbs could do the same, even things for tea. Like the hips of a cliff side tea bush that Sesa got to grow in her garden. Lana had grabbed a dried hip as big as her arm, and thicker than her leg. Yet the bitta sat down to give the hip a thorough inspection. Then cut it open, Sesa a little jealous how easy it was for Lana to pick out the delicate seeds.

“Can you… save those?” Sesa asked, awed at the little stack of seeds. “I've never been able to save those seeds or get them to sprout. I keep crushing them… had to transplant young plants and only one has survived since then.”

Lana blinked up, picking up one of the brown, palm sized seeds. She turned it over in her hands, the hip in her lap. It seemed sturdy to Lana, but the issue made sense. “I can try?” 

“What does it remind you of?” Sesa asked, moving to sit after checking the pot she had started to thaw out the cream. The gourd in the oven and the seeds and guts from, set aside. Lana wanted to look at the seeds later.

“...cinnamon,” Lana said thoughtfully, cutting some of the dried hip, it was like leathery fruit that had been dehydrated, just had some stiff fibers around the seeds in the center. It smelled just like cinnamon, but nothing sour or moldy. “How did you dry it?”

“Most hips dry on the bush in late summer, other’s I’ve just set in the oven when it's not hot. Just warm.” Sesa explained, leaning back in her chair, mostly putting her close to the counter height. She glanced at the oven, judging how long the gourds should stay inside to stay soft. Using butter inside the hallowed spot instead of oil or water was an interesting idea. It was starting to smell good already.

“Warm and dry air, that’s good.” Lana examined the hip, turning one half in her lap, the other to her right with seeds to the left. She sliced some of the dried fruit off, sniffed and hesitantly put it in her mouth. Lana did not bite, still trying to think of how to check if things were toxic to you. Annoyed at herself for this big brain fart as Lana set the piece down, going back to check the rest of the hip, cutting through it sideways this time. Finding no more seeds and then went quiet. Lana looked baffled.

“Pulp… not just fruiting… fibers.” Lana said, half to herself as she picked up the other half that was emptied. Like a melon or pumpkin that had been hollowed. But still had a few fibers.

“What was that?” Sesa looked up, looking carefully at the tiny human, bitta. Recognizing the absorbed in a task look that Lana had, not just from others but Sesa had seen Lana get like that last night on the way home when allowed to investigate the… cor-en. Ground cover grass.

The giant woman waited on a hunch, and it was not that long before Lana jumped to herself. 

“It’s a rose hip!” Lana turned to look at the baffled Sesa, scrambling up to her feet, “Do you have any of the flower petals? Or can I see the bush?”

A tree sized rose bush! That seemed impossible and amazing!

“This jar of tea has some petals.” Sesa said, reaching slowly over the counter, touching one of the jars. Watching in a bemused way as the bitta scrambled up to go see the flower petals that had been in the mix of something she did not get to yet. “I should have dried-press leaves in grandpa's book of foraging, unless you want to stop to see the plant?”

“Can I see both?” Lana bounced in place, trying to peer in the jar, then back to examining the broken petals and other tea leaves. “A rose that smells and tastes like cinnamon! This is amazing!”

Sesa looked at the oven, there should be enough time. The giant got up, putting the pan with the flowers inside, and then took the pot of cream off the oven. Turning, Sesa tried not to move too fast to put her hands on the counter. And just about had Lana flopping over the back of one hand. The Bitta popped up and flustered as she backed up, trying to not show that she had tripped and fell anymore then she could. It was not that good, and the massive hand turned to open palm up.

“It's okay Bitta, Lana. I might have bumped the counter.” Sesa said, smiling and waited until small hands grasped the side of her own fingers. 

Lana pulled herself up into the hand, not really sure if it had been the vibration in the counter or her own blinding excitement. She was oddly thankful that Sesa’s other hand came up to act like a shield. An added barrier against a very, very long fall down to the ground. The young woman watched Sesa walking to the front door, avoiding the boxes set to the side now.

Outside was just a little cooler than inside, mostly from the mountain breeze and being up high. Lana grasped what she could of Sesa’s hand, reflexively hunkering a little lower with the movement. As steady as Sesa was, there was a slow sway from her walking pace after the steps down. Then Lana got a better look at this giant’s yard.

Like what she saw out the window, but could see from up here the walking paths. The big barn and vast wide leaves in a garden. A big squash plant took up a whole fence that made it through winter, there was some damage from winter. The rest of the garden was half cleared and ready for planting. The other half not yet cleaned of debris that were blown in. Then Lana saw the tree sized ‘bush’ that was on the far side of the squash plants.

Even from a great distance and so high up, it looked like a rose plant. Only semi groomed, but thriving really well in that spot. It had been tied to the post by it at one point, but the ties, old rope by the looks of it from this angle, were disintegrating. The leaves were definitely the shape, texture and pattern like a rose. When Sesa slowed and stopped but the bush, holding both hands cupped firmly together, Lana dared to move. 

She felt safer to half lay on the larger digits of the giant to free her hands. Able to grab a broad leaf closer to her once in range, something that was as big as what she knew from really happy squash or melon plants. It smelled like a rose plant, that slight floral spicy, and faintly of cinnamon. No active blooms could be seen at the moment, though there was new growth starting already in the apparent spring season. 

“How far into spring are we here?” Lana asked, looking back at Sesa for a moment before peering under the leaf and then following the line of stem to the branch proper. Spotting thorns there, nettle like. Some small as Lana’s fingers that were new, to older thorns that were the size of her forearm and looked sharper on one edge. 

“We’re just getting into it. We might get one or two more big rain storms.” Sesa admitted, watching Lana turn to lay on her side on the giant woman’s fingers to look inside the bush. Sesa shifted slowly to move Lana in a better spot to see inside, and not get herself pricked. All the while making sure Lana would not hurt herself as the Bitta reached in and up, coming back with a handful of the miniscule, splitter-like green thorns that grew on the new growth. 

About as big as her knife from earlier.

“Sesa?”

“Yes?”

“Um…can you break off one of the larger, trunk thorns?” Lana pointed down and towards the trunk of the rose tree, careful not to prick her host. “Not even a bit one, if it's safe?”

Sesa pulled Lana back, making sure the tiny bitta was safe in her right hand. Held closer to Sesa’s core, while moving to kneel and look under the side of the bush. She reached under to gingerly grasp a thorn between finger and thumb, bending and breaking a few off. They were offered to Lana as the giant stood back up to her feet. “They are sharp, be careful.”

Lana was at least mindful of taking the four thorns. She had very carefully used a part of her shirt’s helm to hold the green thorn needles. The Bitta looked up as Sesa was standing beside the old fence that framed the garden. And likely sheltered the squash plant, or plants, in the winter. Or most likely to have. Lana sat up on her knees, grasping Sesa’s thumb with her free hand. 

“Is this all you want as growing space?” Lana asked looking up and back. Then just gave up and turned around to face Sesa to look at her face. The giant seemed confused at the question before remembering the morning and the talk about Lana designing a garden for Sesa.

“...I would like to have more space, to grow things that is.” Sesa admitted slowly looking at the mostly empty plot. “Maybe get some cooking herbs or medicinal growing too.”

“The jars you showed me earlier, are they baked or just dried out you think?” Lana asked, settled in the broad palm. 

Sesa frowned, thinking about it, “I think they are just hung to dry, or left in an oven like mine to dry a little faster… oh I should check on the ones we’re cooking to dry out.”

The giant woman glanced down, feeling the movement and found that Lana had scooted down into her palm more. Pulling her legs up to lean back and look up at the clouds before turning to peer sideways. Sesa brought her left hand back up to shield, as it seemed to make Lana feel better when she was walking. She smiled at the Bitta, “Come on, back inside we go. We can plan for the garden tomorrow. I still got a lot of cleaning to do.”

“You can do it!” Lana unexpectedly chirped, tossing her arms up, holding two thorns in each hand. “I can make a checklist! While you clean, I can pick out the seeds from the seasoning jars! We can tag-team… kinda. Little taste for me at least?”

Sesa grinned as she climbed the few porch stairs, “The company would be nice… I have to make the pie crust.”

“That would be a good idea, and make sure another egg doesn’t hatch on us.”

“Yes. I already have one sleeping on my table.”

“Pffft. At least it's a different box from mine.”

[theerurishipper]

I hate how im not even angry at how Kwamis choice ruined the Ladynoir ending from Hack-San. That little conversation was already bothering me in s4 bc Hack-San was brutally open with how little Marinette ever conciders Cat Noir in anything.

Beats me why she thought he wouldn't have the logical reaction of fcking RED ALERT when he suddenly sees Ladybug's earrings in possession of somebody else, but hey, Marinette told Alya to play with her pet so that makes up for it I guess? And "pet" I find extremely fitting in that episode's context. She literally send in another Ladybug miraculous holder who's lead Cat also had to follow with no saying in the matter. Marinette literally send him a new owner since the Ladybug can do with the Cat whatever she wants as Marinette herself perfectly demonstrates in her leadership and Adrien therefore had to learn in season 4. I don't know what kind of dignity Marinette was supposedly treating Cat Noir with because it definitely wasn't on screen.

Marinette not thinking a single second about Cat was so bad in Hack-San that in the end she was genuinely surprised that she had to talk to him. There had been no intention on her part to have a conversation, she truly thought she had taken care of everything that matters. And from her perspective that meant telling Alya to laugh at his jokes being the only thing she conciders of any importance (something Marinette herself barely does). Honestly, there is not more personhood to him than "Pet".

So no, her words in the Ladynoir end scene have always meant as little as it turned out in Kwamis choice where she immediately left after he rejected her one time in "Elation" and the she didn't even care if it was at least Scarabella again who Cat Noir would met next to find out the awful news.

I always felt so unbelievably bad for Adrien in the Hack-San ending because the episode went out of its way to show that it isn't Marinette who gets the "Their crush barely realizes they exist" treatment, it has always been Cat Noir.

It had to be ALYA to make Marinette even talk to Cat when she comes back and then the only thing Marinette acknowledges as a mistake is that he must have been (negatively) surprised by having met a different Ladybug holder and that she's sorry, if she were to have found out that way that he had revealed himself to someone else she would have been upset too.

Which... man, Ladybug's dialog in that scene is so surface level. Comparing the emotional depth of how Cat talks about what all this meant to him, with how much care he talks and that it was so bad that the thought of her not being there anymore one day hurt the most and that he doesn't think he could bare that...

And Ladybug is besides him and says "she would have sulked too".

The difference between what she means to him and what little he seemingly means to her is so bad that when Marinette says "I will never abandon you, Kitty" and Adrien immediately forgives her for everything as per usual, I look at Marinette and honestly want to ask if she even knows what the words she just said mean. Because the entire rest of the episode characterized her in a way where her line feels almost shallow.

What is Ladybug apologizing for not having warned him and saying "I will never abandon you Kitty" even worth when she was shocked that she had to talk to him at all?

Already back in season 4 I looked at Adrien's heart eyes after that and felt so bad for him bc very clearly this IS a bond be should be able to live without because she's spearing him barely any thoughts of actual significance in season 4.

So yeah, I can't say I'm angry about season 5 then having made that reality and destroyed the Hack-San ending with Kwamis choice. Marinette in part 1 once again proofs why it's even IMPORTANT that Ladybug isn't someone Cat should hold onto in his life and definitely needs to be able to bare possibly not seeing again. He rejected her ONE TIME and next morning she already tells Tikki to give her earrings to literally ANYONE before Plagg goes about his plan.

Already at that point the line "I will never abandon you Kitty" became worthless and she also would have caused yet ANOTHER Ladybug miraculous holder to met Cat Noir instead of Scarabella, when this time around the new Ladybug would have no information or connection to Marinette and was meant to stay for good.

I almost feel bad for saying it but also honestly not, Kwamis choice really reinforced how little Marinette actually learned in season 4. What little Ladybug "learned" in Hack-San was ripped to shreds in the same intensity as it already felt shallow in s4.

It's only thanks to Tikki that the same "new Ladybug" fiasko wouldnt have repeated itself for Cat just this time he would have been faced with every fear he had coming true, right after Elation where Cat admits that he isn't in love with her anymore and asks if she's okay with him only loving her as a friend.

She said yes. And then she left.

As much as I want to be harsh on Adrien's side of Kwamis choice too, I cannot hold it against him that he left to just finally be able to find happiness (and that being Plagg's motivation too for starting all this), especially not when him having stayed would have only resulted in him having to go through Hack-San 2.0 only in WORSE because once again Marinette barely spared Cat any thoughts besides this time him not wanting to date her anymore making her sad.

Hack-san is one of those other episodes in Season 4 in which I was rather defensive of Marinette in the beginning. Like yeah, she is in the wrong and she should apologize, but I understand that it's an honest mistake, you know? She isn't the best at considering how others might feel about situations, and it's understandable that it didn't cross her mind to talk to Chat Noir. She did do it after Alya mentioned it and she took responsibility for her screw-up, and I was fine with it. That scene from Hack-san on its own is still one of my personal favorite Ladynoir scenes.

But that's just it. The scene itself when seen individually is so soft and sweet, but putting it into the context of the whole season, it's not a good look. Marinette says she'll never abandon Chat Noir, and spends the rest of the season pretty much replacing him with Rena Furtive and overall just pushing him away. It just makes her come off as hypocritical and dishonest. She continues to never consider him and his feelings and things just continue to get worse. The way the Ladynoir conflict was handled retroactively makes the scene in Hack-san worse.

And honestly, I don't feel like defending Marinette for what she did anymore, because she didn't really fix her mistake. She just doubled down and continued to do the same thing, and her assurances that she never really backed up really seem shallow in hindsight. She never learns anything, he takes all the blame for it in the end, and they just carry on without her having to fix her mistake. It's just so bad.

Thank you for your ask!

[teenagemutantninjatrauma]

So recently I was rewatching a few random Fast Forward episodes again (as one does when one is writing a massive AU about something) and BOY DO I NEED TO SHARE A THEORY

So like... Torbin Zixx, right.

This guy:

He gets introduced to us in the FF Bishop episode, of all times, as a mysterious vigilante who has avoided not only being captured but also getting caught clearly on any security footage anywhere! How strange! Anyways, Bishop introduces themselves to the turtles, Raph tries to attack his hologram, and the gang agrees to help Bishop catch this guy. Banger!

And then! We get to this shot.

Now, I don't know if this is a noticeable detail to anybody who like, has a life and isn't obsessed with this cartoon, BUT - boy does this face look familiar. The nose specifically is preeetty prominent.

YEAH I bet none of you were thinking THIS when watching that season (probably a good sign that you have better things to do), BUT I THINK.

ZIXX IS A BISHOP CLONE.

Consider the evidence - because there IS evidence, actually!

First of all, they get to stand back to back in the opening even though they both show up like twice? Three times? For mostly unrelated adventures? Why do they get to stand back to back instead of like, Zyxx getting a spot in the villain lineup that is also in the opening? He is ostensibly occasionally doing good but he’s mostly a trickster able to outsmart the turtles and get away - a trait Bishop has exhibited even when he almost fuckin died in Bishop's Gambit, by the way - so it feels meaningful to set him up here, back to back with Bishop of all people.

Second, they get introduced in the same episode, Bishop to Knight. I know we all rag on this season and the following season for not reaching the previous five seasons' standard, but I believe while Back To The Sewer was genuinely badly written, Fast Forward's issue was only that it wasn't given enough time to elaborate on all the things it set up - it is still written well. Things happen with intentions behind them, we are given as much closure as the show could manage, and so it feels like introducing two characters in the same episode has meaning. Combined with the shot from the opening, it really does feel to me like a point is being made here to compare the two.

Third, there is the parallel of both of them tricking Raph with their holograms - unintentionally and intentionally. It makes sense for Bishop, or someone made to think just like Bishop, to use new modern technology like this, because he's a resourceful bastard!

Look at him flinging himself at people he doesn't like. Me too, man.

"He and Bishop don't look alike!" - Well, not anymore they don't. But look at how Bishop used to look during the first five seasons, during his EPF era, and compare that to Zixx, and then compare Zixx to PGA era Bishop:

The nose, the face shape, the dual communicators? PGA era Bishop does look different and this could be attributed to either change of artstyle or the implication that his clone bodies have evolved and changed over the last century, but Zixx is a piece of who he used to be and has had to evolve differently, and thus looks the part.

(Additionally, we have already seen Bishop make clones of himself that didn't look exactly like his then-current body, when he made the Slayer army in Bishop's Gambit.)

This, by the way, would explain why there is no digital track of Zixx's face anywhere. Because hey, let's be real here - the opening of the episode is dedicated to how much information Bishop personally looks through.

If Zixx was indeed running around wearing Bishop's face, he'd want him gone, but Zixx, being a Bishop clone, would be smart enough not to get caught! Thus, the next best thing would be to get rid of any proof of similarity between them, hence these being the only picture Donnie, a de facto civillian, could find.

(Ironically, this could very well have lead to Zixx becoming the infamous enigma he is said to be in this world.)

They also fight alike, relying on acrobatics and on being able to push and pull their opponents around as needed. I am unfortunately too tired to get good screenshots/clips of this.

"But Zixx doesn't look human!"/"But Zixx has a different voice than Bishop!"/"But Zixx has green eyes!" - He's a vigilante in a scifi space show and has the face and voice of the most well known guy in all of space, is it truly a stretch to assume he might've gotten body modifications? We've already got one guy grafting alien DNA onto himself to survive and it's none other than Dr Baxter Stockman, notably another piece of Bishop's past that's come back to haunt him. Why not two?

You know this would also be in line with what I am now calling the Seeing Double Theme - Dark Turtles and a new Turtle Titan are in this story, confrontations of the future and the past self in some way, shape or form are a running theme of Fast Forward, so why wouldn’t there be a Bishop clone running around

No clue how or why Zixx would ditch the whole "protect all of Earth" mentality, but when Bishop reforms himself and swings into the extreme of establishing intergalactic peace to a point where he can't even be partial towards Earth anymore, does it not make sense narratively for his foil to swing the other way, become a typical "only looking out for myself" type of guy?

"It could also be said that maybe Zixx shows off traits that Bishop usually obfiscates, with the self-serving nature being a good example. We know all of Bishop's grand goals are really just covering for the fact that he's scared and wants to protect himself, right? If you look at the core of everything he does, it's to benefit himself. Zixx forgoes making up any justifications and says it like it is: he only cares about himself and what others can do for him." - additional comment, courtesy of THE Bishop Guy™, @violetvulpini, who's the reason I'm going this insane rn in the first place.

In conclusion, I strongly believe that Torbin Zixx is a Bishop clone gone rogue, similar in origin to the Slayer aka Rat King. He is Bishop shaped, he gets to stand next to Bishop in the opening like they're anime foils to each other, and it is SO interesting to explore.

This has been Trauma, and you've been Zixxed ✌️💜

BONUS: Headcanon territory!

Zixx's purpose was to be a "back-up" clone. Bishop has been recording his findings and work since at least the EPF era when we meet him, so maybe these recordings are then uploaded somewhere so that in case he dies and can't make the body transfer, a new clone is awoken and informed of his purpose. For some reason this system has at some point malfunctioned and awoken Zixx despite Bishop surviving - possibly during the collapse of the lab he and Stockman used to work in, or during the space war that gets vaguely mentioned at one point.

"clone six" or "version six" somehow becomes "Torbin Zixx"?

How did Zixx become a vigilante? Well, we know Bishop doesn't have human blood. Presumably the blue goop that we see him bleed at the end of Bishop's Gambit is something synthesized specifically for his body, so I imagine it would be VERY hard to come by. This, I think, would very easily lead to a life of crime he has more than the ideal set of skills for.

Bishop probably wants him obliterated but can't reasonably dedicate resources to catching or killing who he KNOWS is gonna be the ultimate most hard-to-kill guy in the known universe.

He steals Bishop's fancy car specifically just to piss him off <3

[263adder]

Crab Meat

Interior Chinatown, Lana Lee & Willis Wu, (past) Lana Lee/Jonathan Wu

Episode 1/2. Lana meets Willis as planned and slowly starts to see the resemblance to Jonny.

Full Story on AO3

Lana couldn’t see the resemblance at all. Maybe a little around the mouth. But that wasn’t the trace of Jonny that Lana was looking for. She expected to walk in and be drawn to Willis immediately. To feel this connection over Jonny, that they would instantly start working together and – with her new job in the department – they’d figure out what happened within a couple of weeks.

That’s how it worked on TV anyway .

This wasn’t a TV moment.

“You’re a waiter, just act normal,” Lana said.

“Welcome to The Golden Palace,” Willis said unnaturally.

Willis Wu. Jonathan Wu’s baby brother.

Lana had been racking her head for days for any memory of Jonny talking about his brother, looking for a way to get into The Golden Palace, to meet Willis and start piecing the puzzle together. The only thing she could remember was their dad owning a Kung Fu school and teaching them both there. Which wasn’t helpful.

“Okay, do you see those guys over there…” Lana said, stopping Willis’ stilted welcome speech before he could move on to the specials again. She outlined her mission. No mention of Jonny , that didn’t feel right yet. But she pointed out the exchange happening across the room and gave Willis his task. Left her card under the menu and walked away like a seasoned pro, only to be chewed out by Green for acting like an irresponsible rookie.

For days her mind compared the two brothers. Jonny was so confident, so passionate and full of life. He was always rearing to go, ready for anything. It was almost twelve years since she last saw him, but she couldn’t forget the energy he brought to every room. Willis was the exact opposite. A living shadow. If Jonny was still around, Lana wouldn’t be able to see him. But then, maybe if he hadn’t disappeared, Willis would’ve grown into a different man.

Even when he climbed into her front seat, face bruised and cut from a recent fight, she couldn’t see Jonny: the "Kung Fu Guy."

Willis went in the back after that. It was safer. Not to be seen together.

When they searched the empty construction site together, Lana finally dared to ask about Jonny. What Willis remembered. She filed away what he said about Jonny pulling away towards the end – like he did with her. But t heir investigation was starting to feel hopeless. And if she couldn’t solve this murder, detective would be another job on her résumé of failed side-kicks.

But then, it all came together.

“Oh my god. The pet store owner. He’s the only one in Chinatown to wear these weird hippie shoes!” Willis pointed out excitedly.

The clues flowed between them until they painted a perfect picture of the crime. It was like she was watching Green and Turner, except it was Lana and Willis. Lee and Wu.

Maybe they could actually do this.

On the way back to the car, Willis went to sit in the back again but Lana stopped him.

“Ride up front.” She said, pausing by the driver's side for just a moment to check he was listening. He stepped into the glow of a streetlight and she had to blink.

“What?” Willis asked.

“Nothing,” Lana said quickly, opening the door and getting behind the wheel.

You just looked like your brother for a second.

[mephistopheleswasrobbed]

Episode 4 similarities and differences between Ossan's Love (2018) and Ossan's Love Thailand

[Ep 1; Ep 2; Ep 3; Ep 4; Ep 5]

(disclaimer: I have watched all of the Haruta + Maki version of OL [Ossan's Love, Ossan's Love: LOVE or DEAD, Ossan's Love Returns] except for the specials which I haven't gotten around to, and I've watched the airport AU season Ossan's Love: In the Sky. I haven't watched the original one shot episode and the Hong Kong version.)

(disclaimer #2: This is just for fun. I'm not intending to make any statements over which version is superior or anything like that in this post. If you noticed something I missed please let me know so I can add it! I only rewatched ep 3 of the Jv for this.)

For the sake of my lazieness I will use Tv for Thai version and Jv for Japanese Version.

Back to scene by scene for this episode, although it's getting a bit more difficult.

Cher-aim Objects:

Boss talks to Cher-aim about the possibility of remarrying to which she objects, going on a bit of a catastophizing spiral about it. Boss lies he hasn't found anyone yet and they hug, boss looking sad, Cher-aim plotting. This scene, a continuation of their scene last ep, doesn't have a clear equivalent as far as I can tell but it's still working to establish the baseline where the viewer understands why she's against her father dating and she is suspicious of her father dating. Those two things had been set up for Choko in ep 1 and 2 of the Jv already (ofc her objection needs less explanation seeing as she's boss's wife not daughter).

Boss's Bedroom:

Cher-aim sneeks into her dad's bedroom to look into his phone. This happened in ep 2 of the Jv. In both versions C holds open boss's eye/s to open his phone. Both bosses mumble Hengny/Haru-tan in their sleep leading to C misunderstanding "Honey"/"Haruka" respectively. Tv Cher-aim also looks at his call history which is how she becomes aware of Heng, Jv Choko asks sleeping boss if he loves "Haruka" which he affirms.

Mo is Mad:

Heng is gaming, Mo interrupts him, telling him to clean up or he'll move out again. Again there isn't really a comparable scene to this in the Jv, though Mo's attitude here is somewhat more similar to Maki's in ep 1 when he first moved in with Haruta. We also get a good bit of Mr. Saturnworld screentime, obviously in the Jv there is no couple mascot to promote, for the Tv this is relevant as it is when Mo learns about this specific mascot character Heng likes. Heng asking Mo to pitch in to buy more Mr. Saturnworld stuff is a nod to the Jv ep 1 scene where Haruta asks Maki to pith in to buy a VR headset.

(

Choko Meets Haruta:

The first scene of the Jv also continues from the last scene of the previous ep with Choko pretending to be a regular client and not so subtely trying to look for "Haruka".

)

Apartment Viewing:

Tv Heng shows an apartment to Cher-aim, she asks about "Honey" on their team. This scene is a merging of two scenes in the Jv. The first one where Haruta shows Choko the first apartment and the second one which comes after two small other scenes in the Jv where Haruta shows her another apartment and she asks about "Haruka". Both Cs explain their curiosity by claiming the woman they asked about is someone they know who works at the company (Tv: C's friend, Jv: daughter of C's friend). Some differences: (1) because of Thai nicknames Cher-aim also asks about "Bee" not just "Honey" establishing her penchant for drawing connections, (2) we learn a bit more details about Choko's life such as her work, (3) we're shown a bit more of H & C getting along well in the Jv. Both versions bring up the possibility of the woman working at HQ though in the Jv Choko asks H to check (her excuse: she wants to give her a gift for her baby being born) while in the Tv Heng states C's friend might work at HQ.

(

Office, Wife?!:

Back in the office Takegawa and Maika see Choko's application form and realise she's their boss's wife.

Helping Grandma:

On the street an elderly woman approaches Haruta to ask for directions to which he offers to take her to her destination, asking Choko to wait a bit. We see here that Choko chose him from the company roster not because of his name, as initially implied, but becasue of him being stated to be nice which she finds confirmed by his actions here.

Second Apartment:

The aforementioned second apartment scene where Choko asks Haruta about "Haruka".

Office Meeting:

All of the main team meet at the office. Some general meeting stuff, boss assigns Maro and Haruta to sandwich-man duty and asks Haruta to organise a celebratory get-together, boss lowkey beefing with Maki by "accidentally" bumping into him. After boss leaves, Takegawa, Maika and Maro corner Haruta about Choko which is how he finds out she is the boss's wife. He gets worried about this and tries to ask Maki for help which is interrupted ba Takegawa finding some fault in Maki's work. No equivalent scene in the Tv so far.

)

Elevator Beef:

Mo and boss run into each other in the elevator. Boss asks about Heng, tries to rub it in that they're not living together anymore to which Mo smugly tells him that he moved back in. Boss gives Mo a lunchbox for Heng who alledgedly complained about the cooking at home. No such scene in the Jv, though I guess one could call this an extention of the bump in the office scene. Certainly attitues (boss's especially) are quite similar.

Graveyard:

Cher-aim has brought Heng to her mother's grave. This is where Heng finds out she's his boss's daughter (comp. to Jv finding out the connection from his colleagues at the office). She's dramatic about her father possibly dating someone new and "asks" Heng, who she has assumed to be her dad's best friend based on the call history, to help her find the woman her dad is dating. This scene is somewhat comparable to a later scene of the Jv where Choko asks Haruta to meet her at a cafe and tells him about her husband probably cheating on her and explicitly asks Haruta for help to find "Haruka". Some notable differences: Jv Choko tells H she'll "destroy" Haruka for what she did which scares H a little, Jv Choko tries to bribe H by promising to buy the property he'd been advertising if he helps while Tv Cher-aim goes more for emotional manipulation/ ignoring Heng's objections (like father like daughter).

(

Celebration:

The team meet at Chizu's bar for their celebration. Boss is otherwise occupied. Maro is a bit of a dick to Haruta as usual, the team briefly discuss H & M's living arrangements. Haruta goes to order at the bar wich leads to:

)

Restaurant Advice Corner:

Tv Heng has told Chicha and Thua-ngok about the situation. Chicha asks why he didn't just tell the truth, Thua interjecting that that would mean outing boss to his daughter. They agree that for the daughter worse than her dad liking a man is him liking Heng. In the Jv we get some more interesting food concoctions from Teppei, Haruta explains the situation to Chizu who tells him boss can't just explain the whole situation to his wife as that would mean outing himself to her. She adds that this is worse than just a normal affair and it being Haruta is even worse. In the Tv Heng gets a call from Cher-aim asking to meet the next day. He agrees. Chicha tells him he should use this opportunity to tell her he can't help her. Thua jokes about Heng helping her to find Heng (Jv Haruta says something similar in his voice over after the cafe scene) and finds inspiration for a new song.

(

Divorce Stand-off:

Again, Choko asks boss to tell her about the reason for the divorce, he's visibly trying but ultimately can't get it out. Though there is no one to one equivalent to this scene in the Tv, the two late night scenes between boss and Cher-aim show Tv boss similarily wanting, but not being able to, tell her about Heng.

Back at the Celebration:

Cut back to the celebration, Chizu brings drinks to the table with Haruta, Maika asks if they're dating and upon their denial states they'll end up together eventually anyway. Chizu assures that will never happen and Maro takes that as an opportunity to flirt with her. She's flattered by that, they exchange numbers. Haruta asks about Maki, witnesses him being scolded by Takegawa outside the restaurant. Again, no such celebration in the Tv, though there are parallels to the flashback scene where Mo mistakenly thought Heng and Chicha were dating in ep 1.

About Takegawa:

Back at home Haruta tries to talk to Maki about Takegawa shouting at him but Maki waves him off. The Takegawa/Ten storyline hasn't been started yet in the Tv so no comparable scene so far.

Office:

Haruta sends off a complaining sandwich-Maro, gets a text from Choko asking to meet up. Haruta is distressed, Maki offers to go with him but Takegawa gets in the way, again scolding Maki for doing something wrong and telling him to correct it right now. Haruta assures Maki he's fine to go alone.

At the Cafe:

Haruta meets Choko at a cafe with his advertisment-sandwich-gear. She tells him her husband is cheating on her and she needs Haruta's help to find the affair partner. This is the aforementioned scene that somewhat parallels the graveyard scene in the Tv. Another parallel: Jv C tells H boss has never lied to her before "Haruka", Tv C tells H boss has never wavered in his commitment to her dead mother before "Honey". Haruta gets a text from boss asking to meet up later that night. Haruta agrees to help.

Someone's Watching:

As Haruta walks along the river innerly monologing about his troubles we see he's being watched by a man of whom we see only the feet.

)

Who's Honey:

Cher-aim meets Heng at the office to look for "Honey". Heng tells her he can't get involved in his boss's private life so she tells him she'll hire a private investigator instead wich has him agree to help her after all. This line is inspired by the Jv where Choko tells boss in the divorce stand-off scene that she'll be forced to hire a private investigaor if he doesn't tell her the reason for their divorce. Cher-aim then asks about the names of various women working in the office to see if they might be "Honey". The equivalent Jv scene happened in ep 2 when Choko visited the office while boss wasn't there to see if "Haruka" worked there. Both scenes have a female employee who's often around but not part of the main cast bring tea for C. The conspiracy theories for why any of those women might be the one she's looking for are exclusive to the Tv. C taking into consideration the person she's looking for might be a man and ultimately landing on M as her prime suspect are both Tv original. Her looking through the employee list to see Mo's full name is a nod to the Jv scene at the end of ep 2 where Choko looks through the employee list online and finds Haruta.

Following Mo:

Cher-aim and Heng follow Mo out of the office, witnessing him throw away the boss's lunchbox which C takes as further evidence he's dating her dad and then go to the toy section in a mall where they lose him because Heng gets distracted by the workers who know him by name. In the mall Heng thinks Mo has become interestet in mascot characters, tells Cher-aim he only speaks with Mo once a year and asks to borrow money from her to pre-order something. Since in the Jv Choko never has a specific suspect all of this doesn't happen, however there is still a very similar scene where C and H follow boss from the office to the restaurant where he's supposed to meet with H. Haruta tries to get out of it, first by telling Choko he's suddenly got a bad stomach ache, then by pretending he didn't see the boss go into the restaurant but Choko keeps pulling him along.

Sneaking In:

Cher-aim tries to sneak in without her dad noticing but he's already waiting for her. He tries to tell her about meeting Heng the following saturday but in the end he can't do it and lies instead. They hug, boss looks sad, Cher-aim plotting. There is no equivalent scene in the Jv but as previously mentioned, boss's struggle of wanting to tell C but not being able to is also seen in the divorce stand-off scene in the Jv.

At Home:

Mo is at home complaining about Heng's many packages, Heng is smug because he thinks Mo has also gotten into the collecting hobby. When Heng asks him what he had been doing after work Mo evades the question. Heng then gets a call from Cher-aim asking him to meet the following saturday to follow her dad who seems to be meeting his secret lover for a birthday celebration. Heng agrees and then wonders whos b-day it might be only to realise it's his. The "equivalent" scene in the Jv is quite different. Haruta comes back to the office and mopes around Maki, asking if he needs any help which Maki denies, later he asks Tagegawa if Maki's been having any problems which Takegawa denies, making Haruta confused. He then gets a call from Choko asking him to follow her husband that evening as he wrote about going on a date in his calendar. Both versions Hs try to convince C that it might be a work appointment at first, both are thwarted by boss being too obvious in his calender (Jv: word "date" in a physical book-type calender, Tv: heart emoji in his phone's calender).

Invitation:

Heng meets boss in his office, boss asks him to meet up on saturday. Heng tries to get out of it by claiming he has plans to play badminton with Newyear which is immediately thwarted by Newyear coming to ask for a day off to visit his sick mom which boss happily grants so Heng reluctantly agrees to meet boss. In the Jv boss invited Haruta via text at the end of the scene where Choko and Haruta meet at the cafe. Thereby the order is changed between adaptations. In the Jv boss invited him first and then Choko asked him to spy on the date while in the Tv Cher-aim asked first and boss invited Heng afterwards meaning Heng knows at the time of invitation that boss thinks of this as a date while in the Jv he only realised when Choko told him.

Asking Mo for Help:

At home at the dinner table Heng annoys Mo by clearly trying to say something but not doing it. When Mo calls him out on it he tries to trick Mo into going to meet boss instead of him. After explaining the situation off-screen Mo tells him to tell Cher-aim the truth (in exactly the same way Heng predicted to Chicha previously). Heng beggs him to help but Mo says he's busy using the same excuse Heng tried to use with boss (badminton with Newyear) which Heng knows to be a lie. Mo then tells him it doesn't matter, he needs to fix his problems himself. There is no such scene in the Jv as Maki isn't really involved in the Choko plotline at all. Heng trying to get Mo's attention by being annoying can potentially be somewhat compared to Haruta doing something similar at the beginning of the previous Jv office scene which ends in Choko calling about the date, though it's also just generally in character for both versions of H.

At Boss's Place:

Cher-aim sends off her dad who's still pretending he's having a work meeting. After he leaves, Heng appears from around the corner to follow him with Cher-aim. This scene is also somewhat comparable to the Jv scene where C and H follow boss to the restaurant though we don't get anymore actual following in the Tv as we had already seen them follow Mo previously.

(

Following Boss:

Choko and Haruta follow boss from HQ to the restaurant. This is the previously mentioned scene that inspired the Mo-following scene.

)

At the Restaurant:

Cher-aim and Heng sit in the restaurant with "disguises" (sunglasses for both, a pink wig for C, baseball hat and fake mustache for H) and watch boss arrive. In the Jv boss gets there first as the other two had been following him so they sneak in while he's already sitting there. No disguises in the Jv. In the Tv Cher-aim asks the waitress to come back later while in the Jv we see them having drinks on the table after a small time skip. Jv Boss then texts Haruta to ask why he's late. Meanwhile Tv boss calls H basically as soon as he's sat down there's no time skip. Before that Heng tries to leave by claiming a stomach ache like Jv H had done when following boss, he gets similarily shut down by C. Both Hs excuse the texts/phone call from boss as being work related (though Tv C briefly suspects Heng of spying on her for her dad before that). Both Cs go to the bathroom after that. Both Hs use this opportunity to call boss to say they won't be aable to make it, both are immediately spotted by boss from beyond some barrier in the restaurant. Tv boss briefly questions Heng's location and appearance to which Heng only answers with "surprise!" both Hs react similarily awkwardly to being found. Both Hs then sit with boss and boss gives them an update on the C situation (Tv has been dropping hints, Jv hasn't found the right timing yet). Both Hs play along with boss for a bit (boss suspecting his daughter having a bf obvs exclusive to the Tv, Jv boss instead talks about missing H and having dinner being ok despite no divorce yet). Both Cs come back and gesture at H to come back over. Jv C also texts with H while H splits his attention between texting back and boss. Both bosses excuse themselves to the bathroom. On the way Tv boss walks past C who hides behind a plate, turning her back to her dad. Jv C does a similar thing a little later in the scene. Both versions C and H meet again as soon as boss is out of sight (tho Jv H runs to C, Tv C runs to H). Both Hs say that boss's date has cancelled and they should leave. Both bosses come back before they can, Jv boss just normally from the bathroom, Tv boss with lights out and a birthday cake. Both versions H and C jump to hide. Jv C steals a waiter's tablet hand hides her head behing it. Tv C jumps behind the bar and also uses a tablet as extra shielding. Jv H & C then run out of the restaurant behind boss's back, boss receives a text from H telling him he had to leave due to an emergency. Meanwhile Tv boss stands there with his cake confused as to where Heng went while the light comes back on. He sees a plant trembling which Heng is holding onto and moves towards him. Shortly before he catches Heng, Mo swoops in thanking boss for the cake and blowing out the candles, the other restaurant patrons applaud. These scenes are pretty similar between the versions until the end where they differ a lot. Biggest differences being that the whole birthday thing is exclusive to the Tv as is Mo appearing and saving Heng.

Filming Evidence:

At the garage Mo tells boss Heng had an emergency and asked him to receive the cake for him. He also rubs it in again that he's living with Heng. Cher-aim films Mo receiving the cake with Heng's phone because it's illegal. She plans to use the clip to blackmail Mo into staying away from her dad. There is again no equivalent scene in the Jv as Jv Maki isn't involved in this plotline. The vibes of the "that's why I used your phone to record" bit are maybe similar to a Jv moment when H & C first start following boss and C says she knows boss hasn't left yet because she called pretending to be a client.

Back at Home:

After the restaurant thing both versions show H and M at home, though the content of the scenes is quite different. Jv Maki is mad at Haruta for talking to Takegawa about him. He's pissed about Haruta being insensitive, Haruta, who doesn't know the real context, gets annoyed he's getting scolded for his well intentioned actions and petulantly throws around some tissues. Tv Heng shows Mo the clip, telling him he'll delete it and apologising for dragging him into his mess. Mo makes him bow his head in a pology and uses the opportunity to present Heng with his b-day gift. It's a Mr. Saturnworld blind box. Heng realises that this is what Mo had gone to the toy store for. He opens it to find a grumpy? version of the character. Because this version isn't shown on the box they think Mo got scammed, Heng tells him he'll go with him to get a new one the next day.

(

Maro at the Bar:

Haruta goes to the bar to find Maro already there. He's asking Chizu to go on a date with him. Haruta tries to leave again but Teppei asks him to try a new dish to which Haruta eventually relents and comes back in.

)

Discovery Time:

Cher-aim tries to sneak in again, only to again be caught by her waiting dad. Cher-aim calls him out for having cake frosting on his sleeve, boss tells her to tell if if she comes home late again. They hug again with boss looking dejected and Cher-aim plottingly. Boss leaves to take a shower and Cher-aim looks at the present boss had failed to give Heng contemplatively. Jv shows boss looking sad in the shower while Choko is looking through his stuff. Eventually she finds a notebook that has her looking in boss's direction angrily.

(

Back at the Bar:

Haruta complains to Teppei about Maki being mad at him while tasting the new chicken wing with caramel sauce combination. Chizu joins them as Maro went outside to take a call. Haruta remarks that he seems to be serious about her to which she asks if that makes him jealous. They then briefly fight about her chest size before Haruta gets a call from Choko.

)

The Grand Reveal:

The next day, Heng meets Cher-aim in a cafe where she shows boss's b-day gift to him which is a jar filled with origami stars with an individual message in each of them. As she explains we see her reaction to seeing the gift and a shot of her dad making the gift. Seeing how "Mo" makes her dad this happy, and the love apparently shared between them, she decides to cheer her dad on insted and tells Heng as much. She thanks Heng for his help and tells him he's the best person she's met to which Heng responds that he's not a good person.

In the Jv Haruta also meets Choko at a cafe but it's still the same evening. She sadly tells him she's discovered undeniable proof of her husband having an affair. She explains about finding his secret notebook about his lover where he's written down everything about "Haru-tan". While she explains we see boss post shower seeing the notebook on the table alongside a note from Choko that reads "Thank you for everything" and run out. At the cafe a waitress asks to take their order but Haruta asks her to come back later (like Tv in the restaurant scene). Choko tells Haruta she'll walk away, that boss deserves to be happy if he's so deeply in love with "Haru-tan". Haruta thinks it's wrong to leave without talking but Choko remarks that she still has some pride left, won't cling to a man who loves someone else. Haruta says they've been together for 30 years and boss isn't someone who runs away from reality (weeeell that's debatable, but not in this case I guess). Choko tells him he's such a good man, Haruta denies, saying there's nothing good about him. Both are crying. While all of that happens we get several shots of boss running through the streets, looking for Choko until he sees her in the cafe. He goes to them asks why Choko is crying and initially thinks Haruta said something to upset her (this might be the only time boss seems to actually be mad at Haruta for a second). Choko and boss both tell each other they need to say soomething to the other, Boss sits down next to Haruta, who tries to leave but gets pulled back to his seat the other two (they're in a booth so after sitting down boss has blocked H's only way out). Choko asks boss if he's come to hate her which he denies vehemently, admitting though that he's fallen in love with someone else. She asks if it's "Haru-tan" which he affirms and then who "she" is. Haruta tries to escape by climbing over the back of the seat but is pulled back by boss. Boss finally admits "Haru-tan" isn't a woman but a man. Choko is confused. Boss tells her the one he loves is Haruta and pulls him into his arms. She asks Haruta for his name and he answers "Haru-tan" while crying. Choko screams, boss hugs Haruta tighter, the episode ends.

In the Tv boss sees C and H in the cafe. He'd been following her due to his suspicion of her having a boyfriend. He tells her she can date anyone she wants but not lie to him about it and asks who the guy is. He turns around Heng's head and realises it's him. Confused he asks Heng what he's doing here to which Heng again answers "Surprise!". Cher-aim and boss tell each other they both have something to tell the other, so boss sits down next to Heng (free standing table with chairs). Heng tries to leave but boss bulls him back into his seat. C tells her dad that she knows about his feelings he's been hiding from her and that she asked Heng to help her find out. Boss apologises, telling her he's been trying to tell her but it's not that easy, she interrupts to ask "because it's a man, right?". She tells him that if he makes him happy she's okay with it. Boss is reliefed/touched and thanks her, asks her if she wants to know who it is. Heng says "No" and tries to leave again but in once again pulled back down by boss who tells C it's Heng and pulls him in with one arm. Cher-aim asks Heng about his name who replies that his name is Heng but boss likes to call him "Hengny". C exclaims "The real Honey is you!" looking mad, boss lets go of Heng and the episode ends. Again this scene is pretty similar in both versions though the context and the emotions esp. from C are quite different. Particularily noteworthy imo is that because there's no cheating in the Tv we get a brief quite sweet moment of Cher-aim accepting her father's love for a man (parents coming out to their children definitely a rarer sight than the other way around in BL, probably in media in general).

Post-credit Scene:

Mo and Heng in the toy store trying to return the "fake" Mr. Saturnworld doll. The seller tells them it's a rare special edition which they don't believe at first but do when he and several other patrons try to buy it from them for increasing sums of money. Mo thinks they should sell it but Heng refuses because it's a birthday gift from his friend. Mo is touched but still thinks he should take the money. The seller asks to at least take a picture, takes a polaroid of the two with the doll and Heng writes "this on is mine" on it (over Mo).

General Thoughts:

again we're seeing Mo being more involved in the story compared to Maki in the Jv and we're seeing added material to show the developement of M and H's relationship in more detail

because the Jv only had 7 eps compared to the 12 of the Tv, the Jv has multiple storylines running at the same time. In ep 2 tha main story was about H & M being able to live together/Maki's feelings for Haruta but simultaneously there were small scenes setting up the Choko storyline of ep 3, then in ep 3 it's mainly Choko's storyline but small scenes are setting up the Takegawa storyline. In comparison the Tv has, so far, kept the storylines more contained to their own episodes which makes sense as they have more time available

despite the differing episode count, so far, the Tv hasn't elongated storylines. Ep 1, ep 2 and ep 4 all tell the same main storyline in one episode as the Jv, with ep 3 adding completely new material that has no equivalence in the Jv. It will be interesting to see if they stick to that concept or if later storylines get elongated or mixed up differently to increase the runtime

we're seeing the inclusion of some classic Thai tropes like the lights out birthday cake thing

some of the side characters, especially Chicha and Thua-ngok are seen less often in the Tv so far, this might be evened out with the original storylines though

[thoughts-with-hailey]

My Life in Prythian - Chapter Twenty-Four

Drinking Games - Eris POV

Summary: there are games and we are drinking

Eris

Her hand was in mine. 

She was willingly touching me. 

Her scent was surrounding me. 

Gods, she was so fucking perfect. 

Her delicate fingers gripped mine with surprising strength, weaving in between the spaces of my fingers that I had never considered empty until hers filled them. Her other hand had come up to grip my bicep, holding me close to her as we leisurely walked the well lit paths around the party, and I swore it was the most intimate way I had ever been touched in my life. 

Oh, I had been touched and had touched in return. Many nights I spent between the thighs of a willing partner, or them between mine, and not a single encounter could compare to the simple way her innocent touch ignited everything in me. It took only seconds for her to hold me like I was her dearest friend and when I had waved my free hand to light the rest of the torches lining an unused path she had turned her radiant smile up to me like I had not just insulted her multiple times over. 

“It’s truly wonderful here! I love seeing all of you do your little tricks,” she beamed up at me, clearly pleased with my small display of magic. A content sigh escaped her lips and she leaned in closer as if she was trying to draw heat from me as a cool breeze whisked past us. Behind us I could feel the lingering gaze of Azriel, Azzie, and tried to block him out so I could enjoy these few precious moments with her. 

“It’s very different from the Night Court.”

“It is,” she agreed softly, turning her head to look around once more. “I like the Night Court, or that I have seen of it, is beautiful. Velaris is one of the most stunning cities I have ever seen, and yet it does not compare to this.”

“This?” I asked, not sure I was hearing her properly. 

Looking around I tried to see it through her eyes, taking in the array of perpetually color changing trees and the crunchy leaves beneath them, the crisp scent of autumn that clung to everything all year round, and the chilled air. It was the same views I had spent my life with aside the rare times Beron sent me on missions elsewhere and though I loved my court, it was nothing compared to the wondrous starlit sky of the Night Court. At least there they had different seasons that would change the monotony of day to day life. Living in forever autumn made every day, week, month, year, every fucking decade feel the same with nothing to break up time passing. Each day was as boring and tortuous as the last. 

“All of this!” she exclaimed, releasing her grip on my arm to gesture around and I instantly felt the loss of her touch. I opened my mouth ready to beg her to give me back that small pleasure but she did so before I could, her grip even tighter before as her face lit with excitement. “Fall has always been my favorite, Eris. The colors are richer and the air is earthier, everything just feeling cozy and perfect. Sweaters by the fire, crunchy leaves underfoot, apple flavored treats and savory squash dishes! There is nothing like fall, and it’s always too short in the human world. I get maybe two weeks of it, if that, between the end of summer heat and the snow coming in. I’ve always wished I could live somewhere that’s like this all year round.”

I blinked, unsure I was hearing her properly. She truly loved this? I mean…I suppose if you’re human and only get weeks of this a year for the meager amount of time a human exists I can understand why it would be wonderful to see, still… Her loving it, her wishing she could have this year round? The cauldron must have known when it chose her as my mate, giving me someone who wouldn’t mind the constant state of the weather. As much as I adore my mother, she hates the forever autumn even more than I do, constantly complaining that she wants the warmth of summer. Having a Lady Autumn who loves her land would be a nice change for our people. 

Of course, I was getting ahead of myself. She could not be Lady Autumn if she was tied to someone else and by the possessive way Azzie was hovering behind us I had little doubt in my mind that he had laid full claim to this female. 

I tried to hold back my sigh at that. My mate and Azriel? Fucking ironic really considering the years of tension between the shadow singer and I that I had avoided acting on specifically because of how complicated it would make my life, and now there I was walking arm in arm with my mate who was claimed by that same male. 

I had the worst luck. 

Truly. 

“I think we should play a game,” Hailey suggested absently, tugging me slightly to the right so she could step her slippered foot on a particularly crunchy leaf, then grinning to herself when the sounds of it under her foot filled the air. 

Fuck she was cute. 

“A game?” I asked, tugging her towards the left to do the same and my heart warming when her grin spread wider. 

“Mhm. It’ll be fun. We go back and forth asking questions, and we have to answer honestly. If you don’t want to answer a question then you have to drink and you forfeit your right to ask a question.”

“How will we know if the other person is answering honestly?”

She shrugged. “You have to trust each other.”

Interesting. Obviously I did not trust she would give honest answers and I did not like that I would not know what she would ask, however this might be a perfect way to get information out of her, get to know her. “We will need wine.”

“Azzie!” she chirped, turning to him with big eyes and a bigger smile. “My sweet, sweet Azzie, can you fetch some wine and three glasses?”

His eyes narrowed on her. “Three?”

“You’re playing too, aren’t you?” she batted her eye lashes. 

Those eyes narrowed even further and he looked between the two of us for a moment before he sighed. “You stay right here where I can see you. I’ll be back in a moment.” The warning in his voice was clear, evident that he didn’t trust me alone with her, and I gave him an eye roll. There was little I could do to harm her considering were were a dozen yards from the rest of the gathering. Not to mention that I would never lay a hand on who was going to be my savior. He didn’t need to know that last part though. 

The nearest servants were within eyesight so he would be back soon even if he was out of earshot for a moment. Though, with those shadows of his I wasn’t sure if he was ever truly out of earshot. I glanced down and eyed my pretty mate. “I am shocked he let’s you call him Azzie.”

“I have a feeling I’ll pay for it later,” she laughed, looking all too pleased about that prospect. 

I tried not to imagine what that meant. 

Moments later Azriel returned with two bottles and three glasses, his expression as somber as ever. Wordlessly he turned towards a well lit gazebo that was in view of the party yet secluded enough that we wouldn’t be bothered by the main event unless someone truly wanted to speak with us. There were cushions on the ground and a small warming lamp in the middle making it the perfect place to have whatever game this was. We all took our seats and Azriel poured three generous glasses of wine before turning his ever watchful gaze to Hailey. 

“Since you know this game you start first.”

“Great!” she clapped her hands together, looking between us with a calculating expression. “Okay, I’ll start with you Eris; what’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever put your cock in?”

I stared at her. 

Next to her Azriel closed his eyes for a brief moment before he lifted his glass and took a long drink, only for her hand to lash out and grab him by the throat, heedless of his shadows. “No! Don’t you dare fucking swallow that! You can only drink when it’s your turn, and I asked Eris not you, so that’s against the rules!”

 Azriel looked down at her, eyebrow raised in a silent question of what to do with his mouthful of wine. I watched in rapt amusement as they glared at each other, both seemingly irritated and amused at the same time. I had never seen Azriel look so playful, so relaxed, and was pleased to see there was an actual person under his cool demeanor. 

Wordlessly Hailey leaned closer to him, her hand still locked around his throat, and opened her lips in invitation. Azriel gave a huff of amusement before leaning forward and sealing his lips to hers, the wine he was apparently not allowed to drink pouring from his lips to hers. 

My body heated a few degrees as I watched her throat work, swallowing down the wine as a small trickle escaped the corner of her mouth to slide down her cheek. Fuck if that wasn’t hot as my own fire and I desperately wished it was me pouring that wine into her mouth, or drinking it from his. Either would do. 

Once she was satisfied she got all the wine from him she released his throat and turned back to me with an expectant look. “Well?”

I cleared my throat, trying to push down the arousal filling me before Azriel could smell it, and tried to think. The answer wasn’t exactly pleasant, but I did agree to this game and I did want to ask her questions so I sighed and answered honestly. “Uhm, I suppose the weirdest thing I ever did that to was a pumpkin. My brother, Lucien, carved one to look like his girlfriend for our annual pumpkin carving contest and when he turned around to fetch a different knife I carved a hole in the mouth area and…well…”

Her eyes widened comically large as she stared at me for a moment and I was certain she was about to stand up to leave, disgusted by this. Instead a peal of laughter erupted from her mouth and she reached out to pat my knee. “That’s fucking amazing. I’m definitely bringing that up next time I see him. Okay, your turn then.”

Relieved by her reaction I relaxed slightly, trying to think of something I wanted to know about her. Well, I wanted to know everything. There wasn’t anything about her I didn’t want to know, only I had to pick one question to start. “Okay, Hailey. If you had to eat one food every day for the rest of your life what would it be?”

“Chocolate croissants,” her and Azriel both answered at the same time, which caused her to roll her eyes at him obviously sharing some inside joke. 

Making a mental note of this answer for the future I nod, waiting for her next question. She turned to Azriel, who immediately tensed at her too sweet smile, and she asked, “Are your shadows individually sentient, or are they just an extension of you?”

Ah, clever. Certain that many people wondered this as a shadow slinger was so incredibly rare and not much recorded about them in any texts, that answer was one only a shadow slinger themself could answer. Of course Azriel looked from her to me, then reached for his wine glass. Hailey scowled but did not stop him from drinking, only looking back towards me. “My turn again,” she declared. “Eris, who do you think the most handsome high lord is?”

“Helion,” I responded without thought. 

“Like mother like son,” she laughed. 

I frowned. “What do you mean by that?”

“Is that your question?” she raised a brow. 

I paused, debating that. While I did want to know what that meant I was sure I could just ask mother about it later, and I didn’t want to waste my chances to ask them both questions. It was rare to see Azriel so unguarded, let alone playful, and I needed to take advantage of that while I could. So I shook my head and looked over at him. “Azzie, what does Hailey taste like?”

Hailey’s jaw dropped open as Azriel’s nostrils flared, shadows swirling angrily around him. By the glint in his eye I knew I had overstepped and yet he didn’t reach for his glass. Instead he asked, “Which part of her?”

“Her lips.”

“Which ones?”

Hailey clapped a hand over her mouth as a snort echoed from her, and even I grinned a little. As angry as he looked Azriel was amused. If he wasn’t he would already be drinking. Swirling my own glass I shrugged. “Her mouth I suppose.”

“Like sunshine and a hint of chocolate.”

I looked over at her to see her eyes bouncing back and fourth between us, clearly surprised and yet there was a hint of interest in her look. Azriel, seeming now very interested in this game, leaned forward to ask, “Hailey, who do you think has the better hair between me and Eris?”

“Eris, obviously,” she shrugged, turning towards me to grab a strand in her hand. “I’m a sucker for a male with long hair. Eris, do you prefer giving or receiving?”

“I think there is merit in both. Hailey, if you had to pick one high lord to fuck who would it be?”

“Helion for sure. Azzie, have you ever kissed Rhys?”

“No. Eris, have you ever kissed a high lord?”

And so the questions went on, back and forth in rapid fire each of us asking silly questions about each other, Hailey throwing in casual questions about Azriel’s shadows every once in while making him taking drinks of wine as he refused to answer any about them. I watched as his eyes grew slightly glazed, clearly enjoying the very strong Autumn Berry Wine that was a specialty of our court, until Hailey finally turned to Azriel and asked, “Azriel what does Eris taste like?”

“Cinnamon and apples,” Azriel replied, his words slightly slurred. 

Then his eyes widened. 

Fuck. 

A gleeful grin spread over Hailey’s face. “I knew it!” she shouted, bouncing up and down on her cushion. “You two kissed! Did you do more? Were you guys together? For how long? Why aren’t you together now? How are-”

Her excited tones, growing louder and louder with each question, were suddenly cut off as Azriel’s shadows stuffed her mouth full. “Enough, little liar,” he hissed, true anger in his slightly drunken gaze. “You’re fucking clever, asking me questions you knew I didn’t want to answer so I would answer that one without thinking. I should’ve known you were up to something.”

Despite her mouth being full of shadows she still tried to talk around them, something I was almost certain sounded like “I’m always up to something.”

Another one of his shadows stroked down her face, causing her cheeks to heat, as he murmured, “You are very, very lucky we did not have time before we came here to discuss punishments for acting like a brat. Otherwise when we got home I’d be using this pretty little mouth of yours until I was satisfied and then sending you to bed all hot and needy.”

Fuck. Those words followed by her soft whimper and the air suddenly saturated with the sweet scent of her arousal was enough to make me instantly hard. Before I could even contemplate how to process all of this Azriel stood, pulling her to her feet with him, and said, “It’s time we returned to the party. I am sure Rhys is wondering where we have gone.”

I didn’t even have time to rise to my feet before Azriel was practically hauling her across the lawn towards the main party, taking a part of my heart along with them. 

[scotianostra]

On July 30th 2003 Multi race winning Motorcyclist, Robert Steven ‘Hizzy’ Hislop died.

Hizzy, as he was affectionately known once said “If I’d never thrown my leg over a bike, I’d never have lived.”

Robert Steven Hislop grew up in the village of Chesters, near Hawick in the borders. His father started the interest of both he and his brother Garry in motorcycle racing. This was short lived at the time as he lost his father and a few years later his brother was killed at Silloth circuit. He ended up with a serious alcohol problem which led into depression.

Hizzy thankfully recovered and began his Isle of Man road racing career in 1983 by finishing second in the newcomers’ race at the Manx Grand Prix.

On short circuits, his first championship success came when he won the 250cc British Championship in 1990. Superbike victory followed with the British Superbike Championship in 1995. Some attributed his success to James Whitham leaving the series mid-season to deal with cancer.

Although he did not take a BSB victory in 1996 or 1997, Hislop was hired by Rob McElnea’s dominant Cadbury’s Boost Yamaha team for 1998. The nature of the fight for the championship between Hislop & team mate, fellow Scot. Niall Mackenzie, was illustrated by a near-collision on the last lap at Snetterton which cost the team a 1-2 finish. Hislop generally matched his countryman before a serious crash took him out of title contention.

His last championship success came in 2002 when he won the British Superbike Championship riding a Ducati. A notable feature of his season resulted from Hislop lapping Donington Park circuit more quickly on a superbike than the fastest Moto GP machine: Hislop’s modified production Ducati was heavier and less powerful than the bespoke Grand Prix bikes.

The 1992 Senior TT was described as an absolute classic. It is often described as one of the best races in TT history.

After their successful 1991 TT on all conquering Honda RVF machines, Hislop and Carl Fogarty had not planned to return in 1992. However, they both lined up on the Glencrutchery Road that year on unfancied machinery: Hislop was ona Norton with Fogarty on a Yamaha. The Norton Hizzy rode had been developed on a shoe string budget when compared with the Japanese competition. John Player had no intention of backing Steve’s TT campaign but after scratching around for some support and with minimal testing time, the team headed for the Isle of Man.

Hislop’s Norton took to the circuit in the unconventional white livery of Steve’s long term sponsor Abus. Hislop and the team defied the bike’s detractors by taking a fine 2nd place in the opening TT F1 race. The bike proved it could complete 6 laps of the gruelling Snaefell Mountain Course in hot weather so the team looked forward to Friday’s Senior TT.

Hislop’s main rival was Foggarty, who started at number 4. Steve started at 19. Not only did this give Hizzy more traffic to contend with but it also gave the crowd an anxious wait as the officials calculated the time difference between them. As the race progressed, the two riders smashed records they set the previous year with Hislop taking a narrow advantage into the final lap. In a last-ditch attempt to catch Hislop, Fogarty recorded a record lap time of more than 123 mph on his Yamaha. It was all in vain however as Hislop guided the fly splattered Norton home to an historic win. This was one of Hislop’s greatest achievements and one of the most popular TT wins. Carl Fogarty’s lap record stood for 7 years.

Hislop and Fogarty went on to become two of Britain’s most successful motorcycle racers, winning many races and championships. It was the 1992 Senior TT that saw them battle together for the last time.

Described by some as a flawed sporting genius, success in the world championships never materialised for Hislop. This was possibly because of a self-destructive aspect to his character. The flaw may have led to a number of well-publicised clashes with other riders and teams in the British championships which hindered progress into international series.

Having lost his brother and many friends in motorcycle accidents, he made a point of never going to the funerals of fellow racers, saying:

“Some people might find that a bit callous. I only ever attend family ones and people find it a bit strange that I won’t go to a friend’s funeral, but it’s just my little way of shutting off.”

Steve Hislop died in a helicopter accident in July 2003, near Teviothead, Roxburghshire and was interred in the village of Chesters near his birthplace of Hawick, Scotland. He had two children.

There is a bronze statue in memory of Hizzy in the grounds of Hawick Museum. at Wilton park and another at Onchan Head, Isle of Man, as seen in order in the pics. The last pic is a cairn near Teviothead, the scene of the helicopter crash, it reads……

‘Hizzy’ This cairn was built by a few friends of Steve Hislop, British Superbike Champion, who was tragically killed in a helicopter accident near this site, on July 30th 2003.

Kind permission was granted by His Grace The Duke of Buccleuch.

[aurik-kal-durin]

My final Hilda episode ranking for all seasons, plus the movie.

S Tier: Most of these should be self-explanatory. The standouts I feel I must explain are The Nightmare Spirit, The Windmill, and The Yule Lads.

The Nightmare Spirit is one of my favorite episodes in the entire series because it introduces the Marra, and has some absolutely spellbinding folklore behind it, as well as some great character development for Hilda and David. I couldn't NOT put it in S tier.

The Windmill and The Yule Lads I feel are two of the more underrated episodes; the former is a superb David centric episode where he ends up being the unlikely hero, and the latter just has some really good folklore behind, and is a unique take on the Christmas special. It also has a very sweet moment between Hilda and David at the end, which makes it even better in my book.

A Tier: These episodes are not as good as S tier, but are still brimming with charm, and thus are a joy to watch. Whether they have some fascinating folklore behind them, some good character development, or some just some funny or otherwise iconic moments (like David standing up to the Marra, or telling off Frida) these episodes are just as infinitely rewatchable as S tier most of the time.

These episodes formed the backbone of the series and kept me watching from beginning to end. They form a key element that is missing from most other cartoons, and made the difference between keeping me entertained... and feeling like the series was being padded out with unnecessary filler, as has been the case with the majority of shows I've watched in the last 15 years.

B Tier: This is more of a matter of personal preference, but episodes in this tier I just found were a bit of a chore to get through.

The Black Hound, I felt, was a lackluster ending to an otherwise amazing first season.

The Draugen wasn't bad, but I always found it to be pretty "meh" compared to the episodes I have in higher tiers.

C Tier: The House in the Woods was just kind of a boring episode, and I have mixed feelings about The Mountain King. My biggest issue with the movie is with Trylla, the mother troll, her warped justification for kidnapping Hilda, and the fact that she almost got Johanna KILLED while hiding the truth from Hilda. Sorry, but I cannot overlook that.

D Tier: Episodes in this tier all had something that held them back, but weren't so bad that I had a hard time watching them from start to finish.

The Troll Circle was a bland and meandering opening to the second season, and it introduced us to Ahlberg, who was at his most annoying in that episode.

The Beast of Cauldron Island had a lot of things I didn't like, such as the continuation of Frida's awful character arc for Season 2, and David being reduced to a useless coward yet again.

Strange Frequencies made all of the characters unlikeable and OOC while focusing too much on the nisse, when it should've focused on Hilda's dad.

F Tier: These are the few episodes in all of Hilda that I consider to be genuinely bad to the point where they're unwatchable.

The Witch kickstarts Frida's awful character arc for Season 2, dumbs down Hilda to make Frida look smarter, strips the Librarian of her mystique from Season 1, and introduces some unlikable and annoying new characters in the form of the Committee of Three.

The Eternal Warriors uses all of it's runtime to make fun of David, reducing him to a useless coward, and giving us some really cringe-inducing scenes when he becomes fearless.

The Jorts Incident is the single worst episode of the entire series, wasting the potential of the tide mice on a forgettable side character and a lazy Ghostbusters homage... while also reducing David to a useless coward yet again!

The Giantslayer is a pointless time travel side quest that portrays the giants as victims even as they're carelessly stepping on people's houses and ruining their entire lives.