#also I sobbed when they announced season 5 will be the last season

[downbytheouterbanks]

Finished the new season and now that I’ve had time to sit and reflect on it I have one thing to say:

Ayo what the fuck just happened

[xenia12]

Greetings, frog Tumblr! Welcome to my impulsive, salt-induced Amphibia rant!!

This where I’m gonna ramble about Anne’s nonchalance and near indifference towards Marcy’s whole situation despite, not only supposedly wielding the “heart” gem (which embodies empathy, selflessness, and responsibility), but also the fact that she has been friends with Marcy since before kindergarten and has previously been very protective of her.

So STRAP IN, frogs, newts, toads, and hummuses alike cuz HERE WE GO

-

[in TV announcer voice] Brought to you by unhinged screaming in a discord server with @froggythesculptor.

-

Alrighty, we’ll start with Anne’s relationship with Marcy in “Marcy at the Gates”!!

When Marcy is about to jump in and save Sprig from the barbariant queen, Anne stops her and says she can do it herself. Marcy argues and asks about why she won’t let her go before Anne shouts, “Because I just got you back, okay?!” She then adds:

So worried and sensitive, right? Well, let’s move onto “True Colors” :)

-

When Sprig is dropped by Andrias, Anne is so overcome by grief and rage that she actually activates her powers for the first time. She didn’t even see him hit the ground, yet still seems broken by the perceived loss.

However, when Marcy, her life-long friend, gets a giant flaming sword through the chest, uses what she thought would be her last breath to apologize, and collapses lifelessly to the floor, Anne simply shouts her name then basically goes, “Oh, I’m home now. Anyways-”

She has the shiny eyes here but doesn’t shed even a single tear until “All In” after Marcy is freed. Like, girl, you watched the friend that you’ve probably know longer than anyone except your own parents get brutally murdered 5 feet in front of you. How are you fine???

Of course it’s understandable for Anne to feel betrayed by Marcy after her truth is revealed. After all, she’s been trapped away from her home and family for 5 months and near-death experiences have become a worryingly routine thing for her in Amphibia.

The thing is that, with Sasha, despite her trying to knowingly and intentionally kill Hop Pop (and at one point Sprig), Anne still later said that “Sasha and I might be going through a rough patch, but that doesn’t mean I don’t care about her” (S2 E6). Plus, after Sasha showed a little remorse then let go of her hand at Toad Tower, letting herself plummet so her friend could get away, Anne was sobbing just a minute later. She even saw Grime catch her so she knew Sasha was going to be okay.

The most logical conclusion Anne should’ve come to after going through that portal was that Marcy was dead. Yet, we’ve seen her get far more worked up about someone that, not only also betrayed her, but was clearly saved and alive. And, in earlier episodes, Anne seemed so much closer to and more protective of Marcy than Sasha… So I’m honestly confused.

-

As far as season 3 episodes 1-15, I wanna believe that Anne was simply in denial and didn’t want to bring it up, but it’s stuff like her being “stabbed” by the toy flame sword (in “Escape to Amphibia”) and simply laughing that make it hard for me to genuinely think that. When I just saw that happen through a screen I froze and stopped breathing for a second and it took me a bit to compose myself after. But Anne lived through both the actual event and the reminder yet didn’t react?

Also when Sasha passingly mentioned that Marcy was still alive, just captured, Anne simply sighed and said “thank goodness” before changing the topic. Like????

-

Now for “The Beginning of the End” :D

When first faced with Darcy, Anne (and Sasha kinda, but her reaction is more expected/normal for her tbh and imma not focus on her here anyway) was initially confused but, once she knew the jist of what was happening, she was just angry. She didn’t take a second to mourn or feel bad for her friend and skipped straight to getting mad. I was expecting some sort of guilt for not getting there earlier and maybe even an attempt at an “I know you’re in there!” speech (I wouldn’t want it to work but I feel like Anne would’ve been one to try that), but guess not.

Insert text “Yeah, we gay. Keep scrolling.”

-

BUT THERE IS HOPE!! Marcy’s Journal is gonna have a section written by S3 Anne, so we might get some Annegst >:3. I doubt they can entirely salvage this with just a book (the show is the great majority of the story, after all), but something is better than nothing lol.

[thebookreader12345]

Doctors in Danger

Pairing: Natalie Manning x Best Friend! reader (plus Crockett Marcel x reader)

Summary: Y/N and Natalie are kidnapped just before their shift at Chicago Med, so Will and Crockett work with the CPD to try and get them back

Requested: Yes, by anonymous

Warnings: slight swearing, mentions of injuries, blood, and guns

Word Count: 1,826 Words

Note: This takes place during Chicago Med Season 5 Episode 6, Who Should Be the Judge

Reverse Perspective Story Link Here

....................................

“All I’m saying is that he’s totally into you,” Natalie spoke as the two of us climbed out of her car. My car was in the shop this week, and since Natalie and I were best friends, and we had the same shifts, she agreed to drive me to and from work. But I was no regretting that decision because of the conversation it led to.

I rolled my eyes. “Crockett isn’t into me, Nat. And I’m not into him either.”

“You called him Crockett,” Natalie pointed out.

“Yeah. And?” I ask.

“You call all the guys by their last name. To you, Will is known as Halstead, and Ethan is known as Choi. So why don’t you call Crockett by his last name?” Natalie asked.

“You know, I think I hear Maggie calling us in the ED,” I interject to get out of the conversation.

“No no no. You are not getting out of this,” Natalie stated. Just before she could say another word, a middle aged man ran up to us. I should also probably note that his hands were covered in blood, and there was also some of the red substance staining his dark gray hoodie.

“Help! Help, please!” the man begged. 

“Sir, what's going on?” I quiz. 

“My wife. She's in labor. She's bleeding real bad,” the man replied and started walking off. Natalie and I glanced at each other, and both of us shared the same look. With that, we followed after that man, who led us down an alley and over to a big blue van. The front of the car was pretty busted, making me believe there had to have been a car crash that took place. 

"Were you in an accident?” I ask. The man nodded, not giving me any more information. As I neared the van, I started getting nervous. Something didn’t seem right.

“Did she have problems with her pregnancy before today?” Natalie questioned. 

“I’m not sure,” the man responded curtly. When we reached the back of the van, the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. I got the feeling that something bad was about to happen, and my fears came true when the man opened up the back of the van to reveal another guy whose leg was bleeding badly, and he had a gun pointed at us. I turned around to see if Nat and I could run away, but the man from earlier was blocking the exit, and he also had a gun aimed at us. “Give me your phones, and get in,” the man demanded.

“W-what?” I stammer out.

“Give me your phones and get in the van!” the man ordered again. This time I didn’t hesitate, and once I handed the uninjured man my phone, I climbed into the back of the van. Natalie climbed in seconds later with the door shutting behind her, and the unharmed man jumped in the driver’s seat, revving the engine. And with that, he stepped on the gas and drove off.

......................................

“Well, since we’re going to be here for what looks like a long time, can we at least know your names?” I ask.

“My name’s Jim,” the driver greeted. “And that’s my brother Tyler, so you better not let him die.” I sighed and turned to Natalie, who was holding pressure to Tyler’s leg, but by the looks of it, he was still bleeding pretty badly.

“Shit,” I curse upon further examination of the wound. “He nicked his femoral vein. Jim, we need a surgeon for this.”

“Well we’re not going to a hospital, so you’ll just have to make due,” Jim retorted.

“Y/N, you work with Crockett a lot. You’ve seen enough traumas to last a life time. You’ve got this,” Natalie assured me.

I nodded and took a deep breath. “You’re right. Hand me that paint brush.” Natalie handed me the paint brush that was lying around, and with a loose piece of fabric, I tied it to Tyler’s leg, forming a tight tourniquet. “Okay, you won’t take us to the hospital, but what about the pharmacy right down the road? We need supplies.” 

“The security's too tight there,” Tyler noted. “Is there still a gas station on Cermak, Jimmy?”

“Y-yeah,” Jim stuttered. “We’ll go there.” A few minutes later, Jim stopped the car in the parking lot of a gas station, and I turned to Natalie.

“All right, I need you to make sure his leg stays elevated,” I inform her. 

“Whoa, whoa, whoa. She comes with me. You stay here,” Jim commanded. 

“Listen, I know what to get,” I start, only to be cut off by Jim, who aimed his gun at Natalie.

“Cuff her,” Jim told Natalie and tossed her some handcuffs with his free hand. “Do it!” 

“Okay,” Natalie muttered and trapped one of my hands in the cuff. Before she could cuff my other hand, Jim stopped her. 

“No, no. Hands above her head. That bar,” Jim ordered and motioned to the bar above my head. Natalie nodded and followed his instructions, and seconds later, she exited the van with Jim, leaving me alone with Tyler. Minutes passed, and suddenly, Tyler lost consciousness just before Natalie and Jim got back into the van.

“What the hell did you do?” Jim asked me. 

“Nothing!” I argue. “He just passed out.” Natalie rubbed his fist along Tyler’s sternum, and just like that, he woke regained consciousness. 

"See? He's alive, okay? But his calf is rock solid. We need to move,” Natalie exclaimed. 

“I also need my hands to work,” I add. 

“Pull around the corner,” Tyler declared to his brother. Once we got parked, and I was uncuffed, I cleaned Tyler’s wound with alcohol, and Natalie stopped the bleeding with a blow torch. It wasn’t much, but it was all we could do at the moment. I thought that after we helped out Tyler, Jim would let us go, but I guess that wasn’t the case because Jim just kept driving. The car didn’t stop until we pulled into a driveway. Jim then parted ways and left us with Tyler, who forced us inside of a red brick house. In the living room, there was a younger man lying down in a bed with wires connected to him. He looked severely ill, and my guess was that he was dying.

“He's ill. Maybe we can help him,” I offer. 

Tyler shook his head. “You can't. Grab these chairs. Put them back to back and sit down.” 

“But we can help,” Natalie interrupted. 

“Just do it. Please,” Tyler pleaded. Natalie and I shared another look and followed his orders, placing the chairs back to back before sitting down. Tyler then cuffed our hands together and to our chairs so that neither of us could move. For awhile, Natalie and I just sat there, watching as Tyler spoke to his dying son. But finally, I heard sirens echoing outside, and I knew that help was here.

“Tyler, this is Detective Jay Halstead with the Chicago Police Department. We have you surrounded. I want you to come out the front door with your hands where we can see them. No one's going to shoot you unless they have to. I know you're with Natalie Manning and Y/N L/N. As an act of good faith, have them come out first. If you don’t do as we ask, we will breach the house,” Jay announced.

“Here. Uncuff her,” Tyler said and tossed me a pair of keys. I turned to the side and unlocked the handcuffs, freeing them from Natalie’s hand. “Okay, you can go.”

“Go,” I breathe out to Natalie.

“What? No. I’m not leaving you,” Natalie countered.

“Nat, please,” I beg. “Do as he says. I’ll be okay.” Natalie hesitated and didn’t move from her chair. “Natalie, I’m begging you. Get out of here.” Natalie paused again, but this time she listened and headed to the front door before disappearing outside. For a few seconds, Tyler and I sat in silence, but I finally spoke up.

“I’m sorry about your son,” I confess. “I didn’t know him at all, but I’m sure he didn’t deserve this. Hell, nobody does.” Tyler turned to me, his gun pointed at my head, and for a moment, I thought he was going to shoot me. However, he did quite the opposite.

“Go,” Tyler murmured and nodded towards the door. I uncuffed my hand, the handcuffs clattering to the floor, and stood up, making my way towards the exit. Just before I could get there, I turned around to find Tyler holding the gun at his head.

“No!” I cry out and rushed towards him, grabbing his hand that was holding the gun. A small scuffle then took place between the two of us, and it ended with one single gunshot.

.....................................

“Y/N!” Natalie sobbed and launched herself into my arms. “I’m so glad you’re okay. You had me worried.”

“I’m fine,” I assure her. “I promise.”

“Y/N!” another voice called out. I turned around just in time to be engulfed in a hug by the one and only Crockett Marcel. I melted into his embrace, glad to be in his arms. What Natalie had said earlier was true. I was into Crockett. He makes me feel different than Will and Ethan and all of the other guys I worked with do. He makes me feel special, something I hadn’t felt in a long time.

“Crockett? What are you doing here?” I question.

“Will and I, we were helping the CPD look for you,” Crockett answered. “I couldn’t just sit around while you were off being kidnapped. The whole day I’ve been worried out of my mind, thinking that something bad had happened to you, and to see that you’re okay-”

I cut Crockett off by leaning up and smashing my lips to his. Crockett responded almost immediately, his lips attacking mine hungrily. Our bodies were pressed closer together than ever before, and for a few moments, the two of us expressed how we felt for each other through our kissing. Finally though, we pulled away from each other.

“I uh, I know this is kind of a weird ask, but would you maybe want to hear how Natalie and I saved a guy’s leg? Perhaps over drinks?” I ask.

Crockett smiled. “I would love to hear about that. Saved a guy’s leg, huh? I didn’t know you were a surgeon.”

“I learned from the best,” I admit and smile up at him. “Now, about those drinks...”

Crockett laughed softly. “Let me take you back to your place first so you can clean up. Then we can get drinks. I promise.” I leaned up and pressed a peck to Crockett’s lips.

“Great. Then lets get going. After today, I really need some alcohol,” I state. And with that, the two of us left the crime scene to go have our first official date.

_________________________

Tag List:

@prettypyschoinpink @securityfriendly-jay @scarletsoldierrr @lorenakaspersen @virtualreader @carnationworld @caitsymichelle13 @king-crockett​

[mizuki-nikki]

haikyuu one shot 2022 REVIEW : a party reignited ✨

it’s been years since the last time i watched haikyuu, and gosh, the manga still gave me the same emotional attachment up until today. let me tell u what’s good about this one shot manga. GOSH GUYS I WANNA CRY SO BAD. let me cry at the corner of my room first before i rant about this one shot. furudate sensei is the best. IF YOU GUYS HAVENT READ THIS ONE SHOT I SUGGEST YOU TO READ THIS ASAP. 

(this post will be full of spoilers so read by your own risk. and please note that i dont own any of the picture)

LET’S START THE REVIEW EVERYONEEEE

1. kuro supremacy

kuroo is looking fine as hell. thanks to him, we got to see all of our favorite characters playing against each other for the sake of him increasing the amount of volleyball fans in japan. AND CAN YOU GUYS SEE, HE LOOK SO DAMN FINE HERE UGH.

2. kenma kodzuken playing volleyball again

WHO’S A BIG FAN OF KENMA? kenma is back ya’ll and he’s back to play with hinata this time. it’s super refreshing to see him back to the volleyball play again!

3. OIKAWA AND ATSUMU INTERACTION!!!!

and here you go, ladies and gentlemen, the moment that we all have been waiting for. the interaction between our fabulous setters. yayy! 

all of you might not know this but I LOVEEEE OIKAWA AND ATSUMU. back then when i used to watch haikyu, they have always been my favorite character (alongside with ushijima). FURUDATE SENSEI BLESS YOU FOR MAKING THIS HAPPEN, IM LITERALLY CRYING AT THE CORNER OF MY ROOM

4. HINATA VS KAGEYAMA REMATCH

hinata vs kageyama interaction never fails to impress me at all. it has been the pillar of haikyuu after all. now we got to see them challenging each other one more time. super epic battle

5. ALL STARS REMATCH!

and as hinata vs kageyama interaction is not enough, they also provide us with all stars rematch (AND THIS TIME WITH OIKAWA IN THE TEAM Y’ALL CAN YOU IMAGINE IM SOBBING). oikawa hinata pair vs kageyama ushiijima pair. dang this is going to be SUPER EPIC. bless the lord for giving us this content

6. LAST BUT NOT LEAST, THE ENDING QUOTE AS ALWAYS

one of the thing that i liked about haikyuu is that they always wrote super catchy, relatable yet emotional quotes. and truthfully speaking, this one is not an exemption. I LOVE THE QUOTEEEE

“even if you lose, even if you win, no one’s going to die. evil won’t get vanquished and there’s no resurrections. it won’t be the end of the world.”

basically saying that after all of the crazy matches we went through before this one shot, this game is made just for fun. there’s nothing to be sacrificed and it won’t be the end of the world whether you lose or win the game, because sports are meant to be fun for every single one of players.

GOD DAMN.

im sobbing

this is a freaking masterpiece

WHERE IS THE SEASON 5 ANNOUNCEMENT?????

[p-artsypants]

The Ghost of Smokey Joe (5)

Nightmare

No lyrics in this chapter, because the song in the title has no words. But it really embodies everything I wanted to say with the chapter.

Also, ALL ABOARD THE ANGST TRAIN CHOO CHOOOOOO

Ao3 | FF.net

—

“Do you have those drafts ready for the meeting?” Asked Marinette, peering into her co-worker’s office, a very peppy woman named Jill. 

“Of course! I’ve gotten them matted, just like you asked. 10, right?” 

“Yes! Thank God someone is doing their job right today.” 

“Oh, Marinette, where are your shoes?” 

Marinette looked down to her bare feet. “Oh, I wore pumps that are great for working at my desk and walking to the water cooler, but they got kicked off somewhere around 9 this morning.” 

“That bad, huh?” 

“Have you seen Tim? He’s fixing the sizing sheet and I can’t find him anywhere!” 

“Did you try his office?” 

Marinette’s jaw dropped. “Tim has an office?! Since when?” 

“Since always? Are you okay? You look like you could use a nap…or at least a cup of coffee.” 

Marinette groaned. “No naps! No more coffee! My heart is just a hum now anyway! I haven’t been able to sleep the last few days and last night I didn’t sleep at all. I got this weird phone call—“ she stopped herself before she said too much. “Anyway, yes, Tim does have an office. I forgot.” 

“And he’s always so good at emails, you never need to talk to him. I know. We had this same conversation last week.” 

Marinette groaned again as she covered her face in shame. “Why is Mr. Agreste doing this to me?” 

“Speaking of Mr. Agreste, have you gotten any answers from him today? I’ve sent three emails and he’s not responding at all. Apparently Tim’s having the same problem with Adrien.” 

“I haven’t heard a thing from the manor. Not Gabriel, not Adrien, not even Nathalie. We’re supposed to have a meeting at 2, but I haven’t heard if that’s still on.” 

“Doesn’t Adrien usually come into the office on meeting days?” 

“He did…I don’t know what's up with him. He was being super cagey with me yesterday when I went to talk to him.” She sighed, hunching her shoulders. “I’m worried.” She didn’t disclose the truth of the conversation, that Adrien had effectively ended their friendship. It was too painful, but too fresh to ignore. 

“I’ve been working here since Emilie was still around. Gabriel went through a huge personality shift when she disappeared. Maybe Adrien takes after his dad? Maybe something happened?” 

“Ugh, don’t talk like that, I’ll just worry more!” An alert beeped from her phone, letting her know she had an email. “Ah! An intern’s job is never done! See you later!” 

“Good luck, Marinette!” Jill called. After she left, she added, “you’re going to need it.” 

At two o’clock, the department heads and designers all came together in the conference room. Marinette set up her laptop to the screen and had the presentation open, as well as the Skype call to Gabriel. 

He had yet to join the session, but it was still a few minutes before the meeting officially began. 

“I see you’re wearing shoes now,” said Jill. 

“I don’t know if I could handle the ridicule from Mr. Agreste if he saw me bare foot in the conference room.” Marinette chuckled weakly. 

“As if Gabriel would ever reprimand you,” said someone else. “He adores you.” 

“That must be why he took a vacation and told no one,” she laughed again. Was her filter fading with all this sleep deprivation? Probably. 

Finally, the call started, but Nathalie took the helm instead. 

Before questions could be asked, she announced, “I’m afraid this meeting must be postponed.” No ‘hello’, no ‘thank you for your patience and hard work’. It was enough to make Marinette snap in all of her exhaustion and emotional turmoil. 

“Nathalie, with all due respect, everyone is here and ready to go. Why isn’t Gabriel ready?” She huffed. 

Nathalie glanced away from the camera, a tell that she was about to deliver a great blow. “Mr. Agreste is deceased.” 

The room went silent. Someone dropped a pen. 

Marinette fell into a chair, feeling like the ground was shaking under her. 

“Early this morning, both Gabriel and Adrien passed away. A joint visitation and funeral will be held at the manor on Friday evening and Saturday morning, respectively. Everyone is invited, but it’s not mandatory, of course.” 

Marinette couldn’t swallow the lump in her throat; it was so thick. 

“The fall line will not be released this season. Two weeks paid vacation will be passed on as we prepare the new head designer to take Gabriel’s place.” 

Someone asked, “Who is the new designer?” 

Most heads looked to Marinette, knowing the answer. 

“Marinette Dupain-Cheng has been determined to be the new head designer.” 

She sputtered out of her shock. “What? Me?! No! Surely not! I’m just an intern!” 

“Intern to the head designer,” someone clarified. “We all knew you were going to be hired as his assistant soon. It was obvious.” 

“But—but—“ she stammered. It was rather obvious, thinking about it. Gabriel was just waiting for her to secure that college degree to make it official. “I can’t! I just—“ Without any preamble, tears burst forth and rolled down her face. 

Adrien was gone. 

Her best friend. The love of her life. Without a goodbye, and on such horrible terms. 

Screw the responsibilities, the job title didn’t matter. She didn’t care at all.

Several arms wrapped around her, her coworkers, her friends, comforting as best as they could. 

“No one is expecting you to jump right in,” Nathalie explained. “You were quite close to both of them.” 

“What about you?” Marinette rasped out. 

“I had my moment earlier. I’m in business mode now. If anyone would like more details, please reach me privately.” 

And she left. Like a whirlwind, leaving destruction in her path. 

“Can you get home on your own?” Someone asked Marinette. 

She thought she confirmed affirmative, but someone led her from the room with an arm around the shoulder. Maybe it was Tim. She didn’t really know. She didn’t really care. 

When she arrived home, she dropped her purse on the floor. Where were her other bags? At the office? Oh well, didn’t matter now. 

Nothing mattered anymore.

“Girl, you look like you’ve seen a ghost.” 

Alya and Nino were home, they were here and alive, and they didn’t know. 

They didn’t know and she had to tell them. 

“He’s gone,” She whispered.

“Who?” Asked Alya, resting a comforting hand on her arm. 

“Adrien…he—he’s dead.” 

“…what?” Nino squeaked out. “H-how? Why?” 

“I don’t know…he and Gabriel—“ she stopped and flexed her hand. Her phone was still in her hand. It held answers. 

She called Nathalie on video. 

“Hello Marinette. I’m glad to see you made it home safe. I was worried.” 

“What happened?” She blurted. “Nino and Alya know that he died. What happened?” Because there had to be a reasonable explanation. 

Nathalie’s face morphed from serious business to pain and pity. “Are you sure you want to know?” 

God, with a preamble like that, it couldn’t be good. Not painless like Carbon monoxide poisoning in their sleep, and not instant like a car accident. 

“Please Nathalie, I have to know.” 

She breathed shakily and admitted, “it was a murder-suicide, as enacted by Adrien. He first stabbed Gabriel, and then himself.” 

“Augh!” Marinette sobbed out. It was an ugly sound that couldn’t be controlled or silenced. 

“I’m sorry. I wish I could lie…but I can’t. Adrien had been acting strange lately…I think Gabriel knew this was going to happen.” 

“No! You’re lying!” Marinette yelled. “Adrien loved his father! He would never—he’s not like that!” 

“Marinette, I saw them. Adrien was obviously deeply disturbed.” 

“SHUT UP!!” She ended the call and dropped the phone on the floor. 

Then she looked to her friends, who were both bawling like her. Nino moved first and pulled her into a tight hug. Alya came around the other side, crushing her in a Marinette-sandwich. 

“You’re right, he wouldn’t do that.” Alya offered. “But they’re both gone, so we can’t prove anything.” 

“If Nathalie didn’t tell the office, then the truth might never come out,” Said Nino, nodding in reassurance. “Only the four of us will have any idea.” 

After a long time, numbness started to set in. There was a degree of disbelief in her still, where she may have heard it, but she didn’t see it. 

That left room for doubt. 

Without a word, she took her phone from the floor and wandered back to her room. 

After the door closed, Tikki appeared. “Marinette…” 

But she wasn’t listening. She was staring at her phone screen, like she was trying to solve a puzzle. 

Then she started a call. 

It rang and rang and rang and rang…

“Hey there, it’s Adrien, I’m not available to answer right now. But leave me a message or shoot me a text, and I’ll get back to you. Hope you have a great day!” 

The phone beeped. 

“Adrien,” she sobbed. “Adrien I know—goddamnit this sucks. I’m too late. I love you so much, and I’m too late. I wish I told you sooner. Even last night when you called—I’m sorry I didn’t know you were struggling. I’m sorry I didn’t know how to help you. I loved you so much and I couldn’t save you and I’m so sorry…” 

“Marinette…” Tikki tried to tell her to stop. 

“This is the closest I could get to telling you. And you’ll never hear it and—“ 

The phone beeped again, signaling the end of the recording. 

She saved it, and set the phone down. 

“Marinette…” 

“What is it, Tikki? What’s so important?” 

“I have to tell you something…but it’s really really bad.” 

“Well, hit me with it. Today is literally the worst day of my life.” 

“Adrien…well, he was Chat Noir.” 

As if the day couldn’t get any worse. 

“What?” 

“Chat Noir. He was Adrien.” 

“But—but he can’t be. You must be confused.” 

“Marinette, he literally wore the earrings before.” 

“I KNOW!” She screamed. “But you have to tell me he's someone else! Because I can’t lose both of them! I can’t do it Tikki!” 

“I know it hurts. You two were literally soul mates. The Ladybug and Black Cat always are.” 

“You’re not helping!” She sobbed. 

“I know, I’m sorry.” 

Tikki allowed Marinette to sob for a while, letting her anguish spill out of her. Tikki just kept watch for the Akuma that never came. 

“You know what you have to do next, right?” Asked Tikki. 

“What?” 

She sighed. “You have to go to the visitation and take back the ring.” 

“I can’t do that!” Marinette cried, horrified. “I can’t! There’s no way!” 

“We’ll he can’t be buried with it. You have to, Marinette.” 

Marinette crawled into bed, still fully clothed and wept and wept and wept until her tears burned her cheeks and exhaustion took hold.

--

All the chapter titles are songs from my spooky halloween playlist that inspired this fic (and their lyrics will be in the chapters)! You can find that playlist here. The playlist will be updated as the fic goes on.

[dany-is-my-queen]

Born To Be Yours | Part VIII

Sansa Stark x Fem! Baratheon! Reader (Daenerys Targaryen x Fem! Baratheon! Reader eventually)

Season 1-8

Word Count: 2,165

Note: Leave your thoughts please! 💛

Pt.1 Pt.2 Pt.3 Pt.4 Pt.5 Pt.6 Pt.7 Pt.9

“I don’t want to leave King’s Landing! What about you and Tommen? No one can separate us! Please Y/N, I don’t want to go to Dorne.” Myrcella was weeping holding you tight by the waist.

“You’ll be safer in Dorne, little one. It’s dangerous if you stay. I promise you I’ll visit Sunspear as soon as I can. They will give you a warm welcome. Nothing bad is going to happen, okay?” You keep saying to ease her worries. She’ll be just fine, you thought.

“I’m going to miss you.”

“You are my sister. We’ll be in each other’s hearts till the end of time.” You wiped her tears.

“Princess Y/N, Princess Myrcella.” Sansa greeted you. Another two courtiers arrived to be with her.

“Lady Sansa, I love your dress! Did you make it yourself?” Myr announced.

“Yes, princess.” She chuckled.

“You should teach me how to do this beautiful stitching. Sadly we don’t have the time.”

“I’ll send you a golden gown as a present on your nameday” She grinned and went off to play hide & seek with the ladies. “You are going to miss your sister.” Sansa said.

“A lot. But I know it has a purpose. She’s strong.” You nodded.

“Just like you. I miss Arya. We had a complicated relation, she was always so annoying and I was a brat. I should have cherished the moments we had together. She’s out there all alone.” With a sad voice she spoke.

“We will find her.”

“May I ask you something?” She doubtfully inquired.

“Anything.”

“You don’t like to be around Joffrey?”

“No. And I’m glad he hardly ever request my presence. We had a messy childhood. I’ve been closer to my siblings since they were born. They brought light to my life. There’s nothing in this world I wouldn’t do for them.”

“I admire you, Y/N.” You smiled.

“Lady Sansa, do you fancy poetry?”

“I do! It’s very romantic.”

“Well, I’m happy to hear that. I made you a poem... you inspired me. Here it goes...

Big vivid blue eyes

Gentler than the ocean sea

Long silky auburn locks

Warmer than a sunset

This a lady, a lady who will own the world.”

You created it the very first day you meet her, of course, you wouldn’t recite it to her when you barely knew each other. It was way too short but it meant something.

“Woah... Y/N I’m speechless. You are so sweet. I don’t deserve a friend like you.” Right, friend.

“Of course you do.” You said. She kissed your cheek the same way you kissed hers the other night. Swiftly and subtly. Gods it felt so good. If anyone was watching they could see how blushed you two were.

“May I ask specifically what the King has in mind?” Tyrion was weary of his sister’s stubbornness.

“You may, specifically, or you may ask vaguely. The answer will be the same.” She nonchalant answered.

“It’s important we talk about this.” He insisted.

“It’s the King’s royal prerogative to withhold sensitive information from his councilors.” Cersei was looking from the balcony to the gardens the longing stare Sansa had on you. You watched with a heavy heart over the younger princess so you weren’t paying much attention. The Queen Regent didn’t like the idea of that kind of closeness between you both. She didn’t suspect anything either, not more than devotion the northern lady held for Y/N. Still, it bothered her you always stood up for her. “That whore should stay away from my daughter.” She declared.

“Why? It seems they get along pretty well, your son loves to torture her. She found someone who treats her right. I don’t quite understand the reason you’re mad about it.”

“She’s poisoning her. Manipulating her. Y/N is so naive. That girl thinks she has her under her claws at her disposition.”

“What you are saying doesn’t make any sense. They are just girls. What harm can they do to each other?

“Will you send her away as well? Maybe you should have considered Y/N instead of Myrcella.”

“You haven’t changed a bit. Still so bitter and distant with Y/N. She knows how to fight, how to defend herself. She’s brave. Just like her father Robert Baratheon was. Only three of your four children are sane. But I’m really curious about this... how can you put one of them above the other? Being so hurtful with your actions and your words, Y/N experienced that. Where were you when she needed you the most?”

“Don’t be ridiculous. Of course I love her. In my own way. She’s my blood, and for good or for bad, blood is for life.” Tyrion let out a tired sighed of disbelief. Then he left.

“My friend...” Varys approached you.

“What news, Lord Varys?”

“Your uncle Renly. He’s dead.”

“How?”

“He was stabbed in the heart. Some say it was Lady Catelyn Stark, his own Kingsguard, and others Stannis Baratheon himself. We don’t know for sure.” You knew this was a high possibility due to the quarrel between Stannis and Renly, though it was soon you were pretty sad about the fact he’s gone. He was always good to you.

It was the day Myrcella was leaving home to be in an unknown place. She was terrified, truth be told you were too but you had to remain strong and positive.

“My lioness, I’m sure the next time we see each other you’ll be even more beautiful. Five years, twenty years, we’ll always be the same.” You were trusting Dorne to take care of her.

“Just a bit older. Who is going to stay with me when I have a nightmare or when-“

“As father told me, don’t be scared even in the face of danger. You will never be alone. I love you.” You kissed her forehead bidding her goodbye.

“Promise you will never forget about me Y/N.”

“I promise.”

“May the seven guide the princess on her journey...”

Tommen was sobbing, the septa cleaned his face. You held him whispering she was going to be safe and soon enough you’ll be seeing her again.

“You sound like a cat meowing for his mother. Princes don’t cry.” Joffrey hissed with his arms folded. You were to busy comforting your baby brother to pay him any attention.

“I saw you cry.” Sansa blunted out.

“Did you say something, my lady?” He turned to her.

“My little brother cried when I left Winterfell.”

“So?”

“It seems a normal thing.”

“Is your little brother a prince?”

“No?”

“Not really relevant, isn’t it?” He irritably replied.

“Some people care for their siblings, you don’t care for any of us. That’s why you are so stone-hearted about it.” You kept looking at Myrcella almost gone boat. He gave you a withering look before walking. Sansa was emotionless, perhaps because of her younger brothers, Bran and Rickon. Hopefully, they were alright.

“Come, dog.”

You followed the guards. In the hall, a crowd started to yell things at the King. Tommen was taken back to the Keep while your mother and you stayed close to each other, she held your hand.

“Hail to the King!”

“Murderer! Bastard!”

“Please your grace, we are hungry!”

Suddenly a piece of cow excrement was thrown to his arrogant face. “Who threw that? I want the man who threw that! Find him and bring him to me! Kill them! Kill them all!” Sansa handmaidens were keeping her close. The Lannister guardsmen shielded you and Cersei while the folk tried to get to your eldest brother. They were rioting, it was chaos.

“Move, move!” Tyrion ducked his head. You tried to follow the tall girl but she left your sight.

You entered a big gate to safety. “Where’s the Stark girl?” Tyrion shouted.

“Let them have her!” Joffrey furiously screamed.

Wasting no time you ran to the exit not caring about the riot happening outside.

You entered a short corridor, almost tripping by your feet. When you found her she was on the ground with her clothes ripped off, crying while trying to break free from the man’s grip.

“Have you ever been fucked?” You heard the disgusting person say.

“Take your hands off her!” You pushed one of them and hit him. The other flee and the last punched you in the stomach and then slapped you. The northerner was terrified. In that precise moment, before you kept fighting, The Hound arrived and spun the leader down, then disemboweled him, the second begged for mercy, resulting in him cutting his throat. He first offered to help you what you refused so he could carry the Stark girl. She was in shock.

Now you were in the gated area. You heavily sighed. “The Princess is hurt! So is the little bird.”

“Thank you, Sandor.” He nodded.

“Y/N! Are you alright? Did the assailants do something to you?” Tyrion worriedly asked you.

“No, no I’m fine.” You shook your head, trying to catch your breath.

“That was stupid.”

“Well, Joffrey is a slow thinker.”

“Your mother is going to be so angry about this.”

“I don’t care, uncle. You know it.” You smiled at him and he shook his head in disapprove. “My lady. They will take you back to the Red Keep. I will personally treat your wounds okay?”

“You already have done too much, my princess. I-“

“Please.” She nodded. “I’ll be with you in a few moments.”

You entered Cersei’s chambers, she was expecting you. Both hands on her waist. “What the hell were you thinking?! Are you an idiot? I’ve sent one of my daughters away and now the other is almost raped and killed the same day!” She was all hysterical.

“Mother, your son wasn’t deciding. Someone had to. Without Lady Sansa we’ll never see Jaime again. I’m the only person who cares for the innocent people? I wouldn’t let them hurt her.” You fought back.

“She is not worth risking your life for. You are trying to follow your father to the grave! It’s not about honor. It’s about your safety. I can’t lose you, Y/N.” She argued.

“You won’t.” You walked out leaving her with a mad expression.

“She was so brave Shae! She came to my aid when I thought those people were going to hurt me. She’s so fearless.”

“It was a very silly act. Things could have gotten worse.”

“But they didn’t. Sandor also helped. But Y/N,s boldness is remarkable.” Shae peered at her knowing what Sansa really meant.

You knocked on the redhead door. “I hope it’s not too late. My mother kept talking, I couldn’t wiggle my way out.” You excused yourself.

“Come in. I was waiting for you. Shae insisted on do it herself.”

“Princess. My lady.”

“Goodnight, Shae. She’s in good hands.” She gave you a little smile.

“Did you have supper already?”

“Yes, I took a quick bath too.” Sansa gestured you to sit down.

“I see. Your hair is still wet.” You quipped.

“You saved me. Again.” She began.

“Actually, Sandor saved us. I’m glad I arrived in time.”

“I thought they were going to kill me.”

“I wouldn’t let them. I won’t let anyone touches you ever again. I’m sorry. It must have been very frightening to you.”

“It was. You rescued me. I’m so grateful, Y/N. But your life is way more important than mine. Stop doing it.”

“I’ve heard that before.” You took the kerchief smearing in it some ointment.

“I’m serious. You are very brave. I don’t want you to get seriously injured because of me.” She insisted, more serious this time.

“I wouldn’t blame you. No harm will come to you while I’m around. I mean it. What I wouldn’t do to save you?”

“You are so stubborn. I would have given them bread if I had it. I hate the King more than any of them.”

“I know you would and I know you do, we share the same feeling about him.”

“Oh, gods! I’m a fool! I didn’t notice until now that you are also hurt.” She concernedly acknowledged.

“It doesn’t matter.” You brushed it off.

“Of course it does.”

“You first.” With the fabric, you began to swab her eyebrow cut.

“Auch.”

“It’s not deep. Does it hurt?”

“A little. What about yours?” She carefully touched your lower lip with her thumb.

“It’s just a scratch.”

“Let me clean it.” You found her eyes staring at your lips.

“The-the cut will disappear soon.” She stuttered.

“I won’t.” She looked up yo meet your eyes.

“What?”

“I won’t stop risking my life to keep you safe.” Not only you were doing this for the promise you made to Lady Catelyn, or because it was the right thing to do, not even for honor or recognition, but because you were falling harder and harder for her, you were deeply in love with the she-wolf.

[hippychick006]

Paleyfest 2006: Supernatural Panel

So I’ve watched about half the panel so far and am taking a break because my airpods have ran out of charge as I keep pausing to make notes. It was a natural break anyway as the first part of the panel was a hosted session and the next part is a questions from the audience.

So many memories and a couple of things I’d forgotten but been smiling for the last couple of hours as I watch, pause and pull the notes together.  Definitely worth a revisit to remember falling in love with this show and these guys.

Here’s my notes so far which I’ll tidy up and reissue all in a single post when I’ve finished watching tomorrow (timings are based on the video link) 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6YHq20XmNE

Placing under a cut as longish post:

Supernatural was named in the Top 5 of new series by Entertainment Weekly

Aww. Kim Manners ☹  Miss his influence so much on the later seasons

2:20:  Jensen followed by Jared are announced to the panel. Jared arrives and doesn’t quite know where he’s supposed to go. Oh Jared.

Robert Singer looks so young! Wworking with J2 for so long has definitely aged him. 😊

3:35: Erik says as far as he’s aware, this panel is the first gathering of Supernatural fans

3:40: Erik tells the story of them filming in Stanley Park the night before the panel and they get a call about a man near their filming with a handgun, set gets shut down, J2 held away, police etc. called in and 2 hours later they find out it’s one of their own guys from Special Effects team.

They showed Scarecrow episode at the panel – great choice!

7:15: Jensen is reintroduced to the panel. The host can barely get through Jensen’s previous roles because of the fans. Jensen says something at 8.10 “Over to you, Jared.” I think, not 100% sure, but he definitely shouts something to Jared (who has still to be introduced).

8:11: Jared is reintroduced to the panel. The host is still having the same trouble getting through Jared’s roles as he did with Jensens. A guy shouts, “I love you.” Same random audience member, same

8:55: J2 slap hands as Jared sits down beside Jensen at the panel.

13:40: Erik’s been talking about the concept of the show and the care the brothers have for each other. Cut to Jared who is currently pouring Jensen some water.  Aww

15:00: They auditioned “everyone in town” so J2 did really, really well getting these roles.  They flew Jensen down from Vancouver and Jared’s complaining he had to drive. They thought they had found their Sam in Jensen.

15:45: Jensen and Jared trying to dodge the question by passing it to each other, Jared: What’s the exact question?

Immediately following this Jared’s talking about getting the role from his perspective and his little baby!Jared Texan accent is just…

17:05: Jared, talking about his mom being an English teacher who teaches mythology and legends:  “…the taught teachings of Joseph Campbell”  Jensen: “Didn’t rub off that she was an English teacher” Oh boys! Stop bullying Jared, he worked till 4.30am before flying down to the panel!

17:45: Jared’s still talking, Jensen starts snoring. I can’t… Jared shakes him to wake him up.

18:20: Jared and Kripke are trying to clarify something (who was in the room when Jared auditioned) but Singer is in the way and they keep going front and back trying to make eye contact

19:24: we get to what Jensen’s experience of the audition process was. Jensen: Pretty much the same. Jared (immediately): zzzzzzz (resting his head on Jensen’s shoulder).  Jensen goes on to talk about liaising with Nutter who wanted to bring him in and reading the script (for Sam). Jensen reading the script: “What about Dean? I like Dean.  He’s funny” He studied for Sam (and Dean a little bit just in case) and went into the audition, said he felt good about it and got a call later from Erik: “There’s this guy, Jared Pada, Pada Something… that they’re really liking for one of the brothers” So Jensen looks him up on line and he’s like…

Jared: He thought I was hot.

Jensen: This guy’s smoking hot, I can’t play his brother!

Jared throws his head back and does that clapping thing he does.  

21:10: host is asking by the time they performed together, they actually had the parts? Jensen: No, we didn’t have it officially. Jared (a bit surprised): Didn’t we? (looks at Erik). Erik says they were the only actors they brought into the Network audition (as you have to have the formality of the network signing off).

Jared says auditioning for the network is usually a terrifying process in front of around 5 people with a few others auditioning but when they turned up, it was only the two of them. Jensen: Just you and me pal. And it was the first time they’d met.

22:00: Jensen: “...And we’ve hated each other ever since.” He reaches for his water, Jared: “I poisoned your water so…” Jensen looks at water and drinks anyway

22:15: Kim Manners gets asked how he became involved. Kim: “I read for Sam…” Miss this man so much!

23:00: Erik says he doesn’t know what they would do without Kim up there [Vancouver] Kim: I know what you’d do, you’d get another guy! Panel: There is no other guy. Not true...  Jared: “There is no other guy… named Kim.”  Kim looks like he’s scheduling Jared in for a 4am pick up on his next episode.

23:40: Jared and Jensen talk about Kim and when he directed for the first time – Dead In the Water – they’d asked who he was and all David Nutter told them was they would love Kim, which they did and they contacted everyone from Day 1 saying he was incredible. Jared’s memory during this is pretty amazing in terms of episodes and directors etc.  All the love for Kim and completely deserved!

24:20: Jared gets so expressive he sends his mic flying. Is this the very first Jared v microphones?! I think it might just be. Jared: 0, Microphones: 1

Jensen offers his own mic then Jared asks Singer for his also then finishes speaking by just holding his own mic, saying they begged and pleaded them to give Kim a job. Jared: because he was hungry… and he kept trying to bite my arm… and I was really worried.”

24:45: They were asked what is so incredible about Kim. Jensen: “Jared and I…” Wait, I need a moment here. Jared and I… sobs.  He says they just responded well to him and his style of directing.

25:15: Bugs is mentioned by Jensen, Kim puts imaginary gun to his mouth. He really hated that episode and pleaded with Kripke not to do it.   Jensen goes on to tell the bees story, 65,000 bees in a room, crew with full gear on. “Okay Jensen and Jared, hop on in…” Jared: “And don’t swat them because it makes them angry!”  Jensen credits Kim saying that if J2 didn’t have bee suits on then he wasn’t going to either.

I should point out that J2 are mirroring throughout this segment in terms of their body language.

26:45: John (Shiban I think) is talking about how he got involved and what drew him in, and he said 2 things: the premise, he can see 5 years of suffering for these guys. Jensen throws his head back dramatically. The second thing is casting and chemistry and chemistry is something you can’t manufacture and these guys have it… 27:20 Jared and Jensen look at each other hearing this and Jared leans in for a kiss.  Jensen shakes his head and points to the audience.  Jared: worth a try.  Oh boys. Jared will go on to try (and fail) to get a public kiss several times and will eventually give up and admit he doesn’t kiss Jensen... in public.

27:35: Bob [Singer] is asked what about you? Bob: Can I just watch them? (indicating Jensen and Jared). Same Bob tbh

27:55: Bob has to stop talking because J2 are doing something and we can’t see what they are doing but everyone is laughing. Bob throws his hands up and says “This is what it’s like to direct them!” I think from memory, Jared might be pouring water for Jensen and he keeps pouring and overspills and Jensen stops him.  I might need to check my DVD as I think it’s got a different angle than this youtube video that I’m using or possibly this point comes later in the video.   

Bob’s is a very interesting segment where he talks about how he and Kripke complement one another and I think this helps understand why Drabbernatural has gone off the rails as Singer (character focused) needs someone like Kripke (plot focused) to balance him out (and vice versa tbh) whereas Drabb is too much like Singer and can’t keep a handle on the plot. Anyway, interesting to watch from perspective of 14 years later and the mess that Drabbernatural is in terms of plot. This segment ends at 31:00 where Bob and Erik hug – after complimenting each other.

33:09: Kripke and John are talking about mythology v MOTW and at this point Erik is saying they have a mythology plan for season 2 and season 3 (if they are picked up). Jared looks confused at Jensen and they both turn to John. Jensen: When do we get to see this?

34:35: Erik Kripke (when asked if he knows where the story ends): He does, but you don’t know if you’re going to get cancelled or go 37 years like Gunsmoke.   Kim: The boys are in Walkers. Jensen (I think, old man voice): Sam!

 Oh, how they would be shocked to learn they went for 15 seasons in total

It was a good watch, highly recommend, particularly if you’ve been flagging with Drabbernatural and all the negativity over the summer.  

I’ll be back tomorrow with the rest of it.

[neighbourskid]

2020

What a year, huh? Surely not anything anyone has expected to happen when we woke up on this day a year ago. I certainly haven’t. I’m not even sure, now, where to begin to sum up this year like I’ve done years prior. But then again... I may just as well just dive right into all the media I consumed this year, as I have done every year. I haven’t kept track as detailed as I have last year, but my year was definitely punctuated by pieces of entertainment that have come into my life.

Continuing on from 2019, my obsession with Good Omens was still going strong. Which was ideal, since I was gonna spend the first half of the year writing my Bachelor thesis on it. The intensity of the obsession may have waned a bit since, but I still love that show and book dearly and hold it close to my heart, and I don’t think that will ever stop. But while Good Omens was certainly an overall theme throughout my year, there were some other things that actually stood out.

With January came new episodes of Doctor Who, and having returned to that particular bandwagon the year prior, I was all about that. Jodie’s second season finally brought what I had longed for in her first--a darker kind of Doctor. She wasn’t quite as bubbly anymore, you could finally see some of the depths in the character that I loved so in the previous regenerations, which made me love Peter’s Doctor so incredibly much. In this season, I felt, Jodie was finally becoming the Doctor. Overall, that season catered to me personally every single episode. So many of the time periods they visited were of people I loved, and the introduction of Sacha Dhawan as the Master was absolutely....well, masterful. Sacha is brilliant in that role and I am utterly stunned by his talent. Although both John Simm and Michelle Gomez brought things to the Master that I liked, it’s Sacha’s completely unhinged take on it that made me finally like the character. He’s a madman and I love it.

The next major thing was The Good Place. I tend to have a talent of getting into shows just as they either ended their entire show, or the final season is just coming up. It’s happened quite a bit, and it was the same with this. I finally binged the show early in January and it would end its final season at the end of the month. True to form, I was completely obsessed with it for about a month, before I only occasionally thought about it again. But, thinking back now, I get this incredibly fond feeling for this show, and I remember that the finale absolutely wrecked me and I basically ugly sobbed through the entirety of it. Also very true to form, actually. I want to rewatch it again some time, but honestly preferably with someone who has never seen it before. Which, obviously, is a difficult thing to do given, well, everything.

Next up is something that surprised me a lot. In the middle of having to write my BA thesis, my procrastination thought it would be a great idea to rewatch and catch up on the entirety of Criminal Minds. And so I binged 15 seasons of that instead of writing my thesis. Which, coincidentally, had also just aired its final season not long before I started my binge in March. Rewatching this, I realised just how little I took in of the actual, like, stuff in the show when I first watched it as a teen. Although I mostly cared about the characters and their found family this time around--although I do find the cases really fascinating most of the time too--I noticed just how much I am not watching this for the fact that they are in the FBI. I was hyperaware of how often they shot at people before doing anything else, how many of the suspects died before ever being questioned or being brought in, and it made my skin crawl. I am aware how fucked up the criminal justice system is, and especially in the US, how the police functions and how incredibly glorified they are in the media. But rewatching this show, I realised how little I actually paid attention to anything when I was younger. Big yikes. Still, I remembered my love for these characters, and I really enjoyed that rewatch a whole lot. Found family will always get to me.

Once I finished writing my thesis and handed it in early in July, I then found my next momentary obsession: Community. The show had finally come to Netflix earlier in the year and a friend of mine had watched it then. I remember watching that pilot episode back then and being completely uninterested in watching it. The comedy felt like it wasn’t quite up my street, the characters were entirely unlikeable, and I especially disliked Jeff who the show was more or less centred around. I binged Criminal Minds instead, but then decided to give it another try. And, well, I watched it twice through without taking a break to watch something else in-between. Ironically, and maybe actually unsurprisingly, Jeff ended up being my favourite and I found myself relating a lot to him and his arc throughout the series. I even found myself writing some short ficlet-like things in the notes app on my phone. I made an attempt at starting a third watch, but I guess then the month was up, and my brain decided it was time for something else. My hyperfixations usually tend to die out after about a month. Which is why my complete devotion to Good Omens was a pleasant surprise. I did, however, end up watching quite a bit of Joel McHale and Ken Jeong’s The Darkest Timeline podcast throughout August. 

Early in September, while already preparing for the new term at uni, and my first semester in my Master’s studies, I then turned to New Girl. Friends of mine had seen it and recommended it, and I remember watching probably the entire first season on TV while I was in San Diego the first time around back in 2016. Or at least I think it was the entire first season. Either way, I binged that whole thing, realised through Nick Miller that the go-to character I am drawn to and tend to project on in any piece of media is usually what I like to call “the garbage man,” which Nick is a prime example of. And although I spent a month watching the show in-between starting university again and volunteering at a film festival, I didn’t spend much time afterward thinking about it and moved on to other things rather quickly. I enjoyed watching it, that much I remember, and I’m pretty sure I cried at the finale because it was done wonderfully, but seeing as another month was up, my brain was probably like “okay fine that’s enough”.

I then spent most of fall and early winter watching every single bad Christmas movie available on Netflix, which was quite fun. In that moment of festivity, I also watched a movie I found absolutely brilliant and fell in love with immediately. It’s a beautiful movie called Jingle Jangle, it has a magnificent soundtrack and is absolutely incredible. I had no idea Forest Whitaker could sing and he completely blew me away. If you haven’t seen it already, I highly recommend it. It doesn’t matter that Christmas is already over, it’s beautiful either way.

By the time December finally rolled around, I was already over the whole Christmas thing, to be honest and I turned away from festive movies or shows, and eventually ended up finally picking up a gem I had heard much about and had been meaning to watch for a while. A show which, as it were, also aired its final season earlier this year. This little show is Schitt’s Creek. I will be going on about what this show means to me probably in another post at length, but for now just let me say: if you haven’t seen it, find some place to watch it, and put this beautiful show in your eyeballs. I am on my second run through already (although I’ve seen the second half of the show a second time already while watching it with a friend on their first run through), and it brings me so much fucking joy. It’s a gift, this show. And it will likely stay with me for a very, very long time.

That’s about it for the big things. I also watched a whole lot of other stuff, including entirely new things, or just newly released seasons of things I was already watching. Here’s what I can remember off the top of my head:

Charlie’s Angels (2020). The Night Manager. The Witcher. Dolittle (2020). The Librarians (rewatch). Harley Quinn (2020). Sonic the Hedgehog (2020). The Chef Show (S1 part 3, S2 part 1). Avenue 5. Money Heist (part 4). The Good Fight (S4). Brooklyn Nine-Nine (S7). DuckTales (2017 reboot). Frankenstein live. Staged (2020). Hamilton. Sense8. Julie and the Phantoms. The Boys in the Band. One Night in Miami. Enola Holmes. Supernova. His Dark Materials (S2). Happiest Season. The Great Canadian Baking Show.

I also got some reading done in-between what I had to read for my thesis in spring, and then for regular university courses in fall. Here’s some of what I can remember:

Anthony Horowitz, The House of Silk. Ramona Meisel, Sunblind. Donna Tartt, The Secret History. Good Omens novel and script book. Matt Forbeck, Leverage: The Con Job. Keith R.A. Decandido, Leverage: The Zoo Job. Greg Cox, Leverage: The Bestseller Job. Greg Cox, The Librarians and the Lost Lamp. Greg Cox, The Librarians and the Mother Goose Chase. Greg Cox, The Librarians and the Pot of Gold. Neil Gaiman, Marvel 1602. Christina Henry, The Lost Boy. Neil Gaiman, Norse Mythology. John Green, An Abundance of Katherines. Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Aurora Leigh. Maria Konnikova, The Confidence Game. 

Having mulled over all this entertainment I consumed in 2020, there are also some non-tv or book things I need to point out. As many, many other people around the globe, I have also spent a large amount of time this year on my Nintendo Switch, playing Animal Crossing: New Horizons. It is a game I have waited for since the Switch was first announced, and I fell in love with it from the moment the first trailer dropped. It has brought me great joy in this weird fucking year, and I have more or less consistently played it since it came out in March. I ended this year with the in-game New Year’s Eve celebration and I feel like that summed up this year quite neatly and appropriately.

This year also brought with it another game very close to my heart: Super Mario Sunshine. With their release of Super Mario 3D All-Stars in September, Nintendo finally brought my all-time favourite Mario game to my all-time favourite console, and I played the entire game through in the first week of owning it, in-between university courses and volunteering at the film festival. Also contained in that package was Super Mario Galaxy which I have also played through in its entirety since. All that’s left for me now is Super Mario 64, which I am excited to play through in the coming year.

And to round off my year of entertainment, there are two more things I would like to mention. First, David Tennant Does A Podcast With..., which released its second season this summer. It is one of the only, if not the only podcast I keep up to date with and listen to immediately whenever a new episode drops. I’ve loved the first season dearly, and David came back with some incredibly fantastic guests for the second season as well. I can’t wait for what the podcast will bring in the future, but I will wait patiently until it is time. I can highly recommend it for everyone who likes interesting conversations between lovely people who clearly adore each other a whole lot.

And finally, while this year brought a whole lot of bullshit with it, it also gave me something I never thought possible and did not even dare to imagine in my wildest dreams. My all-time favourite show announced that it would be rebooted with the same main cast (minus one), a new wonderful member, and involvement of the original creators, and even started filming already in summer. Leverage is coming back. I still cannot believe it. I hoped for a movie, always. That maybe one day, they might bring the gang back together, for one last job, just one more encore. But to get a whole new tv-show with Aldis, Christian, Gina and Beth returning? With the addition of Noah Wyle? I can’t wrap my head around it. I am so excited for this. I predict that I will ugly sob through the entirety of the pilot episode, if not the first season, and will have to rewatch every episode because of it, but I have no doubt that it will be brilliant and wonderful.

True to form, I have now gone on about tv shows and movies for far too long, and haven’t really said anything about this year at all. 2020 was fucking weird. And I don’t think 2021 will be much different quite yet. I wrote an entire BA thesis in 2020. I successfully finished by Bachelor’s degree and started my Master’s studies and even got some excellent first grades in as well. I was lucky enough to be able to see some friends and family throughout the year, and even celebrate my birthday with a small circle of friends. I’ve become closer with friends, shared experiences I wouldn’t trade for the world, and, I think, maybe also grown a bit as a person.

I started this year excited to finally be able to start taking testosterone in February, and to finish the first part of my studies by summer. Although I did both of these things, they didn’t happen quite how I imagined them, but I am glad that I could do these things nevertheless.

2020 was a hell year, for sure. But there were some moments in there that I wouldn’t want to lose.

I’ve tried very hard to not be optimistic about this upcoming year, and rather take a more realistic, even pessimistic approach. But I can’t help but be hopeful. Hopeful that this year will be kind to us, and if it isn’t, that at least, we’ll be kind to ourselves and each other. It won’t be easy, and not much will change, I think. But we have to approach the coming time with kindness and compassion. That’s where I’m at currently. And I think that’s all for now.

Be well, friends, and take care.

[freddiesaysalright]

The Most Dramatic Season Ever - The Men Tell All

Summary: It’s your time now! You are ABC’s new Bachelorette and this is your journey! All these men (including our fav BoRhap boys and then some) are competing for your heart! Will you find love? Will you get engaged at the end? Or will you end up heartbroken? Find out, on the most dramatic season ever!

Word Count: 7.2k

Tag List: @psychosupernatural, @someone-get-a-medic, @bensrhapsody, @deakyclicks, @crazylittlethingcalledobsession, @minigranger, @crazyweirdocalledfriday, @the-moving-finger-writes, @assembledherethevolunteers, @rose-writes-prose, @queenlover05, @moon-stars-soul, @danadeacon, @deacyblues, @thesundrop, @cupidben, @lostlittlenerd, @delilahmay39, @timmvrphy, @queenmylovely, @loveandbeloved29, @free-pool-trash, @fairestkillerqueenofall, @local-troubled-writer, @percussion-chick, @littlecarowrites, @allthethingsicant, @im-an-adult-ish, @mirkwoodshewolf, @squishy-gay-astronaut, @sherlollydramoine, @butlegendsneverdie, @dogmom2014, @rocketrhap917, @26-7-49, @lelifesaver, @frozenhuntress67, @drowsebaby, @mrhoemazzello, @lookuptotheskiesandsee If you’d like to be added, let me know!

A/N: Alright, it’s the Men Tell All! Don’t worry, you’ll find out what happens with Y/N and Gwil before we get into the drama ;) ALSO thank you all for the love and support since I lost my grandfather. Today, I was at work and had lots of time to write, so I was able to finish up this chapter for you. You’re all so sweet about this story, and to me in general, and I appreciate it so much :)

Warning(s): Mentions of racism, mentions of bullying

Night 1  Week 1  Week 2  Week 3  Week 4  Week 5  Week 6  Week 7

The Men Tell All let’s go!!!

Chris: Hi. I’m Chris Harrison, and welcome to The Men Tell All. A live show where we revisit the most talked about guys on TV for the past few weeks. But before we get into all that, last week, we left off with our Bachelorette Y/N and her final three men in New Zealand. Y/N told not one, not two, but all three men that she is in love with them. An unprecedented move for a Bachelorette. She had two magical nights of romance with Ben and with Joe, who have both said they are in love with her as well. But when confronted about his feelings, Gwilym confessed to Y/N that he’s not ready to say ‘I love you’, and he won’t be unless he’s the one down on one knee at the end of this journey. Y/N told him she needs to know if he’s in love before she could accept a proposal from him. But - will they even get that far? Find out what happens next, right now.

The studio audience applauded and watched the screen.

***

“I dunno, Y/N. I just don’t know.”

You sighed heavily and looked at Gwilym’s troubled face.

“Well, I know where I am,” you said. “This is the first time we haven’t been on the same page.”

“You know how tough this is,” he said. “Being on this side of it. Having to wonder.”

“You don’t have to wonder!” you argued. “I just told you that I love you! How can I make it any more clear how I feel about you?”

“But you’ve also said your heart is with the other two,” he protested. “How can you love me properly if….” he trailed off. “If you love them too?”

“You don’t think it’s possible for me to love more than one person?” you questioned.

“No,” he said. “Not truly.”

You felt like walls were closing in around your heart. Walls to keep this hurt out. To keep Gwilym out because you felt like he was destroying you.

“Excuse me,” you said, taking your hand away from him. “I need a minute.”

You got up, shoving your chair back, and walked away from the table.  Your feet led you outside onto the patio. The salty breeze and the sound of the water didn’t calm you down at all. Tears stung your eyes, and you blinked, letting them fall freely down your cheeks.

“I don’t know what to do,” you sobbed to your producer. “I can’t let him go, but I can’t go to the fantasy suite either, not like this.” 

You took a deep breath and tried to gather yourself.

“But if he doubts that my feelings are genuine, then maybe we…” you swallowed the lump in your throat. “Maybe we aren’t right for each other.”

Back at the table, Gwilym was trying - and failing - to hold in his emotions. A single tear slid down his cheek, which he wiped swiftly away as he drew a deep breath in.

“How are you feeling?” asked his producer. “What’s going through your mind right now?”

“I dunno, I feel sort of numb,” he said. “I don’t want to hurt her, but I’ve got to protect my heart too, right?”

“What do you want from Y/N?” she asked.

“I want her to be patient,” he said. “I need time to get where she is, but I know I can get there.”

“Maybe you should tell her that.”

Without another word, Gwilym got to his feet and followed you out to the patio. He found you, looking out at the shore, arms folded across your chest. He saw your face, and the mascara that was smeared under your eyes.

“Y/N,” he said. “Please. I just need time.”

“We don’t have any,” you replied, turning to face him. “If you’re going to propose to me next week, I need to know that you’re in love with me. And if you’re not, then...then that’s it.”

“This can’t be it,” he said, voice cracking. “This can’t be how this ends.”

“It has to be,” you said. “We need the exact opposite things from each other right now. Neither of us are able to give them. I can’t stand here and tell you that you’re it and this is over. And I don’t have the time to wait for you to catch up to me. I don’t see what else we can do.”

“We can try,” he said. “We can try to make it work.”

“How?” you countered, throwing your hands up with exasperation. “How can we reconcile this?”

“I don’t know,” he said. “But the night is not over. We can talk it out.”

You shook your head. “I just don’t see a solution, Gwil. You need something I can’t give. And I need something you can’t give.”

“Well, if I told you now that I’m in love with you, you wouldn’t believe me,” he said. “You’re much too clever for that.”

“Because you told me that you’re not,” you said. “It would seem like you were just telling me what I need to hear in order to stay. And you’re much too kind for that.”

A long moment passed as you looked at each other. The air around you was charged with the tension. The impending goodbye.

“That’s it, then,” he said.

“Yeah,” you said. “That’s it.”

He reached out and pulled you into his arms. You buried your face in his chest, letting yourself feel his embrace for the last time. You couldn’t say how long you stood there. The moment seemed suspended outside of real time. You and Gwilym were just existing together. Soaking up what you could before you parted ways.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I’m so sorry it’s ending like this.”

“I’m sorry too,” you replied. “But...it is ending.”

You pulled away, unsure where your strength was coming from.

“Can I walk you out?”

“Sure,” he agreed.

He took your hand, and you walked back through the restaurant and out the front door. The walkway led to the street. A car was already pulling up. You stopped at the end of the path and looked up at his face.

“Are you sure?” he asked.

You nodded. “I’m sure.”

He sighed. “I’m going to miss you.”

You held his gaze steadily. “I know.”

He cupped your cheek in his hand, his expression softening. Then he pulled you toward him and kissed your forehead.

“Goodbye, Gwilym,” you said.

“Goodbye,” he returned.

You stepped away from him. Your eyes were trained on his back as he opened the door, slid into the seat, and closed it again. You watched as the car disappeared down the road. Your bottom lip began to tremble and you buried your face in your hands. Then you let out a sob.

In the car, Gwilym was also in tears. They streamed slowly down his face, and he wiped them away with the back of his hand. 

“It’s terrible,” he choked out. “My heart is just...broken. I can’t believe this is happening, but at the same time, I’m just...I dunno. I’m going to miss her. I wish so much that I could give her what she wants. But...I can’t. So, I wish her the best. Truly I do.”

You went to bed that night, still crying. You wondered if you could survive this kind of heartbreak. You debated telling production you changed your mind and you wanted Gwilym back. But you decided against it. What would bringing him back do? You would only circle around to the same argument. But still, it absolutely broke your heart to say goodbye.

The next day, you had a rose ceremony. It was in the afternoon, on the beach close to where you’d had your last date with Gwilym.

Joe arrived first and took his place on the little stage that production had set up for you all to have the rose ceremony on. The table was already out, the two roses on a tray, fluttering in the wind. Joe looked at them, hoping he would be receiving one.

Ben arrived shortly after. He smiled at Joe and they shook hands before Ben took his place on Joe’s right. He looked at the roses and then at his friend.

“Where’s Gwilym?” he wondered.

Joe shrugged. “No idea.”

When they looked out and saw you approaching, looking beautiful in a green silk gown, they grew especially worried. Chris Harrison helped you onto the platform and you looked at your final two men.

“Hi,” you said meekly. Your voice was hoarse from crying. “As you can see, Gwilym’s not here. Unfortunately, we had to say goodbye last night.” You choked up just saying it out loud. “I don’t want to dwell on it, so, uh...let’s get started.”

You picked up the first rose. You saw that both Ben and Joe had visibly relaxed at the announcement. This was the one rose ceremony where they truly didn’t have to worry.

“Joe,” you said.

He stepped to you.

“Joe, will you accept this rose?”

“I will,” he assured you.

You pinned it on. He kissed your cheek before taking his place again. You picked up the second rose.

“Ben,” you said.

Ben strode over.

“Ben, will you accept this rose?”

“Always.”

You pinned it to him. He started to walk away, but you grabbed his hand. He stopped, turned toward you, and gave you a questioning look. You reached your free hand toward Joe, who stepped forward and took it.

You looked at them.

“This is it,” you said. “The last rose ceremony. I want to thank you both for going through all of this with me. I’m so happy to be your Bachelorette.”

A tear leaked out and rolled down your cheek. Joe wiped it with his thumb. Then, both men wrapped their arms around you. Sandwiched between them, you smiled at last. Hope was not lost. 

***

“Welcome back to the Men Tell All!” Chris said with a clap.

The audience was still recovering from watching what they had.

“We just watched Y/N say perhaps the most heartbreaking goodbye of her season,” Chris continued. “I’m here now with all the guys, and we’re going to talk about all the drama, including what we just saw. But first, let me introduce the men!”

He went through each of the guys sitting up on the platform, introducing them one by one. They went in order of elimination, so the further he went, the more cheers they got from the audience. Luke got a lot of boos. Then, when he got to Taron, Allen, Richard, and Rami, the crowd was booming. Gwilym was the last one to be introduced, and he laughed as people screamed for him.

“Well,” Chris chuckled as it all died down. “We can see who the most popular guy is.”

They cheered some more and Gwilym offered a small wave.

“Gwilym, I do want to start things off with you,” Chris said. “Come join me in the hot seat.”

Gwilym stood up, amongst more cheers, and joined Chris on the stage, taking a seat on the two-seater couch across from Chris’s one-person couch. 

“What was it like, watching that back?” Chris asked.

“Ahem,” Gwilym cleared his throat. “It was difficult. Extremely difficult. I knew how I felt about Y/N and I knew I could get where she needed me to be, but we just didn’t have the time.”

“Do you regret not telling her that you love her?” Chris pressed.

“I don’t actually,” Gwilym said. “You know, I was being honest. I’d never tell her that if it wasn’t true, and at the time, it wasn’t.”

“At the time?”

Gwilym laughed uncomfortably. “Okay, that didn’t come out right. I didn’t realize it later on or anything. As much as it hurt me, I realized that I’d told the truth, and so had she. So she made the right decision. Even if she’d kept me around for the night, I think she would have sent me home at the rose ceremony.”

“So, you feel like you were going home no matter what?” Chris asked.

“Yeah, I do.”

“You don’t think you could have changed her mind?”

“No, nor could she have changed mine,” Gwil said. “We were at different places in the journey, and - devastating as it was at the time - we had to part ways. I’m grateful for knowing her.”

“You know, she’s here,” Chris said. “She’ll be coming out in a little bit. Have you two spoken since filming ended?”

Gwilym shook his head. “We haven’t.”

“Are you ready to face her?”

“As ready as I’ll ever be,” Gwilym said. “She’s not coming out now, is she?”

“Not yet,” Chris said with a chuckle. “But I’ll definitely give you two the opportunity to talk when she does.”

He turned to the camera.

“We’ll be back in a little bit to talk to the rest of the guys and air out some of the drama of the season,” he said. “Y/N will be here to confront the men she rejected. Gwilym, thanks for sharing, man.”

They shook hands as the show went to commercial. When they were clear, Gwilym went back to his seat. A few minutes passed before they started again.

“Welcome back to The Bachelorette: the Men Tell All,” Chris said. “I’m here with our live studio audience and the men from Y/N’s dramatic journey as the Bachelorette. She’ll be out here pretty soon to face the men whose hearts she broke. But first, we’re going to discuss some of the most dramatic parts of the season.”

He turned to the men. 

“Lee, let’s start with you,” he said. “Night one, and you had already caused a stir. Take us back to that night, and what was going through your mind.”

Lee took a deep breath.

“I wanna start by saying I’m not racist, okay?” he began. “The pressure was getting to me, I’d had a few drinks, and I said something I didn’t mean.”

“Dude,” said Mike rolling his eyes. “If you have to tell everybody that you’re not racist, it means you’re definitely racist.”

“Yeah, and what do you mean the pressure?” Eric chimed in. “It was night one!”

“You called a man of color a diversity rose,” Kenny reminded him. “To refer to one of us as something token is super racist, and the fact that you can’t take responsibility and just apologize shows that you still don’t see why it’s wrong.”

Lee opened his mouth to respond, but Chris held up a hand to stop him.

“Rami,” Chris said. “You were sort of at the center of all this, I wanna get your two cents.”

“Well,” Rami began. “It’s funny you say I was at the center of all of it, when at the time I really had no idea what was going on. I didn’t know until Y/N came in and yelled at him.”

“What were you feeling when you heard the term ‘diversity rose’?” Chris asked.

“I mean…it didn’t exactly shock me,” Rami said. “Guys like me and the other men of color - Mike, Eric, Kenny, and John - we’ve all heard much worse. He didn’t use a slur or anything, so at first I told myself it was dramatic to be upset about it. But then we all got to talking about it, and I realized that it’s okay to be upset about microaggressions too. And that’s what it was.”

“A microaggression?” Chris questioned.

“Yeah,” Rami said. “Because it wasn’t overt, he didn’t think it was racist. But it shows a divisive mentality at best and a racist one at worst.”

“Very eloquently said,” Chris remarked. “Lee, anything else you want to say?”

“Rami, I’m sorry,” Lee said. “I’m sorry to all of you. I know ignorance isn’t an excuse...but,  I messed up. I’m sorry.”

“Apology accepted, man,” Rami said. He turned in his seat and extended his hand. Lee shook it.

“Look, man, if ignorance is the problem, you have to listen when you’re told you’re wrong,” Mike said. “Educate yourself. I’ve got no problem with people who don’t know any better. But I’ve got a big problem with people who don’t want to know better.”

“I understand,” Lee said. “I’ll definitely do that going forward.”

“Glad to hear it,” Mike said, shaking his hand as well. 

“Well, I’m glad to see this talked out civilly,” Chris said. “Not that we’re looking to solve big issues like this on our show, but I’m happy to start a discussion.”

He took the show to commercial once again. When they came back, Chris started fresh.

“Welcome back to The Bachelorette: the Men Tell All,” he said again. “We just spoke with Lee and Rami about Lee’s sudden elimination night one. Now, I want to talk to the man who was the top trending topic on Twitter for three weeks straight. Luke.”

He looked at Luke, who shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

“Luke, why don’t you join me up here?” Chris said.

Luke, among some heckling from the crowd, got up, and took the seat Gwilym had occupied minutes ago. He straightened his jacket and then sat back.

“Welcome,” Chris said. “Before I let the other men address their issues with you, I want to give you a chance to defend yourself. But first, let’s take a look at your journey on The Bachelorette.”

Chris gestured toward the big screen, and all eyes fixed on it. The whole studio watched Luke’s emerging from the limo and meeting you for the first time. Then it was a highlight reel of the crazy things he said throughout. His arguments with you, his disagreements with the other men - especially pertaining the naked bungee jumping - right up until his elimination and sudden return at the rose ceremony. When the screen faded to black, Chris looked at Luke.

“Okay,” Chris said. “Thoughts?”

“I mean, I could have handled things a lot better,” Luke said. “But I was being genuine. I really believed myself to be on a mission to save Y/N’s soul. That it was my duty to love her and protect her.”

“You really felt like you were there to convert her to your faith?” Chris questioned.

“I think so,” Luke said. “I definitely could have gone about it in a more subtle way, but that’s just not who I am.”

“What was your goal when you showed back up at the rose ceremony?” Chris asked. “After she’d already sent you home. What did you hope to accomplish?”

“I wanted to propose to her,” Luke said. “I had a ring, actually, in my pocket.”

A shocked gasp went through the crowd. Chris blinked.

“You were going to propose?” he repeated. “Even though you knew she felt differently than you?”

“When God puts something on my heart, I chase it with everything I have, no matter the obstacles,” Luke said. “That’s how I saw it.”

“Okay, I’m gonna open the floor to the other guys now,” Chris said. “Who would like to start?”

“I’d like to,” Allen piped up. “I felt like we didn’t have a problem before, and then during the football game, you became so aggressive. My question for you, Luke, is - did I do something to offend you?”

“No,” Luke said, shaking his head. “I actually really regret that game. It’s probably my biggest regret of the show. I got really competitive, and I felt isolated from the other guys, and I think I just took it out on you. I’m sorry.”

“Alright then,” Allen said, surprised. “Apology accepted.”

“Hold on,” Taron interjected. “It’s all well and good that you’ve apologized to Allen, but I don’t think it’s fair to place blame on us for any of your actions. You alienated yourself, Luke.”

“How could I have alienated myself?” Luke challenged.

“When this all started, we tried to include you,” Taron said. “We tried being nice. But everything turned into something to evangelize us, and that’s exhausting to put up with. Then, you lied about Joe and Ben saying they weren’t there for the right reasons. How could you expect us to warm up to you when we saw you would blatantly lie to get ahead?”

“Look, I didn’t make it up,” Luke said. “I know what I heard and -”

“Luke, I’m gonna stop you right there,” Chris said. “The producers and interns looked through hours and hours of footage and audio - you guys are mic’d up all the time - and no one heard any conversation like what you described to Y/N. Not between Ben and Joe or any of the other men.”

“You sure you didn’t hallucinate it?” Richard said. “You f***ing psycho?”

“Hey!” Luke cried indignantly.

“Or were you just trying to get those two eliminated?” Taron added. “Because look how well that turned out.”

The audience laughed.

“All I can really say is,” Luke went on. “God told me everything I needed to do throughout this journey.”

“God spoke to you?” Chris questioned.

“Yeah,” Luke said.

Gwilym snorted in his chair and the two on stage looked at him.

“I’m sorry, that’s just ridiculous,” he said. “God spoke to you? Come on, Luke. It’s one thing to be sexist and a liar, but are you actually now claiming to be a prophet?”

“What does God’s voice sound like?” Rami chimed in.

The rest of the men snickered and then Chris interjected.

“Before we get carried away with this, Gwilym brought up a big point,” he said. “Sexism. Luke, did you feel like your attitude toward Y/N was sexist?”

“No, not at all,” Luke answered. “With the whole bungee jumping thing, I was just asking her to be respectful. Y’know, be considerate of the other men and how they might feel about someone else seeing her naked.”

“Now, I know Joe isn’t here to defend himself,” Chris said. “But he said to you that he didn’t really see anything. Do you think that matters?”

“No,” Luke said. “She still willingly took her clothes off for a man who isn’t her husband.”

“Luke, that’s nonsense,” Taron said. “Very few people wait for marriage anymore - yourself included - and yet you judged her for something that was actually pretty innocent.”

“Her past wouldn’t matter if she chose to wait from here on out,” Luke said. “And I wasn’t judging her. Like I’ve been saying, I just wanted her to be respectful.”

“But she couldn’t take it back once she’d done it,” Allen said. “What was the point in getting upset?”

“Weren’t any of you guys upset?” Chris wondered, addressing the group. “Did it bother you that she’d had this experience with Joe?”

They looked around and saw each of them shaking their heads.

“None of us cared that much,” said John Paul Jones. “We all just kinda wished it was us on that date, y’know?”

They all chuckled in agreement.

“Luke’s reaction was about controlling Y/N,” Rami said. “To claim her respect for him is based on what she does with her own body is sexism.”

“You guys are ridiculous,” Luke said, shaking his head. “It really wouldn’t bother you to know your wife was naked with another man?”

The guys exchanged confused and annoyed glances.

“Okay, let’s answer this totally different question,” Richard said. “Of course it’d be different if she was already with one of us. But she wasn’t. She’s the Bachelorette. She’s no one’s wife at that point.”

“But if her goal is to be a wife, she should act like one,” Luke argued.

“I don’t think we’ll ever get through to you how wrong you are for that attitude,” Gwilym said. “Arguing with you is pointless because you’re so rooted in the argument itself, you don’t even care if you’re right or wrong, you just want to be opposite of us. And honestly, watching the season back was frustrating. You constantly tried to bring Y/N to a faith she doesn’t believe in. You belittled her when you got upset, and when she called you out, you relied on gaslighting her and lying to her. You don’t know anything about forming a relationship because you’re so narrow minded, and relationships take compromise. If you can’t open yourself up to different people, then you are never going to be happy, Luke.”

The audience went wild at this speech, clapping, cheering, and whistling their approval. Luke shifted in his seat.

“Is there anything else you’d like to say?” Chris wondered. 

“There’s not,” Luke said.

Without waiting for Chris, he got up and returned to his seat amongst the men. A beat of silence passed, then Chris looked into the camera.

“We’ll be right back to talk to more of the men from Y/N’s season right after this,” he said.

The show went to commercial. During that time, Chris had Richard and Allen come up to the stage and sit on the couch. As he welcomed the audience back, he re-introduced them.

“I’m here now with Richard and Allen, who I wanted to talk to together because you two had an interesting week in Ireland,” he said. “Y/N said that you were both not far enough along to go to hometowns. Let’s take a look at your journeys with her.”

He indicated the big screen, and everyone watched as they cut between Allen and Richard’s introductions to you, their dates, the romantic moments, and then finally the goodbyes on the same day back in Ireland. Both men smiled fondly at the memories.

“So, I can see you’re both happy,” Chris said. “Tell me what’s going through your minds.”

“I dunno,” Allen began. “I had a wonderful time getting to know Y/N. I don’t regret it at all.”

“Richard?” Chris offered.

“I’m the same,” Richard agreed. “Things ended the way they did, and I’m alright with it. No regrets here either.”

“I’m glad to hear it,” Chris said. “You two were pretty strong contenders at the beginning. Many even felt you were ahead of the two remaining men at times. What happened, do you think?”

“I don’t think anything in particular went wrong,” Richard said. “The relationship was solid, but we weren’t progressing at the right rate to feel like a commitment was the right choice.”

“That’s true,” said Allen. “I think in Richard’s case, she realized it before he did, and in my case, I realized it before she did.”

“Well, you’ve both been joys to watch all season and you’re Bachelor nation favorites,” Chris said, which the audience agreed with loudly. “So, if you’re open to it, I’d like to invite both of you to Mexico for Bachelor in Paradise.”

Bachelor in Paradise was the show where the men from previous seasons of the Bachelorette and the women from previous seasons of the Bachelor went to meet each other and try to make connections.

 The audience cheered wildly as Allen and Richard looked at each other and laughed. The other men were also encouraging them to do it. 

“I’m always down to take a shot at love,” Allen said. “I’ll go.”

“I’ll go as well,” Richard added. “I don’t have anything to lose, y’know?”

Chris beamed. “That’s great news for the women who have already signed up.” 

He let them return to their seats, and then invited Rami up to the couch. Rami was met with applause from the crowd as he made his way to the couch.

“So, Rami you were a fan favorite who made it all the way to hometowns with Y/N,” he said. “Before we get your side of things, let’s take a look back at your love story.”

Everyone looked at the screen again. Rami had a small smile on his face as he watched himself get out of the limo and approach you for the first time. How he spoke Arabic to you. Then all the dates he went on, the moments he got you during a cocktail party, and his one on one date in Ireland. Then, they showed the hometown date, the things that Jasmine had said, and the breakup afterward. Rami’s smile faltered. The screen went dark.

“So, tell me what it’s like, watching that back,” Chris said.

“Like Gwil said, it’s difficult,” Rami replied. “I felt like I really had fallen in love with her, and to have her say goodbye after that was just...painful.”

“Do you think the problems your sister brought up were there or do you think she got in Y/N’s head?” Chris asked.

“Honestly, when I watched the episode, I realized that Jasmine was right,” Rami admitted. “I don’t think she necessarily got in Y/N’s head, I think she just brought things to light that we had been kind of sweeping under the rug and not really dealing with. I’m not angry at my sister - though I was for a little while - and I know that it worked out for the best.”

“How have you been doing since the breakup?” Chris wondered.

“I’ve been okay,” Rami said. “I’ve been working and spending time with family and focusing on what I want.”

“Are you still in love with Y/N?” Chris pressed.

“No,” said Rami, shaking his head. “I’ll always have love for her, but it’s safe to say I’ve moved on.”

“Are you still looking for love?”

Rami paused a moment before answering. “I’m not not looking for it. If it comes, I’ll be happy, but I know now I’m not quite ready to get engaged or married.”

“So, I can’t interest you in Bachelor in Paradise?”

Rami laughed. “No, I’m afraid not. Even if I wanted to, I actually just accepted a lead role in a movie and we’ll be shooting at the same time Paradise is filming.”

“Hey, congratulations!” Chris cried, as the audience erupted with cheers and the other men whooped from the platform across the stage. 

“Thank you!” Rami called over the din before it died down. “I can’t say much about it right now, but more information will be released later on. I’m really excited.”

“We’re all happy for you, man,” Chris said, shaking Rami’s hand. “That’s awesome.”

He allowed Rami to return to his seat. Then Chris looked at the camera.

“We’ll be back with Y/N right after this,” he said.

The show went to commercial for a few minutes. A few of the men shifted in their seats. The anxiety of seeing you after weeks apart was making them fidgety. Most of them were fine, but the ones who had made it as far as Ireland were more uncomfortable.

Chris took a hurried sip of water before bringing the show back.

“Welcome back once again to the Men Tell All,” he said. “I’ve got the guys of Y/N’s dramatic season here with me, and now, she’s about to face them all for the first time since their incredible journey. So, ladies and gentlemen, please welcome, Y/N!”

The whole studio went wild. You started toward the stage, legs a little shaky with nerves. You beamed and waved at the crowd to try and cover up how anxious you were. You walked up to Chris first, hugged him tightly, and then smoothed your dress out before taking a seat on the couch. The noise quieted and you took a deep breath.

“How are you feeling?” Chris asked.

“Nervous,” you said. “I’ve never been in a room with so many exes before.”

Laughter filled the room and you turned toward the men, looking at their faces for the first time in months.

“Hi, guys,” you said with a little wave.

Most of them returned with one.

“So, we started the show witnessing your breakup with Gwilym,” Chris began. “Can you tell us what that was like for you?”

You rubbed your hands along your thighs, looking down at your lap.

“Oh, yeah, that was…” you trailed off. “That was a tough one. Watching it backstage just brought all those feelings back up and I’m not gonna lie, I got a little emotional.”

“Why emotional?” Chris wondered.

“Because that moment was so...raw,” you said. “I wanted so badly for that night to go differently and for us to move forward. I remember lying in bed after sending him home and I literally cried my false lashes off. I went back and forth for hours wondering if I’d made a mistake. I don’t think I slept at all. It had just….completely destroyed me.”

“Do you still question that decision?” Chris pressed.

“No,” you said, shaking your head. “Watching it back reminded me that it was the right call. I don’t think I would handle it any differently if I had to do it all again.”

“Well, I’d like to invite Gwilym up so you guys can talk,” Chris said. “You ready?”

“Yeah, of course,” you assured him with a nod.

Chris looked over at the men. “Gwilym, come on over.”

Gwilym got up, straightening his jacket, and walked over. You had gotten to your feet as well. You smiled widely at him as he got closer, and then opened your arms for a hug. He gladly accepted. You took a moment to enjoy the feeling of him once again, and then you sat down together on the couch.

“It’s wonderful to see you,” he said.

“You too,” you returned earnestly.

“I can’t tell you what a relief it is to hear that you don’t question your decision,” he said. “Because I don’t either. I think if we’d gone forward, there would have been more trouble and just...disappointed hopes.”

“I agree,” you said. “As painful as our goodbye was, it had to happen.”

“And you should know, I was equally destroyed by it,” he told you. “It broke my heart, and I’ve missed you terribly.”

“I’ve missed you too,” you returned. “As I’ve been watching the season, I was remembering all the moments where I thought, ‘okay, I think I love this guy’ and it was a bit painful, but I just hope you’re happy.”

“I am happy,” Gwilym said. “I know you can’t tell us how your season ends, but I hope you’re at least that.”

You beamed. “I’m very happy.”

“That’s great, cariad.”

Your smile grew impossibly wider at the old endearment. He grinned back. 

“So, how are you two feeling about each other?” Chris asked.

“Similar to what Rami said, I think I’ll always have love for her,” Gwilym said. “But things feel...friendlier now.”

“I agree,” you said. “I will definitely always care about him, but in a way that’s platonic. Like, I know we’re always rooting for the best for each other.”

“Exactly,” said Gwilym. 

“I’m glad you two got some closure here,” Chris said. “Gwilym, you can head back to your seat, and I’m gonna open it up to the other guys. Anything you all need to say to Y/N?”

Gwilym squeezed your hand and returned to his chair, and you looked over at the men. They took a moment, but then Rami spoke up.

“I just wanna say, I’m sorry that things turned out the way they did between us, but I’m grateful for your choice,” he said. “Looking back, my sister was right, and I think we might not have stayed together if we had gotten engaged.”

“Yeah, I think so too,” you agreed. “I’m glad we’re on the same page there.”

“There is something I wanted to ask about you two,” Chris chimed in. “When you were breaking up with Rami, you told him you loved him. Was that to say you were in love with him?”

“Honestly, I’m not sure,” you answered. “I had fallen into something very deep with you, Rami, and I’m sorry if saying that confused you at all. I just knew that my heart was hurting so bad to say goodbye, and I didn’t know any other words to convey how much you meant to me.”

“I kinda guessed that,” Rami said. “I thought about it for a little while, but let it go.”

“Thank you for understanding,” you returned. “And hey, congratulations on the movie!”

“Thank you!”

“Now, I wanna talk to you, Y/N, about the most controversial part of your season,” Chris said. “And that was your fight with Luke about the bungee jumping. Tell us about what you’ve experienced regarding that.”

“Yeah, um,” you began, but you started to choke up. “Well, turns out more people think like Luke than I thought. Since that episode aired, social media has been kind of a nightmare. The night of the episode, I got so many Tweets and DMs calling me a slut, saying I was behaving shamefully, and that I was the most disrespectful Bachelorette ever. And those were the most tame comments I got. I was also called a selfish bitch, stupid whore, and a lot of other words that I can’t say on TV.”

You wiped away a tear that had fallen down your cheek.

“I can see you’re getting emotional,” Chris said. “What is it about these people that makes you so upset?”

“It’s the injustice of it,” you said. “Like, no one tweeted at Joe and called him a slut even though he did the exact same thing I did! Not that they should say that to him, but - y’know - it’s - it’s -”

“It’s the double standard,” Chris finished.

“Exactly!” you cried. “Yeah, it was fine for Joe to expose himself to a woman who isn’t his wife, but for me - a woman - I was suddenly a slut. It was driving me crazy, because people still like, gave him so much love and support when Luke came for him, but for me, they joined in the attack. And then -”

You stopped, emotion welling up in your throat. You took a deep breath as your chest got tight.

“The night I sent Taron home,” you sobbed. “I was totally bombarded by this one group of women. I think they were having a watch party or something. And they all got on Twitter and were telling me to kill myself because I was so stupid to not give him a rose. They were actually telling me I should die because I didn’t pick their favorite. That...that really, deeply upset me.”

“How do you respond to things like that?” Chris asked gently.

“I try to ignore it because I know that engaging them won’t do any good,” you said. Then you turned and found Taron’s eyes. “I actually wanted to say thank you to you, Taron. You have been my biggest defender online, and you actually responded to a lot of those comments to protect me. So, I did want to let you know how much I appreciate it.”

You sniffled and offered him a watery smile. Taron returned it.

“Those comments really upset me too, Y/N,” Taron said. “I think I speak for most of the men here when I say, we adore you. You’re an outstanding woman, and we’re all incredibly grateful that you were our Bachelorette.”

More tears stung your eyes at his words. The other guys began clapping their agreement, and then, before you knew it, the whole studio audience was on their feet applauding you. The men continued as they joined in a standing ovation. You laughed through your tears and offered a quiet “thank you.” You blew Taron a kiss. 

When they all settled down, you were even more emotional.

“I don’t think there’s a person in this room who disagrees with Taron,” Chris said. “I certainly found you to be an exemplary Bachelorette. You were fair and honest and gave it all of your effort. You have nothing to be ashamed of.”

“Thank you, Chris,” you said. “I just want to remind everyone that the people on this show are real people. Not characters that are completely unaffected by what you say. We do read the comments and the DMs and they do hurt us. I don’t want to dwell on the negatives - because I also get a ton of lovely people sending me messages of support - but this bullying online has got to stop. Not just for me. But for every person who takes a chance like this.”

“Well said,” Chris agreed. “I’m gonna turn it back over to the guys. Anything else you all want to clear up with Y/N while we’re here?”

Nobody spoke up, so he looked back at you.

“Anything you want to say to them, Y/N?” he offered.

“Yeah,” you said. “I just want to say thank you to all of you for taking this chance with me. It didn’t work out for various reasons, but I’m really glad to have met you. I wish you all love and happiness in your futures.”

They murmured their thanks in return, all smiles.

“That’s sweet,” Chris said. Then he looked at the camera. “We’ll be back soon with a sneak peek of next week’s big finale of The Bachelorette.”

The show went to commercial, and Chris placed a comforting hand on your knee. You thanked him again for his words. For the few minutes of the break, you went over and chatted with the men some more, without the pressure of the cameras. It was really nice to see them all again. Then all too soon you were being called back to the chair.

“Welcome back to the Men Tell All,” said Chris. “We’ve reached the end of our show, but before we go, we’re offering you a little taste of what’s to come in the dramatic season finale. Take a look.”

For the final time that night, all eyes went to the screen.

***

“Coming up next week on The Bachelorette,” said Chris in a voice over.

“I am in love with two men,” you said to the camera.

They cut to a date with Joe and the two of you kissing, followed by a similar shot of you and Ben.

“I’m in love with Y/N,” Ben said to the camera. “I’m ready to propose to her. I know she’s the person I’m meant to love forever.”

“What Y/N and I have is so amazing,” Joe said in his interview. “I love her so much. I just want to get down on one knee and propose already!”

The next shot was a close up of you in tears, mascara raccooning your eyes as your bottom lip trembled.

“It’s not you,” you sobbed.

They followed with a shot of Neil Lane opening a case of diamond rings. A hand reached out and held one up. It glittered in the afternoon New Zealand sun.

Three shots flashed by: the first, you sobbing. The second, Joe crying and walking out of an interview. Then Ben holding his face in his hands and weeping openly.

The final shot was you, standing on a street in the dark, struggling to draw breath.

“I can’t do this,” you were fighting to say. “I can’t breathe...I can’t…”

The screen went blank as a producer’s voice shouted “Y/N! Oh, God, someone call an ambulance!”

***

The audience in the studio were shocked to silence by what they had just seen. Chris looked over at you and smiled. 

“Well, we all have something to look forward to with what might be the most dramatic season finale ever,” he said to the audience. “Find out what happens next week. Until then, good night, Bachelor Nation!”

[velveteencurtains]

evermore first impressions!

willow - GIRL EUEJDNSKJDJEJD LOST IN YOUR CURRENT LIKE A PRICELESS WIINE!!!!! TAKE MY HAND!!! WRECK MY PLANS!!! THATS MY MAN!!!!!! girl this is so fcuking GOOD! gonna be 100% honest the 1 is a better album opening but this is so fucking good you guys. life was a willow and it bent right to your wind!!! ID COME BACK STRONGER THAN A 90’S TREND???? EVERY BAIT AND SWITCH WAS A WORK OF ART??? SHES SICK SHES REALLY SICK I SWEAR. the way she sings “that’s my man!” yes ma’am yes ma’am!!!!!! the parallel between “I knew you stepping on the last train” and then “you know my train could take you home” SHES SICK YOUR HONOR SHES SICK

champagne problems - okay we love a piano opener. i’m so conflicted on what i think this song is gonna be about. MORE TRAIN LYRICS GIRLIE. this really is this is me trying’s older, sadder sister. “our group of friends/don’t think we’ll say that word again” MA’AM??? SHE WOULD HAVE MADE SUCH A LOVELY BRIDE SUCH A SHAME SHES FUCKED IN THE HEAD??????? IM LOSIJG MY FUCKIJG MIND. taylor and joe wrote this together? we love a couple with shared mental illnesses

gold rush - jack antonoff do not let me down. GIRL THE HARMONIES AT THE VERY BEGINNING JUST GIVE ME A MINUTE. okay I can definitely see what they meant by this song being about being lost in a daydream, the juxtaposition between the chorus and the verses is AMAZING. this is just gorgeous’s older sister huh???? “ocean blue eyes/looking in mine/i feel like i might sink and drown and die” and “eyes like sinking/ships on waters/so inviting/i almost jump in”

‘tis the damn season - i can’t tell if i want this song to be christmassy or not. OH SO THIS IS JUST HOLIDATE. TAYLOR JUST WATCHED HOLIDATE AND WROTE A SONG ABOUT IT. this is a continuation of tim mcgraw, argue with the wall. NO BC TIM MCGRAW IS ABOUT LIKE A LOVE FROM HIGH SCHOOL AND THIS IS LIKE COMING HOME FROM COLLEGE AND REUNITING WITH THEM BC YOURE BOTH DEPRESSED AND LONELY

tolerate it - jesus christ i’m not emotionally ready for this. STOP THIS IS THE PRELUDE TO BETTER MAN. LIKE BETTER MAN IS AFTER SHES ALREADY LEFT BUT THIS IS BEFORE WHEN SHES STUCK AND KNOW SHE DESERVES BETTER BUT SHE JUST TAKES IT IM GONNA CRYYYYYYYYYYY. okay but i’m imagining the babe music video and that whole of like the doting housewife who gave up everything for her husband and does everything to make him happy but he just does not appreciate it at all and he doesn’t see how much his indifference hurts her. @taylorswift mv now. honestly? loved that but as a track 5 it’s pretty weak

no body, no crime - I PREDICTED THIS WAS GONNA BE MY TOP SONG ON THE ALBUM LETS SEE IF I’M RIGHT. GIRL THE SIRENS AND “HE DID IT” AS THE FIRST LINES?? THEN THE COUNTRY INSTRUMENTAL??? TAYLOR HAS FINALLY GIVEN ME A GOOD OLD FASHIONED “MURDERED MY CHEATING HUSBAND” COUNTRY SONG HELL YESSSSSSS. OH THE WIFE IS MISSING???? NOT GONE GIRLLLLLLLLL MISS TAYLOR CHANNELING AMY DUNNE HERE!!!!! OH SHUT UPPPPPP SHES A LESBIAN WITH ESTE’S SISTER AND THEY COVERED UP HIS MURDER AND NOW THEYRE GONNA LESBIAN TOGETHER MISS TAYLOR

happiness - okay miss happiness you’ve got a lot to live up to but let’s do this. NOT THE MIRRORBALL PARALLEL “i was dancing when the music stopped” and “when no one is around, my dear/you’ll find me on my tallest top toes/spinning in my highest heels, love” NOT THE IDEA OF CHANGING YOURSELF JUST TO KEEP SOMEONE BY YOUR SIDE IM GONNA SOB taylor please stop this i cant emotionally handle any of this. girl this is the prelude to tolerate it which is the prelude to better man

dorothea - okay so seven’s older sister? so dorothea and whoever this singer is were besties when they were teens and then dorothea moved away and now the singer misses her former best friend and also first love and also they’re lesbians yeah it’s gay it’s so gay. taylor i’m literally begging you from the bottom of my fucking soul please give us a music video with two girls please miss swift i ask of you this one (1) thing

coney island - see i thought this was gonna be seven’s older sister when the tracklist was announced so now idk what to expect! JESUS OKAY I KNOW IT SAYS “feat. The National” IN THE TITLE BUT I FORGOT AND I GOT SCARED BY HIS VOICE. NOT A FUCKIJG CAR ACCIDENT TAYLOR IM REALLY SORRY I RRALIZE YOU ARE YOUR OWN PERSON AND I NEED TO STOP CONNECTING YOU TO HARRY BUT REALLYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY. okay anyway here’s my theory hear me out: This is dorothea’s husband who’s confused why his high school sweetheart wife doesn’t love him anymore and why she’s now hanging out with her old high school best friend again damn that’s weird they’re like really super close that’s super odd. anyway that’s just a theory I actually don’t really know what this songs about! miss swift is too smart for me

ivy - stop this song is so sweet!!!!!! i feel like this is getaway car’s sister! i need to stop doing that i know it gets annoying but really honestly it is! NO NO NO THIS IS DOROTHEA’S PERSPECTIVE WHEN SHE HAS AN AFFAIR WITH HER HS BESTIE AND HER HUSBAND STARTS TO FIND OUT GUYS IVE FIGURED IT OUTTTTTTT. WAIT WAIT WAIT THE HS BESTIE IS FROM NO BODY NO CRIME AND DOROTHEA IS ESTE’S SISTER GUYS IVE FIGURED IT THE FUCK OUT YOU GUYSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS I GOT IT

cowboy like me - let’s yee and let’s haw ladies and gents. WHOS SINGING????? WHOS SINGING WITH HER???? taylor shut up for a second lemme hear who tf this is. AM I CRAZY OR IS THIS JOE???? i’m probably dumb. but am i? why can i not at all remember what joe’s voice sounds like rn. is that joe??? im so confused. maybe i’m super dumb and it’s really obvious and i’m just fucking stupid. it’s probably not joe it’s probably some country legend that everyone else knows bc they grew up yeeing and hawing and i’m but a wee city slicker but i’m gonna hold onto this stupid theory that it’s joe singing with her until someone proves me wrong later. also this song is fucking gorgeous where’s my cowboy hat not wearing one while listening to this song makes me feel sacrelige. okay wait tay and aaron wrote this one is it aaron? i’m sorry taylor i don’t listen to the national you can hate me if you want

long story short - god the production on this slaps!!!!! and the idea of being hurt before and then finding your love and being all about them and not even caring abt what happened before!!!!! god i’m gonna cry i’m gonna cry. NO MORE KEEPING SCORE NOW I JUST KEEP YOU WARM?????? taylor really said “oh you’re not in love and i’m gonna make you feel like SHIT ABOUT IT” taylor pls a petition to let us say “BITCH” after the last line so it’s “i survived...bitch!” okay pls and thank you

marjorie - oh is this about taylor’s grandma :(((( i knew she used her name but this feels like it’s really all about her. babey. this is so sweet. taylor i love you

closure - okay the opening??? slaps! literally! okay the production of this is interesting! okay i’m like trying to figure out who this is about....who cares this is so good. oh my god the distortion??? it just underlines the anger of it all so perfectly and i love

evermore - exile hive let’s GOOOO. please be an exile pt 2 pls be an exile pt 2. so odd to me because, as a whole, this actually feels like a way more happy and optimistic album than folklore did, yet the title comes from the line “i had a feeling so peculiar/that this pain would be for/evermore”. OKAY BON IVERRRRRR. the violence of the dog days? that’s my next instagram caption thanks taylor. NOT A DUET SECTION AGAIN LIKE IN EXILE TAYLOR PLEASE I CANT HANDLE THISSSSSSS. “we always walked a very thin line” AND “is there a line that we could just go cross?” THE PARALELLELLLLRJSNDBBD. I’m gonna die for this I really think. okay so she ends it on this pain wouldn’t last evermore so that’s good

overall? this is a masterpiece. miss swift has done it again. folklore aoty 2021 and evermore aoty 2022. no body, no crime is really THAT BITCH. i need a mv miss swift! okay bye gonna go cry over this

update: after listening all night i feel like i need to point out that i’m stupid and thought este was the mistress and the singer was the wife when in fact ESTE is the wife in no body, no crime. SO addendum to my theory: este and dorothea were besties in hs then dorothea left and got married and so did este but este’s hubby cheated so then este’s friend murders him and she’s cool w it, then dorothea and her husband move back home and este and dorothea reconnect and realize their long hidden feelings for one another, dorothea leaves her husband and she and este run away together

ANOTHER UPDATE: ‘TIS THE DAMN SEASON IS FROM DOROTHEA’S POINT OF VIEW!!!!!!!! WHEN SHE COMES HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS AND SHES SINGING TO ESTE!!!!!! CJNECNSJSNNDN

[artificialqueens]

The Goode Case, 4/14 (Multi) - Juno

Chapter Summary: Jaida meets both Heidi’s date and Dahlia’s girlfriend, along with a woman who she might want to get to know a little better. Brita and Jackie do not have as good a Sunday on call. What will happen at the guest house?

(A/N: Hi all, here is part four, I hope you enjoy. Thank you very much for your supportive words!)

Sunday 29th October

12.14PM 

There were no calls early that morning, thank God, and Jaida managed to sleep in until almost eleven. She knew Heidi would be waiting for her at one, so there was plenty of time to shower, tie back her box braids, and put on some makeup.

Her phone buzzed, friend tone, and she looked down at it.

Dahlia: shop closes at 4, so can u come over for 5? then we head over and can set up and be ready for 6.30 x

Jaida: Thank youuu! That’s perfect. X

Jaida: Brittany

Jaida: Dahlia can set up for 6.30 tonight x

Brita: awesome! Thanks for sorting it Jai xx

She’d thrown on a pair of stonewashed jeans and a royal blue hoodie and was setting off to meet Heidi and her new girlfriend, when she saw Widow in the front room, holding a mug of coffee in both hands and staring at nothing. A canvas lay on the ground, having been ripped and torn from its frame; paint was slowly dripping from it onto the newspapers.

“Widow,” Jaida began, but Widow’s face crumpled, shuddering with sobs.

“It was all wrong,” Widow whispered, motioning weakly to the canvas. “It was all going wrong.”

“Come here,” Jaida sat next to Widow and rubbed her shoulder, while Widow shook with silent tears. The grief going through her was making her take one step forward and two back.

Jaida watched the woman in the corner as she reappeared, just as ashen and hollow as she had been yesterday; the same spirit, something Jaida could feel and see from Widow.

She stayed with Widow until the shorter girl stood, wiping her eyes and moving to grab her cigarettes, kicking at the frame of the canvas as she passed it.

The spirit in the corner vanished again.

—————————————

Getting off the bus after her ride in, Jaida saw Jackie stood at one of the bookshop windows, gazing inside, her dark hair being blown into a mess by the wind. She tugged her coat around her and pushed her fringe back and out of her eyes.

Jaida crept quietly, intending to surprise her, but when she was about six feet away, Jackie’s head snapped up towards her. Jaida stopped dead in her tracks, while Jackie chuckled.

“I know what you were trying to do!” She wagged her finger. “No more of that now!”

“Damnit!” Jaida laughed.

“Did you sleep okay?”

“Yeah, thanks,” Jaida nodded, looking towards the shop.

“It’s fine, Jaida. Really.”

“Brita asked me to organise a séance at the house tonight, see if there are any paranormal clues to go off,” Jaida changed the subject rapidly. “Can you be at the house at six thirty? My friend Dahlia runs an esoteric shop and phone line, she knows what she’s doing.”

Jackie nodded solemnly. “And did you talk to Brita?”

“Oh, shit. I meant to, honest. I will tell her. I will.”

“Because if we’re doing a séance, it will be useful to see any spirits that are there. And you’re the only one of the three of us who can see them.”

“Alright, alright!” Jaida rushed past. “I’ve gotta go, I’m late!”

Heidi greeted Jaida with a squeal, a hug, and two air kisses on her cheeks in that order, when she eventually got to Vanjies. Heidi looked absolutely radiant in a purple mini dress, showing off her long legs, toned from years of running track; with a pleather jacket on top, and spiky boots.

“Bitch, I’m freezing,” Heidi announced, wrapping her arms around herself. “Why did I wear this in October?”

Jaida just laughed. “Making a good impression, even when it’s monsoon season out there?”

“I guess so!”

“She must be amazing,” Jaida winked, while Heidi playfully slapped her arm.

Heidi’s date arrived shortly after, pushing the door of the bar, her attention focused on finding Heidi. Her platinum blonde bob scraped her chiselled jawline, and she had piercing grey eyes. She waved when she saw Heidi, coming to give her a peck on the lips, before turning to Jaida.

“Enchantée,”, she said, giving Jaida two air kisses as well. “I am Nicky. It’s very nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you too!” Jaida took in Nicky’s slender frame and immaculately clean cream-coloured raincoat, hanging to just below her knees, neat wine-coloured buttons down the front; along with bare legs and Chelsea boots. She was casual and cool, but also breathtakingly beautiful. Not someone Jaida expected Heidi would go for, but she seemed very put together, an intelligence behind her eyes.

“What do you want to drink? My treat for standing you up yesterday, Heidi Almighty.” Jaida grabbed her purse.

“You know I want a Pinot, Jai,” Heidi replied.

“Thank you, that would be lovely for me too,” Nicky purred, nodding at Jaida.

As Jaida approached the bar, a short, blonde-haired woman in pale blue jacket, ordering two pina coladas, twirled round a bit too exuberantly and knocked one of them into Jaida.

“Oh my God! Oh, Jesus!” She exclaimed, her hand rushing to her mouth.

“It’s fine,” Jaida muttered, fishing the melting ice cubes out of her sweater and brushing herself down, but the blonde woman had grabbed some napkins from the bar and was wiping at Jaida’s front with them, their hands getting tangled.

“I am so so sorry! Oh God! I’m not normally this clumsy!”

“Don’t worry about it, it’s just an accident,” Jaida tried to wave her off, but the woman grabbed her hand.

“Let’s go to the bathroom, and get you dried off.”

She dragged Jaida to the bathroom, turned on the hand dryer and turned the barrel upwards, so it blew straight up into the air. For a split second her sheet of blonde hair was caught in the gust, flaring upwards, spilling a scent of peach shampoo into the atmosphere. She grabbed at Jaida again and pulled her into the stream of hot air.

“That’ll dry you off in no time! Oh, God! Really, I’m so sorry!”

“It’s fine, really, you don’t need to apologise again,” Jaida said, letting the blonde woman maintain a grip on her hand nonetheless. She let the hot air dry her sweater as much as she could, still smelling peach shampoo, before turning off the dryer and removing herself from this girl’s grip.

“It’s, uh, it’s a really nice sweater,” the blonde said, her voice hitching up an octave.

“Thanks,” Jaida said with a small smile. “I like your outfit too.” The blonde wore a lilac shirt under her jacket, and a pair of skinny jeans. She looked vaguely familiar …

“That’s really nice of you! Especially when I just, you know, soaked you!” The blonde twitched her shoulders happily. She had light-brown eyes that crinkled up as she smiled, and a kind of perpetual motion to her face, darting eyes and an expressive mouth, ever-changing.

“I’m Jan,” she held out her hand. Jaida took it to shake.

“Jan,” she muttered, the name and face finally connecting in her mind. “Do you work at that Italian place? Mantione’s?”

“Yeah!” Her eyes widened with shock. “How did you know?”

“We were there yesterday afternoon – me and my friend Brita – she knows the Mantiones, she grew up with them.”

“You know Brita? Yeah, she was like a big sister to me. I only have brothers,” Jan nodded, looking relieved. “I’m a Mantione. The baby,” she added with a giggle. “Brita was in school with my older brother Paul. I only graduated in June, she graduated a few years ago. How do you know Brita?”

“I work with her, we started together,” Jaida said.

“No kidding! This city is far too small!” Jan laughed. “Are you from New York?”

“No, Milwaukee. I moved for work. Sorry, I’m Jaida by the way.”

“Okay, hi Jaida!” Jan shook her hand, Jaida realising she still had it in hers. She wasn’t relinquishing it. Still not letting go.

Jan turned her eyes nervously to the ground and cleared her throat.

“Well, Jaida, I think I owe you a slice of pizza or two at some point, for spilling my drink all over you. Just drop in when I’m on shift. Which is, like, all the time unless I’m auditioning. I mean, all the time. Well, I mean,” Jan paused for breath, “I mean, come and see me whenever.”

“Is that – an invitation?” Jaida felt the realisation hit her. She perked one eyebrow up, realising her hand was still in Jan’s, unable to stop the coy smile creeping across her face.

Jan tilted her head to the side, smiling nervously.

“Maybe,” she said softly.

——————————————

“Bitch, that better have vodka in it,” Heidi nodded to Jaida’s coke when she came over to them.

“I’m on call today,” Jaida replied, “so no can do until my shift is over.”

Heidi and Nicky hadn’t even been looking at the bar when Jan had spilled her drink, a bit too immersed in each other to notice that Jaida had just been drenched and then flirted with in the space of the last two minutes.

“What is it like, being a secret agent?” Nicky asked Jaida, a polite smile gracing her face.

“A what?”

Heidi spluttered with laughter.

“Heidi!” Jaida cried. “Bitch, what have you told her?”

“She told me you are a secret agent!” Nicky gave Heidi a playful shove. “I didn’t trust her, and I was right!”

“Sorry, Jai, I couldn’t help it!” Heidi giggled. “She’s a detective, Nicky, so she has to go out and work on cases sometimes unexpectedly.”

“And you are working today?”

“Yeah, we got a lead on a case yesterday. A serious case. Nothing I can talk much about, but I need to be on call today, and I have some work tonight.”

It was that moment that Jaida felt a sharp pain in her stomach, a stabbing sensation. She ignored it and smiled at Nicky to mask it.

“Do you worry about your cases?” Nicky was asking.

“Of course, but you do have to learn to leave work at work, in my line.” Jaida carried on smiling. “What do you do for work?”

“I work in an office for a finance company, but I also do translation, and some French tutoring for high school students,” Nicky replied. “French is becoming more popular for students to learn.”

“I don’t speak a damn word,” Jaida waved her hand, “I took Spanish instead. Four years of Spanish, and I can barely remember adios.”

“I can say, voulez-vous coucher avec moi?” Heidi cackled, while Nicky groaned and rolled her eyes at her, giving her a playful slap on the arm.

“So of course you know that Heidi teaches Kindergarten?” Jaida asked.

Suddenly, Jaida felt another stabbing pain, this time on the left side of her temple, like a migraine was coming, but it hit her fast, making her wince. She gripped the side of the table with one hand, and concentrated on moving to take her coke with the other, trying to make sure neither Nicky nor Heidi noticed.

The pain vanished almost as fast as it came on, only lasting seconds.

“… kids, my brother has two younger than five, and they drive him and his wife crazy! They’re back in France though, so I don’t see them very often.” Nicky peered at her quizzically. “Are you alright?”

“Yeah, yeah fine.”

5.16PM

By the time Heidi and Nicky said goodbye to Jaida, they were both a little tipsy. Nicky had seemed very nice; beautiful and very down to earth; and Jaida was happy for her friend in finding someone. The two of them had planned to grab some food and maybe a movie, and Jaida thought it best to leave them be.

Dahlia’s outlet, Syn City (as Sin City was copywritten) was a tiny, narrow shop about ten blocks away, with three rooms, two of which were rented by fellow esoteric folk for psychic readings and trades; but Dahlia’s mom owned the lease. The shop was closed, with the “Gone to raise hell lunch” sign on the door serving as a Closed sign too; but the apartment above it was what Jaida was interested in. She buzzed the buzzer, with the door opening shortly after.

Jaida didn’t recognise the woman who opened the door, whose dyed pastel-blue hair clashed with the deep red shawl and the floor-length red skirt. It definitely wasn’t Dahlia, or her mom.

“Hello?” Jaida asked.

“Who are you?” The woman replied.

“Who are you?” Jaida retorted.

“Jaida, is that you?” Dahlia called from up the staircase behind this strange woman.

“I think it is!” She turned to call back up the stairs, while Jaida gawked silently at her.

Dahlia came down the stairs two at a time, leaping gracefully to the bottom from five up, with no shoes on as she normally preferred. She gently pushed the other woman away from the door.

“Come in, Jaida, we’re almost ready to go.”

She took Jaida’s hand and led her past this woman and up the stairs to the apartment on the first floor, above the shop. The scent of incense was alluring, and the beautiful, intricate hangings draped around the walls were familiar and welcoming. Dahlia’s mom’s apartment was full of character and personality, in spite of its small size.

Dahlia’s childhood room was lit by fairy lights which glowed a warm orange colour, a mess as always, the floor covered with Dahlia’s clothes and makeup, but also some unfamiliar shawls and a few scattered piles of manga. Incense burned on the altar in the corner, just underneath the window, Dahlia’s old school desk, covered now in candle wax and crystals, and an icon to a deity that Jaida had forgotten the name of in the centre.

“Got all my shit packed, and Rock’s gonna join us too.”

“Rock?”

“Yeah, don’t call her Roxy or anything, she hates that. Says it’s a ‘doggie’ name,” Dahlia made quote marks with her fingers before Rolling her eyes. “And no Roxanne either. Says she can’t stand that song. Something about getting told all the time about putting on a red light.” Dahlia shrugged.

“So … she decided on Rock as her nickname? Okay, cool,” Jaida shrugged. “Rock it is. Is she your new girlfriend?”

Dahlia rocked from side to side, pondering the answer. “I wouldn’t say new. You haven’t been to my house in like, three months, bitch. That’s a long time in politics. And romance.” Dahlia smacked her lips.

“Alright, so why is she coming?” Jaida asked, motioning down the stairs, where it appeared Rock still was.

“Girl, I told you, I’m not taking no chances at this place. Rock is good at casting protection. She’ll be making sure we’re all safe from anything nasty in the building.”

“How are we all meant to fit on your motorcycle then?” Jaida frowned.

Fifteen minutes later, Jaida was in the back seat of Rock’s battered old third-hand Citroen, clinging to the hook on the ceiling with both hands; Rock behind the wheel and Dahlia in the passenger seat; Dahlia’s box of wonders as she called it on the seat next to Jaida. Rock drove like a crazy woman, seemingly hyper-vigilant to whenever any lights changed, taking left-turns at frightening speed, and screeching to stops every so often for a squirrel crossing the road.

It was probably the fastest that Jaida had ever made it to the old guest house, a full half hour early. Brita would be so proud.

She took out her phone to send Brita a message to that effect, to find four missed calls, one after the other, from Brita about two hours ago, followed by a series of frantic texts.

Brita: Jaida pick up xx

Brita: Come on sis xx

Brita: Jaida please, it’s not work I promise xx

Jaida’s chest felt ice-cold. She pressed the phone key and put the phone to her ear, waiting for Brita to pick up, but the phone just rang and rang.

Frowning, she disconnected, and tried again after a few moments.

Still nothing.

“Brita,” she whispered to herself, tapping at the screen. “Come on, sis, pick up your fucking phone.”

Jaida: Brita I’m sorry I missed u. Pick up sis. X

Jaida: Brita?? You’re scaring me xx

Rock, still in her red shawl, brushed past Jaida now, scattering something from a large jar she cradled in her arms, muttering some kind of incantation.

“Protection,” Dahlia shrugged. “Just let her get on with it, she’s real fucking good at this.”

Jaida’s phone finally sounded, and Jaida looked down with relief to see Brita’s selfie on the screen.

“This is Hall.”

“Jaida. Something happened. Not with me – with Jackie.”

“With Jackie? Is she okay?” Jaida’s heart dropped through her stomach.

“Yeah, she’s fine, just a bit shaken. She tried to break up a fight earlier, took a couple of hits. Assholes! She’s got a bit of a headache from a punch one of them landed, but she’s not bad. We’ll just be a bit late.”

“Well, I’m already here. And Dahlia.”

“Oh, good. Is she setting up?”

Jaida turned to watch as Dahlia lit a cigarette, and Rock continued her slow walk with the jar, sprinkling and murmuring under her breath.

“Uhm, yeah.” Jaida nodded.

“Good. We’ll be there in five.”

As Jaida disconnected the call, she looked up, seeing something out of the corner of her eye, in the room on the top right of the front of the building.

It looked like …

No way.

When she looked up, she saw shoulder-length blonde hair, an anguished face, peering out at her from the window, a young woman silently reaching down towards her.

A young woman who matched the photograph and descriptor they’d had for Gigi Goode.

Jaida ducked under the hazard tape and ran for the window on the ground floor with the loose board, while Dahlia watched her confusedly.

“Aren’t we meant to wait for your colleagues?”

Rock, finishing her circle at the front, placed her jar at the floor and ran up the path, grabbing Jaida by the ankle as she was climbing inside. Her hand was shockingly cold.

“Where are you going? You’ve seen someone? Who did you see?”

“Let me go!” Jaida shook her leg, but Rock frowned at her.

“You definitely shouldn’t go alone. Let me come in with you.”

“Alright, let go of me, and come inside.”

“Can you unlock the door?”

Jaida shook her head. “Brita has the key.”

“I can’t climb through there! I can barely climb stairs!” Rock folded her arms.

Dahlia tossed her cigarette on the ground and stubbed it out with her boot. “Move over, Rock.” And she swung herself up and inside, tumbling on top of Jaida as she did so.

“What did you see?” Dahlia demanded. “Because you’re not going anywhere on your own in here, no way. I told you, this place is fucking crazy.”

“I need to get upstairs.”

The main entrance inside entered into a large main room, with the kitchen behind it and the hallway and staircase on the left. Past that was a closed room, that was firmly locked, which according to the sign above it was a smoking room and small bar in its day. Upstairs were four guest rooms, and one larger room at the right hand side, which was a living and sleeping area for the guest house owners.

Jaida took the stairs two at a time, Dahlia bounding gracefully along with her, and turned right at the top of them. There was a short corridor with two rooms on either side, and at the end one larger room with two double doors, which was the owners’ living area.

Without pausing to think, Jaida sprinted down the right hand corridor to the double doors, but they were shut tight.

“Gigi? Gigi!”

Frantically, Jaida rattled at the doorknobs, but the doors would not budge.

“Come on, Dahl, give me a hand, maybe they’re stuck.”

Dahlia joined Jaida in shoving at the doors with her shoulder, as hard as they could, but they wouldn’t even shift a little.

“Jai,” Dahlia whispered suddenly, her voice shaking, and Jaida turned to see Dahlia’s startled green eyes, fixed in the opposite direction, pointing a finger behind them.

Two shadowy figures had emerged from one of the guest rooms behind them.

[papermoonloveslucy]

LIZ BECOMES A SCULPTRESS

October 7, 1950

“Liz Becomes a Sculptress” (aka “Liz the Sculptress” aka “Liz Turns Sculptress”) is episode #100 [some sources say #99] of the radio series MY FAVORITE HUSBAND broadcast on October 7, 1950.

This was the fifth episode of the third season of MY FAVORITE HUSBAND. There were 31 new episodes, with the season ending on March 31, 1951.  

This program was the basis for “I Love Lucy” episode titled "Lucy Becomes a Sculptress" (ILL S2;E15), first aired on January 15, 1953.

Synopsis ~ Liz decides that she needs a hobby, and the proprietor of the local arts and crafts store convinces her she's a natural artistic genius when it comes to sculpting clay.

“My Favorite Husband” was based on the novels Mr. and Mrs. Cugat, the Record of a Happy Marriage (1940) and Outside Eden (1945) by Isabel Scott Rorick, which had previously been adapted into the film Are Husbands Necessary? (1942). “My Favorite Husband” was first broadcast as a one-time special on July 5, 1948. Lucille Ball and Lee Bowman played the characters of Liz and George Cugat, and a positive response to this broadcast convinced CBS to launch “My Favorite Husband” as a series. Bowman was not available Richard Denning was cast as George. On January 7, 1949, confusion with bandleader Xavier Cugat prompted a name change to Cooper. On this same episode Jell-O became its sponsor. A total of 124 episodes of the program aired from July 23, 1948 through March 31, 1951. After about ten episodes had been written, writers Fox and Davenport departed and three new writers took over – Bob Carroll, Jr., Madelyn Pugh, and head writer/producer Jess Oppenheimer. In March 1949 Gale Gordon took over the existing role of George’s boss, Rudolph Atterbury, and Bea Benaderet was added as his wife, Iris. CBS brought “My Favorite Husband” to television in 1953, starring Joan Caulfield and Barry Nelson as Liz and George Cooper. The television version ran two-and-a-half seasons, from September 1953 through December 1955, running concurrently with “I Love Lucy.” It was produced live at CBS Television City for most of its run, until switching to film for a truncated third season filmed (ironically) at Desilu and recasting Liz Cooper with Vanessa Brown.

MAIN CAST

Lucille Ball (Liz Cooper) was born on August 6, 1911 in Jamestown, New York. She began her screen career in 1933 and was known in Hollywood as ‘Queen of the B’s’ due to her many appearances in ‘B’ movies. With Richard Denning, she starred in a radio program titled “My Favorite Husband” which eventually led to the creation of “I Love Lucy,” a television situation comedy in which she co-starred with her real-life husband, Latin bandleader Desi Arnaz. The program was phenomenally successful, allowing the couple to purchase what was once RKO Studios, re-naming it Desilu. When the show ended in 1960 (in an hour-long format known as “The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour”) so did Lucy and Desi’s marriage. In 1962, hoping to keep Desilu financially solvent, Lucy returned to the sitcom format with “The Lucy Show,” which lasted six seasons. She followed that with a similar sitcom “Here’s Lucy” co-starring with her real-life children, Lucie and Desi Jr., as well as Gale Gordon, who had joined the cast of “The Lucy Show” during season two. Before her death in 1989, Lucy made one more attempt at a sitcom with “Life With Lucy,” also with Gordon.

Richard Denning (George Cooper) was born Louis Albert Heindrich Denninger Jr., in Poughkeepsie, New York. When he was 18 months old, his family moved to Los Angeles. Plans called for him to take over his father’s garment manufacturing business, but he developed an interest in acting. Denning enlisted in the US Navy during World War II. He is best known for his  roles in various science fiction and horror films of the 1950s. Although he teamed with Lucille Ball on radio in “My Favorite Husband,” the two never acted together on screen. While “I Love Lucy” was on the air, he was seen on another CBS TV series, “Mr. & Mrs. North.” From 1968 to 1980 he played the Governor on “Hawaii 5-0″, his final role. He died in 1998 at age 84.

Bea Benadaret (Iris Atterbury / Miss Crawford) was considered the front-runner to be cast as Ethel Mertz but when “I Love Lucy” was ready to start production she was already playing a similar role on TV’s “The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show” so Vivian Vance was cast instead. On “I Love Lucy” she was cast as Lucy Ricardo’s spinster neighbor, Miss Lewis, in “Lucy Plays Cupid” (ILL S1;E15) in early 1952. Later, she was a success in her own show, “Petticoat Junction” as Shady Rest Hotel proprietress Kate Bradley. She starred in the series until her death in 1968.

It is not unusual for radio performers to double up on voices, especially if they have very little to do as their principal character. Iris only has a brief phone chat with Liz before Miss Crawford’s entrance. It would not make sense to hire another actress for the role when Benadaret was under contract. 

Bob LeMond (Announcer) also served as the announcer for the pilot episode of “I Love Lucy”. When the long-lost pilot was finally discovered in 1990, a few moments of the opening narration were damaged and lost, so LeMond – fifty years later – recreated the narration for the CBS special and subsequent DVD release.

Gale Gordon (Rudolph Atterbury) and Ruth Perrott (Katie the Maid) do not appear in this episode. 

GUEST CAST

Hans Conried (Carl, Art Store Owner) first co-starred with Lucille Ball in The Big Street (1942). He then appeared on “I Love Lucy” as used furniture man Dan Jenkins in “Redecorating” (ILL S2;E8) and later that same season as Percy Livermore in “Lucy Hires an English Tutor” (ILL S2;E13) – both in 1952. The following year he began an association with Disney by voicing Captain Hook in Peter Pan. On “The Lucy Show” he played Professor Gitterman in “Lucy’s Barbershop Quartet” (TLS S1;E19) and in “Lucy Plays Cleopatra” (TLS S2;E1). He was probably best known as Uncle Tonoose on “Make Room for Daddy” starring Danny Thomas, which was filmed on the Desilu lot. He joined Thomas on a season 6 episode of “Here’s Lucy” in 1973. He died in 1982 at age 64.

The Professor (aka Sam) and Muscles Malcolm the model are played by uncredited performers. 

THE EPISODE

ANNOUNCER: “As we look in on 321 Bundy Drive, Sheridan Falls, it's late afternoon. Liz is just arriving home from her club meeting, and is met at the door by George.” 

Liz has had a very educational day at the club today. They had a lecture on older people and how they can be kept happy and useful, but as Liz has no hobbies, the lecturer pointed out that she's on a slippery slope to being lonely and unhappy when she gets older. So she's going to get a hobby!

On “I Love Lucy,” the motivation for Lucy Ricardo to take up art as a hobby is so that her baby will be born into a cultured household. Lucy shows Ricky a portrait of her great-grandfather (above), who she says was was a great artist. In reality, this is a photo of writer Bob Carroll Jr., who co-wrote both the radio and television scripts!

After some conversation about who will pre-decease whom (and whether they will re-marry), Liz vows to go down to the art store first thing in the morning to get a hobby.

Liz enters Carl’s Arts and Crafts shop and is welcomed by Carl. 

CARL: “I have all media. What do you usually like to work in?” LIZ: “Oh, just an old housedress.”

On TV, Lucy is confused by the term ‘media’ and likes to work in ‘an old smock.’ On TV the art store clerk will be played by Russian-born Leon Belasco (right) who had done three movies with Lucille Ball between 1939 and 1944. William Abbott, the shop owner, is played by Shepard Menken.  

Liz flirts with the idea of finger painting. After all, she already has fingers!

LIZ: “Are these the right kind of fingers?” CARL: “You can start with those. Later on I’ll sell you some better ones.”

Instead, Carl convinces Liz to try sculpting with their in store clay display. Carl suddenly is taken aback by her handling of the clay!  It becomes apparent to the listener that Carl is more salesman that art lover. He gushes over her primative squeezings.

CARL: "All the world is waiting for a squeezer like you!” 

Carl calls over an art critic (whom he calls “the Professor”) who just happens to be browsing in the shop. They both fawn over her lump of clay, even falling to their knees in admiration. Liz is convinced to spend $25 on clay and leaves the shop feeling she is destined for greatness.  Once she is gone, the men drop their pretense and we learn that “The Professor” is really a clerk named Sam.

CARL: “The next aspiring artist to come in I get to be the Professor. You have all the fun!”   

The idea of a convincing a customer to make a purchase by staging a deceptive scenario will also be used on in “The Girls Go Into Business” (ILL S3;E2) in which dress shop owner Mrs. Hansen (Mabel Paige) tries to convince Lucy and Ethel her shop does a booming business by recruiting two ‘shoppers’ (Kay Wiley and Barbara Pepper) to buy lots of merchandise while Lucy and Ethel look on in amazement. The scam works and Lucy and Ethel buy the store. 

George comes home from work to find Liz has set up an art studio in his den. To George’s surprise Liz is wearing an artist’s smock and a tam. 

LIZ / LUCY: “This is the official outfit of all us sculptressessss.” GEORGE / RICKY: “All us whatressesessss?”

Liz proudly shows off her latest work to George, who teases her about not knowing exactly what it is. Finally, he says it is a bunch of grapes and Liz bursts into tears. She’s sculpted a man’s head! 

On TV, Ricky guesses Lucy’s first sculpture is supposed to be a boy and his dog or a girl and her dog but Lucy says it is a child at its mother’s knee.  Ethel guesses it is the nose on somebody’s face.   

After Bob LeMond does a commercial for Jell-O (”You can turn out a work of art with Jell-O!”), the story resumes with Liz sobbing and George comforting her. Liz says she’d do much better if she could hire a model. George volunteers as her model but Liz quickly rejects him. George asks why.

LIZ: “Your muscles. They’re all in your coat.”

George takes off his coat and shit to prove he has what it takes to model.

LIZ: “Well! Gypsy Rose Cooper!”

Liz is referring to the famous strip tease artist and burlesque performer Gypsy Rose Lee (born Rose Louise Hovick, 1911–1970), whose life was the inspiration for the Broadway musical and film Gypsy in 1959. Above, Gypsy Rose Lee visited the set of “I Love Lucy” during the filming of “Hollywood Anniversary” in February 1955. 

Liz unfavorably compares George’s physique to the Discus Thrower, a Greek sculpture completed at the start of the Classical Period, depicting a youthful athlete throwing discus, circa 460–450 BC. Liz measures George’s ‘bicups’ (biceps) but they fall short.  

On “I Love Lucy,” Ricky avoids being a model, but Fred is recruited to pose as the Discus Thrower - and throws his back out in the process! 

George scolds Liz for spending so much money on her ‘hobby’ - $50, which is equal to more than $500 in today’s economy. George demands she return everything to the art store and Liz bursts into tears again. 

The next day, Liz telephones Iris to tell her that she has hired a model anyway.  The doorbell rings and it is ‘Muscles Malcolm’ from the modeling agency. To Liz’s surprise he wants to pose ‘au naturel’ but Liz convinces him to wear a tiger skin. 

George comes home early from dinner so Liz quickly stashes Malcolm in the closet. George sees Malcolm’s street clothes.  Liz tries to convince him that they are his clothes!  Malcolm suddenly sneezes from inside the closet. 

LIZ (quickly): “I didn’t hear anything. Nobody sneezed!”  GEORGE (suspicious): “I didn’t say anyone did.” 

In “The Saxophone” (ILL S2;E2), Ricky stashes a handsome man in the closet to turn the tables on Lucy. Writer Madelyn Pugh remembers: "For some reason, Bob [Carrol Jr.] and I liked the idea of people hiding in a closet. We used it in this show, and in a couple of other 'Lucys.’ We even used it in the pilot of 'The Mothers-in-Law’ fifteen years later – and it always got a laugh!”

The jig is up and Malcolm emerges from the closet. Surprisingly, George is not mad at all.  He leaves the house calmly, but Liz smells a rat.  

George returns with a giggly girl named Miss Crawford (also Bea Benadaret). George is going to take up painting and Miss Crawford is his model. 

MISS CRAWFORD: “Do you want me to pose draped or undraped?  I usually pose undraped.” LIZ: “Draped. You’ve got a bad enough cold already.”

NOTE: This line gets the biggest audience reaction of the entire episode, perhaps because of the intimation of nudity or because Bea Benadaret’s voice sounds very scratchy. Perhaps the audience knows that she is under the weather and feels in on the joke?  

In the live Jell-O commercial, Lucille Ball, in a seductive voice, tells Bob LeMond claims she always wanted to be...a ballet dancer!  Instead, Ball switches to her “Professor” voice; a deep, husky, and blunt tone. 

LUCILLE BALL: “I ain’t gonna do the Jell-O jiggle. I had an accident. I had on my new shoes; they’re kinda sharp. I spun six times. Once for strawberry like this. Once for raspberry like this. Once for cherry, like so. And once for orange, lemon and lime, like this. Darn that Jell-O jiggle, I dun it again. I dug myself right into the ground!” 

ANNOUNCER: “Lucille Ball can currently be seen in Columbia’s laugh-fest ‘The Fuller Brush Girl’.  Watch for it when it comes to your city.”

A recorded commercial for Instant Sanka coffee and the Jell-O jingle ends the broadcast. 

FAST FORWARD!

The television version of this script ends very differently. Lucy tries to pass off her own head as an example of her art work. Ricky invites an important art critic to assess it, and he attempts to buy Lucy’s head and take it with him!  The highly visual ending, with Lucille Ball’s head stuck through a table and covered with clay, works much better than the radio conclusion. 

This isn’t the last time Lucy had a brush (pun intended) with the visual arts. 

In “Lucy Goes To Art Class” (TLS S2;E15) in 1964, Lucy Carmichael also visited an art store and took a drawing to meet an eligible bachelor (Robert Alda).  

In “Lucy and Uncle Harry’s Pot” (HL S5;E21) in 1973, Lucy Carter took up pottery in order to recreate a vase she’s broken which had sentimental value to Harry. 

[ladyautie]

get to know me more!

@funyasm​ tagged me and I’m bored after writing my chapter, so here it is!

✨ what do you prefer to be called name wise?

My name’s Sophie. My friends call me Spencou or Spence. We met on a Role-Playing game forum where I played a character named Spencer. We’re used to call each other by our characters’ names and nicknames, most of the time. My brother calls me Sis’.

✨ when is your birthday?

15th november 1993.

✨ where do you live?

Paris, France.

✨ three things you are doing right now?

I’m watching an episode of AT4W on youtube, scrolling on Tumblr and I’m drinking a coffee.

✨ four fandoms that have piqued your interest right now?

Definitely It and especially Eddie Kaspbrak and the ship Reddie. I’m kinda obsessed right now, writing fanfic, reading fanfic, daydreaming about it and all.

I just played the Last of Us 2 and I’m currently watching a let’s play from my favorite youtubers, Mari and Stacy from Geek Remix. I’ll probably read a few fics as well.

The tv show Barry (HBO) is a definite special interest for me. I’m probably going to watch it all once again real soon and I’m planning on writing a fanfic or two in the future. I’m dying for the third season to come.

Finally, I’m probably going to be super into The Umbrella Academy once again, when the second season will be released. I’m just really into Vanya, Klaus and Allison and I can’t wait to see more of them.

✨ how is the pandemic treating you?

None of the people I know have been contaminated, so I’m lucky about that. I’m not quarantined anymore, back to work, and the transition is not easy. 

I feel like I’m more openly autistic than I used to be and that I can’t stand the rest of the world for a long period of time. I’ve experienced multiple meltdowns and shutdowns and I have real difficulties to socialize with most people or to focus on my work.

I feel incredibly naked and vulnerable whenever I’m leaving my flat without my mask on, so I think that’s definitely something I’m gonna have to work on in the future.

Leaving Paris and meeting my folks for my mother’s wedding, I found myself surrounded by people who mostly didn’t care about the virus, kissing each other on the cheek in true french fashion to say hello, hugging, not wearing a mask, not respecting any kind of social distance. 

I was quickly overwhelmed by all of that, plus the noise, and I had to isolate myself in my parents’ car, sobbing hysterically and willing to suffer in a overheated car if it meant having a bit of peace.

There are definitely going to be long-term consequences. I can only hope that my physical health will remain okay, though.

✨ song you can’t stop listening right now?

Keep On by Sasha Sloan. I just really love the lyrics and the message.

✨ recommend a movie.

Whenever I have to think of a movie to recommend, Frank by Lenny Abrahamson is the first one that comes to my mind. This movie is an obsession for me since the first time I watched it and I often find myself watching it again and again. Despite its heavy subjects, it’s definitely a comfort movie for me.

Too often, movies featuring mentally ill characters will aim for the characters to “get better”, which doesn’t mean for them to find healthy ways to cope with their issues, but usually for them to look more “neurotypical-like”, if you know what I mean. Frank  doesn’t go that way at all. On the contrary, it pushes the viewer to empathize with the main characters and to understand their point of view, their way of being.

It’s so incredibly comforting to watch a movie featuring mental illness realistic and not romanticized and to have the movie say “you’re different and you have issues, but you’ll find your tribe someday and be able to find your own happiness, even if it’s unconventional by society’s standards”.

I don’t know, I just have so much feelings about this movie. Plus the music slaps, the humor is hilarious (kudos to the random French guy who can perfectly understand English but refuses to utter a single word if it’s not in French) and the actors are truly on point (I can only salute Domnhall Gleeson, among everyone else who is also worthy of praise, because he definitely managed to make me hate his character in a way I almost never hated a character before).

Watch it!

✨ how old are you?

I’m 26 years old.

✨ school, university, occupation, other?

I used to be a librarian, but I couldn’t find a stable job in this field, so I passed an entrance examination and I’m now working in the tax administration. Yeah, not really glamorous, but it pays the bills and I’m accommodated for my disability, so it helps. 

✨ do you prefer hot or cold?

Definitely cold. When I was a kid, I used to swim in mountain lakes, at temperatures close to 13° celsius, and I still take my showers mostly cold. I can’t stand heat, I get headaches very easily when it’s sunny and I’m getting confused easily whenever it’s too hot. I recently had a nosebleed at work so intense that I found myself spitting blood (it went better once I got a fan, making the temperature bearable).

✨ name one fact others may not know about you.

I used to be allergic to my own sweat when I was around 18, until my early twenties. Whenever I was doing a mild physical effort or getting stressed out, I would get hives and itchy skin rash all over my whole freaking body, which was so exhausting that I would fall asleep immediately as soon as the rash was gone. 

It disappeared as suddenly as it appeared, without me ever doing something about it. I still don’t know why I experienced that and if I’m going to experience that ever again. I hope not.

✨ are you shy?

My autism makes social interactions complicated, but I’d say I’m mostly impaired by my social anxiety and the various traumas I’m dealing with daily.

Traumas I got after having been bullied pretty badly by kids and teachers during my school years, my stepfather being borderline abusive and different traumatic experiences, including my childhood crush dying from a ski accident when I was 15 or so (and me never being able to tell him that I loved him) and people betraying me so many times that I can’t even recall every little thing.

As a result, I find myself doubting constantly that I’m worthy of love, affection and respect and I often wonder when I’ll do or say the “wrong” thing that will cause me to lose everyone I care about. I also have a hard time knowing who I am and, as a result, allowing everyone to know who I am as well. 

I often don’t know what to say and will find myself keeping my mouth shut, even on topics I’m knowledgeable about, because I’m scared of people shutting me down, among other things. My friends make it easier for me to talk about things I like and all, but I’m still heavily doubting myself.

I try to challenge myself regularly. I’ll force myself to take part in events that are taxing or that are forcing me to perform in front of people. That’s how I found myself taking part in the casting part of the french equivalent of “American Idol” (I merely met the pre-judges, but I did manage to sing my whole song in front of them). I needed to prove to myself that I could do it.

✨ do you have any preferred pronouns?

I’m using she/her, but I don’t mind people using they/them to talk about me if they don’t want to be gender-specific.

✨ any pet peeves?

I hate how people can freely and openly be homophobic, racist, ableist, transphobic, sexist and so on, but as soon as I open my mouth to let them know that what they said/did wasn’t appropriate, I’m labelled as one of those “hysterical feminists” or a “party pooper”. s/ Sorry if your antisemitic joke isn’t making me laugh, my “dear” colleague... /s I hate whenever people infantilize me, especially my mom. She’s still keeping an eye on my bank account, despite me telling her that I didn’t want her to do so again and again. I don’t dare to block her out, because I’m scared of her emotional reaction.  I hate the ugliest parts of fandom, notably the obsession with “who’s topping / who’s bottoming” whenever there’s a gay pairing or the racism / ableism / transphobia / homophobia I’ve witnessed again and again.

I don’t dare to engage in the Last of Us 2 fandom because of that and the way some people describe the character of Abby (a very muscular woman), focusing on her physical appearance and calling her awful names (being downright transphobic when they thought that she was the transgender character that Naughty Dog announced there would be in their game). 

✨ what’s your favorite “dere” type?

I had to google it, because aside from Yandere and Tsundere, I didn’t know a thing about it. I guess you could say I’m a Dandere (someone who is quiet and asocial. They are afraid to talk, fearing that what they say will get them in trouble.). 

My favorite type is Kuudere though, when it comes to anime in particular (someone who is calm and collected on the outside, and never panics. They show little emotion, and in extreme cases are completely emotionless, but may be hiding their true emotions. They tend to be leaders who are always in charge of a situation.). 

My favorite anime character, Kiyotaka Ayanokōji from the anime Classroom of the elite, is the most extreme case I can think about. He’s completely expressionless for most of the anime, talks with a very dull voice and it’s impossible to know what he’s thinking about at all times or what’s his overall plan. His hidden depth makes him all the more fascinating. He managed to keep me interested in a mostly meh anime.

✨ rate your life 1-10. 1 being really crappy and 10 being the best you could ever be.

It’s a bit hard, but somewhere around 5 or 6? I went through tons of crap in my life but I’m still here and able to live on my own, even if my quality of life isn’t all that good. I live with nearly daily suicidal thoughts since I was a teenager and have to compose with my meltdowns and anxiety attacks as well. I feel “other” most of the time and I can’t relate to most people I’m meeting and interacting with, which can sometimes feel very lonely.

On the other hand, I have wonderful friends who are willing to put up with my trauma crap and are overall amazing to talk to and be around. I have a cat I love dearly. They’re the reason why I’m still alive to this day, giving me a reason to say fuck off to my suicidal thoughts. 

✨ what’s your main blog?

My main blog is Ladyautie and is about autism. I have another blog, reddie-4-more, focusing on the It movies and Eddie Kaspbrak and Richie Tozier.

✨ is there anything you think people need to know about you before becoming friends with you?

So, uh, don’t be weirded out by the kind of things I can tell you about my past. Even if it seems a lot, all of it is definitely true. 

For example, I was almost kidnapped when I was around 8 or 9 by a random guy, while I was camping with my father. 

My father and my paternal grandmother actually kidnapped me and my brother when I was around two and I stayed with him until the social workers determined that my mother had to raise us again because our well-being and overall life were threatened. 

Lots of events of my life seem far-fetched or out of a movie / a book or something and I had people telling me that I must be lying or that I’m over-exaggerating, something that always hurts deeply.

I’m terribly awkward and more or less openly autistic, so you’re definitely going to notice something different about me. I can’t change for you and I’m not willing to hide my traits only to make you feel more comfortable about frequenting me, so if you can’t handle my socially anxious and disabled ass, then just leave.

I need people to actually tell me what they think or feel. I’m very “first degree” and I’m pretty bad at guessing what people are thinking about. Don’t be afraid to be frank.

Finally, never, and I mean never, infantilize me. I’m a 26 years old woman. I’m not a kid.I’m fine with my friends offering to help or making sure that I’m okay or so, but never assume that I don’t understand something and don’t force your help on me if I say that I’m okay.

That’s it, those who want to take part in this exercise, don’t hesitate!

[mashitandsmashit]

America’s Got Talent: Season 15 - Quarter-Finals 1

Well, it's official! AGT has reached a “new normal”!

Almost half the acts were filmed, and some of them appeared to be pre-recorded...Kinda undermines the live stage aspect of this show...

What's more, we have Kelly Clarkson filling in for the man who made her famous (I figured it was only a matter of time before we saw her as a guest judge). I guess she was okay, but not really one worth judging anyone other than singers...I'm sure she's right at home on “The Voice”, but here...Well, we'll see if she might develop more of a presence, assuming Simon still needs more time to recover...(No need to hurry, Simon...But get well!)

Speaking of people who couldn't make it, the Divas and Drummers were unable to make it for some reason, and have dropped out of the competition...Brett Loudermilk has filled their spot for tonight, which still leaves a vacant spot to bring somebody back in one of the next three weeks...Let's just say, I've already made my wildcard predictions, even though they weren't actually intending on any for this round...Also, this change of plans must have happened a while ago, since someone on the Wiki kept listing Brett for this week, even with the editors removing it...This was WELL before they announced that Divas and Drummers dropped out...

Despite the weird nature of the show, I guess I'll give them props for not USING props, and creating some pretty neat three-dimensional backdrops...Roberta really did look like she was trapped on an island with no means of escape...Well, in an overly-CG'd movie sort of way...

I also liked how the acts that WEREN'T there were able to get some pretty neat sets...It's almost like they're in a movie studio amusement park or something...

Anyway, let's gauge their qualities best we can...

11: Michael Yo. This is probably the first time in a while that a comedian on this show (not counting the ones that were quickly rejected...though on second thought, it might) failed to make me crack a smile even once! The jokes were the same old uninspired gender stereotype jokes I've heard from every hack comedian, and there's just something REALLY obnoxious about his whole “CAN I GET A WHAT-WHAT!?” delivery. I didn't like him last time either, but there were a FEW chuckle-worthy jokes in his audition...And yes, I feel bad saying these things, especially after hearing what he went through. I sympathize, and am glad that he recovered...But if he goes through tomorrow (and let's face it, he likely will), it's not for whatever laughs he brought (as few as those might have been) but the tears. And some of those tears are his own...(Not that he doesn't have REASON to be emotional, but he is VERY emotional, even by this show's standards...)

10: Shaquira McGrath. Without the upbeat fun of her audition, or the moving arrangement of her JC performance, this felt about as bland as any singer I've heard in the past...She also drowned herself out with the backing track and just didn't seem to have the confidence she showed before...She even had a boring set to compliment the boring performance (which is sad, since she was the first to perform on that stage, and the ones to come were much better...)

9: Roberta Battaglia. I guess she's in a similar position as Shaquira, as what made her stand out before was the Lady Gaga vocals...This song wasn't nearly as interesting, but I guess at the very least her singing was more consistent than Shaquira's...Are they really gonna push her to win this season? Because so far, I'm not quite sold on her...

8: Pork Chop Revue. “Lethargic dog act” sounds about right...I know they're hyping it up because “It's pigs instead of dogs! OMG!” But like I said before, pigs aren't really that hard to train...And none of the tricks were anything surprising...(At least their audition had that baby pig in the carriage...) Still cute, but I'd still say this act is the runt of tonight's litter, ready for the proverbial slaughter...It's gonna take more than a talented spider to save THEM...That'll do, pigs...That'll do...

7: Frenchie Babyy. There's a likability to Frenchie that makes me REALLY want to like his act...But in the end, I think he's suffering pretty much the same problem as Turf did: There's not much to the act aside from a guy doing weird things with his arms...He just looked lost in that elaborate 3D set, and there's only so much stage you can fill with just your arms...It's not like contortionists filling a stage is impossible; Strauss Serpent pulled it off (at least once), and that guy can pull off contortions that Frenchie could never even DREAM of! We'll just see if Howie's faith that he'll go through tomorrow is well-placed...

6: Simon and Maria. It's amazing what a fun set can do for an otherwise humdrum act...Not much to this performance that I haven't seen before from them, but throw in the diner set and the retro clothes, and something just clicks...I didn't love it, but I still had fun watching them, and I could tell they had fun performing...

5: Double Dragon. Similar case for these ladies, but even moreso! Their name may be a ripoff of an old-school arcade game, but they sure know how to put on a show! In a battle against that OTHER singing twin act with a name straight out of 80s martial arts works, sorry, but the Ninjas are no match for the Dragons!

4: Archie Williams. I'm starting to get Archie's charm. He may not be the best singer, but he is compelling to listen to...Do I support him potentially winning this whole thing? Not really...But I will wish him the best nonetheless!

3: Annaliese Nock. Sorry, Bello, but I can't count you for this performance...Nonetheless, like Simon Cowell, I wish you a good recovery! (Speedy too, but like I said, Simon doesn't need to rush it...) Anyway, it's funny how they talk about their previous appearances on this show, and yet never brought up that Bello performed this very same act in this very same round three years ago...I will admit...It was better when he did it...He was a LOT more nimble and probably had years of experience doing it, as opposed to Anna tripping at points and looking like it was much harder for her...But that still didn't stop it from being compelling to watch...Even when she tripped (or ESPECIALLY when she tripped), you just can't help but root for her to keep going! For that, it might have ended up better than it would have if both of them performed this stunt together...Either way, we'll see if they get the votes they deserve this time, but there's still some stiff competition (by which I mean there were quite a few acts that appeal to emotions more than raw talent...Though maybe they'll get sympathy votes for the accident...)

2: Brett Loudermilk. A mixture of sword swallowing, archery, magic and comedy! It's like he threw four separate acts into a blender, and this was the result! It looks like Sofia's gonna be a permanent fixture as his assistant, at least as long as he's competing in this game...I guess they work off of each other too well! And once again, funnier than the actual comedian tonight (without any offense to Michael, since I know he went through a lot lately). Him and his Pepto-Bismol hair have my vote!

1: Feng E. The sad thing is, Feng's probably not gonna get the votes he deserves, because he didn't receive the hype he deserves. I mean, second act of the night!? Really!? This was too awesome to be placed so early! No doubt there's a bias for which acts tend to get hyped over others, and innovative instrumentalists are never particularly high in the pecking order unless they have a sob story to milk for all it's worth...Though I will say that his Lego story is a story I would vote for! We'll just see how things turn out tomorrow, but with so many acts that the judges seem to like over him, and even in the child category he gets out-cuted by Roberta and Maria, it's not looking particularly hopeful for him...

Pretty mixed bag of a night...Cowellization seemed to be in full effect even without the man himself there...Also, the filmed performances are gonna take some getting used to, but I do like how the acts work with them...

My Votes: I gave every vote I could to my Top 3 in this list...

Result Predictions: I'm not really in the mood to be optimistic here...I still hold that Archie and Roberta will get the Top 2 spots, Michael will probably get the other one, and maybe one or two of my three favorites will make their way into the save votes alongside maybe Simon and Maria and/or Double Dragon...

See you tomorrow for Kodi Lee and Mat Franco!

[rogueninja]

Okay so we all know who your top ships are... who are your unpopular ships? Or obscure ships? What characters from what series do you think about often in either good or bad ways? Who is a character that you hate that others love? If you could rewrite a story or part of a book, what would it be and what would you do differently?

Ok I am digging through my brain right now bc if I’m not able to hyperfixate on something then I tend to forget I even liked it. Ok buckle in bc this is gonna be long af. YOU ASKED FOR THIS, REG.

I’m putting a readmore so as not to torture my followers lol

Thinking about Veronica Mars. About Veronica/Logan. Do they have a ship name?? But I love that show and i was THERE for them. They were kind of a surprise ship for me, in that when they got together I was like, wait, WHAT? Like I was totally caught off guard. But there first kiss is, like, sooo romantic to me haha. It’s my fave scene in the show. But Logan is suck a prick sometimes. And they break up like every five minutes. And every season Logan gets accused of murder which of course he ends up not being the murderer. And they get back together eventually and I’m like really? But deep down I am rooting for them lol. I really enjoyed the new season of Veronica Mars that came out last year, actually. The ending made me SO SAD THO.

I also used to watch Supergirl and I thought Kara and Mon-El were adorable. He was very Carswell Thorne-esque, RH, I *think* you would like him. I never watched past season 3(?) though, and he shoots off into space and I never caught up so a few months ago I actually googled what happens and [spoiler] he ends up marrying someone else in the future or something so I was like, ok I’m not investing any more time in this show lol. (Also I had to google Mon-El’s name just now bc i forgot which is a bad look BUT I WAS REALLY RIDE OR DIE FOR THEM FOR A WHILE lol). Also I loved Martian Manhunter in this show, he was my favorite character. But the CGI for him was awful, omg. He had practical makeup at first, they should have just stuck with that.

Speaking of Martian Manhunter, I also used to watch Young Justice and loved Miss Martian/Superboy. Am I basic??? lol oop. But I love basic love stories. Anyway, I thought they were super cute. In season 3 though they’re kind of on the rocks. I haven’t watched season 4. I also loved Artemis/Wally West, but of course that had to end tragically.

Also, let’s talk about Nightcrawler. Allow me to set the scene. Little Kat is 13 and just rediscovered the cartoon she saw a few times as a kid called X-Men: Evolution. And thus, a weird obsession with the German, blue demon boy began. I loved Kurt Wagner. In the cartoon he starts a relationship with Amanda Sefton and I thought they were a-dor-a-ble. She accepted him for who he was, and they had a really nice healthy relationship. A lot of ppl shipped him with Kitty too which i am honestly all for idec I JUST WANT THE BLUE BOI TO BE HAPPY.

Can we talk about A:TLA too??? Like, obviously Zutara, amiright? Power couple. Like, Kataang is.. fine, but its probably my least favorite part about the ending, haha. Also, consider: Tokka. Toph is bae and can get anyone she wants, and she clearly had kind of a crush on Sokka and I think they could have been awesome. It actually kills me that they never say who Lin and Suyin’s father is in LoK. I had a whole theory that it was that kid The Duke from Jet’s band based on like 2 scenes from the series. There’s a tumblr post I made about it somewhere in the ether lol.

I also just remembered Tahnorra (Tahno/Korra) from Legend of Korra. It’s hard for me to explain this one. It’s a weird combination of being hyperfixated on the first season of the show when it came out, and I think I stumbled upon some fic or something???? And I thought Tahno was hot or something??? And FUN FACT, he was voice by Rami Malek BEFORE HE WAS COOL. So like before Rami really got big I knew who he was. He also basically played the Avatar in Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part 2 and I thought that connection was hilarious. It was kind of a problematic crack pairing but there was one author in particular whom i follow to this day hoping she’ll update her Tahnorra fics…. *sigh*

Okay one last ship…. I used to be ride or die for Outlaw Queen in Once Upon a Time (aka Regina/Robin Hood). Like, before TLC, I had a personal tumblr renaissance for that ship alone. My only existing published fanfic is for that ship. Taylor Swift’s 1989 came out that year and I related every dang song to that ship. I loved Regina so much and I just wanted her to be happy. That show is a dumpster fire, though, and spat all over my hopes and dreams. *sigh*

Also, lightning round for obscure pairings I ship and/or never talk about:

Frank Castle/Karen Page (The Punisher) ok this one isnt that obscure but I never talk about it… but the pining, oh god the pining

Jaime Lannister/Brienne of Tarth (GoT) THEIR 5 SECONDS TOGETHER ARE THE ONLY WORTHY PART OF SEASON 8. everything after that never happened

I already listed Roy Mustang/Riza Hawkeye (FMAB) as a top pairing previously but I feel the need to mention it again bc it was for real my OG OTP… LIKE U WANNA TALK ABOUT PINING…. *sobs*

Percy/Annabeth (Percy Jackson and the Olympians) This used to be my fave book series and i loved how their relationship developed over the course of the books

Neville Longbottom/Luna Lovegood (Harry Potter) ok can we TALK ABOUT THIS??? They were both badass misfits and they were perfect for each other. But noooo JKR has to announce they marry some nobodies…. this is the only change the last movie did right

Midna/Link (Zelda: Twilight Princess) I honestly have no explanation for this lol

Qui-gon Jinn and Shmi (Star Wars) CAN U IMAGINE if anakin had a proper father figure and didnt have to abandon his mother to slavery

Obi-wan/Satine…. (Star Wars: The clone Wars) we know whats up

OK, to answer some of your other questions: character I hate that others love. HMMMM…….

This one seems too easy/obvious but Professor Snape? Like obviously there’s already a ton of discourse surrounding this but he was gross, mistreated his students for years, committed atrocities, couldn’t get over his high school crush, and we’re supposed to believe he’s a hero in the end and HARRY WOULD NAME HIS SON AFTER HIM….. uh no. “Always” is gross.

I’ve literally been wracking my brain for days and I can’t think of any more characters for this. OK I did some googling and I remembered some LOL.

Ross from friends…. I literally can’t stand him. He’s so entitled and just the worst. He tries to act like he’s the nice, sensitive guy, but really he is so full of himself. Joey on the other hand is portrayed as a womanizer but is actually super sweet and I love him

Archie from Riverdale… I have only seen the first 1.5 seasons ish but he is the worst…. we’re supposed to believe he’s some easygoing musically gifted football player but instead he manages to pull off being bland as heck and actually kind of a terrible garbage person

Nick from chilling adventures of Sabrina. I hate characters that are like hitting on the main character even though she has a bf and are like dark and broody and sexy blah blah blah…. I liked Harvey way better. I never finished season 2 tho

Emma Swan from Once Upon a Time? Idk she was fine she just got old after a while

If you could rewrite a story or part of a book, what would it be and what would you do differently?

HM. First, Harry would name his son Remus Rebeus Potter LOL. Ok but real talk there was a headcanon floating around forever ago that Harry should have become a professor at Hogwarts instead of an auror and I am 100% on board

Ok, ok….. what abouuuttt…… OK, is star wars when Han and Leia get together. I like them as a couple, but the entire first half of the movie Han is being such an ass. And when they kiss the first time, he’s being SOOO creepy. It’s like so quintessentially 80s romance. and HERE’S THE THING. They actually filmed (or maybe just wrote?) a version of that scene that WASNT CREEPY. And i’m like WHY DIDNT YOU USE THAT?!? So I like to pretend that’s the version that actually happened.

This part is way harder than the shipping portion. If I think of anything else i’l dm you. I HOPE YOU ENJOY READING THIS NOVEL LENGTH POST OF ME RAMBLING ABOUT MY FIXATIONS OVER THE LAST 10 YEARS. If anyone actually read this far, you deserve a cup of hot chocolate and a blanket

[ivathough]

miraith prompt: mirage says "hey wraith, I bet you I know where the next ring location is without Pathfinder using the survey beacon" and he pulls out an engagement ring

Title: The Second Ring

Type: Flufffff

Pairing: Mirage x Wraith + Pathfinder third wheeling

Fandom: Apex Legends

Warnings: Swears

Word Count: +1300

Thank you for your prompt anon I really appreciate it and I hope you like it <3

if you have any prompts or questions feel free to visit my ask box

also sorry for any typos and stuff I'm not the best writer but please point them out so I can correct them if you find any thanks

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

2 minutes had passed since since they landed at Overlook, 2 minutes had passed since Mirage's plan was at get-go. He had been preparing for this special game for months now, and not just because this was the last game of the season and all of the other legends were hyped and motivated to win, nope, Mirage had bigger intentions up his sleeve. While the rest of the legends were spending their time training at the shooting range Mirage was training in his room, in front of a mirror, trying to figure out what was the perfect place in the apex map to pop the question at. He would spend countless nights thinking about the perfect approach to Wraith and overthinking about the numerous ways his plan could go, what if he really fucked it up? As the final match of the season approached Mirage had figured he got everything planned out perfectly, hell he even got a part in the plan for Pathfinder to fulfill as well, there was nothing in the world Elliott wanted more than finally being able to call Wraith his wife.

Elliott had been sitting in one of the buildings of the Overlook for a few minutes now. Usually he would loot the entire place and leave by the time you said the phrase 'Bamboozled' but this time he was taking his time, he was overthinking again which is not a very 'Mirage' thing to do. For once in his life he was anxious about something, he was nervous, he didn't wanna mess anything up. He would have been sitting there for another 5 minutes had it not been for Pathfinder barging through the door looking for him.

"Hey friend, your soon-to-be-wife has been looking for you, she is wondering when we are going to relocate." Pathfinder says while projecting an image of a smiley face on his chest

"Oh- uh- hey there I'm sorry I got a little distracted but it's no big deal we should head somewhere else now" Mirage says as he launches up from a spot on the floor he had been sitting on

"Now I don't have emotions but I sense some discomfort, are you perhaps distressed or may I even say scared?"

"W-what do you mean I'm not diss- distries- worried, nothing makes the great Elliott Witt panicked" Mirage says as he anxiously plays with one of the arc stars he had found earlier

"I am a robot of high technology, It will take a lot more effort than that to fool me" Pathfinder explains "If you wish to know my thoughts on the matter, I say everything will go according to plan and you will be at that altar in no time friend!"

"Thanks, Path..." Mirage smiles

"High-five?" Path raises his hand

"Just this one time" Mirage replies

--------------------

After completely looting the rest of the Overlook the squad was on it's way to the Refinery and from there they would make their way towards the Epicenter, where Mirage has been planning to propose the entire time.

His combat boots were hitting the ground harder than usual, the strap of his backpack hanging from the one side of his shoulders and a R-99 clutched tightly in his hands as they were making their way to the Refinery, he was thinking about what Path said earlier, there was nothing to be afraid of, him and Wraith had been together for 2 years now and he's sure she will say yes. At least that's what he hopes. Slowly but surely his self esteem was climbing up again. He glanced over at Wraith for a little comfort, she just took out a whole squad by herself and she was smiling from head to toe, Wraith rarely smiled and seeing her light up even for a second meaned the world to Mirage, she was fearless and so alluring, there were so many things Elliott absolutely loved about her. He is so madly in love with everything she is and everything she has to offer.

"There's a jump tower here." Wraith says

"Let's launch towards the Epicenter it's right next to the edge of the ring" Mirage suggests

-------------------

They jumped off the top of the jump tower, Mirage had always loved doing that, it never failed to make him feel like he was flying. They were gliding smoothly in the air, Mirage felt excited, he could feel the wind in his hair and the chill air hitting his red cheeks, he glanced over at Path and he nodded his head back signaling that the most important part of the plan was now in action.

Mirage's heart started beating faster just as their feet met the cold glacier. He brushed his hand over the square-shaped object in one of his pockets as he took a sharp breath. He tried as hard as he could to act as naturally as he usually would, he would make sure to talk a lot and throw in some of his famous cocky jokes and play with his decoys so no one would suspect a thing.

"So where are we heading next?" Wraith asked looking at both of her squadmates

Mirage took a few steps towards her and put on one of his iconic smirks and said "I bet you I know where the next ring location is without Pathfinder using the survey beacon."

"That's absurd" Wraith replied

"Maybe we should listen to our fellow teammate" Pathfinder said as he gestured towards Mirage

"Watch this" Mirage mouths to Wraith "The next ring is really close, right Path?" Mirage asks sarcastically

"That is correct" Pathfinder replies

"That still doesn't show us where exactly it is" Wraith says unsatisfied

"I haven't finished yet" Mirage announces as he walks closer to Wraith "I say the next ring is..." he gets down on one knee and pulls out the little indigo box from his pocket and slowly opens it up "right here."

Wraith audibly gasps as she realizes what just happened, she's doesn't know how to react, her eyes begin to water with crystal tears as she looks at the ring and the man she loves kneeling in front of her

"My beloved Wraith" Mirage starts "would you do me a great honor and take my last name. I would offer you my first one but that ones already taken. B-by me I mean" Mirage laughs in attempt to cover up the dumb sentence he just said, I guess weeks of preparing the perfect proposal were ruined by his malfunctioning brain

Wraith laughs as she drops to her knees in front of him and pulls him into a tight embrace "Yea, I will take your last name" she sobs happily in the crook of his neck

They slowly pull apart from each other as Mirage slides the ring on Wraith's ring finger. She takes a couple of moments to observe the ring. It was a golden ring with a diamond that was multicolored, it had a blend of orange and purple. Wraith was sure the colors were supposed to resemble them but she doesn't exactly know how he managed to blend them like that, but in reality she doesn't even want to know. She loves the ring as much as the man who gave it to her. She may not remember her past but she knows her future will be bright.

"I think this calls for a celebration" Path says and puts a thumbs up as they all laugh slightly

The voices in her head may be able to warn her of danger, but they sure as hell can't warn her about her boyfriend proposing in the middle of the final game of the season.