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litcityblues · 2 months ago

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A Nun, A Cowboy, and An Artificial Intelligence Walk Into A Bar...

Who amongst you has seen Mrs. Davis? I saw previews of it randomly, and when we hopped back on the Peacock train, I was like, 'All right, I'll check this out,' and so I did. And honestly, I have no idea how to review this show.

That's not because it's bad, by any stretch of the imagination. You can low-key make a case that this show is the smartest television show- certainly of the past two years. It's just that every episode I watched of this show, I kept thinking to myself: How did they get this made? How did that pitch meeting go? We want the main character to be a nun who is on a quest to shut down an artificial intelligence that is in everyone's phone and telling people exactly what they want to hear by taking away their free will?

Oh, and the Holy Grail is involved? (Yes, that Holy Grail.)

And magic.

And cowboys.

The Wikipedia page reveals that Mrs. Davis's episode titles were actually generated by AI, which is both entirely appropriate for this show and undeniably hilarious.

Let's start with the Nun: Betty Gilpin plays Sister Simone, who debunks magicians and refuses to engage with Mrs. Davis, blaming the artificial intelligence for the death of her father. Mrs. Davis has been repeatedly trying to speak with Simone and, failing to get through to her, arranges for her convent to be sold and all the other nuns relocated she is eventually forced to engage with Mrs. Davis-- letting other people 'proxy' so that they speak directly and she's offered one heck of a deal. Mrs. Davis wants Simone to find the Holy Grail and destroy it and in exchange, she will destroy herself.

Simone wasn't always Simone. We learn that as a child- when she was Lizzie, she was an audience plant in her parents' magic act and when her mother launched a secret project, causing tensions in her marriage and she went to find out what it was her Mom was cooking up, she finds out that her Mom rigged up a booby trap and she gets shot with a crossbow bolt. Needless to say, her relationship with her Mom in the present is complicated.

Simone also has Jay, whom we meet as a genial enough fellow who works at a restaurant and likes to serve falafel and cook for Simone. Here's where things take an unexpected turn: Simone and Jay are married. Now, I know what you're thinking: a nun? Married? How scandalous? I know these Hollywood types couldn't possibly treat Christianity with any more disrespect and-

HOLD UP.

This is an aspect of the show that legitimately impressed me. Because, if you know anything about nuns they are (and this definition might be somewhat old school by modern standards, I don't know, I haven't talked to any nuns in a while) considered 'Brides of Christ.' So Jay, is Simone's husband and does, in fact, turn out to be Jesus. The restaurant? That's where Simone goes when she prays-- to be fed. There are so many ways that the show could have gone in a terrible direction with all of this. The fact that they treat this so respectfully is really beautiful, I think. (I mean, yes, Simone and Jay treat each other as husband and wife, but appropriately. There's a line that they don't cross with each other in terms of their affection and it's pretty clearly delineated.)

The story behind the Grail in this show is not something that you're going to find in any traditional Grail lore-- however, it's not... bad. It just sort of steps around the whole Resurrection of Jesus to make a point about selfishness versus selflessness that is very much in line with the message of Jesus and Christian theology. It's also interesting that her Mother Superior (Margo Martindale) doesn't have a direct connection with Jesus the way Simone does, but she's fine with that: she has her faith.

There are a myriad number of ways that this character could have gone completely off the rails and while this isn't a Christian story and thus doesn't have to stay within the bounds of Christian theology, they treat spirituality, Jesus, and the Holy Grail very respectfully- though doctrinaire Christians will undoubtedly have their issues with this, if you're a relatively open-minded Christian, you should be okay with it.

So, the Cowboy: Jake McDorman is quietly having himself a career-- I remember seeing this dude for the first time on ABC Family's really underrated show Greek and ever since then he seems to show up everywhere, and here, he's Wiley.

Wiley too is out to destroy Mrs. Davis. His group claims that people do tasks for Mrs. Davis to earn 'wings' which are visual awards for recipients and some even volunteer to be killed on a certain date to earn their wings. Wiley and Simone met as kids when Wiley was due for a liver transplant. Before Simone became a nun, she and Wiley were lovers and were planning on giving away his family fortune and moving to Alaska. When he finds out his life-saving liver transplant was staged, he enters a rodeo to prove himself worthy of being a cowboy. (This is where Simone prays for the first time and meets Jay, starting her road to becoming a nun.) Wiley resents Simone for choosing someone other than him and keeps a secret from her as well: he's got an expiration date.

Eventually, he reports to be killed on his assigned expiration date, and in a cool intersection between something that comes up on the internet from time to time and real life, it turns out the method of death is none other than the Death Roller Coaster that pops up now and again. Basically, you loop hard enough and fast enough you'll get cerebral hypoxia and expire-- so he accepts it and fulfills the requirements... only to not die. Turns out the whole expiration date is a ruse created by Mrs. Davis to help people find the worth in their lives. This brings up the ambiguous nature of Mrs. Davis-- because she genuinely helps people and forcing them to confront their own mortality does lead to people understanding their worth.

The origins of Mrs. Davis are eventually revealed and while it is funny, if an AI does ever achieve sentience and get globally adopted, it will probably be through a similar method described here. (Sorry if that sounds awkward-- but I'm trying to avoid spoilers.)

Overall: This show was not at all what I was expecting and there were multiple points where I genuinely thought it was going to go completely off the rails and become a total trainwreck-- it never did. In fact, I think it was one of the smartest, most genuinely interesting television shows that I have seen in a long, long time. It asks really interesting questions about faith, spirituality, and technology and tells what I'm hoping is a self-contained story that they just... leave alone. This is just about perfect. It doesn't need a second season and it is absolutely worth watching. My Grade: **** out of ****

#betty gilpin #mrs davis #jake mcdorman #peacock #streaming #tv reviews

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kariachi · 9 months ago

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Established in OS and doubled down on in AF (yes I am looking at you 'decision to hide direct alien heritage from the kids even when they already know about aliens').

'Selfishly conflict avoidant' just, describes some of Max's shit so well?

I think the secret-keeping itself probably goes back past Max in the family tree, given his nephew has an entire damn wedding where seemingly the only relatives who are invited are the ones that already know about the Plumbers (we learn later Ben and Gwen's dads did know, but also that they weren't supposed to, and we see with Cooper that that's apparently not normal among Plumbers), despite the fact the bride's family was masquerading the whole damn time anyway and also she's gonna be in the family. And that's leaving out AF stating that his cousins are themselves half-alien! That seems like the sort of thing you would get in a family tree that just, going way back figures that just hiding shit until you can't is good policy.

Going back to Max though, 'selfishly conflict avoidant' feels right along with what he does. Because he's not just keeping secrets, he's keeping secrets beyond the point of logic. Even Frank in AF, when his mother comes back and goes 'I'm an alien' goes 'yeah I knew we just didn't tell you and hoped it wouldn't come up'. But Max in OS? Feigns ignorance until he's in a corner. Max in AF? Turns out to have been keeping as basic secrets as 'btw your grandma is an alien'. AS? Turns out to have lied about Ben not being able to see a friend anymore because she moved.

And doesn't selfish conflict avoidance just explain that shit so well?

Can't tell the kids he knows about aliens and shit, then they might want him to get in touch with the other Plumbers and he'd either have to tell the other Plumbers what's going on or come up with some excuse why he can't contact them.

Can't tell the kids about the aliens in the bloodline because then he has to deal with 'why didn't you tell us' and his sons' responses.

Can't let the kids tell their parents what's up, because then he has to explain to his sons what's going on.

Can't tell Ben Elena's dad got fired and they're blacklisted because Ben's a good kid and Max would have to deal with him not having it.

Can't suggest the kids tell their adult Plumber relatives about the invasion going on because then he'll have to deal with them wanting to know why he never mentioned the damn invasion going on.

Though I've felt for a while that the latter and even some of the first are in part a matter of, how to phrase this, reliving his glory days via proxy? Like this man, from the word Plumber, is presented as a fucking golden boy. The bestest Plumber, savior of Earth, 'you're Max Tennyson's grandkid?', Azmuth made a fucking super-special watch and went 'Max Tennyson should be the one to guard this' out of the whole of the galaxy.

But come OS Max is an old man. Fit, but still old and feeling it. And his ten-year-old grandson gets the Omnitrix, immediately says 'I'm going to be a superhero'. And Max's response is...

Don't tell anyone.

Don't tell the kids he knows anything.

Encourage the grandson, Wise Old Mentor this shit. And as long as nobody knows, he doesn't have to worry they might go 'wtf Max'.

His ten-year-old grandson stands there, accepts his potential death and is ready to walk right out into it, and there's no sign he's anything but proud. (Why yes my last rewatch of Ben 10 vs Negative 10 rankled me)

Fastforward years, there's an invasion going on, he's told one person and he's about to go underground without telling even them. The last point of contact he makes before he's lured out of hiding is to contact his grandson, now fifteen, and call on him to help. He was going to anyway, it's fine, but he doesn't mention getting in touch with other Plumbers, not even the ones in the family. He mentions getting other children, more than likely with far less experience and training, and getting them to help him.

After all, if some other adult is helping out, if Ben isn't leading the charge, well is it really MaxBen's victory?

Do I think it's something he actively goes around plotting? Something comes up and he's 'how am I going to relive my days as the galaxy's Golden Boy via my grandson using this'? No. Do I think that a desire to continue to do so combined with, as you say, selfish conflict avoidance, a family tendency to keep secrets like they're fucking dragons' gold, could damn well lead a man in that direction and makes sense with what we see? Yes.

But that is, damn that's a ramble and on a perfectly succinct reblog. Sorry.

But yeah, I think you're right about Max and I think you're right that the family has just, seriously normalized not telling people shit for the kids, and not only has it already bitten the kids, but will probably continue to do so until they unlearn that shit. If they unlearn that shit.

At the very least I will hold out hope for Kenny and his sister.

Random Mid-Fic Thought: Could you draw a line between Max's secret keeping and Gwen's not telling Kevin shit during the third season of AF? Or are these distinct, separate flaws within the family tree?

#i did not intend such a ramble i am sorry

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raven-at-the-writing-desk · 3 years ago

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raven-san, can we please have a wedding crashing where jade needs to marry this girl from another crime family to consolidate power and become the next head of the leech mob :)) but floyd's like I'M BORED and annoyed that his brother's being snatched up by a random chick, so he asks basketball bros, and azul, to help save jade?

This one is super long, so I added some extra sections and placed the rest of the wedding crashing below the cut!

***Spoilers for Jamil and Floyd’s Unique Magic!!***

"I object to this wedding...!"

Pre-Wedding Jitters

A call comes for the twins in the dead of night, without warning. It’s their parents with exciting news: they’re naming Jade as the next Don Leech. The catch? The Leech mob’s in the middle of a merger with the Worm mob, and he’ll have to marry Don Worm’s daughter to secure the deal.

Jade, ever the dutiful son, is honored by his future title and calmly agrees to the arrangement. On the other hand, Floyd’s annoyed by the idea, and can’t keep quiet about his irritation. He calls out to his twin in the darkness.

“... Ne, Jade.”

“Ee, Floyd?”

“Are you really okay with going through with this? You’re just gonna do what they said? Even though you don’t know the Worms at all? Even if you’ve never met that girl before?”

“It is a request coming directly from father and mother. How could I refuse them? And, furthermore... If I do not undertake this task, then it would fall to you, the next choice to inherit the title of Don Leech. I cannot allow that to come to pass--fufu. You do so enjoy your freedom, yes?”

“... Jade, you’re so dumb sometimes. What’ll happen to your freedom, then? Will you get so busy with being the big boss and being married... that you won’t have time to play anymore?”

“... Perhaps. But that is a sacrifice I am willing to make.”

That thought doesn’t sit well with Floyd--not at all.

“I trust that you will make your own fun of the situation,” Jade reassures him. “You always do.”

As the weeks pass, Floyd sees less and less of Jade around, since he has to prepare for the wedding. Jade reassures him that he’s doing just fine, but Floyd can see right through his lies. He can tell that Jade’s more frazzled than usual--there’s a lingering to his words, and a longing in his eyes, savoring every last bit of autonomy he has before his fate is forever sealed.

Floyd hates it. He hates being lied to by his own brother, and he hates feeling powerless to stop the wedding. Floyd’s so angry that he develops this murderous aura in the weeks leading up to the wedding, which makes everyone around him shy away.

One day, he gets sick of being in the water--it’s a reminder of the wedding to come--so Floyd plays basketball on land to vent. He ends up chomping down so hard that he deflates a ball, then dunks another basketball so hard, he breaks the net.

He sprawls out on the ground and angrily shouts at the sky. His basketball bonks him on the head... and that’s when an idea hits him: maybe he can’t stop the wedding alone, but no one said he couldn’t phone some friends.

Assembling the Dream Team

Floyd first dials up Azul, who agrees to help after some whining and signing a contract agreeing to pay Azul handsomely for his services (... although truthfully, the octopus does want to help Jade, but doesn't immediately agree to do it because of his pride as a businessman).

Floyd also calls his old basketball buddies for help! Jamil and Ace are much more adamant than Azul, but Floyd strongarms them into pitching in. ("Umihebi-kun, Kani-chan, if you don't help me rescue Jade, I'll get suuuper mad, you know? I don't think you'll like me when I get mad. Moray eels are strong hunters, so I don’t think it’ll be a problem for me to track you guys down and give you a good squeeze~" "OKAY, OKAY, WE'LL DO IT!!")

Together, the four boys meet up to scheme of a way to disrupt the wedding without jeopardizing the Leech mob's future. Floyd actively leads the discussion, allowing his hidden genius to come to the surface.

Ace doesn’t contribute much to the strategy (laid out by Azul), but he does keep the spirit up with some jokes. Meanwhile, Jamil provides snacks for them when they work late into the night (though he keeps passing semi-glares to Azul whenever the octopus compliments him or tries to be friendly).

In preparation for the crashing, Azul brews some potions to give Jamil and Ace so they can take on temporary merforms. After all, the wedding will be underwater, in the Coral Sea, and they’ll need tail fins.

The date of destiny draws ever closer... and Floyd's never been so excited to cause chaos in his whole life.

The Crashing - Team Azul & Jamil

They split into two pairs on the day of the wedding—Azul and Jamil, and Floyd and Ace. Floyd uses his position as the future son-in-law to Don Worm to arrange a meeting between himself and the don... except Azul and Jamil will show up instead.

Don Worm shows up to the meeting in his finest clothes (which is very little, given that he’s a merman), sounding a bit annoyed the sudden summoning. “Make this quick, I’ve got to go see my baby girl’s big day... Wait. You fellas aren’t the F. Leech boy.”

“No, we aren’t, sir. We are his representatives... Proxies, if you will,” Azul insists, giving his warmest and most welcoming smile. He uses a tentacle to tug on Jamil’s tail, forcing him to smile too. “You see, there is an important business matter we needed to discuss with you on behalf of Floyd.”

“Hoh? And what would that be?”

“I believe my business associate would be better off explaining the matter than myself.” Azul gestures to Jamil, who has his head down.

“Oi, what’s with you? Don’t you know who I am, boy? It’s rude to not look your elders in the eye when they are speaking to you!! Show me the respect I deserve, from one professional to another!!”

“My apologies, sir.” Jamil looks up, locking eyes with the mob boss. “... Is this better?”

“Yes, that’s...”

“Snake Whisper.”

Don Worm suddenly goes glassy-eyed and slack-jawed. Azul claps at the sight, showering his partner with compliments. “As expected of the talented Jamil-san! Even one look from you can bring a mafia lord to his downfall. Truly, your Unique Magic is most impressive!”

“Save your flattery for later.”

Azul’s lips curl into a smirk as he whips out a golden contract from his briefcase and offers it to the don. “Now then, if you wouldn’t mind, sir... sign on the dotted line.”

The Crashing - Team Floyd & Ace

Ace and Floyd rush to the wedding venue, their tails cutting through the water like knives as they swim at a breakneck pace. Ace can barely keep up with Floyd, who surges far ahead.

“H-Hey, should we really be barging in like this?! Don’t mob families have weapons and other dangerous stuff? Is there a backdoor we can take instead? Hello?! Floyd-senpai, are you listening to me?!” (He isn’t.)

The open, underwater comes into view, and Floyd barrels in without any hesitation, tearing right through some decorations and knocking over the wedding cake with his tail. A loud CRASH! echoes through the waters, drawing eyes to him.

Jade stares at his brother from the altar—wide eyed, but a mirthful smile on his lips. Floyd waves to him, and then to his mom and dad in the crowd of guests. “Hiii, Jade! I’m here to pick you up now.”

The Worm girl starts sobbing, wailing something about how her special day’s been ruined, and where is her papa to put an end to this? At her signal, security guards, and some of the rougher looking guests—Worm family associates—lunge at Floyd, claws and teeth out. A few of them have produced wands, and what seem to be guns—loaded with harpoons.

“Bind the Heart!” Objects and stray magic go flying in all directions, hitting both people and wedding decorations. Cloth tears, columns crumble—but it’s one man against many, and he can only bind so many hearts before the blot starts to stack.

Ace makes it just in time, sending their foes and their weapons hurtling through the water with a blast of wind. “This is why I said to be careful, dammit! Your Unique Magic’s such a crapshoot—don’t just use it whenever, or you’ll be sushi!!!”

“Ahahahah! Kani-chan’s being all heroic today! That’s so cute. Don’t worry, I can play my part, too...!!”

Using his tail, Floyd hooks around a drifting merman and chucks him straight into another. They collide with a CRACK!—but Floyd barely registers it. He’s already bolting off, grabbing heads and smashing them together, slicing through others like a knife through butter.

There’s a crazed, frenzied look to him, gleeful laughter cutting through the waters and mixing with the Worm bride’s screeching. I forgot how scary Floyd-senpai can be, Ace realizes. (Jade and Floyd’s parents are cheering for him from their seats.)

Jade looks quite proud of his brother, even laughing along to the brutal slaughterfest. His bride stares at him incredulously. “Stop that brute! He’s ruining MY special day!!”

“No,” Jade replies calmly. “I don’t think I will. This is far too amusing to let it end so soon.”

She lets out a frustrated scream and launches herself at her groom, hands going for his throat. The Worm girl is slammed back with a strong hit to her gut, courtesy of Jade’s tail.

She flies back, slamming into a column—and feels a tail wrapping around her and squeezing tight. Constricting her to the point where it was difficult to breathe. A livid mermaid glares down at her, teeth bared in a snarl.

“No one lays a hand on my children,” Mama Leech declares. “No one.”

From the corner of her eye, the Worm girl can see that Jade has cast off his bow tie and flitted over to Floyd, embracing happily in a battlefield adorned with red ribbons trailing through the water. Her vision is abruptly blocked off by a broad-shouldered merman wearing a grimace.

“Now then, what shall we do with this one?” Papa Leech wonders aloud—though from his tone of voice, he has nothing good in store.

The Aftermath

“You’re all fish bait when daddy hears about this...!” the Worm girl warns, her words raspy. “Th-The merger won’t go through...! There’ll be war between the Leeches and the Worms...!”

A loud throat clearing comes from behind. “Fortunately, that won’t be happening.”

Azul and Jamil make their appearance, the octopus merman smugly showcasing a contract. “Ashengrotto—Azul Ashengrotto, legal and business extraordinaire at your service, Don Leech and Lady Leech.”

Papa Leech grunts. “What’s that you’ve got there?”

“This?” Azul’s smirk widens. “Why, it’s a prenuptial stating that, in the case that an act of violence is enacted by the bride toward the groom, the marriage is considered null and void... and the bride’s family assets are to be claimed by the groom. Signed by Don Worm himself.”

“Wh-What?! Impossible!! How did you get daddy to sign such a stupid deal?!”

“Oh,” Jamil says nonchalantly, “we have our ways.”

“So... Uh, Jade-senpai’s still gonna be the next Don Leech?! And he’s gonna be in charge of an even bigger and richer family... How is that any better than the situation before?! You’re just giving him more resources for committing crimes!”

At that moment, two hands come down on Ace’s shoulders, causing him to freeze up.

“Kani-chaaaaan! Everyone!! Thanks so much for your help~”

“Yes, you have my sincerest thanks, Ace-san, Jamil-san... Azul.”

“It is my pleasure to assist such VIP clients. Ah, but there remains the matter of my promised payment—” (Jamil and Ace internally groan at Azul’s words.)

“Payment?” Don Leech scoffs. “After the ballsy operation you boys pulled off today... I’m more inclined to give you job offers instead of a one time sum. How do you lads feel about being hired as the Leech family’s personal lawyer, interrogator, and... well, whatever the heart one is good at.”

“My, my! Such a generous and lucrative offer—“

“There is no way I’m accepting that, especially if that means working with Azul.”

“Oi, I’ll have you know I’m good at lots of stuff!! I’m the one that saved Floyd’s tail fins, is no one gonna acknowledge that?!”

“You did amazing, sweetie!!” Mama Leech chirps—her tail grip tightening until the Worm girl passes out. Ace leaps back in fright. “As a reward, why don’t you let me give you a hug?”

“S-STAY BACK!!”

“Ahahahah! Everyone’s getting along so well, Jade. Isn’t this fun? You wouldn’t be able to enjoy this if you had gone to get hitched.”

“Fufufu. You are correct, Floyd. How sad it would have been if I were to miss out on touching moments such as this. From the bottom of my heart... I thank you for thinking of me, and for rushing to my aid. I could not have asked for a better brother.”

... What Floyd doesn’t know is that this was all according to keikaku Jade’s own machinations. He would never take the order to marry lying down—but he couldn’t outright defy it without immediate consequences, either.

Thank the Great Seven Jade has reliable puppets friends to help him out of a pinch. I’ll be certain to put the additional funds we have gained to good use... Perhaps to start a little mushroom farm.

#Floyd Leech #Jade Leech #Azul Ashengrotto #Ace Trappola #Jamil Viper #twst #twisted wonderland #disney twisted wonderland #wedding crashing #spoilers

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this-is-quite-homoerotic · 4 years ago

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Another Janto AU idea I’ll probably never write

Okay, this one’s a bit weird. TRUST ME THOUGH, I WON’T LET YOU DOWN!

(Warning: there is no underage, I swear. In case it looks like that’s where I’m heading, I promise I’m not.)

I’ve been thinking about the Jack&Owen father/son dynamic and the Owen&Ianto brothers dynamic and.

No-aliens Modern day AU where a young Jack marries Owen’s mum after a short and tumultuous love affair when Owen’s a kid. The marriage doesn’t last, Jack starts growing out of love with her when he sees how she treats little Owen, who at this point would be 7 or so, and soon other flaws he’d been too enamoured to notice start becoming more and bigger issues until the couple breaks up.

Jack is in his early 20s, and if you’d ask him before he married he’d have told you he wasn’t anywhere near ready to be a father. That doesn’t stop him from imprinting on Owen within minutes of meeting him, however, and with the way Owen’s mother treats him, he actually ends up taking him in the divorce, after many rows and a few teary discussions, because he loves the kid, and he can see that she was not actually in the position to raise anyone, for a variety of reasons that I won’t elaborate on here. She does visit him, Jack is always happy to facilitate her visits with Owen, but not terribly often.

It takes a few years, but Jack eventually adopts him legally, with his mother’s blessings. He talks to Owen every step of the way, always listens to what he has to say, always respecting (within reason) what he wants. Through mutual agreement, they never change Owen’s last name.

Jack isn’t the best father ever, by any stretch. It’s a learning curve, and there’s a few big stumbles. But he loves that kid so much, and for the first time in his life Owen has an adult and parental figure who listens attentively to what he has to say, who always asks for his opinion before making any choices that affect him, who would kill and die for him, who loves him, unconditionally, and it makes a difference.

So Owen grows up with love and support, and once he hits puberty he’s only a tiny bit nervous to tell his father he’s bi since Jack has been dating people of all genders on and off since he divorced his mother. Owen was consistently suspicious of all of them, and privately thought none of them was good enough for his father, but he never said it. He did want Jack to be happy, after all. None of them last too long, and in the end it’s always just the two of them. Jack seems happy enough with it, so Owen doesn’t worry.

Anyway, his coming out goes great; Jack is so proud he cries a little and he insists on hugging him even longer than usual. (Jack is a hugger, Owen has resigned himself to it.) Owen huffs and doles out the eye-rolls and the ‘it’s-not-a-big-deal’s and ‘oh my god, dad, you’re so embarrassing’ but he’s secretly very pleased. Jack takes him to pride for the first time that very year, and it becomes a yearly tradition.

Owen befriends Ianto Jones by proxy at first: Ianto was in his group of friends and they ended up hanging out together a lot, first in a group and later more one-on-one. He’s alright, even if he is two whole years younger than him and a bit of a nerd. There is one (1) instance when Owen almost got mad at him, when Ianto asked if he’d been adopted (after another mate of his mentioned something about it). But after he’d replied defensively, he realised Ianto wasn’t trying to be mean about it. At all.

“That must be great, though. You know for sure that your dad wanted you, was willing to fight to keep you.” That’s how Owen found out about Ianto’s not so great home situation.

So they became mates, and soon Owen starts inviting Ianto over.

Now, the problem with being raised by a young, stunningly attractive single parent, of course, is that all his friends are more likely to have a crush on his father than they are to like him that way. Not that Owen fancies Ianto or anything. But it’s weird, Jack is old.

Ianto, like most of Owen’s female friends and some of his guy friends, develops a crush on his father. Fucking hell. The little shit keeps sneaking furtive little glances Jack’s way, and whenever Jack actually addresses him, he smiles beatifically and pretends he’s not the acerbic juvenile delinquent he really is (as if Owen would hang out with him if he was that boring). He perks up whenever Jack is around; smiles all the time. It’s bizarre.

Jack doesn’t notice. Once the initial weirdness wears off, Owen thinks it’s hilarious that his father can’t see through Ianto’s polite, helpful little boy facade. So he doesn’t say anything. He just enjoys the show. It goes like this: Ianto comes over, they hang out for a while. Jack gets home from work, Ianto gets starry eyed and promptly becomes this alien perfectly-behaved A-student right in front of Owen’s very amused eyes. Ianto’s crush goes right over Jack’s head the entire time. Owen gets to laugh at Ianto being flustered and/or pretending to have perfect manners, and Ianto gets whatever dopamine rush he gets from staring at Jack. Win-win.

They keep in touch when Owen goes to uni and later when Ianto goes to a different one, but they don’t see each other very often and eventually grow distant. Yadda yadda, life happens and eventually they re-connect.

Ianto introduces Owen to a friend of his, Katie, obnoxiously telling her that while he isn’t as hot as his father, he’ll do. (Katie fully believes he’s joking until Owen brings her home to meet Jack. She still thinks Owen is hotter, but she can see what Ianto meant, certainly. “That’s love for you,” Ianto laments. “It blinds you.” Owen pretends to be offended.)

The thing is, Owen falls head-over-heels with Katie. He’s absolutely gone on her, and after discussing it a little to make sure she’s on the same page as him, he pops the question. Ianto is, of course, invited to the wedding.

So that’s how we get to 25-year-old Ianto seeing early-to-mid 40s Jack again for the first time in almost a decade. For the first time ever, Jack sees him right back.

Understandably, Jack feels a little guilty about noticing how nicely his son’s younger friend looks in a suit, but there’s no harm in looking, right? The ceremony is lovely, Jack cries (and so does Owen, though he glares when anyone mentions it), after which they swiftly move on to the party.

Deep into the night, late enough that the bride and groom have retired to start their honeymoon, Jack is having one more drink as he watches the mostly drunk guests dance and toast to the happy couple. He’s feeling old and maudlin and so happy for his son that his chest could burst, when Ianto makes his move.

Talking leads to snogging leads Ianto pushing Jack up against an out-of the-way wall and whispering all the dirty things he’d like to do to him in that sinful Welsh accent leads to them falling in bed together at Jack’s hotel room and staying there for the next several hours (not all of them spent awake).

Jack, having had no clue that Ianto had harbored an intense teenage crush on him and had been dreaming about this for literal years, figured it was just a one-night-thing brought about by loneliness or boredom.

The morning after, however, Ianto formally asks him out.

Jack protests (only a little, and with no real force behind it) that he’s almost twice Ianto’s age, surely he can’t mean to actually date him. Ianto assures him that he does.

They go out to have a very late brunch. It’s their first official date, and Jack has more fun than he’s had in years. Ianto, who’d only thought of Jack infrequently if still fondly during the years he hadn’t seen him, is positively giddy. Turns out seeing Jack again was all it took for the attraction to come roaring back. But now he can really get to know Jack as an adult, beyond the fantasies he made up as a hormonal teen. The real man holds up surprisingly well against the fantasy.

Ianto confesses his teenage crush, confesses that he wondered what Jack might look like after all these years when he realised he’d be seeing him again at the wedding, but he never in a million years had expected Jack to somehow look even more delectable than he had back then. (Jack doesn’t blush, but he wants to. They end up right back in his hotel bed once they’re done with brunch.)

Truth is, Jack hadn’t expected it to last, not really. He’d hoped to have some fun with a gorgeous young man before said man got bored and moved on without him. He didn’t expect to fall in love. He certainly didn’t expect, wouldn’t have believed that sleepy morning when he’d woken up in the arms of a warm, sleep-soft Welshman who asked to take him out on a proper date, that a man young enough to be his son and handsome enough to have his choice of partner would be falling in love with him.

Owen choked on his own laughter when Jack told him Ianto had taken him out on that first date. “I cannot believe it. He did it. He actually did it. The absolute mad lad. It only took him a decade, but he did it. That crazy motherfucker. Fatherfucker. Oh my god, fatherfucker.” Then he started cackling again. Jack was too relieved he wasn’t upset about it to be offended. Despite Ianto’s reassurances that there had never been anything other than strictly platonic friendship between him and Owen, Jack still had the tiniest of worries that Owen might have harbored a crush on Ianto back in his teens. He’d invited Ianto more often than any of his other friends, and the atmosphere had always been different with him, though Jack had never managed to put his finger on how, back then.

Owen laughed even harder when Jack carefully broached the subject. “Are you kidding me? He was too busy ogling you to ever notice me, thank Christ. Would have been awkward if he did, I always saw him more as a little brother, really.” Well, didn’t that make Jack feel supremely awkward. His son saw his latest lover as a little brother. Weird, even by Jack’s standards. At least Ianto’s teenage crush confession was true. Still a bit weird, but flattering, now that that kid had grown into a gorgeous young man who still found Jack 'disarmingly attractive’ (his words).

“Of course you have my blessings,” Owen griped good-naturedly when Ianto called to ask. In retrospect, calling him during his honeymoon with the woman he loved who he’d only met because Ianto had introduced them had been a good tactical decision. He was feeling charitable towards him, and he was too high on love and sex to begrudge Ianto this.

“Thank you. You can call me ‘Tad’ if you want,” Ianto countered, because he was still a little shit with a sarcastic streak a mile wide and a penchant for annoying Owen even when he was technically begging for his blessing to date Owen’s father.

“Fuck off,” Owen told him, but there was no bite to it, he sounded amused if anything, and Ianto knew then that Owen had meant it.

“Of course. I won’t rush you. I can wait until it feels organic, son.”

Owen hung up on him. Less than a minute later, Ianto got a text message that said. ‘If you break his heart, I’ll kick your arse xoxo’. He sent back a string of heart emojis.

A year and a half later, Ianto called Owen to tell him he was planning to propose. Owen demanded to be his best man.

The year Owen turned thirty-one, Jack and Ianto adopted two siblings (a little boy and a baby girl). They named Owen their godfather (yes, both of them).

That day, as Owen was asked to sign the papers that would legally make him the children’s guardian in case anything happened to their fathers, he remembered the day he met Jack, when his mother had brought him over for the first time. He remembered, a bit blurry due to time, the talks Jack and his mother had had with him when they were in the process of splitting up, how Jack had fought to convince them both that he should be the one to raise Owen. He recalled, like a much-beloved photograph he took out to stare at when he needed it, the well-worn memory of walking into their new house for the first time, and realising that it was real, that Jack really did mean to adopt him, that he’d really be living with him from then on; that Jack really wanted him. He remembered all the times Jack had told him that family wasn’t blood, family was love, and trust, and commitment. And he remembered, with perfect, stunning clarity, a 15-year-old Ianto telling him he’d like to adopt when he was older, even if he ended up with someone who could get pregnant.

He also remembered a 15-year-old Ianto making heart eyes at his father in their living-room while Owen struggled not to laugh at him, and really, one had to respect a man who stuck to his convictions. Ianto certainly knew what he wanted and put in the work to get it.

At least he was pretty sure he could trust Ianto with Jack’s heart.

(Epilogue:

Because Ianto has a terrible sense of humour, he spends an entire summer calling Owen ‘son’ and ‘kid’ and ‘sport’. Owen makes a face the first couple of times, but he’s brought around pretty quickly between 1) the way Katie laughs whenever Ianto does this, and 2) the bewildered looks it gets them whenever someone hears it, because not only is Ianto younger than Owen, he also looks it. It makes for interesting situations.

So rather than be annoyed, Owen starts to enjoy it. He decides to lean into it, starts calling Ianto ‘tad’ and ‘dad’ and ‘father’, and one memorable time ‘the man who literally birthed me’. Katie chokes on her drink and laughs so hard her abdomen hurts for the next day. Jack actually falls off his chair laughing. Ianto looks like butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth, the little shit.

And they were a loving family who were disgustingly happy for the rest of their lives and never had tragedy befall them, not even once, the end.)

#Torchwood #Captain Jack Harkness #Owen Harper #Ianto Jones #Janto #AU #Janto AU #not!fic #wherein i write #bitch i'm crying what the fuck happened #this wasn't supposed to be this long OR this fluffy what?#where are all these feelings coming from?? i am confusion??#me: haha i'll just write down this idea i had as a tumblr post. just a few paragraphs. a drabble.#me 2.4k of not!fic later: what the fuck #does this count as a crack AU?

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vampyrellas · 4 years ago

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[shaking] bellamy: 57, 64; fairy: 72, 39, 97; juniper: 36, 96; ramses: 13; jurisprudence: 41; & 100 for all 🥺 this is so many so please dont feel like you have to answer them all fjjsjsn ....;

under the cut cuz shes long!!! thank u bf!!!! im literally giving u a blood sacrifice rn !!!!!!!!!

bellamy 57. what’s the most chaotic thing they’ve done?

bellamy is not very chaotic but she does get into some Shenanigans and can be a little headstrong/impulsive when it comes to her Knight adventures….im not shore!!!!!!! probably something like climbing into a strangers home at 3am through the window to escape some ruffians. she befriended the dog and got beat with a loaf of bread by the owner of the hut and so she was like fine fine im going! and then climbed through the window of her sister’s home at 3:30am

64. describe what their social media would be like.

ok so get this she’s kind of a fucking nerd so her social media would be like, her welding creations, pix of her friends, and mirror selfies of her in like medieval outfits and like , Casual cosplays . like when people put on the wig and makeup but dress in their own clothes? those. she would love ren faire … also posts LOTS of animals she’d probably be the type to take pictures of peoples pets and just post them on instagram with no caption . has lots of followers cause she’s talented and very pretty and has cool niche interests

fairy

72. how do they feel about love?

love is like water to fairy, he gets all shriveled up and sad without it. he’d die without it!!!!! he’s a very sensual person in that he relies on touch to express things a lot of times, as he is really receptive of and sends off energy through touch. he’s the Yearning type . he’s never been in romantic love before but he’s had lots of crushes that he’s never done anything about out of fear. he just wants to hold somebody.

39. are they superstitious?

like, healthily so i think? he has his cultural and family superstitions, and superstitions from his religion but he’s not super anxious about them. he is however very weird about Rocks. there are certain rocks, to him, that should not under any circumstances be taken or moved from where they are. he has a specific criteria but it seems random to everyone else.

97. what do they keep in their bag?

some medical supplies & potions provided by By Proxy uhh he likes collecting rocks! so theres rocks in there, some lip balms, a little mother of pearl knife from his mom with a carving of the goddess of love on it (on one side it says “SOMETIMES” and the other says “LOVE HURTS” he got it when he turned 18), some other little trinkets he finds along the way, some fruits

juniper

36. do they trust easily? what would you have to do to earn their trust?

nooo he doesn’t.... he trusts people to a certain extent bc hes very empathetic and loves humanity, but he always has his guard up. it takes a lot of Time and Tests to earn his trust. you have to prove time and time again that you care for him and have only good intentions.

96. what’s their sense of humour like?

half the time he says something and like laughs really hard at it and no one knows what the fuck hes talking about? uhmm but i would say he’s like the StoryTelling type because hes very dramatic! like a stand up comedian but more uhm. whimsical and less casual if that makes sense. also he Would say somethign like “i do not control the rate at which lobsters die” so . theres that i guess

ramses

13. how forgiving are they? what do they consider unforgivable?

oh.. not at all kjndgjgn this is like a burn me once i’m never speaking to you again sort of situation . someone says something she doesn’t like and she’s like. well goodbye then! she finds betrayal, snitching, manipulation, double crossing, leading people on, etc. all unforgivable. she thinks lying has a purpose sometimes.

jurisprudence

41. what would they dress up as for halloween?

GREAT question so the obligatory bride of frankenstein because the hair, but mainly she does The Classics like priest, demon, angel, vampire, etc. and like, looks really good :/

100. if you, the creator, met them, would you two get along?

#THANK YOU BOYOYOYFIRNED I LOVE YOU #mailbox #moabsunbeams #arthur's ocs #hopefully i got the right numbers i cant read

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alishbakhanus · 4 years ago

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Marriage: Smart Advice From Really Well-Informed Grooms

When we know that the time of preparation for marriage is on average a year and that period does not stop growing, we doubt that this great event cannot be summed up on D-Day, even if it was the best day of our lives. All the brides who have trusted themselves enough – the newlyweds are less talkative – confirm the submarines that preceded the ceremony, between disappointment, excitement, intense joy and sometimes disappointment. In order not to waste time, gain peace of mind and save money, here we have compiled the enlightened advice of these young and future brides.

The first golden rule: Don’t be influenced

Like weeping from the heart, all the brides being questioned agree on this point: this marriage you are preparing is yours! “No one should live off a proxy,” says Katia. Once you integrate that, you will no longer be afraid of being authoritarian or demanding. On the contrary, “it is important to stay true to yourself and follow your ideas,” she continues. Certain points are therefore not negotiable: wedding date, place … “You have to trust yourself,” Guillemette adds. And don’t influence it, don’t dream too much in front of wedding blogs and social networks, underlines Marg auk: “Pinterest is a particularly great source of inspiration, but don’t believe that anything is possible. All the better, because marriage has to look like you. “Does that mean we can’t trust our loved ones to get an opinion? Of course not. Gather the opinion of a small circle on important points like trying on a dress. “Tempers Katia. “If you have a good relationship with your mother, nothing surpasses her advice. And we know that she always tells the truth!”, She adds. “Just listen to organizational advice,” adds Yannick. “Finally, do what you have in mind!”

2nd golden rule: Advantage

Getting married also means being realistic and distinguishing between things that are important to you and those that are less important. Why? Because your budget is not unlimited – are we wrong? – but because the time you have to dedicate is no more! Discussing with your other half is essential. “Put an item on the guest list automatically,” explains Marg auk. Therefore, “define a budget breakdown for each item” continues. Talking upstream avoids underestimating certain points that are later necessary: ”Make a playlist for the DJ!” Alexander advises. “I didn’t do it and I’m still biting my fingers.”

3rd golden rule: Get organized

An organized future bride becomes a woman and a fulfilled bride! Our witnesses understood that. For their marriage, and Alexandra became professionals in Excel’s table. One records a list of tasks and deadlines, and the other fills in the names of the guests and their addresses for the awards. The organization is run by two: “Missions must be divided between the future groom and the future bride,” underlines. And the help of the guests is welcome: “Monday before the wedding, we gave away the cards of our loved ones that were listed on them,” Isabelle recalls. And Alexandra concludes, “Expect by taking care of the main points from the start: the room, the catering, the cutlery … you’ll save yourself stress in the months to come and you’ll be able to concentrate on details like decorations.” wedding organized in a few months, Cecile invited the wedding planner: Ask, the prices are not necessarily excessive. She knows a lot of service providers and the stress of the organization, she is the one who manages it! ”

4th golden rule: Save money

We often think that marriage is a financial abyss, but the good news is that our brides compete in tricks to reduce the bill. “Yes, it’s possible to negotiate when we get married, and also take advantage of the sale,” says Marg auk, who took advantage of -30% on the wedding dress. “Capsule collections of ready-made brands are other great options,” she adds. His second reflex, download the Mariage.net app; saving time, but also a way to save: “We can find several providers in the region at the same time, and some also offer discounts.” She found her decoration in garage sales and in Emmaus. “I repaired a suitcase bought for 1.50 euros in order to turn it into an urn,” she was delighted again. For Alexandra, the art of invention is called recycling: “I’m happy, my friends have the same taste as me! They lent me vases.” Another tip from Alexander, inquire at the town hall for a possible equipment loan. For her country wedding, bought flowers directly from the nursery, and the bouquets were composed by her relatives; significant savings, estimated at two thousand euros. As for Isabella, she went most of her decoration directly to the wholesalers. “We bought fabric in haberdashery for our central parts, which suddenly cost us less than 4 euros.” Isabelle and her husband preferred to anticipate avoiding excessive costs: “More than a year in advance, we started transferring money to a savings account.” A way to establish a portfolio, but also to increase it because interest is added to the initial wedding budget. Which is estimated at two thousand euros. As for Isabella, she went most of her decoration directly to the wholesalers. “We bought fabric in haberdashery for our central parts, which suddenly cost us less than 4 euros.” Isabelle and her husband preferred to anticipate avoiding excessive costs: “More than a year in advance, we started transferring money to a savings account.” A way to establish a portfolio, but also to increase it because interest is added to the initial wedding budget. Which is estimated at two thousand euros. As for Isabella, she went most of her decoration directly to the wholesalers. “We bought fabric in haberdashery for our central parts, which suddenly cost us less than 4 euros.” Isabelle and her husband preferred to anticipate avoiding excessive costs: “More than a year in advance, we started transferring money to a savings account.” A way to establish a portfolio, but also to increase it because interest is added to the initial wedding budget. More than a year in advance, we started transferring money to a savings account. “A way to establish a portfolio, but also to increase it because interest is added to the initial wedding budget. More than a year in advance, we started transferring money to a savings account. “A way to establish a portfolio, but also to increase it because interest is added to the initial wedding budget.

Fifth golden rule: Have fun and let go of the ballast

“Keep in mind why you’re getting married,” Alexandra recommends. Sometimes you have gone through moments of doubt or a little stress, but preparation as a ceremony must first and foremost be a moment of joy and fun! Therefore, it is necessary to put small galleries in perspective in order to make the most of this period. “I remember with great pleasure the weeks that led to the wedding,” says. “We set up a lot of small family missions: filling jars of honey with my sister, connecting mass books with my wife, setting up boards with my father, picking flowers with my witnesses …” In addition to leaving fond memories, saw an interest in these shared moments: “Witnesses and family feel invested and we, it removes our stress.” Alexandra confirms: “In the beginning, I wanted to control everything and I refused all help. And then I realized that what was the charm of this event was sharing it. I have great memories of menus made with relatives. And decor installed with friends. “To have fun and enjoy until the last minute, our brides give us their secret: let go!” On D-Day, let the witnesses rule. There will inevitably be failures, but it doesn’t matter! No one will notice and it’s important to take advantage of it, “advises. Take time for your couple, even a particularly big day.” Enjoy a glass of champagne for two, run away to take some photos, “says Alexandra. And to conclude:” If you can, continue on your honeymoon step by step. That way you will avoid too sudden a return to reality … “and decor installed with friends. “To have fun and enjoy until the last minute, our brides give us their secret: let go!” On D-Day, let the witnesses rule. There will inevitably be failures, but it doesn’t matter! No one will notice and it’s important to take advantage of it, “advises. Take time for your couple, even a particularly big day.” Enjoy a glass of champagne for two, run away to take some photos, “says Alexandra. And to conclude:” If you can, continue on your honeymoon step by step. That way you will avoid too sudden a return to reality … “and decor installed with friends. “To have fun and enjoy until the last minute, our brides give us their secret: let go!” On D-Day, let the witnesses rule. There will inevitably be failures, but it doesn’t matter! No one will notice and it’s important to take advantage of it, “advises. Take time for your couple, even a particularly big day.” Enjoy a glass of champagne for two, run away to take some photos, “says Alexandra. And to conclude:” If you can, continue on your honeymoon step by step. That way you will avoid too sudden a return to reality … “No one will notice and it’s important to take advantage of it, “advises. Take time for your couple, even a particularly big day.” Enjoy a glass of champagne for two, run away to take some photos, “says Alexandra. And to conclude:” If you can, continue on your honeymoon step by step. That way you will avoid too sudden a return to reality … “No one will notice and it’s important to take advantage of it, “advises. Take time for your couple, even a particularly big day.” Enjoy a glass of champagne for two, run away to take some photos, “says Alexandra. And to conclude:” If you can, continue on your honeymoon step by step. That way you will avoid too sudden a return to reality…”

Courtesy: best garden venues for weddings

#preweddingphotography weddingdecor weddingseason weddingplanner weddingphotographer weddings weddinginspiration weddingphotography wedding w

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sirsreadingblog · 7 years ago

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What I Read (August 2017)

1. Now and Forever (MacFadden Romance 147) written by Diana Palmer - July 31: Gave this a💎💎💎. Would have liked it more if I was able to get his side of the situation.

2. Sweet Enemy (MacFadden Romance 179) written by Diana Palmer - August 1: Feels like a 💎💎. I mean, I disliked how she just accepted everything at the end. I wanted her to go father away than Atlanta. I wanted her to take the trip given to her.

3. Regan’s Pride (Long, Tall Texans 11) written by Diana Palmer - August 1: 💎💎💎💎. Would have been higher but this wasn’t really a public read because I felt like crying a few times.

4. Donavan (Long, Tall Texans 9) written by Diana Palmer - August 1: 💎💎💎because there wasn’t a lot of it. Maybe if it were a little bit longer it wouldn’t have felt so rushed.

5. Winter Roses (Long, Tall Texans 32) written by Diana Palmer - August 2: 💎💎💎. This one made me realize that she usually has the female lead go through tragedy and it gets old after awhile.

6. Rogue Stallion (Montana Mavericks 1) written by Diana Palmer - August 2: 💎💎💎💎. I would have liked it better if they were able to find out more about the baby and her mother (maybe even her father because I have an idea of who he is).

7. Invincible (Long, Tall Texans 43) written by Diana Palmer - August 2: 💎💎💎💎💎. Although I’m surprised no one caught on to the second female until towards the end of the book.

8. Dream’s End (MacFadden Romance 223) written by Diana Palmer - August 2: I wish it was a little bit longer because it was a 💎💎💎💎💎.

9. Harden (Long, Tall Texans 7) written by Diana Palmer - August 2: Read the follow up first but this series you really don’t need to read in order. It would be helpful though. However, this is a 💎💎💎💎💎.

10. Outsider (Long, Tall Texans 30) written by Diana Palmer - August 2: I thought I wouldn’t enjoy it but man was it good. I swear the synopsis can be a little off putting because I was thinking it was going to be a 1, instead it’s a 💎💎💎💎💎.

11. Nelson’s Brand (Man of the Month 25) written by Diana Palmer - August 3: I wanted more because it was a 💎💎💎💎💎.

12. That Burke Man (Long, Tall Texans 12) written by Diana Palmer - August 3: Going through things. Gave this a 💎💎💎💎💎. May change my mind later. Trying to figure out what I didnâ€™t like but canâ€™t yet.

13. Untamed (Long, Tall Texans 45) written by Diana Palmer - August 3: Wanted to read Rourke’s story for a while now and this was so good. I wished it was longer - which is saying something since I have gotten used to 10 to 12 chapters written by this author and this book was 16. I give it a 💎💎💎💎💎.

14. Roomful of Roses written by Diana Palmer - August 3: This was good. Could have been slightly better. Wanted to know what happened to Andy after he was punched and what his sister had to say about it all. And what about her aunt? So many things, 💎💎💎💎.

15. Love by Proxy (Men: Made in America II: 13) written by Diana Palmer - August 4: Don’t have much to say other than I like it. Although I did think maybe her grandfather would help her hide away for awhile but he did play another. 💎💎💎💎💎.

16. Hunter (Marist 2, Man of the Month 23) written by Diana Palmer - August 4: He has trust issues and assumes things and doesn’t really discuss things with her. She lets him thinks those things about her despite it her hurting her pride. 💎💎💎💎.

17. Hoodwinked written by Diana Palmer - August 4: She used a plotline similar to this before so I give it a 💎💎💎💎 because I just knew where this was headed.

18. Courageous (Long, Tall Texans 43) written by Diana Palmer - August 5: Didn’t really like this. It was just too - somethings. Can’t think of it right now. Cliché? That might be it. Especially the epilogue bringing it down to a 💎💎.

19. Merciless (Long, Tall Texans 40) written by Diana Palmer - August 6: Knew who the father was when they mentioned a hospital and drugs involved. Knew something was off with one of the supporting characters. Still liked it enough to give it a 💎💎💎💎.

20. Before Sunrise written by Diana Palmer - August 6: Enjoyed reading it which is why I gave it a 💎💎💎💎💎, despite knowing where some of this was going.

21. The Case of the Mesmerizing Boss (Most Wanted 1, Man of the Month 39) written by Diana Palmer - August 6: Even though she does a lot of these plotlines, I still can’t help giving this 💎💎💎💎💎 because I just really enjoy the characters.

22. The Case of the Confirmed Bachelor (Most Wanted 2) written by Diana Palmer - August 6: Enjoyed it, although I knew who the thief was as soon as the character was introduced. And I liked how they hyped up the next book, making it a 💎💎💎💎💎.

23. The Case of the Missing Secretary (Most Wanted 3) written by Diana Palmer - August 6: This one I’m giving a 💎💎💎💎 because even though it was really good, I still wanted to know what happened to the other love interest and they seemed to focus more on another potential couple than the main.

24. Lionhearted (Long, Tall Texans 24) written by Diana Palmer - August 6: Enjoyed how she grew up and became independent and didn’t want to change and I loved hating her best friend and am wondering if she has a story that is a 💎💎💎💎💎 like this one.

25. Defender (Long, Tall Texans 46) written by Diana Palmer - August 7: It was almost perfect, except that I didn’t enjoy how he was about money, making this a 💎💎💎💎 just for that alone.

26. Wyoming Brave (Wyoming Men 6) written by Diana Palmer - August 7: This a “sequel” to previous book read. And it was a perfect. I enjoyed it and would read it again: 💎💎💎💎💎.

27. Wyoming Tough (Wyoming Man 1) written by Diana Palmer - August 7: I liked how the main female lead wanted to be independent from her family and disguised herself. But I really dislike how the male lead didn’t listen to his brothers and that the author made you feel down for one character and threw a curve ball that changed your view of them. 💎💎💎.

28. Wyoming Strong (Wyoming Man 4) written by Diana Palmer - August 8: This is technically another sequel to another book but this one didn’t jive well with me like that one. It made me feel that with that one this one was headed in another direction in their relationship. I still liked it enough to give a 💎💎💎, but I felt that in the previous one the author was going to head in one direction and then she decided to go in another when it came time to actually write it.

29. Wyoming Rugged (Wyoming Man 5) written by Diana Palmer - August 8: A little late writing this since I finished 24 hours ago. Anyways, really did enjoy it, even the twist with his ex. I really didn’t see that coming and I thought it was different from past ones. 💎💎💎💎💎.

30. Wyoming Fierce (Wyoming Man 2) written by Diana Palmer - August 9: Didn’t enjoy this one as much because it felt like the male lead was all “woo is me” and the female lead came across as a little bit too much as a sacrifice. I mean I kind of get where she was coming from but at the same time, people were offering to help her out and she wouldn’t admit that she needed it until after something tragic happened to her. 💎💎💎.

31. Tough to Tame (Long, Tall Texans 34) written by Diana Palmer - August 10: I have been wanting to read the vet’s story since I read another book prior. But I’m giving it a 💎💎💎💎 because he still expected her to take him back after the truth came out about her ex and I don’t like how she just forgave him after a few days after all the things he called her.

32. Wyoming Bold (Wyoming Man 3) written by Diana Palmer - August 10: I felt like the things happening to the female lead were just too much. And their relationship went too fast. Her other books, she has them build up a relationship for months or years. Theirs was only a matter of weeks. 💎💎💎.

33. Heartless (Long, Tall Texans 36) written by Diana Palmer - August 11: I like how they both ended up having some issues. For the author, the drama was just enough and I enjoyed how the female lead didn’t revert back to her old lifestyle after the truth came out. I do wish that the ex-fiancé for the male lead had something worse done to her and what exactly was in her past that made her run away. Still a 💎💎💎💎💎 though.

34. Callaghan’s Bride (Long, Tall Texans 16) written by Diana Palmer - August 11: Really predictable. And she really didn’t try to tell him about what happened and I also blame his two single brothers for taking it that far, but I can’t give it anything lower than a 💎💎💎 because I liked the two leads. It’s just the brothers and the situation they put them in.

35. Night Fever written by Diana Palmer - August 11: I liked that we were able to get other family members and character perspectives of things that were going on. But truth be told, I could already tell how the plot was going to go. 💎💎💎.

36. True Colors written by Diana Palmer - August 12: There were too many view points from other characters and I don’t like how she was so bent on revenge at the beginning - 💎💎💎.

37. Lawman (Long, Tall Texans 33) written by Diana Palmer - August 12: It was really sad at times and frustrating too because as someone who worked in law enforcement he should have noticed the signs and clue in on the fact that something happened to her. I just really wanted her to be happy. Still give it a 💎💎💎💎 because I enjoyed it.

38. Rage of Passion written by Diana Palmer - August 12: I know that it was a short one, but really it felt rushed. And it wasn’t her grandmothers house it was her godmothers. Plus, the ex didn’t get what he most likely deserved. I gave it a 💎💎💎 for the daughter.

39. Darling Enemy (Whitehall 3) written by Diana Palmer - August 13: Was somewhat predictable. I called the age she was in her aunt’s male friend was interested in her, although truth be told I thought it was going to be the same guy stalking her but it wasn’t. I really did like it so I’m giving it a 💎💎💎💎 but she does this plot line a lot.

40. Connal (Long, Tall Texans 6) written by Diana Palmer - August 14: At first, I was going to give it a five. But as I kept thinking about it, lowered it to a 💎💎💎💎💎. I personally feel that they should have gone through the annulment so that they could properly go forward in their relationship.

41. Coltrains’ Proposal (Long, Tall Texans 13) written by Diana Palmer - August 14: This one I gave a 💎💎💎💎💎 because it is not a love triangle. Oh no, it’s slightly more complicated than that with the female love interest not really sure if he’s still in love with an old friend. Than you have two rivals, one who is an ex but ended up cheating on him with another guy and getting caught while the other targets him for selfish reasons. Than his friend and her friend seem to somewhat cause misunderstandings without meaning too.

42. Mystery Man written by Diana Palmer - August 14: Not going to lie, I thought he was going to turn out to be playing her favorite character in a sci-fi TV show. I was disappointed when that didn’t happen. He also seemed to have a prejudice against people with degrees. I give it a 💎💎💎.

43. Maggie’s Dad (Bighorn, Wyoming 1) written by Diana Palmer - August 15: When it makes you tear up, you have to give it a 💎💎💎💎💎. I just wished that they actually read the letter left behind.

44. Dangerous (Long, Tall Texans 37) written by Diana Palmer - August 15: I had high hopes. I was looking forward to reading this couples stories since Stone Cold. But I can only give it a 💎💎 because at some points it felt like a gothic novel where it kept getting more and more depressing before it ended happily. I dislike how he used her in his investigation.

45. September Morning (Western Weddings 6) written by Diana Palmer - August 15: Why is it that we can tell who the rival is going to be by how she dresses? Seriously, almost sheer and obscene clothing with a beauty that makes the female lead self-conscious with her own looks. I am giving this a 💎💎💎 instead of lower one due to how the male lead handled the situation at the end - despite how stupid he was in order to do it.

46. Paper Rose (Hutton & Co. 2) written by Diana Palmer - August 16: Really? That’s why the wannabe acts the way she does and it’s forgivable? Nope, she deserves worse. I want her past dug up and splashed across the pages of any form of media for what she did to the female lead. And what happened to the female leads step-father? With what was going on, I feel that an appearance from him would have created a bigger stir, with him adding to the lies. I know, not really about the leads, but it’s still a 💎💎💎 because I like how one couple had a happy ending after thirty-six years apart.

47. Long, Tall and Tempted written by Diana Palmer - August 16: No lie, I thought it was going to be hard to rate because it’s three stories, but surprisingly all three stories are a 💎💎💎💎. The first one, I did like but not how they spent all those months without any communication. If there were it would have been a five by itself. Story two was slightly longer, but I disliked the male lead for practically tossing aside the female lead for his ex who was still married. The last story, I just wanted longer because I must admit, I have a soft spot for the Hart boys (despite the fact that they’re in their mid to late 30′s).

48. To Love and Cherish written by Diana Palmer - August 17: I just slightly wish the female lead had more backbone. And the last time she ran off, she should have ran further than back home. Girl is a model, she could have gone all the way New York if she wanted. That was my only problem, so this is a 💎💎💎💎.

49. Emmett (Long, Tall Texans 10) written by Diana Palmer - August 17: It was good. I could see why it has a high rating. But I just couldn’t love it enough to give it a five, so I just had to give a 💎💎💎💎.

50. A Long Tall Texan Summer (Long, Tall Texans 14) written by Diana Palmer - August 17: Another three in one and all three have a 💎💎💎💎💎 rating. First one, the guy is a virgin. Second one, both characters were sweet in their own way. Third one, another male virgin. Yes, I know, it’s weird. But when a lot of the books out there have the male be the experienced one, I like reading where the guy is just as inexperienced as the love interest.

51. Love with a Long, Tall Texan (Long, Tall Texans 17) written by Diana Palmer - August 18: I can’t give this more than a 💎💎💎. I really couldn’t click with any of the characters or their stories like I did with the last one. And it’s a pity rating.

52. The Texas Ranger (Hutton & Co. 4; Long, Tall Texan 20) written by Diana Palmer - August 18: I’ m giving it a 💎💎 because I found it really predicable for the most part. Like I knew who was responsible in the third chapter.

53. The Last Mercenary (Soldiers of Fortune 6) written by Diana Palmer - August 19: When you read about other couples in a spinoff series, you tend to want to get to know their story. And this one, kind of felt off so I have to give it a 💎💎💎. There was just some things that I don’t like for no particular reason.

54. Fearless (Long, Tall Texan 35) written by Diana Palmer - August 19: Okay, this one I give a pity 💎💎, mostly for Glory because of the things she had to go through. Truth be told, I didn’t want her to go with the male lead at all. I felt that he was too focused on how she looked and didn’t even bother to get to know her. Granted, they were both keeping their situations secret, he still judged her whereas she was going “I’ll get the best attorney for you” despite her position within the court system.

55. Silent Night Man written by Diana Palmer - August 23: I give this a 💎💎. Was looking forward to reading this because the male lead was a supporting character in another book. That alone should have told me that this wasn’t going to be much better because I ended up rating that a one. First off, when a character admits to themselves that their friend was known to lie, why would they believe whatever is told them. Especially when they say “But don’t tell So and So I told you about what happened because they don’t want to talk about it to you”. Two, you are suppose to be protecting her so why would you think inviting another girl over with her being there would make her want to stay? I seriously did want her to get shot (not to die, but wounded really badly) just to teach him a lesson.

56. Man in Control ( Long, Tall Texans 25) written by Diana Palmer - August 23: This one was enjoyable and almost perfect. I enjoyed how after hearing what was said about her, that she was going to cut them out of her life and it was starting to go well with her but then he reenters. I wish I could say why I can’t give this a full five but a 💎💎💎💎 instead. Oh wait, it was how she let herself be used in the beginning by her friend and that friend was taking credit for some of her cooking whenever she was over. That annoys me.

57. The Bride Who was Stolen in the Night written by Diana Palmer - August 23: It was a 💎💎💎. I just didn’t like how she was trying to change herself for her fiancée and that his side wasn’t really told.

58. Love on Trial (MacFadden Romance 218) written by Diana Palmer - August 24: Again, nothing was told from his side. The most important parts of his past was told by his friends. And again, there was another character who didn’t really stand up for herself. 💎💎.

59. Secret Agent Man written by Diana Palmer - August 24: Again, why is that when I liked a character in another book where they were a supporting character, I like them but when it comes to their turn, it just doesn’t work. At least he was able to admit that he had been wrong in the past, but the fact is that he didn’t really communicate the second time around bothers me. And I wasn’t all that pleased at how the antagonist in the story meet his end. I still give it a 💎💎💎 because I did enjoy it.

60. Bound by Honor: Mercenary’s Woman (Soldier’s of Fortune 4) and The Winter Soldier (Soldier of Fortune 5; Long, Tall Texans 38) written by Diana Palmer - August 31: Truth be told, I really didn’t want to read this book because the two couples didn’t interest me. For the first one, I’m not going to lie, I honestly thought that her cousin wasn’t her cousin but really her child because they were six and the couple hadn’t really spoken for six years. And to top it off, her parents didn’t reconcile with her at least. It felt as though they were too wrapped up in their own lives (and yes, I was more interested in her parents). The second book wasn’t much better. I mean she’s pregnant and she does all these things that could cause her to miscarry because they require a ton of physical strength. And she let people manipulate her even though it didn’t have to be like that because she did have authority. Overall, it’s a 3.

And that’s the list for this month. A little shorter and all from the same author. I just couldn’t help myself. And I also reread some of her books. I basically had to read them (or most of them) that my county library had in order to purge the need to read them out of my system. Because the more I go back to reread them, the less I like her writing style. It’s usually a 10+ age gape between her two leads, and it’s always the male who is older and more experienced. She should change it up somewhat and make her female leads the older and more experienced ones.

#what i read #book list #what i read this month #books i read #diana palmer #hutton & co.#western weddings #long tall texans #bighorn wyoming #whitehall #wyoming man #soldier's of fortune

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cathygeha · 7 years ago

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Eight historical romances featuring roguish dukes willing to risk it all to get the lady their heart desires.

Out Dec 12th– The Desires of a Duke: Historical Romance Collection

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REVIEW

The Desires of a Duke

What a delightful collection of historical romances!

THE FORBIDDEN DUKE by Darcy Burke Titus St. James is an upright man who keeps to himself. Once a year he dances with a woman at his mother’s ball and that woman is soon the toast of the town. When Eleanor finds herself without means or a roof over her head she applies to be a companion and lucks into a job that sees her with a second chance for a season in society and perhaps the opportunity to marry and have a family. Little does she know that the man she will end up with is the stepson of the woman she is working for. I really liked Eleanor and Titus and enjoyed their story immensely! THE DUKE WHO KNEW TOO MUCH by Grace Callaway Alaric McLeod leaves home when nine years of age. He acts tough but doesn’t feel he is. The home he ends up in is one no child should end up in and the couple he lives with horrible…in fact…the woman reminds me of newspaper articles dealing with Munchausen by Proxy. He is a widow, hedonist and at one point suspected of murder. Emma sees Alaric in a situation that she misinterprets and then, to make amends, wants to help him clear his name. She has dreams of being an investigator like her brother and Alaric’s stepbrother and gets herself into some rather questionable situations while…investigating. This was a fun if somewhat unbelievable story. THE DUKE’S MATCH GIRL by Lila DiPasqua Not really based on the sad story we have all heard as children this book tells of Leo, Duke of Mont-Marly and Suzanne Matchet. Leo was a bit of a cad and a liar when he made sure he had a night with Suzanne before marrying another woman. When he finds himself widowed he heads to the town Suzanne lives in to woo her. This story was so-so in my opinion and a bit silly…definitely not believable. WAITING FOR A DUKE LIKE YOU by Shana Galen Princess Vivienne of Glynaven, sole royal survivor of an uprising, manages to escape from assassins and make to England. When the Duke of Wyndover sees her she is filthy, sleeping and he believes she is a vagrant. When he realizes who she is he promises to keep her safe. Why? Because he fell for her long ago when in her country even though she never indicated he existed. Vivienne is a strong character and able to protect herself. Nathan is a delight and great book boyfriend. I liked this book a great deal and would gladly read more books by this author. WHEN I MET MY DUCHESS by Caroline Linden What fun this book was! Gareth has chosen the perfect woman to be his duchess EXCEPT when Helen Grey arrives he is drawn to her sister Cleo instead. Over time he realizes that he is making a mistake and hopes to find a solution that will see him with the right sister and Helen happy, too. All works out well in the end but it is an interesting fun story to read and left me happy at the end and wanting to find another book by this author! That said…I detested the parents of Helen and Cleo and wanted to thump them more often than not! I SPY A DUKE by Erica Monroe I read this book in the past and loved it rating it five stars at the time. Quoted from my review: What a GREAT introduction to the new “Covert Heiresses” series!... Both Vivian and James have lost siblings and begin to bond after discussing their losses one evening. There is an ease and companionship between them but also chemistry waiting to be explored. Vivian needs protection and James has offered his to her. Little does she know that there is more under his expensive clothes and pleasant demeanor than a the wealthy Duke he appears to be. I loved Vivian’s strength of will, clarity of mind and determination. I loved James for his ability to realize his strengths and weaknesses as well as sensitive and tender side. Both characters were well written and the growth of their relationship was a joy to read about as it unfolded. THE MISFORTUNE OF LADY LUCIANNA by Christina McKnight Lady Lucianna and her friends are doing their best to bring the murderer of their friend Tildy to justice. In the meantime Luciana, Ophelia and Edith write a column for the London Gazette that exposes rakes, rogues and roués. The women believe they are in the right and always right but…as we find out in this story…that may not always be true. When The Duke of Montrose finds out who has destroyed his chances to marry a wealthy woman he sets out to get revenge – on Lucianna. This is was a fun book. It was nice to catch up with Edith. I wanted to smack Lucianna’s father a time or two and was thrilled he was thwarted by Lucianna and Roderick. I am curious to find out who Ophelia will end up with, whether or not Roderick will find out who stole the money from his father and whether or not Abercorn will be found guilty and Tildy will eventually get justice. THE DUKE’S ACCIDENTAL WIFE by Erica Ridley

Preconceptions can be misconceptions – and that is just what Katherine Ross “Kate” and Lawrence Pembroke, the Duke of Ravenwood found to be true before the end of the book. Kate was footloose and fancy free living with her great Aunt Havens when at one of her social events she and Ravenwood were caught in an apparently compromising situation. They both had ideas of what their future would be and that future did not include what they were suddenly faced with. As the two of them get to know one another better they find that what they believed true of one another is not quite accurate and worth reconsidering. I loved the way Kate began to see beyond the exterior Ravenwood presented to the world. I enjoyed Ravenwood’s slow opening up and sharing as time went on. This is a story of family, caring, sharing and giving and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Title: The Desires of a Duke

Authors: Darcy Burke, Grace Callaway, Lila DiPasqua, Shana Galen, Caroline Linden, Erica Monroe, Christina McKnight, Erica Ridley

Genre: Historical Romance

Release Date: December 12, 2017

Available for a LIMITED TIME ONLY!

BOOK BLURBS:

Enjoy eight historical romances from bestselling authors, featuring dashing, roguish dukes who are willing to risk it all to get the lady their heart desires. When these powerful, bold men take a chance on love, nothing can stop them. THE FORBIDDEN DUKE by Darcy Burke The Forbidden Duke helps ruined Eleanor find a second chance for happiness. What will she say when she learns of the role he played in her downfall? THE DUKE WHO KNEW TOO MUCH by Grace Callaway A spinster and rake join forces to catch a murderer. Wills clash and passion flares; will they risk all for love—before it’s too late? THE DUKE’S MATCH GIRL by Lila DiPasqua The only woman Leo, Duke of Mont-Marly, has ever yearned for is the adorably unconventional beauty who got away. Suzanne creates and selling matchsticks, elixirs for the ill…and is still so damned alluring. Leo is determined to give her a Christmas beyond her wildest imagination... WAITING FOR A DUKE LIKE YOU by Shana Galen Pursued by assassins, Princess Vivienne of Glynaven escapes to England. The Duke of Wyndover aids her, but is he the man she’s been waiting for? WHEN I MET MY DUCHESS by Caroline Linden The Duke of Wessex realizes he’s about to marry the wrong woman when he meets his bride’s sister…and the wedding may become a scandal. I SPY A DUKE by Erica Monroe A governess entering into a marriage of convenience with a duke gets more than she bargained for, as he's also a spy for the crown. THE MISFORTUNE OF LADY LUCIANNA by Christina McKnight The Duke of Montrose has only one choice: find a wealthy heiress to wed. When his quest brings him to Lady Lucianna, he can’t deny that he wants her for more than just her dowry. THE DUKE’S ACCIDENTAL WIFE by Erica Ridley The unflappable Duke of Ravenwood meets his match in this rollicking New York Times best-seller!

Available at: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iBooks

Author Bio:

Christina McKnight is a book lover turned writer. From a young age, her mother encouraged her to tell her own stories. She’s been writing ever since.

Christina enjoys a quiet life in Northern California with her family, her wine, and lots of coffee. Oh, and her books…don’t forget her books! Most days she can be found writing, reading, or traveling the great state of California.

You can visit her online at the following places: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Amazon

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#Barclay Publicity #Darcy Burke #Grace Callaway #Lila DiPasqua #Shana Galen #Caroline Linden #Erica Monroe #Christina McKnight #Erica Ridley #Historical Romance #Anthology

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courage-a-word-of-justice · 7 years ago

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Girls’ Last Tour 1 - 2 | Juuni Taisen 4 - 5 | Ancient Magus’ Bride 2 - 3 | Idolish7 1 - 2

The only one I’ve properly kept up with out of my 5 shows this season is Juuni Taisen, so I’m going to roll out the tag for that show first. Also, the Idolish7 first two episodes became free recently so I cover them here too.

Girls’ Last Tour 1

Pipes…grunge…hey, doesn’t this look familiar? *glares at Princess Principal*

I’ve only seen one episode of Made in Abyss but I get a bad feeling about these character designs…

I’m worried about this falling into the Yuri Divide. Sure,the fandom can do what it wants, but please don’t ship the lolis.

Oh right. Wind, meaning there’s an opening somewhere.

That dramatic eye opening made the outside world seem like an anticlimax. C’mon, show. You can do better than that.

I feel like Chito says “shut up” a lot, even though she’s only said it twice. I get how she’s kind of relatable, but this show’s not on the level of MMO Junkie or even Juuni Taisen. It’s just kinda…average.

Did Tangled ever teach you how to use a pan, Yuu?

Everything’s kinda WWI-esque. It’s kinda unsettling for a person who’s never properly seen war.

Even in this snowy world, you could still learn to hunt and cook, right?

If you kill your friend in a post-apocalyptic world, you’ll be lonely by war. Don’t kill each other, kiddos. Lives are precious.

This is serious, kiddos! C’mon!

Eating snow is meant to quench your thirst, but it’s not any good for hunger. Apparently.

Well, I’m quite lukewarm on this. I’ve already found my seasonal hits and I study globalisation, so it’s no surprise I find this stuff a lot like my weekly content. Nonetheless, whoever decided to put Classicaloid behind a paywall’s gonna have to pay (pun not intended)!

Girls’ Last Tour 2

I half expect a “hey you!” joke but they don’t work in Japanese…

What are the wiggly things on the ground next to Chi and Yuu in the OP??? Leeches???

Oh geez. Now they even draw cleavage on the lolis. Meaning these guys are just drawn young. That’s both a good and a bad thing.

Those letters seem to be…no language in particular.

Book burning. What a thing to throw in.

Oh. The blocky writing is actually hiragana or katakana. You just need to look at it closely.

I think that was meant to be comedy…but it was so cruel. Poor book.

I think what they’re saying is “don’t burn history”, but I think we learnt that a long time ago when the Chinese burnt books.

Maybe if these gals had Bear Grylls they’d survive a bit longer…?

Lemme guess: either Yuu burnt them all, destroyed them all or read them all.

The original joke was gomen wa, where ne is similar to wa. At least, I think it’s a wa. It could be a re.

The red circle said Yuu wrote the me wrong, so it’s actually probably gonun ne.

Well, someone funded a sakuga ending. Like the one from ACCA with dancing Lotta.

Juuni Taisen 4

I find it heavily symbolic that Nezumi likes eating eggs. Eggs represents chickens…and conundrums…

Ooh…bam. Nisio Isin’s going the Middle Eastern proxy route.

Hmm. Interesting, it’s basically Bystander Effect: the War.

The anime’s currently ahead of the manga, so I got slightly startled by Boar’s appearance. However, I’ve read some spoilers elsewhere, so I knew she was going to be in Monkey’s story somewhere else. I just didn’t think it was this soon.

Recycled footage…bad show! Bad!

LOL, CGI tank. Sorry for ruining the mood, but that stood out a bit too much for my liking.

“…participation is mandatory…” – Huh. I never saw that detail coming.

“Ow. I thought you were against violence.” – (LOL.) Yeah, but apathy isn’t good when something’s coming to get you in the sewers, so I’m with Monkey on this.

Wa-wait! Y’mean, Rabbit can use Chicken to use Eye of the Cormorant…so Monkey will die this ep??? [Monkey dying]’s exactly what I’ve been fearing for the duration of this episode. Update: If you want the spoiler version from the end of the ep…she didn’t die.

Notice Monkey uses moves that use the strength of her opponent against her. It’s a very pacifist touch, so to speak.

There are a series of images that flash by before the casual clothes part of the ED. If you observe them closely, you’ll see a lot of them involve the number 12. (Example: the cubes have lines on them that read “12”.)

LOL, I think I only just now spotted the bodyguard behind Boar. He’s hard to spot behind all the splatter.

Home boy and his T-bars make me laugh every time. Then of course, there’s Mr Floofy Jacket.

Oh, it’s Duodecuple who’s doing these next ep previews. I couldn’t figure out who it was last time I tried.

Juuni Taisen 5

Genius, with a capital letter? They keep calling him the Genius of Slaughter in his backstory, so I guess that’s where it’s from.

A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing is the same in Japanese as it is English, so at least the pun is there.

LOL, this episode is pretty much all “stuff goes kaboom!”, and that’s pretty much the way of the Sheep. Haha.

Of mice and men, eh??? (I read enough spoilers to know who the victor is…but I don’t know how they win.)

Whoa, yeah, baby! Bring that action! (That happens to be exactly the way I imagine my own action stories – from the front seat, so to speak.)

The snake’s winking! So cute! I want me some plushies like those!

Old-Timer. Haha, great pun on so many, many levels.

Ancient Magus’ Bride 2

I started doing a productivity blog and got caught up in it so much, I neglected anime! Imagine that – me, neglecting anime!

Oh, there’s a little “open” sign near the door.

It’s anime Hogwarts! Only the train is more colorful…LOL. (Actually, Little Witch Academia is anime Hogwarts, so scratch that.)

Ooh, Elias has a good taste in faces. Not that I’m complaining or anything. (Looks like En-chan, to boot.)

Elias is like the NEET genius of the magic world here. It’s kinda funny.

What’s a Gem’s Bee? (No spoilers, I’m not a manga reader!)

Angelica’s like her (Chise’s) mother, LOL. Seeing Elias properly emote is hilarious, hilarious! (Why I procrastinated on this show? Because it’s a slow mover that should be appreciated in its own time, but I’m not good with binging so…that’s why I’m only watching it now.)

Oh! No wonder Angelica seems like a mother. She is a mother.

Ooh! Ice flowers. Pretty. I’ve already gotten way too many screenshots for my own good out of this show…As a writer, I feel like I could never make a story like this.This is a story best fostered under someone else’s hand.

Poppies, eh? To me, poppies symbolise war and sticking out, but that’s just a product of where I was born. In the case of war, poppies represent the blood of the fallen and those who rise above that.

Speaking of stories I couldn’t write, I’m currently bringing Next to Me to a close. I feel like that’s my best match to AMB, which is why my thoughts dwell on stories so much right now. Next to Me is one of those stories where the world matters just as much as the character building, if not more, which is why the understated majesty of AMB is a good match.

Seeing a blonde Englishman use –kun like a Japanese is a bit disorienting.

Simon really treats Chise like a child, eh?

The “open” sign now says “close”. What is this house, an apothecary?

The CGI door was a bit weird…

Whoa! That was a bit of a fast approach into the dragon scene, but apparently the dragon part of AMB was really hyped…

Ancient Magus’ Bride 3

How does skelly-man see like that?

The dragons look like…Pokémon! (That was my first thought, LOL.)

This blonde is Lindel from the promo material I’ve read. He looks like zaShunina (Kado), so it’s best to be wary of him.

Ooh, now there’s an application of shadows I’d never be able to think of!

Holy flame spirits, Batman! Elias has a tongue! (I got spoilered on that by ANN, but it’s crazy seeing it in context.)

Ancient mages shouldn’t be hot like zaShunina! Where are the real old fogeys like Kiku(hiko, SGRS)?

Uncle Nevin! I found it extremely charming this uil has a name beyond “Uil”.

Can these dragons read minds? Or is it just the power of Dragon Knowledge (TM)?

When they say “Anime saved my life”, I guess they never meant it this literally…or at least, Chise never meant it this literally.

That dragon has way too many eyes!!! Yipes.

Huh. I haven’t felt this feeling since SGRS. The feeling of a masterpiece on my eyeballs.

羽鳥チセ <- That’s how you write Chise’s name, so they did another “Western creature uses Japanese knowledge” thing…

D’aww. That was beautiful! No wonder people like it, now I like it too. Nothing short of majestic, guys, nothing short of majestic.

Hey, the guy who voiced Nevin is called Ryuuzaburo. Ryuu means dragon in this case. (Meta pun!)

Idolish 7 1

Crunchyroll really tried to hype this thing up! Wow. So, here I am at what could pretty much be called a premiere event of the simulcast commentary. Enjoy, friends.

By the way, I’ve tried a bit of the Idolish 7 game (but since it was on BlueStacks, I couldn’t do the “rhythm” part of the rhythm game very well and subsequently couldn’t get too far) and of course, there’s a vested interest through Shirai, Masuda and Nishiyama. Update: There’s no Nishiyama in sight. Sorry, guys.

Oh wow. This is exactly as I remember it in the game, right down to the word!

Yay! I was looking forward to seeing the basketball scene adapted, since it’s possibly the only scene I got to experience in the game in its (Japanese) entirety. Bring the dang game to the Western world, Bandai!

Riku is such a pure cinnamon bun when he gets the basketball back.

LOL, Nagi is such a flirt, kyaa~ (semi-sarcastic).

I don’t remember them dropping Trigger’s name so early…geesh, my memory must be sketchier than I thought it was.

Just as a reference, Iori (black) is 17 while Riku (red) is 18.

Ooh, I just spotted a Trigger ad on one building during that cut.

Ooh, good sense of drama these guys have got going.

Idolish 7 2

Expressiveness for a grump like Yamato, LOL.

LOL, there’s a shark in the back…

Iori has a cat shirt, hahaha.

Cool and sharp…stationery? Like a compass?

Iori’s so sarcastic, I can’t tell f he’s ever being serious or not.

I don’t know who’s my favourite so far out of these i7 boys. Probably the one similar to my husbando, Tamaki.

Ahh, gotta love me a good, honest hardworking anime gal. You don’t see them very often, y’know. It’s refreshing.

That was a great Iori impression Mitsuki did, even visually (note: I didn’t listen to Mitsuki do the impression, I only read the subs…hence my comment). Troyca really captured the style of the game, to boot, which is another cherry on the cake.

Notice Iori stands in front of the D.C. (da capo) and leaves to reveal it.

I researched who Riku’s brother is while I was watching ep 1 and…(spoilers for the uninitiated!) the brother is Tenn of Trigger!

There was a soba ad in the back in one lingering shot…

Hey, I get the feeling there’s CGI involved in this dance segment, but it’s…hardly detectable! Amazing! These guys seem to have gone a long way since the horribly animated Monster Generation MV.

Notice they (Troyca) only use CGI in (mostly) shots which don’t involve closeups.

Of course Nagi winks in the middle of his performance…

Whoo, yeah. That was a bold move by Crunchyroll, and of course that would grab me more than just leaking the first ep. I wonder if any critics covered this on their blogs…? Or would it not matter, since critics wouldn’t cover this “uncritical slop” anyway? Nonetheless, I covered it, and that’s what matters! (Update: Yeah, all the critics – Frog-kun, Lauren in Space, Mage in a Barrel etc. - passed on it. As expected of those critics…)

#simulcast commentary #girls' last tour #ancient magus bride #juuni taisen #zodiac war #idolish7 #shoujo shuumatsu ryokou #Chesarka watches Juuni Taisen #mahoutsukai no yome #Chesarka watches MahoYome #Chesarka watches Shoujo Shuumatsu Ryokou #Chesarka watches Idolish7

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reenam-saluja-blog · 7 years ago

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How Reenam Saluja fucked me and my family during planned wedding

This is the story of love, hate, greed, lies, manipulation, victimization and destruction. I am publishing this blog because not only it is an amazing story of some people believing they are entitled to better life and since they are not getting it, they are the victims and everyone around them is evil. It is a story of how selfishness and greed can be so blinding that you can destroy families.

The whole experience has left me and my family deeply hurt and devastated. I hope this blog will help me get some of it out.

The beginning

This story is back from 2016. I was, at the time, a 29 year old Indian guy looking for a reasonable girl to for marriage. My parents and relatives were involved in the search as well, My family owns a well to do business, so we are upper middle class family. My parents in general are very kind and trusting people and so they are well known in society with lots and lots of friends and we also have numerous high profile political and business connections.

As such we were getting many good proposals. That is when we got a proposal for a girl who seemed to be good proposal - looks were not bad, studied in US so seemed smart, good career as she was working at google.

Rest of story is normal - families got in touch, we got in touch, late night calls ensued, everything seems to be falling in place for a great life.

Saatven aasmaan pe

You know the story, guy meets girl, both are young, connect immediately, fall in love and live happily ever after? Hold your horses amigo, calm down.

With us, start was exactly like that, things went very very well initially. She seemed reasonable from all angles - reasonable looks, she studied at some prestigious university in US (I forget the name), she worked at google, her dress sense seemed good. We were able to talk and laugh, i started to fall for her, I was on seventh heaven!

Marriage dates started to be discussed ... and that is when the sky started falling

What do you think was gonna happen next?

Fall from cloud nine, yep that’s what.

During marriage negotiation, everything starts to go wrong.

First disaster - marriage date itself

- to begin with, they could not even finalize dates. First they asked us to check for auspicious marriage dates with a pandit (priest). We did and earliest date came to be 6 months away. They were not happy with that. They said they will get it from their pandit. My family is neither very superstitious nor very picky, so we went along with it. Their pandit suggested dates 8 months out. Now they are still not happy. They said they are not superstitious and marriage should be within 2 months. We were very concerned that 2 months is not enough time to prepare, but they were insistent. Once again we went along.

When cards were published and distributed, venues booked, it turns out venues were too costly by then, many people were unable to attend due to short notice and everyone was getting frustrated over shopping and normal arrangements.

It was still not a big deal until one day under stress we had a fight and Reenam was basically yelling at me for making it a mess and said

Reenam: It is all your fault for arranging a date so early on

Me: We did not decide date, we proposed 6 months out, you changed it twice after it. We were going along with your wishes.

Reenam: If we tell you to jump in a well, will you jump in a well?

What? Was she arguing that we were idiots for agreeing to their wishes? Conversation continued ...

Me: So going forward, should we make decisions and you and your family be ok with it.

Reenam: Oh so you will be wearing pants in the relationship and you get to make decisions. The girl should be your maid, cook clean for you and worship you. she should keep her mouth shut and legs open for you. You such as a misogynist and asshole. I am sorry to have found a guy like you.

Sorry what again? Wasn’t she saying that we were idiots to have listened to her and now we are misogynist if we do not listen to her? What was the need to bring insults and sexism into the discussion?

She came across as a girl who had entirely different personality than I had known until then. In my mind it was a big red flag at multiple levels. Was she going to blame me for everything that goes wrong all her life? Was she going to play gender card everytime? Was she going to be an abusive companion?

I was very concerned. If we had not invited guests, the wedding would be off. But it was too late. I let it slide.

But this was just the beginning,

Victimization mentality

There are two ways to life life, either accept the world it is, or be angry at it. She seems to have chosen the 2nd path in life. The more we talked (once puppy love phase was over), the more I realized that she feels everyone is out there to get her, she is a victim of everything.

She had dated ‘asshole’ guys who were not chivalrous enough to pay for dinners every-time. She would have gotten more promotions and pay if she was a guy. They charged her more for the car because she was a girl, if she was guy they would have offered her a deal.

Now while some of these could be true, not everything can be true. Car dealers try to cheat every-one and it is up to us to do our research and find out price of car. If she did not do it, how is it a gender issue.

I hear this victim mentality (I deserve better, I am entitled to more, if you do not give me more, you are bad) is more common in US. Maybe because she studied there she got that mentality or maybe it came from her parents.

But all I have to say is, with that kind of mentality, how will you ever be happy? You can be mad at everyone, fake your smile and burn from inside; OR you can accept the world as it is, sometimes we get a better deal, sometimes we get a bad deal. In fact she has not had a bad deal at all - she got good education, she is living in US, earns well, works for google. She is already better off than 99% people in the world. If you are not happy with that, can you ever be happy?

Once the ice broke, the hell broke loose

Once the ice was broken, there was no need to keep pretend personality anymore. Her personality completely changed. My guess is, once the feeling of safety of a relationship took over, her and her family’s true personalities started to show.

I do recall in a one discussion she made a statement to the effect of “I can fake emotions on my face, usually people cannot tell what I feel from inside".

It was not important until I realized that I really do not know her true personality. All those laughter moments, love, connection was just fake. Oh god.

In the coming weeks, I got yelled at by her brother and by her father. Since we hardly objected to their demands, the yelling was mostly for decisions either they made or they left to us. My mother had to hear taunts from her mother. I could see where her personality developed from.

At this point, all my energy was going to calm her down and try to make her reasonable. I have a friend whose family does not gel well with his in laws. but they together decided to keep their families apart so they can have a good life. Kudos to them, they are happy together and living good life. My only chance was to make sure our relationship can work and distance ourselves a little bit from families so we can have a happier life.

I found out that she was very close to family and she was basically taking her father’s talking points and yelling at me. She had hard time seeing logic or finding a compromise if her father was against it. In effect, I was arguing with her father through her proxy. Whatever I said would go to her father and next day she would come up with new arguments. It was immensely draining.

What followed was more horror.

Sex, lies and money

Reenam confided in me that she had a boyfriend in USA. I am a cosmopolitan guy and I am ok with it. Honesty is appreciated. Everyone has bf/gf even in India now. I am not the one to seek virgin bride anyways. I did not want to discuss her past bfs, but it was not a big deal.

However she accidentally showed me a picture of her with a black guy. I was surprised that her bf was black. I asked her and she continued to pretend it was nothing. This was important, I pressed her more and more to tell the truth. Yelling ensued, labels of misogynist were thrown around, eventually she admitted that the black guy was not her bf, instead it was a ‘one time thing’.

What? So how many times she had done this ‘one time thing’? She never answered that question, but what I pieced together was that she had more than one one-night stands and the black guy was not the only incident.

At this point I was too scared to even ask her for STD check. I could not take any more aggression and yelling.

How much money do we have?

Her mother called me one day to chit chat. But mostly it ended up being - beta, how much do you earn. how many properties do you have, how much jewelry would you buy for her. Essentially she was sizing up our properties and wealth.

Usually old people are not as tactful, so she did slip up statement like ‘ab to law bhi ban gaya hai ki ladki ka hak banta hai apne ghar ki properties main' (now there is a law too that the girl is entitled to half of guys parents properties).

Why do people have to be so greedy. We are all well to do, why count other’s wealth? Do I need to worry about divorce, alimony, pre-nups now? What was their end game? If we are married, how does it matter how much wealth my parents have?)

Just to be fair, I started asking same questions back to her. I was immediately shut down saying ‘aap dahej to nahi maang rahe’ (are you asking for dowry?)

Why is it ok for her to ask detailed questions about our wealth but if I ask I am being bad?

Let’s discuss dowry.

Oh ya, lets talk about dowry. How can an Indian wedding be arranged without at least a discussion about dowry?

Well it can. In fact, we had no dowry demands. It was discussed and my father told them that we are well to do, we have no demands. As is customary in India, if they can take care of wedding, that is enough for us. We also did not discuss a wedding budget, they were free to adjust. Our family is anyways not into lavish ceremonies to show-off wealth that we may or may not have.

Also I think it was better this way to let them do it as we were quite unable to make them happy, no matter what we did.

They seemed happy with this, at least at first. Now keep in mind that wedding was being arranged at last moment and everything was overpriced. From planet tickets to wedding venues to caterers. As they booked each item, the budget ran into crores of rupees. We came to know only 2 weeks before wedding when one day they asked us to split the expenses in half.

While we could afford to do that, it seemed wrong at that point. we were not part of planning or budgeting. We would not have arranged things at last minute. We would not have spent crores on a wedding.

In addition, we also were very concerned about them going back at everything we agreed on, that too at last minute. In the mean time, I was being yelled at almost daily by Reenam. I was also concerned about STDs, major personality conflicts, lies and was just not feeling happy at all. I felt trapped.

Yes, we finally had to call off the wedding

We had no choice but to call off the wedding. This was devastating for both families but probably was in our best long term interests. We would not have gotten along anyways.

The aftermath

I was hoping this would be a moment for them to wake up and they would at least try to be reasonable. I could not be more wrong.

We were threatened that if we do not continue and pay for wedding, they will file a dowry complaint. That is in fact what happened. As I mentioned, we had many high profile links and are well to do. We had to pull a lot of ropes and were mostly unharmed but everyone felt betrayed and bitter. We took a short vacation to get over it and that helped. Bigger impact was that my marriage became a sad topic at home rather than an exciting and loving thing to look forward to.

In the end, some items were returnable, some could be cancelled with penalty. We did end up paying a part of cost to get it over with.

The after aftermath

Few months later we came to know that they called many of our relatives and told fake stories that we demanded dowry and cancelled wedding because they were unable to pay the dowry we demanded, added with random things like I was medically unfit for marriage (some may have believed but most did not because it made no sense (how would they know and why they did not cancel the marriage if that was true?).

Their revenge had an impact on us and our relationships. We are still recovering from it, mentally. Marriage has become a dark subject, we have become less trusting. Nobody won out of this and for what? What did they gain from all this?

Concluding thoughts

As I said, sometimes we get a better deal, sometimes we get a bad deal. I am happy that this dark part of life lasted only 3 months or so and was not a lifelong pain. I hope no-one has to go through an experience like this neither the guy nor the girl.

Be safe everyone.

#reenamsaluja reenam google sanfrancisco california india girl women dowry rape

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