#Colin knows I EXIST probably

[pieflavorpie]

So Alice being standoffish and generally rather rude towards Celia cause she's essentially a jealous ex is cute n ok

But Sam being annoyed and exhausted [& therefore rude] when his ex [who is implied to have a history of using slightly-less-moral methods to try and get him to stop chasing his obsessions] was once again seemingly using less-than-moral methods (lying) to once again stop him from chasing after his obsession is just rude and 'I can't defend you for this one'. Bro.

[threeacttragedy]

Entry 12: The One Where We Start Laying the Yellow Brick Road to Italy

I realized the other day that, even though I like to bounce around from place to place in the Lukola timeline, I probably needed to start tightening things up on the ship if I ever wanted to get to the end of the story. And, yes, dammit, this story better have a finale at some point because there’s nothing more annoying than an open-ended ending, particularly in the romance genre.

Today we’re going to take a quick jaunt over to Italy because –

NO! Not because Luke is allegedly filming there. If you’re into real-time stalking, you’re in the wrong blog. But, I’m sure there’s a Discord for that.

It’s because I’ve had several people ask for my opinion about the change in behavior between Luke and Nicola during their Day 1 interviews there. Wait – people are interested in my thoughts? Wow, that’s actually kind of nice. Thank you! Okay, back to what I was saying –

Was there a change in behavior when Luke and Nicola reached Italy? Yeah, actually, there kind of was.

By May 9, we had been gifted with a slew of material from Luke, Nicola, and the Bridgerton cast and, I must admit, those early interviews are some of the most entertaining of the tour. In the very beginning, Nicola appeared as the utmost professional – charming, intelligent, and witty at the right moments – and Luke played her likeable counterpart to “Book Colin” perfection – bouncing between being awkwardly boyish and wickedly roguish, all while looking at Nicola like she had just served him homemade peanut butter crumble.

The two of them together, playing off each other, in my opinion, was better than Bridgerton Season 3 (you cannot beat the World Tour being 99% Luke and Nicola, with only a few random side characters taking up screentime). There was some major “Electric Love” radiating from those two throughout the tour, but it seemed very much heightened in the beginning (probably because they hadn’t yet answered the same question 67 times). By the way, if you haven’t heard that song by Børns, go have a listen. It will, at the very least – hopefully – put you in an upbeat mood for the day.

Now, where was I? Oh, yes – was there a change in behavior between Luke and Nicola when they reached Italy?

Absolutely.

Do I know why?

Absolutely not.

Perhaps Luke was bent because someone spilled his coffee, or Nicola was upset because her stylist made her to wear that little silver bow in her hair. In my opinion, the most intriguing part of Day 1 of the Italy press junket was that Luke and Nicola struggled with answering the question, “What is love?” I swear they both babbled on like two kids in debate class who hadn’t bothered to read the material given to them before taking their respective podiums. They finally seemed to settle on Luke’s “Maybe it’s, like, connection.” Well, they seemed to be missing the “connection” that day.

Honestly, no one can explain their “don’t stand so close to me” vibe during those first day interviews except Luke and Nicola. But, we can at least have some fun and speculate about it with a bird’s eye view. At this point, you should know that I love spreading the puzzle pieces out and seeing how they might all connect. Most people – when putting a puzzle together – start with the side pieces, right? You’ll get my joke in a moment (I hope).

In March 2024 – I don’t know the specific date because my timeline is rather murky going back that far (I was unaware Lukola even existed!) – Luke traveled to Los Angeles for a photo spread with InStyle magazine. I’ve heard two versions of this story. The first being that Luke traveled to Los Angeles with Antonia alone; the second being that he traveled to Los Angeles with his friend group, which included Antonia. I couldn’t tell you which is true, and it really doesn’t matter because it doesn’t necessarily add or take away from today’s story.

Before I get started, I wanted to give a “hurrah” to The-One-Whose-Group-Chat-Fills-in-Lots-of-Missing-Bits-for-Me-Including-the-Part-Where-Video-Footage-of-Antonia-in-Los-Angeles-Seemed-to-Indicate-a-Celebrity-Was-Not-the-Videographer-and-There-Were-So-Many-British-Accents-in-the-Background-One-Would-Fancy-a-Guess-She-was-Traveling-with-a-Group.

Moving along…

On April 7, 2024, Antonia posted a series of photographs and clips to her Instagram grid indicating she had been in Los Angeles, including one where she was laying on a blanket in front of the Griffith Observatory and one where she was sitting at a table marked with the number “95.” On April 14, she posted a second set of photographs, tagging her location as Beverly Hills, California and using “End of Beginning” as her audio (yes, I side-eyed this choice of music so don’t feel bad if you did as well). The second photo dump included her lounging on a rooftop.

I’m not going to delve into posts made by Luke and Nicola during that timeframe. I mean, I’m sure Nicola’s comment, “’Friends’…sure Jan,” on Luke’s April 11 reshared post about Bridgerton Season 3 was only meant to be applicable to Polin. And, if Luke wanted to use yellow and black hearts to represent the colors Nicola and he were wearing in his April 12 post, that’s cool, too. And, I am definitely not going to speculate on Nicola’s April 15 post (for Big Mood) that Luke liked, and she captioned, “I will bite off anything that dangles.”

By April 21, Luke and Nicola were in Australia at the World Premiere of Bridgerton. I am only going to provide a quick overview of Australia instead of a full-fledged recital because, at some point, I will almost certainly dedicate an entry to this country. Let’s start with Luke pulling off the hottest walk-up in Netflix human history (I mean, have you watched it in slow motion?). Then, we had the hard launch of the handholding business (because why again?). And, we had Luke tripping over his words, “We’re very, like, giving…I’m not talking about those scenes…” Oh, and Nicola telling an interviewer that, “[y]ou can’t keep a good girl down,” and, in response, Luke’s lips curling into a wicked-ass Cheshire cat's. We had them in the garden, with Nicola bending down to hug Luke after she had scratched/hit/petted his head. Perhaps I should not mention the possibility of a man’s shirt being visible on a bed behind Nicola (I said possibility not that it was). And, Nicola telling Luke, “You’re the funnier one,” when he was concerned that perhaps Benedict was funnier than Colin. Then we had the “Nicola-in-the-green-dress” day where, as they were going down the steps, Luke seemed to instinctively reach for Nicola’s hand, but she played it cool and took his arm instead. Oh, and that entire “green dress” day in general (I mean, there was so much shit going on that day). And, best we do not forget Nicola saying, “the best foundation for love is friendship,” which mirrored the bracelet “someone…in Australia” gave Luke that read, “Do you believe the best foundation for love is friendship?” Because that’s not suspicious at all. Alright, let’s get the fuck out of Australia – but not before I mention Nicola commenting on Luke’s April 27 Instagram post with “Ready for the next?” and Luke replying, “Absolutely.” Yeah, yeah, yeah, their shenanigans in Australia expanded the USS Lukola tenfold.

Oh, also, let me throw this in here because, if you are a “ring truther,” this fact plays a significant role in the Lukola timeline. If you do not know what a “ring truther” is, that’s perfectly fine. You can catch up by reading Entry 6 (The One Where I Explained the Claddagh Ring to My Dad) of my blog. I mentioned in Entry 6 that some Lukola sleuths have stated the metadata they pulled from the sketches of the Claddagh ring uploaded by Chupi indicate they were done as early as April 26. In other words, it means the Claddagh was likely commissioned between Australia and Italy. In fact, if we are to believe Chupi when it said it took four weeks to make the ring, then it had to have been commissioned by May 9, 2024, at the latest. Oh, lookie there, that’s Day 1 of the Italy interviews.

But, before we get to May 9, let’s pause on April 29. That was the day Luke’s InStyle spread was published – yes, the one I mentioned earlier. Luke has pictures from this photoshoot still on his Instagram grid – in fact, Nicola commented, “Yess dude!!” on them – but those aren’t the pictures I want to talk about. No, I want to talk about the pictures InStyle posted on its Instagram grid that day. These photographs came directly from Luke, which was confirmed by the InStyle article when it said, “…the actor delighted the InStyle team by delivering the polaroid photos he’d taken for this story tucked oh-so-carefully in a little brown bag for safekeeping.” The pictures Luke provided, among others, included one where he was laying on a blanket in front of the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles; one where he was sitting at a table marked with the number “95;” and one where he is sitting in a lounge chair on a rooftop. If you want to see the pictures, InStyle still has them available – you just need to go through hundreds of posts to find them. Luke did not like this InStyle post, which was kind of odd because he was tagged in it, and they were reportedly his pictures.

Why did these InStyle polaroids seem so familiar?

Oh, that’s right, because they were.

Remember that April 7 post of Antonia’s I mentioned a bit ago? Yeah, the one where Antonia posted a bunch of random pictures from Los Angeles and – only after InStyle posted Luke’s polaroids – fans realized Antonia had preemptively posted her version of some of Luke’s polaroids.

I am not going to speculate too much about these pictures or their implications in this blog post, but these pictures may resurface in future posts because I find myself side-eyeing the fact they even exist. And, we should probably accept that Luke was aware of them before his pictures came out on April 29 because he threw a like on Antonia’s April 7 post. Could it have been a “blind” like? Sure, I guess, but the logical side of my brain says he probably looked through them at the time she posted. Let’s not worry too much about it right now, though.

After trying to write out my “general” opinion about the pictures several times, I finally decided that the best way I could articulate my thoughts was through the conversation I had with my father. Yes, Dear Dad returns again for another insightful Q&A.

I started by showing Luke and Antonia’s three “matchy” pictures to my dad and then asked him to compare them. To be clear, the pictures were their respective Griffith Observatory, Table 95, and Rooftop Lounging pictures.

Me: “So what do you think?”

Dad: “About what?”

Me: “Ugh! Why did Antonia take those pictures?”

Dad: “Well, to show she’s part of the ‘in’ crowd. The only reason I can see them being taken is if she was going to put them on the Internet.”

Me: “Uhh, as a matter of fact, she did put them on the Internet! Approximately three weeks before Luke’s were published.”

Dad: “See! I’m not as dumb as you think.”

Me: “Whatever. So, you really believe that? She took them to show people that she was, like, there?”

Dad: “Yeah. Why else would she take them? They’re not the kind of photos you’d take normally. What’s she going to do, put them in an album and show her friends in five years and say, ‘Look, I sat in Luke’s chair?’ Who does that? Nobody. Plus, Luke’s pictures look like they were taken with a polaroid camera and Antonia took hers with, I guess, a phone. Why use two different cameras? Again, it doesn’t make sense. Seems to me like she knew what pictures he was taking, and she was trying to copy them so she could put them on the Internet.”

Thanks, Dad.

You do not have to accept my father’s thoughts on the photographs. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. However, I think we can meet in the middle and opine that, at a minimum, Antonia’s pictures caused the weak Lukolas to jump overboard; at most, they gave some people stalker vibes; and somewhere in between, they introduced Antonia's negative influence over the fandom and what some may consider trolling behavior (even if it wasn’t recognized then).

Now, before we land in Italy on May 9, let’s summarize what has happened during the preceding two months.

First, we had Luke traveling to Los Angeles in March with Antonia, either alone or as part of a friend group. Luke had pictures of himself taken while there.

Second, we had Antonia posting pictures in early April that would be linked directly to Luke’s pictures by the end of the month.

Third, throughout the month of April, we had Luke and Nicola traveling together for the World Tour. We have all seen these interviews, and we have all formed independent opinions about them.

Fourth, based on Chupi’s own words, we know the Claddagh ring must have been commissioned no later than May 9.

Okay, now we’ve reached May 9, Day 1 of the Italy press junket.

Besides the press interviews, what happened on that day?

Well, Antonia reposted Luke singing Coldplay’s “Yellow” to her TikTok account.

Uhh… Huh. Interesting.

I mean, it’s possible that this was just a coincidence and she just liked Luke’s version of it. Or, it’s possible Antonia knew that “Yellow” was the Polin wedding song and she anticipated trolling Nicola and/or the fandom with it. But, if we believe she knew “Yellow” was the Polin wedding song, that means either Luke told her, or someone with that knowledge told her (i.e., someone from Luke’s team or family/friend group). We also know that Luke mentioned this song in the May 16, 2022 Netflix Tudum article when Nicola and he were asked about their song choices for Season 3. Luke stated his frontrunner was “Yellow” by Coldplay “because of Penelope’s dresses.” Regardless of why Antonia posted the song, I find it hard to imagine Netflix, Bridgerton, Shondaland, Nicola, or Luke were too impressed by Antonia resharing it on TikTok. I mean, at this point, Netflix & Co. would surely have been aware that Antonia’s “copycat post” went over with the fandom like a wet blanket in December in Canada. I imagine some questions were being asked and Luke may very well have received a hand slap from Corporate – and maybe even from Nicola.

But, that’s not the only thing that happened on May 9.

Luke posted his Homme magazine spread to his Instagram grid on that day, too. He captioned the post, “Chatting through all things S3 with @hommeplusmag [o]ut next week x.” Nicola commented, “Yessss,” and Luke tagged his post with the location of Hackney, London. That last part – about Luke tagging the location in Hackney – apparently sent the fandom into a deep-dive of…Nicola’s backyard. Why? Because Nicola lives in Hackney (Nicola herself confirmed she lived in Hackney in a March 18, 2024 interview with Derry Now), and rumors started to circulate that Luke’s pictures were taken at her home.

Hmm, I didn’t realize May 9 was such a busy day, did you?

So, which came first – the chicken or the egg? Did Antonia repost “Yellow” to her TikTok before Luke posted his Homme in Hackney images to Instagram, or vice versa? I’m sure someone out there has this information. The answer might help shine some light as to why Luke and Nicola seemed “off” in the early part of their Day 1 Italy interviews. But, then again, does the order really matter? Regardless of who posted first, it would seem to me that “Yellow” was a very possible culprit for the different energy on set that day.

That, or Luke really was peeved over someone spilling his coffee.

[aeternallis]

Colin's "entrapment" line was hard to listen to, but it was most definitely a sign of how unhinged he really is for Penelope.

Ok but for reals, I'm not sure how everyone else reacted when Colin said his now infamous "entrapment" line, but I just love how if one looks at this line a little more closely, it was definitely some semblance of an underhanded (and also a bit silly, lol) attempt to actually keep Penelope entrapped. Haha, the irony of it all. Idk, at least that was my read on it!

Like, it was definitely said in anger as well; he's hurting, and he’s hurting badly, so of course he wants to hit back in some way, however he can. Luke Newton absolutely meant it when he said that Colin reacts to the reveal in the worst way possible, alas.

My very first reaction to that scene: //pauses the screen to yell at Colin at 4am in the morning, “Entrapment????! If you feel trapped, then why the hell are you still going along with it, ya dumb ass!!!

Because really, think about it: Colin was definitely within his rights to call off the wedding, especially when he'd mentioned that Violet had noticed that he and Penelope had not seen each other for some time. It would have been the perfect time to reveal Penelope's secret to his mother, if indeed he felt entrapped by the LW of it all. Violet is family; if he wanted to still protect Penelope but no longer wanted to marry her, he would have been able to count on Violet's discretion. I'm sure she and Lady Danbury would have come up with some sort of plan to deal with the aftermath regarding the Bridgertons’ reputation, as we'd seen with Anthony and Edwina's botched wedding.

Furthermore, it would have probably been the better option to reveal it to her, since the existence of LW does put his family in danger; Penelope herself knows this. Every decision she makes post-LW reveal to Colin is due to the Bridgertons being in danger. Lady Danbury makes a point of this when she said in the last episode, “There is only one other person who loves the Bridgertons more than I.”

Eloise was able to keep the secret with no real consequences because although Penelope was her ex-bff, El still loves her, and besides that, nothing legal binds them as Colin's marriage to Penelope would.

Even when he was getting ready to talk to Benedict about getting funds to fulfill Cressida’s demands, he insisted on making up a lie to shield Penelope’s identity as LW. He knows more than anything that fulfilling a demand like this, all for the sake of his wife and at the cost of using a substantial amount of Bridgertons’ financial assets, may not put his marriage in the best light within his family. He doesn’t want to be forced to have to choose between his wife and his family, so he’s keen on keeping the lie going.

So for all intents and purposes, he doesn't tell his mother, or any of his other siblings (besides Eloise, who already knew); this in and of itself is hella fucking risky. The fact that Colin is willing to take this risk of withholding Penelope's secret identity from his family, the fact that he doesn't think to jeopardize this potentially risky betrothal—already goes to show the measure in regards to how much he wants Pen for his wife. We the audience know this because he waits until the very last minute to tell Violet, and even then, it's not Colin who chose to reveal it to her, but Penelope herself.

Another point: arguably, we can also say that Colin has a lot more wiggle room with his engagement to Penelope to call off the wedding, much more than he ever did with his engagement to Marina.

"A man of honor"? Exactly what "honor" are we talking about here? Colin claimed that he would have married Marina had she just told him the truth, yet when push came to shove and the truth of her pregnancy was revealed for all the world to know, he still chose to take the out Penelope gave him through LW. It’s easier to make a declaration like that when it’s all said and done. Lol Sure, he regretted it and apologized for his behavior later on, but he had made his choice regardless. Y’all can just feel Marina and Lady Danbury judging this dumb ass (affectionate) for dwelling in the past. Silly young man! XD What's stopping him this time around?

"We had been...intimate." Are you talking about the mirror scene, sir? Because let me assure you, you and Penelope have long been "intimate" way before you decided to buy a love nest and take her V-card the very next day you proposed to her. In fact, this is where the significance of their first kiss in 3.02 rings so, SO importantly and WHY it was vital that it was Penelope who asked and said that it would not have to mean anything. Colin knows Penelope would never use their first time together and/or the heated moment in the carriage as a way to entrap him. That first kiss alone should have already warranted that they get married, but Penelope makes it clear that it’s simply a favor, nothing more.

Oddly enough, I’m surprised Colin doesn’t bring up the idea of a long engagement (yknow, as he initially wanted with Marina, but who’s keeping track at this point), considering that would have potentially benefitted their situation. 🤔 His dumb ass (affectionate) was more than willing to stick to the wedding schedule…huh.

Besides all that, I don’t think it’s the showrunners’ intent to “taint” those special moments between them by changing the context through Colin’s (very biased) POV; to believe that to be the case would be, imo, just a bad faith argument. The genre is romance, y’all; these intimacy scenes are on an entirely different pedestal.

Because remember, that “entrapment” line of Colin’s only came about due to Penelope starting the conversation with, “Are you going to call off the wedding?”

Didn’t it almost seem like an afterthought, that he just came up with it on the spot? Hahaha.

I can bet y’all Cressida’s fake ass €20,000 blackmail money that before they’d met up to discuss wedding breakfast plans with their mamas, it had probably never even occurred to Colin to cancel their wedding. Angry and furious as he was, it was never a question of whether or not he still wanted Penelope for a wife.

The fact that it’s Penelope who begins that conversation and opens that Pandora’s box possibility is so, so damn important. Because not only does it show how much Penelope truly loves him in that she would never trap him, it also shows her maturity, in that she’s willing to face the consequences of her actions. She’s willing to give Colin the choice to back out, heartbreaking as it would be to face it, even if she herself would not be the one to pursue that choice.

She gives him the choice a good number of times: the wedding breakfast plan scene, the wedding day itself when she hesitates on the aisle, and the annulment offer after the butterfly scene.

Penelope defends herself softly, but truthfully: she never meant to entrap him, because she really didn’t. And Colin knows this; he would not still love her and want her if he honestly believed she wanted to entrap him. Hell, even if she did, the audience knows it’s a desire that comes from a good place: she loves him, so of course she doesn’t want to lose him. She wants to marry him, because she loves him. That’s all there is to it.

But despite knowing this (imo, anyway), we can also say that this conversation may have contributed to Colin’s downward spiral during the majority of episode 7 and 8, and why he becomes hella fucking desperate to be “useful” to her.

Because unlike himself, Penelope has now begun to entertain the idea of living a life that doesn’t include him—at least, not as her husband. Penelope is brave and strong enough to let him go due to the pain she caused him for her lies and her actions as LW, and as for Colin…well…

(I love it, it’s the same conundrum that Anthony faced in S2: Kate is strong enough to leave him behind and return to India, but Anthony…well…)

TL;DR, Colin’s entrapment line was literally an excuse he gave himself to keep his betrothal to Penelope intact. It’s a line that works in two ways simultaneously: it’s a painful, childish, underhanded thing to say in order to hurt Penelope’s feelings, to get back at her for the anguish he’s suffered. Yet at the same time, it’s also another excuse he gives himself in order to push through with the marriage, to tie Penelope to himself forever.

Because unlike Penelope, the very idea of living without her as his wife, of not having her in his life, is and always will be an impossible notion for Colin to ever entertain.

[alienpossession]

The Shell: The Landing

The right landing should have delivered us right on the doorstep of the townhall of the small town, where we would quickly encounter all sort of human that probably gathered right away to observe us upon our landing.

We would then utilize that opportunity to paralyze them with our venom, gather their DNA, absorb it to our system and built our human shell that copied the townspeople for the perfect integration as we would then dispose their vegetative bodies. But, we instead landed off the town's border due to the rookie that probably put the wrong coordinate which resulted in us stranded in this forest and in human measurement, some 35 kilometres off from our supposed landing spot. That distance is a very miniscule one compared to the intergalactic journey we went through, but for human measurement, that's like a major miss and we ensured that we will relay this message once we are in contact with Mothership that stationed just outside Earth's orbit. The next batch should not experience this unfortunate circumstances

Yet, despite the isolation, we still managed to find a lot of traces of human existence among this wooded path. Sadly, it's not consistent enough to be extracted as a basis to build our shell as most of them tend to be sweat and urine instead of blood, saliva or sperm which has higher DNA consistency. But it's a huge wooded landscape and with that much human traces already, we kept our belief that we will find the necessary DNA source eventually.

After around 30 minutes, we finally found what we're looking for. It's near a structure we learned as a tent and there, we found copious amount of sperm and other things right next to a tree and basically spread around the area. As the one responsible for this pack, I decided to be the first one to initiate this whole thing so I absorbed all the DNA, hair, saliva and practically anything I could find in the perimeter and let the process kickstarted. I can feel my liquid form enlarged and started to harden as I emitted all the information I received from the sources to create the perfect human replica. The flashes of image I received about this human source sharpened the imitation to its finest details. I started from the head as we were taught in our academy to always form the brain and the head first because that's where we will control the shell from. This human has quite an angular facial feature peppered with shaved facial hair based on the genetic data. He has no inherited diseases whatsoever so I take the liberty to assume that this is a healthy person which means that he probably has decent built. The average height of the human in the area where we supposedly landed is around 6 feet tall so that's the height I set my shell to be. But everything becomes much more easier as this human all in a sudden walked out from his tent and started calling out another name

"Colin, is that you?" He faintly whispered. Did I and the pack make too much noise? Well, creating a shell is not necessarily a quiet process as we're practically building a skin but we believe we've been very quiet. Then, an animal we know called as deer appeared but the human seemed to not be that startled. Yet, just a glimpse of his look helped me to really fine-tune everything to perfection. I reshaped my shell's abdominal and pectoral muscle to be tighter and imprinted the ink I saw on the human. The taut legs and tight yet bubbly glutes followed suit alongside the hair on his legs and shaved pubic hair. I also notice the scars in his back and right above his ass crack and make his intricate web of veins that carried the blood to energized his body more visible in my shell to really match his. The final creation is the sexual appendage of the male human and despite not seeing it in full frontal form from the owner, I make an educated guess from the bulge he sported earlier and let the meat formed itself to become a 6.5 inches soft, uncut cock with a large grape-sized sperm glands or human usually called it as balls. It's modifiable after all, so no need to get it perfect on the first go

As I then take the time to create all the internal organs and placed myself to wrap this imitation brain of this shell like a cocoon, this shell is finally ready so I stand up and happily grinned looking at the rest of the pack

"Wait here, okay? All of you will have your turn coming,"

He's already back inside his tent when I stand up, so I slowly creep myself to ambush him before that Colin person comes back. He's sleeping naked with his ass on full display inside his tent, the fuzziness and arch of his ass inspired me to alter my shell right then and there for a perfect copy and before he's aware, I lunged right at him and started to circle my muscular forearm to choke him. We battled hard as he flailed around trying to get himself free, but I locked his neck and legs way too tight for him to get out from. When his body goes limp, I finalized the tiny details I failed to get by altering my shell before I enacted the final replication process. As my shell goes limp without me in control, I inserted myself to his brain to gather all information needed. It's a rather quick process as I simply wrap myself around his soon-to-be useless brain and absorbed all the information about.......Ryle Adams. Then, I slide out from his brain and entered my Ryle shell to then inject the memory to the mush of a brain of the shell so I can pass myself on as Ryle Adams with ease and also making this body able to function autopilot even when I'm not inside of him, a perfectly seamless integration

Now, time to clean up the old Ryle and prepare for Colin's arrival after his fishing duty. Maybe to make the replication easy, I should just stuff one member of the pack into Colin's brain, so once it gets out, it can simply replicate everything without making guesses or adjustment. Yeah, that sounds easier to be honest.....

[myfairstarlight]

Alright, let's talk about Colin's entrapment line and why Penelope offering an annulment was significant, shall we? Arguably the most controversial part of this season, isn't it?

I'm not going to delve too long on the entrapment line again actually, but to summarise, Colin has been traumatised by a similar situation before, and right now, he's hurt. And the thing about being angry with your best friend is that you know what to say to hurt them the most. We see it in Eloise's and Penelope's fight, as they threw each other's insecurities in the other's faces. Colin, two episodes ago, was defending Penelope against Portia, who was accusing her of entrapping him, so yes, his mind will jump to that first. But also note that the whole time he refuses to look at her, because he knows his words are cutting and will hurt and he knows his resolve would break if he looked at her, which is contrasted by Penelope directly looking at him to tell him she loves him and did not mean for this to happen like this. He does not look because he knows she loves him, this is not Marina's situation exactly who only wanted a way out and did not see him as much else than a means to an end, and that's why it's so much more difficult to deal with for him. Penelope loves him.

And he's already almost lost her once, as angry and hurt as he is, he cannot fathom the idea of letting her go, when he remembers how empty he felt without her letters, or at the idea of her with Debling. So he's still here, determined to marry her.

So now we get to e8. The marriage was not technically consummated, and the Lady Whistledown business is finally settled. So Penelope offers the annulment, to set him, and his family, free from her mess.

They never directly address Colin's entrapment comment again, but with Penelope offering the annulment, it is now implied she's been thinking about this the whole time. It is a very real possibility that by that point, Penelope already knew she was pregnant, and it's been speculated if she told Colin in that scene after Francesca's wedding or not (I personally don't think she did, to not add to his guilt at that moment, and perhaps to not influence his decision, knowing she would be offering the annulment soon) and it parallels Marina's situation again, except in this case, Penelope does not wish to trap Colin with a baby, even if it is his. She knows how much Marina impacted Colin, and does not wish to do the same thing she had prevented Marina to do. The best part about this though? Colin is stunned (Edit: I changed the adjective here as someone rightfully pointed out I was exaggerating by saying "flabbergasted" when his reaction is more on the subtle side the English language is the bane of my existence). Frankly, he probably forgot he even said that, the same way he forgot about his "I would never dream of courting Penelope Featherington" comment - those were words said in the heat of the moment he never actually believed. Not once has Colin thought of either breaking the engagement, or get an annulment even after the betrayal.

He could have still eloped with Marina even after learning the truth, but he didn't because she was not honest with him from the start. He learns Penelope has been living a double life this whole time, and yet he stays.

It is significant that Penelope listened and acknowledged Colin's point of view, the same way she asked him to simply stand by her side and support her. Also note that she never says "our family", she says "you or your family".

Despite already being married, this whole time, it did not feel like they were, and she knew that as long as there was still this barrier between them, she could never truly be part of that family, but it's alright, she could live with that, she has mended things with her own after all, and she can support herself. Whatever the outcome, she'll be alright, she believes.

Fortunately for her, she does not get to find out what that future would entail because Colin absolutely hates the idea of letting her go.

Because after all, she's a mess, but she's his mess.

[hazbinshusk]

Hi there! I saw your prompt request open so I thought about...Blitzø x Fem! Angel! Reader from the Kiss Roulette with #39 Prompt. A tentative kiss.

The C.H.E.R.U.B.S made heaven looks so bad after what they did in the living world. So, an angel is informed about this so she apologizes to the Imp's company. Knowing there's no need to fight between both worlds. Blitzø feels some kind of warm and kindness coming from the angel. Wanting to get to know more about her and the heavens. Maybe even teasing her about wanting a taste from heaven with a kiss...With fluff and maybe spice (I kinda had the idea a bit but the rest can be up to you)

So, I already sended you this request but then I found out I wrote the wrong number (Hope not to go wrong with this one this time so I dediced to wrote the name in case I wrote the wrong number).

thank you for being so patient! I had a little fun with it so it fit my voice a little better, but I hope you still like it :) also 'bible-thumpin' boytoys' might be one of my favourite bits of dialogue I've ever written for blitzø. anyway, heres...

prompt #39: a tentative kiss

“Okay… you wanna run by me again exactly in the fuck you are?” Blitzø says, an eyebrow raised as he lounges back in his chair, feet kicked up on the desk between you. His expression reads as disbelieving, but he still manages to take the moment to let it turn appraising, even predatory as he runs his gaze down over your figure. “’Cause you don’t look a single fuck like those cotton candy freaks that fucked with us up top.”

You smooth your fingers over the fabric covering your thighs, banishing non-existent wrinkles from your slacks. You were perched straight-backed on the chair opposite him, entirely aware of the three other demons listening in from the other side of the door. “I’m a CHERUB… or, well, an associate of CHERUB. I’m not heaven-born, I just liaise with the department.”

“Ohhh, so you’re one of the goody-two-shoe-fuckers that get to go topside after they bite it?” the imp asks, leaning forward slightly. His tail waves slowly back and forth behind him, and part of you wonders if he’s doing it on purpose – like he’s trying to offend you by making sure you notice every one of his demonic traits. “You must’a been borin’ as shit to end up with the Holy Rollers.”

You shrug a shoulder, amusement twitching at the edge of your lips despite yourself. “Must have.”

“So, what?” Blitzø continues, a kind of cavalier smirk playing over his features. “Your bosses all pissy ‘cause we kicked your buddies’ asses halfway back to heaven and now you’re… what? Here to make it even? ‘Cause I gotta tell ya, you’re cute an’ all, but I’m pretty sure we can serve your ass back to ya on a silver platter.”

“You think I’m cute?” you ask, and Blitzø grins. You shake your head, holding up your hands in surrender. “I’m not here for some kind of avenging angel deal. Dearie told me… told the department how it all went down, and—”

“That bambi bitch’s name is Dearie?”

“—I wanted to apologise for what happened.”

Blitzø’s eyebrow arches again. “You wanted to apologise. Not your bosses.”

You swallow, pressing your lips together.

Shit.

You weren’t exactly here on sanctioned orders; Lord, if anyone found out that you’d hijacked a portal to come down here… well, you’d probably end up in the same predicament as Cletus, Colin and Keenie. And honestly, spending the Father only knows how long trapped in the mortal world with them for company… Maybe you should have thought this through.

“I, uh… it’s important that the relationship between Heaven and Hell stays civil—” you say, and the imp snorts in derision.

“Yeah, you feathery fucks seem to be real concerned with keepin’ the peace.” he replies snidely, and your brow furrows in confusion at the comment. He leans forward in his seat, giving you that appraising look again that makes something inside you flutter. You push it down, swallowing. “Speakin’ of, shouldn’t you have a rack on you?”

“Excuse me?” you say, offended, and you can’t help but glance down at your chest automatically.

Blitzø snickers, letting his own gaze linger there for a moment before he waves a hand towards the space over your shoulder. “Wings, sugar. Shouldn’t you have a pair?”

“Oh,” you feel a blush creep into your cheeks at your presumption. “I do, they’re just… kind of a pain to have out all the time. Besides, this way I can… blend in a little better down here.”

Blitzø huffs a laugh, pushing himself up out of his chair. “Nice try, tits. But there ain’t no sinners down here that look like you.”

That fluttery feeling blooms inside you again, tickling low in your belly and floating into your chest as he rounds the desk towards you. He leans against it, claws curled around the edge of the desktop beside his hips, his legs only a few sparse inches from your knees. You jump slightly as you feel something touch your ankle – the point of his tail brushes against your pant leg as it waves slowly beside him. The imp’s smirk widens at your reaction.

“And none of ‘em dress like that, either.” he points out. “Pride ain’t exactly the place for business casual.”

You glance down at yourself again, at your pressed pants and button down, before looking back up at him from under your brows. You find yourself trying for the same playfully sarcastic tone he’s been using on you. “You saying I should have tried for the leather look?”

Blitzø blinks, caught off-guard by the change in your tone. Then, he smiles again, sharp-toothed and thoroughly entertained. “Definitely. Personally, I’d love to see those legs of yours all wrapped up in tight, black…”

“Mr. Buckzo—”

“Call me Blitz.”

“Blitz,” you correct yourself. “I’m here to try and establish a diplomatic relationship between—”

“You ever thought about it?”

“Huh?”

Blitzø grins. “Takin’ a walk on the dark side. See what you were missin’ out on by playin’ good girl for God all those years on Earth. They might have invented their own brand of fuckin’ up in Cloud Cuckoo Land, but I can guarantee your bible-thumpin’ boytoys ain’t got nothin’ on me.”

You flush, and that seems to amuse him more. “Are you… seriously… hitting on me right now?”

Blitzø’s smile doesn’t waver. “You tellin’ me you’re not interested?”

Casting a glance back to the door, you struggle to find an appropriate response. You jump again as he suddenly leans forward just as you turn around to face him again, bracing himself over you by gripping the arms of your chair. It effectively cages you in, and your breath catches in your throat as it brings his face so, so close to yours.

You swallow, and he smirks.

“I… I came here,” you repeat, trying to keep the waver out of your voice. “To try and mend… fences between our organizations…”

“Mm. You wanna make amends?”

You nod, biting your lip. Blitzø’s eyes flicker down to catch the movement. His tail is switching slowly behind him again.

“You wanna make it up to us for what your dick co-workers did?”

“I—”

“Show me how much.” he challenges, eyes half-lidded and downright… seductive. You shift in your seat, face aflame. “C’mon… you know you want to. One little kiss to show me how much you care… maybe a quick, five star fuck if you feel up to it—”

“Jesus Christ…” the curse comes out as barely more than a breath.

“Look, at you. Takin’ the Lord’s name in vain.” he chuckles. “Careful, baby. You spend too much time down here, and you might find you like it.”

“It’s Hell, not a holiday.” you point out. “I’m not exactly worried about wanting an address change.”

“Yeah?” he retorts teasingly. “Prove it. Give me a little taste of Heaven.”

You waver for a moment before your sense of reason finally gives way to your curiosity. You reach up, curling your fingers in the front of his coat. Blitzø actually looks surprised as you lean up, meeting his lips hesitantly with your own.

They’re surprisingly soft and warm against yours, and the stiffness in his body eases as he relaxes into the embrace. When you pull away, you exhale in the hopes of steadying yourself. Blitzø meets your eye for a moment, and then his lips are on yours again, his hand coming up to cup your cheek.

You can feel the sharp points of his claws in your hair, against the soft skin by your ear, but instead of unnerving you, you find it excites you, spurs you on. When your lips part he touches his tongue to your bottom lip, and you sigh into his mouth. Your hand leaves his chest to slide over the side of his neck to curl around the nape of it, and you’re surprised to hear him moan quietly into the kiss. It thrills you more than it should, as does the way his tongue slides against yours.

Your fingers brush against one of the spikes at the back of his head, and you jerk away from him, his teeth grazing your lip as you do. Blitzø blinks as though dazed, shaking himself as you suddenly push your chair back and stand, the chair legs screeching obnoxiously against the carpet.

“I should… I should go.” you stumble over the words, grateful that the imp doesn’t move to follow you as you back away from him a few steps. “My… my friend can only keep the portal open for so long before they notice I’m gone. So, I should…”

Blitzø nods, recovering himself. “Right. Yeah. Yeah, you should… yeah…”

You give him an awkward, tight-lipped smile, holding out a hand for him to shake. “It was… thank you for meeting with me, Blitz.”

He laughs at your sudden propriety, shaking his head in amusement as he closes the distance between you and takes hold of your hand. Instead of shaking it, he turns it over, bending down and brushing his lips against the back of it. Blitzø holds your gaze as he does, and you can’t help the bashful smile that flickers over your face.

“Anytime.”

send me a prompt and either husk or blitzø

[newtonsheffield]

Please you need to give us Ben’s POV of that phone call!!

Ben has never been more confused in his life when Anthony starts becoming an absolute Dad out of nowhere during that phone call.

All of a sudden Anthony’s entire demeanor shifted and sat before him where his stressed pigeon older brother was sitting is a guy that probably wears corduroy trousers and a flat cap and always has bloody peppermints in his pocket.

Ben’s also going over every event from the last three years and making connections that aren’t really there. That’s why Anthony left Simon’s birthday early two years ago! His secret wife probably needed him home to help with the baby! And when he wouldn’t answer Ben’s phone call at 2am three months ago? He was with his secret family! They were probably playing monopoly! It’s all starting to make sense now! Anthony’s been hiding his wife and son away from him. Quite rude actually. Ben’s a (fairly) functional member of society. There’s no need to be embarrassed of him. Does Daphne know and he doesn’t?! Does Colin?! Does Eloise?!

Ben’s actually furious now. Why does everyone know but him?! Why has Daphne been having lunches (probably) with Anthony’s wife Kate?! He actually can’t believe how awful Anthony’s been to him!

“Kate’s not my wife.” Anthony sighed as he set the fresh pints on the table. “I didn’t know Neddy existed until a week ago. You’re the only one other than mum who knows as of right now.”

Ben couldn’t help but feel a little smug. “Take that Daphne.”

“What?”

“Nothing. Tell me about this woman you’re obviously in love with and how great your child together is.”

[colin-becher-death-countdown]

Ik that someone's probably told you this before but did you know that you were talked about at the Magnus protocol q and a at the London podfest? I think Anousch Battasby (that's probably spelt wrong) brought you up so Colin's voice actor knows that you exist and wish death upon him

I have been told, it's very funny but I mean have you seen Ryan's (Colin's va) tiktok I don't think he's too broken up about Colin's likely death

[spaceorphan18]

SO's Guide to the Bridgerton Children so @coffeegleek can tell them apart ;)

Violet Bridgerton

Okay, so first of all this is the mom of all these children. Her husband was Edmund. He got stung by a bee and died, so he is no longer around.

Anthony Bridgerton

Okay, so the oldest son is Anthony. He is the current Viscount (don't ask me about British nobility, I know nothing) and is currently running the Bridgerton estate, though that is not his favorite thing to do. He had very unfortunate sideburns in season one. And he likes to shout things like "you are the bane of my existence" and "LILACS". He does have oldest child syndrome where he acts like he doesn't want to be in charge, but he totally loves being in charge and telling everyone what to do.

His wife is Kate Sharma. She is a delight, and possibly the second best character on this show (obviously after Penelope). So just remember, passionate and loud guy with Kate -- that is Anthony. Oh, and they have one child who is being born in India because Jonathan Bailey is apparently very in demand right now.

Benedict Bridgerton

Benedict is the artsy, bisexual who hangs out on the swings with Eloise. He is an actual delight, but the writers don't seem to really know what to do with him. He makes a good comedic foil to Anthony. Also they cut his hair for seasons 2 and 3 which doesn't help the whole looking the same thing. We're speculating his season is next because of a bunch of hints. In the books he falls in love with a lower class girl.

Colin Bridgerton

Colin is the sweet, sensitive (most likely demisexual) writer and world traveler. He's got some insecurity issues, a massive hero complex, and is a complete simp for his wife.

HOW HAVE YOU FOLLOWED ME FOR THE PAST TWO MONTHS AND NOT KNOW WHO COLIN IS - C'MON GIRL, PAY ATTENTION

He is married to Penelope Featherington, aka Lady Whistledown, aka the best damn character on this whole show. 90% of the time, Colin is hanging off Penelope, so he honestly should be easy to spot. Also, he got her pregnant BEFORE the wedding and little Lord Feathertington was born 8 months into their marriage.

Daphne Bridgerton

She was the main character of Season 1, who looks a lot like Keira Knightly. You don't really need to worry about her, because it's doubtful that she's coming back.

She is married to the Duke - Simon Basset, Lord of Hastings or something. He enjoys licking spoons. Daphne burns for him. Again, he's not coming back so, you know, I wouldn't worry about it.

They do have a child together, a little boy I believe and I think they hinted at a second one? Idk, maybe the kids will come back to hang out with Gregory and Hyacinth at the end of the series.

Eloise Bridgerton

Probably my personal favorite Bridgerton? (Idk, Colin wormed his way up there.) She stands out because Claudia Jessie is just amazing at giving her a lot quirky mannerisms. She doesn't want to get married and is really into women's rights. She is also fucking hilarious. I would love her to be asexual, but the writers insist she's getting a love story at some point, so.... The internet would prefer her to be a lesbian. That's cool, too, but also unlikely to happen.

Eloise spends a lot of her time on swings with Benedict and in is often the third wheel with Pen and Colin (though sometimes Colin is that third wheel).

She and Penelope are BFFs. I LOVE THEM SO MUCH!

Francesca Bridgerton

Francesca is SUPER into the piano(forte) and really nothing else. There's really not a whole lot to say about her other than she IS probably going to be the lesbian of the show.

She is currently married to John Stirling. The two are very quiet together and that's exactly how they want it. Don't get too attached to him, he's most likely going to die in the next season. John also has a female cousin named Michaela, whom the internet is mad about because she is a woman -- making Francesca's future love interest a woman instead of a man. I say more power to the lesbians. Calm your tits folks, it'll be fine.

Gregory Bridgerton

OMG, look how adorable this kid is. He's gonna look just like his older brothers when he grows up. They've already given him a tad more to do in Season 3, and he's been an utter delight. I'm sure he'll be great leading Season 8 when we get to it in 2034.

Hyacinth Bridgerton

The youngest Bridgerton! She is excitable and energetic and super excited about all the marriages and also KNOWS who is ending up with who and is totally down for it. She is also a sassy delight and really can't wait until she starts holding her own with Eloise!

THERE YOU GO THAT'S THE WHOLE BRIDGERTON FAMILY - DOES THAT HELP??

[chiaraislost]

As a form of entertainment and escapism I overanalyze fictional characters, used to do it on the dumpster fire social, now I'm here and it's the turn of Penelope Featherington (and the possibility of a friendship with Sophie Baek).

Much has been said about the character and I agree with the takes from people that dislike her show version (why the writers had to butcher like this a character that was lovely in the book? Why?). For my contribution, I would like to add two additional people that are not discussed as being impacted by LW's pen (and I admit it's a little bit of a stretch). This two characters are Amanda and Oliver Crane.

The thing is we've been told various time, especially through Lady Mary, that the ton has a long memory (spanning more than 20 years) and that it has the tendency to look down upon those of lower birth, we've seen it with the comments about Edwina and Kate's father in S2 E1.

If the "shame" of her elopement followed Lady Mary for so long, then the scandal of their illegitimacy will follow Oliver and Amanda just as much. Thanks to Penelope publicly shaming their mother because she was jealous of Colin, they will always have the mark of not being fully part of the ton. And while this may not be that much of a problem for Oliver because he will inherit the estate, it will definitely make Amanda's life more difficult.

Now, I'm aware that this is kind of a stretch but I've been thinking about it in the context of the relationship that may exist between Penelope and my beloved Sophie Baek. FROM THIS MOMENT, THERE WILL BE SPOILERS FROM BOOK 3, BE WARNED. Sophie is an illegitimate child, her status as a bastard daughter brings immense suffering upon her and immense dangers (I would argue she is the Bton character that suffered the most), she is extremely aware about how illegitimacy, especially for girls, can be a sentence to a life of suffering because she lived it and she would have done everything to avoid the same fate for her own children. Another trait of Sophie's (definitely one of the least important traits to the character) is that she enjoys reading the book version of LW because it gives her a glimpse into the life she could have had had the circumstances of her life been different. Now I've seen people inflate this trait by saying that Sophie was a LW's stan, that she should go to the ball because she wants to meet LW or work for P as she is her greatest fan and I cannot stress enough how much I hope they won't create a friendship between Sophie and Penelope.

Why I hope so? Because Sophie's greatest characteristics are her unshakable morals and her kindness, she is what one would call a girl's girl. And I cannot fathom her wanting to strike a friendship with someone that shamed a woman (Marina) for being in a situation not dissimilar to her own mother and attached a mark of shame and ridicule to two children that is the same as her own. Amanda and Oliver, much like Sophie, will always have to deal with the fact that they are sinners of a crime for which they have no fault.

Now, I know that I shouldn't hype this hope too much because this show's tagline should be "everyone must kiss Penelope's arse and we don't care about how out of character that is" so they'll probably overinflate Penelope's importance once again and force the friendship to happen but a girl can hope (and when canon doesn't deliver, fanon always does).

PS: seeing the discourse I've seen going on I need to make a disclaimer, I have absolutely nothing against Nicola, quite the opposite I like her and I think she is a really good actress. I just don't like the show version of Penelope, a fictional character.

[teacupistired]

i simply MUST talk about how baffling and strange this outfit of cressida's is

This is probably a scene at a ball, evidenced by the dance cards and the evening lighting. I'm gonna use eloise's fit for comparison, since the Bridgertons are supposed to be this old money, powerful family that lead the ton to some extent. Theyre the ideal, more or less.

Whats immediately weird to me is the collar, if u can even call it that. Its laced up and seems to have boning holding up the mesh-y fabric, like a weird neck corset. As far as i know that doesnt rly. Exist. As a fashion concept. So i have no sweet clue where her modiste got this idea from.

And yes i mean her modiste, in s2 we learn that madame delacroix has competition and the cowpers frequent this new modiste instead.

Back to what else is weird abt the fit, cressida has no gloves. We've see from the start of season 1 that basically everyone in the ton wears gloves at social events. Especially young ladies. Men and women touching hands with no gloves is particularly scandalous.

Eloise has a pretty normal dress. Nothing too bold or crazy, and shes in bridgerton blue. Cressida is in yellow and we almost always see her in pink; yellow is penelope's colour.

i cannot wait to find out the context for this, but my standing theory is thia scene is after an event with pen and cressida being rivals over lord debling, or maybe even colin

[biancadoes1]

This may be an unpopular opinion but I've seen comments (all platforms) that state Shondaland/Netflix isn't doing enough to protect Luke from the fandom hate with respect to Antoina (I specify here the situation with Antonia not the other hate he receives as Colin the character and Luke with his physical attributes). I don't think Luke's personal situation is their business. If we are being really honest, do we let our employers get involved in our private lives when there is mess that we get ourselves in? Again if we are being honest, we know we all do not tell our employers every single detail of our personal relationships. This is in no way to blame Luke but what I'm saying is, Shondaland/Netflix as an employer isn't responsible for helping Luke navigate a relationship he allowed in his personal life and the fall out from that. They will be responsible for providing support to navigate other things that impact the work Luke has to do.

Shondaland/Netflix will seek their interests if it affects their brand, which it seems the brand was not impacted (check the #'s the season did well). The same folks who declared they will not watch could not help themselves, they watched it and contributed to the success. Also, Shondaland/Netflix probably did provide support behind the scenes but again which employer will say that out in the open and risk having personal, confidential info about their employee be revealed? They could be sued for that.

Although our lives are different (fans and actors) basic principles exist with respect to employer-employee relationships. I'm not saying Shondaland is perfect but when we really think about it, as an employer the Luke/Antonia situation it isn't their monkey nor their circus. That's Luke's circus to manage and make sure he doesn't impact his employer's reputation. It is also Shondaland's responsibility to ensure they act right as an employer within the context of work, not personal. We can come to that conclusion when we analyze the basic employee-employer relationship regardless of industry. If we reflect within our own work context (not to project our lives on theirs but to see the similarities and basic employment principles) we can see that Shondaland/Netflix will not be required to intervene in a personal matter. The difference is theirs is more public than ours.

The only thing I will say is that they likely do have a vested interest in keeping their money makers image nice for the public eye.

Polin brought in TONS of viewers, new one's at that. They still draw tons of attention even months later. I do think they want to ensure that their public image and personal well being is intact in a way that doesn't negatively impact the shows image.

Beyond that, there's no real way of telling just how deep in to things they are concerning any media circus that has occurred.

[apensivelady]

Contrary to my expectations, I actually liked The Batman!

I liked that Batman is already a thing in Gotham, but a relatively new thing, so people still think he’s super weird. I totally loved that one policeman who complained that Batman was messing with the chain of custody! And I also liked that Gordon was like “well, he’s wearing gloves”! A tiny little thing, but explains a lot!

I thought the story was well thought through and well developed. I liked how they managed to portray this super corrupt Gotham where the classic villains are not caricatures, but quite feasible people. I really enjoyed Colin Farrell’s Penguin, John Turturro’s Carmine Falcone, Paul Dano’s Riddler and Zoë Kravitz’s Selina Kyle.

The orphan thematic was quite interesting in this movie! Bruce is an orphan, as we all know. We have the mayor’s son becoming an orphan, being a quite similar orphan to Bruce, the rich kid orphan, although he still has a living mother. We get Selina, whose mother died when she was a kid, and not only that, but whose father new of her existence and abandoned her after her mother died! Not only that (yes, I’m using this expression again), but her father actually killed her mother! There’s also the tragedy of Martha Wayne’s orphanhood, with one parent killing the other and then committing suicide. And we have the Riddler being this orphan who was supposed to have been taken care of by a Wayne fund, but because of all the corruption of Gotham, that screwed Thomas Wayne’s original plans, condemned orphans that have no one else and nothing else to a terrible “upbringing” and destiny. I really really liked how Bruce never realised his “privileged”orphanhood up to that point, and that his own orphanhood took the light from orphans in far worse conditions than his. I’m not saying Bruce isn’t supposed to suffer with the death of his parents, far from it, but I really enjoyed seeing him realising the complexity of orphanhood and how he was, in a sense, privileged. And this is why we need Bruce having a Robin in the next instalment of this series!

Obviously, Alfred was quite awesome, as he always is.

I usually take issue when Thomas and Martha Wayne are turned into bad guys, but I found it quite interesting what was done with them in this story. They weren’t bad guys, Thomas wasn’t evil, he did one stupid thing that led to something terrible, and that’s quite true of life. I obviously believe Alfred here and not Falcone, of course. It was another quite good wake up call for Bruce. I liked Martha’s background of institutionalisations, because, let’s face it, it’s completely feasible that someone who suffered what she did as a child would need to go through treatment for her traumas. It also sheds some interesting light on Bruce’s actions. I mean, I love the guy, but deciding to dress up like a bat and becoming a vigilante isn’t something a healthy, non-traumatised person would do.

I also quite liked how Bruce goes about realising that vengeance is not useful at all and that he needs to bring people hope. Another reason why he needs to adopt all the kids around, just like in the comics!

Oh, and Bruce’s confession to Alfred, that he never thought he would feel the fear he suffered when his parents died, that he was quite “resolved”, just to feel that same fear regarding Alfred! Loved it! And Bruce even had the audacity in the beginning of the movie to put his teenage boy act and tell Alfred “you’re not my father!” As if! The boy surely came back on his words!

Bruce’s character development was great in this movie. It’s quite probably the best I have seen in a live action Batman movie. Who knew, I actually liked Battinson!

I also think Bruce realised his importance as a Wayne in Gotham, not only as Batman, and this would be quite interesting to watch in a next movie.

Oh! And Bruce saving all the kids! And the kids being drawn to him! Give that man a Robin or two asap!

That’s it, I really, really enjoyed this movie.

[darcytaylor]

I am absolutely desperate for a Violet and Edmund spin-off. Edmund has been painted as this idyllic, almost mythical figure in Bridgerton, but that’s the thing—I want to know him, not just the rose-tinted version Violet and Anthony remember. No one is perfect, and the way they idealize him feels like a reflection of their grief rather than who he truly was. As it stands, I feel almost nothing during the flashback scenes in Season 2. There’s a flicker of sympathy for the family—after all, Violet and Anthony weren’t the only ones shattered by his death—but beyond that, Edmund remains a ghost, a shadow of a character.

If we had a spin-off that delves into his life, his personality, his flaws, I’d probably be sobbing during a rewatch of those flashbacks. And Violet’s story is equally compelling. What happened to her parents after Queen Charlotte? How did her friendship—or rivalry—with Portia Featherington begin? Portia wasn’t in Queen Charlotte, so did she move to Mayfair as a teenager? Were they close as debutantes before jealousy set in? I mean, Portia’s bitterness could easily stem from Violet marrying Edmund, while she ended up with Archibald. Did Portia ever have feelings for Edmund?

And speaking of connections, this would be the perfect opportunity for POLIN flashbacks! Colin and Penelope’s romance is a classic friends-to-lovers story, much like Violet and Edmund’s. But we never got any flashbacks in their season, leaving a massive gap in their narrative. Why not show us how they met? Jess could easily tie this into the spin-off and make the entire Polin fandom very happy. It would even make sense for Colin and Penelope to appear in present-day scenes, much like Violet and Lady Danbury did in Queen Charlotte. This spin-off could bridge so many gaps while adding depth and richness to the world of Bridgerton.

YES, YES, YES! I am so on board with this idea! I also think I may have brought this up in a previous post or response, that I want an Edmund and Violet love story! Edmund does feel like a mythical figure, and while that’s beautiful in a way, it also means there’s a huge part of him we’ve never had the chance to meet. Giving him depth - a real personality, flaws, quirks - would make all those Season 2 flashbacks hit so much harder. It would make all of the scenes where they talk about him hit so much harder.

And Violet’s story? Don’t even get me started! There’s so much history there just waiting to be explored. We had a small glimpse of her in Queen Charlotte, but I also wanted more. Her relationship with her parents post-Queen Charlotte, her dynamic with Portia (friends? rivals? frenemies?). So many options and layers to add to the story of Bridgerton!

As for Polin flashbacks, OMG YES. I have always wanted to see how their friendship started and grew into what we know it is today. Not having flashback scenes in season 3 is one of the things I didn't like. I mean I do love how Colin and Pen talked about how they met, but a flashback scene could have added so much more. Missed opprotunity there for sure! A spin-off that ties in their past while giving us present-day glimpses of Colin and Penelope would be perfection.

Honestly, this spin-off could do it all: expand the Bridgerton world, deepen existing stories, and give us fans more of the richness we’re all craving. Shonda, Netflix - please make this happen!

[metis-iphigenia]

SOME DC RARESHIPS AND MY OPINIONS ON THEM(because this is supposed to be a yapping account but i wont be going on an analysis)

1)harpercass: my best friend got me into this ship and honestly they are very very cute. if it wasnt for stephcass they would be probably my favourite ship for cass for sure

2)timives: again, the same best friend got me into this ship but i have to thank them because this ship is a great ship

3)damimaps/mapsbird: i didnt look at them as a ship material but now that i do its a great ship made out of a great dynamic. i love my little detective duo <33 though i do prefer them as friends(robin twins)

4)stephrose: i think they would have been a very fun duo to read about in a platonic or romantic relationship

5)colindami: friends to lovers my beloved <33 they were very very entertaining to read and their bond was something i would like to see agian i wish dc would just bring back colin tbh but thats not gonna happen sadly :((

6)harlcativy: god gave us two(2) hands for a reason😈😈 also idk if this is a rareship but i didnt see anything about it so im assuming it is

7)darlasteph(idk their ship name): i smell lesbanism on them but darla being the reason steph became robin and darla dying because of stephs actions after she got fired is :(( it makes me cry ngl

8) taidami/greenbird: i honestly did not know this ship existed until a week ago and from my researches they are the same age(correct me if im wrong) if im right then artist lovers here i come!! i actually want them to be friends badly but i would also love an academic rivals to lovers arc with them(them being friends in their vigilante self but fighting in civvies lol) academic rivals to lovers because damian would love that trope imo(kinda canon with their manga)

9)tamsteph: i saw fanart of them today now i cannot get them out of my mind i think they would get along pretty well

10)babskori/starwatch: im a sucker for women leaving their ex and dating eachother instead they would have been a very nice relationship maybe it wouldnt work out tho?? who knows

11)jaderoy: idk how they are a rareship while being canon but i cannot find anything about them😭😭 doomed tragic yuri noo..😣

12)ghostcat: honestly this came out as a joke😭😭 i was thinking about ghostdemonbatcat(amazing ship ik😼) and i thought "this implies khoa and selina is also dating hmmm" and just went from there tbh

13) mara/maya(either m&m or r&y): no comment on this one because i dont know if their ages match the only reason i wrote it is because i wanted to tell people the ship name i came up for them😈😈

14)demoncat: they arent that rare but cat wives is all i wanna say

15)timtam: same with jaderoy, i cannot find content of them. they were very sweet imo

honorary mention to the ships i dont know well but my best friend does and she knows the best

*cissie/cassie

*cassie/steph

*greta/cassie

[myfairstarlight]

A bunch of (unorganised) thoughts about an AU where Penelope never became Whistledown (i saw debates on twitter and it got my brain WORKING)

No concept of a diamond? No one is there to provoke and challenge the Queen, and Whistledown was the one to name Daphne the diamond

Daphne being forced to marry Berbrooke — it was the public humiliation that drove him away. If it had remained rumours that no one could really prove, he would have stayed.

Colin marrying Marina. Even if Penelope told him about the pregnancy he might have still married her because #HeroComplex

As a result Penelope would try to find a husband much earlier too. She does not have the Whistledown money to get new dresses behind her mother's back but perhaps Violet agrees to sponsor her since they're now officially family through Marina and Colin's marriage, and Eloise is also now debuting

The Featherington would not be ruined at the end of the first season, if anything they're in a better place with the proper connection to the Bridgertons, but they're still in debts.

No cousin Jack plot cuz one of Marina's children would become the new Lord Featherington after Archibald's death? Which still puts Colin as the de-facto head of the estate in the meantime lol

Which puts him in the perfect place to be tortured when Penelope starts to get suitors. As the new head of the family, he's the one who has to veto any suitor, after all

A less opinionated Eloise? Ultimately, it was Whistledown that reinforced her feminist beliefs upon seeing a successful woman fool the ton. Maybe she'd be more jaded and angry especially seeing her own brother force Daphne into a horrible marriage

She also never ends up meeting Theo. Neither does Penelope anyway.

No Pen and Gen friendship

Anthony marrying Edwina? Whistledown calling him a rake is one of the reasons Kate was so against him. But I think she would have clocked him anyway and would want to protect her sister so I think Kanthony is still endgame in this case. Arguably they'd get together with more ease too since Edwina wouldn't be a diamond, assuming the concept does not exist in this AU.

HOWEVER would she take an issue upon learning Anthony forced his sister to marry Berbrooke? She's very family oriented too, and maybe she'd imagine Edwina in Daphne's position.

Though "forced" is maybe a strong word, since Berbrooke ended up blackmailing the Bridgertons to get what he wants but it never would have happened if Anthony hadn't promised him Daphne's hand without consulting Daphne in the first place, so my point still stands tbh

Assuming from book plot, Benedict and Sophie would not be as lucky as Kate and Anthony without Whistledown though. Joining polin in the trenches

Philip would never know his brother's kids, and would have no reason to start some sort of correspondance with a certain someone since he is content in his recluse life

Francesca's story would be thoroughly unaffected at least

And other stuff I forgot, probably