#Sophie Mires

[littlestarlost]

You're Probably Taking Yellowjackets too literally, and there's still time to stop.

So there's like two months until the second season premiere of Yellowjackets, and as someone who was watching the show literally from the night of the pilot premiere, I have some Thoughts about how the fandom reacted to a lot of the show's mysteries at the time of airing, how a rewatch of the full first season feels after getting all that info piecemeal week after week, and how, in my humble opinion, people are simply misunderstanding a MASSIVE part of the show's conceit. So here's that rant, because I just rewatched season 1, and very few shows make me want to write full-blown essays like this one. You should absolutely watch the show if you haven't yet, ESPECIALLY if you are AFAB or femme or were raised and socialized female. Because hooooooo boy.

One: What is Yellowjackets?

Yellowjackets is a television show that made its debut in the last few weeks of 2021. It stars Melanie Lynskey, Tawny Cypress, Christina Ricci, and Juliette Lewis as four women who, as teenagers, survived a harrowing plane crash with their high school soccer team which left them stranded in the Canadian wilderness for a year and a half. The series opens with a scene that really heavily implies that the girls resorted to cannibalism to survive during their ordeal, but we still do not know the specifics of how that came to be.

The show flips between following the adult survivors in the year 2021 and flashing back to the accident in 1996. The four main survivors--Shauna (Lynskey as an adult, Sophie Nélisse as a teen), Tai (Cypress as an adult, Jasmin Savoy Brown as a teen), Misty (Ricci as an adult, Sammi Hanratty as a teen) and Natalie (Lewis as an adult, Sophie Thatcher as a teen)--are all shown suffering from various levels and types of post-traumatic stress disorder, as you might imagine one would deal with if one had survived a fucking plane crash and cannibalism as teenagers. Without going deep into spoiler territory, let's just say that some shit goes down, and the first season concludes without a single piece of eaten flesh.

Two: Why is Yellowjackets Good?

These things are obviously subjective, but in my opinion Yellowjackets is one of the best pieces of fiction ever made about female trauma, specifically. When we meet the four adult survivors, none of them are doing well: Shauna chafes against her role as a stay at home wife and mom, seeking out an affair with a mysterious younger man because her world feels far too small; Taissa is running for state senate, but the stress of the election is causing the breakdown of her marriage and massive stress to her son; Natalie is in and out of rehab, actively suicidal and incapable of self-care; and Misty is a nurse who uses her role as a caretaker to manipulate and control everyone around her. Their various issues all stem not just from the plane crash, but also from the traumas that have been sprinkled throughout their lives up to the crash as well; Misty was a bullied social outcast, Natalie came from an abusive home, Shauna was constantly in her best friend Jackie's shadow, and Tai is a gay Black woman, with more than enough generational trauma to go around.

As a high school soccer team, all of these characters had their place in the hierarchy; but the crash upends that hierarchy. The queen bee is utterly useless out in the woods; the off-putting weirdo is suddenly the closest thing they have to a medical professional (she took babysitting training twice). Being in the closet no longer matters when you have to know how to hunt and clean a deer if you don't want to starve. Being the golden girl's best friend no longer carries the leverage it once did if you're more useful to the group than the golden girl. One person's hidden mental illness becomes a massive problem because she only took enough meds to cover the few days they were supposed to be away; another girls' religiosity becomes a lifeline in a mire of confusion and fear. The adults in the room are gone, and the already complex social structures of teenage girlhood become even more confusing when lives are literally on the line.

Three: What's Wrong With the Response to the Show?

The thing about Yellowjackets is that it has the misfortune of existing in the world that JJ Abrams has made, and JJ Abrams fucking destroyed the concept of mystery for an entire generation. For this, he will never be allowed to enter the kingdom of Heaven. May God have mercy on his soul.

Yellowjackets purposefully doesn't give us all the answers we want when we want them, and the setup of its many mysteries--how did the girls get rescued? Who gets eaten and when? What's with the weird symbol carved on the trees near the crash site?--includes allusions to possible--POSSIBLE--supernatural explanations. And as a result of JJ Abrams being one of the most irresponsible storytellers on the planet, I watched the media and fan response to Yellowjackets spiral into the same kind of mystery-box-solving, "MOVIE ENDING EXPLAINED IN 10 MINUTES" youtube video type of bullshit. It's dismaying because, at least in my opinion, it demonstrates a complete lack of understanding of what the showrunners are actually trying to explore, which is the fact that trauma does not resolve itself when given a tidy answer, and tidy answers simply do not exist anyway.

There are flashbacks inside flashbacks, pieces of the characters' childhoods that help to develop their backstories. One excellent example is the Man With No Eyes, a spectre first introduced in a flashback with Taissa as she watches her beloved grandmother die.

She sees The Man With No Eyes again in the woods, and then again as an adult spiraling into a psychotic episode. More intriguingly, Tai's son Sammy seems to imply knowledge of the Man With No Eyes too, despite the fact that Taissa has never told him about it. So, the fans wondered--how could he know? What could it mean? Is the Man a ghost? Is Sammy telepathic?

No.

The Man With No Eyes is a visual representation of generational trauma, and a really great one at that. Taissa does not come up with him; she learns of him from her grandmother, who sees him in her last terrified moments on this earth; it is a fear that is passed onto her children and grandchildren, despite having no explanation or origin. And generational trauma passes down to your kids, even when you don't vocalize it; that's what makes it generational trauma. Sammy inherits his mother's trauma, and in the absence of an answer he grasps for his own explanations for the spectre haunting him.

Another issue I take is with people trying to red-string-and-pushpin their way into a full explanation of the events we see. The crash survivors find a lake with an abandoned cabin nearby, where they can take more permanent shelter; why was there a mummified corpse in the attic? Why wasn't there a road from the cabin that they could follow to civilization? How far into the Canadian wilderness could they really be, to not be found for nineteen months?

It doesn't matter. If you're asking those questions, then you're not paying attention. You're missing the forest for the trees.

Four: Yellowjackets is a Show About Trauma

The thing about trauma is that it impacts every part of you. Nothing is ever the same, and the great agony of recovery is having to reconcile that painful truth. Another thing about trauma is that it defies logic and reason; there is no reason for why this happened to you and not to someone else. There is no tidy answer for every loose end. A lack of knowledge in the moment leads to actions which have consequences, and all the hindsight in the world can't change those decisions you made.

But one of the keenest and sharpest observations that Yellowjackets makes about trauma is the rather hilarious fact that we are all somehow supposed to just......go on living after it. Without getting help, without rending ourselves to ash and dust to be remade, without shrieking our anguish to the sky until we spit blood--we're just supposed to move on, to compartmentalize and keep going, to show up at work or school every single fucking day and just pretend that we're fine. And that doesn't just apply to major traumas like a fucking plane crash, but to all the tiny little traumas that come along with being a girl in society: the bullying, the ostracizing, the family issues, the generational trauma, the friendship breakups and emotional schisms. Yellowjackets is a show that demonstrates the absurdity of this expectation that we place on everyone in society, but especially on AFABs, to recover and continue and pretend that we aren't being eaten up from the inside. It's a show that takes great pains to reveal that nothing happens in a vacuum; every survivor of the plane crash arrived there with her own traumas already strapped to her back. It's a show that is willing to talk about how surviving something horrible will make you paranoid and anxious and insecure, even 25 years later, because trauma is continuous and healing is not linear. It's a show about reconciling the fact that answers simply aren't going to help, even if you get them someday.

Conclusion: How to Read Yellowjackets

I can't recommend Yellowjackets enough. It's a phenomenal show, especially if you are Gen X or millennial and grew up with these actresses as a major part of your adolescence. It's also a show that is proving itself to be whip-smart, far smarter than JJ Abrams ever was. It's a show that reminds us how cannibalistic teenage girlhood can be on its own, never mind the stresses of a real survival situation. It's a show that talks, openly and honestly, about how many of us simply are not okay, and shouldn't be considered okay, and probably should not be operating heavy machinery. It's a show that is willing to confront the way we need to cannibalize ourselves, consume our own trauma like Saturn devouring his son, in order to return to the world waiting impatiently for the version of us who will never exist again. It's a show not only about MILF rights, but also about MILF wrongs.

[wolves-in-the-world]

tags on krakenartificer's post about a leverage au where nate enters the priesthood but ends up running cons for people who come to him for help anyway:

#now i need a crossover episode of catholic priest nate who's still running leverage style shenanigans #with father brown [via @trivalentlinks]

thank you for making me stare at the wall in fascination and horror about this crossover

they'd be occasional allies occasional confidantes they'd go behind each other's backs once or twice and only kinda regret it. This nate hasn't gone through the same loss as in canon, but that wouldn't make him a whole lot softer, so he'd be fundamentally irritated with father brown - his tested and unshakeable belief and his optimism about the human condition - and father brown would be generally concerned about everyone on nate's end, and nate not the least of it. They'd play chess together and be fairly well-matched. They'd visit each other's confessionals to check in.

we'd get some interesting acknowledgement of father brown's "I'm nice and simple and harmless" grift (which I could also call power negativity) which is only kind of a grift because he really is that nice and harmless beneath, except that he uses it to get information from people.

flambeau would be utterly thrilled and (playfully?) insulted not to be father brown's only criminal associate.

the leverage crew would be correctly suspicious of flambeau, I think, but sophie would greet him by name - possibly with a kiss to the cheek, possibly eyeing him like he's a viper in their midst - and reference some very improbable occasion when they were after the same prize. He mentions she was using a different name then; he doesn't say what it was. Bonus points if he also had his eye on the dagger in the Rashomon Job but had the flu / was unexpectedly in prison / had to attend a grandmother's funeral at the time.

I have this certainty in my mind that the leverage crew would be largely dismissive of sid's abilities and he'd kind of snort and roll his eyes about it - he's at worst a common criminal and very lower class, so he's used to being understimated - and surprise them with his connections or lock-picking or holding his own in a brawl or fixing an elderly car in the quickest dirtiest way imaginable. (Parker would decide she likes him then; the others would be reassured after seeing how gentle he is when talking with her.) He'd also nope out of leverage's business at a sensible time, because father brown's rubbed off on him and he doesn't actually want that kind of danger - unless the con's personal.

(I'm not sure whether to set this in leverage time or drag it back to father brown's 1950s so I'm settling for mashing the two together and pretending it's not an issue. See also: geography.)

… father brown would have I think one harrowing conversation with eliot where they mention their time in the military, the marks that killing people and losing people leaves on a person - father brown already does this in canon, tells someone it's unfair that they're mired in trauma and alcoholism when he found his faith through trauma instead, it floored me - and after brushing on repentance and god here, he wouldn't bring it up with eliot again. (I think father brown varies on this in canon, frankly, but he often respects that kind of boundary, and I think he'd recognise a wound so sore it should be left to heal however it can.)

(yes I'm playing with fictional priests like barbie dolls but no I'm not comfortable with the conversion aspects, so apologies and bear with me while I skate on past that.)

(he'd describe eliot as a good person, once, or as someone working very hard at it. Eliot would be on edge about that for the entire con, finding a little too much uneasy satisfaction in getting to knock people out and play the bad guy - play at the simpler stuff he used to do. Sophie might catch father brown for a word about it; father brown wouldn't be that clumsy again.)

I think father brown and nate would both talk bunty out of getting involved in a joint kembleford-leverage operation except in the most innocent way possible. The problem is she actually would make a good getaway driver, and she's thrilled with the idea, but she's already had some run-ins with the press and the law and can't risk another; luckily she's better used as a distraction elsewhere.

and I'm sorry to do this, but I think lady felicia's husband would be a mark or potential mark at one point. It would be fraught.

(the main reason I haven't recommended father brown's heist episode (s7e10), aside from not having a background on the politics in it, is that it shows lady felicia as a victim and pulls the heist on her behalf. The show largely convinced me to ignore the messy reality of her and her husband's inherited wealth, but that episode made me kinda uncomfortable - which is a shame, because seeing these characters pull a heist was fucking great.)

mrs mccarthy would be used against her will or knowledge as a distraction while someone's pockets are picked. She isn't told until afterwards, and then only half by accident. She is, of course, horrified. Father brown was absolutely the one to suggest it in planning, but flambeau slips in mid-apology to smoothly take the blame.

I could in fact go on and this is in fact a problem.

—

editing to continue:

I'm actually thinking that father brown might approach eliot from an ex-military angle and not a Religious Authority angle at all - eliot was raised protestant, after all, and it's an entirely different vibe. And I have to think eliot's guarded around father brown for the very fact that he's a priest and seems to mean it in a way that nate, I feel, wouldn't. So they may avoid the topic entirely, or as close to it as they can when brushing on, well, eliot's entire moral injury situation. Which is good news for me.

bunty would admire parker for being different and capable and getting up to exciting things, though would probably fail at any attempts at friendship until she thinks to ask what parker likes doing and ends up learning to pick pockets that evening. The second those two are around buildings tall enough to rappel down she's in danger. (The second parker can slip away at night she's giving the church a go; father brown gives her a look the night before and quietly warns her about the dodgy roof.)

mrs mccarthy decides fairly quickly that hardison is a very nice young man (his nana instincts are online and functional) even if he spends far too much time on the wretched computer. She's determined to feed him and half the time he's determined to find ways to politely refuse, though the strawberry scones are actually pretty good.

she's appalled by eliot's job, and fiercely territorial of her kitchen when he offers help, even just cleaning up, but once she's seen him get in the way of trouble she's absolutely catching his arm and half hiding behind him in any crisis real or perceived. (She still doesn't approve of him.)

lady felicia sees hardison and eliot as two very different kinds of novelties and does some talking to hardison about tech (mostly listening and marveling) and some quietly ogling both of them, and especially eliot once she's seen him fighting. (Eliot unfortunately turned on his charm when he realised she sort of expected it. She doesn't get to chat with charming southern gents all that often - it's very shallow, and she's not serious about it.)

thank goodness bunty's too young for eliot so I don't have to go there. He has to tuck her out of sight in a barn at some point when trouble's headed their way; when the mess is almost cleaned up and she's grabbed a rifle from somewhere to tell the the remaining goon to clear off, with every appearance of competence, eliot takes it from her and disarms it with a smear of blood under his nose and a slightly betrayed expression.

hardison and sid get along, aside from a little initial insecurity on the parker front, and get to bitch a bit about flambeau, who hardison mistrusts from the start.

flambeau... he admires parker, from a distance - professionally and not very effusively - but after he watches her work for a while he seems to realise who she was trained by, and tells her as much. He says he was too, for a very short time, and it's unclear if he'd gain anything from making it up. Says that he and archie had a difference of opinion - and has a way of saying it that implies there might have been fire involved.

[legionnaireslover]

Well, well, well, Haters are quite the literary critics!

Haters have been raving about the DM's clickbait article concerning "nepo" babies because BC was mentioned front and centre (all a bunch of bullshit but , come on... it the DM!!) and then Aeltri decides to go off on a tangent about a writer who AELTRI DECIDES is BFF with Sophie.

And of course, now this writer is fodder for the "slag hags" of the Swamp! So now ALL of them are saying he's a hack and that THEY could do MUCH better!

Who is this guy?

Just someone who was one of 12 writers up for the Giller Book Prize (for the book TRASHED by Aeltri) and who was also previously nominated for the BOOKER PRIZE!

But hey, "The Swamp Queens" think he's a "hack" just because Aeltri says he's friends with Sophie (I don't even know if this is true!). The fact that he rubs literary shoulders with Atwood, speaks volumes to me!

Could the Haters own ignorance sink them any further into the muck and mire? ... stay tuned!

[alexlacquemanne]

Septembre MMXXIV

Films

L'Homme au pistolet d'or (The Man with the Golden Gun) (1974) de Guy Hamilton avec Roger Moore, Christopher Lee, Britt Ekland, Maud Adams, Hervé Villechaize, Clifton James, Richard Loo et Soon-Tek Oh

La Panthère rose (The Pink Panther) (1963) de Blake Edwards avec Claudia Cardinale, David Niven, Peter Sellers, Robert Wagner, Capucine, Brenda De Banzie et Fran Jeffries

Le Masque de Zorro (The Mask of Zorro) (1998) de Martin Campbell avec Antonio Banderas, Anthony Hopkins, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Stuart Wilson, Matt Letscher, Victor Rivers et Tony Amendola

La Classe américaine : Le Grand Détournement (1993) de Michel Hazanavicius et Dominique Mézerette avec Christine Delaroche, Evelyne Grandjean, Marc Cassot, Patrick Guillemin, Raymond Loyer, Joël Martineau, Jean-Claude Montalban et Roger Rudel

Les Sept Mercenaires (The Magnificent Seven) (1960) de John Sturges avec Yul Brynner, Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson, James Coburn, Robert Vaughn, Brad Dexter, Horst Buchholz, Eli Wallach, Jorge Martínez Hoyos, Vladimir Sokoloff et Rosenda Monteros

Un homme est mort (1972) de Jacques Deray avec Jean-Louis Trintignant, Ann-Margret, Roy Scheider, Angie Dickinson, Umberto Orsini, Ted de Corsia, Alex Rocco, Felice Orlandi et Michel Constantin

Le Grand Pardon (1982) d'Alexandre Arcady avec Roger Hanin, Richard Berry, Bernard Giraudeau, Jean-Pierre Bacri, Gérard Darmon, Jean-Louis Trintignant, Clio Goldsmith, Richard Bohringer, Lucien Layani et Anny Duperey

Luke la main froide (Cool Hand Luke) (1967) de Stuart Rosenberg avec Paul Newman, George Kennedy, Strother Martin, J. D. Cannon, Lou Antonio, Jo Van Fleet, Clifton James et Morgan Woodward

Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022) de Daniel Kwan et Daniel Scheinert avec Michelle Yeoh, Stephanie Hsu, Ke Huy Quan, James Hong, Jamie Lee Curtis, Tallie Medel, Jenny Slate et Harry Shum Jr

Le Tonnerre de Dieu (1965) de Denys de La Patellière avec Jean Gabin, Michèle Mercier, Lilli Palmer, Robert Hossein, Georges Géret, Paul Frankeur, Ellen Schwiers, Nino Vingelli, Louis Arbessier et Daniel Ceccaldi

La Pomme de son oeil (1970) de François Villiers avec Jean Pierre Aumont, Elisabeth Wiener, Sophie Desmarets, Carol Lixon, Jean Marc Thibault, Gabrielle Doulcet, Pierre Bertin, Gérard Depardieu et Edith Ker

Baiser mortel (A Kiss Before Dying) (1956) de Gerd Oswald avec Robert Wagner, Jeffrey Hunter, Virginia Leith, Joanne Woodward, Mary Astor, George Macready et Robert Quarry

Arabesque (1966) de Stanley Donen avec Gregory Peck, Sophia Loren, Alan Badel, Kieron Moore, Carl Duering, John Merivale, Duncan Lamont et George Coulouris

Séries

Nestor Burma Saison 5, 6

Drôle d'épreuve pour Nestor Burma - La Plus noble conquête de Nestor - Poupée russe - Les Affaires reprennent - En garde, Burma ! - Mise à prix pour Nestor Burma - Burma et la Belle de Paris - N’appelez pas la police

Castle Saison 7, 8

Planète hostile - Le Flic de Hong Kong - Dans la ligne de mire - L'Attaque du pitbull - En sommeil - Y a-t-il un enquêteur dans l'avion - La mort n'est pas une blague - Dans les bois - Disparition - Conspiration - Cinquante Nuances de vengeance - De pieux mensonges - Le Nez - Une vieille connaissance - Un homme à femmes

Affaires sensibles

Le tortueux destin des Inconnus - Le Parrain, les recettes d'un chef-d'œuvre - Lolo Ferrari, la chute de l'icône de silicone - Rocky : l'Amérique les poings levés - La chute de la IVème République en mai 1958 - Landru et le chemin des dames - Les révoltés du France - The Golden State killer, le plus froid des cold case - Rue des Rosiers : le lent chemin vers la vérité ?

Maguy Saison 8

Les délinquants sont éternels - Ennuis et héros - Tx-trol de drame - Crocodile Maguy - Tous les kalaniens, toutes les kalaniennes - Funérailles aïe aïe - Nomade's land - Sauce grand vanneur - L'entremêleur - Maguy, Georges, Pierre, Rose et les autres - Traitement de chic - Allô Maguy ici bébé - Roman à l'eau de rose - Le fiscopathe - Olé beaux jours - Cet obscur objet de Désiré - Hoquet sur place - Fenêtre sans cour - La guerre des canulars - Désastres et des astres - Legs à deux têtes - Une souris et des homme - Coût de peau - La bourse ou Maguy - N'oubliez pas le service - C'est pas sorcier - Drôle de squatt - L'espion qui venait d'en face - Bébé éprouvant - Crises de mères

Le Coffre à Catch

#183 : Bataille Royale + Hommage à Sid - #184 : Santino Show + Dusty supporte Uva - #185 : Le futur s'appelle Ezekiel Jackson - #186 : La ECW : c'est annulé !! - #187 : Yoshi Tatsu et Goldust champions pour la dernière?

Les Nouvelles Brigades du Tigre Saison 5

S.O.S. tour Eiffel - Le Temps des garçonnes - Le Vampire des Carpates - Made in U.S.A. - Le Réseau Brutus - Le Complot

Nautilus Saison 1

��vasion - Tic Tac Boum - La force du peuple - Sur une pente glissante - Hallucinations - L'Atlantide - Guerre froide - Le Point de bascule - La Chevauchée des Walkyries - Bouquet final

The Grand Tour Saison 6

Un dernier pour la route

MacGyver Saison 1

Pris au piège - Le Casse du casino - Cauchemars - La Taupe - Mission Afghanistan

Brokenwood Saison 9

Brokenwood: Le Musical - On ne choisit pas sa famille - Les Petites Soeurs de Sainte-Monica

Commissaire Dupin

Les secrets de Brocéliande

Brocéliande

Episode 1 - Episode 2 - Episode 3 - Episode 4 - Episode 5 - Episode 6

Friends Saison 1

Celui qui déménage - Celui qui est perdu - Celui qui a un rôle - Celui avec George - Celui qui lave plus blanc - Celui qui est verni - Celui qui a du jus - Celui qui hallucine - Celui qui parle au ventre de sa femme - Celui qui singeait - Celui qui était comme les autres - Celui qui aimait les lasagnes - Celui qui fait des descentes dans les douches - Celui qui avait un cœur d'artichaut - Celui qui pète les plombs - Celui qui devient papa : première partie - Celui qui devient papa : deuxième partie - Celui qui gagnait au poker - Celui qui a perdu son singe - Celui qui a un dentiste carié

Spectacles

Gary Moore : Live at Montreux (2010)

Laurent Gerra flingue la télé (2006)

La Sainte famille (1976) de Georges Vitaly avec Dominique Paturel, Nelly Vignon, Frank Baugin, Erik Colin, Rodolphe Marin, Jose Luccioni, Jacques Balutin, Michèle Grellier, Max Desrau, Monique Delaroche, Madeleine Cheminat, Odile Mallet, Robert Party Frédérique Cernay, André Lambert, Xavier Renoult et Bertrand Gohaud

The Police : Certifiable: Live In Buenos Aires (2008)

The Doors : Live at the Hollywood Bowl (1968)

Livres

Zazie dans le métro de Raymond Queneau

Le boucher d'Alina Reyes

Effroyables jardins de Michel Quint

Kaamelott, tome 8 : L'antre du Basilic d'Alexandre Astier et Steven Dupré

Kaamelott, tome 9 : Les renforts maléfiques d'Alexandre Astier et Steven Dupré

Les secrets de Brocéliande de Jean-Luc Bannalec

Friends l'intégrale : Le livre officiel des dix ans ! de David Wild

Astérix, tome 16 : Astérix chez les Helvètes de René Goscinny et Albert Uderzo

[average-guy-reviews]

Femstival by LEMAN Day 2

28th April 2024

After a very successful first day of Femstival I was invited back to day 2. I went into this day without any knowledge of the artists involved, unlike day 1. I was extremely intrigued as to what I was going to be hearing, and the styles of music I'd be listening to.

Back in Sotto, which is a fabulous little venue, I settled in and prepared for the show.

Zara Smile

This is a young woman who, to me at least, had vocals that had an essence of Brit Pop entangled with a little Lily Allen and a young Alanis Morrisette. Her lyrical style shows a really strong sense of storytelling, using her own personal struggles in a way that is, at times, intensely emotional and certainly resonated with this particular listener.

Her playing style has a power that is in stark contrast with her physical stature, and the dichotomy of power and size combines to create a superb young artists. For such a powerful young storyteller I am more than certain that she has an interesting musical future.

Rose Greenwood

With a chilled, ethereal vibe Rose brings a warmth to the stage with music that tells tales, but more so evokes images of quiet passion. It's music to watch a sunrise to, with a warm cocoa in hand and your closest friends by your side. It feels good.

Rose's style is a relaxed one that makes it seem like she is completely, and with ease, at home on the stage. She draws the audience into her musical world, and because of this we can relax into the music without any issues or complications.

Eleanor

Smooth vocals over a gentle guitar work together with strong lyrics to create an artists I could listen to on a regular basis...without any fear of getting bored. In some of her songs her vocal 'swops', from her lower range right up to her higher are really smooth. It's a heck an ability to keep that kind of thing as smooth as she does and it's really quite special to hear.

As an artist it can be hard to create short art, be it movies or music, and have it make sense, or feel complete. Eleanor does this with style, and hits a lot of emotional points in songs that are incredibly easy to listen to.

Shannon Gillespie

Of all the acts so far, (as I wrote my notes at least) Shannon is the first one that wouldn't feel out of place on stage in Nashville. As a fan of country music Shannon's style really worked well for me. Within it though I did, at times, also hear elements of groups like Sixpence None The Richer.

Powerful vocals, on top of lyrical intensity, brings out a force on stage that the audience seems to really like, and definitely seemed to connect with. Shannon is a strong confident performer and it is utterly clear that she loves what she does.

Sophie Mac

On stage she specifically described herself as not being a singer or a guitarist, and yet what I watched on stage tells a very different story. She absolutely is a performer, but she is performer of her own past and her own pain. I have to say that while she was singing there was something about her vocals, the trills and wavers, that drove emotional needles right into my heart, and just....wow! It made me speechless and anyone that knows me knows how big a deal that is.

In her own words her set is based on depressing songs, but her personality is such that between songs you are able to rise above the mire to a much happier place. Sophie also does rap/spoken singing sections in some of her songs, and it adds another level to an already deep well of awesome.

In all honesty Sophie's set was by far the loudest, from an audience perspective. This is because a lot of people had come to Sotto in support of her, from friends, family and work colleagues. The venue felt full with the size of the crowd by the time her set started. As part of her set she stepped off stage so that a young lady, inspired by her, had a chance to sing a song. This was a really decent thing for her to do and the young lady in question did a really great job.

Overall

Day 2 of Femstival was a superb show and Mel Price should be rightly proud of what she has arranged, and of all the work she put into this and all of her other shows she works on. Every artist for this day was genuinely so talented and deserves all the recognition. It is good to see that the future of female independent music is as strong as this two day event has show it is. If you get the chance to check out any of the artists from day 1 and 2 on your streaming service then please do, and help support independent music.

Also check out LEMAN (Liverpool Entertainment, Music and Art Network) on all social media for further information about upcoming gigs they are supporting and running.

[playlistjunkie]

Kevin’s Picks - Spotify Playlist

Curated by Kevin Costner

November 2021

Without You by Luke Combs

Heavy Like the Rain by Kevin Costner & Modern West

Feathered Indians by Tyler Childers

Sleeping on the Blacktop by Colter Wall

What Are You Listening To? by Chris Stapleton

Hippies and Cowboys by Cody Jinks

Follow You to Virgie by Tyler Childers

Only Thing That’s Gone by Morgan Wallen

Skeletons by Brothers Osborne

no body, no crime by Taylor Swift

Long White Line by Sturgill Simpson

Tabasco & Sweet Tea by The Cadillac Three

Six Feet Apart by Luke Combs

Crazyland by Eric Church

Trailer We Call Home by Whiskey Myers

The Killer by Kevin Costner & Modern West

Bluebird by Miranda Lambert

Southside of Heaven by Ryan Bingham

Like Jesus Does by Eric Church

Country Squire by Tyler Childers

All the Makin's of a Saturday Night by The Cadillac Three

Strong Enough by Ray LaMontagne

Ain’t Always the Cowboy by Jon Pardi

Where Rainbows Never Die by The SteelDrivers

Angel From Montgomery by Bonnie Raitt and John Prine

Mistakes by Lake Street Dive

Long Haul by Ian Munsick

Heaven's Gate by Kevin Costner & Modern West

Starting Over by Chris Stapleton

Must Be the Whiskey by Cody Jinks

Frogman by Whiskey Myers

Last of My Kind by Jason Isbell

Nose on the Grindstone by Tyler Childers

Take This Heart of Gold by Watchhouse

Letting Me Down by Margo Price

Poison in My Heart by Kevin Costner & Modern West

Arkansas by Chris Stapleton

Through My Ray-Bans by Eric Church

Heading South by Zach Bryan

Cover Me Up by Morgan Wallen

On the River by Whiskey Myers

Count On Me by The Lone Bellow

Feeling Like the Last Time by Kevin Costner & Modern West

Straight Up Sideways by Lainey Wilson

Take The Highway by Blackberry Smoke

Worry B Gone by Chris Stapleton

To Hell & Back by Maren Morris

Make It a Good One by Brothers Osborne

November Air by Zach Bryan

Hell of a View by Eric Church

The Man I Am by Kevin Costner

Like a Wrecking Ball by Eric Church

Ain’t a Train by Cody Jinks

Same Devil by Brandy Clark

Dreamsicle by Jason Isbell

I Don’t Mind by Sturgill Simpson

Whiskey’d My Way by Morgan Wallen

Outlaw by Morgan Wallen

Fuss & Fight by Koe Wetzel

Till the Wheels Fall Off by Blackberry Smoke

Glitter Ain’t Gold by Whiskey Myers

Wilder Days by Morgan Wade

Away From The Mire by Billy Strings

Some People Do by Old Dominion

Horses in Heaven by Kylie Frey

Paradise by Sturgill Simpson

Saint by Maggie Rose

Younger Me by Brothers Osborne

Runs in the Family by Alex Hall

A Little Dive Bar in Dahlonega by Ashley McBryde

Martha Divine by Ashley McBryde

Heavyweight by Kassi Ashton

Villain in Me by Tenille Townes

'Til You Can't by Cody Johnson

Red Dirt Clouds by HIXTAPE

Thank God It's Raining by Josh Grider

Trouble by Sophie & The Broken Things

When You Feel It by Sam Outlaw

GIVE HEAVEN SOME HELL by HARDY

Doin' This by Luke Combs

Mercy by Cody Jinks

Hurt You by Cody Jinks

[listening-to-free-audiobooks]

Not So Sweet Maria [Sisters by Marriage Series #1]

The ton calls her Sweet Maria and, even in her fourth Season, eligibles continue to offer her marriage. They do not know Lady Maria despises the hypocritical ways of Polite Society and is trying to sail away to America! Though she is the granddaughter of a duke, Lady Maria is a Child of Scandal because her mother was an American commoner. She blames the duke and the duchess for her parents’ death. Had they not disowned them, they would not have died of a virulent fever in America, leaving her an orphan at the age of five. Lady Maria agrees to an arranged match to ward off her persistent suitors, treating the engagement as a sham one to be ended at her convenience.

Then, most unexpectedly, she finds love with a commoner. Only he isn’t a commoner but the Earl of Daventon. Gareth, Earl of Daventon is no stranger to Scandal. Rumour has it that his father had banished his mother for adulterous behavior. And yet, he yearned until his last breath to have her back. Gareth is determined not to repeat his sire’s mistake. Love is a quagmire and I shall not be caught in it. But love finds him. The object of his ardour is a mysterious young woman who dresses like a shop girl and behaves like a lady. Lord Daventon remedies the situation by accepting an arranged match, his betrothed being Lady Maria whom he hasn’t met. All of which leads to a delightful tangle of affairs...

Not Just Lovely Laura [Sisters by Marriage Series #2]

Can Lady Laura continue to love the Duke of Wimberley when she has evidence that he has committed a terrible crime? Growing up in the shadow of her parents’ estrangement, Laura has learnt to mask her feelings. She is also unused to company. Her father, though an earl, was a recluse. Now she must go to London during the Season where she will meet her mother - the mother she had pined for and resented in equal measure. Laura finds herself a success. She has suitors offering for her but is secretly in love with the Duke of Wimberley. She isn’t sure about his feelings. Does it even matter? The duke is most attentive to the beautiful widow, Lady Mannering.

And then Laura learns a shocking truth about the duke. He is not the man he appears to be. Anthony, Duke of Wimberley is in London to find a wife for the second time. Seven years ago he had made a love match. He knows better now. He is looking for someone who will take charge of the duties of duchess and also be a mother to his daughter. His intention to guard his heart disappears as he comes to know Laura. Before he can proceed to court her, he becomes mired in perhaps the biggest Scandal of all time. To his utter shock, not only does Lady Laura believe the worst about him, she goes out of her way to thwart him!

No Longer Flighty Fanny [Sisters by Marriage #3]

As a young girl, Fanny finds escape from her unstable home by roaming in the woods and riding her mare. Free and innocent of guile, she is easy prey for a blackguard. Three years later, she attends the Season where she meets Andrew, Earl of Nethercote. It is love at first sight for both. Fanny’s nemesis, the man who had ruined her, is also in London. Furious at her refusal to yield to him, he uses his power to vilify her. Fanny loses her reputation - and Andrew’s love. She returns home and her father forces her into a repugnant marriage.

Andrew leaves England and throws himself into the shipping business. Unable to forget Fanny, he comes back when she is widowed and tries his utmost to win her back. Can Fanny forgive him for leaving her? And what of the anonymous letters that threaten to destroy her if she accepts Andrew?

Never Silly Sophie [Sisters by Marriage Series #4]

Her mother told her not to be silly. That she did not have the sense God gave a goose. The other children called her Silly Sophie. Used to a lifetime of neglect, Sophie is still shocked when her mother disowns her. Where is she to go in London, a city that is wholly new to her? Fortunately, a chain of events dramatically changes her life. Sophie finds new friends and is reunited with her brother, the Earl of Nethercote. She also falls in love. But at heart she is still Silly Sophie. How can she compete against the alluring lady who has gentlemen falling over her?

Christopher, the Duke of Henderson has had enough of being pursued by women. When his lackey informs him that a young woman was found in his carriage house and claims to have lost her memory, he is incensed. But when the frightened young woman in a dirt-stained gown is presented to him, he knows she is no conniving female. Babbling of kings and dukes, she is most likely missing a few marbles! At first intrigued and then entranced by Sophie’s honest feelings, Christopher must guard his love from dangers unforeseen and from the scheming and vicious Lady Dorothea who is determined to become his duchess.

Never Silly Sophie is Book 4 of the Sisters by Marriage Series. All the books in the series can be read in any order and also independently.

Text©2017Gita V. Reddy. Video©2023 Gita V. Reddy.

Audiobook created with AI Micmonster.

[psychsounds]

Aftersun (2022)

Found this film profoundly moving and a few tears were shed. It made me reminisce about my own very similar experiences during the summer of 1997, (I am the same age as the director and had similar cultural experiences by the sounds of it).

Money not going far with a single parent

Sophie loses the expensive diving goggles and her Dad tries to mask his irritation and appear neutral, which Sophie picks up on.  Awe man!  That feeling that you’ve disappointed your parent - especially when money is tight - is the worst.  Working class children and the children of single parents become keenly aware of this - and I would say become hyper aware or hyper-vigilant of it - seeing economic uncertainty throughout your childhood following through to your own adulthood and learning to not make undue demands on your parent, but in later life, feeling like this contributes to a lack of opportunity and self-esteem, heightened in particular when competing against others for jobs.

Melancholic Dad

A few examples point how Sophie’s Dad is going through something, either financial trouble, a mental health crisis or general existential anguish, though never fully articulated.  There is the emphasis he places on Sophie having all her life in front of her - interesting when we age and feel like opportunities are lessening.  I think it’s interesting that these events are unspoken by the characters - almost pointing to how young he and Sophie are, he as a young Dad and Sophie as an 11 year old, mired in emotional complexity yet innocence.  As Sophie is gaining self-awareness, her Dad is perhaps lacking in self-awareness, as the film hints the end of the holiday is the last time they see each other.

Emerging sexuality, older kids, sun on his back by Camera Obscura

Sophie is watching all the older teenagers interacting with each other kissing, flirting, talking etc. and then jumps into the water with them and they are all clambering on each other.  Think this is a particularly vivid way of articulating that feeling of longing to grow up and be part of a sensual, older world.  

Emotional sensitivity, intellect

Sophie is emotionally intelligent, perhaps more than people her age, as she picks up on her Dad’s melancholia, and the intricacies of why her parents, though, split up, still say “love you” at the end of the phone call. Sophie senses her parents are still emotionally connected in some way, but also that their relationship is definitely over, which increases her awareness of complexity, loss and maturity as a person. 

Soundtrack

I loved, loved, loved the soundtrack.  I liked the sparse post-rock being punctuated by slices of 1997 pop - Macarenna, B-witched, Cranberries etc,

[thegalacticforce]

The Aesthetics I made for my Galactic Force Rangers! Sophie and Aion are the two I had the most trouble with tbh. So...yeah. Tell me what you guys think about these.

[esther-dot]

As someone that used to be show only when Jonsa reunion happened in GOT, I thought it was so emotional and well done - even though I had never really considered Jon & Sansa's relationship before. Like, the gifs/screenshots of it were EVERYWHERE. Jonry@ reunion was... fine, I guess, but it definetly didn't hit the same. I've seen locals mention Jonsa scene as their fav Stark reunion, and I'm positive some fans still seethe over this lol

Listen, I do not ship Jon and Arya, but their reunion was a major disappointment! Their bond is so special, and I still can't believe that after that lackluster reunion, we didn't get another one-on-one scene with them. When I say I'll die mad about s8, I will! The way D&D just truly didn't care about the Starks and seemed intent on undercutting every emotional beat for them...ugh.

I do think some of the Jonsa reunion having such an impact is that it was the first Stark reunion, both Jon and Sansa were at their lowest, there was a lot of fear in the audience that they'd miss each other, and then after their reunion they retook Winterfell so their relationship was not only emotionally compelling, it impacted the plot and led to great things for both. It's tied up in so many good things, we feel good thinking about it. Jon's reunion with the other Starks is so mired in the mess of s8 it's hard to find good feelings around it, and D&D deliberately stuck some negative stuff in Sansa's post reunion relationship with Bran (rape flashbacks) and Arya (threats of removing her face...) that neither feels as good even if in s8 they have some nice moments.

But the acting and filming of the Jonsa reunion itself is so distinct from the rest of the show, the time they dedicated to it, the way they let that breathe...I think Kit and Sophie decided it meant everything to Jon and Sansa to find family again and their dynamic was set from then on. Their respective characters never connected with the other characters in a similar way, the writing wasn't there, but neither was that uniquely moving undercurrent. It really was a beautiful moment, and as much as fans want to discard everything GoT or GoT post s4, s6 is very special to me. What a beautiful moment. As a Sansa fan, as a Jon fan, I’m forever grateful for it.

[colubrina]

First Lines

I was tagged by @regulusarchieblack and am delighted because I would much rather do this than dishes.

Rules: List the first lines of your last 20 stories (if you have fewer than 20, just list them all!). See if there are any patterns. Choose your favourite opening line. Then tag some people to take part.

Tried to put these in reverse chronological order (so newwst first)

FORGET-ME-NOT (mg fantasy):   There are many ways a twelve-year-old girl can be invisible.  I want to get this one drafted by September so I can revise it at the writing retreat I am going to.

KEEPING IT REAL (dark angel fanfic):   The job went wrong Probably never going to finish this one (all the troll reviews didn’t help on that front), but I do like it. All angsty and wallowing

IF YOU MAKE THE DESERT BLOOM (dune fanfic):  “I’m sorry, what?”    The tattoo/flower shop AU the world was begging for

A QUEST IS A DANGEROUS THING (legendborn fanfic):   What killed Bree was that she understood and couldn’t even be angry.   Perhaps the sequel will inspire me to go back to this one,.

UNNAMED GRISHA FIC (grisha fic):  I could always tell when Mal wanted to fuck someone.  never gonna finish this.

NO GOOD WITCHES (ya fantasy):  The most important part of high school was looking normal.  Revising this is killing me.

DRAMIONE RIVALS TO LOVERS FIC (harry potter fic): Granger had done it again. never gonna finish this.

BEOWULF (ya fantasy): Beowulf was the worst book ever written.  This got mired down after I was told I’d revised all the joy out of it and I got stuck.

DUST AND ASHES (ya fantasy): The end of the world began with fire, though no one noticed. Gonna work on this one on and off until I die.

AUBRYN (ya fantasy): Aubryn was fixing her lipstick when the fairy fell out of the sky.  My sequel to Small Town Monsters.  I loved Aubryn so much I couldn’t let her go, so I wrote another whole book about her.  That no one will ever read. God, I’m depressing myself writing all this out.  What is wrong with me?

SMALL TOWN MONSTERS (ya fantasy): There was a half-naked boy in her back yard. I’ve been told this is too quiet for the market.  Straight fairy romance just isn’t in even more, even with bombs and and lots of healthy female friendships.

SEA WITCH’S DAUGHTER (mg fantasy):  Sophie was waiting for her sisters to get ready, and they were taking forever.  My Author Mentor Match book, and the one I signed with my agent for.  This one goes on sub this summer. Good times, I say like a liar.  Who doesn’t love rejection and hopelessness? 

BLOOD AND ROSES (ya fantasy)  Camilla stood at the edge of Fairy and watched the old house.  My Pitch Wars book.  Died in the query trenches.  The ending is more cool than logical, I have to admit, but what really killed it was that no one wants to publish more straight fairy books.

THE AZRAEL PROJECT (ya SFF)  The line to pass the checkpoint moved slowly all morning. No one liked this book except my daughter, who loved it and still rereads it.  Did worse in the query trenches than any other book I queried.

BLOOMS THE THISTLE (ya fantasy)  It was hard to pretend she was still a good person on Summoning Days.  The first book I queried.  Got 18 full requests because it was the last gasp of the YA fantasy boom.  Wasn’t a good book. I remember it mostly for the cruelty of a critique partner, who told me “No one would read this unless they were painfully bored.”  If you tell a person this as feedback, you are an asshole or a sadist or both.

I think I’ve run out of anything even reasonably recent.  My favorite is the most recent, but that’s probably just because it hasn’t failed  yet.

tagging:  @medievalfantasist, @fullyvisible, @evolutionsbedingt, @pedlimwen, @naarna, @sparrow-ink, @pia-bartolini, @provocative-envy, @akorah, @cocoartistwrites, @funkyfaerie

[ingek73]

Royals, republicanism and reparations: Wessexes feel the heat in Caribbean

Weeks after William and Kate’s controversial Caribbean tour, more nations signal plans to ditch the monarchy

Shanti Das

Sun 1 May 2022 12.00 (CEST)

Follow Shanti Das

Sitting across from the prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda last week, partway through a royal tour to celebrate the Queen’s platinum jubilee, Prince Edward laughed awkwardly. Gaston Browne had just asked the prince whether he and his wife Sophie would use their “diplomatic influence” to push for the payment of slavery reparations to Britain’s former colonies. “We believe that all human civilisation should understand the atrocities that took place,” the Caribbean nation’s political leader told the Queen’s youngest son.

In the same meeting came a second blow. “One day,” the prime minister told the couple, Antigua and Barbuda – a former British colony where the Queen is still the head of state – would cut ties with the monarchy and become a republic. Prince Edward shuffled nervously in his seat. “I wasn’t keeping notes, so I’m not going to give you a complete riposte,” he said. “But thank you for your welcome today.”

Protesters in St Vincent

Protesters in St Vincent during the royal visit last week. Photograph: Kenton X Chance/I-Witness News

The painful exchange was one in a series of historic moments in the Earl and Countess of Wessex’s week-long tour of the Caribbean, the second royal tour to the region in two months to be mired in controversy.

By the end of the trip last Thursday, two Commonwealth nations had indicated their intention to cut ties with the royal family and become republics. St Kitts and Nevis also revealed its plan to review its ties with the monarchy.

“The advancement of the decades has taught us that the time has come for St Kitts and Nevis to review its monarchical system of government and to begin the dialogue to advance to a new status,” Shawn Richards, deputy prime minister, told reporters.

Prince Edward meets Gaston Browne, prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda

Prince Edward meets Gaston Browne, prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda. Photograph: Stuart C Wilson/Getty Images

The declarations follow similar moves by other Commonwealth realms, several of which signalled their own plans to cut ties with the monarchy following a separate tour of the Caribbean by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in March.

During that tour, William and Kate were accused of harking back to colonial days after they shook hands with crowds behind a wire mesh fence in Jamaica, and rode in the back of a Land Rover like the Queen did 60 years ago. Protesters accused them of benefiting from the “blood, tears and sweat” of slaves, while in the Bahamas they were urged to acknowledge the British economy was “built on the backs” of slaves and to pay reparations.

Jamaica’s prime minister Andrew Holness told William and Kate that his country was “moving on” and may be the next to become a republic, while a minister from Belize said it was time to “take the next step in truly owning our independence”.

The latest declarations mean six of the 14 countries beyond the UK that have the Queen as head of state have now indicated that they want to remove her – Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, Belize, Grenada, Jamaica and St Kitts and Nevis.

If they do they will join countries including Trinidad, Guyana, Dominica and most recently Barbados, which became the world’s newest republic in November.

The royal tours have also led to renewed calls for reparations – an acknowledgement of the history of enslavement and payment for the damage – from Britain and the monarchy, even from countries with no current plans to cut ties with the Queen.

In St Vincent and the Grenadines – which held a referendum on becoming a republic in 2009 that failed to pass when 55% of voters voted against such a move, and has no current plans for another vote – protesters as well as supporters greeted Edward and Sophie during their visit.

“This wrong was done against a sector of the human race by another and this wrong must be compensated,” said Idesha Jackson, 47, one protester who came out during the Wessexes’ visit.

The controversy has led to concern at the Palace. After returning to the UK in March, Prince William acknowledged the monarchy’s days in the Caribbean may be numbered. “‘I know that this tour has brought into even sharper focus questions about the past and the future,” he said, adding that the future was “for the people to decide upon”.

On Saturday it was reported that after getting home William and Kate summoned senior staff for a meeting to “clear the air”, with a source telling the Mirror they felt they had been “poorly prepared”. “If they aren’t in tune with what is going on in the world they will be left fighting for their futures,” the source said.

For now, future royal tours would be “unwise”, said Peter Hunt, the former BBC royal correspondent.

“The world has moved on in the wake of the Windrush scandal and Black Lives Matter,” he said. “Any future trips would be unwise. The role of Britain and the monarchy in the slave trade would feature, and the royals appear ill-equipped to rise to the occasion.”

[persephone-enamored]

Fleur de neige

Au cœur du gel

Ainsi ne dépose nulle empreinte

Mais se mire

*

Et ce reflet abyme

S’attarde comme une ombre déliée

*

Une aile charbon à son œil

Et rouges baisers.

*

Ondine (January 26, 2021) (with closeup)

by ©️ sophiE D. S. wright - alias MâOphélie

Digital mixed media

Composed on iPadPro

With Procreate

Original 5050x5050px

[themadauthorshatter]

Do you guys know what could've been kind of interesting to see in SGE? More specifically, the first book? Tedros realizing he has some possible feelings for Agatha while still thinking he's in love with Sophie.

Think of it like this:

Tedros trying to be closer with Sophie, i.e. trying to talk about his life back in Camelot, any frustrations he's having in his classes or with his friends, or even just wanting to know more about HER, but Sophie only hugs his arm, rests her head on his shoulder, or simply holds his hand and tells him she loves him.

Upon seeing this, his mind and eyes drift to Agatha, who is doing something like getting some homework done early or practicing some magic. Maybe he sees Kiko and Agatha together and Kiko is complaining about accidentally dying her hair green and making it all spiky, so Agatha waves a glowimg finger and fixes it right up for her, explaining to Kiko, who wanted blonde hair, that she's beautiful with her dark hair and Tristan is an idiot if he doesn't see that; not a very "Agatha" line, but I imagine she'd be tired of seeing and hearing Kiko cry and is genuine in her words because Kiko's nice to her and a pretty decent friend.

Maybe a challenge happens where people from the opposite side partner with each other and Tedros OBVIOUSLY partners with Sophie.

Agatha, however, doesn't get a chamce to think before Hester and Anadil equally take a step forward-

AND HORT CRASHES INTO AGATHA INSTEAD-He wants to get Sophie back for using him, and Hester is not taking her away from him.

Even with a possible concussion, Agatha and Hort do well, the challenge being getting across a deep and raging river by walking across a log or something, I'm not good at making up challenges for fairytales.

Because she's in heels and doesn't want to ruin her makeup, Sophie crawls across the log rather than walks, which makes Tedros have to slow down and wait for her.

I should probably mention that this log is close to the water and is cracking beneath them, so THEY NEED TO GTFO the log.

Tedros knows this, but doesn't want to leave Sophie(both because they'll get points taking away for leaving their partner and he's still pretty sure he loves her).

Chekhov's gun fires. The log breaks and both Sophie and Tedros fall in and are swept away beneath the surface.

Agatha follows with most of the students and Yuba following.

Because she's a smart person, can swin, and doesn't care about her looks, unlike many of the other students, Agatha recruits Chaddick, because he's strong, and Anadil, with she has rats, which are CRAZY intelligent, and they find another dead tree or a vine or something to put over the river, thin enough for Sophie and Tedros to grab, but thick enough that it won't break. Anadil kicks her maguc into overdrive and grows her rats to be the size of pitbulls, and Chaddick and Agatha use them to get to Tedros and Sophie out of the river before the tree or vine snaps.

I'm sorry for making Anadil OP, but she's exhausted when her rats are back to their normal sizes, too tired to even stand up as she glares at Agatha and tells her, "That is the last time I'm helping you."

Tedros storms back to the Evers with Sophie trailing behind him, begging for him to listen as she apologizes.

Under water, she had flailed and held Tedros down as he tried to get above the surface, which almost made them both drown.

He doesn't talk to her at lunch, but does notice Chaddick awkwardly commending Agatha for her quick thinking. By awkward, I mean it's almost painful to watch him find the right words to thank this "witch" for helping to save his best friend.

Again, this is an awkward exchange and it takes a few minutes for Agath to understand Chaddick and not get offended.

Tedros thinks on this and considers all the "connection" moments he's had like the goblin challenge where he mistook Agatha for Sophie and when he picked Agatha's coffin.

Sophie notices him staring and asks if everything's alright and why he isn't paying attention to her; water on the brain.

He shrugs, smiles, and says it's nothing, which makes Sophie smile and go back to talkimg, Tedros inconspicuously watching Agatha cackle her giddy ass off when Beatrix accidentally falls in mud while trying to approach Tedros in glass slippers. Kiko laughs behind her hand, but is close to tears. Agatha does magic her clean, but Beatrix still pouts and gets a little mad, even if the squeal she did was nothing short of hilarious.

Trial By Tale happens, events and all, but Tedros doesn't instantly break up with Sophie. He keeps his distance instead.

One night, after he's won and hasn't spoken a word to Sophie or sat near her at lunch, eating in his room instead to avoid her and because he's still a little injured, he is awake and can't sleep, so he wanders the quiet school halls, watching snow fall and reminiscing about home and how his school year's been, maybe even having a made up conversation with his father about what's happened.

HOW COINCIDENTAL THAT AGATHA IS ALSO OUT OF HER ROOM AND LEANING AGAINST A LEDGE TO ALSO WATCH THE SNOW.

This is the conversation between them that follows:

(Agatha turns to look at him with annoyed eyes)"... Here to call me a witch again?"

"Well, as long as you don't punch me again, I won't."

(Narrows her eyes a little mire before turning back to the snow.) "Why are you out here?"

(Tedros leans against the wall facing her and tips his head back, watching the snow.) "Can't sleep. Hester's demon got me better than I thought." (Chuckle) "I still have a bruise on my side from the thing."

(Agatha gulps as she remembers how it broke into pieces and attacked him, but says nothing.)

"How about you? Does the witch have you doing her work for her again?"

(Agatha gasps, surprised by the jab to her friend and at how he figured it out. Tedros's face is mostly expressionless, though he does raise an eyebrow as if to say, 'Go 'head. Prove me wrong.' She relaxes again and shakes her head.) "My room doesn't have a good view of the trees. I bet it's snowing in Gavaldon, too. Harder than it is here, maybe."

"Gavaldon?"

"My village. Where Sophie and I came from. Our home."

(Tedros laughs) "I'm sorry, how long have you two been friends for?"

"Long enough. What about you? What brings the prince of Camelot out to watch the first snow of winter?"

(Tedros's smile drops as he returns his gaze to outside.) "Like I said. I couldn't sleep."

"Why are you REALLY out here?"

(Tedros is silent for a few seconds, biting his lip because he's obviously uncomfortable.) "... Your village. Gavaldon. Do you... miss it?"

(After another second of silence, Agatha responds.) "A little bit. We were better friends there, at least. And I miss my cat."

(Tedros humms quietly as he gives a slight nod, biting back a 'witch' comment.)

"I guess you're used to the attention. Being the prince and all."

(Tedros shrugs and scratches the back of his neck.) "Sort of. Not really. No one ever followed me around like Beatrix. Could you see a maid being on my tail like SHE does?"

(Agatha can't help but laugh, Tedros chucklong with her before his smile drops.)

"I don't know. I mean..." (He leans on the ledge.) "I like being with my mates and all, but... it gets annoying when there's always a couple of girls giggling at you behind the corner. I miss my room, too. And the library. And the court yard. And the garden. And the field."

(His voice breaks at that last one, but Agatha doesn't bring it up. Instead, it's her turn to talk about home.)

"I miss my mom. We didn't really get along, but she's my family, Reaper, too."

"You named your cat Reaper?"

"He took care of our rat and bird problem. You'd be surprised at how many blue jays come to a cemetery." (Agatha's smile drops.) "I miss that, too, the cemetery. It was quiet. And just reading fairytales in my room instead of studying to BE in one."

(Tedros nods at that, no joke or quip.) "It's all fun until you learn how dangerous it all really is." (He is silent for a second, gulping and running his hand through his hair.) "Thanks, by the way."

(Agatha turns to him, playing coy because she's not used to the Evers ACTUALLY being nice to her, save for Kiko.) "For what?"

"The Trial. Saving me. I don't think I'd be here, if you didn't."

(Agatha blushes and looks at her hands.) "No... No problem. I mean... Well... I guess that..."

(Tedros smiles and slips some hair behind her ear and kisses her hand.) "'You're welcome, Tedros. I hope you can repay me, somehow, Tedros.'"

(Agatha almost tells him to forgive Sophie, but instead says something else.) "Can you talk to Sophie? She's sorry about what happened and she really does love you."

(Tedros frowns.) "Love isn't pulling someone down with you when you're under water. And neither is leaving your teammate to fight alone."

"You said you wanted to repay me, this is how. Do you really want to be indebted to a witch?"

(Tedros reluctantly nods.) "Fine. I'll talk to her."

"Thank you."

(Agatha turns and walks back to her room, but Tedros only watches her leave, speaking when she's out of ear shot.) "I don't think you're a witch."

I feel like I could add more, but this will be enough for now.

I hope you guys enjoyed, sorry if this came off as fanfiction-y or any of the characters were a little OP, magic or otherwise. And like I said in my progress post, this is just what I would have done to have Tedros and Agatha fall in love, or start falling in love

Either way, I hope you enjoyed this

Incase you're interested, here's a link to part 2: https://themadauthorshatter.tumblr.com/post/642332442965983232/im-bored-im-continuing-with-that-tagatha

[fedonciadale]

Bran's ending also affects Sansa and Jon's ending. If Bran becomes King in the South, then Sansa is QitN but it doesn't work As that anon has listed out the limitations which would hinder Bran from forming a strong political base in the South, the other kingdoms not opposing North seccession is also mired with logical fallacy. Now if Bran becomes KitN , then all the foreshadowing for Queen Sansa is wasted just like King Jon .

Hi there!

The logical fallacies are there but we also know that GRRM told D&D and Isaac about King Bran. So I think it is safe to assume that Bran will be king in the books as well.

This is not something D&D pulled out of their ass. There are parts of the GoT and ASOIAF fandom who want to believe that D&D invented their own ending, but I highly doubt that.

D&D would never have written an end with Bran as King, one of the mains they found so uninteresting that they couldn’t be bothered about writing at least some scenes into season 5. In addition they reduced him to a robot.

Neither would they have made Sansa Queen in the North. Antis love to claim that Sansa and Sophie are D&D’s favs but that is bs. If there was anyone partial towards Sansa it was Bryan Cogman. If D&D would really like Sansa they would have made some Vale arc not the rape arc they gave her. They could have come up with something else to bring Sansa North! If D&D would really like Sophie they would not have told her she got a ‘love interest’ in season 5.

For D&D it was all dragons, tits and Dany, and they sidelined everyone else and their mothers for this, the more subtle magic of the direwolves, the stories of the Starks, everything. No, this ending is not D&D fanfiction simply because this is not the fanfiction they would have written.

As for how the ending works I simply do not know. Right now, I cannot see how it would fit but that does not mean that GRRM could not write it consistently.

I mean if this was my story and I had this exact idea about the ending I would feel like I have painted myself into a corner and I would have no idea how to reach the ending. Maybe this is how GRRM feels and maybe this means that his books always had great potential but when it comes down to it, he simply does not manage to wrap it up tidily.

I think he got lost, but that does not mean that the ending we have is not the one he had in mind. I just hope that he will not take this secret to his grave. And I hope that we’ll see TWOW.

Thank you!

[outlandishcraziness]

Well, someone f@&’d up. Here are my thoughts regarding the latest from Mr. Heughan.

First, some background:

You know me as a voice of positivity, a silver lining in the fandom. I came to OL after I read book one and learned of the show about 5 years ago. I didn’t get thru all the books and came to dislike DG as a writer and ego-maniac. I discovered the fandom on Tumblr at the time the IFH happened.

Honestly, my impression of the IFH was to think they’re together! It was a lame denial, with their looks at each other not matching their words, and Sam saying “we can try!” Duh, I decided to jump down the Shipper rabbit hole then and there.

I got to know so many nice Shippers and created artwork for each season I sold on cards, prints, pillows, and tea towels; the dragonfly in amber is by far the most popular.

It was fun! We looked at reflections and studied backgrounds in fan photos. Receipts piled up among the slip-ups and phoney stories. I never got mired in the Shitner stuff and didn’t like the overt fanning of certain bloggers here. I kept it light and positive—“Shipper Light.”

I almost jumped ship when Sam stood in front of the Georgia sign, hung out at a NC wedding, and Cait appeared to get engaged and then married. But my gut told me they were PR stunts. I’m an artist with friends from college working in HW. I know how low things can go—honesty and truth are extremely endangered animals there.

I also work with photography, Photoshop, and Adobe all day every day so I know what I’m looking at and what to look for in a photo. So many of the official or accepted images regarding the personal lives of SC look like utter BS.

This brings me to Sam’s rant. I’m shocked he was so wordy. I was surprised he referred to a vile narrative more than once (we think the “we’re not together lie” deserves to die, too, Sam). Personally I think he’s protecting his family (SC & kiddos, his mother and brother), his friends, and his career.

His team sucks—we all know that. Sam is to blame here, but he’s not alone. He made mistakes. He knows it. His image is badly tarnished. We’ve all grown more introspective and reflective with time on our hands to worry about the world.

Sam never learned how a good leader takes responsibility for his own misjudgments and those who work for him. I think his tweet rant was his attempt to acknowledge things and move on. But he didn’t apologize. It’s damn frustrating that SC continue to lump all fans together to blame for their woes.

But no, they did NOT sign up for abuse, harassment, death threats, and the kind of mean trolling they’ve received. They made mistakes, but no one should be abused for any reason. If you’re in the public eye, either as a celeb, politician, or other, you need to treat others with respect AND can expect respect in return. SM is vile because trolls have anonymity and act accordingly.

I will always believe that SC are naturally kinder, gentler, and more grounded than many of their peers in show business. Just about every single person who works or collaborated with them have said so and I believe it. Both of their families seem genuine and raised SC in loving homes.

Finally, the saddest thing for me is I no longer find joy in the show. My husband and I loved it together, but now it just drags on. Sophie and Rik are boring as mud. I don’t know about the ratings, but I can’t see any reason for the show to keep going. Story-wise, it’s all downhill from here IMO.

Maybe Sam’s rant is part of an exit strategy. He’s seemed stressed, ill, uneasy. He looked terrible in Mexico. I haven’t follow the latest UBA or Hawaii-2-O, but I don’t care anymore. I wish Sam, Cait, and everyone associated with OL the best. One day, I believe we’ll find out SC have 15 kids, 6 homes, 25 cats, and a children’s book in the works. Until then, my interests are ebbing away from the outlandish OL world.

Cheers! Be well.