#TALKS TO COLIN SO COLIN ACTUALLY GETS SOME ADVICE

[carcinized]

ABSOLUTELY MONUMENTAL TED LASSO EPISODE. HOLY CRAP DUDE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[asmilinghopelessromantic]

Colin, smugly sitting backwards on his son's future study's chair: so you fell in love with two people who are actually the same person?

Benedict, deadpan: you hated Lady Whistle-

Colin: MOVING ON

Colin: as I was saying, I do have some experience with this type of situation

Benedict: you moped and brooded so much that I thought Anthony came back early

Colin: AS I WAS SAYING

Penelope, writing in the corner: nice one, Benedict

Colin, glared at his wife with no real heat behind his eyes: while I didn't react well-

Penelope: understatement of the century

Colin: DAMNIT, PEN, DO HAVE ADVICE FOR HIM

Penelope: in fact, I do, because you spent too long rubbing into your brother's face, I'll be happy to get the point as time is a bit of the essence

Penelope: Benedict, you feel betrayed but imagine your life without her

Benedict: I can't. She is engrained in my soul.

Penelope: then I suggest you hightail out of here to go get your wife. Talk with her, listen to her, and she'll listen to you.

*Benedict scrambles to the study door*

Penelope: wait, one last thing. She doesn't need someone to save her, just love and support her

Benedict, giving Penelope a kiss on her cheek: thank you, sister

Benedict after Colin clears his throat: thank you, Penelope's husband

[dollypopup]

I get why people would think it but

Colin is NOT a rake. Colin is a young man trying to figure out his identity and what he likes sexually and trying to understand what the men of his society talk about and do. He's not out here messing around with women just to string them along and then leave them. He's trying to fit in and has been made fun of for being a virgin so yeah, he rectifies that by having sex, but just because he slept with a few women, that doesn't make him a rake? You wanna know who an actual rake in the series is?

Fife.

Because what the fuck happened to Miss Goring? I think about her sometimes and my heart aches for her. Her first season out, she's an 18 year old woman, and an older, titled man of her society who she assumes to be a proper gentleman makes her believe their relationship can actually be something, messes around with her the entire season, and then fucks her in a linen closet at a ball only to....what? Come back the next year with absolutely no mention of her whatsoever. Did she get pregnant? Was sent off in disgrace? Have to marry someone else?

Fife is a 30 year old man who has a bad habit of hounding after young, vulnerable women in his society. He fucks them and leaves them. He's a rake. Colin? Colin is not even close to that. Say what you will about the brothel scenes, but that IS the responsible place for a man of his time to go to for sex. Please stop demonizing sex work. Yes, many of these women are in that line of work because of less than savory reasons, but Colin is not taking advantage of them. He is paying for a service and they are providing that service. It is transactional, and he is the LEAST of their concerns in terms of clientele. A kind, handsome man who pays well and is discrete? Yeah, they're fine with him.

Colin has a history of respecting women. He respected Marina all throughout their courtship, and even after. I know some people sneer at him coming to see Marina, but please keep in mind she is a woman on her own who married a stranger far away from ANYONE who knew her. Colin was worried about Daphne when she came to him, asking if anything happened when she was away and clearly ready to fight for her, so of course he's worried about Marina. Partly he visits her for his own closure, but also like....y'all that's a WELLNESS visit. He's concerned that she's unhappy, but ultimately leaves because she's not hurt and that she tells him to. Colin listens to 'no' from the women around him. He asks for permission from them. He waited for Penelope's consent sexually, but he also didn't even get into the carriage until she allowed him. He even asks "Please, let me in".

Colin lives in a time when women do not have many rights, and he listens to the women around him even more than the men. He is the only one of his siblings to ask for his mum's advice and immediately takes it and takes action. He brings Eloise back a feminist text from his travels, even after she's besmirched as a radical, because he supports her pursuits. In season 2, he also knew of her going to the printers and didn't say anything. He has always respected and cared for Penelope. He hasn't insulted a single woman in his vicinity. He doesn't make the women he flirts with feel bad about themselves, or feel less, but compliments them, all whilst keeping respectable distance so as not to make them think he's interested in marrying them. He doesn't dance with any woman but Penelope in that season.

Colin isn't a rake. He's not a fuckboy. He's trying to act like he is, emulating the circle of his society, but that doesn't mean he is. I swear people just WANT to misinterpret him because that's the easiest way, but Colin is a character who doesn't lend well to surface level readings. He's a nuanced, gentle hearted character who has been looked down on for his sensitivity. He's a deeply relatable person because who of us haven't pretended to be accepted? Especially if we've been bullied or excluded. I know I have. Put on a persona for the sake of survival. And he does so for what? A few weeks? That does not a fuckboy make.

Just say you don't want to understand him and move along because those of us who get him GET HIM. And I'm grateful for a character like Colin.

He's the best man in the series by an entire mile and you can't change my mind about that.

[shmaptainwrites]

𝐓𝐎 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐒 [𝐀 𝐕𝐈𝐎𝐋𝐄𝐓 𝐁𝐑𝐈𝐃𝐆𝐄𝐑𝐓𝐎𝐍 𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘]

PAIRINGS — Violet Bridgerton x fem!Reader [Modern!AU]

SUMMARY — The Bridgertons take some time to do things they enjoy among the media circus caused by Landon's statement.

WORD COUNT — 3.5K

WARNINGS — none

NOTE — Another Friday, another chapter! Thank again to flock for taking care of the beta read and editing :)

𝐒𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐒 𝐌𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓 | 𝐓𝐀𝐆𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓 | 𝐀𝐎𝟑

𝑪𝑯𝑨𝑷𝑻𝑬𝑹 𝑽𝑰: 𝑺𝑻𝑶𝑹𝑰𝑬𝑺 𝑰𝑵 𝑷𝑨𝑹𝑨𝑳𝑳𝑬𝑳

The click of the camera shutters had become incessant since Landon’s statement broke the UK news. Unfortunately, it had not faded out, like they had hoped, after one cycle, due to the fact that it seemed like anyone who had ever had any qualms with the Bridgertons were now offering their opinions on the situation and keeping it in the front of everyone’s minds. 

Violet’s lawyers had managed to convince the authorities to do their interviews at the firm in exchange for full cooperation, which the firm was willing to give because Violet was innocent (at least her lawyer had said even an idiot could see that, and you had emphatically agreed with him). 

Stepping out from what felt like her thousandth interview, you followed closely behind with manila folders and a briefcase, the cameras were quick to come out and follow the two of you towards the car Violet had acquired the service of until things died down. 

She could hear her name called at her from all directions, and she tried to hold her head high on Pat’s advice, knowing that if she hunched away the media might take her simple body language as an admission of guilt. 

She was about to step into the car when she heard your voice behind her, but not addressing her. 

“Hey, watch it!” 

She turned around and saw you standing between her and someone who was trying to get a little too close. 

“You know, while I’m at it, why don’t you all listen up?” you said, the frustration on behalf of Violet evident in your tone. “Keep your bloody cameras away from the Bridgertons or else I’m sure we can find a way to press charges for harassment. And while you’re at it, stop calling her Violet, it’s Lady Bridgerton, show some respect.” 

Violet bit back a smile and finally opened the car door, stepping inside and sliding over the seats so you could place your things down and join her, closing the door, muffling the sounds of the press outside.

“You know, nobody calls me Lady Bridgerton,” she said while looking over at you.

“I know, but maybe they should,” you shrugged. “Maybe it will get them to remember all of the wonderful things your family has done with that title and that none of this is actually tied to you. Landon is just trying his last shot at bringing someone down with him.” 

“At least the police said this should be cleared up and sorted soon, but I know the cameras are going to linger,” Violet sighed. “Daphne was telling me she saw someone following her while she was taking the children to the park with Simon the other day. She almost called the police; I had to arrange to get her a security detail.” 

“Really?” you looked astonished and Violet nodded. 

“They wanted information about me,” she added. “And were willing to take away my daughter’s, my son-in-law’s, and my grandchildren’s privacy to do so.” 

You sighed and pressed your lips together. 

“And Eloise has people following her around campus, Benedict has had his home vandalized, thank God Colin and Penelope left on another work assignment. I can’t imagine what they might have run into.”

You reached out your hand to take Violet’s and offer some comfort. 

“I haven’t let Hyacinth or Gregory leave the house,” she looked over at you. “They’re going insane, but I can’t…” her voice trailed off. “They’re still so young, I can't have this happening to them as well.” 

“I’m sure they understand,” you assured her. “This is no small thing. At this point, we’re talking about safety. You don’t even leave the house without security by your side anymore, that’s a clear difference from your circumstances before.” 

“Yes, which is why I think we all need a break,” Violet sighed. “Benedict is coming to pick up Gregory and Hyacinth this afternoon and they’ll go to the country estate for a week or so, and Agatha and I have dinner planned at the house tonight.” 

“That should be good,” you nodded. “Everyone gets a little change of pace, Benedict can be the one to make sure Hyacinth and Gregory don’t kill each other,” you teased, and Violet chuckled. 

“When you put it that way, I might lose three children by the end of the week.” 

You scoffed at her words and looked outside the window for a moment, your hands still interlocked. 

“I know it’s hard, but we should focus on the positives. We still have the gala we need to think about. I know we were hoping for the fall, but with everything that is happening, I was wondering if it makes sense to do something over the holidays? It should add more time for us too, which frankly, we could use.” 

“I was thinking that as well,” Violet agreed. “We haven’t sent out invitations so it wouldn’t be hard to shift dates as long as the venue is available. We’d just have to do some coordinating with all the logistical things, but I think that’s better than rushing it.” 

“I’ll make sure the venue is available, you take a break and prepare for your dinner tonight. I hear Agatha is expecting you to cook.”

“She usually does, it’s a little deal we have,” Violet explained. “And she likes my cooking, so, I won’t turn down an opportunity to be complimented.” 

 “What’s your specialty?” you asked.

“Yorkshire pudding, but that’s not quite a meal on its own,” Violet chuckled. “I’ll figure something out to go with it.”

“I’m sure you will,” you squeezed her hand and let go, both of you feeling the immediate loss of warmth and comfort when the contact ceased. 

When you arrived back at the house, Benedict had come to pick up Hyacinth and Gregory, neither of whom were ready to leave, much to his dismay. 

“Mum, can you please get your children to bloody hurry up?” Benedict complained. 

“Lovely way to greet your mother after she’s just come home from being interviewed by the police,” Violet teased and Benedict sighed with a chuckle, pulling his mother into a hug and pressing a kiss to her cheek. 

“Hi Mum, how are you?” he changed his greeting, and Violet smiled. 

“As good as I’ll be, given the circumstances. Let me go see what I can do about your siblings, and oh-have you two met yet?” 

Violet looked between you and Benedict, and you nodded your head.

“Briefly, actually,” you said.

“Yes, you were at the gallery,” he noted and you confirmed with a nod. 

“Pure coincidence. I realized who you were a few moments after we stopped talking,” you chuckled and gave him your name again.

“So, you’re working as the new financial manager?” Benedict asked, while Violet left you both to go find Hyacinth and Gregory. 

“Yes, that would be me,” you nodded. 

“And what was a financial district woman such as yourself doing in a small independent art gallery? Or working for my family, for that matter?”

“One, financial district women can have hobbies,” you started. “Two, I was looking for a change of pace and this is certainly that.”

“Getting bossed around by my mother? God give you strength.”

“Oh, come on,” you rolled your eyes and laughed. “It’s not that bad, we make a good team, I think.”

“If you’re saying that? Clearly you do,” Benedict teased. “No, but in all seriousness she’s a hard worker. Her nagging is out of love.”

“Benedict, did you just say I nag you?” Violet asked, stopping by the front door after overhearing the comment. 

“No Mum, not at all,” he shook his head. “I said bagging, like when you pack us food to take places.”

Violet pressed her lips together. She seemed unconvinced and you laughed at Benedict’s terrible lie. 

“Are you sure you’re going to be able to handle Greg and Hyacinth for a week?” you asked him, and he shrugged his shoulders quite exaggeratedly. 

“I guess we’ll find out.”

“If they’re trying to kill each other, call me,” you told him. “I’ve learnt sibling crisis management 101 from those two.”

“Will do,” Benedict nodded and patted your back. 

You heard your name called from the door and saw Hyacinth running outside. 

“I thought I was going to miss you before we left,” she pulled you in for a hug which you accepted, one hand still occupied with full manila folders. “It’s going to be weird not seeing you every day.”

“Sure, but it’s only a week, and you have Benedict. You can make plans for the Beyoncé concert.”

“That is true,” Hyacinth nodded, still holding onto you. 

“Hyacinth, goodness, you’re going to suffocate her,” Violet chuckled as she came outside with Gregory, seeing the tight grip her daughter had on you. 

“I’m fine, I’m going to miss her hugs anyways,” you squeezed her back. “Okay, both of you should get your stuff in your brother’s car. He's been waiting patiently for you.”

The two youngest Bridgertons listened and threw their stuff in the trunk of Benedict’s car before saying their goodbyes and heading off with a final reminder from their mother not to kill each other. 

You and Violet entered the house shortly thereafter, and she went on to prepare dinner while you did some work in the office. 

After the day had ended, you were about halfway home when you realized you had forgotten your phone and had to turn back around to get it. 

Security let you inside without a fuss, and you could hear chatter and laughter coming from the dining room, presumably from Violet’s dinner. 

You tried to sneak in and out quietly, not wanting to interrupt, but Violet caught sight of you from afar and called out your name. 

“What are you doing back here, is something wrong?” she asked. 

“Just forgot my phone, I’ll be out of your hair in two minutes,” you assured her. 

“Oh, there’s no need for that,” another voice chimed in, which you assumed was Agatha’s. “Violet wouldn't be able to cook for only two people, even if a gun was put to her head. It’s ten or nothing, there’s plenty of food to share, come eat with us.”

“I shouldn’t stay,” you shook your head. 

“My dear, one does not turn down an invitation from Agatha,” Violet chuckled. “Just come sit with us.”

You pressed your lips together and began to walk towards the dining room, seeing the chair Violet had pulled out for you next to her and took a seat with them at the table. 

“Christ, you were right. Violet, this is enough food for a small dinner party,” you said while looking at the spread in front of you. 

“I, unfortunately, never unlearned how to portion for ten people,” she said while grabbing you a plate and some cutlery. “I will be sending you both home with leftovers.”

“And I will not be complaining,” Agatha smiled. “So,” she turned her attention to you. “Violet has been telling me how great of a help you’ve been the past few months.”

“Oh, it’s nothing really,” you shook your head. “Just doing my job.”

You knew as soon as you said it you didn’t believe it. Sure, a part of it was doing your job, but another part was always something a little extra. You had come to care very much for the family whose employ you were under and it meant a lot when you were able to help them through difficult situations. 

“Have you and Violet known each other for a long time?” 

You tried to divert the line of questioning from yourself.

“Since I was a teenager,” Violet answered. “Our families ran in the same circles, but we became more acquainted after my marriage, and even more so after Edmund’s passing.”

You could feel Agatha’s stare on you, and it made you a little nervous. It was almost as if she was very closely judging your character, but whether it was for your position with the family or something else, you were uncertain. 

Violet offered you some wine, realizing you didn’t have a glass, and you accepted, watching her go back to the kitchen to fetch it for you, so you quickly filled the silence with another question for Agatha. 

“What made you grow closer after Edmund’s passing?”

Agatha pressed her lips together and took a sip of her wine. 

“My husband had also passed away when I was young,” she said and you nodded your head in understanding. “But that is not why I could relate to her.”

You paused, looking up from your food and making eye contact with Agatha whose gaze had seemingly softened. 

“I had an arranged marriage,” she explained. “I did not love my husband. In fact, I loathed him, but due to my family, the only way out of that relationship was in death. My father passed shortly after he did and then, all of a sudden, I was free.”

You put your fork down, placing your hands in your lap, listening intently to her story. 

“For years, I had been…close with Violet’s aunt, Lily, her father’s sister, and over time, that friendship turned into something…more than,” she said. “When she passed away, I felt like my world had been ripped in two and I couldn’t quite publicly grieve her loss, in part because I wasn’t yet ready to admit to the world that I loved her.”

You pressed your lips together, a surge of hurt in your chest at the story she shared. 

“When Violet lost Edmund, I saw that same thing in her. She was still expecting and the world turned her grief into a spectacle.”

“I understand,” you nodded your head, it was implicit. Agatha was trying to protect Violet. 

“I hope you do,” Agatha sipped her wine again. “Our stories often tend to draw on more parallels than we initially realize.”

Violet returned to the room with a glass of wine for you, and a bottle for the table, a bright smile on her face while she tucked her hair behind her ears and sat back down. 

“Why the long faces, did something happen?” she asked, concerned.

“No, not at all,” Agatha shook her head. “We were just disappointed we can’t have your cooking every night, it really is quite exceptional.”

“Yes, I agree,” you said truthfully. “You were right when you said Yorkshire pudding is your specialty, I think this is the best one I’ve had in a long time.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Violet smiled. “So, have you two spoken about art yet?”

“No, I don’t think we have,” you shook your head. 

“A fellow appreciator of the finer things, I see,” Agatha smiled. 

“Agatha has quite the collection at her home. I think you would love it, actually.”

“Really?” You looked at Agatha. “What era?”

“Mostly early 19th century, some late 18th,” she said. “Do you have much art in your home?”

“Not a lot, I can’t quite afford the things I enjoy,” you admitted. “But I frequent museums and galleries quite often which helps fill that void. I love being in this house in particular, there’s always a new piece in some corner that I haven’t seen before.”

“A lot of those are Benedict’s,” Violet said. “He refuses to pay for a storage space so he ends up giving them to me on loan until they sell.”

“I seem to recall some of the paintings around the house are yours,” Agatha noted. 

“You didn’t tell me that,” you looked over at Violet. “Which ones?”

“Anything signed Ledger,” she admitted. “I did them all before I was married.”

You chuckled a little to yourself. There was one painting in Violet’s office, nothing too extravagant, just an assortment of plants in what looked like a wildflower bouquet resting on a table. If something was stumping you or your eyes needed a break from the many hours of staring at the computer, your default was to look at it. You had always meant to ask who the artist was; you just couldn’t seem to fathom that it was Violet. 

“You didn’t think to mention it?” you chuckled, sipping your wine. 

“I didn’t think it was relevant,” she shrugged innocently, and you laughed at the clearly coy comment. 

Agatha watched the interaction between you both closely. There was a certain familiarity, an ease and comfort she hadn’t seen in Violet in a long time. 

“So, I think we now know where Benedict gets his artistry from,” you said. “Does he know where he gets it from?”

“We’ve all made a point to make it very clear to him any talent he got was from me,” Violet teased, and you laughed again. 

“Seriously though, once things settle again and you have more time on your hands, you should consider taking it up again,” you suggested. “It’s good to have a hobby.”

“I agree,” Agatha nodded. “Hobbies are a wonderful way to pass the time.” 

“Agatha’s main hobby is hustling people in poker and pool,” Violet informed you. 

“All the money goes to charity,” she assured. 

“At the expense of the dignity of others,” Violet countered. 

“She lost to me in both,” Agatha filled in the blanks and you snorted while lifting your wine glass to your lips and Violet’s ears became tinged with a soft pink colour. “And made the mistake of chalking it up to beginner's luck.” 

“Oh, Violet,” you attempted to sound sympathetic, but it came off more like pity with the chuckle that was laced in your voice.

“No, I know I brought it on myself,” she nodded, picking up some vegetables with her fork. “I just don’t understand how I fell for it three times, and how you didn’t say anything,” she motioned to Agatha with her chin. 

“You just seemed so determined, I didn’t want to burst your bubble.” 

“Three times? Violet, that’s just…” 

“Embarrassing? Demoralizing? Absolutely humiliating?” she filled in the blanks. 

“No, I was going to say sweet,” you chuckled. “You didn’t give up, I mean, you never do. I admire that about you.” 

“Oh,” Violet was visibly surprised by your response and you were too focused on her to notice Agatha’s knowing expression from across the table. “I-Well, thank you.” 

“I would have gone with humiliating, too,” Agatha teased before eating another spoonful of food. 

“Hush, you,” Violet frowned and sent her friend a playful piercing stare. 

Dinner ended up being very enjoyable, but as soon as the dishes were cleared and you saw the time, you excused yourself from the group. 

“Are you sure you can’t join us for another glass of wine?” Violet asked.

“I shouldn’t,” you shook your head. “My family’s coming to visit tomorrow, and I still have a few things to arrange around the apartment so I should get back to that before it’s too late.” 

“Family? You didn’t mention your family was visiting. Do you need time off?” Violet asked. 

“No, we’d run ourselves mad if we were together non-stop,” you shook your head. “If something comes up, I’ll ask.” 

“Okay,” Violet smiled. “But before you go…” she slipped past Agatha and over to a pan that was by the stove, taking a container from one of the cupboards and placing what looked like a few slices of cake inside and grabbing some food she had packed away from dinner already. “For tonight. A cleaning pick-me-up,” she handed it to you. 

“Thank you, Violet, really both of you for including me tonight,” you said. “I know I was the reason you got pulled away from your tea together in the first place, so I’m happy for the chance at redemption.” 

“Consider yourself redeemed,” Agatha assured you. “I’m sure we will talk again soon.” 

“I hope so,” you smiled. “Goodnight.” 

Agatha and Violet returned your smile and wished you goodnight as you left the room, heading out the front door and going back to your car to head home. 

“So,” Agatha began a moment after hearing the front door close. “She’s quite…” 

She paused in hopes that Violet might fill in the blank, letting her in on what her feelings were towards you. 

“Lovely?” Violet looked up at Agatha with a smile. “She really is.” 

“You seem to have gotten closer over your time working together.” 

“I think we have,” Violet agreed. “It’s odd. It’s almost as though I hired a financial manager and a friend, but it doesn’t feel forced.” 

“It doesn't look forced,” Agatha agreed. “And she’s aware of your…long term financial plans?” 

Violet nodded her head, serving Agatha a piece of cake. 

“Yes, but we still have some time before that becomes a reality,” she said. 

“And do you think your friendship will last past that?” she asked. 

Violet paused for a moment, thinking about the question that was brought up before placing her hands flat on the counter in front of her, leaning on the support of her arms. 

“I really do hope so.” 

TAGLIST —

@paola-carter @madde11 @thesamesweetie @cherrysxuya @philocalistwrites @mako-mermaids2021 @oh-mydarling @courtneyteal @amethyst-bitch @etherynn @lilisdarling

[modernvintage]

I love Eloise Bridgerton.

She is such a complex character and a great FOIL to Colin in many ways.

It’s astounding to me how many times she is wrong, but she has trouble admitting it. The hardest example for me to watch is when she tells Penelope that Colin will never love her without knowing the real her. It’s her own heartbeat and projection she’s talking about, but it’s never addressed as such. Compare this to Colin finally understanding Whistledown and Pen are one, and how he loves her unconditionally as she is both.

Or when Cressida repeats Pen’s same words back to Eloise - the first time Eloise may actually listen and hear it. Throughout all seasons, we’ve seen examples of Pen taking Eloise’s advice or Eloise doing things on her own…and she consistently makes the wrong choice. And so much of Penelope was swept up in Eloise, never really becoming her own person until they were apart.

Colin however makes mistakes, but is still a man of action, and sets about correcting them right away. He also takes awhile to get there, and is often just as stubborn, but as soon as he figures it out, he apologies or immediately moves. Eloise freezes and latches down in place. They are such a great contrast of characters, so similar, in such similar circumstances, but wholly different in their executions. (This season…Eloise now reminds me much of season 1 Colin).

I wonder how the fandom would perceive her character if she were male. I adore her and all her faults, even thought she frustrates me to no end. She’s such a well done morally grey confusing and complicated character.

I think she may have had some of the hardest character development since Anthony, and I kinda can’t wait for her season? I hope we get to see how her and Penelope have grown apart but together, at different rates, and how that affects their relationship. I hope Penelope does get the chance to give Eloise advice for a change, and to support Eloise on her new adventure in a way they were unable to until now. Or even Colin! They never really made up on screen.

Anyways, it’s my millionth rewatch, and I’ve been so taken by Polin this season that I didn’t really linger on how Eloise progressed, and will say I think she has some of the best writing of this season.

[darcytaylor]

Hello!

I would like your opinion in some topics about Luke that are kind driving me insane. Hope you can respond to it.

I think that for Luke, the press tour has a negative response. Before the tour, I thought him an adorable dork and genuine person. How Nicola would talk about him, how he used to portrait himself seemed such a nice person. I don't know if the lack of acknowledgement to Nicola, how she would always hype him up and he never had a compliment for her irked me.

During the tour things that I never associated to him became the things first in my mind when I see his photos or videos. Things likes indigenous, full of ego and jealous. How looks he doesn't care for the fans, for the people who depends on the show and who worked hard for it, for Nicola and even for his own hard work.

I don't even care he has a girlfriend. I don't ship him with Nicola because she deserve a mature partner and Like kind doesn't act his age. I would like to stop filing that way, because Colin e Penelope are my favorite book, and the way he's making me feel is ruining it for me. But I don't know how. Please give me your opinion.

Hey! I want to say that I am sorry you are feeling the way that you are. Disappointment is a strange thing, it makes you feel angry and sad all wrapped up together and it sucks!

I do see where you are coming from with how the promo tour brought light to a different version of what most people thought Luke was.

One of the things I mentioned in my deep dive into Luke's relationship was that so many people (Nicola included) said that Luke was most like his character. That alone is a lot to live up to. When you have a character (that I believe was made for the female gaze) that you yourself and other people say you are like, the expectations would be insane. I'm not shocked that when people started seeing cracks in that, people could/would be more disappointed than usual.

Another thing that people have been seeing is Nicola having exceeded all the expectations when it came to the promo tour. Nicola had a lot of people expecting her to not do a good job, people upset that she was the next season. But she showed everybody that she was worth it, that she deserved to be where she was, while also being a good person.

Luke did have hate come his way but not in the same way or as strong as Nicola. And because of that I think that Luke didn't feel as inclined to prove himself worthy.

(I'm not saying that either of them should have had to prove themselves, but when you have someone like Nicola doing just that, and Luke doing the bare minimum, it definitely cast a negative light towards Luke)

We also have to realize that Nicola is just better at building people up, she is better with words, she is better at communicating than Luke will ever be. So to expect the same from Luke, will ultimately cause disappointment and I believe is an unrealistic expectation for Luke.

You can see the anxiety coming off of Luke at times, and when you have anxiety it can make it way more difficult to say certain things, do certain things, act a certain way. I don't want to make excuses for Luke but I can see how that alone could effect how the public sees him, and it not be how he actually feels. So giving him a little grace when it comes to that, could be valid.

I think when you take a step back and understand that Luke is just a regular guy, with regular insecurities, it makes the situation a whole lot better and easier to understand. His actions have proved to me that he is insecure (getting into a relationship with a young adult, his friend group, his anxiety, his actions towards his career).

Sometimes when someone shows to have an inflated ego, it is actually their need to prove their worth and to mask their insecurities.

My advice to you is to try and not have expectations of people (especially ones we don't know), that way if they show a slight variation of the person you thought they were, you won't be disappointed. And you may find it easier to understand where they are coming from and find grace in their actions.

I do think that Luke has made SOOOO many mistakes in the last year. He has shown a different side of himself that his audience didn't know he had in him. But we also don't truly know him, we don't know the situations he has been in for him to act a certain way, or why he has chosen to do certain things.

He is also human, and humans make mistakes, they don't always act perfectly, they don't always make the correct decisions. But that doesn't make them a bad person, that just makes them human.

Accepting that Luke may not be the version you thought him to be and realizing that he can still have good and bad qualities (and accepting that), may help your situation of continuing to love Penelope and Colin.

I hope you can still love Penelope and Colin (and maybe it will just take some time), because they are such a great couple!

[bisexualfemalemess]

BRIDGERTON SEASON 3 PT 2 SPOILERS

Live reaction episode 5:

I’m a little disappointed that we didn’t get to see Penelope’s answer to colin’s proposal but in my head she just straight up faceplanted outta that carriage. On another note, colin constantly looking back at her to check on her is peak protective husband. Colin ‘my wife’ bridgerton indeed. Also Penelope’s so loved by his family and not him being willing to fight Eloise, his own sister, like hold your horses buddy. El baby she’s loved him since you guys were children. Both are honestly valid and i love them both so much, i just need my peneloise besties back right now. Like so expeditiously. Awww, colin checking up on pen. He’s truly already so far gone. I’M SORRY THE TREE???? What the actual fuck???? Lady tilley arnold needs to get the fuck off my screen. I’ve never read the books but booktok and twitter made me love sophie already, i need her. Not pen listening to her family reading LW Lmaoo she seems so smug about it. EY LADY DANBURY HAPPY ABOUT POLIN THEY’RE SO LOVED BY EVERYONE. KANTHONY MY BABIES. MY PARENTS ARE GONNA BE ACTUAL PARENTS STFU. Anthony’s so feral for her 🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺 aww hyacinth is so excited to tell them about polin’s new engagement my daughter fr. HYACINTH OMG IJBOL NOT HER SAYING GREGORY’S THE FAMILY PET I’MMA DIE. Eloise baby she did not use you, she loves you and you love her so make up bitches. Cressida is so gay for eloise no one can tell me otherwise. OH MY GOD NOT THE BOOK LINE ABOUT HIS LOVE BEING A THUNDERBOLT FROM THE SKY SOMEONE SEDATE ME (might need to make a part two and i’m only 10 minutes in) they’re not even married yet and Benedicts like “your wives” she’s always been a bridgerton for real. PORTIA I AM INDIFFERENT TOWARDS YOU BUT BACK OFF FROM MY GIRLY AND DON’T MAKE HER DOUBT HER RELATIONSHIP. COLINS SO HOT TELLING PORTIA OFF SOMEONE GET ME SOME HOLY WATER OR SOMETHING JESUS FUCKING CHRIST. HE’S BEEN WITH HER FOR LESS THAN 24 HOURS AND HE’S ALREADY THROWING AROUND THE L-WORD OH HE FELL SO HARD FOR HER IMMA THROW MYSELF IN FRONT OF A MOVING TRUCK. MIRROR SCENE OH MY GOD OH MY GOD ALRIGHT ITS HAPPENING ITS HAPPENING OH HIS SPEECH IMMA KILL MYSELF IM SO SERIOUS. THIS IS PERFECT OH MY GOD, NICOLA COUGHLAN IS A GODESS AND THEIR CHEMISTRY IS SO PALPABLE. “LIE DOWN” THAT WAS SO FUCKING HOT, COLIN BRIDGERTON CAN COMMAND ME AROUND ANY DAY. Sex scene, sex scene, sex scene….TO POV???? Oh, that’s such a beautiful song choice. This is literally so intimate, i feel like I’m intruding. Colin bridgerton is a canon consent man and as a woman i think that’s so sexy. That was the cutest sex scene of my life, cute, hot, awkward, everything a first time is supposed to be (i wouldn’t know🙊) KANTHONY SCENE. HES THE CUTEST ALL KISSING HER STOMACH. Newton and Anthony always beefing. Their so cute 😫😫😫. Awww John and Francesca are so cute as well. Awwww him asking about marriage 😖😖😖. VISCOUNTESS KATE IN ACTION MY BABY GIRL. She’s working overtime being pregnant, viscountess and giving eloise advice. She clocked peneloise’s tea. AWW Post-sex polin is the cutest with the book line too 🥹🥹🥹🥹 and the teasing!!! They’re truly so friends to lovers. NOT HER GETTING INTERRUPTED WHEN SHE WANTS TO TELL HIM SHE’S WHISTLEDOWN. FUCK ASS SERVANTS. Oh poor pen having to listen to her fiancé trash-talk her without knowing he’s taking about her, like i wouldn’t tell him i’m Whistledown either after this, bet. Also they literally have no sense of personal space and it’s too cute. Aww a colin and eloise talk. THEY WERE INSEPARABLE AND THEY NEED TO BE AGAIN SOON OR IMMA DO SOMETHING SO DRASTIC I SWEAR TO GOD. Peneloise as bestie sister-in-law’s is something that i need so bad it’s like not even funny anymore. Penelope’s sister need to leave her the fuck alone and portia needs to leave her ulterior motives at the door even penelope was like what the hell is going on. I don’t really mind will and alice plot honestly they’re just a cute married couple, much like polin will be. OH MY GOD NOT BENEDICT CALLING KATE SISTER IM DYING IM DECEASED. THAT FUCK ASS TOP HAH OH MY LORD. NOT COLIN CALLING PENELOPE HIS BRIDE TO BE 🫠

[hsslilly-blog]

OC ask game by @/yvesdot; from here.

Answered for/by Blair as requested by @ryp3004!

Do they sleep with a stuffed animal? If they have multiple, who’s the favorite? - Blair has lots of stuffed animals! Their bed is covered in stuffed animals and they made sure not leave a single one behind when they moved from Scotland. Their favourite one is a white bunny named Hop Hop.

Can they take care of a plant? What about a pet? What about a child? - Yes, yes, and of course. Blair doesn't have any pets, but they and their brother used to take care of their family's sheep when they were younger. As for children, they really love them and it's their dream job to work with kids. In high school, they babysit for their neighbours and friends for money. Blairbysitting.

Ask them to describe their love interest. - "He's funny and he's nice to me."

Do they look good in red? - They didn't think so at first. Blair wears almost exclusively blue clothes since that's their favourite colour and they like how they look in it. They start wearing brighter clothing as they grow older and start making an effort to challenge their rigidity (and, like, character development). So they do look good in red, eventually!

Speech! Speech! Speech! Speech! Will they give one, and what about? - Blair likes writing and giving speeches. They really like public speaking. They can give a speech about any topic, really, just give them some time to think about it. I think Blair would love to give a speech on Gaelic or maybe chess notation history. And they do often talk about friendship and acceptance, too.

Who will they take advice from, no matter what it is? Who won’t they take advice from, no matter what it is? - Blair will always go to Autumn for advice, no matter the subject or the situation. They often agree in most topics, and if they happen to disagree Blair can trust Autumn to be honest with them and tell them how it is. They also trust Wes' takes on situations. And before he passed, Colin's word was truth. Meanwhile, Blair will not hear Sakura, ever; they believe Sakura gets too caught up on her own biases while trying to be "just" and "honourable". Also Sakura just bugs them at times.

Describe them in three words. Now let them describe themself in three words. - Me: Caring, thoughtful, bitter. - Blair: Smart, cowardly, neurotic.

Do complex puzzles intrigue or frustrate them? - Blair loves complex puzzles. They like every single type of puzzle actually: jigsaw puzzles (their favourites), crosswords (close second), sudoku, riddles, chess; the list goes on. They love anything that makes them reflect in silence.

Do they empathize with non-sentient things (dolls, plants, books…)? - No. Blair is a very concrete thinker.

What age do they most want to be right now? - They haven't given much thought to this.

They’ve won the lottery. Spend, or save? - Fix their problems + save. Blair didn't grow up having money and it wasn't an issue until they moved to Glasgow and got into a private school through a scholarship. They felt very alienated. After their parents divorced and they moved to the States with their mother, their situation got a little more complicated without their father's income. So winning the lottery would do them good.

Do they like romance in the books they read (or in the book they’re in)? - No. Blair doesn't get how romance works and it often confuses them, so they choose books with little to no romance. They have no issue in reading books/watching films about love though, they just tend to avoid it.

Name one thing their parents taught them. - Their father taught them to always be understanding of people's situations. He also taught them how to play the piano. Their mother taught them how to lie.

Would they agree with the term ‘guilty pleasure’? Do they have any? - No. There are no guilty pleasures for Blair, which is interesting considering their entire relationship with guilt and shame. It is still a work in progress, but seeing their friends being so passionate about the things they like (especially Nishan) makes Blair feel more comfortable with their dorky side... which is all their sides.

What would they consider a waste of time– other than school or work? - They have a problem with finality. So, spending any time on something that won't last.

If money wasn’t a limit, what would they wear? - Blair is pretty happy with their current style. Most of it is thrifted, which does add to the vintage aesthetic. Maybe with more money they'd be able to afford nicer pieces, but they like to think that the money constraints forces them to come up with creative combinations.

Do they like children? - Yes. They don't desire children themselves, but would love to work with them in the future.

Kissing: tongue or no tongue? - Gross. Why are you asking them this?

Do they study before tests? Practice before job interviews? - Blair really likes studying, planning and practicing, and they always put a lot of effort into it. They like making flashcards for tests and making bullet point lists for presentations. Autumn is always the designed listener when they want to practice a speech or presentation.

What do they like that nobody else does? - Crucifixes. Blair has a crucifix collection.

What would it take for them to break up with someone? What would be the last straw? - Wildly misrepresenting them. For Blair, it is very hurtful to think someone they felt comfortable enough to open themselves to don't actually know them. Even so if it's done in bad faith, somehow. They almost break up with Wes when he accuses them of having no integrity after Ace leaks that one tape.

Do they like being called pet names? Do they call other people pet names? What’s their go-to? - Blair doesn't use pet names or nicknames with people! The exceptions are Nish (because it's Nish) and Wes (for obvious reasons). Otherwise, they call you by your full first name. They have no opinions on pet names for themselves. I have it so Wes calls them Princess (jokingly), and Colin used to call them Thistle.

Stability or novelty? - It depends. I'd say they're naturally very keen on novelty (and see the importance of trying new things), but at the moment they prefer stability.

Honesty or charity? - Honesty.

Safety or possibility? - Safety.

Talent or effort? - Effort.

Forgiveness or vengeance (or…)? - Resentment.

Would they date a fixer-upper? - Blair sees everyone as a fixer-upper, including themselves. This is not really an expression that exists to them. Relationships demand effort and change from both sides, anyway. They wouldn't "fix" a person, as it's not their place to do it.

What recurring dreams do they have? - They dream a lot with Colin. In those dreams, they're always aware he's dead, so it's a strange feeling.

What would they do if they knew it would be forgiven? - Everything. Blair doesn't think they deserve forgiveness.

[thetarttfuldickhead]

Jamie Isaac Colin Dani and Sam + having a party

So, I’m thinking an improvised surprise party for Colin. It’s his birthday and he’s gotten proper congratulations from all of his teammates (even from Dani, who’s learned his lesson about not just putting tiny heart on other peoples’ messages), but he was supposed to spend the evening with Michael, going to a romantic restaurant and having too many cocktails and shit. Only, Michael’s on a work trip and gets delayed on his way back so now Colin’s all alone, missing his boyfriend and feeling a little sad on his birthday.

Somehow Jamie cottons onto this fact – maybe he’s been pestering Colin for pictures of his outfit because he wants to offer sage fashion advice (that Colin would absolutely ignore) – and immediately asks himself what this situation needs, and comes to the conclusion that it needs him, Isaac, Dani and Sam showing up at Colin’s door in fancy clothes with booze and food from Ola’s and a playlist to kill for. Maybe some sort of disco ball blinking light thing.

It’s just the four of them, because Sam pointed out that it’s not fair to bring the whole team in case Colin doesn’t actually feel like partying – it’d become a huge, loud thing, and that much harder to say no to. If it’s just Jamie, Isaac, Dani and Sam, Colin will be able to tell them to piss off if he’s not in the mood (and it can also turn into a quiet night of just hanging out if that’s what Colin wants).

Colin doesn’t tell them to piss off, though. He’d been moping around, too busy feeling a little sorry for himself to even call Isaac (because you know his BFF Isaac would have been there for a game of FIFA or whatever Colin wanted if Colin had but asked), but now that they’re here, he’s both happy and touched to see them. Dani makes the drinks while Sam hands out the food; they put on the music; they turn on the blinking lights from the disco ball thing; Jamie pulls Colin onto the makeshift dance floor.

There’s a lot of singing along very loudly to a lot of haflway corny songs. There’s a lot of laughter and all of trying to teach each other dance moves. Heated discussions about things that don’t really matter, and quiet talk of the things that do. Maybe there even is some FIFA, eventually. Jamie, on a different scheduel than the rest, falls asleep with his head in Dani’s lap.

Later, when the party’s winding down and Dani and Sam has taken Jamie home, Isaac sits down next to Colin on the stairs. “You all right, bruv?”

“Yeah. This was… It was great. Thank you.”

“Yeah. Any time. We got you, you know that.”

And Colin smiles. He knows.

[saytrrose]

POPULAR BLOG INTERVIEW TIME

How would you describe yourself in 5 words?

What are 3 goals you have this year?

What are some small things that make you smile and what are some things that scare you?

Do you have any art advice?

What do you do for a living?

GUHHH IM NOT THAT POPULAR HUH???

1. I guess authentic, sympathetic, open- minded, artistic and eclectic.

2. Get my Motorcycle License, Find a good insurance for my medication, start online courses at Colin College and work towards my associates.

3. Just talking with my friends or being around my pets make me happy, and then my biggest fears would be the ocean or maybe spiders

4. Don’t be afraid to use references, like actually people or other people’s art- it’s 100% okay and fine just as long as you are not tracing. Use references, they help so much.

5. I’m just a student, so unemployed?? Yuhh

[heterophobicmaxanne]

sending you an ask cause you've sent me some <3 when do you think royjamie get together do you think it's during the time of the show or?

awwww, thank you, that is sooo nice!

i think there are honestly a bunch of ways they could get/could have gotten together but i think i'm going to focus on the canon compliant ones - and i think it largely depends on roy and on when and how he stops repressing his feelings for jamie and how much angsting he does about his role as manager and the ethical implications of dating someone on the team

i'm going to put this under a cut because it's def going to get long

so sort of the most obvious/maybe healthiest one is roy does some therapy and with the help of dr. sharon realises that he deserves to be happy and that the way he's repressing his wants and needs because he's afraid of the pain that would come from not getting them met is not in fact at all healthy and directly tied to his anger issues. i think then he'd probably need a couple more sessions until he could actually recognise the affection he has for jamie as what it is, namely a big fat crush - i think the fact that he's low key miserable about not getting to do one-on-one 4 am training with jamie anymore because he's to busy as manager plays a pretty big role in that realisation, and the whole fight over keeley thing also plays into it, like he'd recognise that seeing jamie and keeley hug made him afraid that things were changing and because he's a repressed idiot he concluded it was about keeley when in truth it was about jamie - and then he'd probably need to like lie down for several weeks to recover from the shock and the horror agonize about how to handle the situation ethically for a while, call in the diamond dogs for help and make a plan with them that he then presents to rebecca. and only then would he talk to jamie about it, low key expecting jamie to laugh in his face or tell him to fuck off, and i think he'd be genuinely shocked when jamie is immediately like "yep this is happening i am now Roy Kent's boyfriend"

and that's sweet and healthy and good but it's a little too hinged for me, like as good and sweet as that is, it lacks that certain je-ne-sais-quoi that makes their relationship so fun and fascinating, which is why i prefer a bunch of other options!

one option that i see that is also canon compliant is that jamie does in fact go to see his father in rehab. it goes well for a while and then james tartt turns out to still be an abusive piece of shit because it was never the addiction that made him abusive, james tartt is just like that so he says something shitty and terrible to jamie, maybe something homophobic about colin who's post-match kiss with michael has gone viral or maybe something shitty about jamie becoming a midfielder and no longer dominating on the field. jamie stands up to his father but doesn't feel entirely good about it - he's supposed to be forgiving him, helping him become a better person, the way people have forgiven and helped jamie and what does it say about him that he can't do the same thing for his father? he spirals out about it in a way that's similar to the start of mom city, roy notices, finds out what's going on, including about ted's advice and is just Absolutely Enraged. Completely And Utterly Furious. Cannot Speak Will Commit Murder Livid. he gives jamie the best advice he can give him through the rage blinders he gets, and then he facetimes ted and almost murders him through the phone screen. and ted realises his mistake, apologizes to jamie for the advice and for just walking away after the man city richmond match in s1, and the next time ted talks to roy he makes a suggestive comment about roy's feelings vis-a-vis jamie, maybe something about how he never could've seen roy and jamie's relationship developing into that direction when he got to richmond, and waggles his eyebrows and that does not go over well with roy. not at all. but jamie's doing better and roy's absolutely delighted about it and he can't stop thinking about ted's comment and finally, considering how intensely angry and protective he was and how delighted he is to see jamie happy again, he realises it's true and probably needs to like lie down for several weeks to recover from the shock and the horror again does the same "figuring out how to make a move on jamie that's ethical enough for him to do it"-spiel as in the first option

(leslie higgins voice) another one: jamie gets hurt pretty badly towards the final minutes of a match and roy's brain just short-circuits and only barely reboots enough for him to force himself to make it through with some semblance of composure because he's the gaffer and he cannot fall apart about jamie getting carried of the pitch on a stretcher. the second the whistle blows, roy essentially barrels into the treatment room and pulls jamie into a hug that is so fucking tight that jamie has to essentially tap him on the shoulder at some point because he's about to black out from lack of oxygen. and that leads to jamie making a dumb joke about how he's not dying "jesus grandad get your crap together you're going to make the medics think you're in love with me" and roy's brain is still rebooting which means the repression mechanism hasn't fully come online yet so he can hear that sentence, put it into the context of all the other emotions he's been feeling and realise that yeah that is essentially why he is reacting the way that he is reacting and even say "what if i am" which leads to a very passionate kiss, a number of death threats if any of this gets out and some vaguely traumatized richmond team medics

i can also see roy just being absolutely fucking miserable about no longer getting to do one-on-one training with jamie because 1) he does not have the time anymore (now that he actually has to read the fucking scouting reports and all that other shit he lied about as assistant coach) and 2) it would be way more unethical and favouritism and so on than it was when he was an assistant coach. but he doesn't make the connection because why would he, he barely even likes jamie no matter what phoebe said and no matter the fact that he looks at the kunt shirt and smiles like the biggest fucking idiot until phoebe points out that he's managed to swear so much in just a week that he owes her what he usually owes her after like two months and asks whether it's because he's no longer seeing jamie every day? and roy wants to say no fuck off but because it's phoebe he can't and unfortunately that moment of hesitation he has while he tries to find a nicer way of phrasing it is enough for him to realise that yeah actually she's right and that's not normal why is that happening and it triggers a chain reaction that ends with him realising his feelings

and for the fourth canon compliant option, we have jamie getting a little too drunk at the post-match celebration because he's no longer in training so vanilla vodka here he comes and then drunkenly telling roy that actually it was a fucking dick move to invite him for a beer and to butter him up only to then bring up keeley and ask jamie to "step aside" especially considering the giant fucking torch jamie's carrying for roy and roy is like "the what" and jamie tells him again that yeah he has always had a pretty big fucking crush on roy and how did roy not notice despite the poster and him pulling roy through richmond on a leash and amsterdam? and jamie admits that yeah he did act a little like a dick about it, esp to keeley, but roy was being a much bigger dick not just to keeley but also to jamie and roy is like yeah you’re right i was a dick and i’m sorry but I did mean the proud of you stuff I said and jamie tells roy nice cool good and he'll see roy once they start 4am training again in the preseason and roy's like "wait why do you still want to train with me don't you think this is awkward as fuck" and jamie's like "nope this changes literally nothing" and then fucks off to brazil for a bit and again roy is miserable but once the preseason comes closer he gets more and more excited about the prospect of seeing jamie again and at some point he internally scolds himself for acting like a schoolgirl with a crush and that's when he realises that whoops yeah jamie is not the only one carrying a torch

but also i think there are a few moments in the show that open up fun little avenues for canon divergent royjamie, for example:

jamie does not come back into his childhood bedroom when he does in the show, keeley summarily rejects roy, roy wallows in it a little but realises it doesn't even hurt as much as he thought it would and there's even a part of him that's relieved which is weird why is he relieved and why is that relief so tied to nothing changing between him and jamie and whoops yeah there it is the realisation he has a Feeling

there's the slightly more angsty option where roy only realises he has feelings for jamie when jamie gets hurt during the match against man city (which i'm SUCH a sucker for!)

roy is in the room for the "everyone looks at jamie after beards comment about there being more people in this locker room who are gay"-moment and when jamie says i'm flattered roy feels something like excitment and maybe even hope and like why is he feeling that those feelings make no sense there unless he was interested in ja - whoops okay he is interested in jamie someone kill him now

and of course, amsterdam! i can imagine like a very deeply cute moment where after learning how to ride a bike roy just looks over at jamie and feels deeply content and comfortable and happy and realises wait that's how it felt with keeley why does it feel so similar with jamie is it because - yes it is jesus mary and fuckface joseph and then he falls of his bike and when jamie's standing over him laughing his ass off about it he just either pulls him down into a kiss or lets jamie pull him up and then uses the momentum to barrel into a hug with jamie and during that hug he pulls back a little and just gives jamie a look and jamie immediately fucking kisses roy

and then there's the option i'm playing around with in my fic, where roy and keeley break up way earlier than they do in the show, roy drunk-dials jamie on accident and then things develop from there

[witchhatproductions]

Witch Hat News #2 - Starting Fresh

This is an archived version of our microfiction newsletter! You can read along on our tumblr, or subscribe here.

ST: The other day, I was talking to someone who had just finished an art course and was looking to get started making comics or cartoons, who asked me, "How do you get into the industry?"

I'm not overly qualified to answer this question - the only people I've ever worked for professionally are indie writers, not industry names, and my books have never even been printed on paper. But I guess that's more experience of the world of publishing than some. It's enough to know the answer to the question, "How do I get into the comics industry?". It's, "Make comics for free until you have some proof of experience to show the publishers."

At the community college where I studied animation for a year-and-two-months, our tutor, Kevin Taylor, had been an animator in the 80s and 90s. He studied graphic design at college, happened to be living near a studio in London, and was hired pretty much fresh out of university to start working on cartoons, a job he learned at the studio, having barely studied it at university. He had some talent and intelligence and became, when taught, a pretty good animator. 

But that was the 80s, and if there's any animation studio in the western world hiring fresh inexperienced college grads for full-time living wages, I've never heard of them. Which kind of sucks, huh? The hustlers among you may think, "Well, you've gotta work for what you want." But isn't it a shame that studios don't take on the risk of training young eager employees anymore? At least not in this part of the world. Kevin Taylor left the animation industry for teaching, despite his experience and aptitude. "I like animation," he told us once, "But I hated being an animator." Quite a few of the modern, progressive animated classics - Adventure Time, Steven Universe, Owl House - had some bulk of their animation work done in Southeast Asia, by employees being paid fractions of their equivalents in the US for their very demanding work.

So... how do you get into the industry? Many ways. Some of my old friends from community college have jobs at Netflix and Cartoon Saloon now. But you've gotta figure out if you want to get there first - most people get partway there and then realise it ain't for them.

LS: Hi there everyone! Long term followers of Witch Hat Productions will recall that this is a two-person operation, and since Tata’s asked me to step in to help with this newsletter, you’re getting a little bit of my editorial voice too, for a change. This issue’s theme is ‘Starting Fresh’, so you might imagine that this change is somehow in fitting with this, even though this is only the second issue. 

Anyway! I suggested the theme ‘Fresh Starts’ or ‘New Beginnings’ or ‘Getting Started’ to Tata when we were out walking and we were trying to think of a theme for this newsletter. I was thinking about Colin’s kickstarter, and about how, as creators, we’re constantly starting new projects, revitalising old projects, moving on to a newer and fresher ideas. Personally, I have some settings and stories in my head that are on their umpteenth iteration, and others that are only now starting to blossom.

Tata’s editorial up there questions the struggles of making it in the creative world, and whether it’s actually worth it. The best advice I ever received in this regard actually came from Tata herself: enjoy the process, not the product. I like to think if you make fun, beautiful projects, then at least even if they’re not commercial hits, you’ve had a good time along the way.

Reviews

When Language Fails by writer Colin O'Mahoney and artist Mari Rolin is currently on kickstarter until Wednesday, 7th June. Colin was actually the first editor I ever had - he explained the basics of lettering to me when I was the wee age of 19, and I've been following his advice ever since. When Language Fails is set to be sad, and funny, and painful, and appears to prominently feature clowns with guns as a plot point. 

Relatable Girl by @adazaster. As it says in its very own blurb, Relatable Girl is a ‘comic about the daily struggles of Frannie, a girl who is very Normal and Relatable.’ Relatable Girl is hilarious and pretty absurd, with just a touch of horror about it - which at Witch Hat (and being Irish) are two things we love. It updates Tuesdays and Thursday, and in fitting with our ‘Starting Fresh’ idea, it’s pretty new - but it already has five full parts of story already out for you to enjoy! 

External Memory by My Murphy (@externalmemorycomic). External Memory couldn’t be more similar and more dissimilar to Relatable Girl if it tried. It’s a diary comic, whose four panel strips focus on snapshots of My’s life, and are consistently funny, charming and heartfelt. Diary comics are a wonderful little look into the lives of their creator, and the window My’s comic offers is a pleasant one indeed; the way the characters are written and the events are depicted is just so charming. The comic sometimes touches on darker themes (as life itself does, y’know how it is), but these are nonetheless extremely heartfelt. Also, My has just recently moved to Ireland - hi My!

Your project here. Do you make art of any kind - visual, written, performed? Are you starting a project or recruiting co-creators? We want to hear from you! Email us at contact@witchhatproductions.com. A proper submission procedure will be created if needed, but for now, it's open season - show us anything. Fire away.

That's all from us for now. See you in June!

[viscountessevie]

I hate how even Phoebe got sidelined because of polen, she was the main lead in S1 and didn't even get a farewell post like rege! Sh*ndal*nd only cares for their precious couple

Prompted by my Commentary on Bton S3 Production

Hello Anon, thanks for sending this in!

I definitely get where you are coming from about the sentiment of this ask and I totally agree about the farewell post thing - I am still beefing with Shondaland and the Bton PR team about Ruby Stokes' leaving!

However, this is an unpopular opinion and feel free to disagree with me: I think Phoebe and Daphne got their due and deserved screen time. Despite my feelings about Rapist Daph in the second half of S1, I did love her scenes and she was given the A plot and screentime she deserved as the main lead of S1! Also as Lav @sweetestviscount pointed out, in S1 most of the sideplots involved Daphne in some way! This also definitely added to her screentime and made her stand out to me as the main leading lady (something unfortunately Simone never got as Kate). 

As for S2: Ignoring that stupid hour dedicated to the idiotic Ponzi Scheme and the Ginger Demon bullying her printer, I think Daph's screen time within Kathony’s story was substantial since she was just on her own.

It was enough time to impart her married sisterly advice to Ant while also passing her baton to Kate as the new lead of the season. I always expected to see that much of her in S2 so I wasn't disappointed. Tbh I never wanted to see her rapist ass again lmao but Daph grew on me in S2 even if I will never forgive her for SA-ing my boy Simon. So to me, she did not feel sidelined. If anyone was, it was the Sharma Family and they should have gotten that hour of screen time for their backstory that was wasted on the Featherflops.

However if Simon was still in the picture, I think the Bassets would have had a big role within the A-Plot trying to get Kathony together. It would have been DELIGHTFUL - can you just imagine Simon tackling Ant just before he could even think of proposing to Eddie in Ep 4? 

Within the Bton universe aside, Pheebs definitely got the leading lady treatment for S1′s PR and press tour. Yes, it was a Zoom interview tour but she was given her due and space to talk about her characters alongside Regé. For S2, the focus is SUPPOSED TO BE primarily on Jimone as the new stars so I did not really expect her to get any PR since her time on the show was more or less done. 

Overall, I think the show did right by Daphne and Phoebe. I will say that, it’s the fans who don't always give her credit for making Daph dynamic in S1 (and sometimes I get it - we don't really like her after she SA-ed Simon) and it comes across as sidelining her in favour of Regé.

All this being said, I don't know for sure if she is in S3 since there have been conflicting new reports on this. But given that it's Polio and Daph/Colin are not the chaotic Irish twins duo in the show like they are in the books, I knew she wouldn't be around. So I was surprised everyone was shocked by the news of her leaving. Not to mention she unfollowed the Bee Show account ages ago lol. But I am miffed she did not get a farewell post like Regé if she did actually leave. Like Shondaland/Bton PR just say you hate women and go. They really only cared for their golden goose (Regé) to say goodbye to him, only because they knew they could exploit him with the fans SIGH.

SO glad the mans is OUT alongside with Phoebe and Ruby Stokes too!! They all deserve so so much better and are getting it! (Now universe do Jimone next!)

[viksalos]

ok so he *did* and he found two evals actually!! the first one was as useless as i thought but apparently there's a second one that has some comments about social skills and mannerisms. he didn't say what the comments *were* but he says he mailed it to me

i didn't use the word "autism" when asking my dad about this bc i didn't want him to yell at me about how i'm wrong and there's nothing wrong with me etc.. in a way he's right, there's nothing wrong with me, but i'm realizing a lot of the obstacles he put in the way of me getting sufficient medical or psychiatric care my whole childhood were bc NOT doing so would mean admitting that whatever was weird about me was also weird about him. doesn't excuse his behavior of course but i understand why he did it now

anyways i'm putting together a case for an ASD assessment so i can keep my work accommodations and my stimulant script at whatever job i end up landing at after grad school (grad school is going MUCH better btw; it turns out my joke post a while back that was like "pretty sure my phd has just been 2 undiagnosed autistic women locked in a death spiral for 5 yrs" was probably right; my advisor has been VERY accommodating now that we know what my actual deal is and i can work again lmfao)

basically what happened was i had an ADHD assessment where the guy said i didn't have it bc i was "gifted," which i think is an outdated understanding/bullshit, but also i was told that the center that did the assessment also does ASD testing which i took to mean both tests would be done at the same time bc the current understanding is that ASD & ADHD can be comorbid. nope, turns out this place does them separately. i asked the evaluator about ASD at my followup and he was like "oh yeah that's entirely possible" bc he noted eye contact difficulties and history of social alienation on my report. not sure why he didn't bring it up at the initial appointment but w/e lol

so after the first appointment i'm super upset, go to my therapist and am like "please just medicate me ;-;" and she refers me to their in-house psychiatrist, i tell him i think i'm auDHD and he believes me *instantly* and treats me accordingly--i got SNRIs for the sensory/nerve pain i mentioned earlier, and stimulants for the executive dysfunction. dude is a miracle worker fr. (also he looks and talks like Colin Robinson from WWDITS, but like, if he was actually helpful. which is not relevant but it *is* super funny.) my therapist was skeptical about the auDHD at first but with backup from the in-house psychiatrist and some family stories i got from talking to my parents, she believes me now and therapy is productive again yay

and the family stories were like--oh yeah you toe-walked, spun around a lot, and also your current stims (which btw i had suppressed conscious knowledge of so much that i can't do them around people anymore and had no idea i was even doing them alone until my arms and legs got tired, and would freak out about it bc i had no idea what was happening) are *really* restrained compared to when you were little, which was the classic autistic hand flapping thing, but we just thought it was cute bc you were obviously excited. lmao.

oh and by the way apparently i could read at one year old, which is INSANE if my dad isn't bullshitting me. (autism quizzes will be like "do you have an unusual interest in letters and numbers?" and you'll be like "fuckin uhhh. idunno. what's unusual?" and then your parents will casually drop that you could read at ONE, which would not have been physically possible without an unusual interest in letters!!) and ALSO also i'm pretty sure i was only able to figure out that engineering would be a good major for me and was able to navigate the social aspects of college & my master's degree bc i had constant advice from my stepdad (who knew he had asperger's) while i lived near him & my mom, and his advice made more sense to me than anybody else's. lmao lmao

so MORAL OF THE LONG-ASS STORY, despite my psychiatrist, therapist, and ADHD evaluator guy all more or less agreeing with me, none of them can diagnose me formally, so now i'm gathering evidence and am on a waiting list for a center that actually knows its shit and does the ASD & ADHD assessments at the same time... in 8 months. :p (so yes rn i'm still only self dx autistic in THEE most technical sense, but if you read all this and still give me shit about it, idk what to tell you lol.)

that said, allowing myself to act & be psychiatrically treated as if i am for sure autistic has so far been the best thing i've ever done for myself. part of me kinda wishes i knew sooner so i might not have had to develop so many maladaptive coping mechanisms, but the other part of me knows that people didn't know nearly as much about this stuff when i was a kid, and i probably only got as far as i did bc my parents *didn't* pathologize my weirdness, lol. still, i feel mentally and physically better than i ever have; it legit feels like almost 30 years of pervasive shame has been lifted and i've been able to improve my relationships with everyone around me irl, including my shitty ass dad lmao. anyways sorry for all the lurking & sadness for the past several years; i appreciate u all my dear followers and thank u greatly for sticking around 🖤🖤🖤

actually for the Ten Days of Teshuvah i think it would be dope if my abuser gave me back the folder of results from the neuropsych eval i did as a child. probably doesn't say anything useful other than ""gifted"" because it was done in the late 90s or early 2000s but i'd like to have them anyway

[raggedy-dxctor]

Hey! can you do one when Nandor try to ask the reader for a first date but to nervous, and overthinks everything? <3

nandor being nervous for a first date

pairing(s): nandor x reader

warnings: none :]

when the idea pops into his head it makes him feel like a nervous teenager from one of those silly movies that Guillermo likes to watch like he's so head over heels and has absolutely no idea how to go about it

he asks you out in the mist awkward way, like he just kinda stumbles over his wordsbefore just straight up blurting out "i really like you will you go out with me next week" and when you agree and propose a date, he eagerly agrees and literally jumps for joy, picking you up and twirling you around

honestly he could not make it anymore obvious that he's been desperate to ask you for such a long time

he puts you down and literally skips bacl home, grinning like he'd just won the lottery the entire journey back

but when it comes to the actual date?? oh please poor thing is an absolute wreck like

he's so frantic and panicked about what tobwear and how to act because like. he hasn't been this genuinely successful and hopeful about soemone in decades

he practically chased laszlo around the house asking for advice, but then colin robinson redirects him towards Guillermo and at first he's like um the fuck why Guillermo what does he know about dating, but then je actually asks him and he gives like amazing advice that lifts a huge weight off his shoulders

"what should i buy them??? I've heard that gifting them the heart of a powerful witch isn't exactly accepted anymore so-" "master. deep breaths. get them some flowers and a cute little teddy bear or something!" // "Guillermo!! how should i do my hair?!" "master, if they agreed to a date with you im sure they really didnt care what your hair looks like" // "Guillermo! please help me! what should i do-" "ok first dates are all abour getting to know eachother, do small talk, asl them about their interests, find something you both enjoy, stuff like that!" // "oh thank god, Guillermo just the person i was looking for! ok so, were do you reccomend i take them??" "well there's a small bar about a ten minute walk away from here, very friendly and cozy, or there's the park down the road? you could take them stargazing-" nandor actually hugs Guillermo and cuts him off, he's like so unbelievably grateful forhis help znd he lets him know, even though it's quite difficult for him

i feel like he'd choose the latter option, he steals some of laszlo's old style reccords and reccord player that colin robinson brought for him, despite the old appearance they're full of new songs that nandor absolutely loves, and leaves it playing in the background while the two of you chatter away

he's still so nervous for the entire date like everytime you smile at him he chokes on air, everytime you laugh his stomach errups with butterflies, everytime your hand brushes against his he freezes

but he does eventually loosen up and relax when you lean into him and tell him how much you're enjoying the date

[rockinhamburger]

Nate the Great

So, I want to talk about Nate, and it turns out I have a lot of thoughts - this got long, so most of it’s under a cut.

When we meet Nate in the pilot episode, we see that he has crippling self-esteem issues. He is shocked that Ted asks for his name; he needs a push to even say it, and he’s later surprised Ted even remembers it. He also lights up at any attention and validation (the sports drink, his knowledge about the players, his strategy suggestion, etc.).

We can see why: the players either don’t acknowledge him or outright belittle and mock him, lording their physical strength and status over him. Jamie says Nate’s “a weak little baby and he can’t do anything about it.” That’s how he’s seen in the locker room, and that only really changes when Roy steps in and tells them to stop. Nate’s actually told this, that Colin and Isaac have stopped because Roy made them stop, physically; he even head-butted Colin. It’s kind of fair if the takeaway for Nate, here, is that respect is won by higher status people giving it to you, that you need to be a big dog to command respect, physically.

In season 2, we discover that Nate craves validation and attention from his father, that it seems to be in short supply. His father doesn’t even acknowledge Nate’s presence in 2x07; Nate has to say hi to get acknowledgement that he’s in the room, and the response is... “Nathan.” That’s it. Lloyd doesn’t mention the big clear success Nate has had, and Nate obviously feels he has to bring it up. Then they have the following exchange:

Nate: They'll let anyone in the newspapers nowadays, won't they?

Lloyd: They say humility is not thinking less of yourself but thinking about yourself less.

It honestly breaks my heart. Nate starts off self-deprecating! To me, that says so much about their relationship, and it’s two freaking sentences. This is, we can assume, what Nate has learned to do, to underplay his excitement and achievement, and even then his father still criticizes him. I’ve seen many people argue that Lloyd isn’t really giving bad advice here, but that neglects the fact that this is the only thing Lloyd says. It’s not like he says, “Nice work,” and then Nate demonstrates some concerning behaviour that leads Lloyd to drop a line about humility. Nate is excited about the success he’s had in his new position, and the acknowledgement he’s getting (in the paper his father is paying more attention to than his son), and his father cuts him down immediately.

We can extrapolate from that interaction that this is not unique; Nate appears to be unsurprised by his father’s response. This is their relationship. So, is it any wonder that Nate craves validation and approval once Ted gives it to him? When we lack something and then we get it, we can get really possessive of it and insecure about losing it.

This isn’t a perfect visual, but bare with me anyway. For someone starting at 0 confidence, these confidence boosters from Ted might have worked in the long term. But I’d argue Nate’s working from a negative number, so when Ted gives him attention and support, it doesn’t really fill the void. I don’t think the validation and support from Ted decrease because there aren’t really clear examples of that, BUT the validation and support don’t increase, either, and I can imagine that bothers Nate. He’s got more power and influence, but ostensibly Ted’s treating him the same as before.

Nate is also highly deferential to authority to the point of intimidation and fear; it makes sense to me that he might have gotten crossed wires about how you’re supposed to be a leader. He literally runs away when faced with Rebecca in 1x01, although he shows an internal debate about that because he starts to come back up the stairs and changes his mind again. Nate becomes very pleasant with Ted when he realizes Ted’s the new manager, and he laughs at Ted’s jokes, presumably because Ted’s his boss and he feels like he should. Later, Ted articulates that: “You still laughing at stuff you don’t think’s funny?” Which is a way of saying that Nate doesn’t have to do that.

I would argue that even in the early episodes of season 1, Nate’s sense of identity is pretty fractured. He feels invisible, and then Ted shows up and sees him. Throughout that season, he is trying to emulate Ted. In 1x04, Ted buys Nate a suit that fits properly to replace the suit Nate borrowed from his dad. Ted then encourages a more subtle confidence (”Don’t strut; let the suit do the work”). At the table, Nate makes the joke Ted told him earlier, which subtly shows he doesn’t have much confidence in his ability to come up with his own joke. When the borrowed joke doesn’t land because he leaves out the part that makes it funny, the look on Nate’s face when he realizes he messed up the punchline? He looks annoyed and embarrassed with himself.

I think about the mirror and what that might represent about Nate’s distorted/fractured image of himself. Nate has such a fractured sense of who he is and such hatred for himself that he spits on his own reflection. I suspect he doesn’t truly believe he belongs in the position he’s been given, even though he says he does. I think he is deeply insecure about having been made coach, which is why he is so adamant that he earned it, that it didn’t fall into his lap. It’s true that he earned it, that he showed his mettle, and that’s why Ted promoted him, but Nate hates himself so much that his insecurity is coming out as bravado. This fractured sense of self and low self-esteem come out in upsetting ways when he’s given power. He uses it to do exactly what was rather recently done to him: harshly criticize, throw the shirt in Will’s face, belittle, etc.  

He brings so much to the table strategically, which is something he does seem to know, but even that he’s insecure about because he tells Ted that Richmond wouldn’t have won a single match without him. I think, deep down, he’s scared that his contribution doesn’t matter, scared that they would have done just fine without him. I think about the False 9; he’s initially upset at the idea that Ted will take the credit for the strategy when they win, and then when he suggests that they ‘abandon’ it at half-time and they decide to stick with Nate-the-Great’s False 9, his logic shifts to thinking Ted will blame him for the strategy when they lose. He’s not confident in his strategies either.

There is the moment where Ted laughs at the idea of Nate being a big dog, which obviously stung badly. Nate wants to be viewed as a big dog, as a tiger who can rip apart his enemies. I think Nate really hates himself for all of the things he used to be (when he was invisible) and sees that version of himself as weak, something to spit on. He wants to be like Roy, physically strong and tough; in Nate’s view, no one fucks with Roy, and he commands respect without having to demand it. It’s why he ends up buying a suit that looks a lot like the one Roy was wearing when he joined the Richmond team in 2x05.

In the end, I think Nate has learned through experience that love needs to be earned, and so far he’s learned that no matter what he does, his father doesn’t seem to care. Ted unknowingly takes that role on when he gives Nate the love and approval Nate’s been craving, and when he doesn’t increase the validation and support in season 2, Nate feels that Ted has abandoned him. He believes Ted no longer cares because he sees his worthiness of love and support as something he needs to earn. But Ted does love Nate, without any strings and without Nate having to be someone he’s not, but Nate doesn’t see that.

I’m deeply sad for Nate. I want to warn him that he won’t get the love, validation and attention from Rupert that he lacks from his father, just as he did not get it from Ted. The difference is, Nate’s attached himself to Rupert, who is narcisstic and self-serving, the last person someone with Nate’s fractured sense of self and low self-esteem needs to spend time around. Talk about someone who will take the credit and give all the blame, who will throw Nate under the (parked) bus at the first sign of trouble.

Nate needs to begin to do the work to repair his sense of self, to know what his skills and abilities are and what he needs to work on so he can become the best version of himself. He needs to talk to Dr. Sharon, and I hope he does it before he’s too mired in self-loathing to ask for help.

I know Nate bumps up against people’s knee-jerk reactions (that includes my own btw), and I know that forgiveness and empathy are very challenging to extend, especially in circumstances where we might feel those things should not be extended. I did my best here to make distinctions where possible, but I hope it’s clear that by discussing Nate as a character and his storyline, I am not condoning all of his actions or suggesting that we should all blindly forgive and excuse inappropriate behaviour.

My final note here is that I think many people are rejecting the idea of redemption and forgiveness for Nate because we can easily identify with the person who has been wronged (Will, Colin, Keeley, Ted, etc.). It’s harder to identify with and acknowledge the times in our lives when we’ve been like Nate, to identify as the person who has done wrong. We don’t live in this world without getting hurt and without hurting others. That can happen accidentally, but we can also end up lashing out from our own pain and insecurity. It’s what Rebecca did in season 1; it’s what Jamie is unlearning throughout his story.

Characters are fictional, which makes them perfect for discussing all manner of issues; they are not complete stand-ins for the people in our lives, though they can feel like it at times, which is precisely what makes it so difficult sometimes to go there. But I mention the fictional aspect because it can be helpful to separate the character somewhat from situations that might hit close to home due to our own experience(s).

What I think we should do here, for season 3, is to imagine the parts of ourselves that are more like Nate than we might realize. I know I think back on things I said or did when I had less of a sense of who I was and why I was making the choices I was making. I’ve done wrong, and I’ve been wronged. It takes love and hard work to heal from hurt and to make substantial, sustainable change, and I think Nate’s journey is going to be one of remorse and heartbreak, but also self-discovery. That’s really painful and difficult, ain’t it?