#but it definitely deserves an extended conversation imo | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

petalsmooth · 7 months

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You know I keep reading things like You go girl or Pen is a boss or whatever for her confrontation with Colin, with remarks about how in control she is and I'm not certain these people are watching the scene. They are hearing the words but they are not hearing her tone or really paying attention to her...or him either.

And sure it's a really good scene and he did deserve those words but dudes...her voice is on the edge of choking back tears. Her eyes aren't shining because of the candlelight. It's been months since that ball and she is STILL on the verge of tears around him and yes angry but more than that heartbroken and it's a shame if missing how well Nicola is portraying that. She wants to rush out of there because she doesn't want to cry in front of him not because she just wants a dramatic exit.

As for Colin, he's still oblivious to his feelings or at least attributing them to pure friendship when imo they are more than that. But if you ignore the brief attempt at flirtation and the reality that Colin, completely aware or not, was evidencing signs of significant attraction to his "friend" ........as he speaks of his letters he grows serious for a moment. It bothers him few of his family see fit to respond to him but it particularly bothers him Pen didn't. He's not saying he missed her in some superfluous way, it's been bothering him for months she didn't respond. He's been missing her for months. Again, he may not understand precisely why he's missing her to that degree but he came back determined to renew their friendship. Of that I have no doubt.

Then she brings up not courting her and you can tell his mind goes blank because the conversation just took a u-turn he wasn't following until her next line when he tries to piece together what conversation she is talking about. Remember it was a throwaway line for him while drunk months back, he likely forgot of it two minutes later. Until she continues talking about it, mentioning at her family ball and you can see in his eyes when he remembers.

The very SECOND he remembers he drops eye contact, grows quiet and same pain she's feeling? He's reflecting it right back and he definitely is remorseful, doesn't try to excuse it in that moment. His hands are basically flexing and just full of nervous energy. Then he is blindsided again when she accuses him of being embarrassed by her, which to be fair I don't think that is why he suggested a quieter place to talk. I don't think he's embarrassed people are seeing them together, and he's shocked she believes that. But then she has likely spent months alone with no one to confide in spiraling in her own negative thoughts about herself and questioning if anything was real or if she read into it all.

And as she keeps talking noting even changing her wardrobe doesn't change people's opinions of her and she knows he like everyone else would never court her because she's a laughing stock the pain on his face gets deeper. Her last line about not know he could be that cruel is the final blow because Colin has always sort of protected her from the bullies of the ton and I don't think he envisioned himself being seen as one in her eyes. Or how his words would further her lack of self esteem.

In the extended clip as she walks away he looks devastated, lost, his chest is rising and falling quickly. Personally I think he's on the verge of a mild panic attack. At the very least fighting off extreme nervous energy, self condemnation, possibly tears etc...He's never contemplated not having Penelope in his life. I don't think he's going to react well to the thought of losing her. Already a few months without her writing to him and he's stalking her at a ball trying to speak with her and looking across the road to her house minutes after returning. There are indications he does both these things mind you...

Hence his last ditch scheme to offer to find her a husband. A panicked move from someone looking for a way back into her life. A short term solution for a man desperate to keep her in his life because at some point along this path he's going to realize his "brilliant" idea leads to him...losing her. Permanently. To another man. At which point he's going to inevitably spiral again.

After which, when the pity party/lack of confidence HE is now suffering from run their course he's going to single mindedly pursue her.

So I think anyway. That courtship will then be complicated by Pen's secret of Whistledown which will replace the short term suitor complication as their conflict preventing them being together. Since around this point I think she will be starting to realize the guy she has crushed on for year's actually feels the same way, but his sister is a ticking time bomb and you can't have a relationship with him without revealing that secret. Plus likely start rom com things like part of her thinking he only wants her because someone else does etc...so I could see comedic elements with her trying to avoid Eloise, avoid Colin and avoid the Queen still searching for her which ultimately comes to a head when Colin catches her in the act of being Whistledown which I DO think they will keep from the book.

I could be wrong of course but I read the book, I've seen the show, I've watched a lot of rom coms and based on the leaks given so far I think this above is fairly plausible of how the first act pieces together.

But whether right or wrong, I think Nicola and Luke were rather wonderfully acting that scene and would be a shame if all people took from it was a "speech" and dehumanized both the characters. There was a lot more going on there than just setting someone in their place. At end of the scene you end up with two people who are heartbroken.

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nicnacsnonsense · 2 years

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hi! so, i just wanted to say i really appreciated your meta about stede and mary's relationship. i feel like it approached them with a sort of nuance i don't usually see applied to mary's character; i think sometimes people act as though ep10 absolves her of any wrongdoing whatsoever in regards to their relationship, but imo i feel like that is patently not true. i've always regarded mary and stede as being parallels, and more alike than not. she can be petty and cruel in the same ways he is; stede fucked up royally by leaving the way he did, but i don't think her rushing to remove all traces of him from their lives was necessarily the right decision either, not in regards to the children or their development. painting him out of the portrait was something she did for herself and herself alone, not for alma or louis. especially if she told them he was dead. it serves no purpose to anyone but her, and it seems cruel to do to a little girl who thinks her father has died (and even if she knows he disappeared! i could understand taking the painting down, but there's no consideration for whether the kids might want it later in life).

another thing is that they also both enjoy the trappings of wealth, and while i've often seen criticisms leveled at stede bc of his class privilege, i rarely see the same directed at mary. imo, they are both similar in that their class largely afforded them entry and some sense of notoriety into a world that poorer people need to fight their way into (painting/piracy). granted mary isn't the same kind of clown about it all that stede is, and yes, the painting and piracy within the show are more meant to be simply allegorical than anything else, but why is stede deserving of class criticism and not mary? just because stede's boastful? they're both two extremely privileged people with power dynamics between them that are constantly shifting (mary being a woman; stede being a queer man). i think some of the disconnect here comes from the fact that their story in particular is almost entirely modern and anachronistic; the only real connection to the 1700s they have is the arranged marriage, so i understand where people are coming from, in a sense, when they place all blame almost entirely on stede (barbados as it is portrayed in this show might as well be a random east coast suburb in the 1980s), but some of the stuff she does is still weird and bonkers from a modern context (like trying to erase him from their lives entirely, and slot doug into his place), just like stede is weird and bonkers too.

and while i would say he's definitely the guiltier party in ep10, they're both openly hostile to each other. stede tries to ask her about doug and mary immediately gets defensive. even before stede left, neither of them gave a shit about each other, and it really was an equal opportunity sort of thing. he didn't listen when she spoke about painting, she didn't care about anything he had to say about the sea. 'we just can't seem to stop hurting each other' is a statement of fact, and i feel as though people often forget the 'we' in this context. i honestly hadn't even thought of how that conversation, where she's sort of attempting to extend an olive branch to him, would appear to stede. another way they seem similar to me is that at this point in their lives they're both probably repressed in the same way, with similar childhood trauma (by way of their parents, the homophobic bullying probably did not happen to mary), and this stunts their ability to have meaningful conversations with each other. mary is not all knowing as i feel like people sometimes treat her, and coming to the conclusion that she was in love with doug was likely the same sort of uphill battle stede experienced while realizing he was attracted to men.

anyway, um, i hope it was okay i just blurted this out all over your ask box lol. i just don't often see people in this fandom who have a similar read on mary as me (i feel like attitudes regarding her tend to be either visceral dislike or blatant apologia, neither of which i'm interested in honestly) so i wanted to let you know i agree and appreciate you sharing your thoughts!

Absolutely it's okay that you blurted that all out all over my ask box! Both because I spent a lot of time on that meta and was starting to get down on myself for the lackluster response, and because I too get frustrated by the pronounced tendency in fandom to treat Mary like she was a saint in their relationship.

That's a great point about how removing Stede from that painting was unfair to Alma and Louis! I had never considered it from that angle before, but you're right, that was selfish of her.

With regards to class, I assume people mostly aren't bringing it up because it's not really a factor in her story line, aside from in resulting in an arranged marriage. The only person she interacts with that's (possibly) of a lower class than her is Doug, and that doesn't seem to have particularly impacted their relationship. I think you're right in that any class based criticism that can be leveled at Stede are probably also true of Mary to some greater or lesser degree, but I can see why people wouldn't be bringing her up in that context all that often.

For me I consider both Mary & Stede to be equally at fault with regards to their marriage in the backstory. There is a part of me that wants to put slightly more of the blame on Mary, but I'm also aware that I have some personal experiences that make me biased, so I leave it at equal fault. Then Stede abandons his family, making him the one who is significantly more in the wrong. While I wouldn't generally categorize his behavior in episode 10 hostile, and from what I recall he only really pushes back against Mary with regards to things that reasonably fall under his purview, he isn't really as apologetic as he should be considering. And Mary is hostile, but she also has a right to feel that way. Up until the point she tries to murder Stede, at which point she becomes the guiltier party, but they end up resolving things soon afterward and it becomes moot anyway.

#ofmd #stede bonnet #mary bonnet

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memes-in-a-half-shell · 3 years

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Business AU - Working Late, Part 8

Part 1 || Part 2 || Part 3 || Part 4 || Part 5 || Part 6 || Part 7

There’s one scene in there I had in mind ever since I started writing that small fic and HELL YEH I’m gonna draw something about it at some point because fsdfbbsfbsdhbfgsbgdfguidfg it just looks aesthetically pleasing in my head.

ENJOY.

(also reminder that I base Donnie’s place on this video. The only part I change is the “kids” area - which is horrendous imo :’D - and I make into a lab/small training area)

There was something different in the air when Vee got to work the next day. This feeling that wanted to explode out in the open, an incessant rush in her veins that made her heart beat faster whenever she’d spot the terrapin. Their tasks for the day didn’t give them much time to talk, but everytime they’d be exchanging words or documents, there was this longing sensation that slowed down time to a honey sweet pace. Fingers brushing against the other, light touches here and there. Professionalism remained king in the work place and they intended to keep it as such.

By the end of the day, she knew she couldn’t leave without at least wishing a good and proper evening to the mutant. She walked to his office, remaining at the doorframe as she watched him place various papers into a briefcase. Vee gently knocked, signaling her presence, to which Donnie responded by looking up to her and adorning the cutest smile.

“At least this time I didn’t scare you,” started the woman.

“As I said yesterday, I had a lot on my mind. At least today my thoughts are a little clearer, so I can’t be easily scared. Come in!” he added, gesturing for Vee to step inside.

“I won’t take much of your time, I just wanted to check up on you before leaving.”

The turtle placed some final documents in the case, snapping it closed afteward.

“I was actually about to leave as well. Want me to drive you back home?”

“Do you have something planned?” asked Vee, raising a brow with a small smile.

Donnie faked pondering, lightly drumming his fingers on his desk: “Hmm, I suspect I might be spending the evening with a pretty lady, if she agrees.”

“Lucky her, I’m sure she’ll say yes,” winked the woman.

Already on the move, Donnie offered a hand for Vee to hold, the duo then walking together in order to reach the indoor garage at some levels below.

“Is it okay, though? Did you have something to do after work?” asked the terrapin.

“I was planning on having a drink back home, but if I can share one with you, that’d be even better.”

“How about you have that drink at my place? I have a couple of bottles that might interest you.”

“You know that if I am to step foot into your place, I will be incredibly jealous, right? ... I’m sure you must be living in a luxurious place or something.”

“A little castle in the sky, but it sure is missing a beautiful presence inside of it.”

Vee blushed, definitely enjoying the compliments that were left here and there.

Once in the vehicle, the duo made their way to the streets, the conversation light and simply glad the week was finally over. Vee did notice that their path led them to streets that featured tall buildings in the Tribeca district. For a moment she felt out of place, definitely not the target audience for such a high-end environment, but her curiosity kept her on edge only to be able to get a view of Donnie’s place. They were first facing a tower with a blank stone facade, extending so high up in the sky. The entrance’s interior was as elegant and refined as the exterior, the place giving out this feeling of prestige from every corners. As they stepped inside an elevator, Vee’s eyes widened a little as she saw Donnie press the button for the 78th floor. Castle in the sky, indeed.

As they arrived at the desired level, they were soon facing the entry door, the turtle smirking to the woman as he held the doorknob and waited.

“Ready?”

“Open the damn thing already so I can cry a little inside,” answered Vee amusedly.

The door fully opened, she couldn’t retain her gasp as her eyes started to devour the interior of what was rightfully a penthouse.

The very first few rooms she saw around left her speechless, the single thought of ‘this is bigger than my whole damn apartment’ flooding her mind. She knew there would be more, her curiosity would lead her to visit every rooms anyway. She did notice french doors leading to an outdoor balcony, her instinct pushing her to get out and take in the view.

Stopping by the the rails, she could feel the refreshing gusts of wind go through her hair, accentuating the euphoria of being so high over the city.

“So, what do you think so far?”

She turned around to face Donnie, the terrapin leaning against the open doors’ frame, always this smile on his face - glad to see her reaction. Vee tried to play it cool, shrugging.

“Heh, I’ve seen better,” she joked.

“Ah damn, and I wanted to impress,” tsked the terrapin in a similar tone.

Vee couldn’t retain her smile any longer, happily trotting back inside.

“You still have your chances. Show me the rest!”

The lower level was also home to a small office and a formal living room, but the next area was what retained the woman’s attention the most.

The kitchen was a thing of beauty, Vee unable to resist the urge to feel the marbled island and counters, in awe of the space.

“Damn, I WISH I had such a kitchen. I'd be cooking all the time!”

“You fancy yourself as a chef?” questionned Donnie.

“I do like to experiment from times to times,” she winked back.

She clapsed her hands together, bringing another subject on a rather similar topic:

“SO! What should we eat? I could even prepare something if you want.”

The turtle waved that offer away.

“Nonsense, you're my guest, you shouldn't be doing anything of that sort. … I uh-” He opened some cupboards, then the fridge and its freezer. “Wow, I have almost nothing! Except one frozen pizza for dire situations,” he added, waving a box out in the open with an unpleased expression.

Vee was instantly on board: “You know what? Fuck yeah. It's Friday night, we deserve that.”

“Now that's a line of thought I can get behind.”

As Donnie was starting to preheat the oven, Vee got closer, some questions raising in her mind:

“Although, I'm kinda susprised you don't have much variety, judging by the size of this place.”

“Not gonna lie, I need to go grocery shopping,” shrugged the mutant. “Also that tends to happen at certain times of the month. Mikey has us go through our stock, fresh and canned, in order to donate to food banks and soup kitchens.”

“That's amazing and kind!” Vee was pleasantly surprised.

“He does have this city at heart, and he loves to give back to the people,” continued Donnie. “We all love the idea. Since we can afford pretty much anything we want, it's only fair that we help those in needs. … Heck, this city has done a lot for us in the past and we had to rely on what others were throwing away for us to survive. Now it's time to pay back.”

“I find that to be very admirable,” commented the woman gently. “… Not a lot of people would do the same.”

“Indeed. It’s not because we’re mutants that it means we’re savages. We do have some heart under our shells,” he playfully added.

The oven ready, the food was placed to cook and the tour then continued. As Vee was heading to the staircase in order to reach the upper level, Donnie stopped her, pressing a button nearby and opening a encased door in the wall to reveal a small elevator.

“Show off!” laughed Vee

“What?! It can be helpful!” he quipped back with a smile.

The second floor offered two sections, one part leading to the bedroom, but the other leading to entertainement and other things. They first got to the media room, the place cozy for a nice and quiet evening.

But Vee’s eyes brought her to the glass doors that led to a juliet balcony, not wasting any time to open them and take another good look at the city.

She sighed dreamily, barely hearing the faint clinking of glasses and a bottle opening back inside.

“You like the view, don’t you?” started Donnie as he next got near, offering her a glass of red wine.

“It looks and feels like a dream. Didn’t know such a place could be found in this city.”

As she took it, the terrapin next sled his free hand and forearm gently around her waist, unable to resist the need to feel her closer... Vee did not mind, actually leaning back a little against him, gladly taking a sip of her drink before answering:

“You’d be surprised, there are bigger places laying around.”

“I’m sure they wouldn’t look as tasteful as yours.”

“Nonsense. It only looks good right now ‘cause you’re in here. ... Any places you’re in looks a thousand times better than before.”

Vee’s blush was more apparent as she could feel the other gently nuzzle the top of her head, slowly making his way to a temple and leaving a soft kiss there.

“You’re one heck of a charmer, did you know that?” added the woman with a smirk.

“I only aim to please, I can’t help it.”

She turned to face him, raising a brow in amusement.

“And so what now? You brought me to your place only so you could woo and please me?”

“That does sound like a good plan.”

The feel of his hand next cupping her cheek brought a shiver across the woman’s body, leaning slightly to his touch. His scales did feel foreign compared to human skin, but there was a certain softness to it as well that only made her crave for more...

“Each days I wake up and wonder if meeting you was ever a dream...,” softly said the mutant.

“I wouldn’t mind making it feel a bit more real to you.”

That brought a quiet chuck out of Donnie, but also gave him enough courage to lean in and place a sweet, slow kiss on Vee’s lips. Each instances would bring their bodies closer, the duo mindlessly making their way back inside and only breaking their kiss to leave their wine glasses on a nearby coffee table. It was that magnetism, a certain je ne sais quoi that sparked that fire in them whenever they’d get that close. Last evening’s passion was still lingering and right now it felt as if there had been no break at all since then. As Vee was starting to unbutton the mutant’s shirt, both heard a beeping sound, stopping them dead in their tracks. Their eyes fell on Donnie’s right wrist - his watch.

“Shit, the food,” said the terrapin. “I, uh, I’ll be right back,” he added, trying to gain back his senses. “I’ll get it out and let it cool for a bit on the counter.”

“Sure, go,” replied Vee with a small smile, slightly flustered as she replaced her crooked glasses and moved some strands of hair away from her face.

She took back her wine as she watched him go. A part of her was telling her to slow down, but on the other hand she couldn’t deny that the need was there - on both sides. What harm could there be? It was just about having a little bit of fun... She proceeded back to the hallway, sipping as her gaze scanned the decor. She heard hurried steps in the staircase, soon Donnie’s shape coming into view. He tried to play it cool as he noticed the woman looking at him, vaguely gesturing in the kitchen’s direction downstair.

“It’s ready whenever you want.”

Vee took another sip, then adding: “We still haven’t finished the tour yet. Let’s do that first!”

“There’s not much left, but alright.”

“‘Not much left’, says the guy who lives in a two-story penthouse WITH an elevator,” pointed Vee, amused.

The mutant chuckled, inviting the woman to follow him as he left a hand at the small of her back. The next part had been completely renovated in order to have one room be a small lab, and the other one be a private gym and training area.

“What kind of trainings do you do?” inquired Vee, looking around at the equipment.

“Mostly nin-uhm, martial arts,” Donnie quickly corrected himself.

“’Nin-uhm-martial-arts’, sounds interesting,” laughed the woman. “Any specialty?”

“Bōjutsu,“ he replied, grabbing a pole from a rack nearby.

Vee whistled in appreciation, her eyes scanning the weapon.

“I’ve heard that can pack quite a punch, surprisingly.”

“It’s good to whack some butts, not gonna lie,” added Donnie, rolling the staff in one hand. Then in one swift movement he brought the woman closer, the pole resting at her back. “It can also be helpful for some maneuvers,” he ended with a smirk.

“Such a tease,” said Vee, playfully tapping at his exposed plastron. “I wouldn’t say no to a demonstration.”

“Another day, perhaps.”

He let her free, putting the staff back to its resting place

“Aight, come on, one room left!”

“What about that lab part?” asked Vee, following the terrapin next.

“There’s nothing much to see, frankly. It’s pretty messy as well.”

“Or maybe you’re just a mad scientist and you don’t want me to see your evil inventions?”

Donnie faked a surprised gasp: “Alas, you’ve uncovered my secret!”

Both were laughing as they made their way to the last room; the master bedroom.

It was quite simple and charming, but the main feature remained the large windows that gave that same phenomenal view of the city. Vee took some time to appreciate the decor, sipping the last drops of wine from her glass.

“... I can’t imagine waking up every day with such a view,” she mused, her gaze drifting back to the windows. “You must feel on top of the world.”

“Wait, I can make it even better,” said the other as he moved to the light switch.

As soon as he turned the lights off, the room’s atmosphere changed, suddenly illuminated by a sea of stars below them.

Envelopped in darkness, yet glistening in colorful lights, Vee felt at peace - a hidden watcher over this tumultuous city. She next felt her glass gently get taken away from her hold, the mutant leaving it on a small table nearby. It didn’t take long for him to get back close to her, his arms surrounding Vee’s form as he stood behind her. The woman easily slipped into that feel good moment, closing her eyes and exposing a faint smile on her lips. He felt so strong, yet tender - the promise of a good man that would never do her wrong...

“... I’m so glad you’re here,” he murmured, his hands travelling along Vee’s arms in light touches.

Oh to hell with it. She decided to move out of Donnie’s hold, proceeding to remove her shirt. She turned around to face him, noticing his gaze studying her form and probably a bit surprised to suddenly see her in her bra. But she didn’t give a damn. That’s what she wanted.

“And I’m glad to be here,” she answered calmly.

She heard that deep churr rise again in the mutant’s chest, an expression of desire which would entice her so much in return... Vee couldn’t help bringing her hands to his exposed chest, feeling the faint vibration and appreciating the texture of his plastron. Her touch lowered, continuing her previous task of unbuttoning his shirt. The turtle helped a bit by detaching another button behind his neck and then at his lower back, allowing the clothing to be properly removed from around his shell’s attachment. Without a shirt, Vee could rightfully observe the terrapin’s muscles, her fingers lightly hovering his toned arms and appreciating every inches of what she saw. All it took was for their gazes to cross, her greens in his golds, to bring back that same need from earlier. Kiss me again and again, and never stop...

The feel of his lips was pure addiction at this point. A slow dance that lightened up all her senses. Soon enough he was sitting down on the bed, Vee inviting herself unto his lap only so she couldn’t break their kissing. To feel his three-fingered hands across her skin kept her in such an incessant need, feeling like she was drowning in-between her legs. The terrapin dared to unclasp and remove her bra, although the whole movement felt very natural. In return, the woman removed her glasses, as well as Donnie’s, taking a moment to admire his traits.

“... You have such beautiful eyes,” she cooed, next tenderly sliding his bandana away.

She couldn’t get over the feeling of his scales under her fingers, soon nuzzling his cheek and her lips trailing light kisses here and there.

“Fais-moi l’amour (make love to me),” she whispered.

Donnie answered with a stronger churr, his hands travelling lower on Vee’s body only to bring her closer into one delicious wave motion, her lower core meeting his hidden erection. The movements were repeated, getting a momentarily release for all that sudden need. It was when he started to hear quiet moans out of her that he decided ‘screw it‘ and proceeded to shift her position to have her lay on the bed, on her back. Bringing himself over her, he left some kisses on her lips before starting to trail along her features, his tone husky as he started:

“You smell nice...”

He went along her throat, his pace slow and delightful. His path led him lower and lower, from her breasts to her stomach.

“I’m sure you taste nice too,” he added.

Sitting on his knees, he brought Vee’s hips over his thighs, but he gave himself a pause, his palm caressing the front part of her jeans.

“You good? You still wanna go on with this?” asked the terrapin.

She nodded, biting her lip in delight.

“Absolutely, or else I wouldn’t be laying here, half naked. ... What about you?”

He smiled, already at the task of unbuttoning and unzipping Vee’s pants.

“I never want to stop.”

In one swift movement, he removed her panties as well, undressing her completely without issue. He took a moment to study her form softly illuminated by the lights outside. She was a work of art to his eyes and right now he felt like the luckiest man alive... He lovingly squeezed her hips and altered with languid caresses over the woman’s skin, only to next bring one of his hands closer to her core, his thumb starting in slow circles over her clit. He could feel the relief washing over Vee’s body, her waist lightly following his motion only so she could feel more. The greater her need, the more Donnie didn’t want to let go. He even got to slip one finger in her at some point, her moans an absolute delight as he took his time. After a moment, he dared get his finger out, his gaze plunged in Vee’s as he licked his digit with a low churr.

“... You do taste nice,” he commented lovingly. “Now I wonder how you’d feel around me.”

Vee was unable to speak, her heart beating so hard and throwing any reason out the window... As she saw Donnie about to unzip his pants, she got on the move and decided to take the matter in her own hands. They joined in a kiss as she got to the task, the mutant’s hands caressing her skin and sometimes getting lost in her hair, visibly as much in need as her for their imminent union. He was able to get out of his pants and underwear in a slight clumsy fashion, but he was quickly back on his knees, allowing Vee to observe him. Of a mixed pink and purple color, his penis did present some characteristics that were not human, such as a slightly flared tip. As it had been internal until now, the organ was coated in natural lubricant when out, most probably allowing for an easier penetration and accomodation to any partner. He was a bit longer than what Vee ever experienced with other partners, but right now her desire was surpassing any concerns. They didn’t need to speak, Vee bringing the mutant into another kiss, allowing herself to climb back into his lap only for their cores to meet and rub in a delicious manner. The world around them was a blur of shadows and lights, only their presence the most real and tangible aspect in the room. Their thoughts were a cloud of mixed emotions, but right now what mattered most was that they wanted this. They needed this. A demonstration of love they’ve been holding back for some time now... Donnie instinctively started to shift forward, getting Vee back on the mattress. He was careful enough to hold back some of his weight on her, having enough strength to sustain himself, even when the woman would cling to him. He felt her legs gently caress along his, finding the best position to hold close to his hips, his shell proving to be somewhat of a challenge. That slight shift in her position allowed for better friction, the turtle’s languid motions bringing delighted mewls out of Vee. At some points he could feel his tip trying to slip in, to which he thought ‘fuck it’ and decided to go all in. Vee’s gasp brought him to a pause, remaining inside of her only so she could adjust.

“You okay?” he murmured, encouraging her with some kisses here and there on her features.

She nodded, her fingers lovingly going across his scales at his neck and shoulders.

“I’ll go slow, I promise,” he added.

He’d never excuse himself if he ever were to hurt her, anyway. His churr rumbled again as he slowly moved his hips in a circular motion, Vee sticking to him like glue. Her toes were curling due to pleasure, her body soon following Donnie’s pattern only to better meet his thrusts. Some slurred “fuck” and “oh oui” would leave her at times, sometimes interrupted by kisses that translated all the desire in her. At some point Donnie shifted their position so they would lay on their sides, still facing eachother. He helped one of Vee’s leg to stay up, his palm resting behind her thigh, allowing her to feel his muscles at work.

“You feel so good,” he complimented, back into an amorous motion.

The friction created by this new proximity was bringing Vee on edge. She was unable to answer anything, her breathing making her lose her words. It was the only encouragement the mutant needed, nuzzling her as he kept going. Everything felt so natural. As if all the pieces of an intricate puzzle had finally been assembled. There was this sensation of completion between them, knowing that something in their bond would definitely shift - hopefully for the best.

“You like that, baby? I won’t stop. I wanna feel you cum around me...”

She moaned his name in return, her eyes remaining shut as she lost herself even more in the moment. Every touches and kisses heightened all sensations, bringing both of them to an edge they so very craved for. Feeling Vee’s body tensing up slightly, the terrapin knew she was close to an orgasm, lightly squeezing his hold on her and bringing her into a french kiss. His thrusts were a little more forceful, their bodies tingling in anticipation. It was when she gasped for air, her nails digging into his scales, that he knew she was high on a cloud. He could feel her walls deliciously clamp around him, the sensation bringing him to his own edge as well. His orgasm brought him to slow his pace to long and langorous pumps. Their moans intertwined, riding this wave together. Neither of them wanted to depart once the high died down, keeping close and slowly petting eachother. Vee did bring Donnie’s attention on her as she left small kisses along his jawline. His golden eyes seemed to shine in this surreal lighting, conveying many unspoken words. There was this feeling of peace he never experienced with anyone else before. An affirmation that this was where he belonged, in her arms, as well as she belonged in his. They were still connected and it felt so right...

“Well, now that really opened my appetite,” finally said Vee with a small smile.

He smiled in return, leaving a kiss on her forehead. His appetite was growing as well, and for many things too...

***

Only wearing their underwears and glasses, both were now cuddled up in blankets on the couch in the media room, the television on to a random channel as they were eating their pizza (which they had to reheat, to their amusement). As they finished their meal, Vee did not mind cuddling closer to the turtle, simply enjoying eachother’s presence. Her attention did drift from the television at some point, observing Donnie’s traits instead. She was used to seeing him with his purple bandana, but even with a bare face and only his glasses he still had a lot of charms. He had a kind face and the cutest snout, the mere sight of him a wonder when compared to humankind. The terrapin did notice her focus on him at some point, smirking.

“Yes? Can I help you, madame?”

“I have a question.”

“Outrageous,” he added playfully. “... Do tell.”

She shifted her position a bit, bringing an arm against his chest, softly petting the scales at his collarbone and base of his neck.

“Why do you and your brothers wear those bandanas? ... If it’s too personal, you don’t need to answer.”

His smile was renewed and sweet, his arm around her bringing his hand to pet her shoulder and skin in return.

“I don’t mind answering at all, although I’ll skip some details.... But long story short, it was a gift given to us by our father, years ago. It has a great significance for us and it’s still a great proof of all we had to learn and overcome in order to be who we are today.”

“Something symbolic then, that’s nice,” added Vee. “As long as it brings something positive in your life, that sure can be as nice as anything. .... Also, not gonna lie, purple looks good on you.”

“It’s my favorite and it’s the best color, that’s why! What’s your favorite color?”

Vee was amused by this simple question, but that brought her to move once more. She was now straddling the terrapin, her eyes scanning him as she answered:

“It’s green.”.

“Oh,” added the other in amusement. “So I guess I must be quite the jackpot for you?”

"You're everything I want..."

There was no ounce of hesitation as she leaned forward to give him a sweet kiss. Donnie easily gave in, his hands resting at the small of the woman’s back This time there was no shyness in-between them, only comfort and peace. Soon enough the television was nothing but background noise as they kept going for a second round that night...

((Part 9))

#it's-a-moi #business au #usual sorry for mistakes #hot damn this chapter I swear to FUCK #I wanted this to be some tasty smut - hence why it took me some time to write #I could've added another scene at the end #but I think stopping here is good enough

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rinisbowen · 3 years

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1/2 I saw the last ask (I am talking about the anon, not you here) and I wanted to say that Gina and Ricky being the main leads isn't an argument for them becoming a couple. If PW will break up, Val won't be the reason. It will be a repeat of Ricky, Nini, Gina triangle. Ricky won't be the reason either (repeat of Ricky, Nini, EJ triangle). This will be just bad writing and won't work with either of Gina's or EJ's story (they deserve to be put first for once). The only way I see PW breaking up is

2/2 if EJ goes to college somewhere far away (Gina wants sm who sticks around). In s2 their relationship was shown as a healthy one. Regarding the miscommunication, it is sth that any couple can work through. Rini didn't broke up bc of that, but bc of wanting different things (main reason). The only bad seed planted is the college situation. I tried to make an objective analysis bc I saw so many theories (that won't work with the story) and unfounded arguments (ex: Gina and Ricky being leads).

hi anon! thanks for the ask. this is definitely an interesting subject, hence all of the conversation around it haha.

there are definitely some slippery slope type arguments being made right now, and always honestly. i won't deny that at all, because it's very true. but i'll note it's hard for people in fandom in general not to snowball small details into bigger things because of how little information we have at times. people like knowing things, and when we don't know things, we start to make things up that at least sort of fit what we do know. that's what i'm doing, that's what everyone's doing. extrapolation is not an exact science, especially with how small a pool of data we're gathering from.

i agree with a good bit of what you're saying here.

i'm personally a lot less inclined to use the nini / ricky / gina love triangle from season 1 as a parallel to expand from in a general sense, mostly bc it's a lot harder to grasp the nuances of it than it is the ej / nini / ricky love triangle from season 1. with ej, nini, and ricky, it's all made pretty clear textually what's going on. i think people miss some of the points still to some extent, because ricky didn't actually take nini off of ej, ej ruined that of his own accord, (plus nini didn't love him like she did ricky, so that makes it a lot simpler), several episodes went by, things shifted, then nini chose ricky because she still loved him and being with him started to make sense for her again. it's obviously more complicated than that, but it's still a more cut and dry triangle than the nini / ricky / gina one- so i'll probably use that one more as a point of comparison, though i think i do understand your analogy.

val is not going to break ej and gina up. neither is ricky. like you're saying. not a single character is benefitted here by either one of these characters getting in the middle of the situation. i like what you mention about being "put first". i see this framing a lot in portwell discussions i feel like, and it's a good point. people talk about the whole like- "second chance at love" thing with them, and it's a pretty good reading of the situation. neither was put first in their respective last relationship (in ej's case) / and i'll say- situationship (in gina's case).

nini was admittedly actively avoiding dealing with the ricky thing while with ej, and she tried her absolute hardest to focus on ej, and how "amazing" he was. but that was never going to last, because her heart inevitably still belonged to ricky. so even if ej was where she put her focus, her eye kept wandering to ricky.

ricky also wasn't actively looking at nini when he was sorta like- hanging out with gina. we get more of nini's perspective on all that than anyone else's bc imo the point of this was for nini to be jealous. but gina's also not ever had a relationship before, so i'll extend this whole thing beyond ricky. she has never allowed herself to be connected with someone deeply, so no one's ever done that for her in general. i don't think you call yourself the President of the heartbreak club over one singular missed connection. but then again, if you've only ever let one person in, it's likely that hurts all the more for its loss.

as a side note: jack was fantastic, big fan of the banter there. he was fun.

i agree that things between ej and gina were pretty healthy. most if not all of the relationships on this show are, despite all the conflicts we see.

i won't get into rini's breakup here because i have way too much to say about that, and it's not super relevant, but i'd agree that it was more complicated than mere miscommunication. i don't know if it entirely boils down to wanting different things either, because finding what he "wants" is something ricky is very much still working on. but i also definitely get what you're saying.

personally, i do think college becomes less of a problem if he's staying in salt lake, or at the very least, in utah. but i don't think that necessarily prohibits college from being an issue for them, especially with the passage of time. it's a hard thing to figure out, because this ship is in for some big problems, and i think the sooner people accept that the better. it's just going to be a matter of what they can work through, and what they can't, or what they choose not to.

because sometimes that's how it goes, right? it's not that you can't fix it, but that it's easier to just close the chapter, because it's not worth risking what's left. that's sort of just me waxing poetic, not me trying to make any assessments about the potential portwell arc next season, but it's true and i wanted to add it! so i did. i'm referencing "let you go" a bit here / ricky's conversation with his mom, but it applies generally as well.

#hsmtmts #hsmtmts: speculation #hsmtmts: analysis #answered #anonymous #ship: ej x gina ( hsmtmts )#ship: ej x nini ( hsmtmts )#ship: ricky x gina ( hsmtmts )#ship: ricky x nini ( hsmtmts )#//lowkey maybe i need triangle tags to keep things less messy bc the analysis i'm applying to triangles more than the ships themselves #// i don't tag ships in the normal format on purpose so- i think triangle tags may be in order soon #//and by soon i mean when my inbox doesn't have asks the same length as some of my responses in it waiting for me

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harry-sussex · 3 years

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You're lovely, and I enjoy seeing your blog on my dashboard. I'm sorry this has been such a difficult thing to process. It's always really difficult to rework an image of someone you once thought you knew. However I'd like to just put it out there - sometimes (I think the large majority of the time) news is presented in the most sensationalist way, such that nowadays I make a point of de-sensationalizing any news I read in my head. In the case of the whole Harry's memoir thing- I can sympathize with Harry as a person possibly just wanting to take back some control of the narrative for himself. Not just in the most recent events with family (that I tend to think are less horrifying than the fandom/Twitter sussex squad discusses it anyway), but in all aspects of his life. I do not at all think he's going to put his family on blast. I can easily imagine Meghan reigning that dialogue in; she has the tendency to think before she speaks that he seems to lack. And he loves his family. Similar to The Interview promos, I imagine the publishing house knew to increase the interest by implying it to be a tell all memoir. I think he's just done a lot of growing up that he didn't know he had to do over a short period of time, esp re: implicit bias/racism in the setting of media's blatant attack on someone he loves, and is disappointed by the institution's and his family's response to it. I think he's emerged a more introspective and aware human, albeit a disillusioned one. Yes it breaks my heart to think that Meghan won't get a break from the tabloids any time soon. If I were him I'd counsel him to write it & sit on it for a few yrs. But I don't want to give the media the power to destroy Meghan in my mind, and I pray she & Harry won't either. I think she'll be okay. She's a strong one, and I think he's able to draw that same link for himself and be thoughtful about what he does. No one likes being misunderstood/misinterpreted, and I wouldn't be surprised if Harry's especially triggered by that given his history with the press. Maybe this idea emerged from therapy, idk. I can empathize with that, even if I wouldn't do it myself. I hope and pray Meghan gets the support she needs from him and her loved ones in the meantime. I'm honestly not going to read it. I think the less attention I give the BRF the better off they are, unless they're doing something immoral/illegal (see: Woking pizza alibi). And I think at the end of the day, people will unfairly judge other people, especially public figures that have tragic pasts and are publically fighting with the media. A lot of it is going to be noise and I'm not going to give my energy into figuring it out. I like to think I've got a good sense of who they are as people - flawed but ultimately well meaning and earnest. I'm a huge admirer of Meghan and think Harry got really lucky with this one and I'm proud of him for choosing her in more ways than one. I believe Harry and Meghan are lovely people, and I 100% believe their interview. I believe that there are people in the palace with a lot of unchecked power who deliberately uncovered her and Archie from BRF protection for reasons of believed superiority over Meg & Arch. And they're figuring out how to deal with that as a couple and a family. And it's none of my business past that imo. I pray for them and hope it'll eventually end in peace for them all. Just wanted to add another perspective, and hopefully some levity. xx M

Hi, dear. First thing’s first, I really appreciate that this is off anon lol. I love it when people own their opinions, and it says a lot that you did. So thank you for that.

Second of all, I really appreciate the nuance and perspective that is in this message. I agree that the news is sensationalist, and my initial reaction was based off of that. I did watch the promotional clips of the interview and I believe it did sour my expectations going into it when I watched it nearly a week after it aired. I did my best to stay away from Tumblr because I didn’t want that to hinder my view, but it was impossible to separate the promotions that presented the information one way from what it actually was, and thank you for bringing that up with respect to the memoir because I hadn’t considered it. I will say that my knee jerk reaction is pretty on par with the way I still feel about it 24 hours later, especially since I got the news directly, not from Tumblr or Twitter or anywhere else, but you’re right that it could have soured my view from the very start.

I appreciate that he wants to take back some of the narrative but I think that ship has sailed, tbh. He did that with the interview and now I just think it feels like information overload. At some point, people are going to get tired of hearing the wealthy, privileged, powerful Prince complain about his life while more than 4 million people have died due to a global pandemic in less than 2 years. Not to say that he doesn’t struggle - in the words of Roxane Gay, there is no oppression Olympics (and that can be extended to struggle Olympics) - but people view it that way and will get tired of it, if they haven’t already.

I also agree that Harry’s past with the press has tarnished the way he has handled the media and the public post-exit, when he’s finally in a position to strike back without being somewhat obliged to them as part of the circumstances of his birth. I understand and sympathize with him but I just don’t think the public does, and the public matters much, much more than the perspective of one single American fan, to whom he’s never been obliged, and I simply do not think the public will afford him that same understanding, sympathy, and leniency. The public and the media are critical to his humanitarian work - his mother never realized that towards the end of her life, and I truly don’t think she would have been the martyr/saint she is perceived to be now if she had lived, because she did not know how to meet the media in the middle and eventually that started to piss people off. He’s starting to piss people off now and if it doesn’t bother him personally (which it definitely does), I don’t want it to affect his causes. The Invictus Games, Sentebale, Walking with the Wounded, WellChild, Mayhew, Smartworks, Archewell, etc. deserve better than to suffer the wrath of the media and an apathetic public because their patrons simply will not shut up lol.

I guess my point is that they will be unfairly judged (regardless, but especially due to the way they’re handling things), and I think it would suit them better in the long run if they adopted a different strategy. I really sympathize with the fact that he feels frustrated with the narrative that has been manufactured but I really, really think the narrative will only get worse and worse as he continues to go on and on about how badly his life sucks, basically. Again, I don’t deny that he struggles - we all do, some more than others, especially when there are mental health issues - but the public, to me, simply does not care. My own therapist has told me to simply stop caring about the things that I discuss with him. Not to say that they’re not relevant, important, or worthy of discussion - they absolutely are - but his point is that you cannot change people and you are wasting your energy and struggling yourself because you want to change them so, so, so badly that you’re neglecting your own self care in the process. I hate that I do it to myself and I also hate that he appears to be doing it to himself. I’m sure a lot of this conversation has been brought up in his own therapy, and I’m no professional, but I’m doing my best to heed the advice of my own therapist - which is the opposite of what Harry is doing - and it’s done wonders for me, when I actually can do it.

If there’s anything I know from this whole thing, it’s that Harry is absolutely punching above his weight, love him as I may, and that he adores, adores, adores his wife. He has chosen her from the very second she came into his life and I couldn’t want anything more for him or from her. I’m not going to lie, I would have been in this thing for any wife that Harry chose, because I was here long before Meghan specifically came into his life. However, I am glad every day that he chose her, that he loves her, that he wants to protect her, that she loves him back, that he lives the life with her that he’s wanted as long as I (and I’m sure he) can remember. I love her because he loves her, and I would have no matter what, because at the end of the day, it’s his happiness and comfort that matters to me, that has mattered to me since I discovered him and how wonderful he can be more than 7 years ago. What more could I ask of Meghan? What more, as his fan to the end (annoy me as he may), could I want for him? Who could say anything about her in that regard? If there’s anything that has come of this mess, to me, it’s that Harry loves, loves, loves his wife. I will always be happy for him and I will always be proud of him for choosing her, even if I don’t always agree with the way he goes about it.

I’m looking forward to peace, too. I cannot wait for things to just die out, for them to work things out as a couple and as a family, and for everyone to move on. The family will still do their thing and the Sussexes can do theirs, but I cannot deal with this back and forth, tit for tat, petty nonsense anymore. They’re wonderful and flawed, like the rest of them (except Andrew), and I just hope that they can all come to some kind of agreement or terms that lets this die down. It’s exhausting for everyone - themselves included. If I’m this tired, I can only imagine how tired they all are.

Thanks for stopping by, and sorry for the essay (essays, these past 24 hours lol). I really appreciate your kindness in this message, your presence in my notifications (I do see them!), your nuanced perspective and like I said before, I really, really appreciate that you own it!

#Ask #possibilitiesofsainthood #Prince harry #duke of sussex #meghan markle #duchess of sussex #phmemoir

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hmsannlett · 4 years

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Foe the salty asks:

4. Do you have a NoTP?

25. Would you change the ending of Anna/Hewlett(/Selah)???

4. Anna/Abe is a big nope for me and is probably the ship that irks me the most on the show because there’s so many destructive elements to it, and yet the show just kept pushing it. Their relationship has huge collateral damage for everyone who has the misfortune of getting dragged into it and, imo, does a disservice to both their characters (especially/mainly Anna).

Anna/Simcoe also bothers me, because she could not more clearly be terrified of him, and he uses that against her and doesn’t respect any of the times that she says no to him. It especially strikes a negative chord with me because I’ve been in Anna’s position more than a few times with men that just won’t take a no (although not to the extent that Simcoe took it to), so I truly empathize with the powerlessness that she feels. It’s the worst position to be in, and to feel completely alone like she does makes the situation all the more unsettling.

Both ships are unhealthy in their own ways, imo. Fortunately, neither ship is/has been very popular in the fandom.

25. Oh, goodness. So many thoughts on this. I’ll try to not write a whole thesis here lol and just distill it down to my main thoughts.

In short, yes, I would love a different ending. I will preface all of this, though, by saying that I’d like married couples to be happy with each other and remain together as much as anyone. I’m not completely against the idea of Anna/Selah (though Annlett is my fav and will always be my otp); I just don’t agree with how all of Anna/Selah was written and how Anna/Selah/Hewlett ended.

So, from a writing perspective, I think Selah was brought in too late in S4 to have the character development that he needed after how he was depicted in S1 (and, according to the show’s writers, Anna and Selah were supposed to have a pretty unhealthy dynamic in S1; some of these scenes had to be cut for time constraints, though, so we only get small glimpses of this dynamic). There wasn’t much opportunity to connect positively with Selah in S1 or S4, and as a result, his quick character arc in S4 (to me) breaks the age-old writing rule of showing vs. telling.

There’s no buildup to Anna’s and Selah’s reunion that shows him growing as a character or even what it was that caused him to grow and respect Anna. Why would he suddenly respect her now in S4 more than he did in the first part of S1 after she all but said that she wanted to end their marriage by jumping from the boat, publicly humiliating him, and causing their lengthy separation – during a time period when desertion/an extended period of separation was, in some of the colonies, considered equal to divorce? There’s no apparent motivation (that we’re shown) to inspire his growth. We’re just told as an audience that he’s changed, and I think that weakens the growth that the writers were aiming for. It could be that Selah spent a lot of time reflecting while he was in Philadelphia, but we don’t get to see that onscreen. And for me, what is shown on the screen is much more convincing and effective than whatever we are told happens off-screen.

My other issues with Anna/Selah’s ending are that

1.) If their relationship was so unhealthy before, is his change in how he treats her sustainable? (Would he still treat her with respect after he found out/got confirmation about her affair w/Abe? That tended to make a woman “damaged goods” back then.)

2.) If Anna feels that “he’s not the same man I married,” why then does she seem so upset in 4.10 when they return to Setauket and in the epilogue? It seems like the story ends w/Anna being in exactly the same spot she was in in S1 – unhappy w/her life for whatever reason – and feels like she had more of a character circle than a character arc. She didn’t really end up anywhere different than where she started, even though she had grown so much throughout the show. It just feels like lazy writing to me, and I had really hoped that all of Anna’s sacrifices and growth during the war would be rewarded (even if that wasn’t necessarily a future w/Hewlett like my shipper heart wanted).

Conversely, there was excellent growth shown between Anna and Hewlett, both individually and as a couple. We got to watch each of them grow to respect each other’s character, sacrifice for each other, and fight for each other over the span of almost two seasons – and do so even when both of them felt there was no hope that the relationship could continue. There was a purity and selflessness to their relationship that none of the other relationships on the show were really able to capture, and, imo, is absent from most relationships in films/shows. And I had hoped that that kind of character development would be rewarded or at least considered in S4 after dedicating so much screen time to it. I also feel that Hewlett offers what Anna truly wants: respect, agency, and to be seen as a person, an equal. Like I said above, I don’t know if Selah could offer that level of respect long-term in their relationship. I’d like to hope so, for Anna’s sake, but she definitely doesn’t seem satisfied to me in 4.10.

Anna and Hewlett each left a significant mark on each other and were an enormous part of each other’s individual growth, and I feel like that was largely ignored in S4. For two characters so dedicated to their causes (and practically acting as the epitomes of the two sides’ warring ideologies) to be able to see each other as people and respect the person/character they saw in each other, even at the end of their relationship, is huge. And it seems like the writers just abandoned that without a second thought because they felt that they (finally) had to be historically accurate.

So for me, it’s disappointing that a show that was so heavily focused on character development (and, by and large, executed that development very well throughout the seasons) took what felt like a cop out and didn’t fully realize/fulfill Anna’s, Selah’s, and Hewlett’s individual character arcs. Since the showrunners felt they had to keep Anna/Selah for historical accuracy, I would have preferred that their relationship had been given more time to develop before his arrival in S4 because they had grown very far apart and had significant issues to address before moving forward. But ideally, of course, my Annlett shipper self would have liked the writers to stick with the two seasons of character development between Anna and Hewlett, resolve their relationship, and find a way of kindly writing Selah out (because, tbh, he kind of deserves a better ending too. Anna did betray him deeply, and it’s a lot to ask of him to just overlook/forgive that and move forward with their relationship. Furthermore, I don’t know that Anna is capable of really, truly loving him – it’s always come off as more loyalty/obedience to me – and that’s not a very satisfying conclusion for his character either). And as for how I would end Anna/Selah/Hewlett…well, there is a fic in the works…

Annnnd this is over 1k and has indeed become a thesis, so I’ll leave it at that because this is probably waaaaay more than you wanted lol. This post pretty much hits the nail on the head (succinctly! unlike me lol) with my frustrations about the writing of Anna/Selah/Hewlett and the closure of their character arcs/relationship arcs, as well as the balance of character development and historical accuracy. If you want me to explain any of my litany of thoughts more than I have here (this is the best I can do at an overview of all my thoughts lol; I have many), I can write responses/metas that go into more detail. :)

tl;dr: I wish the show had decided earlier on whether it was going to go with the character development it had created or with historical accuracy, because I don’t feel either Anna/Hewlett or Anna/Selah got the ending they deserved. Annlett was left with two seasons of development unfinished and forgotten, and Anna/Selah was drawn to a close without enough development to make it feel truly convincing for me.

#ditching the usual tags because I know my Selah opinion isn’t popular #might have offended the Simcoe fans too #sorry guys #meta #my meta #asks #wellisntthatlovely

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gffa · 6 years

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So is the RoTS novelization considered Canon? I mean, it is /based/ on a saga movie, but when it was made its still technically a star wars book that falls to the eu category, so???

Im sorry the whole eu deal is really confusing. Sometimes I wish Lucasfilm could just had, like, a whole conference meeting and go through as many eu productions and stuff as possible to discuss canon possibilities, or at least slowly build up a list of old eu/legends that they’ve decided to give an approved-canon stamp or something. I mean, the eu /at least/ deserve some sort of discussion even if it is big and confusing, just to clear out some stuff.

Hi! It can be confusing until you get the hang of it, yeah! And it’s still definitely not a value judgement–those old Legends stories can still be great fun and great stories! They’re just not canon, which means that LF going forward isn’t beholden to including them or their details when putting new stuff out. That’s the definition we’re working with here–that “canon” means the other authors/creators have to take it into account when creating something new!Okay, so the way LucasFilm canon works is this:- Extended Universe stuff was never really “canon”, George made this very clear in interviews where he said he didn’t read that stuff and it wasn’t part of his Star Wars world, as well as Dave Filoni talked about how, even before the Disney buy, George made it clear that that stuff wasn’t “canon” to him and those working on The Clone Wars. (This is why TCW contradicts so much of Legends, because it was basically a separate world of stuff that the canon wasn’t beholden to.) And, frankly, back in the day, the EU stuff was rather Wild West, meaning it was basically anything goes a lot of the time and so it’s probably better to consider it like published fanfiction, imo.- A lot of things from Legends were really influential and popular, so you may see them pop up again (like Thrawn was recanonized, Mace was still Depa’s Master, Shmi was still captured by pirates when she was young, etc.) but not always in the same way, sometimes they’ll be like Thrawn and have entirely new context and histories. (How we know that some things are still canon because they’ve been mentioned in post-2014 guide books that don’t have the Legends disclaimer.)- Everything previous to April 25, 2014 is now called Legends, EXCEPT for the movies and The Clone Wars. EVERYTHING. Everything that came out after that is canon! EVERYTHING.- I haven’t seen the conversation myself (and last I heard, his twitter auto-deletes itself after a week, so you can’t go looking for old convos) but @glompcat did they mentioned that Pablo Hidalgo specifically mentioned that the movie novelizations (prior to 2014, obv.) were no longer canon and cited the ROTS one as an example, because (fr ex) Anakin would have been thinking about Ahsoka in it, who didn’t exist at the time of ROTS. While I am personally a little, “….” about that choice (and how I want to pick his brain about it, because of the extenuating circumstances with George’s influence being special to that book) I also recognize that it’s LF’s sandbox and they make their own rules! So definitely not canon.So! NOTHING from Legends is still considered canon, anything that is canon will have come up in something post-April 2014 has to be RE-CANONIZED for it to count and then ONLY the parts that are re-canonized (often times with new context!) are what “counts” as canon.Everything else that’s post-April 2014, whether novels or comics or games IS canon. (One exception might be the LEGO Freemaker series, but IIRC they only said it was canon-COMPLIANT, not that it counted as canon, so I’m hesitant to count that one? But I’m not wholly sure on that one!)TL;DR VERSION: If you’re unsure of something, check the original publication date, anything pre-2014.04.25 = NOT CANON, anything post-2014.04.25 = IS CANON, easy peasy!Now, on a personal note, I will give the ROTS novelization more weight in consideration because it was so George-involved, but per LF themselves, no, it’s not canon, it falls under the same Legends banner as everything else does! You could build up a list, but it’s pretty much just easier to check the original publication date (reprint dates don’t count, only original publication dates/any “this book uses Legends info” disclaimers count) and see which side of the slate wiping it falls onto. And if something is referenced, ONLY what’s in the post-Disney buy version counts. (Ie, Shmi was still kidnapped by pirates and sold into slavery, but the Pi-Lippa details are no longer canon. Only what’s specifically in the reference book is what we’re looking at!)(This is also setting aside the issue of how fans choose to interact with Legends stuff on a personal level, which is a whole other conversation!)

#canon #legends #meta #Anonymous

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jodyedgarus · 6 years

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What Did We Learn From The NFL Divisional Playoffs?

gfoster (Geoff Foster, sports editor): The Divisionals returned normalcy to the NFL. All four home favorites won outright – three of them covered the spread comfortably. There will be no wild card team making a run this year, which seems like a harder and harder path to the Super Bowl. But let’s start with the last team to get in, the Saints, who were the only home favorite to not cover, and they actually had to dig out of a 14-0 hole as Philly looked primed for another upset. So, is Foles Magic officially dead? And, where is Foles playing next year?

Salfino (Michael Salfino, contributor): Foles seems to have said his goodbye to Philadelphia. So it seems safe to say he’s leaving.

joshua.hermsmeyer (Josh Hermsmeyer, NFL analyst): Hanging this on Foles seems deeply wrong. On that last drive, it was the receivers that failed, not Foles. That said, since we are positing magic, I guess it’s true it is gone.

gfoster: I wasn’t blaming Foles. I actually thought he played great.

neil (Neil Paine, senior sportswriter): Foles started the game so hot. The script seemed to be writing itself. But after those early drives, he really reverted back to the QB he has usually been over his career.

Salfino: The last drive was definitely not Foles’s fault but after those first two drives, he really did not make a play.

neil: In quarters two through four, Foles went 10-22 for 4.0 YPA and 0 TDs, 2 INTs

gfoster: OK, so maybe “great” was a reach.

neil: (Brees, meanwhile, went 26-32 for 8.5 YPA and 2 TDs, 0 INTs after a rough first quarter start — literally as rough as it gets on the first play of the game.)

gfoster: I feel like someone could have huddled up with the Eagles defense and said “Hey, I think they might be trying to throw to Michael Thomas; should we do something about that?”

joshua.hermsmeyer:

Salfino: Ginn was open, too, by a couple of steps. Brees also was short on another throw later to Taysom Hill. But he was really good at attacking the deeper middle of the field, especially on third down. Plus the Eagles helped by suffering a spate of injuries.

neil: And at one point the Saints seemed to be doing everything they could to give the game away with penalties.

gfoster: The Saints seemed to almost abandon the run, which is very unlike them. And until that late 36-yard run by Ingram, the Eagles took Kamara and Ingram basically out of the game plan, it seemed.

joshua.hermsmeyer: I think Foles will get hired on somewhere, but if I were a GM I would let the other guy overpay for his services. His completion percentage by depth is really just average. Overpaying for average is a team killer unless you are absolutely loaded everywhere else.

Salfino: I’m surprised that the Saints barely won play success over the Eagles. But that just shows you that they were unreal on third downs — 8-for-15, and a lot of them a high degree of difficulty.

neil: And Foles’s third-down magic seemed to abandon the Eagles. They only went 2-for-7 during the game on third downs. Usually third-down efficiency is a calling card of these Foles playoff runs.

joshua.hermsmeyer: Neil beat me to it.

Salfino: Re: Josh’s point, it’s really easy to say not to overpay for a QB unless you don’t have a QB. Someone is going to give Foles $100 million. I see the Giants or Jaguars as the landing spots for Foles.

gfoster: Josh, I don’t know what team fits that bill and needs a quarterback. It would almost need to be like the Sam Bradford trade a couple years ago when Teddy Bridgewater got hurt. Maybe Washington gives him big money because they are mess and have no idea what they are doing?

neil: The Giants would be HILARIOUS. Jettisoning Eli for basically a younger Eli

Salfino: Washington just gave big-ish money to Alex Smith though.

gfoster: Yeah, but his career is possibly over. What do they do?

Salfino: Someone on my Twitter mentions said that Foles is the new Earl Morrall. (I liked that.)

joshua.hermsmeyer: Googles Earl Morrall

gfoster: LOL. Here you go.

neil: Ooooh, I like that. Or maybe Craig Morton? LOL.

Salfino: Morton was never really a backup though. He was part of the two-QB rotation with Staubach. Morton I believe has the all-time record for yards per completion in a season. Morrall had a magical MVP season in 1968 and then flagged the Super Bowl against the Jets with all those picks and then basically disappeared until Shula resurfaced him in Miami after Griese got hurt during the perfect 1972 season.

gfoster: Let’s stay in the NFC and talk about the Rams. Are we feeling better about them? They survived another tough road contest at home this weekend.

neil: I loved how they completely ran over the Cowboys D.

joshua.hermsmeyer: The fact that there isn’t a top 10 defense left in the playoffs confirms all my priors and warms my cockles.

neil: Who knew CJ Anderson would be such an effective featured back? Or, like, their featured back at ALL?

Salfino: The Rams had 51.3 percent play success, which is oddly exactly what the Patriots registered. CJ Anderson was hilarious in killing all the Gurley DFS guys but actually quite effective. A generational talent, some may say.

gfoster: Gurley got his points, though.

neil: (Kinda speaks to your story earlier this season, Josh, about Gurley being kind of a product of McVay and that offensive scheme.)

joshua.hermsmeyer: That (incredibly large) hole Gurley ran through for his long TD was so much not Gurley it was amazing.

Salfino: Is Gurley like Marshall Faulk with the St. Louis Rams, “the queen on the chessboard,” or is he replaceable? I would have thought the former, for sure.

neil: One thing on the Rams is that Goff didn’t necessarily play all that well. Again.

gfoster: Imagine what Zeke would do in that Rams offense. Because he seems to have to work for every yard, regardless of how much praise the Dallas O-line used to get or maybe still gets.

Salfino: Yeah, I have a hard time envisioning Goff beating Brees in New Orleans. Huge home-road splits for Goff, too. Does Jason Garrett get that extension still?

joshua.hermsmeyer: I saw a report that Garrett will get extended. Does anyone think he deserves it?

Salfino: The Cowboys offense is good if it’s working but if it’s not working, Garrett never seems to be able to figure something out on the fly. Garrett is weird in that he’s a CEO coach, but is so closely tied to the offense, which he doesn’t really run.

So what is Garrett’s value, really? Managing the staff? Managing the game? I think when you are a CEO coach you have to have a really strong personality like a Bill Parcells, be that “leader of men.” This is not Garrett, IMO. He just seems easily replaceable.

joshua.hermsmeyer: He is elite at clapping.

Salfino: Lombardi ended his clapping, which is sad.

neil: Yeah, I don’t understand Jerry Jones’s fascination with Garrett. It’s like they were looking for ANY excuse whatsoever to extend him.

gfoster: I just don’t think it’s a desirable job to coach with Jerry breathing down your neck.

Salfino: Remember, Jones doesn’t want a strong personality that will basically kick him out of the locker room and tell him to stay in his owner’s lane.

neil: He’s going to end up being one of the longest tenured coaches ever, and his record will pale in comparison with the others in the conversation. (Except maybe Marvin Lewis.)

joshua.hermsmeyer: For all the grief Jones gets, he does seem incredibly loyal, and that is a terrific boss to have in a league like the NFL that moves on from most coaches far too quickly. Stability does have value.

Salfino: He is basically Marvin Lewis, who also was a CEO coach without a really strong personality/culture. Tell that to Jimmy Johnson:

gfoster: Going back to Rams-Saints: The Saints lost their starting DT, Sheldon Rankins, to a possible torn Achilles. That’s a big loss, especially to be down a big interior lineman against the Rams.

joshua.hermsmeyer: Mike, good point about Jimmy Johnson.

neil: The way the Rams were clearing space against Dallas was unreal. According to ESPN Stats & Info Group, the Rams rushed 33 times for 195 yards and averaged 4.1 yards per carry before first contact between the tackles.

Salfino: Maybe that will trick the Rams into running even more, especially on first down, right Josh?

joshua.hermsmeyer: You never want to lose a starter, but if I had to pick a position to lose, give me DT.

gfoster: That’s fair.

Salfino: Exactly right. If it’s a pass rusher DT, OK, that’s worrisome. But there are only like one of those and he’s on the other team. Where are the big plays in the Rams passing game? They’re going to need some, I’m certain, to win.

neil: True, their longest reception vs. Dallas was a 21-yarder to Brandin Cooks.

Salfino: 186 passing yards on 28 attempts is not the Rams offense from October, for sure.

joshua.hermsmeyer: With the loss of Rankins and their success with play-action, I would think the shot plays would come there. The linebackers may try to make up for Rankins’s loss by cheating a bit more than usual.

Salfino: Are they still successful at play-action, Josh? I think that’s debatable.

joshua.hermsmeyer: They did OK with it against Dallas I think.

neil: Yes, Goff was 6-of-11 for 108 yards off play-action vs the Cowboys. That’s not as amazing as their early-season standards. But it’s still much better than when he passed without play-action.

gfoster: Let’s talk about the AFC. The Chargers, who were 9-0 on the road, got absolutely destroyed by the Patriots. This was the one game that seemed completely over in the first quarter.

Salfino: Yeah, getting to Josh’s point, the Patriots-Chargers were exhibit A in “offense mostly controls outcomes.”

neil: Classic Patriots home divisional-round win.

Salfino: I absolutely hated the team flying back to Los Angeles after the Wild Card win in Baltimore.

gfoster: I think people tend to overweight air travel. But maybe you are right in this case.

joshua.hermsmeyer: The win probability charts basically concur with your assessment Geoff.

neil: I do wonder how much the travel had to do with it. They seemed out of sorts most of the game, especially on defense early. Didn’t help that their weird hybrid LB/DB scheme was totally ineffective against Brady and the Pats.

Salfino: I hate a West Coast team in the early slot in a playoff game, but the Chargers were their own worst enemy in opting to go back home. Still, it probably wouldn’t have mattered, as flat as Los Angeles seemed (especially with the missed tackles). The Patriots were flawless. Brady looked like a different player, and there are reports that trick play with him as a receiver against the Titans hurt his knee pretty badly. He was able to practice fully again though.

joshua.hermsmeyer: Angry Tom in the cold is the narrative, I think.

Salfino: Did you see how the Patriots taped that thermostat on the wall where the Chargers had to come out on the field? Seems lame but maybe it worked.

gfoster: Also, people spent all week talking about Melvin Ingram and Joey Bosa. That’s not too relevant when you dump the ball to James White 15 to 20 times a game.

neil: Tactically, you have to appreciate the way they used their RBs against Los Angeles’s defense. Sony Michel ran for 129 and 3 TDs, plus James White had 15 catches out of the backfield. The Chargers had no answer for that attack. Michel was averaging 4.6 YPC with eight-plus defenders in the box against a defense that had smothered the run-heavy Ravens a week before.

Salfino: The Patriots are all spares and no strikes now. They ran a ton with Michel. They had 15 catches for under 100 yards from White. Edelman got some big plays somehow, but he’s not a gamebreaker. Gronk had one catch. But this hyper efficiency works for them because they avoid mistakes. I’m not sure why the Chargers stuck with the Ravens defense with all those defensive backs. The Patriots are not a fast team at all. You want more size against them.

neil: Well, people spent all week saying they’d revolutionized NFL defense with that scheme.

joshua.hermsmeyer: Against a mobile QB, I think it’s a great defense. Against a pocket passer, I’m not sure what you are gaining.

Salfino: The difference between the Patriots and other teams is that they solve the puzzle with an opponent and move on to the next opponent. They don’t bring whatever worked one week necessarily into the next.

gfoster: Is Gronk a concern? Or not so much? Considering we’ve seen them go on SB runs without him before. He practically got the Bronx cheer from the Foxboro crowd when he made that one catch.

joshua.hermsmeyer: Gronk had a fantastic day…checks notes…blocking.

Salfino: Gronk’s yards per target this year was still good. He did gain 27 yards on that one play. It’s hard for me to believe he’s shot. He’s clearly not the same player, but I think he can still be effective. The Chargers are really designed to stop tight ends, though, with Derwin James.

gfoster: Also, is it me, or did Rivers’s deep balls look terrible? Just floating up in the wind, asking Mike Williams to make jump ball catches 40 yards downfield.

neil: In fairness, he was under heavy pressure much of the game.

Salfino: Williams has to make that catch, Geoff. I thought Rivers had a lot of pop on most of his throws. But the Patriots played that Ravens blitzing defense and it really surprised Rivers. By the time he adjusted, the game was over.

neil: According to ESPN’s Stats & Information Group, Rivers was pressured 24 times against New England, which was most of any quarterback in a playoff game in the last 10 seasons.

joshua.hermsmeyer: What’s interesting is that while the Chargers kept their Ravens defense, the Patriots adopted the Ravens defense with their cover-zero looks and massive pressure on Rivers.

Salfino: Yes, interesting but clearly not surprising that Belichick out-coached Lynn. That was the big worry for the Chargers in this game.What was interesting and unknown was “how” Belichick would get the edge.

gfoster: Rivers’s deep ball seemed like me trying deep passes in Thanksgiving touch football. “I got someone out there, so just going to heave it and hope for the best.”

Salfino: This is what those Ravens blitzes reduce you to, low-percentage deep throws.

What’s funny is that exactly no one thinks that the Patriots having had success blitzing are going to bring that into the Chiefs game.

gfoster: When the Chiefs played the Pats in the regular season, it was 43-40 and probably the most entertaining game of the season. I don’t think we will see 80+ points again. Or will we? The Chiefs defense seems to have improved recently.

Salfino: I think we do see 80 points again.

gfoster: Interesting. Even if conditions are much worse?

Salfino: If it’s windy, that’s a problem. Cold? Nah. Unless it’s Ice Bowl-like.

neil: Certainly seems like Patriots punter Ryan Allen probably won’t get as much of a workout as Rigoberto Sanchez against KC. Seemed like every time you looked up, Indy was punting.

gfoster: Judging by the Chargers games, I wasn’t aware the Patriots had a punter.

Salfino: Luck was so bad. It seemed like every other pass was deflected at the line. The first three, I’m pretty sure, though whether the first pass of the game was tipped is not entirely clear. That has to be a record though.

joshua.hermsmeyer: Regarding the total, Vegas has it at 57.5. That’s super high. I’m not sure I take the over.

gfoster: Kareem Hunt totaled 185 combined yards in that Patriots game. But Damien Williams has made people forget about him pretty quickly. Interestingly, Patriots were able to limit Kelce’s production (somewhat), which the Colts had no answer for.

Salfino: OK, I revise my prediction since the forecast is for a high of 16 degrees on Sunday.

joshua.hermsmeyer: If Sammy Watkins can contribute big, high-leverage plays, I think he will be one too many weapons for the Patriots to account for.

Salfino: Belichick wants to x-out Kelce in these games. And then Hill kills them. Also Hunt out of the backfield in the last game, though that’s no longer a threat.

neil: Gosh, that 57.5 is with the temperature baked into the over/under? (Well, maybe not “baked.” Frozen?) What would it be in a dome?

Salfino: Hunt actually killed the Patriots as a receiver in the last two games they played. Can Williams function this way? I don’t see it.

gfoster: Weather moves the total more than anything (except quarterback injuries), so we will see what happens with that line.

Salfino: No appreciable wind in the forecast, though about 20 mph on Saturday so maybe that’s a threat, too. I tell all my fantasy friends, it’s just wind other than super extreme conditions on the other side — cold, rain or snow. And really wind at over 20 mph only.

gfoster: Who does the weather help though? You could argue the Patriots. Has Mahomes played in games this cold? Brady sure has.

joshua.hermsmeyer: I’m going to fade the idea that something like weather can stop Mahomes. While it didn’t snow as much people envisioned, the Indianapolis game was plenty cold and Mahomes looked fantastic.

neil: For the sake of fun trivia, it was 17 degrees in Mahomes’ debut start. (According to PFR, that’s the coldest game he’s played as a pro.)

Salfino: Brady has played one game in 10 degrees or colder — in 2003. He had a 73.3 passer rating. (Note that includes playoffs.)

joshua.hermsmeyer: Are any of you picking the Patriots?

gfoster: Great segue! Let’s close with our Super Bowl predictions.

neil: If the game was at Foxboro, I’d think about it. But Brady hasn’t won a road playoff game since this wacky one against the Chargers. Hard to believe! But Pats usually play at home in lead-up to Super Bowl.

gfoster: That’s where the game-sealing interception was fumbled for a first down?

Salfino: He’s 0-2 since then.

neil: Yes, the Marlon McCree game.

Salfino: So I will stick with my Chiefs-Saints Super Bowl.

neil: I will do the same!

Salfino: Save us, Josh.

joshua.hermsmeyer: I think we’ll see the proverbial passing of the torch from Old Angry Tom to Mahomes, kinda like when Favre beat Young in the playoffs. And I still like the Rams in the NFC.

neil: Josh, Elias says this is the biggest age difference in a QB matchup in conference champ history.

joshua.hermsmeyer: Great stat

neil: I am also looking forward to Mahomes potentially doubling the record for playoff wins by a Big 12 quarterback.

gfoster: I also will take the Chiefs. But I’m going to say Chiefs-Rams just because I still haven’t seen the return of that devastating Saints offense. It’s been hibernating since the loss to the Cowboys in Week 13. The Saints managed just 20 points against a banged-up Eagles defense. It seemed like a struggle at times, even though a lot of that was self-inflicted penalties. Brees was under a lot of pressure. Trubisky even had more passing yards than Brees! Trubisky!!!

Salfino: I will defend the Saints. They had 420 yards to 250 for the Eagles. That’s actually 28 expected points (formula is a point every 15 yards from scrimmage). To me, that’s pretty close to being on schedule. I mean, they had 25 first downs.

gfoster: You know what the Saints need Mike, right?

Salfino: Do not say it, Geoff.

gfoster: More Taysom Hill gadget plays!

Salfino: Payton was determined to make noise with Hill in that game.

Salfino: Who would Taysom Hill be in the Star Wars universe? (Only episodes I-III.)

gfoster: He’s young Anakin in Episode I. Ten minutes into the movie, you are like “Is this kid really going to play this big of a role, here?”

joshua.hermsmeyer: I was going to say Porkins. “Stay on target.”

gfoster: I would love to see a close-up of Brees’s face every time he is set out wide with Hill under center; I feel like he’s rolling his eyes — but I can’t be sure.

Salfino: Ha ha ha.

joshua.hermsmeyer: His body language instills fear in the DB every time.

neil: One day, Brees will burn someone over the top.

Salfino: Brees has large hands and probably could win 50/50 balls.

joshua.hermsmeyer: No matter what combination of teams ultimately makes it, this is the correct four teams in the championship round, and the perfect end to the greatest offensive season in NFL history.

neil: Agreed! It’s the first time since the 1970 merger that each of the top four teams in scoring made the conference title game.

gfoster: We wanted offense. We got offense. Will see you next week when we know who is heading to Super Bowl LIII in Atlanta.

from News About Sports https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/what-did-we-learn-from-the-nfl-divisional-playoffs/

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