#And it upsets me because I think it really just. Ruins Charlotte's character. | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

yukiwhitetm · 3 years ago

Text

Thoughts on Life is Strange: True Colors and Wavelengths

This part of the review contains no spoilers.

Chapter One

This chapter was an excellent introduction to Alex Chen, her brother, Gabe, and the rest of the Haven Springs community. Steph and Ryan, our two romance options, were introduced with equal value - Steph was super cool and Ryan was super cute. Every character was well rounded and likeable, but the game was glitchy, hard to run and no one’s mouth moved with their speech - this improved in later chapters after the October update. The worst glitch was on Alex when she suddenly turned entirely black during an animation, but that went away quickly and may have been resolved in the October update. I had to adjust my settings several times to get the game to run smoothly! Windowed mode is your saviour here.

Chapter Two

This chapter could have been done better. It was OK. But it could have been impactful and emotional, and it just... wasn’t. I will talk about it more in the spoilers part of this review. There was a hilarious glitch where the bartender, Jed, T-posed when he wasn’t even supposed to be in the room. I laughed so hard.

Chapter Three

My favourite chapter by far! This chapter was fun and enjoyable - and then it was intense and emotional. I am so glad that they fleshed out Gabe’s girlfriend, Charlotte, more here as she had seemed bland before. I am concerned about how they did it, but I will talk about that in the spoiler part of this review.

Chapter Four

Fun and optional romance was abound in this chapter! The event was enjoyable and the romance so sweet that it made me smile. But it had a shocking conclusion. I literally clasped my hands over my mouth and gasped!

Chapter Five

Remember how in the first game Max had visions of alternate futures and alternate versions of herself and it got really crazy for awhile there? Well, it happened again here! But it made tons more sense and I actually enjoyed unravelling it all. True Colors came to a decisive end as the mysteries were brought to a satisfying, if tragic, conclusion.

Wavelengths

This expansion pack was long! It was as long as a chapter of the game - so grab a warm drink and get comfy. In this, we followed Steph as she started her new job as a DJ and shop assistant in Haven Springs and slowly, bit by bit, moved on from the grief and trauma of what happened at Arcadia Bay. It impacted her more than we ever thought it did and she really struggled for awhile. You see the DJ booth and the music shop change over time as she settled in and got her life in order. Steph grew to become the Steph we knew in the game, and we got to see it happen. (Side note, I had a serious glitch occur when she entered the back room at one point, and had to restart from a previous check point three times. Hopefully, this will be ironed out with time.)

To read a more in depth review carry on, but beware the blatant spoilers below!

This part of the review contains spoilers and, honestly, this is where the critique comes in.

Chapter One

I like that this chapter started with Alex talking to her therapist because it introduces us to the main character, and it is then tied into the start of the last chapter. I appreciate that there was foreshadowing put in place by Ethan telling Alex that he wanted to go up and into the mountains that day, and by the signs of the upcoming explosions that were literally everywhere, but it ruined the experience for me. I predicted the entire thing before it happened and was frustrated that I couldn’t stop something so obvious from happening. It happened and I could have stopped it because I saw it miles out, but the game wouldn’t let me. So much for player’s choice. Also, I think that Riley’s hair could have done with being animated better as it looked not-quite-right throughout the game. And, I hate to say this, but Gabe’s death was more funny than it should have been. I mean, it was upsetting, yes, but I knew it was going to happen because of the trailers, so I did not miss the hilarity of the animation of this one random boulder just hitting Gabe in the stomach and throwing him off the mountain. I think that could have been animated better.

Chapter Two

This chapter started with a memorial for Gabe. I cried really hard during this part and had to restart the scene to watch it clearly. Then we helped Steph deal with her grief in a scene that was beautiful and well done. Steph’s eyebrows kept on disappearing, though, which made me giggle. Alex helped Charlotte support Ethan, and she helped Ryan with his grief and guilt. The scene with Ryan was brilliant too - and his following joy random but sweet. My critique here is this - where was Alex’s grief? It was her brother that died right in front of her and yet we did not see her grieve him, not really. And I get that it was mentioned in Chapter Five that she never cries, but still. Her voice was too level and her expression too clear and it really did not seem as though it had only been two weeks since her brother had died, I repeat, right in front of her. The entire chapter was about grief and mourning, but not about hers. She did start to see her empathy as something she can use to help other people and that’s great, but what about her emotions, where were they?

Alex’s watered down emotions were why this chapter was only an OK. Alex is the main character - so her emotions matter the most.

Chapter Three

I cannot put into words how much I loved this chapter. The LARP was so inspired and fun - I enjoyed every moment of it. And the way that Ethan’s Joy transformed the LARP into a real fantasy world was wonderful, followed on by how it was torn apart by his grief. After this came a scene with Charlotte where we finally got to see her grief - and it had manifested as anger, which is one of the five stages of grief. The option to take away her anger was an interesting choice to make, if an intrusive one. She had the right to her emotions. But! My concern is this - Charlotte is a black woman and the writers made her angry, so are they perpetuating the ‘angry black woman’ stereotype? Or are they allowing her the right to be angry in her grief despite the stereotype? I just think that this is such a sensitive topic that it would have been better if they had swapped her anger with another character’s sadness - like Steph’s or Ryan’s - so that this topic could have been entirely avoided. But maybe I am wrong here.

Chapter Four

I loved the Spring Festival! It was so much fun exploring it all and talking to all of the characters! My favourite part was the giving of a rose to your romantic interest - I loved how this made it clear to the game who you were interested in, as I was a bit concerned I would end up with Ryan when I had been gunning for Steph. (I just think dating your brother’s best friend is kind of weird.) The rooftop scene between Steph and Alex was adorable and I was so happy to finally see them kiss! Pike arresting Alex was not unexpected, because he had always seemed wishy-washy, but upsetting. The fact that she and her friends had been spied on was unnerving, but I should have seen that coming after what happened with Mac. Taking Pike’s fear away seemed contradictory to her thoughts on how taking Charlotte’s anger away was intrusive, but it was the only option other than signing the paper, which I was not going to do, so I did it. Jed’s betrayal was shocking. I did not expect that at all! And that Alex was shot and fell down a mine shaft from the impact was terrifying. What if she had died?

Chapter Five

This chapter started with Alex talking to her therapist again, and I love that it tied into the beginning of the game. The following mystery was fun to solve, and the magical memory explorations with Gabe were interesting to explore as we got to see more of their shared past. I actually really liked it! I was cheering Alex on as she made her way out of the mine, but I nearly cried when she found her mother’s locket down there. The final showdown between her and Jed was impactful and emotional like I had hoped chapter two to be, and I am glad that I managed to garner every character’s support. Jed admitted to his crimes and I... I forgave him. Not for him, but for Alex, because she deserved to move on from what happened. I chose to stay in Haven Springs with Steph, because it seemed like the game wanted me to do that (as I had learned from the first game that Life is Strange tends to have a ‘favourite’ ending that is more fleshed out) but I actually wanted them to leave. It didn’t seem healthy to me for her stay in the place that her father, brother and almost her had been murdered. Despite this, I found the ending to be... lacklustre. Gabe’s description of her future in Haven Springs was beautiful, but I would have liked to see that after I made the choice not before - because after I made the choice all I got to see was Alex walking to Haven Springs, which I had seen several times before, and then roll credits. If I had known that I wouldn’t have seen anything different I would have let Alex and Steph move on with their lives.

Overall, Life is Strange: True Colors is a great game! I would not say it is as good as Life is Strange was, but it is far better than Life is Strange 2, because it had a cohesive story with an overarching plot, likeable characters and a mystery to solve.

#life is strange #life is strange true colors #true colors #life is strange wavelengths #lis #listc #lis true colors #review #video game review #game review #story review #glitches #thoughts #random thoughts

16 notes · View notes

gaitwae · 4 years ago

Text

i miss you •||• Loki x Reader

WORD COUNT: 2847

“You can’t just expect me to be okay with this!” you shout. You were arguing again, like always. You had been partners for three years, now, and even more than that, inseparable. It was often hard to stay away, no matter how angry you could be at him.

“And why not?” he roared at you. You were outside of your office. Loki had walked in with a sullen expression, telling you his wish. It angered you immediately. “I can’t keep putting you in danger like this! We’ve become too emotionally attached. I’m asking Fury for a new partner.”

You bite your lip, clenching you fists so tight your nails could draw blood. “You should at least consider my feelings, Loki!” You step closer, almost daring him to say it. Say what he always says.

“I have to keep you safe!” There it was. The same excuse. One that never really mattered in the end because you had more training and were technically the superior agent. You roll your eyes.

“Why? Why can’t you just deal with me getting in the occasional fight? Why is it such a big deal if I get hurt or if I go out alone?” you ask, seeing his eyes darken with rage but soften with fear. He opened his mouth, but no sound came, so you continued. “I’m one of the best agents S.H.E.I.L.D. has! I can do the dirty work! I’m not a baby, Loki.”

“Yes! That’s why I worry so much!” he argued. “S.H.E.I.L.D. always has us go on the most deadly missions, and you’re so idiotic as to think you’ll make it out without a scrape! I—We almost lost you, yesterday. I can’t be partners with someone like you.” You never fell for his silver tongue, but you could tell he was trying this time.

The statement hurt tremendously, but this was the man who came into your apartment for no reason (and invitation) and let you theorize with him in the middle of the night about missions and suspects. He cuddled you when you watched movies together, mumbling jokes in your ear when a character did something unbelievably stupid. He showed you his Jotun form and occasionally called you “Princess (Y/N)” instead of “Lady” just to tease. You trusted him above all others and vice versa.

The man who randomly bought you things while undercover and begged you if he could keep souvenirs of the little things. He took pictures of you after you bought him a camera, even against your wish not to. He could still end up being the closest to you like he always was. But you wanted to be his partner. No matter how much you complained about it.

“That makes two of us,” you spit. “How could I ever be partners with the God of Mischief and Lies? After all, he is just a monster.”

His eyes harden. “You don’t mean that,” he whispers. “You know I care about you. So much. But being partners any longer will jeopardize our work.” He swallowed thickly. You scared him, you know it. You hurt him. He tries to grab your hand. Rare moments he held your hand. You pull your hand away, still upset.

“How? Agents need a bond of trust, Loki!” you tell him. “Other agents are jealous of our connection, how well we work together.”

Loki POV

Jealous of our connection. No. Other agents were jealous of me, how close I was to (Y/N). They all wanted her, cherished her. She was such a sweet, funny, caring woman. I was a monster indeed. It was an odd pairing, and I could even see why others hated me. But one cannot help whom they are in love with. And who did I love? Her.

“Learn to trust someone else, then,” I suggest, rather rudely. “After all, this monster could betray you.” I used the same tone of voice as she did, mocking her some.

(Y/N)’s eyes widened with realization. “Oh, Loki,” she sighs. I try to keep my cold glare, but I look down to the floor. She walks over to me, putting her hands on my shoulders. One gently reached up to cup my face. I catch it and hold it close. “You aren’t a monster. I didn’t mean that, you know I didn’t.” I nod.

“I know. I know, (Y/N). But look at us. We . . . we should consider how any more losses would affect us. And this—this—this whatever it is needs to be talked about too.” I set a hesitant hand on her waist. “It seems like whenever we are around each other, the world goes from being a dark place to—”

“The Fourth of July?” (Y/N) suggested. After celebrating the ridiculous holiday with her, I understood what she meant. The fireworks, the booms, the thrill. I nod. Though neither of us are smiling, I feel we both understand how happy we are to have each other.

We’re still for a while, she against me and I holding her. Neither one speaks. And for once I’m glad to not be able to use my silver tongue. She finally looks up at me, but a pang runs through my heart.

“I cannot stay as your partner. What would happen if you were hurt because of my ignorance?” I ask her. “I care too deeply to watch you in danger, (Y/N). This isn’t a decision out of spite or selfishness. It’s out of love. We’d become dangerous if the other was in trouble.”

She looks reluctant with her answer. “You’re right, Loki.” She sighs. “You’ll still come over, right? Watch movies and stuff?”

“Darling, I’ll even sleep over and make you that cake you love, with popcorn.” I laugh, even though I’m completely serious. “I’ll brush your hair and play board games. Nothing we wouldn’t do on a day off.”

She smiled softly. “Really?”

“I promise. I will make the time for you.” I take her other and lace our fingers together. She grinned at me. I give her a soft smile. “We just . . . won’t work on the same part of projects anymore.”

Her smile drops. “I know. I know how much I say I’d take another partner all the time, but I don’t want one.” She pouts and looks away from me. I don’t know how to tell her I want to be her partner in more than work.

“It’s the best option,” I say, slow and steady but also sadly. “I promise nothing will change between us.”

She gave a slow, tiny nod. “Okay. Okay,” she says. “But if you don’t go now, I might make you stay.” She looks at me with her lovely eyes. A firm stare. Right now, I’m sure, more than ever, I’m in love with her.

I let go, wishing to kiss her, care for her, but I rush off to find Fury.

Your POV, four months later

Most people at parties have fun. You usually did. Usually. And this year, the Halloween party was at the top of its game. Everyone was looking astonishing. Your costume? A fairy. His costume? A pirate. He sounded the part along with looking it.

But you weren’t having fun.

You saw him with his new partner, Yvonne Cathery. He was laughing with her, probably at something she had said. With her lovely blonde hair and bright blue eyes. She was a typical blonde: very pretty, very funny, and usually everybody’s type. And you felt hatred for her.

Your new partner, Charlotte Mendon, looked at you with a sort of worry. Her dark hair and eyes made her look pretty, but you could care less how she looked. She was one of your best friends, next to Loki and Natasha—well, just Nat now.

“Honey, you okay?” she asked. You shake your head, furious with Loki. He was busy, yes, and he was still coming over and doing everything he promised. The both of you were even close to sharing a kiss, a few months ago. (On a dare, but who cared? He looked eager enough to you.) Still, he wasn’t as close as he could have been. “It’s Yvonne, again, isn’t it?”

“I want to kill both of them, at this point,” you growl. You tense up more when Loki looks over at you. He smiled even brighter, waving. His face was tinted red, but you assumed that was because of his pretty partner. You glare. He looks confused and arches an eyebrow.

“What’s wrong?” he mouths. You point to him. He looks behind him at first, then points to himself. You nod. “Yvonne too?” he mouths more. You nod again. He looks dumbfounded and grins evilly. Yvonne asks him something and he makes an excuse. She pouts and attempts to seduce him into staying. He gets comfortable, walking away.

Toward you.

You light up like a Christmas tree. Why? Because he’s moving so fast, he’s running people over. His eyes are bright and so is his smile, but just as mischievous. Yvonne looks absolutely offended, and somehow, that’s okay with you.

He lifts you, making you let out a noise. He spins you. You try so hard not to laugh and stay angry at him. He sets you down and kisses your cheek, making you blush. “Loki!” you roar.

He pulls back, hands on your waist. “I knew you were jealous, I knew it!” he says, kissing your whole face. His grip was shaky, and you turned your fiery face to where he was sitting. Four whole bottles of hard, white alcohol. Was it a hundred proof? Oh no. You couldn’t believe what you were seeing: He was drunk.

“I-I’m not jealous,” you say, seeing Charlotte smirk. You were, and there was no use lying to Loki. He holds you close, cradling your head and giving a small laugh. You blush furiously, looking down on the ground.

“You are! You are!” He lets out a chuckle and goes to kiss your lips but you were quicker. You put your fingers to his mouth, pushing him away from you, just a tad. He looks surprised at the gesture.

“Whoa, Loki-Doki. Hold your drunk horses. No more kisses. I’m not jealous and you’re in my space. Not to mention ruining my wings; they took weeks to make! Move,” you say sternly. He pouts and lets go of you, though you could tell he wanted to love on you more. (Not that you didn’t like it, but he didn’t need to know that.)

“You’re still jealous of her,” he says, words slurred, a small smirk appearing and disappearing just as fast. “But you’re wrong about our relationship . . . she isn’t even someone I can . . . tolerlareate? Tolerate. I want you!”

“Loki,” you warn. He pouts more. To be fair, it was adorable. But it wasn’t like Loki to drink himself drunk. You press your lips together, using a softer tone. “Tell me what’s wrong, baby?” This was a tone you reserved for emergencies. Like nightmares and on the verge of tears. You were pretty sure this counted as an emergency.

He looks at you with worry and sadness, lips wobbling. “Come back to me. I miss staying up late with you and cooking for you and seeing you every second of the day. To be undercover and shower you with gifts I know you never saw the point in having, because what you wanted you already had and taking you out to dinner. I’m ready to be your partner, again, (Y/N).”

You sigh. “It’s only been a few months, Loki.” They way that he had described being partners . . . it had you worrying that he might just want more than that. You shivered slightly, your heart melting at how sweet he could be.

“But I miss you too much. I worry about you all the time, (Y/N)!” He holds your hands close to his chest, pleading silently. His heart was beating faster than you ever heard it before. It was getting really hard to say ‘no.’ “I almost went off base because you shut off your com. I wasn’t even supposed to be listening to it!”

You blushed. You knew he cared about you . . . but, dang, you were never going to hear the end of this from Charlotte. You look over to her, seeing her put a hand on her heart.

“So cute!” she giggled quietly. You roll your eyes a tad. You look back to Loki, cupping his face. You plant a kiss on his cheek, standing up on your tippiest tippy toes momentarily.

“Okay. Fine. Fine. When you’re thinking clearly again, we’ll talk about it over dinner or something,” you tell him, seeing his eyes light up again. “Got it?”

He beams and nods. “Thank you!” he says, hugging you tightly and kissing your cheek, again. By now, you’re sure you look like the human tomato, even if the room was dark.

“Go get some water, okay? I’m worried about you.” You give him a soft, worried smile. He nodded. You squeeze his hand, pushing him away gently. He squeezes your hand back, holding on as long as he can. It seemed that drunk Loki was a lot more playful than usual Loki.

Charlotte smirks. “Is it just me, or did he seem really touchy-feely tonight?” she asked, her mermaid costume glittering as she sat next to me. I nod.

“He rarely ever hugs me, unless we’re watching something. And even then, he’s not holding me close and teasing or kissing me.” You look back to where he went. The water dispenser. He was drinking out of a paper cup. “Kissing me when drunk. . . . Definitely not what I was expecting. Can you imagine him doing it clear-headed?” You look to Lotte.

She nods. “Yeah, but you might have to dare him or something. Nothing much.” I glare at her. “What?” she asked.

“Seriously, Charlotte. Come on. He doesn’t like me like that —” She cuts you off with a laugh.

“Of course he does, (Y/N), don’t be ridiculous. You see the way he looks at you compared to others. How far he’s been willing to go for you, never mind he ignores what he did right after.” She gives you a light laugh. “I’ll bet my bottom dollar he’s head over heels.”

“You shouldn’t bet that,” you say, giving her a sneaky smile. “You might lose it.” Charlotte rolls her eyes.

“The point is, you might have a wish of yours come true. Why is it so hard for you to believe?” she asks you.

You run your hands through your (h/l), (h/c) hair. “I just don’t want to get my hopes up, Charlotte.” You give a melancholy sigh. “What if it’s just the alcohol talking?”

She gives you a reassuring smile. “Trust me, (Y/N). Just this once.”

-----

“Agent (L/N). Where are you going?” Phil Coulson says behind you, jumping you a bit. “You haven’t been properly introduced to your new partner.” His words are playful.

“Insulting, isn’t it?” Loki says, his voice coming from next to Phil. “One might think she wants to work alone.”

You turn around to face the sleek, blue eyed god. You grab his tie and smirk, pulling him down some to shrink the height difference. “As I recall, you were the one begging for me to come back. Now that we work together again, where’s my thanks?”

Phil makes a light laugh. “I see you’re properly acquainted. How about I leave you two alone?” He winks and walks off. “Don’t do anything Fury would catch!”

You roll your eyes. “Whatever. It’s not like we will.” You look back at the god of Mischief. “Did you really mean everything you said to me at the Halloween party?”

“Of course, (Y/N). I admit, I lost a little self control, but everything was true.” He sets a hand on your waist and pulls you close, smirking softly. “And, um, you’ve never called me ‘Loki-Doki’ or ‘baby’ before.”

You blush. “You were drunk,” you say, but it’s still a horrid excuse. You move your hand from his tie to his shoulder, resting your other hand on his inner elbow.

“And? I call you Princess and Lady and darling and sweetheart and love all the time. Whether or not you’re drunk.” He smirked. “When are you going to admit you’re in love with me?”

“I . . . I—” You stop, blushing. “When are you going to admit you’re in love with me?”

He grins, pulling you even closer. You make a soft noise of surprise. He cups your face and kisses you deeply, and for a second, you’re not sure how to respond. He was kissing you. He was kissing you! HE was kissing YOU! He seems to lose some confidence, confused. You kiss him back, though, forgetting that’s what kissing was.

He kissed you a little harder, definitely with more excitement. You wrap your arms around his neck. He pulls away. “I love you.”

“I love you, too,” you say.

#Loki x y/n #Loki x reader #Loki #Loki laufeyson #Loki odinson #Mcu #Marvel #Gaitwae writes

134 notes · View notes

theromanticrationalist · 4 years ago

Text

For All Mankind's season 2 finale was just incredible. In many ways, I have been really impressed by this show and how they have been able to incorporate space exploration into the intimate threads of human history. The Moon, space, leaving the confines of the Earth's atmosphere, exploring the great beyond - all become catalysts for each of the individual characters - representing each of their own struggles. Because, as I believe, reaching out towards the stars ultimately becomes about reaching within the human soul - looking outward, is looking inward, and vice versa. The two are inexplicably entwined, and this show does a pretty good job at showing this.

More fan girl thoughts below the cut. . .

- Gordo & Tracy Stevens

I feel like this is best exemplified in Gordo and Tracy's story. I don't have time to outline it all at the moment, but the Moon becomes the stage upon which their hearts are made bare. It is so rare to see a redemption story, and a redemption story of a marriage no less, showcased with such power. I will forever be blown away by this story. *lays down* - *cries* - *cries a lot*

- Margo & Sergei

UH ... YES PLEASE.

A forbidden Soviet Era romance??? Yes yes yes yes yes. I need this! THANK YOU FOR ALL MANKIND. The both of them are my absolute favorite! Just. Everything about them. How they are the same and how they are able to communicate almost as if they are reading each other's minds, and the way Sergei looks at her, and the way Margo blushes and can't even look at him in the eyes, and just . . . *incoherent fangirl screeching*

I really feel like Margo knows the door that she opened. I hope the writers don't make her dumb in the next season - just some love struck nerd girl. Margo is naïve and lost in her own world sometimes, but she isn't stupid. I feel like after Sergei's call, she was realizing the full ramifications of what she had done and what this could mean for her and Sergei's complicated relationship. (Not to mention her standing with her own government and country!)

So, you know what I want to see?? I want to see Margo and Sergei play the most expertly played game of espionage ever orchestrated! I want to see them give false information to one another, and they'll personally always get offended by it even though they both know this isn't personal at all - they'll twist and turn words, double - triple! - meanings - are they enemies? Are they friends? Are they lovers? Do they even know? Maybe! Maybe not! How can they hope to be anything more when they are serving countries that are always on the brink of World War III? And yet!!!

And always Sergei will have stars in his eyes when he looks at her, whenever she does something impossibly clever, and Margo will always wear his favorite color and be speechless around him whenever he is trying to be charming.

I LOVE THEM. FOR ALL MANKIND YOU GAVE THIS TO ME NOW DON'T RUIN IT FOR ME

And let me just say that once again Margot is basically just me. OF COURSE she would fall for the enemy! Totally on brand. I get you, girl! I get you so hard!

<holding up my fingers like the Ben Wyatt meme> It's about the "it's complicated..."

- Danielle Poole

QUEEN. MY QUEEN. I knew she would come through and pull off the Soyuz mission with flying colors! And Danielle & Stepan have my heart! I knew Stepan wouldn't be able to resist her in the end, and that he would have his little Soviet heart melted in no time! 🥰🥰🥰 That whole moment of them defying their governments and choosing peace and brotherhood was just so beautiful. (I was pretty much an emotional mess the entire finale...) Then the gut punching realization that many American's didn't even get to see the historical moment live on TV because they were in the Fall Out shelters. Uuuuuugh. This show is SO good at building the emotional drama of this unfolding history. It feels so real! But it also feels very much like it could part of the Star Trek universe. They are exploring similar utopian and humanistic themes, and so I think I am going to make it my headcanon that our alternate history is part of the Prime timeline. It's official. I have declared it.

Speaking of Star Trek, though, I was tearing up when Danielle was quoting Star Trek. OF COURSE she is a Trekkie - OF COURSE. She is perfect without flaw. The most precious angel! I just wish she had more screen time this season, but I loved her story this season regardless!

- Thomas Paine

I never got to properly mourn the passing of Paine! I was pretty upset that he died, and just when he was becoming such an awesome character! (HE LOVED SPACE THE ENTIRE TIME OMG MY HEART.) However, I realized he was like the Agent Coulson of this show. That awesome side character with an unusual and unexpected quirky personality whose death becomes a catalyst for the bigger picture! Ellen is doing an incredible job within his place, though, and I love what it is building for her character (even if her story is SO SAD). At any rate, Thomas Paine shall be missed!

- Molly Cobb

Molly Cobb is BOSS. Her heroic moment on the Moon was such an amazing highlight for this season for me. But I am loving how they have taken her character in an unexpected direction, down a harder and more humbling road. It is heartbreaking, but such a deeply human story. Her taking her plane and trying to escape from the Earth's atmosphere was like the most DRAMATIC AF moment (omg this show), but also, I felt that too. I also loved her and Wayne's struggle through what Molly is having to face. They're marriage is so strong - perfectly challenging one another and carrying one another through life. I love them! This is going to be painful watching what Molly will have to go through, though.

- Karen

I do want to say a few more words about this whole debacle. The fact that the writers completely obliterated the Baldwin family is something I will not forgive them for, and it was very poor choice on their part, most especially how it came about. To me, the Baldwins have always been the anchor point of the show, but now they are all just kind of pathetic, as the trust in their marriage is broken (for no reason) and all so that Karen can go "find herself".

Now, it has always been a part of Karen's character arc that she needs to find her own identity. She gave herself to her family, putting herself last, and that isn't a good thing. Although we should be reminded that a woman serving her family as a wife and mother is NOT shameful, and so there was literally no reason for the writers to deconstruct this when it was actually a beautiful thing. Things aren't black and white. Karen can be both proud as a dutiful wife and mother AND have existential dread over her own identity as person. BOTH realities can be true and exist together! You don't need to destroy the one to have the other! It's called N U A N C E. Something American tv writers utterly lack in their writing now a days.

Regardless of all this, though, and the disturbing, messed up nature of Karen's affair with Danny - I am sick and tired of how often shows and movies depict a woman's exploration of identity through her sexuality. I find it to be really offensive. As if liberating a woman's spirit means turning her into a horny sex fiend. Sexuality is but one dimension of a woman's identity, one dimension amongst a thousand. To reduce her down to this basic and crude physical dimension, as if somehow sleeping around, having affairs, masturbating, etc, unlocks her deeper self, is really insulting to women as human beings. Being an independent, confident woman comes from a deeper place of the mind, heart, and spirit that embodies her entire person as a holistic being. We are more than the sum of our parts! Please, writers, for the love of God, stop making us into rutting animals!

Suggestion: American writers, creators, directors, just go read Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre. She'll wipe the floor with your pitiful displays of female independence. I have never seen any modern writer even come close to what Bronte was able to to achieve with her masterpiece. She was able to truly showcase the power, dignity, and grace of a woman's spirit flawlessly - showing how freedom and independence does not mean free to do whatever you want with whomever you want defying all traditions, religion, expectations, and principles - but is a state and quality of mind, that even in the most dire and unbearable of circumstances, your spirit remains immutable. A woman's strength is compassion in the face of adversity, serenity in the face of devastation, and strength in the face of oppression. THAT is true womanhood.

#lots of thoughts #my thoughts #for all mankind #this show has taken me to transcendent heights #but also has plummeted me into the deepest lows of disgust #it's going to be like this the whole time isn't it #margo madison #danielle poole #molly cobb

21 notes · View notes

thespiralgrimoire · 4 years ago

Note

So just realized that all of the female cast members (and probably some of the male ones) are based on fairytales Grey is Cinderella, Noelle is Snow White, Vanessa is rapunzal, Yuno might be Peter Pan or at least Sylph is tinkerbell

I got an ask similar to this quite a while ago, but it was a little more cumbersome and I wasn't sure how to respond to it....

I think this is an interesting take but personally I think it's a little reductive. There are definitely some similarities between the BC ladies and the Disney princesses, but I think to say that any of them are based on Disney princesses is a disservice to them as characters. While the BC universe is definitely loosely based in a European fantasy setting, I would think that the fact that it's written from a Japanese perspective would mean that the similarities to our classic Western fairytails can't be taken for granted.

HOWEVER, there is also the point to be made that the Disney Princess stories are based in tropes that show up in a LOT of traditions and stories, so maybe it would be more accurate to say that these characters' stories contain a lot of the same elements that appear in folklore all around the world?

That being said, I think it's fun to play with what we know, and I don't know a lot of Japanese fairytales. So let's take a look at some of the ones you listed, because I spent $75,000 on a Bachelor's degree in English literature and I don't get to use it much.

☘️ Of all of these, Grey is DEFINITELY the most obvious one. Like, it’s every element of Cinderella... The step sisters, the mistreatment, the false identity. But I think that’s is very important how it differs from the classic tale to play on Grey’s sense of self.

The classic Cinderella story doesn’t paint Cinderella as a self pitying damsel who needs to be rescued. She is upset with her situation, she knows it’s not fair, and she knows she’s entitled to a nice night out, especially after she puts in the work in to make an outfit appropriate for the occasion. Her step sisters’ vindictive nature ruins this for her, not any fault of her own, which is why her fairy godmother steps in to right the wrongs of her situation.

Grey doesn’t have the sense of self that Cinderella has. Be it through abuse or quirks of her own personality, she’s a rather passive victim to her step sisters’ bullying, and instead of doing what she does despite of them like Cinderella, she does everything she can to please them. The ending result is more or less the same: they can’t be pleased. In both cases the step sisters retaliate violently: in Cinderella’s case, they destroy the dress she’s made for herself, and in Grey’s case, they drive Grey into the woods, taking her attempt to please them as a personal insult.

Grey gets no fairy godmother, and no ball. And unlike Cinderella, she gets rescued by a “prince” character (as much as I loathe to call Gauche that, but an analogy does exist there, so let’s acknowledge it.) Gauche saves Grey in the literal sense, and he also gives her the courage to better her situation, which eventually leads her to develop a sense of self that is not “her step family’s doormat.” She varies from Cinderella in this way because Cinderella never had to make this personal jump in her narrative; she started her narrative already there. Whereas Grey was desperately trying to become something that someone would respect, Cinderella knew from the start that she was worthy of more than the world had given her.

But the nice thing about Grey’s narrative is that she IS working to be this person! She’s got to put in the work to get to where Cinderella is, but who knows? Maybe by the time she isn’t afraid to be her authentic self, she’ll get some help from an exterior source (a metaphorical fairy godmother character) or maybe that power will come from within (with this new magic she’s using to save Gauche?). If we stick with the fairytale princess narrative, her reward would be Gauche. Just like Cinderella was rewarded for her strength during an adverse time in her life, Grey will be rewarded for overcoming her insecurities.

☘️ I... gotta come clean here, I read “Snow White” but my brain went “Sleeping Beauty”, and I was all ready to talk about THAT fascinating analogy. So apologies if this one is a little lackluster while I get my fairytales straight.

I think this one is a little flimsy, but again, I prepared to talk about the wrong fairytale. Would we paint Magicula as the evil queen, wanting Noelle dead because she’s “fairer”? Or would her siblings be an abstract reading of the “evil queen” because Noelle looks too much like their mother, and therefore is the bane of their existance, like Snow White was for the evil queen? The Black Bulls as the seven dwarves is the one part of this I’m really digging, because it’s hilarious. But I think this one is a hard sell. Noelle has failed to be a victim to any serious threat for more than a few minutes because she’s always surrounded by people who fight tooth and nail for her, and she’s fighting every second to be stronger. Of course, that furthers the “Black bulls = seven dwarves” thing, which is just. So great. Snow White never had to do anything but housework. She doesn’t get stronger because strength was never a part of her equation.

☘️ Vanessa as Rapuzal is eh. She’s a classic princess trapped in a castle, but she’s the second one of those in the series (Charlotte being the other). In both cases, Yami saves them with a strange mix accidental concern and casual heroism. I think this says more about Yami as an accidental prince charming than it does about either of them as Disney princesses.

I haven’t seen Tangled, but from what I’ve gathered, there’s an analogy to be made here between Vanessa and Tangled Rapunzal being trapped by their mothers under the guise of caring for them. Hell yeah, can’t deny that connection! But it’s far from a sign of a fairytale princess. It’s just shitty parenting. Unfortunately, it’s rampant across all cultures, and therefore appears in all forms of media.

Charlotte’s case is, I believe, supposed to be a parody of a “strong independent woman” (which is a big problem I have with how she’s written but that’s a different conversation). There very well could be a specific fairytale that fits Charlotte’s case (Sh. Shrek?) but I think it’s meant to be more of a parody of the false persona she puts out than anything else.

Yami is really the one to look at here, since it’s not a coincidence that he’s rescued TWO of these fairytale-princess-knockoffs over the course of the story, and they both have unrequited crushes on him (although Vanessa’s is mostly for show). While Charlotte is a parody of a strong independent princess, Yami is a parody of Prince Charming. He doesn’t want the role, he didn’t ask for the role, he’s not looking for the role... He’s just doing what he’s doing and if he happens to rescue some ladies in peril, it’s just part of his day of wandering around busting through walls like the Koolaid man. That’s not a jab at Yami’s character. It doesn’t mean that he’s not a hero. Yami’s whole shtick is that you don’t have to be a conventionally handsome dude in a cape with a winning smile to be a hero. That’s the mantra he’s built the Black Bulls around. His whole character is a counterpoint to the traditional hero stereotype with Fuegoleon (and to a lesser degree, Nozel) as the point he’s countering.

Yami and the Black Bulls exist to make the point that there is more than one way to be right, to be strong, to be brave, to be heroic. You don’t have to look, act, think, or feel a certain way to be on the right side of things.

☘️ Okay so Yuno as Peter Pan is the one I’ve really been chomping at the bit to talk about because while I don’t think you’re right, I can’t decide if you’re wrong???

I don’t know what other stories and traditions could influence Bell’s design, so based on what I know, she’s a dead ringer for Tinkerbell. Moving past that.

Yuno as Peter Pan has me WILDING because he’s literally the host for an unborn baby. I don’t know how much harder you can drill in the “Never grow up” theme.

Does it really hold up past that though? I kind of want it to, just because the very premise of Yuno as Licht’s baby screams it so hard. But I don’t think it does.Which is a shame, because it could.

Yuno was a crybaby as a kid, which is a very infantile trait, but when he and Asta made their pact to be the wizard king, he went the opposite direction of “never grow up” and rapidly matured in order to accomplish this dream. We don’t really know how else Yuno may have changed besides “he doesn’t cry anymore”, but from the way he acts and the way he’s treated at the orphanage, it seems to me that a lot was placed on him. And that carries into his magic knight career. Because of his talent and his resolve, he was made to face some very adult problems at a very young age.

Major manga spoilers ahead!

This carries into the current events we’re seeing, too. There is no semblance of “never grow up” in the way that Yuno acts or is being treated as a member of the Golden Dawn. He’s the vice captain at... what, 16? 17? and he’s just found out that he’s also the next heir of a kingdom that he does not call his home-- that’s he’s considered the enemy for his entire career. Then he’s forced to handle the violent deaths of half his squad, the severe injury of the other half, and the kidnapping of his captain, which leaves him in charge. We see him give a big old holler about all this, but I what’s really interesting to me is that he doesn’t cry. The most infantile part of his identity, which he abandoned to get where he is now, does not come back to him in a moment of weakness, at a time where he very much has every write to feel like a helpless child. Whether he wants to or not, Yuno is no longer allowed to be a child, and he will never get the opportunity to be one again.

I guess you could say that this may mean that we’ll see him want to be Peter Pan, that he’ll grow nostalgic for the days where everything was simpler and he had the time to cry, the freedom to be scared and confused and feel sorry for himself. I would love to see that explored in his character, but I really don’t think that we’ll see it happen. In both the meta and the story universe, there’s no time for Yuno to have that breakdown and regression. It wouldn’t fit the pacing and Yuno’s got shit to do. Yuno isn’t Peter Pan. He’s lost the chance to be.

So in conclusion, I can see why a lot of people want to assign fairytale roles to characters in Black Clover, and I do think that the creators play with the concept themselves, but I think to boil any of the Black Clover characters down to a single character or fit them into a single fairytale is a disservice to the characters themselves, and overlooks everything else going on with them. None of the black clover characters are “based” on a fairytale character. Their stories may take inspiration from them, but there is far more going on with each and every one of them to ever take such similarities at face value.

#grey #vanessa enoteca #noelle silva #charlotte roselei #yami sukehiro #yuno #black clover #spinda tea #call me a big fuckin bottle rim glasses wearing pocket protector pointdexter nose in a book nerd #but I really miss writing essays #I would fucking LOVE to do more of these #if anyone wants me to #but no one probably does LOL #bc fairytales

25 notes · View notes

hedgefairy · 4 years ago

Text

Well hello there. While I'm waiting for that breeches video I've been talking about to finally upload, here's

Bridgerton, Episode 4

Phew, half time!

If you've missed the other ones, the tag is Bridgerbore, btw.

Okay, so we start of with Dukey who's going home-ish because drama and heartbreak in the last episode. Stop pretending, nobody takes your pouting seriously! We all know it's twu wuv!

Erm. So, I know, I'm white and this is a delicate matter, but I gotta say I'm not super happy about the whole POC-justifying explanation here. I'd much rather have no explanation at all, it worked perfectly well in Merlin, and this is just as much historically inspired fantasy just with less magic, which I'm honestly quite upset about. I'd be far more okayer with the costumes and overall ugh-ness if there was magic.

But honestly, I'm not a fan of shoehorning that explanation in (it doesn't seem to come up in the books, either, where everyone is basically a baguette in terms of whiteness). The fact that the implications aren't discussed any further makes it even worse. We're talking about the British empire here, and while POC are apparently part of the society (but with more pressure, which... no, this is not how nobility works) the wealth and luxury of this age still stems from the exploitation of POC everywhere else. How isn't there a revolution going on? How is this not talked about? From all I see, Bridgerton is a fluffy, pastel, nice alternate version of the 1800s, and I don't get why anyone would put politics in there instead of just doing what TV tropes refers to as "colourblind casting" and be done with it. Either you do the alternate history thing thoroughly, or you just cast people for being pretty (and maybe good actors) instead of the idea the audience might have about a character's skin colour and have weird costumes and just roll with it.

Also the Queen's marriage seems to suck. I would have liked a deeper, more heartbreaking connection between George III and her, especially because I saw how my Grandmother suffered when she gradually lost my Grandfather to dementia, and it would have been a scene where we could see Charlotte as a person rather than a weird plot device in tafetta and bling, but no, she just seems as annoyed and bored and snappish as ever.

This is getting far too serious. Where's the snark?

We get some Tchaikovsky in the background, which is weird, tbh. Yes, I'm perfectly fine with them covering Top 40s hits and using waltzes from the 1950s, but I draw the line at something from the second half of the 19th century! It's not right! It screams its time of origin all over the place, and even worse, most of the characters would probably actually get to hear it later in their lives, it's not a decent anachronism, it just feels like bad research! This is serious business!

No really, where's the snark?

Oooh, I get it now. That was when I was really, really done with bingeing this show. Yes, I tried to get through as much of it as possible in one sitting. The notes read, in very shaky handwriting

I cannot possibly take more than that

in one day

, so let's continue a few days later when I felt like I could muster the courage to face it again.

So yes, I'm pretty sure this waltz is to young for this show.

Aww, look at that, flirting over cheese! I also like that one of the Featherington girls (I can't really tell the non-Pennys apart) has a suitor, they deserve nice things, too.

The musicians are a mood.

WTF with the hair and the strass. We don't like the strass. Make it go away.

I love Prince Freddy. The poor boy. It's doomed from the start!

Ah, Dukey (also at the ball, even though he was whining about things earlier) gets a heartbeat in the background, because twu wuv.

Middle Bridgerbro goes and meets with the Bohéme. I want more of that! That's finally interesting! That's my people! There's a cool bohemian lady with a pretty dress! People look interesting! Aaaah!

There's a random 18th century burlesque singer at this Regency ball, we need to talk about this. Oooh, it's Opera Girl! Cue Lord B turning into even more of an idiot while Ma Bridgerton tries to hook him up otherwise.

Of course Philippa (that's one of the Featherington Girls) can't possibly have anything nice. Thanks, Dad. You don't get to marry someone you like, that's the people across the street's thing! (by which I of course mean the Bridgertons, just in case anyone forgot the location layout here.)

Eloise is being weird to the housekeeper.

"Are you not supposed to be the smart one", the housekeeper retorts and I'm feeling it, followed by a "WTH, hero" about how servants are too busy to be Gossip Girl, you privileged prat. I think I actually snorted.

Penny gossips with Ducktail Colin, but he's more interested in Cousin, whose dress looks like it was made from the cheap curtains my ex best friend had in his first semester at uni, and God, I hate Daphne's kerchief.

Poor Prince Freddie is trying to propose to Protagonis Girl but of course there's Dukey in the background so she simply must run outside as dramatically as possible where he can find her as she equally dramatically rips the necklace Freddie gave her from her milky white throat. P&P-ish banter ensues. Yawn.

Dukey: * broods *

Daphne: * dramatically exits *

Dukey: * romantically follows her*, and oooh, snogging ensues, oooooh, instant second base, but Bridgerbro the Eldest (known also as Lord B) intervenes.

Lord B: "Marry her!"

Dukey: "I can't!"

Lord B: "Bitch!"

Dukey: "I can't!"

Lord B: "I want satisfaction!"

Me: "Don't we all"

Daphne: "You'd rather die than marry me?!"

(the fuck with her hair)

Middle Bridgerbro is still at the Bohéme-party, and still draws (naked people!). Gay vibes ensue, it's cute. This is Netflix after all, and it took four episodes to get some LGBTQ+ representation!

The Featherington's housekeeper looks a lot like O'Brien from Downton.

Cousin tells Penny about what a cutie Ducktail Colin is, also Penny's "night gown" is really cute (it's not a night gown. She's still wearing stays. It's also the only thing in the whole series that fits her well so far). Penny is super upset but gets interrupted by a hyperfocused Eloise. They fight, and Penny goes on about being mature and not being a "pretty Bridgerton", and that Eloise wouldn't understand. I get her, though, and really, having a perfect family and a "bad" family is such lazy writing.

Somber blah blah between Lord B and Daphne happens and Middle Bridgerbro gets dragged into it. He's informed that his life is pretty much over either way (either way being Lord B dying or being exiled for killing Dukey in the scheduled duel) because his oder bro basically just wants out of his duties. Sucks to be him.

Boxing Bro has to host a frustrated, possibly blueballed Dukey and offers himself up as a second for the duel.

Lord B goes and pleads with Opera Girl to get back with him (doooooon't) because of his little duelling plot and of course intercourse ensues. Girl, where's your self-respect?

Lord F comes into his dark study (we haven't seen much of him yet overall, he probably was too busy gambling) and hark, there's Lady F like the mafia boss I feel she should be, wo berates him about said gambling and that they're broke and how much he sucks. He starts crying, thumbs up for male vulnerability!, but it's kinda played for laughs via her awkward patting of him. Because of course (and I bet the late Daddy Bridgerton would never have lost his composure like that, but he didn't gamble, either, and these are the Featheringtons)

Lord B leaves Opera Girl for THE DUEL (I feel like this almost deserves a ™ by now).

We get gallopping horses! The drama! The panache! Daphne asks Ducktail Colin where it's going down because she wants to stop them, insert pandering feminist ranting about her choosing her own life but I don't really feel it and I wonde where her bangs go when she sleeps because her hair looks so different all of a sudden.

Lord B makes Middle Bridgerbro promise to care for Opera Girl in case he dies.

More gallopping horses! Daphne and her billowing cloak are pretty epic, to be honest, and there's Ducktail Colin on her heels. It's basically a family outing now!

Ugh, I like the seconds in this duel so much more. They should just off and go for a pint or something and leave Lord B and Dukey to their misery.

Duelling protocol ensues. Ten steps, blah blah, nice camera work, though.

Daphne full on rides into her brother's bullet, but she's fine (it would have been so dramatic, can you imagine? It would have been interesting!).

Oh no, they were seen (by her romantic rival, back when they had the dramatic make-outery in the park at the ball after the botched proposal. Sorry, Cressida is such a much better name than Daaaaphneeee. I have a RPG character called Cressida, I might be biased.), she's ruined if they don't marry!. and so she is basically emotionally blackmailing him into marrying her. But he can "never give [her] children!", and goes on how she deserves a household full of love like her family home because the Bridgertons are such a perfect family. God, they all annoy me so much.

Daphne ends the duel by saying that the Duke and her are to be married, with a pained facial expression, no less. I think I just wanna throw a pie in her face or something.

And that concludes Episode 4. That was a long one! Only four more to go! So this is

To be Continued!

Thank you for making it this far with me!

3 notes · View notes

nazariolahela · 5 years ago

Text

Something Domestic: Chapter 10

A/N: Hey y'all! This story is told in first-person narrative, from Riley’s (MC) POV. There will likely be smidges of canon in this, but not too much. Thanks for reading, and please leave feedback, and/or if you would like to be tagged.

NOTE: This chapter contains adult themes. Reader discretion is advised.

Catch up here

Series Tags: @burnsoslow @aworldoffandoms @dcbbw @ladyangel70 @texaskitten30 @sunandlemons @jlynn12273 @indiacater @jared2612 @rainbowsinthestorm @drakesensworld @badchoicesposts @msjr0119 @katurrade @blackcoffee85 @cynicalworlds-blog @hopefulmoonobject @beardedoafdonutwagon @cmestrella @sugarandspice-milkandhoney @superharrietsuper

Synopsis: When Riley Brooks takes a new job as a nanny for the affluent Rhys family in New York’s Upper East Side, she assumes she’s just going to care for the children of the couple who hired her. But instead of just school pick-ups and afternoon snacks, she also finds herself spending time with Liam, the handsome divorced dad. Can Riley control her feelings for Liam while still performing the job she was hired for?

All characters are the property of Pixelberry Studios. Thanks for allowing me to borrow them.

Chapter Summary: Things between Riley and Liam get hot and heavy after a tense standoff.

“That dinner was amazing. I don’t think I can eat another bite,” Hana exclaims as she pushes her plate away. Meanwhile, I scowl down at mine, picking at the entree with my fork. I’ve barely touched my food, too upset to eat. Why was Liam kissing Madeleine? Maybe I saw that wrong. Nope, pretty sure that was a kiss on the cheek. And the look on his face was pretty affectionate. I need to find a way to get him alone and figure out what the fuck is going on. Busboys come around to our table to collect dirty dishes. I drain the remainder of my wine and motion to the waiter for another.

The waiter sets another glass of wine in front of me and I immediately chug it. Hana frowns. “Are you okay, Riley? You should probably slow down. And definitely eat something.” I pick up my fork and violently stab several pieces of broccoli and carrots with it. I shove the vegetables in my mouth and set the fork down.

Dr. Ethan Ramsey takes the podium and begins his speech. He talks about his patients at Edenbrook Hospital and the rookie interns he’s mentored throughout the years. He also speaks about kids who have gone on to become successful physicians at his hospital because of the opportunities granted to them from this scholarship program. All eyes in the room are on him, except for two. I glance to my left and see Liam staring at me from across the room. I look from him to Madeleine, and back to him. Anger burns in my eyes. He gives me a confused look.

After Dr. Ramsey wraps up his speech, I get up from my seat and move to the bar to order another glass of wine. I lean up against the bar and survey the room. Most of the people here are networking. I see Hana talking to an older gentleman before they exchange business cards. I chug my wine and signal for another one when out of the corner of my eye, a tall, blonde man sidles up to the bar and takes the seat next to me.

”So, this is the amazing nanny.” I look to my left to see the man Maxwell pointed out earlier as Liam’s brother perched on a barstool. ”I have to say, my brother has excellent taste,” he says, looking me up and down. Up close, I can definitely see the similarities between the two of them. He has wavy blonde hair and the same piercing blue eyes as his younger brother. The lines around his eyes definitely give away his age. His sharp jaw is covered in a light stubble and he flashes me a mouth of straight white teeth. I understand now why the tabloids (and the ladies) love this guy so much. If I wasn't so hung up on his brother, I could find myself interested in him.

”You must be the infamous older brother I've heard so much about. Riley Brooks. A pleasure to make your acquaintance,” I extend my hand to shake his, and he brings it to his lips, pressing a feather-light kiss to the back of it. My cheeks immediately flush. Obviously from the alcohol.

”Leo Rhys. Trust me, the pleasure’s all mine. It’s not every day a gorgeous woman falls into my lap.”

”Do wha…” before I can finish, he grabs my forearm and pulls me into his lap. I let out a yelp as he wraps his arms around my waist. ”Mr. Rhys. I see your reputation speaks for itself.”

He chuckles and signals to the bartender. She pours three fingers of scotch and slides the tumbler toward him with a wink. He grabs the glass and brings it to his lips, grinning seductively. ”If you really want to know about my reputation, I can show you.”

I look over Leo’s shoulder to see Liam staring at us from across the room, his expression unreadable. Oh, this is going to be fun.

I hide my blush behind my wine glass. ”Mr. Rhys. Are you coming on to me?”

He leans in closer to whisper in my ear and I inhale his scent. His cologne is intoxicating. He slides his hand down my back, coming to rest just above my ass. ”That is an amazing dress, Miss Brooks. Is this what you wear when you watch my niece and nephew? Cause if so, Uncle Leo needs to come and visit more. We could get to know each other over naptime.”

Whoa! This took a turn.

”Mr. Rhys…”

”Call me Leo.”

I clear my throat. “It seems the tabloids were right about you, Leo. I had heard you were a bit of a flirt.”

He laughs and squeezes my ass. “Sugar, you have no idea.”

Okay. As fun as this is, we’re getting a little out of control. ”Leo, I'm flattered, but I take my job seriously. And as much as I’d like to learn more about your ‘reputation,’ I have my eye on someone else.”

He grins. ”Don’t worry. I’m well aware. My brother wouldn't appreciate me trying to steal his girl. Nor would he like it if I banged his kids’ nanny. I'm simply trying to help you out. Don't think I haven’t seen the looks he’s been giving you from across the room. He might have everyone else in this room fooled, but he’s been eye-fucking you all night.”

I look past him and see Liam staring a hole through me. The intensity of his gaze sets my body on fire. His eyes move to Leo, then back to me. I raise an eyebrow at him, daring him to come over here and do something. He rises from his seat as if to head my way when Madeleine appears from behind and loops her arm in his, kissing his cheek.

“Excuse me. I need to get some air,” I say quietly — sliding off Leo’s lap — and make my exit. I spot Hana from across the room and she gives me a concerned look as I sneak out and make my way toward the front entrance of the hotel. I push open the door and the cool night air hits my face. I turn to the sky and let out an aggravated scream. People walking past me on the street shoot dirty looks as they pass. Deep breaths, Riley. Don’t let him ruin your evening. Is he doing all of this to test me? I keep thinking about what he said in the conference room. How his words sounded so sincere. Was it all bullshit? Was the whole court date story just a line to try and get into my pants?

I battle with my inner thoughts. Okay, so what if he is telling the truth? Does that mean that once the divorce is final, we can be together? What happens with my job? I’m pretty sure getting involved with him is a conflict of interest. Even though he’d technically be divorced, people would still frown upon the whole “sleeping with your nanny” thing. And what happens if we can’t make it work? I’ve only been with them for a few weeks, but I already care about Charlotte and Philip. They would be devastated. I lean against the side of the building, struggling to figure out how to handle this whole situation. The realization hits that I’ve been standing here for a while. What time is it anyway? I check the pockets of my dress for my phone and curse when I remember that I left it at the table. After taking a few more moments to calm myself, I head back inside. I’m greeted by the sight of Liam standing in the lobby. My mouth waters as my eyes rake up and down his body. His black suit fits like a glove and I find myself struggling to breathe.

“Where did you go?” he asks. I regain my composure and shoot him a glare before brushing past him. He catches my arm, stopping me. “Riley? What’s going on?”

“I don’t know, Liam. You tell me?” He stares at me for a long moment, trying to figure out what I’m talking about. I roll my eyes and try to jerk out of his hold. His grip tightens. “What happened to ‘the divorce becomes final on Wednesday?’ It sure didn’t look that way when you were cozying up to your ex.”

He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. “It’s not what you think.”

“Yeah, whatever,” I reply and pull free from his grip.

He laughs sarcastically. “Yeah, well what about that little show you were putting on with my brother just now?”

“Just giving you a taste of your own medicine. Since that’s the game we seem to be playing tonight.” I attempt to walk away and he grabs me again, shoving me into the nearby coat check closet.

“Riley. Listen to me. It’s not like that at all. This whole evening is for show. It’s my last gift to Madeleine before the divorce is final.”

Tears prick my eyes. “Your last gift? You don’t owe her anything, Liam. She cheated on you. Or did you forget that?”

He sighs and puts his hand on my chin, tilting my face up. “You’re right. And no, I didn’t forget. But I agreed to ‘play nice’ with her tonight to keep up appearances with her friends and our colleagues. They don’t know about the divorce, and she doesn’t want to tell them until it’s done. She said if I went along with it, she wouldn’t give me any trouble with the custody hearing.”

“And you believe her?”

“I have to. I just want this whole thing to be over, so I’m willing to do whatever it takes to make it happen.” He leans in and presses his forehead against mine. “Please understand me when I tell you that you’re the only woman I want. Any love I had for her is gone, and the only thing I want from her is to go to this hearing, say there are no unresolved matters, and get out of my house.” He reaches out and touches my arm and my body tenses. He notices and pulls away. “Riley, please. It was an act.”

“Well, someone should give you an Oscar, because that was very convincing,” I snap.

His expression hardens and for the first time in weeks, I see a different side of Liam. Sure, I’m being stubborn, but I feel like it’s warranted after being strung along all this time. He gives me an almost unreadable look. “Is that what you think of me?” he barks.

“I’m starting to question everything I think about you.”

He grabs my hand, pressing it to his crotch. His erection strains against his pants. “You feel this? This isn’t because of her. This is because of you. Every night, when I get myself off, it’s not to images of her. It’s to images of you.” He leans in brushes his lips against mine, whispering, “I don’t want her. I want you right here, right now, in this coat closet.” I look around the closet. It’s small, but there is just enough room for the two of us, even with all the expensive coats and jackets. The hunger in his eyes for me is carnal; it makes me physically shudder.

“Prove it,” I challenge.

He pushes me against a rack of coats, his face against mine, and pulls my skirt up. I wrap my arms around his neck and nibble on his earlobe. He grunts and slides his hands in my underwear, finding my wet clit. I swallow hard, letting my legs fall open at his touch. “You’re so wet for me. Your mouth says that you’re still mad, but your pussy says you’re all mine.” He slips one finger into me and I nearly explode on the spot.

He pulls his hands away and I gasp in disappointment. He smirks and drops to his knees, lifting my skirt and draping it over his head. “Lean back. Grab that closet rod and hold on tight.” He moves his mouth down my stomach before grabbing my underwear with his teeth and dragging them down my legs. Once I step out of them, he puts both hands on each of my legs and slowly drags them up toward the apex of my thighs, spreading my legs. I grip the closet rod, my knuckles turning white, as he rubs his nose along my clit. He lifts one of my legs and rests it on his shoulder. In one motion, he flicks his tongue against my clit and my knees buckle.

“Ohmygods, Liam,” I cry. I immediately slap one hand over my mouth. He laughs softly before giving me another long, luscious stroke. I allow a whimper to slip out, then bite down on my palm to keep from screaming. The last thing we need is for someone to hear us and come barging in. He pushes my dress off his head. “Do you want me to stop?”

“Don’t you dare!”

He grins and returns to massaging my clit with his tongue. He slips a finger inside me and begins fucking me with his hand, causing my body to tighten. It doesn’t take long before I’m gasping and shuddering, my orgasm powering through me. With one last kiss to my inner thigh, he crawls out from under my skirt and rises to his feet.

“Holy shit,” he says, pressing a kiss to my lips. I taste myself on him and it’s the hottest fucking thing ever. I reach down to undo his pants when he grabs my hands, stopping me. “Not tonight, sweetheart.”

“What do you mean? It’s my turn to take care of you.”

He shakes his head and kisses my forehead. “Another time. Tonight was for you.”

I nod and take a few moments to come down from my high. We straighten ourselves out and exit the coat closet, making sure no one saw us. He takes my hand in his and we make our way back down the hall towards the ballroom. When we reach the doors, he brings my hand to his lips and softly kisses the back of it.

“If I don’t talk to you again tonight, I’ll see you Monday morning, okay?”

I nod, avoiding eye contact. After what just happened in that coat closet, it’s going to be hard pretending we’re just associates. He grips my chin between his thumb and forefinger, forcing me to look into his eyes.

“Hey. I know what you’re thinking right now, but remember what I told you. We just have to get through these next few days.” He leans in and presses one last kiss to my lips. “You go ahead. I need to hit the men’s room before I go back in there.”

I smirk. “Behave yourself, Mr. Rhys.”

He groans and taps me on the ass before turning and making his way down the hall towards the bathroom. I chuckle and enter the ballroom, making a beeline for Hana.

“Riley? Are you okay? You ran out of here pretty quickly.”

“Yeah, I’m fine. I just needed some air. You ready to get out of here?”

She nods and heads over to our table to retrieve our things. We say our goodbyes and make our way out of the ballroom arm-in-arm. Before the doors close, I take one last look back and see Liam standing next to his brother. He shoots me a wink and my cheeks flush. As Hana and I make our way outside to wait for our ride, I feel a little better about our situation. We just have to get through these next few days. I repeat his words in my mind, willing myself to believe them.

#something domestic #nanny au #trr au #trr fanfic #playchoices fanfic #liam rhys #riley brooks #n*fw #nazariolahela fanfic

77 notes · View notes

iamanartichoke · 5 years ago

Note

Why do you feel that way about fandom? (In regards to your latest reblog)

Ah, I’m not sure if I know how to explain it, but I’ll try. (This got long, so I’m really sorry.)

The thing is, I first got into the Loki fandom early in 2018, so I’m coming up on about two years of being active here. That first year was so fun and exciting; I was elated to be able to discuss my Loki theories and meta with like-minded people, and I was so happy (and surprised!) at the attention my fic was getting.

I was also still at a point where I believed IW was going to blow our minds, so there was that extra kind of thrill of suspense (and a bit of fear but, when you believe in the MCU and haven’t yet lost faith in its writers/directors, the fear is surface-level and adds to the thrill - there’s not really the accompanying dread and despair).

IW was a crushing blow to that, of course, but even though we were all devastated, we were all devastated as a fandom. We were still in it together; we had one another to vent to and cry with and share fic with. “Loki is alive bc reasons” became kind of an unwritten rule in most post-IW fics; we all agreed that Loki deserved better.

In 2019, two things happened: one, I was underemployed and dragging my feet on finding better employment due to my mental health, which ruined my life for a little while. I had to move back in with my parents, which (I love them and am grateful they were willing to support me, but) was a toxic environment. I was too depressed to indulge in my escapism the same way (fic and fandom) and my progress on my stories slowed way down. I’ve never quite been able to get back the momentum I had when writing Sanctuary, but that’s another issue.

The second thing that happened was, obviously, Endgame came out and whatever theories and hopes the fandom was collectively holding onto about Loki were crushed. Not only that, but the portrayal of Thor seemed to amplify the divide in the fandom between the pro/anti Ragnarok argument.

It seems, to me, that what was a series of battles or skirmishes only became an all-out war after Endgame. That’s only my perception, of course, but I do feel that the latter part of 2019 saw the divide grow larger and larger. Everyone had opinions on what the “correct” portrayal of Thor was, and how it related to Loki, and whether fanon Thor and Loki’s relationship was founded in canon or not. Everyone was defensive of their own point of view; bullying and name-calling and anon hate became more widespread.

Again, this is just my observation. Those who’ve been on the front lines since Ragnarok came out probably have a much different perspective; I’m only talking about what I observed bc it directly impacts how I feel about fandom these days.

So here we are in 2020; like I said, I’ve been here about two years. I haven’t rewatched any of the Thor movies in ages (although @delyth88 and I are talking about it), because they make me so sad and also so angry. Sad for what we had, angry for what could have been. So much wasted potential. Loki’s horrific end hangs over everything, as does Thor’s radical character change, and I don’t have the same excited outlook about the characters and the meta potential anymore.

Not having watched the movies in a long time, along with that feeling of “ugh” around them, impacts me creatively bc I’m not actively feeding my writing inspiration. For me, fanfic writing comes from being so full of feels about the source material that I just can’t get enough and I need more. I draw my inspiration from things like watching Loki’s facial expressions, catching subtle moments between Thor and Loki, analyzing the way they speak, thinking about the story choices happening, and so on, and so on.

My source of inspiration has dried up, in other words, which has made it hard for me to keep a good writing momentum going. I was feeling great when I rewrote Sea, and then my inspiration kind of plummeted again - this time, bc I felt that I did such a good job rewriting and the response was so positive, I didn’t know if I could finish the rest of the story as well. Like I was already setting up the second half to fail, bc it would be much more “rough draft” than the first - revised and polished, yes, but not gone over with a fine-toothed comb the way the first part was.

The truth is, I carry a lot of stress and anxiety around my writing. I am always incredibly anxious that no one actually likes my fic, that no one is reading my fic, that people think it’s stupid or pointless, that my quirky humorous touches are ooc, that my plotlines are convoluted and boring and my sex scenes awkward and non-existent.

I’m having trouble with the Valki relationship bc I haven’t watched Ragnarok in so long, I’ve forgotten how much chemistry was between them and how it made me feel. I’ve forgotten why I chose to pair them up in this ‘verse in the first place. And I worry about that, too - that the people who read my stories for the Valki are walking away unsatisfied.

So that’s where I am with fic writing - slow and steady, still trying to find my footing, still secretly assuming what I write is shit.

This is on top of feeling more and more isolated on tumblr, mostly because of the aforementioned tensions and overall negativity that’s erupted in the fandom. I have been unfollowed and blocked by people who were once mutuals; I have been blocked by people I’ve never spoken to before.

There’s so much stress surrounding the things I post now - I’m constantly thinking, have I worded this correctly to convey my meaning without shitting on someone else’s opinion? Is this post going to be the one that makes this or that mutual unfollow me? Am I tagging correctly so my pro Ragnarok mutuals don’t see my criticism, and vice versa? Can I still post pictures of Chris Hemsworth, who is possibly the only man in the world I am definitely attracted to, which is a shame bc I agree that he’s kind of a douche now? But he’s so beautiful, but I have to disclaim that it’s just his face I’m attracted to? If I reblog this post about Loki that I think is hilarious, but is also founded on the flat stabby villain characterization, will I alienate my anti friends? Does it imply I don’t understand or appreciate Loki and that, by reblogging the thing, I’m endorsing a shitty characterization?

And so on. It makes scrolling my dashboard uncomfortable and un-fun, bc I end up saving tons of posts to my drafts without reblogging them, and after awhile I am not enjoying myself, so I stop scrolling.

But this means I miss tons of mutuals’ posts, and I was trying to check individual blogs for awhile but I kept falling further behind, and there were more and more posts I’d missed, and I’d get overwhelmed and then feel like they probably hated me anyway at this point for being a shit mutual, so I might as well just keep lurking on the dash for ten minutes and call it a day.

On top of that, I haven’t read fic in awhile bc of this mindset, so I haven’t commented, and then when I don’t get comments it’s like, well, maybe the story’s not shitty but no one’s reading it bc what do I expect when I’m not reading theirs? You’re not special, Charlotte.

The worst part about all of this is that none of it should diminish (and hasn’t diminished!) my love of Loki as a character. I am excited about the series, but I am also very anxious about it - about the story not being good, yes, but also about the inevitably divide that will further split the fandom.

No matter how the story goes, someone’s going to be upset. You can’t please everyone, and trying only makes for worse storytelling. So the wank will continue.

But I love Loki. I love everything about him. I am interested in writing about him and reading about him and thinking about him. I am invested in him and always will be. It’s just that, right now, I’m kind of falling further and further out of fandom and I find I have less to say.

And so I either have to wait it out, or work on my own mindset, or keep on keeping on. I just don’t know how long that will take or if I’m even liked enough here to try to bother.

tl;dr: Fandom has made me cynical and jaded, and it has dampened not my love of Loki, but my love of interacting with the Loki fandom.

(I know you didn’t ask for this hot garbage pile of my feelings, anon, so I’m sorry.)

#charlotte replies #a nonny mouse #fandom wank

21 notes · View notes

zalrb · 5 years ago

Note

What do you think are the successes and downfalls of Shonda Rhimes' shows?

I think Shonda is good at creating torturous relationships and I don’t mean that they’re well-written, I mean that they’re portrayed well, I believe the tumultuous, gut-wrenching, push-pull relationships

She’s good at getting actors who, for the most part, have chemistry together (romantic, platonic etc)

and she’s good at getting solid to good actors

I also think she’s good at drama, she’s good at knowing what will get people to tune in even if it’s ridiculous

However, I think she is bad at story.

One thing that gets old and is kind of clunky is that whatever case the main characters work on actually reflects what’s happening in their personal lives, it’s kind of interesting for the first couple of seasons of Grey’s (Derek has to make a choice between Addison and Meredith and it’s somehow comparable to the surgical team having to make a choice between which patient gets to live and who has to die)

but when Scandal does it (Olivia “betrayed” Fitz with the election rigging and she’s working for a couple where the wife betrayed her husband by cheating on him and they’re both having simultaneous arguments about how their respective relationships are ruined)

and Private Practice does it (this teenage boy goes around biting girls because of the vampire craze or something and one girl gets sick because the boy is sick and she doesn’t want to tell them who bit her because she ‘loves’ him but he’s cheating on her by biting other girls - it’s been a long time since I’ve watched Private Practice - and Charlotte and Cooper are having issues so Charlotte draws on their pain to relate)

it becomes a crutch and it becomes predictable, cases - at least to me - become less exciting because it all relates back to the thorough storyline in really obvious ways.

When it comes to relationships, she likes middles because middles are where all the meat is, where all the drama is, where all the fun is so she just wants to be here:

all the time.

But how did we get here? Fitz sees Olivia and is automatically attracted to her, fine, but why do they have this Romeo-Juliet-esque tragic love story? I can glean what he’s supposed to love about her but what does she love about him?

Also Fitz has no real obstacles; he isn’t torn between his presidency and Olivia, his wife and Olivia, his kids and Olivia, he will do literally anything and everything for her so then the dramatic tension is nonexistent, Olivia having a fear of commitment sort of becomes a bullshit excuse when there are arguments like this:

consistently because she has no reason to be this upset when Fitz and some of that is an Olivia problem as a character and some of that is a writing problem because Shonda didn’t give them real stakes -- him being married and the president doesn’t matter if Fitz doesn’t care about either of those things.

Derek and Meredith had more substance than Olitz in the sense that at least Derek had tried to work things out with Addison for an entire season as a way to do the right thing and Meredith’s commitment issues did get tiring, considering that I believe the entirety of season 4 is dedicated to her going to therapy to get over them but they weren’t as exhausting but I still had issues with their narrative. For the most part, their chemistry made them work but they had a one-night stand, I guess the sex was great and suddenly that means they love each other? In the first season just before Addison shows up, Meredith talks about how she knows literally nothing about him, they have no conversations, why exactly is their love story so grand?

Lexie and Mark, what do they do, what do they talk about, he finds her attractive, she finds him attractive so they have sex but why is it love? Why is it this? Why is it this deep? I find the angst super fun but I don’t find any reason for it.

Mellie and Fitz, the narrative kept changing to the suit the needs of the story, in one iteration they’re happy

In the next iteration there was never any love, it was just a merger

Then Fitz doesn’t want Mellie sleeping with Andrew

and this would be fine, if this were about their different perspectives on their marriage, if the point was how memory can be deceptive, if we really dug into why Fitz doesn’t want Andrew and Mellie sleeping together, but the way it plays out it just looks like inconsistent writing.

Another aspect of being bad at story is about narrative framing and characters, specifically in Scandal. Olivia’s descent doesn’t work for me because when we meet Olivia she’s jaded and breaking the law and she’s representing rich, white powerful people in Washington D.C. She doesn’t come across as a Gladiator, she doesn’t come across as wearing the White Hat or fighting the good fight, she comes across as a woman who uses her skills to keep powerful people powerful and so when it’s supposed to be this whole thing about how she’s become a monster, how she’s becoming B6-13, how she becomes a murderer, it would be more poignant if we started when Olivia was naive and idealistic and we see her cut more corners and become more and more corrupted the longer she’s in this world but She comes into the show savvy, including the flashbacks when she meets Fitz, which would be fine if they did what they did with Giles in BTVS where he’s book smart but lacks street smarts until he starts working with Buffy. But we don’t do that.

Shonda also reuses a lot of storylines (I mean I already spoke about the crutches and also, Olivia and Meredith are very different characters but they both have the commitment issues, the parental issues) and one that comes to mind is female characters who are considered unlikable or difficult being raped. It’s not a storyline I particularly care for

And after a while, Shonda shows just get to a state of ridiculousness that I tune out, I can only watch bombs in hospitals and hospital shootings and plane crashes so much before it stops exciting me. B6-13 can only be an exciting threat for so long, moving onto an organization that is B6-13 Plus isn’t going to get me excited. Private Practice actually just got dull for me.

14 notes · View notes

mimicofmodes · 5 years ago

Text

Sanditon, episode 2 part i

At the beginning of the second episode, we’re basically fully departed from the novel fragment Jane Austen wrote.

Sidney, looking nice in a triple-collared greatcoat, fully pretends to be looking at something over his shoulder so that he doesn’t have to obviously ignore Charlotte. Even though she’s wearing a knitted spencer that laces up the front (???) and her hair is wet from a swim and down, it’s rude!

We go off to church, and Miss Denham is for once not in black! Her hat is technically kind of like the late eighteenth century “spa hat” or “Devonshire hat” that was briefly in fashion, a tricorn made of black straw, usually decorated with colored plumes. The way she’s wearing it forward and to one side is very 1930s, which reminds me of the way Tuppence Middleton as Helene in the recentish War and Peace was costumed very 1930s. Maybe it signifies more modern sexual mores? Maybe it just looks saucy. Sir Edward’s plaid waistcoat is not so modern, more 1830s.

In church, the priest gives a creepily sensual sermon based on how pretty all the girls are, “blooms” that will soon be “plucked”. Arthur Parker, however, wishes that people would allow him to be a lily of the field. Honestly, he may be my favorite character in this? Everyone else is just so serious and dramatic.

I REALLY like Miss Denham’s (Esther’s) white dress here. Regency productions are often unwilling to put characters that are meant to be attractive in the high-necked morning dress they should be wearing before dinner, but they are not doing that here and I approve.

The vibe in the room at Denham Park is “Crimson Peak”.

And again, NICE gothic-influenced gown and frill on Clara. Lady Denham is dressed like it’s 1785 while planning her pineapple-and-Miss-Lambe luncheon and she opens up the next scene by complaining about Sir Edward’s behavior (wasting his time on “conquests” rather than getting married) while dressed like the dowager countess of Grantham again. Ah well.

Okay, this is some very modern hair on Esther - it looks like Rita Hayworth’s or Veronica Lake’s in the 1940s - but let’s give them credit, she is shown en négligé, undressed, which is the only situation in which a woman’s hair should be down in a Regency show. Charlotte, take note! This kind of gown, very loose and low-waisted, was just worn to cover up the underwear and would not be taken outside.

(They ruin it a couple of scenes later where she tells the servant to allow Lord Babington to come in and see her like this, but ... she’s also telling him that her brother brushes her hair, so there’s A Lot going on.)

After Charlotte has a nice scene with Mr. Parker where she shares his interest in building New Sanditon (take that, Sidney; she’s not looking down her nose at him), he takes her out to see the actual building. She also meets young Mr. Stringer (left), the cheerful cutie who’s the son of the foreman, who’s immediately sweet to her. I love him! Sidney comes along, looking gloomy (in that black greatcoat, making quite a contrast with his colorful brother) and smoking with a long ivory holder, and she rushes to apologize to him. He of course throws the apology back in her face, so she throws his rudeness back in his. Nice.

Sidney is called from a boxing match where he’s fighting a shirtless opponent (gritty! sexy! Andrew Davies is showing us the REAL REGENCY!) to come to Georgiana Lambe, who won’t leave her room or, I think, get dressed. She’s rightfully not happy about this party of Lady Denham’s, which is about showing off the exotic pineapple and the exotic visitor together. (I can’t help but think, as Georgiana rails against Sidney for taking her away from her home - a mystery that I am intrigued by; what exactly is his connection to her family? It’s a Davies addition - about the West Indian servant standing in the corner. How much of a choice did she have to come to England, and what does she think about it?)

As the party starts, we get nice looks at the outfits:

This is a bad shot of Lady Denham, but honestly, I’m so tired of the shtick of costuming her like it’s the 1780s ... she’s even wearing a fancy whitework apron. Tired! Clara is of course actually up-to-date, and her waistline is nicely high - a lot of Regency productions have the waists just a couple of inches too low, while this one is snugged up as high as possible. The neckline does have some issues, though: it should be much shallower and nobody would have been wearing a filmy, skimpy fichu that’s open over the cleavage.

Georgiana comes in and stands out immediately in the brightest and most expensive-looking gown in the room, especially dominating Mrs. Griffiths’s demure and plain purple one. (Mrs. Griffiths has the slightly-too-low waistline I was complaining about; Georgiana’s is just right.)

The Beaufort sisters, who I will probably never screencap again, look appropriately insipid and pale next to her as well.

Clara and Esther are once again also dressed in an opposing way. Instead of the ambiguous grey this time, though, Clara’s outfit is mostly white with some dark decoration as she clears up Esther’s misunderstanding and admits to being an innocent victim of sexual abuse; Esther, undaunted and motivated by jealousy over her brother, is still in sexy red.

In the dining hall, Georgiana busts out some creole to make Lady Denham feel awkward, which is excellent. Sidney is a pain in the ass about it, which is hypocritical of him given his blatant rudeness at other times. Arthur loves it, which is why he’s awesome. Sir Edward then goes on to flirt extremely badly with her.

Sidney entreats Charlotte - whose sleeves are divinely puffed and gathered, by the way, although she is also afflicted with the dreaded Flimsy Fichu - to give him her opinions on the company, and she rightly rebuffs him as she knows he’s just going to tell her she’s awful for having critical thoughts.

Lady Denham then basically starts taunting Georgiana for being black and having a mother who was a slave, and then tries to play Charlotte and Georgiana off each other only for Charlotte to sympathize with G instead. She’s completely losing her head because Georgiana’s not playing along with the scheme to marry Sir Edward. When Georgiana fires back with a “we ain’t suited” about him, everyone is clearly on her side. A gleeful Arthur goes to cut her a piece of pineapple as a reward, and we find ...

Lady Denham is so upset about the whole thing (despite it being entirely her fault) that she threatens to pull her investment from Sanditon, which would ruin Tom. Poor man.

(cont’d)

#sanditon #austen #jane austen #regency #19th century #1810s

9 notes · View notes

flowerpowell · 6 years ago

Text

Secrets VIII (Liam x MC // Drake x MC)

Somehow the song by TS “Out of the woods” seems like a perfect “””moodboard””” for this part. Part 8 is here and I hope you’ll like it! It was quite emotional to write haha.

All right for the characters go to Pixelberry, the plot is inspired by Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, I don’t own these rights either.

Rating: Normal

Tagging: @flynnomalleys @walkerduchess @choices-sideblog @kickbuttbookworm @client327 @kingliamthirst @lilsouthernsunflower @damienazariostan @katurrade @mynameiskaylabella @bizzyschoices @furiousherringoperatortoad @speedyoperarascalparty @jared2612 @liam-rhys @confessionsofabrokegirl @drakelover78 @darley1101 @laniquelove @umccall71 @theroyalweisme @hopefulmoonobject @littlegreenmoo ♥

At first she didn’t believe it.

But the moment she saw the look on Drake’s face she knew. He wasn’t any better.

Oh how could she be so stupid and blind? Drake lived here, he might have hated these people but it was impossible he wouldn’t know anything. And how he argued with Liam, why didn’t she see that earlier? Riley didn’t know whether to laugh at her stupid self or cry because the only person she thought she could trust turned out to be a liar too.

“What? He didn’t tell you?” Maxwell asked noticing Riley’s face.

No he didn’t. He made me believe he didn’t know. He made me believe he was the honest one. He made me feel stupid.

“No” she rasped. Her eyes were glossy, she could start crying any second now.

“Riley...” she heard his voice. He was on the verge of crying too, she could sense that. For the first in the past few minutes, the minutes that pretty much changed her world, she looked at Maxwell, then at Hana, and then on Drake.

They all lied.

She swallowed hard and abruptly ran out of the stable. She was running so fast as if Madeleine was chasing her. The voices of her friends became distant as she reached the castle. Nowhere to go. She ran up the stairs right to her room but Liam noticed her and started yelling her name. Riley didn’t listen. He ran after her but luckily she managed to close the door.

“Riley, open the door, please, we need to talk.” Riley brought her hands to her ears and blocked any sounds from around her. “Riley!” Liam yelled knocking on her door. She didn’t hear anything. She didn’t feel anything. Lying on the bed, Riley cried herself to sleep.

When she opened her eyes it was much later. The sky was dark and she realized it was night already. It’s been the longest day ever. Riley got up and noticed a piece of paper on the floor. Hesitantly, she lifted it and realized it was a letter. From...Drake. With new tears in her eyes she started reading it:

Hastings Riley,

There is nothing I could possibly say that would make you forgive me but at least give me a chance to explain. I would be mad at myself too so I totally understand. First, I’m sorry I never told you about Liam. I was going to, I swear, right before Max and Hana came. It just didn’t feel like my place to say anything. When I realized you might felt something to Liam I tried to talk you out of it because I knew the mess Liam was in. I am his best friend since childhood and I would never tell his secrets. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry for everthing I did wrong. If that’s any help, that whole marriage was supposed to be kept in secrets because Liam was tricked to it. But surely he already told you that. So that’s all I guess. Please, forgive us. I really couldn’t tell you his secret. I’m sorry.

Love, Drake

Tricked? Well, whatever. She didn’t care anymore. She understood Drake kept his friends secrets but still believed they should warn her, at least. After all, what’s the big deal in telling someone was married? It should’t be a secret, right?

A weak knock on her door startled her. “Riley?”

Liam.

“Riley, I don’t know if you can hear me but I will tell that anyway.” Riley sat down on her bed and listened. “Riley, I’m sorry. For everything I messed up. I should have told you from the start I had a wife. That I was made to marry her and then she locked me here with no chances of getting out. She’s a monster but I can’t divorce her. I can’t get out. Please Riley, I know it sounds odd but I swear that’s the truth. Riley, come out, eat something, drink something, you’re probably hungry.” Another knock. “Riley, I need to know if you’re okay. Please, say something.”

Riley sighed. “I’m alive.”

She heard a sigh of relief. “Can you please come out so we can talk?” Silence. “Okay, I understand.” He muttered.

Liam didn’t say anything for a while and Riley thought he was gone but then he spoke again. “My father arranged it, you know? He thought I should marry Madeleine because she would make the best wife. And I trusted him. You usually trust your father, right? I did.” He stoped and sighed. “Turned out it was his plan. She was a part of it.”

Riley still didn’t understand. She opened the door and her eyes met Liam’s. Red, tired, teary. He smiled weakly when he saw her. “You came.” He tried to touch her but she stepped back.

“Because your story doesn’t add up. What was his plan? Why can’t you get out? Why can’t you take her to the police?”

Liam inhaled deeply and looked at her. “Because she’s the Queen of Cordonia.” Riley was stunned. A Queen? “But...wouldn’t that make you--”

Liam sadly nodded. “That was the part I didn’t tell. I needed to marry someone before I could become a King. I never knew what love was. So when he proposed to marry Madeleine I agreed. I wanted to be a good King. She already had Amelia and I was happy thinking I would have a wife and a child. Justin was the wedding officiant, he’s Madeleine’s brother. Right after we got married my father asked me to move in here. He told me Madeleine and him would stay at the palace to talk about business. Instead, they issued the statement that I was dead.” Liam stopped, tears rolled down his cheeks. “He wanted Madeleine to take the crown but I was his son so I needed to marry her. Turned out she was the daughter of my stepmother. And my father would rather listen to her than his own son. My father threatened that if I ever show myself publicly he’ll execute me himself. That’s why I live here, with only closest friends. No internet so I don’t have to read about my own death.” He sighed.

Riley thought for a while. “What about Olivia and other guests? Aren’t they surprised you’re actually alive?” Liam shook his head. “No, they don’t know I’m the King. For them I’m a simple, boring noble. They’re from outside Cordonia. I would never invite here anyone who would know about me. That’s why we hire people from outside, like you.”

And suddenly, everything made sense. Everything.

“It doesn’t change the fact that you lied” she whispered, “I’m not sure I should stay here anymore.”

Liam looked her with panic. “What? No, don’t leave, Riley please.” He pleaded and took her hands in his. She was already crying. Liam leaned down and kissed her cheeks and eyes. He wiped the tears and clasped her to his chest.

“Don’t leave me, please.”

Riley gently pulled away. “I will think about it okay? And we’ll talk tomorrow?” He nodded, still looking down. She disappeared in her room closing the door behind her.

She was lying on her bed, not being able to sleep. Riley thought of everything that happened. When she learned Liam’s secret, when she found out all her friends here knew about it. And then, that moment with Drake just before he betrayed her too. And Liam was a King? That sounded so weird but everything made sense. She knew now why no one told her the truth but she still felt upset they lied to her. So many times. What if there is something else? She was so tired with everything.

Riley sat down and looked around her room. She needed to make a choice. Either this or that.

Slowly, she got out of the bed, took her bag and started packing the most important items. She knew she promised Liam she’d stay but her thoughts were killing her. She couldn’t stay here any longer, that would destroy her. Riley glanced at the clock, it was four in the morning, everyone was still asleep.

As quiet as she could be, she walked out of her room and closed the door. Quickly she walked to Amelia’s room, kissed her fingers and pressed them to the door.

She stopped at Liam’s room and stayed there for a while. “Goodbye Liam. I forgive you. And I will always remember you, Phantom.” She pressed her kissed fingers to his door too and headed out, grabbing a banana on her way.

She finally got out of the castle, of the garden and entered the woods. It was still very dark but she went straight ahead.

She was walking for hours now and still no sight of any city on the horizon. She might have been walking in circles, at this point she didn’t even know where she was going. Too tired, too hungry, and lost. Riley ate the only banana she had and cursed herself for not taking more food. She tried to call Maxwell at some point but there was no signal. Riley didn’t know what to do. Using all the strength she had left, Riley kept going and going. She took a short break under the shadows of some trees and took a nap. When she woke up it was already getting darker. She groaned at the thought of spending the night alone in the woods. But then again, this forest wouldn’t be creepier than the castle. She dreamed of going back to New York, to her parents. She wanted to forget she ever came here.

Few hours, that felt like eternity, later, she couldn’t go any longer. She was very hungry, she needed water to drink, she was tired, and her feet were killing her. Her grandmother’s dress she was wearing was ruined. Her eyes were swollen from crying. Riley stopped and lay down on a rock. She curled up and started crying again. She knew she was going to die, right there, right at this moment. There was no one to help her. Riley rememebered faces of people she loved. Her mom, dad, friends. She even saw Liam, Amelia, Drake, Bertrand, Maxwell, and Hana. They were all smiling at her and repeating that everything would be fine. She smiled at this thought, knowing it wasn’t happening for real. It was just her tired mind, playing tricks on her.

Riley started losing consciousness, her eyes slowly closing. She was drifting towards the unknown when she felt a pair of strong arms lifting her. Painfully, she opened her eyes to see the face of her savior. It was a man she didn’t recognize. He looked familiar yet completely strange. He carried her somewhere, she didn’t know where but didn’t care at this point.

“Who are you?” she asked, her voice weak and tiny. The man looked at her face and smiled. “You’re safe, don’t worry.” Riley wanted to protest, it wasn’t the answer to her question after all but her eyelids were too heavy and she didn’t manage to say anything more.

Right before she lost her consciousness for good she heard the man speaking again.

“Leo,” he said, “My name is Leo.”

#trr #the royal romance #the royal romance fanfiction #drake x mc #liam x mc #leo x mc #drake walker #king liam #RoE Leo #maxwell beaumont #hana lee #olivia nevrakis #playchoices #play choices #choices stories you play #choices fanfic #choices fanfiction

69 notes · View notes

write-havoc · 6 years ago

Text

This Is How I Disappear Ch. 36

Summary: A girl named Chuck finds herself in the exact place she doesn't want to be, living with violent men in a desolate nursing home. After her former gym teacher finds her, will he be the savior she was looking for?

Fandom: The Walking Dead AU

Pairing: Negan/Original Female Character

Status: Completed (story continues in The Flame Is Gone, The Fire Remains)

Contains: swearing, violence, sexual assault, blood, smut

Readers 18+ of age only

Masterlists in my bio

Chuck is sitting on her own bed, listening to music, and knitting her blanket. All the while, she’s thinking over what happened last night. The fight with Negan, Negan telling her that he loves her, being intimate for the first time in a while. She smiles.

Negan actually loves her.

She had been so caught up in thinking that true happiness was something that would never come to her that she missed his feelings for her completely. And nearly ruined everything.

She thinks about how her actions must have seemed to Negan. Having someone you love tell you that they don’t love you...

God. No wonder Negan was upset. That was the very thing I was afraid of. And I put that on Negan. I feel terrible about that.

But I can make it right. Because I do love him. I’ve known that the feelings I’ve had for him are different than I’ve felt for anyone else in my life. But I just didn’t allow my feelings to go that extra step forward. That’s changed now. And I intend on showing him.

Chuck’s door opens and Negan walks in. She feels her cheeks blush uncontrollably, which catches her off guard. It’s not like she doesn’t blush at all around Negan anymore, but it’s usually only when he’s teasing her. Or they’re in bed together. His mere presence has never caused her to blush.

“Hey, baby girl.” He looks at her face. “You hot or something?” He comes forward and puts his hand on her forehead then moves to her cheek.

She giggles uncontrollably. “No. I’m fine.”

He narrows his eyes at her. “What?”

She slaps his hand away, continuing to giggle. “Stop teasing me!”

He laughs. “I didn’t even say anything! What’s fuckin’ up with you?”

“I don’t know! Shut up!”

“Are you-“ he narrows his eyes again then laughs. “You’re acting like- Do you have a fuckin’ crush on me now? Is this you with a crush?” He gestures to her.

“No!” she answers quickly, even though she knows that’s probably what’s going on. She hadn’t gotten a lot of crushes in her life, but when she did, she was always reduced to a blushing giggly mess when around the guy. And the way her feelings for Negan have shifted apparently has her body showcasing all those embarrassing little quirks of having a crush.

“Holy shit! You got a crush on me, little girl!” He laughs again.

“Stop! Shut up! Stop teasing! You suck!” She slaps at his chest then brings her hands up to cover her red cheeks.

He lets out a low laugh, almost a growl. “As much as I would fuckin’ love to explore this further, I got a surprise for you down on the second floor.”

Chuck clears her throat and tries to get the blood to drain from her face. “Surprise? Do I need to change?” She’s not in her wife uniform. She’s wearing black leggings (her regular jeans had to be retired because of her expanding belly) and a rather baggy graphic T-shirt with Deadpool on the front.

Negan looks at her clothes. “Nah. You’ll be with me so you’ll be fuckin’ fine.”

They head down to the second floor and to Negan’s meeting room. He pauses outside the entrance and gives her one last smirk before opening the door.

Chuck walks in and sees two men in the room, Simon and another man that she instantly recognizes as her uncle Aaron. Even though she hasn’t seen him for a few years, he looks exactly the same. Curly brown hair only a little longer than he used to wear it. Neat beard on his face just like when would grow it out before because he “got sick of shaving”.

Aaron turns his head to look at her and jumps up to rush over to her. “Chucky!” he cries as he hugs her tightly.

“Uncle Aaron!” She starts to sob immediately.

His own tears start to flow. “I thought you were dead.”

“I thought I’d never see you again.”

They hold each other and cry for a few moments until Aaron pulls away. He puts his hand on her stomach and looks up to her with a wide smile and tear stained cheeks. Her belly isn’t exactly noticeable, but Chuck’s sure he could feel it while he hugged her.

Chuck nods, answering his silent question.

“Oh my god! I’m so happy!” He lets out a laugh. “You’re alive! And there’s a baby!”

Chuck giggles, but her face falls after a moment. She knows that Aaron needs to know about her mother and she doesn’t want to make him wait. “Mom’s gone.”

He looks down and a tear falls from his eyes. “You were with her?”

Chuck shakes her head. “I found her at the house. Someone had killed her.” She lets out a sob then regains her composure to continue. “She was shot in the head, so at least she didn’t turn. The house was trashed. They must’ve killed her for food.”

“Shit,” Negan says under his breath. Chuck never told him any of those details, so this is the first he is hearing it.

“I buried her in the backyard.”

“Oh, god, Chucky. I’m so sorry.” Aaron wipes his face. “I tried to get there as fast as I could. When I got there... It must’ve been after you had already been there. I thought maybe she was with you somewhere. I hoped.”

They both start to sob again as they hug each other.

Negan lets them take their moment before he speaks again. “Why don’t you guys sit down and catch up?”

They both sit down beside each other, with Negan sitting opposite them on the other side of the table with Lucille right in front of him. Chuck and Aaron both calm down and start to talk.

“Eric?” Chuck asks tentatively. He had been Aaron’s husband before, but she doesn’t know if he made it

“He’s good! We’re living together at this settlement called Alexandria.”

“That’s great! I’m so happy he’s okay!”

“Yeah. We got there pretty quickly after the start of all this. We’ve been living pretty good. What about you?”

Her face falls. “I’ve had ups and downs,” she answers vaguely.

Aaron lets out a sigh. “I’m so sorry, sweetie. I looked for you...”

“It’s okay,” she laughs to brush it off. “I’m just so happy you’re here now.” She wipes her eyes. “How is it at Alexandria?”

“It’s really good. It’s safe. We have good people.” He flicks his eyes to Negan for a second. “We have power and water. We have a real community.”

“That’s amazing. It sounds like The Sanctuary! We’re good here, too.”

“How long have you been here?”

Chuck thinks. “Uh. Four months about. God, so much has happened in such a short time.” She looks to Negan and smiles at him.

“Fuck. Has it only been that long? I guess shit moves faster now,” Negan responds.

“I can’t wait for Eric to see you. And this baby!” He puts his hand on her stomach again. “I’d love to meet the father. Is he still around?” he asks nervously, like he’s afraid to bring it up.

“Yeah!” Chuck answers excitedly, but is unsure if Negan would want a stranger (to him, anyway) to know that he’s going to be a father.

Negan doesn’t give her a chance to say anything further. “You already met him.”

Aaron looks to Negan and realizes what Negan is saying. He whips his head back to Chuck and throws his thumb out in Negan’s direction. “Him?!” Aaron does not sound happy.

Chuck’s face drops at his sudden change in demeanor. “Yeah, him.”

“He’s twice your age!” He turns his head to glare at Negan. “She’s too young for this!”

Negan starts to say something, but Chuck interrupts him.

“I’m twenty five! I’m an adult.”

“He’s in his fifties, Charlotte!”

“Hey!” Negan booms. “I’m not even in my fifties yet! Fuck!”

“You meet this guy four months ago and you immediately get pregnant? What are you thinking?!” Aaron still sounds disapproving. He had always been a little overprotective of Chuck. Just like her mother.

“I didn’t meet him four moths ago. We’ve known each other since I was in high school!”

Negan tries to interrupt her with a “No, Chuck” but she keeps going.

“He was my teacher.”

Aaron’s eyes get big.

“Goddamnit, Chuck,” Negan says under his breath.

Aaron whips his head to Negan and back to Chuck. “What?!”

Chuck looks to Negan, who has his head slightly down. She finally realizes how what she said sounds. “No! No, not like that! He was just my teacher back then!”

“I’m taking you back to Alexandria with me,” Aaron blurts out to Chuck.

Negan picks up Lucille and slams her down on the table causing everyone to jump. “That’s not fuckin’ happening!”

Simon leans forward over the table and puts his hands out to Negan and Aaron. “Why don’t we just take a breath. Calm down before something gets done that can’t be taken back.”

Chuck feels a need to make things right, so she continues to explain things to Aaron. “Everything is really good with me, Uncle Aaron. You don’t need to worry. I know Negan’s older, but that doesn’t matter to me. And I’m old enough to make my own decisions.” She looks to Negan, but he’s still glaring at Aaron. He finally looks over to Chuck and his face softens. Chuck looks away to speak to Aaron again. “Negan’s my husband. And... I love him. And he loves me. And we’re gonna be a family.”

Aaron lets out a breath. He still looks a little angry. “Are you sure? He’s so...” Aaron gives Negan a look and lets out a huff.

Chuck knows what he’s thinking. “I know Negan can be... gruff, but he’s a good man. He’s always been good to me. And the rest of the wives.”

Aaron’s face drops.

“Jesus Christ, Chuck. You can’t just stop talking while you’re ahead.”

“Wives?!” Aaron yells. “He has wives ?!”

Chuck scrubs her hands down her face. “It’s not- Let me explain!”

Negan jumps in. “Chuck is my wife. That’s it. She is the only one I consider my real wife. Before Chuck came here, I had... women that I called wives before her. They were women that I fuckin’ protected. Women that needed protection. And I did that by telling everyone else here that they were bound to me. And they’re still, technically, to everyone here, my wives in title only. But they fuckin’ know that Chuck...” Negan lets out a huff. “Chuck is fuckin’ different. Always has been.”

“I want to speak to Chucky alone.”

“Absolutely not,” Negan responds quickly.

“Negan-“ Chuck starts, but Negan cuts her off.

“I’m not leaving you in a room alone with a strange fuckin’ man.”

“She’s my niece!”

“He’s my uncle!” Chuck says at the same time as Aaron.

“I don’t know him!” Negan growls.

Chuck looks at him with wide eyes. “Please, Negan. He’s my family.”

Negan huffs out a few breaths and throws Simon a look. “Me and Simon are gonna be right outside the fuckin’ door.”

Negan and Simon get up to leave. They exit the room, but leave the door ajar slightly.

“Chucky,” Aaron starts quietly, “you can come back to Alexandria. Me and Eric still have and extra room. You can stay with us. Or... There are extra houses-”

Chuck shakes her head and interrupts. “I don’t want to leave. This is my home.”

“He’s-” Aaron looks to the door. “He’s- The way he talks... The way he acts...” He shakes his head.

“He saved my life. More than once,” Chuck cuts is. “My first group... It was good at first, but then they all died. Except me and a few men.” She scratches her nose and rubs her face. “They... They hurt me.”

Aaron looks away. “Oh, Chucky.”

“Negan found us. And when he found out what they were doing to me, he took me away. He killed them so they couldn’t hurt anyone else.”

“I’m so sorry, Chucky.” A tear runs down his cheek.

“Negan helped me after that. He made sure I was okay. Made sure I was healthy. Without him, I don’t know where I’d be. If I’d even be alive.”

“Sweetie,” he rubs her arm and it reminds her of her mother. “I just want what’s best for you.”

“Negan is what’s best for me.”

Aaron nods slowly after a moment. “Okay, Chucky.”

Chuck clears her throat and changes the subject. “So... How did you cross paths with Negan.”

Aaron looks away nervously. “Another group asked us...” He runs his fingers through his curly hair. “We were lied to about Negan and his men. We were told that he had killed members of another group and were keeping their women.”

“What?!” Chuck exclaims.

Negan and Simon burst into the room. Chuck’s raised voice had apparently triggered some alarm for them. When they see that nothing is wrong, they calm down.

Chuck looks to Negan. “Aaron and his people were told that you kidnapped women?!”

Negan gives a stern look to Aaron. “Is that all you told her?”

Chuck looks from Negan to Aaron, who has shifted his gaze down.

“Why-“ Chuck starts. “What happened?”

“Why don’t I fill her the fuck in, uncle Aaron.” Negan sits down on the other side of Chuck. “The now former leader of Hilltop didn’t like me much. So he went and asked the Alexandrians,” Negan gestures to Aaron, “to kill my ass.”

“What?!” Chuck whips her head to Aaron. “You were going to kill Negan?!”

“Chucky,” Aaron grabs Chuck’s hand, “we thought he hurt people. Murdered people. Stole from them. We made a deal with Gregory. He said he’d give us the food that we need if we stopped Negan. We thought it was a win/win.”

Chuck processes the information. She looks from Negan to Aaron. “You really thought he was a bad guy?”

“Yes,” Aaron answers. “Gregory told us that he murdered his people, kidnapped his women, and stole most of the food they produce every week. We thought we were doing the right thing.”

Chuck believes Aaron. She hates to think that he and his group wanted to kill Negan, but she can’t really blame them. They were given bad information. And, obviously, they didn’t go through with it. It still upsets her and brings a tear to her eye, though.

“Is everything settled between all the communities now?” Chuck asks hopefully.

“Yeah, baby girl,” Negan puts his hand on her back. “There’s nothing to fuckin’ worry about. Everything is peachy fuckin’ keen.” He looks back to Simon who is still close to the door. “Why don’t you escort Chuck upstairs. And call down to the kitchen for dinner. I’ll be up after me and Aaron have a little chat.”

“Can uncle Aaron eat with us?”

Negan looks to Aaron then back to Chuck.

“Please,” Chuck adds.

“Fuuuuck. You kill me, girl! Fine. He can eat with us.”

“Thanks!” Chuck gets up and hugs Aaron again before leaving with Simon.

——— Negan’s POV ———

I watch Chuck and Simon leave, then turn back to Aaron. “We gonna have a fuckin’ problem?”

“I don’t want any problems with you, Negan,” he answers. “Chucky’s my family. I just want what’s best for her. She says you’re good to her. So, despite some...” he raises his eyebrows, “red flags, I won’t fight with you about her.”

“Good.”

“But I will fight for her if I think she’s being hurt.” That fucker is looking me straight in the eye.

“That makes two of us, uncle Aaron. You have no idea the shit I’ve done for that girl. So if you want what’s best for her, want her safe, want her in a community that doesn’t have to commit fuckin’ murder to feed its residents, then you should want her right the fuck here.”

He gives a slow nod knowing that I’m fuckin’ right.

“You’re her family. And I think it’ll be fuckin’ good for her to have you in her life. But she is not going to leave these gates. Period. Ever . You can stay here a few days and catch up with her. Then, when me and your group get shit settled between us, you can come visit her regular-like.”

He looks at me with a fuckin’ grimace. “Okay.”

“And I do not want you making her upset. I didn’t exactly get a great first impression of your group, and that includes you, so I don’t know what kinda guy you fuckin’ are now. Chuck was excited to see you, so if you turn out to be a fuckin’ dick and disappoint her, things will not end well for you.”

He sneers at me. “I get that you don’t know me or my people and that what happened today doesn’t exactly paint us in a good light, but we really aren’t bad people. We’ll show you that.” His face turns more sad. “And I’ll show you that I truly care about my niece. She’s all I have left of my family.”

I suck on my teeth as a nod at him. “Alright, uncle Aaron.” I stand up. “We’re all gonna have a nice ass dinner now.”

He gets up and follows me upstairs to my room.

——— ———

Chuck and Simon leave the meeting room to walk up to the fifth floor. Chuck can’t help but smile at the fact that her uncle, who she had been close to before the turn, is alive and well. And in the area, close enough to be with her.

“So, your uncle, huh?” Simon starts, sounding a little awkward as he opens the door to the stairwell for Chuck.

“Yeah! It’s amazing, isn’t it?” Chuck looks up at Simon and passes by him. “I can’t believe he’s here.”

“You were close then?”

“Yeah. He was my mom’s only sibling and they were really close. So he was always around.” She lets out a little chuckle. “I’m just so happy to have him back.”

Simon replies from behind her on the stairs. “I’m happy for you, kiddo.”

They leave the stairwell on the fifth floor and enter Negan’s office. Simon clears his throat and Chuck turns to him. He looks nervous about something. Almost sad. She’s just about to say something when he starts himself.

“You and Negan...” He rubs the back of his neck.

Chuck is confused at first, but then realizes what he’s getting at. Simon knew that things had been strained between Chuck and Negan. She hadn’t discussed it outright with Simon, but she could tell that he noticed a change.

She hadn’t really realized it because so much stuff was happening, but she admitted that she loved Negan in the meeting room. In front of Simon. And he had heard what Negan said about her, too.

Chuck isn’t sure how to breach this topic with Simon. She lets out a sigh and pushes her hair off of her face. “Negan and I had a talk last night. Well, it started as a fight and turned into a talk.” She swallows hard. “He told me that he loves me. And I realized that I love him, too. So we decided to be together. Like a real couple.”

Simon nods with his head down. “Okay,” he says quietly.

Chuck hates that she is hurting him. “I’m sorr-“

“No,” he interrupts. “Don’t apologize,” he continues softly. “If you’re happy with Negan then I’m happy.” He doesn’t sound too convincing, but he’s trying.

“You’re a good man, Simon,” she replies genuinely.

He inhales deeply and exhales, giving her a soft smile. “Thanks, kiddo.”

She smiles back at him.

Simon clears his throat. “I’m gonna call down for your dinner and head out.”

“Okay, Simon.”

After Simon leaves, Chuck paces around the room. She’s filled with emotion. Excitement from seeing Aaron again. Sadness from potentially breaking Simon’s heart. Fear from what Aaron’s group almost did.

Eventually, Negan and Aaron walk into the office carrying three trays of food.

Negan gives Chuck a little nod, signaling her to sit down at the kitchen table. Which she does.

“We bumped into the kitchen worker on our way up here, so I thought I’d put uncle Aaron here to fuckin’ work.” Negan holds up the plates in his hand indicating the food, then sets them down on the table, one for Chuck and one for himself.

Aaron sits down with his plate between Chuck and Negan at the four-seat table. He gives Chuck a smile and she returns it.

“Everything’s good, right?” she asks, a little worried about what they talked about when she wasn’t there.

“Everything’s hunky fuckin’ dory, baby girl,” Negan answers then gestures to the food. “Eat up.”

They start to eat, but Chuck can’t help herself from wanting to know everything about what Aaron has been through since she last saw him. She starts to ask him questions about his community, which he answers. There are about fifty people living there now, though their numbers were once bigger. They lost a bunch of their people when a group called The Wolves attacked at the same time that they were trying to lead a huge herd of the dead away from them. This led to the herd going straight through their community. Talking about this seems to upset Aaron, so Chuck changes the subject.

“Remember that one Thanksgiving where our oven decided to die half way through cooking the turkey? And mom didn’t realize it and was so upset when it was time to eat and the turkey wasn’t done?” Chuck giggled.

Aaron laughs and jumps in. “Oh yeah! We ended up getting Chinese takeout. And every year after that, we’d get fortune cookies with our dinner.”

“Remember the first year after that, when you first brought the fortune cookies?” Chuck can’t help but laugh at the memory. “And mom was so mad at you for reminding her about the turkey fiasco!”

Aaron laughs, too. “And her fortune was like ‘You must learn to laugh at your mistakes’ or something!”

“Oh my god, it was !” Chuck laughs so hard that tears stream down her cheeks. She looks across to Negan and sees that he he can’t hold in his own laughs. She calms down enough to ask Negan, “Do you celebrate Thanksgiving here?”

“Fuck, no! The only thing we celebrate is not fuckin’ dying.”

“It’s only two months away now,” she adds, but then lets out a gasp of excitement. “Halloween is coming up!”

“Oh, god. Halloween,” Aaron says not exactly excitedly.

“I love Halloween! Me and my mom would go all out. Every room in the house was decorated. And I used to love dressing up! We need to have a party or something this year!”

Negan chuckles. “Why the fuck would we celebrate Halloween? Isn’t the world enough of a nightmare as it is?”

“But Halloween is fun! Unless your a scaredy-cat like that one.” Chuck points to Aaron and laughs.

“I’m not a scaredy-cat! I just don’t like horror movies.” Aaron throws his arms up, still chuckling. “Oh, wait! Someone has a birthday coming up.”

“No, no! Don’t change the subject!” Chuck exclaims.

“Oh, shit!” Negan starts. “When’s your birthday, sweetheart?”

“Birthdays really aren’t important now,” she replies. She never really cared about her own birthday. Her mom always tried to do her best to have fun with Chuck, but all Chuck could ever really think about was how she never really had any friends to celebrate with.

“The fuck they aren’t! They’re even more important now. Every year you keep on living is definitely something to fuckin’ celebrate! So what day is it?”

“Ugh,” she groans dramatically. “October 17.”

They continue to talk at the table, even though they are all finished with their food.

“Oh, Chucky,” Aaron says as if he’s remembered something, “I have your mom’s guitar.”

“Oh my god! You do?!”

“Yeah. She left it at my house before... everything got bad. And I took it with me to Alexandria.”

“I tried to find it when I went to the house. I thought someone stole it!”

“I can bring it back here for you. If you want.”

She wants to say yes immediately, but then thinks about it. “No. You keep it.” She smiles at Aaron. “I’m happy just as long as it’s still in the family.” Chuck looks to Negan. “Besides, I have my own guitar, now.” She chuckles. “There’s a beautiful piano in the wives’ lounge. Oh, you’ll love it Aaron!” Chuck gets up from the table.

“Now, wait, Chuck! I’m not letting a fuckin’ strange man into the wives’ lounge!”

Chuck lets out a huff. “What’s he gonna do, Negan? He’s gay.”

Negan narrows his eyes at her. “Fine,” he grumbles and gets up, too.

Chuck excitedly runs to her room to get her guitar, then goes to the lounge with Negan and Aaron trailing behind.

“We got a visitor, ladies,” Negan calls out as they enter the room.

All of the women look to the newcomer curiously.

“Are you finally adding a man-wife, Negan?” Tonya jokes.

“Ha ha, Tonya,” Negan starts, “but, no.”

“This is my uncle!” Chuck jumps in. “Aaron.”

“Hello... ladies,” Aaron greets awkwardly.

Kayla makes an excited sound. “That’s so great that you found a family member!” She steps forward to shake Aaron’s hand. “I’m Kayla. That’s Tonya, Frankie, and Sherry.” She points out the women and they wave to Aaron.

Negan plops himself down on the couch. “He’s here to see the piano. So... There it is.”

“You play, too?” Sherry asks Aaron.

“Yeah,” he answers, looking over the instrument. “Though I’m not as good as Chuck on the piano.”

“Here.” Chuck hands him the guitar and sits on the piano bench. “Let’s play something.”

Aaron thinks for a moment. “Hey Jude?”

Chuck doesn’t even answer but immediately starts to play. Aaron throws on the guitar and joins in. They sing the familiar song easily; it had always been one of their favorites to play together. They and Chuck’s mother would play it at every family get together.

When the wives join in, it brings a smile to Chuck’s face. No one can resist the “la las” of Hey Jude. She even sees Negan let out a few.

They finish the song and everyone claps. Including Negan.

“You two sound great together,” Frankie compliments.

Chuck shifts on the bench and it makes a loud cracking noise. Negan jumps up and lifts her from the bench before it crumbles to pieces.

“What the fuck!” Negan calls out as he sets Chuck back on her feet.

“I don’t think I’ve gained that much weight,” Chuck jokes with a chortle.

“Oh, uh...” Tonya starts. “I think that might be our fault. Me and Frankie were... uh... doing something and kinda broke the bench.”

“Jesus Christ, Tonya,” Negan mutters under his breath.

Tonya shrugs. “I didn’t think we broke it that much.”

“Oh, don’t worry about it,” Aaron jumps in. “I brought in a guy back home a few weeks ago that can fix it. Or build a whole new bench for you. He’s a good guy. Lives with me and Eric.”

“What’s his name?” Negan immediately growls out.

Aaron looks from him to Chuck with confusion on his face. Chuck starts to breathe heavily as she arrives at the same thought Negan must have also.

“What’s his fucking name!?” Negan yells.

“It’s- His name is Brendon.”

#negan #negan fanfiction #negans thirst squad #negan x oc #negan x original female character #negan x ofc #negan / ofc #negan / oc #negan / original female character #jdm #jeffrey dean morgan #the walking dead fanfiction #the walking dead au #the walking dead #this is how i disappear #tihid #writehavoc writes #writehavoc this is how i disappear

9 notes · View notes

percontaion-points · 3 years ago

Text

Protection chapters 10 & 11

Click to see the rest of the snark & image descriptions

Chapter 10

“I may have said my blessing would be given if you held true to your desire to wed Lord Marsden, but there is much at stake, Lady Anneliese. It’s not too late to change your mind,” King William told Lisa during their private audience before dinner. “You could be queen of an entire nation. Can you imagine?”

The thing that bothers me about Bill's behavior is that he's insistent that Lisa should forge a political alliance, but he's giving her a goddamned choice about it. If he really wanted to make a political marriage, he would have just fucking done it.

“When one is born to privilege, one has a duty to fulfil in these matters.”

The problem is that she is privilege by blood, but not by birth. She wasn't raised in privilege. Not like a princess. Something that I don't think that Bill (or the author) understands much.

As one, the congregated crème of society bowed and curtsied, a cascade of taffeta, silk, and satin spreading out across the ballroom like a rainbow-coloured wave.

I had to read this and so do you.

After one last harrumph, the King turned to face the murmuring crowd and announced the betrothal of the Marquis of Marsden to Lady Anneliese Barlow. The better part of the next hour passed with him introducing Lisa to a seemingly endless row of distinguished guests.

After all of that fuss over the engagement announcement, and this is literally all that we're going to get? Really?

Maybe Nathaniel had decided expressing their passion for one another was acceptable after all.

Chapter 10 summary: The chapter starts with Lisa in a last-minute audience with Bill. He's pressing the issue, but like I said, refusing to actually press too hard, least our main characters not get their happy ending. The conversation quickly ends when Lisa reminds him that she's already been “ruined” by Nathaniel.

As they go to the main ballroom, George tells Lisa that they could still leave, but Lisa says no.

Bill and Addy come out, and Bill announces his cousin, Lisa. Lisa is hella anxious, as you might expect, and about ready to pass out from a combo of nerves and her too-tight corset. Nathaniel is quick to rush to her side, propriety be damned. Bill continues to not be happy about their relationship, but he announces their engagement.

The rest of the night, Lisa and Nathaniel spend dancing with each other. Nathaniel laughs over Lisa's concern about the other young ladies giving her evil looks, and says that it's because she's already taken Nathaniel off the market before she was introduced.

Lisa's mind is also in turmoil because Nathaniel has gone from “I must maintain a proper distance from you, Lisa” to “Oh Lisa, my love”.

Chapter 11

Lisa felt faint, having assumed Nathaniel’s and her nuptials would be a quiet, family-only affair. Other than Princess Charlotte’s, whose marriage was at least somewhat private, England had not seen a grand royal or even society wedding since the previous century.

At this point, I'd take the win and just go with it.

Besides, I'm certain that Bill will be paying for all of this anyway.

As for time alone with Nathaniel, it would be at an even greater premium.

Chapter 11 summary: Lisa takes several turns about the dance floor with random, nameless gentlemen. Nathaniel also dances, but keeps his options limited to Rebecca, Margaret, and random older ladies.

After a while, Rebecca pulls Lisa to the ladie's withdrawing room. However, there are a lot of women in there who are talking shit about Lisa. Lisa wants to leave, but Rebecca convinces her that they need to stay and listen, or else how can they combat such boorish behavior? Lisa continues to stand, but finally snaps when they talk shit about her father. She says that George was a war hero, and he doesn't deserve their bullshit about him.

As they leave the room, they run into Nathaniel and Hugh. Nathaniel kisses Lisa with passion. Rebecca is upset, but only because Hugh has never kissed her like that before.

The girls arrange that the men shouldn't immediately follow them back to the main room, so that it won't seem so scandalous. Bill finds them again, and says that since Lisa refuses to consider a political marriage, he's instead going to turn their wedding into a dog and pony show to further boost Lisa's current star status. Lisa is not happy about this, but at least she agrees. The wedding date is set for six weeks away.

#A Forbidden Love series #Protection (Forbidden Love 2)#chapter 10 #chapter 11 #King Bill #Anneliese 'Lisa'#missing the point #HEADDESKING #you are stupid and you deserve to get eaten by zombies #THAT'S NOT HOW ANY OF THIS WORKS #bad description writing #I would ask where the editor was but I think we all know there was none #bad writing is bad #Lord Nathaniel Stanton

0 notes

dumplingfaye · 3 years ago

Text

My favorite Vocaloid music dubbed Version for My three favorite black clover males

It’s completely different from the non dub Version because in the dub they say things that are completely different so it suits a different character more

My R Nacht

Nacht: Just as I was about to take my shoes off, on the rooftop there I see A girl with braided hair here before me, despite myself, I go and scream

“Hey, don’t do it please!”

Whoa, wait a minute what did I just say? I couldn’t care less either way To be honest, I was somewhat pissed This was an opportunity missed The girl with braided hair told me her woes

Charlotte: (thinks of Yami) You’ve probably heard it all before I really thought that he might be the one But then he told me he was done”

Nacht: For god’s sake please! Are you serious? I just can’t believe That for some stupid reason you got here before me Are you upset cause you can’t have what you wanted? (thinks of Yami & Morgan) You’re lucky that you’ve never gotten robbed of anything!

Charlotte: I’m feeling better thank you for listening”

Nacht: The girl with braided hair then disappeared Alright, today’s the day! or so I thought Just as I took both of my shoes off There was but a girl short as can be Despite myself, I go and scream The petite girl told me her woes

Charmy: You’ve probably heard it all before (thinks of Yuno & the Black bulls) Everyone ignores me,(thinks of Caren) everyone steals I don’t fit in with anyone here”

Nacht: For god’s sake please! Are you serious? I just can’t believe That for some stupid reason you got here before me Cause even so, you’re still loved by everyone at home (thinks of going to a empty Home) There’s always dinner waiting on the table, you know!

Charmy: I’m hungry”

Nacht: said the girl as she shed a tear The girl short as can be then disappeared And like that, there was someone everyday I listened to their tale I made them turn away And yet there was no one who would do this for me, no way I could let out all this pain

For the very first time, there I see Someone with the same pains as me Having done this time and time again he wore a yellow cardigan

Liebe: (thinks of Licita) I just wanna stop the scars that grow Ev-e-ry-time that I go home That’s why I came up here instead”

Nacht: That’s what the boy in the cardigan said Whoa, wait a minute what did I just say? I couldn’t care less either way But in the moment I just screamed Something that I did not believe

“Hey, don’t do it please!”

Oh what to do? I can’t stop this boy, oh this is new For once I think I’ve bitten off more than I can chew But even so please just go away so I can’t see You’re pitiful expression is just too much for me!

Liebe: I guess today is just not my day”

Nacht: he looked away from me and then he disappeared There’s no one here today, I guess it’s time It’s just me myself and I There’s no one who can interfere No one to get in my way here Taking off my yellow cardigan Watching my ponytail come all undone This petite boy, (thinks of Yami) short as can be Is gonna jump now and be free

Nonsense speaker Liebe

Liebe: I try to ignore the hurt inside, and bit by bit, part of me dies. The smile on my face, is just a lie. A lie, a lie, I just can't hide.

The blade of a knife that cuts so deep The pain, the pain. I don't dare speak. (Looks at Asta) I can't let you know, the way I feel A secret I will keep.

(Telling Asta) I don't need you’re sympathy, You’re vicious lies are killing me. And you don't even understand, the things I feel or who I am. Try so hard to bring you joy, My heart is cold the flame has died. I hide behind the lie that has become, The new "Me".

I toss and I turn, I just can't sleep (thinks of Licita) You're gone, so long, That's fine with me. I won't turn around, my mind is clear. But the wounds that you leave. Never heal.

(Looking at the clover kingdom and Magic Parliament) Now I know you'll never change, You got that same look on you’re face And things will never be the same Its over now and you're to blame. Twist the knife, I feel the pain You hurt me but I won't complain.

(Looks at Asta) I'm like a fool I'm smiling through the tears. A fool For you.. A trick of the light Where Am I? Time fades away, Like yesterday.

(Telling Asta) I don't need you’re sympathy You’re vicious lies, theyre killing me. And things will never be the same. It's over now and I'm to blame. Can you do one last thing for me? Put me out of my misery. I hide behind the lie that has become, The new me. The real me.

Self inflicted Asta

Asta: (looks at Yuno) I wanna be like you, I wanna say that I can I wanna be the person that you think that I am But even if I had it all come true like a dream Is the person I came to be the really real me? So young and simple, wishing like things would come true (thinking of becoming the Wizard king) Now as I am, I understand it’s best I die and soon

(Thinking of the clover kingdom & the church) Just by living I’m hurting them another day Hundreds cry, all I do is ruin everything Nobody wanted me, no one there to need If only I could live in that kind of world I dreamed (a world where he’s the Wizard king)

(Thinking of the clover kingdom & the church) Just by leaving I’m helping them another day Hundreds smile, all they do is laugh at everything Nobody there to scream, no more being mean but see Things like that would never happen for me

( another day in the black Bulls hideout looking at the other black bulls members) Day after day I found my way, sleepwalking through Like this I’ll fade without a trace, it’s for the best I do

(Thinking of the clover kingdom & the church) Just by living I’m nothing for another day Hundred lives, never knowing me or anything Nobody wanted me, no one there to need Why would I wanna live in the kind of world I see? Just by leaving I’m no one for another day Hundred lives, never changing them or anything Nobody there to scream, no more being mean to me Then could I have it all back in one piece?

In the end, we’ll fall to the ground again Over and over and never get up In the end, the person they made in me Breaking and breaking and never pick up In the end, we’re leaving it all again Over and over and never wake up

(Looks at Liebe and Nacht) Just by living I’m bringing you another day Why, just for me, can you smile after everything? In the end, the smile you give to me Right when I wanted to give it all up And I really do wish that I didn’t And all of the moments I tried Just to die said goodbye

(Thinking of the clover kingdom & the church) Just by leaving I’m no one for another day Hundred lives, never changing them or anything Somebody here to scream, (Looks at Liebe and Nacht) someone here is stopping me Why can’t I laugh it off the way that I’d dreamed?

#Black clover #Black clover Nacht #Black clover Nacht Faust #Nacht Faust #b #Black clover Liebe #Black clover Asta #Asta

3 notes · View notes