#colin probably would do the same thing for Isaac!

[hacash]

Everyone’s talking about how Isaac will get murderously defensive of Colin from any homophobic fans, but I’m also waiting for the moment when he grabs Michael by the lapels, pulls him up to eye level, and says very seriously ‘you break his heart and I break your kneecaps’.

(And then probably immediately begins planning Colin and Michael’s spring wedding, because if his little buddy loves someone then Isaac loves them too, y’know?)

[softspaceboibrian]

Fell in Love with the Fire Long Ago || Jamie Tartt

Chapters: 1 - more to come

Pairing: Jamie Tartt x Y/N - Social Media Manager for AFC Richmond || I used she/her pronouns, but there is no actual physical description, so the pronouns can be switched with whatever anyone wants or prefers!

Summary: When Y/N received that email, she couldn't believe it. He was coming back.

Warnings: maybe some swear words. hints and mentions of sexual acts (still SFW). S1 Jamie Tartt aka a dick. a little angsty. Sam being is lovable self.

Characters: Jamie Tartt, Sam Obisanya, Isaac McAdoo, Colin Hughes, Dani Rojas, Ted Lasso, Rebecca Welton. Some others may appear as mentions.

Wc: 3800 (this works as a pilot or a prologue, to set up the story)

A/N: this story is based on this idea I had and that a few people seemed to like. hopefully you enjoy this first chapter/prologue. and if you want to read more, feel free to leave a comment. If enough people like it, I was thinking to do a taglist, so that people can stay updated. anyways, thanks for reading <;3

When you first heard the news, you couldn’t believe it. You couldn’t believe that they could do such a thing. Not to the team, not to you. That was the reason you were stomping up the stair, the clinking of your heels echoing against the walls, as you reached Rebecca’s office.

You didn’t knock, you didn’t wait for them to welcome you in. They knew you were coming. Especially after the email they had sent out. The email had been sent only to the “necessary” people that needed to be involved, and you, being the social media manager for the club, received it. It was probably a way for them to warn you to start preparing the content for the announcement. But you obviously didn’t take it well. They knew about your history, they knew how things had gone down. They had to be expecting you.

“How could you?” Your loud, clear voice, full of anger and disappointment filled the room.

“Good morning, Y/N!” Ted’s cheerful greeting made you want to scream. “To what do we owe the pleasure?” The sarcasm was obvious.

“How could you? After what he did to the team? After what he said about you?” Your tone was loud, so much so that you were sure people from downstairs could clearly hear every single one of your words. “How could you?” You choked on your last words, and as you finally met Rebecca’s gaze, you could feel the familiar sting of the tears that threatened to fall, spill, pour.

The woman sighed, getting up from her chair to make her way around the big desk. “Listen, love, he’s a great player. When Ted told me about their talk, I knew we had to get him back.” She explained, walking over to her. “We cannot let our feelings get in the way of the team’s success.”

You shook your head, taking a step back. “I never thought you would become this cynical.”

“I’m not cynical, just rational.”

“It’s all the same thing. He’s a prick. And pricks don’t change.” You were furious. “And it’s not just my feelings, but the team’s feelings. But you obviously don’t remember how he used to treat everyone.” You lingered on that last word, looking briefly at each of them, before turning around and making your way out of the office and down the stairs. “No one understands.” You whisper, your fists so tight you started to feel that burning sensation of your nails leaving marks on your palms.

Keeping your head low, trying to hide the tears streaming down your face, you made your way to the changing room. You knew you couldn’t say anything to any of the boys yet, but still, you needed some comfort. You needed Sam.

You quickly reached the locker room and knocked, waiting for them to give you a sign to let you know you could come in. And, as soon as you opened the door, you ran straight to Sam, immediately burying your face in his chest.

“Hey, Y/N/N. What is going on?” His thick Nigerian accent immediately bringing comfort to you. “Did something happen?” He asked as he tried to pull away slightly, trying to understand what was happening.

“Just… hug me… please.” You pled, the voice muffled by his jersey. And he did. He wrapped his arms around you, softly placing a kiss on top of your head, before laying his chin in the same spot. You’re immediately comforted by the warmth of your best friend’s embrace. However, you didn’t fail to notice how the familiar chatter of the changing room had started to slowly simmer down until it ultimately came to a halt. A sense of pain and anxiety washed over you at once, and your head started again to fill with the same questions you had asked Rebecca and Ted. Why? Why him? Why now? How could they?

But soon, your stream of thoughts was interrupted by Isaac’s voice. “Who do we have to kill?” You didn’t need to raise your head from Sam’s chest to know that the feeling was shared by most if not all the team’s players.

“No one. Yet.” You mumbled, sniffling. “It’s complicated.” You added as you finally pulled away from Sam, yet still remaining extremely close to him, as if his presence was the only thing keeping you sane and calm at that moment.

“When the moment comes, just call, okay?” You gave a quick nod to the team captain, accompanied by a shy smile. To any casual passer-by, the comment may have seemed sarcastic, the usual banter between friends that care about each other. But the team knew that that was not sarcastic at all and that Isaac would indeed, without a shadow of a doubt, kill someone for you.

You couldn’t exactly remember when, but somewhere down the line, the team had become your chosen family. However, you could clearly remember how that process had started.

You had started working for AFC Richmond around the same time that Ted and Coach Beard did. You didn’t care much for football or sports in general, but you had just recently graduated from university and had found this work through Keeley. You and her had met at your cousin’s going away party a few years before, when he had decided to move to Greece to become an archaeologist. You had immediately bonded over who can even remember what, and remained close friends ever since. So, when she heard that the position had just opened up, she immediately sent your CV to Rebecca, without warning you first. You found out about the job only when you received a call from a certain Mr Higgins, who told you that they had read your curriculum and found it really interesting. And so, you ended up moving to Richmond-upon-Thames and started working for the club.

It didn’t take you long to get to know the team and become friends with them. Obviously, you had your prejudices against footballers, who you thought were self-centred egomaniacs – and you weren’t completely wrong about that – but, to your surprise, most of them turned out to be great people. You quickly became very close with Sam; Roy tolerated you; Isaac and Colin were always kind to you. Even Jamie Tartt, the prick of the team, would usually drop his dickhead persona when he was with you. And that was how you two ended up together. For the first month or so, you would notice his constant flirting, but you never really gave it too much thought. You had read about him in the tabloids, and you knew how he was famous for having a different girl every week. You weren’t that oblivious, you knew he was fit. But, every time he would flirt with you, you would play along for a while, before brushing it off and going back to your business. I’m just his latest challenge, he will move on sooner or later, you thought. Until, roughly a month and a half after you had started working there: he started waiting for you outside the clubhouse, asking you if you needed a ride home. Which then turned into him asking you to grab a coffee with him one day before practice. Then it was dinners. Movie nights at his place. Stolen glances in the hallways of the clubhouse. Sneaking in the boot room to secretly make out. And sooner than you could realise, you were sleeping over at his place most of the time.

You asked him to keep things private for a while. It wasn’t that you were ashamed of him. You just needed to be sure about him. So, you kept sneaking around. Avoiding each other as much as possible, too worried that the team might just figure it out. Let me show you off, Jamie would whisper into your ear, in-between wet kisses, as he stood behind you in the kitchen in the morning, wrapping his arms around your waists. Let me take you out to a restaurant, on a proper date, he insisted. But you kept declining his offers. Not yet, baby, you would reply, as you slowly melted under his touch, I need a little more time, you said as you turned around in his arms. And the conversation would die there, with Jamie immediately picking you up and placing you on top of the kitchen counter, his lips trailing their way down your neck, your collarbone, your chest, down, down, until your vision turned hazy and you had to grip onto the marble countertop with all the strength you had in your body, too afraid you might fall off of it, as his lips met finally met your core.

You were able to keep your relationship private longer than you had expected. It was after almost 4 weeks that Nate eventually walked in on you two in the boot room. You weren’t doing anything too private, you were merely making out. But Nate being Nate, froze on his feet as he saw you two holding onto each other, too stunned to move. I was… I needed to… sorry… I didn’t…. As usual, he was too embarrassed to form a complete sentence, so he simply left the room. You two looked at each other and knew that it was only a matter of time before your secret would be out. And you were right. The secret didn’t last the entire day, and when it was time to go home after practice, you were met by a horde of football players, asking you when it had started, how long had that been going on, if you two were official, and so on.

Somehow, but still not completely unexpectedly, the news reached the press in less than a day. The next morning, as you lied in bed with Jamie’s head on your chest, you were woken up by the constant buzzing of your phone. Check this article from The Sun, said a message from your high school friend, with a link attached to it. Is it true? Asked your mother. Congratulations! read the message from your aunt from whom you hadn’t heard in ages. And the messages kept coming. Yes, it was true. You were now in a relationship. Yes, your boyfriend was a famous footballer. Yes, you knew about his fame. Still, you didn’t care. Because, when Jamie was with you, he wasn’t Jamie Tartt, star striker for AFC Richmond, but just Jamie. And you loved just Jamie. He was sweet, he was passionate, he was kind, he always made sure you were feeling well, he brought you flowers once a week, he left some coffee for you in the pot in the mornings, he always made sure you were sexually satisfied – something he was really proud of.

Sadly, you hadn’t realised that, with going public, also came the hate from his fans, who thought that you would be too distracting for their beloved favourite player, and from the girls, the actresses, the top models, the reality tv stars, who had hoped to one day end up with him and whose dream you had shattered overnight. You pulled through it, and that was also thanks to Jamie, who never missed the chance to remind you how much he loved you and cared for you.

However, two months after going public, things started to change. You couldn’t understand why if it was something that you had done or said, but he started to become distant, cold. He would invite you less and less over to his place, and when he did, it was mainly to have sex, to ‘release the tension from practice’. And whenever the team lost, the sex would be rough. He was always on his phone, texting, dming, emailing. A part of you knew it was girls he was talking to, but you couldn’t bring yourself to confront him about it, so you just said nothing and held on. He soon stopped asking you how you were, telling you how much he loved you. You tried asking him what was going on, but he would always deny everything, saying that you were imagining things, that you were just paranoid, and that everything was fine. Fine. Oh, how you came to hate that word. You asked him how he was. Fine. You asked him if he wanted to spend the night together. Fine. You asked him if he wanted to drive to the clubhouse together. Fine. Fine. Fine. Fine. You hated fine. In Jamie’s language, fine meant if you really have to, or I would rather you left me alone, or I don’t really care. You hated it. And you hated what your relationship had become. But still, something stopped you from leaving him, maybe the hope that soon things would go back to normal, that soon he would go back to being just Jamie.

But that never happened.

And things only got worse when Ted decided to take him out during a match. You knew that Ted was doing it to teach him a lesson, and he was right to want to do so. But as you watched your boyfriend leave the pitch, you knew things would only get worse. So, you stopped constantly looking for him. You stopped texting him every day. You only met when he asked you.

It was in that period that you grew closer to Sam. You could distinctly remember the day he walked into your office to ask you for a few suggestions on how to make his Instagram page more appealing. Instead walked in on you sitting on the floor, with your back against the wall and your hands in your hair. You didn’t even have the strength to pretend things were okay, so you simply looked up, black lines scarring your cheeks, and met his eyes. “Sorry, Sam, it’s… not a great moment.” You struggled to get the words out.

But Sam didn’t say anything. Instead, he closed the door behind him, made his way across the room and took a seat on the floor next to you. “Is it Jamie?” He asked with his thick Nigerian accent that you would grow to love and even find familiar. You nodded silently. “Do you want to talk about it?” You shook your head. “Do we just sit in silence?” A nod. A beat. Then your head slowly fell to the side, until it found its resting place on his shoulder.

You don’t exactly know how long you stayed there, on the floor, in silence. It could have been a few minutes or entire hours. In either case, Sam stayed there, and didn’t leave your side. He never once took out his phone to check his messages, even though you could feel it buzzing in his pocket. He only changed position once, to move his arm and wrap it around your shoulders. That was the first time you had spent that much time in silence with someone without feeling the need to fill it with superficial chatter.

From that day forward, you and Sam were inseparable. There was something about him that simply brought you comfort, a comfort that not even Jamie had been able to give you. Whenever you weren’t sleeping over at Jamie’s, he would come to pick you up and drive you to work. He would drive you home in the evenings, making sure you were all the way inside your house, before sprinting off the road to go home himself. You would start having lunch together, usually joined by some of the other guys – in all of this, most of the time Jamie was nowhere to be found. And whenever your boyfriend acted like a dick with you in front of everyone, he would speak up. Are you his boyfriend now, Sammy? Jamie would mock him, using your nickname for him. I don’t think so. She’s me girl, so I’ll talk to her how I want, a’ight? He would puff out his chest, trying to look bigger and intimidating.

That evening, after practice was over, Jamie sprinted off to who knows where or to who knows who, leaving you there, alone. And, as per usual, Sam would come to the rescue, offering you a lift home.

“Why are you still with him?” Sam asked you as he stopped in front of your house. “You deserve better, not an asshole like him.”

You shook your head. “He’s not like that when it’s just the two of us.” You would always find a way to make excuses for him.

“I don’t care how he is when he’s alone with you, Y/N! If he really loves you, he should treat you well in public as well!” You had never really heard Sam raising his voice before, and it would have been a lie if you had said that you were not intimidated. But, despite everything, you could feel the care and preoccupation in his voice. “You deserve someone that truly cares for you, and that isn’t afraid to show it!” You knew he was right. Yet, you couldn’t bring yourself to say something, to break up with him.

But you never had to.

It was maybe a week after your discussion with Sam when you showed up unannounced at his place. It was cold outside, and you were only wearing a thick jumper. You stood there, in front of his door for at least three whole minutes, before finally knocking on his door. You knocked instead of ringing the bell so that if he was already asleep, you wouldn’t wake him. But he had heard it, and less than 10 seconds later, he was opening the door.

“Y/N, what are you-” He didn’t even finish his question. He took one look at you and knew exactly what had happened. He took your hand gently in his, and immediately pulled you inside, guiding you to the living room. “Wait here a moment.” He said, making you seat on the couch, before running off in search of a blanket. “Okay, wrap yourself in this while I put the kettle on.” He opened the blanket and put it around your shoulders.

“Stay here, please.” You whispered, grabbing him by the wrist before he could move away again.

“But you’re shivering.”

“Just… please.”

As soon as he met your eyes once again, he felt his heart drop to his stomach. He had seen you in distress before, he had comforted you multiple times after your fights with Jamie. But this time he didn’t even need for you to tell him what had happened, he already knew. He took a seat next to you, fixing the blanket so that it was properly covering your entire body, before pulling you to his chest.

“He said that I was too much work.” The words left your mouth watery. “That I asked too much of him. And that, since he was going back to Man City, it was better to call it quits.” You whispered. You could feel Sam’s body tense, the air blowing through his nose. You knew he wanted to say a lot of things. He wanted to tell you that he was a dickhead, that he never realised what he had in front of him, that he had just lost the best woman he could ever find, that he was a moron, a jerk, an idiot, a fool. But he didn’t. He remained silent. And he did the best he could to comfort you. He stroke your hair and your back, he rocked you and hummed to you, until you fell asleep.

After that night, it didn’t take long for the rest of the team to find out what had happened, and how it had happened. Every single one of the boys sent you a text, saying, each in their own way, that they were sorry, that Jamie was a dick, and that they were there for you if you needed them. And you were glad to know so many people cared for you, people that up until a few months ago didn’t even know you and that you would have never expected in your life to end up being friends with. They all stopped and hugged you when they met you in the corridor for the first time after it had happened. But some of them surprised you.

You hadn’t been able to sleep for the last few nights, which was made obvious to everyone by the way you dragged your feet against the floor whenever you walked around the clubhouse, your legs too heavy for your exhausted body to properly move. You had also stopped taking care of yourself. Yes, you showered and brushed your teeth because you hated not being presentable for work. But you had stopped brushing your hair every morning and every night, like your grandmother had thought you when you were little. And you had stopped wearing make-up. Not that you would normally put on a full face every day, but you stopped using mascara because it made your eyes burn whenever you cried, and the light concealer you used under your eyes to make yourself look fresher, more awake. And now your puffy red eyes and dark circles were there, on display, for everyone to see, a reminder of how you were feeling.

That morning you had opted for a very comfortable pair of sweatpants and a warm AFC Richmond hoodie. Using supportiveness as a way to hide your depression. Smart, you thought. Sad. You were sitting in your office, alone, working on the new social media campaign, when suddenly you heard someone knock on your door. “Come in.” You said flatly. As the door opened, you looked up from your laptop, only to see Sam walk in, followed by Isaac, Colin and Dani. “How can I help you, boys?” You forced a smile on your face.

“Want to watch a movie with us tonight?” Asked Isaac, taking the lead. You looked at the quartet in front of you, unsure of what to say. “We can watch whatever sad movie you prefer, and Dani can bring some Mezcal.”

“Boys, I-” You started, but you were instantly cut off.

“Uh-uh!” The Welsh stepped forward. “We don’t want to hear any I’d rather be alone or I don’t want to be a bother bullshit, okay? We want to do this.”

“Yes, we only asked to be nice, but if you say no, we will just kidnap you and force you to do it.” Said Sam, a soft, warm smile on his face, as he leaned over your desk.

“Por favor, Y/N” Dani pled, showing you his big, brown puppy eyes.

“Fine!” You gave in. “On one condition: we order Chinese.”

They all look at each other, before bursting out laughing.

A/N: if you read all the way through, thank you ! feel free to leave a feedback/comment. i would love to know what you think about it and if you would be interested in reading more of this story. let me know if you would like to be put in a taglist for this fic! love you <3

[lunar-years]

I think thats why I have a somewhat irrational dislike of Colin- that scene when Jamie came back and the team is yelling the things they want him to apologise for, and you've got Colin acting like he was a poor wronged party this entire time when he was just as bad and skipped out of that blame. At least we see Isaac grow to be a leader, the writers seem to think that Colin coming out the closet/ being gay makes his past behaviour fine?!?

"irrational dislike of Colin" anon please 😭

Short answer: the trouble is they wrote Colin and Isaac as side characters we were meant to only marginally pay attention to, so all the attention/blame went to main character Jamie. Then they decided to give Isaac and Colin more to do, but brushed aside what they'd already done with them as side characters and figured it didn't really matter anyway because probably no one was focused on them (they were wrong) ; first they weren't important enough to spend time on their redemption, and then suddenly they WERE important but their past actions were no longer relevant to who they wanted these two to be as characters.

Long answer: I don't think the writers think Colin coming out of the closet/being gay makes his previous bullying okay, I think they just like, well and truly forgot that they wrote him as a bully. Tbh they did the exact same with Isaac. The switch-up from him being a massive perpetrator of the bullying in s1 to being lovable team captain Isaac is RAPID. It's literally like boom Jamie leaves, so Colin & Isaac are nice again. lmao. HUH?

(in all honesty the first time I watched I was definitely a bit confused that Roy gave Isaac his captain armband, because Roy has such a blatant disdain for Isaac in the first part of the season. Like...that scene where Isaac asks if Roy's going out to the clubs with them and Roy's like "Will you be there? Then fuck no." likeee ngkangk? how did we go from that to "Roy has made Isaac his successor"?? It was very abrupt lmao. Mind you, I adore Isaac & Roy and I think it basically boils down to Roy seeing a lot of himself in Isaac. He hated the aggressive bully version of himself Isaac showed in the locker room but still saw the passion and potential underneath and so he gave him the support he needed. It makes a lot of sense in hindsight. But for all we talk about how good s1 is [and it IS, i would never say otherwise], that relationship didn't really start to develop for the audience until later).

I think the thing that's frustrating to me about Colin (in regards to the fandom, not in the show itself) is that some people quickly woobify him when it comes to being the victim of Nate's bullying but completely ignore that he very much physically and verbally bullied Nate! Both of their actions were reprehensible but a not small part of the fandom loathes only Nate for it. it's the double standard that irks me, which is a running problem I have with this fandom about the treatment of many different characters whoops

[littledoggy-girlcollar]

a counterargument: colin bullied nate pretty relentlessly, including physically. nate was openly scared of colin in the for the children ep. not that that makes what said okay, but he also apologized to colin afterwards.

you know i did think about this when writing the post so here's my thoughts on that:

you're right, colin did bully nate in season one, but unless i totally misread shit (which, possible, i did watch a lot of it fairly late at night and watched the other part of it while writing an essay), the bullying was explicitly ring-led by jamie, and was stopped pretty much entirely by roy yelling at them in the club. as far as i remember, there was nothing specific that colin did that jamie and isaac didn't, and while i also don't remember a full apology to nate, it also seemed like they all got along fairly well afterward, especially after nate's promotion to assistant coach.

and then the Headspace episode happened. i had thoughts abt what i was going to say and then i went "hey lemme pull up the episode to make sure i have that right" and i forgot those thoughts and now i have new ones and they're way more thesis-y than i thought they'd be so here we go!

nate is a bit of a dick to colin during practice, following some ribbing of nate's new nickname of the "wonder kid," coming from him mispronouncing "wunderkind/wonderkind" (as far as i can tell these are the same word? just different spelling?). dani, jamie, and colin all make essentially the same joke, but colin is the only one that nate gets mad at. could this possibly just be because of the lingering resentment from the bullying last season? sure. but colin actually goes to nate's office to figure out what he did wrong and if there's something else he should be doing, and nate literally tells him he did it because dani and jamie have more talent and recognition than he does (incredibly paraphrased). my rant about how colin could end up being THE most inspiring member of the team if the show/the character decides to go that way will be saved for another post, but in essence, nate explicitly tells both colin and us as the viewer that he picked on colin because he doesn't think he has that much power to retaliate, and nate's position as assistant coach gives him a level of authority over colin as well.

crazy. almost like a role reversal over here or something.

anyways, beard calls nate on his shit, nate apologizes to colin in front of the team, the apology is accepted. in all, it was kind of a one-off thing that was resolved fairly easily, and i am realizing that my view of that specific instance may have been clouded by the rest of the episode, but there is one more point i want to hit on before we get to that part, which is that: colin is a gay man in a sport with (from what i've heard) no visibly out queer men, and nate had no way of knowing this, but that probably made his comment cut deeper than he even intended. i know in season three colin says he doesn't want to be some big statement or representation or whatever, and i think that's totally fair and if the show wants to stick with that i think that's chill, but i do still think telling a closeted gay man that "you aren't special, you don't inspire anyone, shut up and do the work" would have a biiiiit of a mental impact beyond just the visible hurt we see from colin as he leaves. again, this bit isn't necessarily on nate since he didn't know and may not have factored it in even if he did, but to me it's just kind of another drop in the bucket of "wow this man is just saying anything now cause he's got an outsourced sense of superiority."

and that's actually where my main problem comes from. because after the apology the team gifts nate a jersey with "wonder kid" on it. and they are happy about it, and they think it's cool, and they give the credit to will (the kitman, you know, nate's old job) for coming up with it, and will says "it's a pretty awesome nickname." and then nate sees one fucking negative meme on twitter, in a flood of literally hundreds of positive ones, plus headlines and fucking podcasts praising him to high heaven, and nate goes "clearly will was trying to embarrass me, guess i better go physically threaten him so he never does that again."

because he's an insecure prick that doesn't actually believe in himself or have self-confidence. he's done a bit of growing, sure, and he can stand up for himself and voice his opinions a bit better now, but despite his stupid fucking posturing and spitting in the mirror (cause its tough? a metaphor for him hating himself? whatever it's fucking stupid) he gets all of his confidence from other people. he hasn't internalized it yet. he feels good when ted praises his ideas, he gets overly insecure when roy does literally anything, including give the proper credit to nate, feels lighter than air and higher than heaven (i don't usually invoke holy shit this much the show must be rubbing off on me in terms of metaphors) when everyone is praising his name, and it can all be ruined by one comment from his father and the same picture of his face on the internet only this time it's saying shit instead of giving him glory. so he's hearing all of this praise from pretty much all corners, and he feels good about it, but he can't hold onto it. he can't internalize it. so when he sees a sliver of criticism, it all goes out the window, and he doesn't want that! that makes him feel bad! so he has to get rid of that, too, and the easiest way to get rid of it is to turn it around on someone else. someone with less power who won't fuck you up and who doesn't visibly have enough support to come back at you (because while i love colin, we really don't see him shine on his own that much. and neither does nate). and sure whatever nate's dad is a jerk to him and childhood issues shut the fuck up that's a grown man with an actively growing support system. which he throws under the bus like five seconds later by the way.

anyways. my point here is really that the episode is kind of a perfect summary of nate's character at this point in the narrative. he's abusing his power out of some weird sense of superiority one good win got him, he's got enough humanity to realize (re: be forced to realize by a large man with a beard and ability to disappear from offices) when he's fucked up no actually hold on. he literally only apologizes cause coach beard confronts him on it and is expecting it. he wouldn't have done this otherwise and we know it because look at how he's treated will literally since he got there. ok sorry for the detour that hit me literally as i was writing and i don't have the energy to go back up and revise to fit that in. so: abusing power, will apologize when made to by those he still views as having more power than him, externalizes all of his self-concept, positive and negative, and continues to take out all negativity on anyone he views as having less power. WHICH AGAIN FUCKING SUCKS SINCE THAT LITERALLY USED TO BE HIM IT'S LITERALLY "WELL I WENT THROUGH X SO YOU SHOULDN'T GET Y" BEHAVIOR FUCK OFF. GOD. okay i need to end this before i get real fucked up about it ok closing statement.

yes, colin bullied nate in season one. yes, nate ostensibly apologized to colin and colin accepted. no, the reason this grinds my gears isn't necessarily the colin thing specifically, but the situation is kind of a microcosm of everything that's going on in the world of nate, and is therefore condensed, and therefore saturated, so it sucks more ass. yes, i understand that pretty much everything i've laid out is why nate is such a well written character, but that doesn't make him a less shitty person. i'm sure i had more things to say and forgot them so if you wanna ask questions shoot.

[cacodaemonia]

This is probably an unpopular opinion among Ted Lasso fans, but the whole Nate storyline has both bored and irked me. Don't get me wrong, I adore this show and how sweet and wholesome it is, and I totally understand if people don't want to read any complaints about it. If that's you, stop reading here. 👍

Anyway: I have issues with the recent emphasis on forgiving someone like Nate.

I loved him at first, but then when he started to show his true colors I was very much in agreement with Coach Beard. Ted was always kind to Nate, always supported him, and the Nate turned on Ted because... his own father is a dick to him? My father was a much bigger piece of shit, but I don't treat people who constantly go out of their way to be kind to me like that.

I am not a forgiving person because I've seen over and over and over what happens to people when they keep on forgiving others for terrible behavior: they become welcome mats. That doesn't mean I dwell on the people who have wrong me—I just cut them off, don't let them waste my time, and my life is much better for it. So the whole 'forgive so-and-so for your own good' thing really doesn't make sense to me. Forgiving someone who has repeatedly wronged you or done something Very Bad to you opens you up to being treated like shit again—because, lbr, unlike in stories, most people don't completely change their personalities for the better. Yeah, it happens sometimes, but it's pretty rare.

So, back to Nate. Since the beginning of season 3, the audience has seen him... develop some? He's got a girlfriend, his dad was not mean to him once, he quit working for Rupert, and he's inexplicably a good waiter when just a few months ago, he was really into demeaning people and bossing them around. I haven't seen any explanation for why he would suddenly tolerate being a waiter, which—newsflash for anyone who hasn't done it—sucks. A lot of customers treat wait staff like garbage and I cannot imagine Nate handling that with a Customer Service Smile™, you know?

So all of that is kinda weird and not really super well explained, imo. But even weirder is that, unlike the audience, most of the other characters never saw any of these changes. For all they know, he's still the same Nate who was utterly awful for all of season 2. Characters like Jamie, Rebecca, Colin, and Isaac, who were varying levels of dicks at the beginning, showed the other characters that they wanted to make amends and worked to do so. They showed that they wanted to be better and gave others a reason to eventually trust them.

But Nate hasn't done any of this with the Richmond crew, so when Isaac, Colin, and Will (who Nate was particularly vile to) show up to invite him back to Richmond, I seriously thought the show was doing a weird dream sequence or something. My partner was equally baffled because it made NO SENSE. And yeah, I get that Ted has influenced people around him to be more forgiving etc. etc. but why would they invite Nate, who was horribly abusive to so many people on the team, back??? It would be like Sam inviting Akufo to dinner at his restaurant.

Anyway, I'm really not looking to argue with anyone. Sometimes you just need to vent, you know? And I just needed to vent about the Nate storyline, which I think has gotten really lame, and about how I take issue with the insistent forgiveness message of this last season. Yeah, I know it's fiction, but they are framing the show's messages as pretty explicit life advice. And the 'always forgive no matter what' message is simply not a universally good policy.

[disasterbijamietartt]

Since I just can’t not think about how Roy x Jamie could still happen and my dream scenario for the next episode, I’ll just drop this here for fanfic writers looking for ideas since none of this will happen and I know I'm too lazy to write this myself 😂

(Jamie was in two promo pics so he’ll probably be a background character with zero lines but some great pantomimes)

Jamie won’t be called up for England to play in the qualifications for the World Cup in Qatar, which is a downer at first, but he soon recovers (he’s a battler after all). And he still could make the cut for the actual World Cup team (I don’t know if this is how it works with the teams, but I doubt the show would care). Therefore, Roy and he have some extra intense training while everyone else is on break. Finally, we get a proper training montage to the tune of “Physical” by Olivia Newton-John.

(Sam also won’t be called up for Nigeria since Akufo is a piece of shit. 😞 But he’ll focus on his restaurant during the break, which is Akufo’s next target on his irrational mission to ruin everything good for Sam. But this will lead to Sam and Simi bonding some more and becoming an official couple. And Rebecca somehow gets Akufo to stop with his scheming. (He probably wants to buy Richmond to kick Sam off the team…) Maybe thanks to a bet similar to the dart competition with Rupert.)

But back to our main guys.

Roy is still pondering what he wants out of life (For once this season he hasn’t forgotten the lesson he learned between episodes!). During a training session, he asks Jamie what Jamie wants out of life. Jamie answers something like “I just want to live life as me!” which initially has Roy rolling his eyes. Until Jamie explains that most of his life he has lived as the man his dad wanted him to be instead of being true to himself. And that he wants to become the best version of himself to finally deserve to be loved and cared for. (And Roy looks puzzled like “??? But everyone already loves and cares about him???? Even me.”, but of course doesn’t say so…)

Then something along the lines of “I wanted and got a lot of things for the wrong reasons, so … maybe it is better not to get what you want but what you need.”

Jamie also comes out as bisexual during this exchange. He tells Roy how Colin’s coming out and everyone’s acceptance made him think maybe he can actually be bisexual. Instead of always hiding this part of himself, just because his dad hated it when he got the notion Jamie might be into boys.

(All of this then sets up that Jamie turns down the offer to play for England in Qatar, since he won’t support a World Cup in a country where they still have strict anti-gay laws. Clarifying that it is more important for Jamie to be the best, most authentic version of himself instead of being the best and most successful footballer he could become)

Keeley loses KJPR since Jack pulls the funding. And she realises the firm was something she might have wanted, but not what she had actually needed at this point in her life.

When Keeley goes to Rebecca to talk about this, she runs into Jamie in the hallway, they have a sweet exchange (he encourages her not to give up on her dreams), that is witnessed by Roy who has this yearning, slightly jealous expression (Cue for Isaac to talk about body language and something along the lines of “Sorry, coach, looks like she’s over you”)

Roy and Jamie do a school visit similar to the one with Ted and Roy in “Trent Crimm, the Independent”. Jamie meets Phoebe and Ms Bowen and while they interact, there is a similar wistful shot of Roy pondering … something. (Trent is there for his book and looks at Roy like “I know what you are”)

(Alternatively, Phoebe’s team visits Nelson Road and that is where the locker room stills are from—I just want Jamie to meet Phoebe!)

In a later scene, Roy is watching TV with Phoebe, getting snacks while some commercials run.

Cut to Keeley slouching on her couch, watching the same station as Roy and Phoebe.

And then Jamie’s bantr commercial plays. He says something super profound. That he is looking for a relationship where they help each other become the best version of themselves and support each other in reaching their life goals. This visibly moves Keeley.

Cut back to Roy and Phoebe. Roy tells Phoebe he has to go somewhere, to get what he really needs.

And then “You can’t always get what you want” by the Rolling Stones starts playing, while Roy makes his way to his unknown destination. Is it Keeley? Ms Bowen? (Spoiler, it is neither!)

(The song is both a callback to Jamie comparing him and Roy to Mick Jagger and Keith Richards AND to “She’s a Rainbow” playing while Roy returned to Richmond. And the chorus very well suits the theme of the episode as I wrote it in my head.

Edit: I also just noticed they used this song for the season 3 trailer, which I had totally forgotten about, so it would make even more sense to pick it up at some point later in the season)

And we get a montage of what is going on in the other characters’ lives, finishing of their storylines for this episode.

Rebecca has realised throughout the episode that she wants to give Sam another shot. But when she reaches Ola’s she sees Sam and Simi being cute together and kissing. Rebecca turns around, runs off and slams into someone. She drops her phone and when she reaches down to get it, the other person does the same. Cue to them looking at each other and … it is Dutch Guy! (And at last Rebecca gets to see his penis!)

Feeling sympathy for Bex, Nate leaked information to the press about Rupert's cheating (just like he did with Ted, but this time it is for the greater good!!!). Rupert finds out who the source is and tears Nate down verbally, really humiliating & insulting him to the core (to stress the stark difference between Rupert and Ted). In the end, Rupert threatens to fire Nate if he makes another mistake. Nate is devastated at first, but finds comfort with Jade. She is proud of him for exposing Rupert for the cheating asshole he is and reassures Nate (who is a worried mess about possibly losing his job) that she likes him and not his money and fame.

(At first I wanted Rupert to outright fire Nate, but Rupert probably wouldn’t want more bad publicity by firing the Wonder Kid AND it would be a better end for Nate’s arc if he is the one walking away from Rupert.)

Someone rings at Keeley’s door, but … it is not Roy, it is Barbara. She tells Keeley that she quit her job with Jack since she is sick of collecting snow globes. She rather wants to build a business with Keeley. (And for the rest of the season Keeley works on building her own little PR firm, slowly growing instead of suddenly being overwhelmingly BIG because of funding and expectations, with AFC Richmond as her primary client.)

(Also something with Ted, but I haven’t settled on some specific scenario. Maybe some realisation that the team may want him to stay but they don’t need him anymore, therefore it is better for him to leave so they can grow on their own. I’m fairly certain he’ll leave—or at least he decides to leave—by the end of the series, but it might be too early for him to actually come to this realisation. Either Trent or Rebecca or both will play a big part in his storyline this episode)

Next cut is Jamie on the couch, reading a book about football tactics. It rings at his door, and when he opens, *gasp*, it is Roy, a bit breathless and sweaty from running too fast. Jamie is a bit confused. Roy explains he has finally realised what he wants out of his life and that he maybe not get it, but he has to at least try. Then Roy confesses to Jamie that he wants him. A brief moment of hesitation before they kiss.

Fade to black and the end credits start rolling.

OR, if they go for a more gut-wrenching scenario and Jamie x Keeley x Roy endgame: Roy reaches Jamie’s house just in time to see Keeley standing at the door, both of them talking and then Keeley going in for a kiss. Shot of a very sad Roy turning away while Keeley and Jamie retreat into the house.

[whimsicallyenchantedrose]

The Girls’ Trip Fairy Tale Ending--Chapter 2 of 5

Summary:  This is my combined birthday gift for Joni (  @jrob64​  ), Marta ( @snowbellewells​ ) and Krystal ( @kmomof4​ ).  Happy birthday ladies! Four fandom friends are nearing the end of their annual girls’ trip when they’re suddenly visited by Isaac, the author before Henry.  He gives them an each a gift--an opportunity to jump into any scene in the storybook they want and fix it.  Large focus on CS, although other characters and relationships will be explored.  A big shoutout to @hollyethecurious​ and @winterbaby89​ for betaing!

Word Count: 2116

Other chapters:  (1) (3) (4)

Can also be found on: (ao3) (ff.net)

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Chapter 2

Joni dropped to the ground with an “oof”. She rolled her eyes as she got to her feet and brushed herself off.  She really shouldn’t be surprised that Isaac made stepping into the book this difficult, should she?

Looking around, she found herself in the giant’s outer courtyard. She couldn’t be entirely sure when in the story she’d landed, but she knew what she wanted to fix, so she could make a relatively educated guess.  At any rate, the action was taking place inside, so that’s where she needed to be.

Joni made her way through the giant’s enormous front door and looked around. In one corner stood the giant pile of rubble under which she knew Hook was currently buried. As she began the rather long trek toward him, she saw Emma rush in and begin moving stones and then reaching for the man buried beneath.

It was a surreal feeling, Joni thought, as she continued forward. She was about to meet her favorite characters. Oh, she’d met Colin O’Donoghue at a con, of course, but Colin was not Hook.  She knew, however, that this was not the time for fangirling. This was the time to make her plan about how she was going to fix this situation.

She had to get to them before Emma left Hook behind! If she didn’t make it in time, she could free him herself, of course, but it wouldn’t have the same effect. She needed Emma to realize she could trust him.

“Swan!” 

Joni heard Hook’s furious shout just as Emma turned and fairly sprinted toward the castle door, and Joni knew this was her chance. She stopped Emma with a hand to her shoulder.

“Think about what you’re doing,” Joni said softly.

“I am!” Emma said with a growl. “I’m doing what I have to do to get back to my son!”

Joni shook her head. “No, you’re not, you’re running. I heard what you said, that you can’t take a chance that you’re wrong about him. You’re not.”

“How the hell would you know that?” Emma retorted angrily.  “He’s a pirate, and we both just met him!”

“I know that because …” Joni thought fast, searching for some way to explain her knowledge of Hook’s character.  Suddenly she smiled.  “I know that because I know you.  I know your superpower.”

“And?”

“And, look at what you said!” Joni replied.  “You didn’t say you think he’s untrustworthy.  You said you can’t take a chance that you’re wrong about him.  If that’s the case, that means you know deep down that you can trust him.  You’re just afraid.”

Emma crossed her arms and frowned.  “Afraid of what?”

“Afraid of him becoming important to you.”

Emma glanced aside, making a skeptical sound.

“Look,” Joni said, “It’s not like I’m saying you need to fall in love with the guy, go through literal hell to save him, get married and have his baby or anything.  I’m just saying, let’s be strategic about this.  Even if you aren’t ready to fully trust him, think about it. He may be… squirrelly… but he’s proven himself to be resourceful, and he’s knowledgeable about both this land and about Cora’s plans.  He can be a huge asset to us.”

That seemed to get through to her.  For a moment, all that could be heard was Hook’s continued colorful invectives and shouts of her name.  Finally Emma nodded.  “I suppose you’re right.”

“I was a teacher, after all,” Joni said.  “I know things.”

“Besides,” Emma said, “we’re probably better off keeping him with us than against us.”

“So let’s go free him and get off this beanstalk before Mulan cuts it down,” Joni said.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Joni opened her eyes, not even aware she’d closed them.  Looking around, she realized she was no longer on the beanstalk.  She was in a dank stone cave, behind a set of spiky bars.

Rumplestiltskin’s cell.

It was eerie how she randomly traveled from place to place, from time to time, within this story.  It was more than a little disconcerting and disorienting.

Shaking her head, Joni decided to put aside her musings of how she got here for later and just focus on the situation at hand.  She’d accomplished her objective at the top of the beanstalk, so she assumed the rest of her adventure–whatever that may consist of–must largely involve her observing what was going on around her, rather than affecting the outcome–although, make no mistake.  If Isaac continued to make them do stupid things, she was getting involved.

That being the case, she looked around seeing Aurora in the far corner of the cell, bemoaning the fact that this was her fault, because she’d let Cora take her heart.  Beside her, Mulan comforted her.  Emma stood at the bars, hacking fruitlessly away at them with her sword, while Mary Margaret and Hook stood back and watched.

“That won’t work, love,” Hook said, stepping up to Emma and putting a hand on her shoulder.  “Rumplestiltskin himself couldn’t break out of these bars.”

The fight drained from Emma, and she slowly slid down until she was seated on the stone floor against the wall, her head bowed, defeat written all over her face.

“It’s pointless anyway,” Emma said finally.  “She’s got the dust; she’s got the compass.  She’s probably in Storybrooke already and we’re still stuck here with no way out.”

“Emma, we’ll find a way!” Snow White said cheerfully, taking a seat beside her daughter and hugging her.  “We will succeed.”

“Really?” Emma asked, turning jaded eyes her way.  “How exactly will we do that?  What the hell use are any of us against a witch as powerful as Cora?”

“Far be it from me to side with the heroes,” Hook said, taking a seat opposite Emma, “but I must agree with your mother here, Swan.  Look at this.  Look closely.”

Hook produced the scroll on which Rumple had written Emma’s name over and over and over again, presenting it to her.

Emma scoffed. 

“I’m quite serious, love,” Hook continued.  “My old demon may be a right bastard, but he could see the future, and he knew you would be extraordinary.”

“Is that what you think this parchment is about?” Emma asked, tossing it back at him.  “I’m not extraordinary.  I’m not a savior.  I’m only what he made me.  All that’s special about me is due to the fact that Rumple-freaking-stiltskin needed someone to break his curse so he could… well I have no idea what his big plan is, but that’s neither here nor there.”

Hook shook his head. “The Dark One may be able to manipulate circumstances to achieve his ends, but he doesn’t have the power to make someone something that they’re not.  You’re not special because the Dark One wrote your name on this parchment in squid ink.  The Dark One wrote your name on this parchment in squid ink because you’re special.”

Suddenly Hook got to his feet, excitement in his eyes. “The squid ink!  I know how we can get out of here and stop Cora!”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Joni blinked, and suddenly she found herself on the banks of Lake Nostos.

Interesting.

She couldn’t wait to see how this scene played out given the changes she’d made.

All around her was chaos.  Cora tossed magic and fireballs in every direction, while the princess squad and Hook fought her off, looking for an opening, any way to separate her from the compass.  Next to them, the lake swirled and bubbled.

A fireball whizzed past Joni’s head, and she had to lean back in order to avoid it.  She wondered about the rules of this situation Isaac had put her into.  What would happen to a person from the real world if they got killed within the storybook?  Would they stay dead?

She decided she didn’t want to find out.  Taking several steps back, she separated herself from the action.

All around her, the scene played out much as it had in canon.  Snow managed to shoot the compass from Cora’s hand.  Mulan deflected her magic with her sword.  Emma ran off in search of the now liberated compass, and Hook saved Aurora’s heart with his cheeky line about women losing their hearts over them.

Suddenly, Emma spotted the compass in the sand, and turned to reach for it just as Cora sent a bolt of magic her way.

“Look out, Swan!” Hook shouted, seeing the danger approaching.  He launched himself into her, knocking her flat on her back, and landing atop her.  He quickly levered himself up so as not to crush her, but Joni could see the flirtatious look in his eyes when he realized their compromising position.

“Normally, I prefer to do other more enjoyable activities with a woman on her back,” he said cheekily. “With our lives on the line, though, you’ve left me with no choice.”

Emma rolled her eyes, and pushed him aside.  “What, you gonna be all pirate-y and jab me with your sword?”

Hook got to his feet and offered her a hand up as he chuckled,then leaned in and winked at her. His grin turned wicked while his voice got low and intimate.  “When I jab you with my sword, you’ll feel it.”

For a moment, Emma seemed lost in those flirtatious eyes (and Joni wondered how anyone could blame her), but then she shook her head, and reached down for the compass.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Joni felt herself being pulled away, and she could tell something was different as scenes began to flash past her.  It was as though previously she’d been a part of the action, and now she was watching a montage of the rest of season 2.

Much of the action played out the same as it had in canon.  

There were some differences, of course.  Without Hook and the desiccated bean he’d kept, Cora was never able to get to Storybrooke.  Consequently, she was never able to turn Regina fully to her side, nor was Archie ever believed to be dead, nor did the Mills women kill Johanna.

Joni had hoped her intervention would have been enough to keep Hook on team hero, but it proved to be too big an ask.  He was intrigued by Emma already, of course, but it wasn’t enough to turn him from his life’s purpose.  He’d slunk off as soon as he’d emerged from the wishing well, looking for an opportunity to properly skin his crocodile.  He’d indeed followed Emma and Rumple to New York and stabbed him.  He’d indeed made the (incredibly stupid) choice to throw in his lot with Greg and Tamara.

And in the end, he’d indeed returned to team hero at the last minute with the bean needed to get them to Neverland to rescue Henry.

All in all, Joni’s actions had created little more than a ripple in the initial story, but as the story moved forward, that ripple grew and spread.  Emma was quicker to trust him, their bond stronger from the first.  Opening her heart to the possibilities Hook represented made it far easier for him to climb inside and heal the broken pieces within.

Isaac may have made dire predictions about the problems meddling with his precious storyline would cause, but Joni knew the truth: She’d made a difference for the good.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Joni blinked once more, and suddenly she was back in the living room of the rental cabin, her friends and Isaac looking at her with eager eyes.

“So?” Krystal asked. “What happened?  How was it?”

“Ah, ah, ah!” Isaac said.  “No discussion until everyone’s had their turn!  Who’s next?”

“I’ll go!” Marta said, setting her laptop aside and getting to her feet.

“Where to?” Isaac asked.

“I know just the scene,” Marta said.

Suddenly the pages of the book began to flutter again, and it opened to a page with the drawing of a large wolf and the Mills family mausoleum.

Notes:

–Happy birthday Joni!  I hope your day is filled with happiness and pirates!  (At least the hot fictional ones in black leather)

–When I asked what scene each person would want to go to to fix, Joni’s answer was the beanstalk.  She wanted to tell Emma that she could trust that she was right about Hook, and so voila!  Here is how I imagine that scene playing out–and the subsequent changes to season 2!

–Up next, on August 15, we have Marta’s birthday.  To what is, I’m sure, absolutely NO ONE’S surprise, Marta requested a Graham scene.  What would have happened if someone (Marta) convinced Emma that Graham was right about his heart and she was able to stop Regina before she crushed it?

                                                                                  NEXT CHAPTER-->

[bright-and-burning]

Twenty Questions for Fic Writers

thank you @glasscushion this was really fun!

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

two under various pseuds rn and 1? or 2? orphaned fics from years ago

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

19.6k!! not much but i’m proud of it <3

3. What fandoms do you write for?

hopefully f1 skdjskjd. ive got a ted lasso wip i reeeeally want to finish someday. and a newsies historically accurate magnum opus that may never see the light but that’s fine

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

i only have two non-orphaned fics published rn so:

five times colin cooks for his team (and one time his team cooks for him)

cute lil 5+1 ted lasso fic !! mildly colin/isaac but mostly colin & co being besties. written before season 3 came out

a look never hurt this much

tiny meat gang soulmates au (i refuse to be ashamed abt this). noel/cody lol

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

oh absolutely yes!! i treat comments like dms honestly i love giving a directors commentary type whatever in the comments

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

an orphaned fic in a to-remain unnamed fandom. unrequited love very very angsty stuff but more than a bit silly looking back on it (i was like 14 and really going through it). i tend to write very domestic-y stuff so not much i write has any lasting angst in it!

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

probably my tiny meat gang soulmates au mentioned above i won’t lie 😭 i haven’t read back through it since i wrote it so if it’s bad don’t blame me

8. Do you get hate on fics?

i’ve never gotten hate on fics thank god i would die

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

i’m trying to figure out how to write it lol (ask me about curly girl method lando and blowjobs). unfortunately (fortunately?) my draw to silly domestic stuff shines through so it’s not like molten hot smut, it’s kinda silly sex, i won’t lie

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written?

ive never published one bc i am occasionally a coward but i have many many notes on them/half written stuff. i like a lot of things and i like mashing those things together like barbie dolls! i think the craziest one i ever conceived of was newsies x music man tbh.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

who knows. as far as i know no

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

nope!

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

no but i would LOVE to omg i feel like there’s so much potential to balance out my weaknesses with other people’s

14. What’s your all-time favourite ship?

i am a multi shipper girlie i can be convinced of the appeal of ANYTHING. in terms of f1. lando/oscar maybe tho. won’t lie pierre/esteban kinda hitting…

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

hm i have some very grandiose far-reaching plots floating around rn (runners au and apartment/roommates au) that will be written and “completed,” but probably won’t ever fully get expanded to the point i’ve thought about them, if that makes sense

16. What are your writing strengths?

oh i like to think i’m very good at writing like. domestic intimacy/intimate friendships. feeling like home. comfort, and food! ppl tend to describe my writing as cozy and lived in, and i think that’s what i’m good at! (someone once said reading my fic was like eating comfort food and i literally cried)

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

transitioning!! time passing!! i’m so bad at that! also smut as i’ve discovered lol. i tend to stay away from genres i feel like im bad at writing so that’s less of an issue (hence why i haven’t really written any real angst). writing on my own w no feedback is Hard i would die for someone to look over my stuff

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

if it’s like a random line/couple of lines in a different language then usually i’ll put it in english but in italics. if the entire fic is between people who would all be speaking the same (non english) language then i don’t bother. i don’t translate to that language tho bc i don’t trust translation sites and im VERY rusty on my languages (you will not get french or mandarin in a fic from me i would die of fear). throwing in random words in other languages also makes me cringe in my own writing for some reason? but it doesn’t bother me in others’ writing lol

19. First fandom you wrote for?

if we mean published fic, for either 5 seconds of summer (cringes) or the maze runner, i can’t remember. if we mean wrote in general, definitely harry potter when i was like 9 in a little notebook that i sincerely hope has been burned since then.

20. Favourite fic you’ve written?

probably the ted lasso fic! i love writing food, and comfort, and that’s like entirety of the fic, so. if i get runners au off the ground any time soon i would bet money on that becoming my fave tho

pretty much every single one of my mutuals has been tagged in this already so. if you see this and you wanna do it do it like i’ve tagged you!!!

[secretnook]

@whimsical-roasting asked for Colin, Isaac, Sam, and Dani and I am here to deliver! Sorry for the wait🫶

Colin:

Long game but none of us win

Afraid of shеdding our skin

We keep on playing pretend

This fеar's a rope on our wrists

These years of life that we've missed

Song: Caves

Our beautiful strong and capable man. I chose these lyrics for reasons that I believe are fairly obvious. Colin hid who he was for many reasons and didn’t tell Isaac because of the fear that plagued his mind.

Sam:

There's no way out of an angry crowd without steppin' on some toes

They'll scream your name 'til the lights go out then they'll feed you to the wolves

It's hard to say who you'll be when they let those big red curtains close

You know this 'cause you told me so

Song: Godlight

I chose these lyrics for Sam to reflect the storyline surrounding his restaurant being vandalized. How people told him to keep his thoughts to himself and stick to dribbling a ball. To do the same thing which they love and praise him for until he makes a mistake. Sam is forced to navigate how he wants to live his life with these expectations forced on him by society.

Isaac:

It only falls into place when you're falling to pieces

You find love that lasts a while then you lose the reasons

You say God, I'm alive

But the whole place is quiet

You miss something that you can't place but you can't deny it

Song: Still

I chose these lyrics for Isaac specifically when looking at his time after being chosen as captain. Isaac has a hard time finding his footing as captain and the team as a whole struggles because of it, and as a result Isaac is constantly angry (understandably.) Isaac loved soccer, that’s why he dedicated his life to it. As we see later, Roy shows Isaac that he’s missing the love he had for the game, the fact that it used to be fun. Isaac probably wouldn’t have seen that if it wasn’t for Roy.

Dani:

Don't let this darkness fool you

All lights turned off can be turned on

I'll drive, I'll drive all night

I'll call your mom

Oh, dear, don't be discouraged

I've been exactly where you are

Song: Call Your Mom

Oh Dani, our sweet little angel boy. Dani can see the positive in any situation and has a way with words that makes things more understandable. Just look at his “wounded butterfly” word choice instead of simply saying Nate was being a dick. He is the sunshine on the team and he would do anything for anyone. Not only is he a ray of sunshine, he has gone through his own dark times and gotten to the other side, he knows what it’s like to go through something that changes how one sees the world and he’s there to help.

give me a Ted Lasso character and I’ll give you a Noah Kahan song lyric that applies to them (and will probs make me cry)

[kalinara]

One of the many things I loved about the execution of Nate’s arc in season 2 (even though I do NOT believe this is the end of the story) is how we got to see Nate’s perception twist and change in real time.

Like the suit.  When Ted bought Nate the suit in For the Children, it was an empowering, supportive gesture.  Nate had never had a reason to have a suit before.  And he probably didn’t really have money for a fancy suit either.  He wasn’t collecting a coach’s salary yet, after all.

And Nate looked good in the suit!  He felt good in the suit!  He loved the suit so much that he asked Colin and Isaac to bully him extra tomorrow because he didn’t want it to be ruined.

The fact that Ted bought it for him was a non-issue.  No one even mentioned it!  

But then we fast forward a year, and things feel very different.

Nate is a coach now, and he probably earns enough money to buy a new suit.  And he probably should have, all things considered.  The suit he has is perfect for a gala but the cut and color is not exactly ideal for a funeral.

Now, for the record, this isn’t a big deal.  There’s nothing wrong with only having one suit.  There’s nothing wrong with wearing the same suit to multiple events, and even if it’s not funeral-ideal, it’s also not inappropriate.  It didn’t occur to Nate to buy a new suit and that’s okay.  His mind is on other things!

But Nate noticed, I’m sure, that he’s dressed a bit differently than the others.  That the himbos managed to go off and buy dress shoes, while he didn’t think to get a different suit.

And then Jan Maas makes one of his insensitive comments.  And maybe if Nate were in a clearer state of mind, he might have noticed that Keeley immediately disagreed and that Jamie was offended on his behalf.  He might have considered that Jan Maas regularly insults everyone on a near daily basis, and is a far bigger walking faux pas than Nate could ever be, even if Nate had shown up in Jason Sudeikis’s red satin devil suit.

But Nate’s been sinking downward into his spiral of self-loathing for a while now.  And the suit, “Ted’s suit”, becomes a source of embarrassment.  

Heck, even the attribution to Ted - If anything, that should be a point of pride!  Ted doesn’t buy everyone a suit!  It’s a sign of how special their relationship is!  I’d imagine any one of the himbos would be amazed and delighted to get a suit from Ted, even if it’s hideous (and Nate’s suit wasn’t!).  But now, it feels infantilizing.

And it’s fascinating because we can see exactly how that spiral happened: how it went from a lovely empowering gift to a cause of humiliation in only a year.  And because of that, we can imagine how everything else has soured for him too.  

Nate’s unfortunately never going to be happy until he manages to address some of his issues.  And hopefully season 3 will let him.

[hacash]

Would You Fuck A Clone Of Yourself: Himbos edition

  (featuring guest appearances from kitboys past and present)

I don't want to fuck my clone because that would be gay sex and I'm not gay. - Roy

I'm not gay, but I would actually totally fuck my clone. - Sam

I'm gay, but I still don't want to fuck my clone, that's gross and weird. - Isaac

I'd totally fuck my clone because I want to know if I'm good in bed. - Colin

I'd fuck my clone because who would know better how to fuck ME than ME? - Jamie

I'd totally do all sort of weird things to my clone I'd be embarrassed to ask someone else to do. - Dani

I don't want to fuck my clone because my self-loathing is THAT strong. - Nate

To be honest, fucking my clone has always been my fantasy. - Zoreaux

It's basically the same as masturbating, right? So no big deal. - Bumbercatch

It's not the same as masturbating; it'd be like having sex with your twin. Wrong and bad! - Will

I would not have sex with my clone because what if my clone is evil. - Richard

Not only would I have sex with my clone, I'd probably make a bunch of clones and just get it on with all of them at once because that's how pro clone-fucking I am. - Jan

thanks to @bibliothekara​ for inspiring this; all rulings are final except for when I change my mind

[yourtokentrophywife]

hit me with that mcahughes grindr fic, bb. 💖

because you are The Best™, i will provide you with as much as i can <3 so without further ado, here is a snippet of grindr:

“Colin?” Isaac asks Colin in the parking lot after practice. Isaac appears to be deep in thought, looking at him with a perplexed expression.

“Yeah?” Colin raises an eyebrow in question, fiddling with the keys to his Lamborghini.

“What’s Grindr?”

Colin beams bright red.

Fuck.

Fuck.

“It’s an app,” Colin answers, trying really hard not to give anything away. Maybe Isaac won’t ask any more questions.

The centre-back looks confused and his face does the thing where it scrunches up adorably. “Like a dating app, yeah?”

“Yeah,” Colin nods, feeling a nervous sweat break out. Isaac has never been this curious. About anything.

“Are you—” Isaac attempts and then he looks very serious, all of sudden. “Are you on it or what? Since you mentioned it and all.”

“No, it was just the spelling, you know,” Colin says nonchalantly, attempting to be casual. “Same as Bantr. Without the ‘E’. Just thought it was funny.”

Isaac does that short laugh he does when he doesn’t really get it and turns towards his Range Rover, unlocking it and gets in without as much as a goodbye. Colin doesn’t think any further of it. He feels like he has played it off well. It’s not like Isaac would ever know that Colin is in fact on Grindr and that Grindr is an app for gay people.

***

The thing is, Isaac begins to act strange after that.

“Seeing anyone, mate?” Isaac inquiries casually on the field one day. They are doing dribble drills through lines of cones and Colin is doing his best to concentrate. He can’t fuck up again. Not in front of the gaffer, the lads or Nate.

“No, boyo,” Colin answers distractedly. He loses his consistency and kicks the ball up into his hands, making way to move back to the first cone of the line.

“‘S difficult, yeah?” Isaac says, following him instead of finishing through his own row of cones.

“I suppose,” Colin tilts his head. He is not sure why Isaac is suddenly so interested in his love life when he never was before. “Haven’t really got the time, you know.”

Isaac nods in agreement, kicking his ball left and right between his own feet. “Think I should try out Grindr?”

Colin chokes. He makes a strangled not-quite cough, not-quite gasp. “What?”

“It’s a dating app, right?” Isaac looks at him for a confirmation.

“I mean—” Colin breaks off and clears his throat. “It is, but maybe you should try Bantr first? Would probably make Keeley happy.”

“‘M not good with words, mate,” Isaac looks a bit ashamed all of sudden, scuffing the tip of his boot against the grass.

��Oh. Well, then there’s Tinder,” Colin suggests, still very much attempting to keep himself from boiling over with frustration.

It’s not like he told Isaac he actually is on Grindr. So really, he should be able to explain to Isaac that Grindr is not exactly what Isaac thinks it is. But that involves explaining why he, himself, knows about it. And Colin is not too keen on giving Isaac that information.

Even though Isaac is a bit of a numpty, he probably would be able to connect the dots.

“Tinder?” Isaac looks a bit offended. “Isn’t that where Richard gets all his birds?”

“Yeah,” Colin winks for good measure. Yes, brilliant Colin, he thinks. Distract him with the promise of getting laid. Fit birds and supermodels are on Tinder. Every straight bloke’s dream.

“Don’t think that’s the kind of people you date,” Isaac says, scrunching up his nose in disgust.

Right then. Isaac wants to really date someone. Settle down. Become girlfriend and boyfriend. That sort of thing.

It shouldn’t bother Colin at all, but it does. It’s an itch, a lurking feeling, crawling under his skin and if he really searches, deep into the abyss, under all his thoughts and worries—somewhere in his subconscious there’s a tiny amount of affection for sweet, dumb Isaac. An incline, a preference, a crush.

“Just give it a chance,” Colin says instead, growing tired of the conversation. And then he takes off, dribbling the ball, left and right, with expert speed through the cones. That’ll show Nate. His fancy step-over bullshit is what makes him good.

[masculinepeacock]

writer ask game!! i was tagged by @itsthecamouflage @supercantaloupe @buckysbears

What’s your all-time favourite ship?

ooooh all time favorite is hard. right now my brain is in kastentatia mode, but i'm also obsessed with colin/isaac so it's hard to decide

How many works do you have on AO3?

i have an even 50!

What’s your total AO3 word count?

i'm at 124,622! but i've also taken a few longer fics off bc i wanted to finish them lmao

What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

1. The Power of a Good List which is a Marvel fic that exists within someone else's fic universe!! outsider POV my beloved <3 (165 kudos)

2. love with every stranger, the stranger the better, my unfinished sansaery GBBO fic that i wanna finish so bad. when will my muse return from war (140 kudos)

3. hit me with your sweet love, steal me with a kiss, this was my first ted lasso fic and honestly i'm really proud of it so im glad it's on the list (104 kudos)

4. got a lotta love to give, i never expected people to read my dad!colin fic so the fact that people liked it? i love it (95 kudos)

5. The Council, riz and the bitchy besties!! absolutely one of my fav things i've ever written, riz POV my beloved (79 kudos)

Do you reply to comments, why or why not?

i do!! i love seeing comments and even if i just reply in emojis i try to respond to all of them!

What’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending?

idk if any of my fics have truly /angsty/ endings? but some of my fics that are just like cutoff convos are pretty angsty? most of them are in my faeth family feels tag!

What’s the fic you’ve written with the happiest ending?

honestly i do go hurt/comfort a lot, or like emotionally sappy, but my happiest fic is probably my sandra lynn/jawbone kitchenware fic, or my brancella gbbo au

Do you write crossovers?

i did one crossover fic for the d20 alphabet challenge!! i will not link it <3

Have you ever received hate on a fic?

i don't think so? i've gotten some comments that i weren't Sure, but i've chosen to take them as compliments

Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

nope! i've done some fade to black stuff but no real smut

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

no?? i dont think so

Have you ever had a fic translated?

i have not! but it'd be really cool

Have you ever co-written a fic before?

i have! @shelbychild and i co-wrote a Jasiper Princess Diaries fic for the PJO Big Bang

What’s a WIP that you want to finish but don’t think you ever will?

not really?? i mean i really want to finish the fig electra heart au but i might make it a series rather than like a chapter fic

What are your writing strengths?

i like to think dialogue! but i also know it's not my Best. i do a lot of descriptions but tbh i do like my one liners, or using one line to get what i'm trying to say across. i also like to think that i'm good at building tensions in scenes/i don't post if often but writing horror/gore

What are your writing weaknesses?

i know i said i like to think i'm good at dialogue, but i also know that sometimes i'm not. and also like pre planning gets me all the fucking time. i always go back and fuck with my outlines when i do make them, they never stay the same

What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

i personally don't do it, but that's also because i don't fully trust my ability to know when someone would switch to another language. i know a lot of immigrant who do switch languages pretty often, but i also know it all depends on family structure/the character so i just avoid it for myself

What was the first fandom you wrote for?

i think PJO?? but i also probably wrote fic as a kid i forgot about

What’s your favorite fic you’ve written?

ooh i really like my aelwyn and old people fic. i'm also proud of my fig and fabian fics, but particularly stitch by stitch i tear apart!

tagging anyone who wants to!!!

[pacificwanderer]

Has anyone done a comparison between what VF has said aboit the movies previously and what ended up happening in the movies for real? Could be interesting

Not that I’ve seen, Nonnie,

But I gave it a quick scan and it’s pretty spoiler light lol.  Below the cut are some of the quotes I found interesting. As a direct comparison, the 2019 edition is longer and got some stunningly specific content concerning the relationship between Kylo and Rey, and more upfront “spoilers” than 2017 (we have more of an idea of where the movie’s starting at than in 2017 at the same point). There certainly weren’t any will they-won’t they/Star Crossed comments in the VF article from 2017. In fact, there’s not much mentioned about them together at all (which I’m sure is intentional because many people were surprised about them having a bond and not immediately killing each other). This year, they’re really deliberately setting the tone of what’s to come, which I appreciate.

We also heard a lot more about F/nn and P/e than in the 2019 article too; all in all, we got a fuck of a lot more in 2019, which is probably due to this being the last one? Pulling out all the stops? Making it super obvious?

They also talk a lot about Carrie and her passing, as well as spend a great deal of time talking to Mark, which is understandable.

Closer to the release of TLJ, there was this article from Anthony Breznican which delved more into the idea that maybe there’s more going on between these two than people realize (that maybe Rey was at risk for falling to the dark side, specifically).

In October 2017, there was this interview where Adam interviews Daisy that was both cute and kind of made it clear that they possibly spent more time filming together than some people realized, meaning that their characters would likely have much screentime together. 

Additionally, there were some interesting updates to the SW Database that made us all freak the fuck out (specifically talking about a connection between Rey and Kylo) as well as a shitton of Reylo-centric covers.

I honestly think they’re intentionally being obvious here, because.... some people don’t seem to be getting the direction of this story, or don’t want to believe certain relationships/stories are going to be a huge focus of tRoS.

Anyways, quotes after the cut, but I linked the article up top if anyone is interested.

Cheers!

This quote really resonates:  

Adam Driver, alluding both to Finn’s state and the scar seen on his own face in the trailer, told me, “I feel like almost everyone is in that rehabilitation state. You know, I don’t think that patricide is all that it’s cracked up to be. Maybe that’s where Kylo Ren is starting from. His external scar is probably as much an internal one.”

And this one concerning Rian Johnson and his headspace when writing the script:

But Johnson, in drawing up his screenplay, decided to raise the stakes further. “I started by writing the names of each of the characters,” he said, “and thinking, What’s the hardest thing they could be faced with?”

Rian on Luke training Rey:

The Last Jedi is to a large extent about the relationship between Luke and Rey, but Johnson cautions against any “one-to-one correlation” between, say, Yoda’s tutelage of young Luke in The Empire Strikes Back and old Luke’s tutelage of Rey. “There’s a training element to it,” he said, “but it’s not exactly what you would expect.” 

Ha ha ha, a lot can change during the time between movies:

The final film of the trilogy, due in 2019 and for the moment assigned the simple working title Episode IX, will be directed by Colin Trevorrow, who did not yet have the big-budget feature Jurassic Worldunder his belt when he crossed Kennedy’s radar; he came to her attention via his first feature, the 2012 indie comedy Safety Not Guaranteed, and a recommendation from her friend Brad Bird, the Pixar auteur.

On the story group and their role during production:

The story group, which numbers 11 people, maintains the narrative continuity and integrity of all the Star Wars properties that exist across various platforms: animation, video games, novels, comic books, and, most important, movies. “The whole team reads each draft of the screenplay as it evolves,” Hart explained to me, “and we try, as much as we can, to smooth out anything that isn’t connecting.” 

More on the story group and how Rian worked with them:

What the story group does not do, Hart said, is impose plot-point mandates on the filmmakers. Johnson told me he was surprised at how much leeway he was given to cook up the action of Episode VIII from scratch. “The pre-set was Episode VII, and that was kind of it,” he said. If anything, Johnson wanted more give-and-take with the Lucasfilm team, so he moved up to San Francisco for about six weeks during his writing process, taking an office two doors down from Hart’s and meeting with the full group twice a week.

I really miss Carrie:

Isaac, who filmed several scenes with Fisher, said that, like Hamill, she delivered a rich performance, giving her all as an actor, rather than treating Leia’s part as an exercise in feel-good sentimentalism. “We did this scene where Carrie has to slap me,” he said. “I think we did 27 takes in all, and Carrie leaned into it every time, man. She loved hitting me. Rian found such a wonderful way of working with her, and I think she really relished it.”

For his part, Johnson quickly formed a deep bond with Fisher as a fellow writer, spending long hours with her at the eccentric compound she shared with her mother, Debbie Reynolds, in the Coldwater Canyon section of Beverly Hills. “After I had a draft, I would sit down with her when I was working on re-writing,” he said. “Sitting with her on her bed, in her insane bedroom with all this crazy modern art around us, TCM on the TV, a constant stream of Coca-Cola, and Gary the dog slobbering at her feet.”

Fisher completed her part in Episode VIII late last summer, when principal photography on the film wrapped. “She was having a blast,” said Kennedy. “The minute she finished, she grabbed me and said, ‘I’d better be at the forefront of IX!’ Because Harrison was front and center on VII, and Mark is front and center on VIII. She thought IX would be her movie. And it would have been.”  [Okay, crying a little bit--my comment]

[disasterbijamietartt]

I know what you mean about the neither confirming nor denying thing. Like I can see it as not wanting to take away from the Colin moment, and it was definitely left in a way that can be interpreted positively and I think unless they outright say otherwise, a lot of fandom will take it as a yes, he is. That said, that was the perfect time to confirm, just one line, and I will feel cheated if they dont let him acknowledge it. I am slightly more forgiving of actors teasing a character's sexuality if it seems like actually they are 100% behind it (a la Oscar Isaac with Poe, and I do think Phil with Jamie), but I will be more disappointed in the show for teasing it and not going ahead

Yeah, and you know, I’m so done settling and rejoicing over hints when the creators don’t have the backbone to make something canon. So I have a hard time giving them the benefit of the doubt right now.

Maybe they will surprise me positively, but … the more I think about this, the more it upsets me.

@time-is-restored also makes a good point here, that sleep deprived me forgot about.

The whole situation where everyone on the team looked at him like “We know what you are” was quite unsettling to me—that is not a group of queer people recognising one of their own. That is a group of straight guys singling out one in their middle because he looks/seems gay to them.

Are they stereotyping Jamie because he cares for his appearance? (which is like the only context I can think of, where “I’m flattered” makes sense as a response to me—”They think I’m gay because I’m stylish and hot, so it is a compliment”) Or do they think when Jamie talked about being too “soft” for his dad in season 1, he actually meant “gay”?

The most generous view I can come up with is, that Jamie has dated no one since Keeley and they’re collectively like “He is so hot, and also fun and kind and supportive, him being single makes no sense unless he is gay”. Like, from a fannish perspective I could also go “Haha, after Amsterdam they probably think Roy and Jamie are secretly dating”, but there is like zero proof they might actually think that.

And honestly, as much as I enjoy interpreting every little choice on the show: The average viewer doesn’t do that. The average viewer will look and jump to the first conclusion that makes sense to them, which likely will be stereotyping.

Someone (like Trent) should have called that out.

I could generously interpret the whole exchange as giving a huge hint to casual viewers: “Jamie is perceived as queer, just so you know for future reference 😉”, but still the entire scene doesn’t sit well with me. And they could have accomplished the same result in a way where Jamie actually has agency about this.

Since also, by singling Jamie out, they basically forced him to make a statement, either forcing him to lie or to come out even when he may not be ready for it, which is super shitty behaviour. (So I could also read the “I’m flattered” as him deflecting, like he knows he is bi but doesn’t feel like coming out yet and assumed they clocked him because of his appearance.)

Add to this that Colin basically was forced to come out because of the circumstances and couldn’t actually decide on his own account when and how to come out. (Which is like the opposite of what I wanted)

And we didn’t even get the how, because it was more important to focus on the straight allies 🤡 Like, if the writers didn’t want to take away from Colin’s moment, they could have made it more about Colin? (Yes, he didn't want to be a spokesperson, but it would still have been nice to have him actually say "I am gay" in front of his mates.)

I liked the conversation Roy and Isaac had and think it was necessary (partly for my queer Roy agenda), but instead of giving us this cringeworthy talk by Ted, they could have given Colin more room for his own coming out—and then have Ted reassure him, that they care about him with a story that is about Ted not caring enough about someone who actually was queer and regretting that.

Gosh, the more my brain wakes up, the more upset I get lol

(And yes, I am usually quite forgiving with actors, since they don’t have control over their franchise, but no matter how much I adore Phil, the way he constantly brings up Roy x Jamie as a possibility is going a bit too far at this point if he is only joking.)

[luxorgossip]

Any desires for costumes particular students will wear for halloween? Cade would be pretty hot as a werewolf

Ooh !! What a fun question, Greyface. Cade as a werewolf is definitely fitting, I agree. Something tells me he’s got a good howl in him somewhere. If you don’t mind, I’m going to put this in list format to make it easier on myself. 

Jackson KingHa, easy. Invisible Man or Where’s Waldo. I would literally pay him to give me this. How much will it take, Jackie ??

Kenzie Horton Wonder Woman, perhaps ?? She’s strong and moraled enough to be her. Someone to look up to.

Balo Driskell Anything cute and fuzzy related, like a mouse or kitty. It’s Balo, you know she’s going to do something animal related, and probably with whiskers.

Maxi StephensA cactus, because he’s so dry.

Logan KellerI’d love to see him embrace The Toad. 

Harley SilvaLittle Red Riding Hood. The red would compliment her nicely and she seems so innocent but good.

Teddy MartinezGenie in the Lamp, possibly. I see him being one of those guys that would want his costume to do the talking.

Isaac King A court Jester, just to knock his ass down a peg or two. Plus, he’d look cute in their hats. 

Maia CroftDottie Hinson from A League of Their Own. She’s got the legs for that cute little baseball skirt and it’s sporty, just like her. 

Isak Valtersen Forky, from Toy Story 4. They’re both ridiculously adorable somehow but I can’t put my finger on why. 

Colin Rook Charlie Brown. I mean, really. He’s as nervous/anxious and mildly depressive as him. 

Thomas Scheffer A scarecrow or Jack Skellington, toss up to which. Both would suit that deathly pale, thin body look.

Ronan Burke An airplane pilot. He seems like he’d really enjoy the irony of a good joke.

Madeline Ward Winnifred Sanderson, the best and most craftiest witch there is. She wouldn’t even have to dye her hair !!

Harry Hart Ghostface from the Scream series because he pops in when you least expect. 

Autumn McNealShe’d make an adorable Belle from Beauty and the Beast. Not a sexy version, either. It should definitely be the original blue outfit or possibly the yellow ballgown if she wants to carry that skirt around.

Janie HallI feel like she’s go as something cute but innocent, like a Bumblebee. 

Alek Addington I’m thinking Poison Ivy. It’d suit for how she’s so bubbly and engaging, but isn’t the best influence on you, either. Perfect combo, no ??

Lucy Beaumont-Peters Oh come on, if she doesn’t go as Cher from Clueless, the world has experienced a great injustice. 

Clarissa Carmichael How about Elvira, Mistress of the Dark ?? Push her as far out of her comfort zone as possible, on that one. Or a pumpkin, because she’s as interesting as one.

Elise St. James The Nun. I get the feeling she’s a real fan of black, so it’d compliment her soul. Or lack of one…

Lia Davenport Sally, the rag doll from Nightmare Before Christmas. Does she not give you those same melancholy vibes ?? And just seems so lost. 

Hazel DavenportA female sexy Beetlejuice. She could definitely pull off those stripes and some green streaks would compliment that hair. 

Mary MclearyA female Chucky version, maybe. That would be funny to see.

Avery WoodsMaleficent !! She has the perfect features and hair for it. 

Ian Kim He definitely needs to be David S. Pumpkins. I will accept nothing less. The people have spoken, Ian.

Asher Prescott A pirate, since he’s such a heart plunderer. Plus, he would look hot and dangerous with an eye patch and fake gun.

Veronica Henderson I know you’re expecting me to say a literal wet blanket but, no. I’m thinking Frank N. Furter ?? Might make her open up more, gain some confidence in herself and what she’s working with because trust me, she’s got goods.

Ches Elswood It, the Clown version but sexy. She’s about the only person I think could actually pull this off and do so very well. I’m dying to see a good clown costume and she’d deliver all the frills.

DP Prescott Harley Quinn from Suicide Squad. Girl must have some sort of screw loose and her attachment to that Maxi kid is about as bad as Harley’s attachment is to The Joker. And, of course, hot.

Blake Sinclair That dude from Baywatch. He would probably love the chance to walk around half-naked and flexing those muscles. Surf’s up, dude !!

Adrian Knox How about a walking penis ?? I bet he’d enjoy being such a smartass and use it as a conversation topic.

Raina Ainsworth She gives me a very Tinkerbell vibe because she’s delicate and yet somehow tough ?? I could see her pulling off that sexy green dress, too. 

Charlie Kingery Wouldn’t she make the cutest Ladybug ?? That would be so adorable. No real reason other than she’s cute, the costume is cute.

Nolan Sugg Hmm. I don’t know much about this youngster yet but I’m going to say Donald Duck. He’s loud and abrasive, but I never said that was a bad thing. 

Lorenzo Russio Kenicke from Grease. Best Greaser there is and all the charm and charisma of one, too. And let’s be frank, him in a leather jacket is bound to be eye candy gold. 

Pietro Carrington Michael Myers. I mean, what else did you expect ??

Savoy MortcombeWe could always use a good Dracula around these parts. He’s tall, dark, and handsome. He’ll pull it off well. Or Frankenstein works too.

Sasha BowmanPrincess Jasmine from Aladdin. She’s got that ‘I’m a strong woman’ attitude and will stand up for her principles. I vote she goes for the cartoon costume version, as that pale blue fabric would look gorgeous against her skin.