#don’t get me wrong I like Edwina

[newtonsheffield]

Could we maybe… possibly get a snippet of Kate using the card for the first time and everyone calling her Mrs Bridgerton when she in fact is very much not Mrs Bridgerton… yet anyway

The thing is, growing up the Sharma’s were fairly wealthy. Mary’s a huge musician and even that pales in comparison to the way the Bridgertons are living their life.

But I think the first time Kate uses the card she feels kind of nervous, awkward about spending someone else’s money, and she probably only does it because she’s out to lunch with Daphne, Edwina and Sophie and she batted away everyone’s hands when they went to pay and in the hustle of it all she gave them the wrong card. It’s probably only when the server returns the card, the balance already paid that she realises she’s used the wrong card.

“Shit.” Kate sighed, putting the card back with her others.

“Everything alright?” Daphne’s brow furrowed, “I’m happy to split the-”

“It’s fine I just… gave them Anthony’s card. Well, my card, that’s part of Anthony’s… account.” Kate shrugged, “It’s fine, I’ll pay him back.”

“Anthony gave you a credit card?”

Sophie rolled her eyes at Edwina, “Are we surprised? He goes big, you know what he’s got her for her birthday.” She glanced at Daphne, “No offence, obviously.”

Kate’s heart stuttered, remembering the way he’d minimised what looked suspiciously like the Aston Martin website the other day when she’d walked into the living room and his tone on the phone had changed, “What’s he got me for my birthday?”

Daphne ignored Kate shrugging, “No offence taken.” She turned to Kate, “Anthony won’t even notice the charge and you basically live together. It’s not that surprising. Plus, he loves collecting the rewards points for some reason. I think it feels like a game for him from what I can tell.”

Kate shrugged, “It just… feels weird. I’ll pay him back.”

“Good luck with that.” Daphne shrugged, collecting her bag, “Now, we need to brainstorm what the hell I’m going to get Simon for his birthday. I can’t get him another watch because I can’t fucking stand the clicking from all of his stupid… automatic watch winders. Thirty is too many. No one needs to be that aware of the time.”

Kate felt guilty when she got back to Anthony’s as well, Edwina behind her, hiding the bag behind her a little awkwardly. She’d meant to use the card that time, with every intention of paying him back for the frivolous pair of boots in the bag behind her. She found Anthony already home, his slippers on as he geared up to watch the Formula One practice, Newton on the sofa beside him, belly up.

He smiled at her when she bent to kiss the top of his head, “Did you have fun?”

“Yeah, Daphne found Simon’s birthday present so a successful trip.”

He peered round her at the bag, “What did you get?”

Kate swallowed, “Okay, so I bought boots but I’ll pay you back and I’m not even sure I’ll keep them.”

Anthony blinked, “You don’t like them?”

“I love them.”

“Why would you take them back then?”

“Because they were a little expensive and… I don’t really need them? And I also bought lunch but that was an accident and like I said I’ll pay you back.”

Anthony shrugged, “Don’t worry about it.” He kissed her gently, “I’m glad you had fun. I was thinking about ordering takeaway do you want something?”

“Um… yeah?”

Anthony stood from the sofa, kissing her again, “I’ll get the menu.”

Kate stared after him as he disappeared into the kitchen, bewildered, “Don’t you even care how much money I spent?”

“Not really.”

Kate kept gaping after him and Edwina muttered, “You have a sugar daddy.”

Kate rolled her eyes, “He’s not my sugar daddy.”

“You spent… a lot of money today and he didn’t notice! He didn’t even care! And I know what he’s ordered for your birthday.”

Kate groaned, “Is it bad?”

“It’s… a wild gift for a birthday together.”

“Worse than Benedict taking Sophie to Switzerland?”

“Oh way worse.”

“Fuck.”

[mariailoveyou-guerin]

Why I will never ever take Bridgerton fandom or mainly any tv/film fandoms seriously especially the Bridgerton one because they genuinely like trash toxic disgusting characters like Eloise Anthony Kate Daphne but hate Marina Edwina Colin and Penelope and the only reason they like Kate is because she’s their self insert girl to be with the hot nasty white boy they fancy Anthony and the only reason they dislike Colin who’s perfect and the best man brother wnd Bridgerton in that whole show is because he’s Penelope friend and love interest it’s clear as day they whole fandom hatred for them is based on racism misogynior and fatphobia because you can’t tell me you genuinely like Daphne who’s a se*ual assaulte* (which btw people hate Alison in UA for as they should but they deem her as the devil worst most evil human ever that was kissing too but daphne does a whole SA rap*e but she don’t get the same energy Daphne don’t even get any energy about in fact she gets nothing is because what she did was towards a poc character so it don’t matter right and things only matter when poc/woc characters does anything or just breathes in the wrong direction or towards a yt character right they are

deemed satan sporn crucified fandom love to put woc/poc character on high standards then white characters who can just live life and do all mistakes without facing consequences or remotely anything even if it’s literally sexu*ul assaul* or crimes like plz be fr and don’t get me started on them like having understanding sympathing and making all the excuses in the world for daphne even tho she’s sexua* assaulte* but they hate Marina for doing what was best for her children and herself there’s absolutely no understanding no sympathy or empathy for her and the life she’s lived which was so sad and cruel in fact she’s lived the worst life but they have no understanding for her but can easily do for other characters who’s lived a spoiled happy privileged life like the Bridgertons but nothing for the poor sad heartbroken girl in that society being not just any girl but a woc and not a rich woc that is protected by love or money like say queen Charlotte duke was in that era

being great mother doing whatever for their kids which is another thing fandoms love Portia as they should bc she was doing what was best for her kids as a mother does and should always do (my queen except when she’s cruel to pen and her sister) when she said she was mother and her team was the 3 girls the fandom call her bad bitch best mom who loves her kids as they should bc it’s true and Georgia in G&G calling her girl boss bad bitch best mother and queen thingz for doing everything for her kids and herself but Marina doing the same in time in a society where people like her poor black woman with no high status or family meant nothing who’s opinion and life and gender was seen as less, for her it’s she’s the devil trapping Colin like he still didn’t want her afterwards saying it didn’t matter to him that she was pregnant with another man baby that he loved and would’ve helped her if he knew😂 she’s manipulative trapping him all the bla bla no she was doing what was right and best for her at that time and we shouldn’t applauded her for her mistakes for doing what was wrong to towards Colin or lying to him but understand her time and life and see she was very desperate have some sympathy for god sake she made a mistake she did something wrong we see it her it but so did everyone else there and y’all have understanding sympathy for them but can’t do the same for her why?

(at least she came clean and apologized and got her consequences more then I can say for any bridgerton character that’s not Colin because they all somehow never seem to get any consequences for their actions or the things they do and the people they hurt just disappear or are the ones getting hated on or they get their happy ending with a person they hurt) but when another white woman character does that same exact thing but it’s way worse it’s girl boss) and that’s why I can’t take any fandom but especially the Bridgerton fandom seriously and don’t even get me started on the unnecessary hate Penelope Colin and Edwina get all the time sure Penelope at least did something bad once or twice or thrice and I’m not excusing her but it’s not remotely close to anything those other characters or even Eloise did and Kate Anthony get nothing even tho they are literally the most evil characters in that show along with daphne, Eloise is horrible awful cruel human but she’s not a devil just mean whiny privileged spoiled narcissistic hypocritical bitc*h and anyone that likes these characters but hate on Penelope who tried everything to save herself and her friend can stfu and anyone who hates Edwina and Colin literally the best characters in the whole universe who’s never ever done anything wrong in their lives can fcvk off good too for all I care same can Penelope Polin and Marina haters!

you are not fooling anyone with your clear and obvious racism misogynior and fatphobia at all because if you genuinely was gonna hate on characters for being cruel or doing something manipulative nasty or just pure evil you would never eveeer hate or even think off hating on Colin and Edwina and you would be so understanding empathetic and feel for Penelope and Marina doing whatever they can in world where they are poor woman who aren’t rich spoiled privileged supported by their family nor Bridgerton girls and who the world don’t just open up for them with opportunity respect an kindness

And this is more then half the fandom all of them being the same one shade of nasty liking daphn kathony but hating Colin Edwina marina and Penelope be so fr real!

[lavellenchanted]

begin again (edwina's version) is so 💖💖💖

Obviously you know exactly what this is! My currently very meandering attempt at a post S2 Edwina-centric fic as she navigates her return to society with a damaged reputation, learns that suppressing her hurt and anger out of guilt is not the same thing as actually working through it and letting it go, and struggles to trust her growing feelings for Prince Fredrich.

Here's a bit more of the scene between her and Eloise I posted not long ago.

“It’s just so . . . inane. And degrading,” Eloise says acerbically, staring at the glittering whirl in front of them with an expression of undisguised disdain. “Letting themselves be paraded around like bejewelled livestock to be weighed and measured.” When she doesn’t get an immediate reply she looks over and lifts an eyebrow.  “Can you honestly say I’m wrong?”  Edwina takes a long sip of her lemonade - not particularly tasteful, but still appropriately sour - as she considers her answer. Last year she would have made some vague, conciliatory remark intended to smooth Eloise’s ruffled feathers and keep the peace, that revealed nothing of her true thoughts. Perhaps last year she would not have known what her true thoughts really were. Today she lowers her glass, and looks Eloise in the eye as she says, “No, I do not think you are wrong, per se, but I think you don’t recognise your own privilege in being able to say so.” Eloise snorts. “My privilege? You mean the privilege of having a brain?” A flash of irritation gives bite to Edwina’s reply, “No, I mean the privilege of having a wealthy, powerful and loving family that can support you.”  The bemused frown on Eloise’s face makes it clear that she doesn’t understand. Swallowing a sigh, Edwina takes her elbow and steers her to a quieter corner of the ballroom and points to a blonde girl in a glittering pink dress, dancing with Lord Fife. “You see her? Miss Grace Campbell. Her father gambled away their family’s fortune. She has no brothers, so if she does not marry well, she and her mother will be destitute.”  Turning slightly, she gestures to another, dark-haired young lady laughing prettily at something Benedict Bridgerton is saying.  “Or her? Lady Veronica Ryswell. Her uncle is the Earl of Staffordshire, and has plenty of wealth, but there are rumours that he has quite a temper.” She pauses, letting that sink in and out of the corner of her eye sees Eloise start to shift uncomfortably as she realises what Edwina is implying. “Or take me.” “You?” “What money my father left us when he died is all but gone. My grandparents have disowned us. My reputation is hanging by a thread and I have no dowry.” “Anthony would never let you –” Eloise starts but Edwina cuts across her. “My options are to marry, or to be dependent on the man who humiliated me in front of the ton and is the reason my reputation has been damaged in the first place.” There’s a pause, and this time it’s Edwina’s turn to raise an eyebrow - almost daring Eloise to contradict her assessment of her situation, for she can tell the other girl is struggling with the desire to come to her brother’s defence. But, in the end, she can’t, and her shoulders slump a bit at the realisation. Edwina nods and continues. “I would not for a minute try to argue that society is fair to women. I know very well it isn’t. And I don’t think you’re wrong to want more - I would have liked the chance to go to university if I could. But I also don’t think you realise that you have more freedom than almost any other woman in this room. You will never have to worry about money or how you are to live. Your brother will never force you to marry someone you don’t want. Your family’s powerful enough that any scandal that touches you will last days at the most - how long was it after that Whistledown piece about you that you started getting invited to things again?” A strange expression crossed Eloise’s face at the mention of her brief brush with notoriety, but Edwina’s too caught up in her own thoughts to pay it much attention. “It’s been a year and there are some who still cut me in public, you know. And any eligible bachelor who comes near me is warned that I’ll likely jilt him. If there’s something you want to study, I would bet that Anthony would find you a tutor. You might not be able to do as much as your brothers, Eloise, but you could do so much more than so many of us if you tried.”

[iamthemain-character]

So This Is Love

anthony bridgerton x reader

she/her pronouns

TW: none

bridgerton masterlist | part one | part two

a/n: thank you for all the love on this mini series! this is the last part, enjoy my lovelies! :)

taglist: @ambitionspassionscoffee @ifilwtmfc @shelbycillian @venomsvl @jessyballet @wotcherboo @m-rae23

It was no use; no matter how hard Anthony tried, Y/n could not, or maybe would not, be found. For weeks Anthony did everything within his power to find his best friend, but to no avail. Finally, after another unsuccessful trip to London, the viscount returned to his family’s home in the country, heartbroken and angry with himself.

Day and night Anthony was plagued by the thought that if only he had allowed himself to be honest sooner, he and Y/n could’ve been on their honeymoon right now. Instead, they couldn’t be farther apart, both lost and aching for the other.

As Anthony began to walk up to the door, he thought of his family. As much as he loved them, the intermittent looks of pity and then concern as they tried to cover up the scandal with the Sharma sisters were overall too much, and he did not feel ready to fight for his composure. Calling for a horse, Anthony decided he would ride around the property for a while to clear his head.

That soon became a poor decision as a sudden change in weather left Anthony soaked as rain poured from the sky. Stopping by a large oak tree, Anthony took cover underneath its large and leafy branches. It was a gorgeous tree, far out on the borders of the property. Anthony smiled as he ran his hand over the wood, noticing two initials carved into the bark. Looking up, the sight confirmed his realization. Faded strips of cloth were still tied to some branches, and there was a flat portion where a tiny little shelter had been erected, full of nut shells, blankets, and books which were probably weathered and beaten by now. It had been some time since Anthony had been out here, and Y/n had been his co-owner of the charming property. They used to spend every day of their summers in that treehouse, spending every moment talking of their hopes and dreams for the future. Anthony had wanted Y/n by his side forever then, and he wanted her by his side now; if only it hadn’t taken almost getting married to the wrong woman for him to realize it.

The sound of footsteps squelching across the wet grass made Anthony turn around, and he felt his heart stop. Standing there in front of him was Y/n; she was soaked through, her dress clinging to her body. Her hair was down, wild and a mess, with some strands sticking to her wet face. Water drops ran down her face, dripping off her nose and chin. The lead of her horse was clutched in her hand, obviously she had had the same idea as Anthony and had also been caught in the storm. Her lips parted, as if she wanted to say something, but all she could do was just stare. Yet all Anthony could focus on was that she was there, that Y/n was standing in front of him, and that she looked like the most gorgeous thing he had ever seen.

“Y/n…” Anthony barely breathed out, his voice hushed. He felt like if he moved to quickly or spoke loudly, Y/n would disappear. Yet she didn’t leave, just stood there, waiting for Anthony to speak. “You came back.”

“Yes my Lord.”

She was being cautious, understandably, but Anthony was desperate to right the wrong he had done to her. He walked forward, kneeling down, not caring about anything that having Y/n know how much Anthony cared about her.

“Forgive me, Y/n. You were right, and I was too stubborn to listen.”

“I don’t understand, Anthony. Why didn’t you marry Edwina?” Y/n put her hand on the man’s shoulder, and he dared to look up.

“She did not want to marry someone who didn’t love her, and after some reflection I realized I did not want to marry anyone who wasn’t you.”

“But your list, I do not fit into it, I could not be the perfect wife for you. And besides, I also don’t want to marry for anything else but love.”

Tears started to well up in Anthony’s eyes, his heart feeling simultaneously full and in pain. “I love you Y/n, I always have and I always will. It’s just…” Anthony swallowed hard, trying not to get choked up. “When my father died, you saw it destroy my mother. I didn’t want to ever feel that pain, and I never wanted to cause that for another. So I’ve run Y/n, I ran to the brothels, I ran to Sienna, I ran to Miss Edwina, all because I was too scared to let myself love you. But I can’t stop loving you, and you’re all I think about. And I realize now I would rather spend every minute loving you and then feeling the intense pain of losing you than go my whole life feeling numb without you. I love you Y/n.”

Tears were now freely falling from both Anthony’s and Y/n’s eyes, mingling with the raindrops. Anthony waited for the latter’s response, looking up and searching her face for any signs. Then slowly Y/n placed her hands on both sides of Anthony’s face, holding him as she leaned down and pressed her lips against his.

Warmth surged through Anthony, his body feeling like it was on fire from the contact. He had kissed multiple women before, but never had he felt as he did kissing Y/n right then and there. He stood up, and leaning into the contact, Anthony grabbed Y/n’s hips, pulling her closer. Y/n’s hands moved upwards, tangling her fingers into Anthony’s damp hair. The rain mixed with their lips as they touched again and again, a cold contrast to the warmth of their bodies.

When the two separated, chests rising rapidly in tandem, Anthony looked at the woman in front of him with a smile on his lips. Leaning his forehead against her’s, Anthony gently bumped their noses together. From that day forward, he knew that Y/n would be the woman he worshiped forever and ever more.

———————————————————————

The next time Anthony was standing at the alter, it was not anxiety and thoughts of another he battled with. Enjoying the warm, summer day in the beautifully decorated back yard of his home, Anthony grappled with the impatience he felt as he waited for his soon-to-be wife to walk down the aisle. Family and friends looked on adoringly, and Benedict offered a wink and a smile of encouragement, patting his pocket to let Anthony know he had the rings.

Then finally, a hush fell over the group, and the quartet starting playing. Looking down the aisle, everything melted away as Anthony looked at Y/n. Arrayed in her wedding clothes, bouquet in hand, she looked perfect in every possible way. Anthony blinked away tears, hardly believing that he was lucky enough to spend the rest of his life with his best friend. He took Y/n’s hand as she walked up to him, handing off her bouquet to Eloise. Hand in hand, the pair turned to the bishop, ready to tie their lives together.

And so they did; taking their vows, there was no hesitation as Anthony and Y/n dedicated their hearts and souls to the other. Nothing but smiles adorned their faces as they joined their friends and family in the garden, eating the delicious food and cake prepared for them. Anthony continued to hold Y/n’s hand for the rest of the day, loving the feeling of having her near and knowing she was there to stay. Whenever he held her left hand, Anthony loved to run his thumb over Y/n’s rings, even bringing her hand up to his lips so he could kiss them.

All day Y/n the focus of his attention, with nothing else mattering except for his new wife. As the party winded down, Anthony led Y/n inside to her new home. Sweeping her up into his arms, Y/n laughed as she was carried by her husband up the stairs and into their bedroom.

“Anthony, I dare say we shall cause a scandal with this behavior!”

“I do not care, after all, can’t a man enjoy his new wife?”

Setting Y/n down in the middle of the room, he stepped back as she took it all in. Anthony smiled as he saw Y/n walk around and touch various objects, and he realized it was like she was meant to be here all along. Suddenly she stopped, looking back at Anthony, and then looking back again.

Y/n walked forward and sat at the vanity she had seen, looking at her husband in the mirror. “I did not realize you had an affinity for this kind of furniture my dear Viscount.”

Laughing, Anthony came over to Y/n, resting his head on her’s as they looked at their reflections. “Mmm unfortunately for you, I had this placed here purely for your benefit darling. I figured it would be a nice start to you making this home yours.”

Y/n turned in her chair to look at Anthony, and the smile on her face made him feel as if he would buy every vanity in the world if it would make her this happy. “It is perfect, thank you.” Turning back, Y/n started to pull pins out of her hair. “Anthony, please do help your wife prepare for the night.”

“Gladly Vicountess Bridgerton.”

As Y/n worked on her hair, Anthony worked on navigating her out of the dress she had on. A long row of buttons in the back proved to be difficult, and Anthony felt thrilled as he got one done. As he started to work his way down, Y/n’s dress slipped off her shoulder, exposing the skin. Unable to resist temptation, Anthony pressed a kiss to her shoulder.

Pushing off the other shoulder, he placed another kiss on that one. The buttons forgotten, Anthony slowly pressed his lips along Y/n’s neck, reaching up to her jaw. She turned in her chair to him, and he moved his lips down to her collarbone. Over and over his kissed her, fully allowing himself to appreciate the woman he had married.

Regretfully, however, Y/n did pull Anthony off. Standing up, she slipped off the wedding dress, leaving her in her undergarments. Anthony felt his heart pick up as he watched Y/n, only able to see beauty in every part of her body. Y/n slipped a nightdress on, even though it was doubtful she would even need it later. Turning back to Anthony with a coy smile on her face, she grabbed his lapels and pulled him in. “Now your turn my dear.”

Anthony let Y/n deftly slip his suit jacket off and watched as she started to undo the buttons of his shirt. She seemed to be purposefully taking her time, leaving Anthony in desperate agony. Finally as the last button came undone, Anthony wrapped his arms around Y/n and picked her up, placing her down on the bed. Climbing in after her, Anthony placed kiss after kiss on any skin that was showing. Y/n wrapped her hands around his neck, pulling him up and pressing her lips against his. Passionate and hot, Anthony and Y/n kissed again and again, enjoying the way their mouths fit together.

For just a moment Anthony pulled back, taking in his wife underneath him.

“I love you Y/n.”

“And I love you Anthony.”

[bohemian-nights]

your opinion on the viscount who loved me is really interesting bc i remember people acting like it was one of the best books, but to me, francesca’s is number one then benedict’s. they were acting like benedict had the worst book ever bc of the mistress quote lol. it’s also really interesting bc they were acting like kate was the best female character and i would argue that’s sophie. the way benedict’s book has been perceived is really interesting because i’m confused on what these people were reading…

Honestly people trashing AFOAG and saying that Sophie has the “worst arc” out of all of the Bridgerton wives is the only reason why I read the book.

It’s also the only reason why I read RMB and OTWTTW. As soon as I heard about that casting call, I wanted to make sure that a Black girl wasn’t getting the short end of the stick and being stuck with the most tragic character who ever was written.

I was right.

I know objectively what Benedict does isn’t all the way right. Asking a woman to be your mistress because you are waiting for some phantom woman to appear or because she is not from your class is not okay. Continuing to pursue her despite her telling you she will not be your mistress is definitely not okay.

However, the man does apologize for his transgressions. He admits he was wrong and knows he screwed up royally(none of the other knuckled headed Bridgerton bros do so). He gets over himself and he puts Sophie first and he marries her. He doesn’t care about the ton or connections or money. He cared for her. He always loved her.

There wasn’t anybody else for him except Sophie(and vice versa because Sophie saw him in ways others, even his family didn’t).

Do people acknowledge that?

Nope.

You’d think he was satan himself with the way certain people go on. When in reality he’s just your average Bridgerton man and they, including Gregory cause the Hermione situation was an absolute mess, are incredibly flawed men.

I don’t know if people act the way they do over TVWLM because of show!Kanthony, but the book itself is questionable.

Yes the Edwina plot isn’t dragged out like in the show that, but Anthony is a sleaze(and low key abusive since he’s out there kicking women) and Kate is not my favorite Bridgerton wife by a long shot(as soon as a man kicked me that would’ve been it cause he no longer would’ve had a leg to kick me with ☺️).

I actually like book!Penelope more than I do book!Kate, and yeah I may be biased, but Sophie is the best character in the whole series. She goes through a lot, but she has so much depth to her character.

Benedict is messy, but he’s charming and his persistence if not admirable is something.

Anthony isn’t the worst Bridgerton man(for me it’s Colin who has committed the crime of being a whiny boy), but he is not topping any Bridgerton lists either.

[bottomvalerius]

okay finished season 2 of Bridgerton with my sister on FaceTime last night and my thoughts in no particular order are:

It needs. To be. Gayer. I’m honestly stunned they didn’t lean into the very obvious queer cording of Benedict and Eloise from season 1? They had very obvious hints and nudges that are just completely retconned in season 2; Benedict being “an artist” (to me) read as a way to have him be queer, so them playing it very straight by having Anthony pay to get him into art school, where he then just starts fucking women was very weird to me lmfao

Also Eloise is so painfully a lesbian and it genuinely hurts me to see them give her a male love interest lmao I think it’s slightly impactful that at least there was some sort of class divide that speaks to her resentment for higher society, but it feels extremely shallow to have her “in” to feminism be a man & for it effectively amount to nothing but a “oh you dumb rich girl” in the end

I will say in that vein, it is always VERY refreshing when all of the Bridgertons are reminded that they are incredibly privileged and naive by their staff/people they meet outside of the ton lmao

I think the Featheringtons are an interesting look into how to make compelling, truly morally grey female characters, particularly Portia. She’s honestly one of my favorite characters because she’s absolutely morally bankrupt but also she HAD to be. I think the common thread of “what must (rich, white) women do in a patriarchal society to live and thrive” and it’s 99% plotting, scheming, and lying lmfao but her daughters are her center!! And I think that’s so interesting as well.

In the same vein, Lady Danbury & The Queen are also my fave characters and I will be watching the Queen Charlotte spin off prior to season 3 because she really is. That Girl. She cares about 4 things: Diamonds, Coke, Gossip, and LOVE!!!!

I know the writers could not really do much with this, but Simon was so so so missed this season particularly when it came to Anthony. Their narratives are so similar to one another and it would have been more impactful for Simon to give Anthony advice/to yell at him for being an idiot than it was Daphne (who also I feel downgraded from last season but we also don’t get her interiority like we did with season 1. She still ate the girls up when needed lmao)

I was not expecting to like Edwina as much as I did, but you really see in the end that not only is she Kate’s sister, you can really see that Kate RAISED her with the way she was gobbling these bitches up left and right lmfao

Kate getting the Jane Austin “you have committed a wrong—now experience a near death experience to absolve you of your sins & get a blank slate” was the only way to make that ending as satisfying as it was lmao

I really only cared about her and Anthony this season; the other plot points were much too convoluted and while I enjoyed the ending of the season, I did not always enjoy the journey to get there lmfao

I don’t get the Colin hype. Penelope should be finger banging Eloise. Anyway.

[thepringlesofblood]

Dimension 20 Campaigns Rated By The Amount Of Mice/Rats

(chronological order)

disclaimer: I have not seen Shriek Week, Dungeons and Drag Queens, or The Unsleeping City s2.

for all of these except the last, I command + F’d through their transcripts on the wiki for the terms “rat” “rats” “mice” “mouse” and “rodent” to find the relevant data.

the reason I didn’t do TUC s2 is a. from watching the first season I can intuit a similar level of mouse/rat content in this setting, if slightly lessened rat action due to the lack of a rat PC, and b. laziness. consider all of TUC under the same umbrella

i don’t know what’s wrong with me either.

Fantasy High - 7.5/10. the introduction of Sexy Rat into the d20 canon is iconic. we also have the rat that the sexy rat was created for - Edgar, Zayn Darkshadow’s cute lil plot-relevant pet rat. Not much mice/rat content outside of this, but a beautiful beginning.

Escape from Bloodkeep [update: I watched this while waiting for the fhjy finale, it’s fucking spectacular] - 1/10. aside from Erika Ishii occasionally saying “aw, rats,” there’s only one minor instance of rat action, this quote from Master Ipskix in ep 1 - “We're training little ants and beetles to carry little swords and sharp things, and crawl in, and you know when you get a rat to eat through someone's stomach and come to the other side, we're trying to cover the rats in spikes.” There is a nice moment of Sokhbarr and Leiland collaborating on rat enrichment, but overall the main “creepy” animals this season were spiders (fair) and J’er’em’ih

The Unsleeping City - 10000/10. rats every episode. rat PC. rat NPCs. MULTIPLE combat eps with not only rat swarms but a rat KING. impeccable. kugrash my belovéd. true rat positivity. rights for rats. the height of rat content in dimension 20.

Tiny Heist - 6/10. Solid rodent presence in the form of Tony Manchego, a mouse supporting NPC who is basically Boomer’s main coworker. Several other mice/rats also appear as Felix Flick henchmen (henchpeople?). Not a main focus, but decent background presence. I don’t recall any good/cool rats/mice though, they’re all goons of some kind.

A Crown of Candy - 0.5/10. in ep3 Brennan uses the phrase “Everyone thinks we're rats.” to explain political negotiations w the dairy isles. you know it’s rough when the only mention of rats is its use as a pejorative. the 0.5 is for the incredibly gratuitous cheese content. No actual mice, but that counts for something in my book. also Lapin is a bunny, which is another kind of rodent. This is the only possible framework in which ACOC could be described as “disappointing"

Dimension 20 Live aka Fantasy High: Sophomore Year - 6/10. The thrilling return of Sexy Rat. Sadly this is the only significant mouse/rat content this season, but what a banger!

Pirates of Leviathan - 9/10. Another excellent rat-person PC. Jack Brakkow is revolutionary. we love a grimy king. not much else in terms of mouse/rat content though, and Jack’s rattiness isn’t discussed as much as kugrash’s is. there is a character deadass named “Cheese” though.

Mice and Murder - 9.5/10 it’s in the title. No PCs though, surprisingly, which is the main reason this isn’t 10/10. they went more for diversity in animals with this one and tbh it works really well, but also means that despite the title, it’s really Fox and Racoon and Javelina and Weasel and Owl and Doberman Pinscher and Murder. The mice/rats they do have are dope though. Both of the McCabbages are vibrant and interesting, and of course Rosalind Crumb showing her ass is iconic. Thomas Gilfoyle is classic suspicious butler, Carolyn Dickory and Edwina Thimble wind up being extremely important, Molly Milton and Millie Molton are peak Brennan weird naming convention as well as a lesbian power couple, and there’s a variety of other Loam Hall staff that are mice (and they all have wild names like Tessa Teapot and Alfred Honeyhatch). I know that moles aren’t mice/rats, but shoutout to Mrs. Molesly, a real one start to finish.

Misfits and Magic - 7/10. this probably shouldn’t be as high as it is, but I am incapable of not ranking mismag as high as possible, it is what got me into dimension 20 and I LOVE it. K’s amazing cinderella scene at the end is one of the highlights of the series, and they also use mice/rats as surveillance sometimes. Theodore is a chipmunk, not a mouse/rat, but still points for other prominent rodentia. the K fucked-up-disney-princess stuff only has mice/rats a few times, but it’s just so iconic.

The Seven - 0/10. Absolutely zero mouse/rat content. Rip. They went hard on horse girl content (respect), so it makes sense that there was less room for mice/rats. again, the only measurement by which this series could be considered a disappointment, I fuckin love the seven.

Shriek Week - 0.5/10. A “rat man” is mentioned briefly as a one-off gag.  Exhilarating. occasionally, the clicking of a computer mouse is inserted as a sound effect.

A Starstruck Odyssey - 2/10. in Ep. 12, there is discussion of “skiff rats” and rat poison that makes your head explode. This is a very important memory from Skipper’s past, but the emphasis is on the rat poison, and on the consequences of the mass poisoning, not really on the rats themselves. in Ep. 11, when describing a room Brennan says “The walls piled high…with bright blue animatronic mouse heads with the eyes torn out” however this is the only mention of them in the episode. There is one mention to the concept of a computer mouse (Ep. 10), and on several occasions, the sound of a computer mouse clicking can be heard as a sound effect.

Coffin Run - 5/10. in the finale, rat swarms try to eat Dracula. A thrilling moment. other than that, in Ep. 1 we have the quote, “This letter then goes across the ocean in a rat-infested ship”, and in Ep. 5 wetzel accidentally eats some rat poison. highlighted quote: “If we connect all the rats together, can we get a rat king?”

A Court of Fey and Flowers - 0.25/10. in Ep. 4 Mickey Mouse is mentioned, in the context of Hob’s state of dress - “You're either a Donald Duck or a Mickey Mouse” - Oscar Montoya. It’s 0.25 because fuck disney. bit of a missed opportunity, mice can typically fall into the “cute woodland creatures that live in/around fairies” category, and there were so many mentions of trash this season, I was really hoping we’d get some rat action. lacking that, I was hoping a salt goblin would be described as being the size of a mouse, but no such luck. rip. Again, the only disappointing aspect of this campaign, ruehob aka battlemaster of ceremonies is one of the only happy positive romances I’ve seen with a nonbinary person and as an enby myself, the idea that a brennan lee mulligan character could find someone like me attractive is. very validating.

Neverafter - ?/10. it’s not done yet (post written 12/28/22), but things are looking promising so far! we’ve had several mouse swarms, and a whole miniature town of mouse NPCs, plus many descriptions of pib eating mice. if a similar level of mouse/rat content continues, I project a 7.5/10 at the very least

UPDATE: final rating for Neverafter - 8/10. nothing ever managed to match the chaotic rodent energy of earlier episodes, but still a very solid showing. Rosamund’s swarm is a fairly consistent source of rats/mice, though she more often calls upon her “little birds,” and Pib continues to eat mice on occasion. We did have several later season mouse appearances; Aesop has the famous lion and the mouse, and the Land of Beasts is mentioned as being full of mice (among other animals). The Mouse King (from the Nutcracker) appears on the list of the Council of Kings (after being described briefly in Herr Drosselmeyer’s memories in one of the very first episodes). The song “Three Blind Mice” is mentioned several times, with Ylfa saying it is her “favorite story”. Tom Thumb mentions that he “hang(s) around with a lot of mice.” We learn that Pib turned an ogre into a mouse in his backstory. Other prominent rodentia do appear, most notably Pib’s fellow trickster, the Rabbit. Overall, a lot of excellent mouse content early on, with a handful of smaller appearances in the mid to late season.

UPDATE: The Ravening War - 0/10 Not a mouse or rat to be seen, not even a mention. and unlike ACOC, there are no other prominent rodentia to save them. Lady Amangeaux is described as “Jessica Rabbit as a mango” but given than not even Jessica Rabbit is a rabbit, I do not count this. considering the amount of times rot and mold are mentioned, I was hoping a rat might skitter away from a pile of garbage at some point. no such luck. the only point that I would even consider as related to mice/rats would be the amount of cheese content, as we have both a cheese person PC (in this house we love Colin Provolone) and a semi-prominent cheese person antagonist. however, I would say this averages out to considerably less cheese content than ACOC, which has several cheese person NPCs, including lesbian icon Annabelle Cheddar, Manta Ray Jack, Sir Morris Brie, and prominent antagonist Stilton Curdeau, plus a whole battle with ships made of cheese, plus a whole battle with cheese people (though dressed as meat people) as primary antagonists. thus, I cannot in good conscience award TRW any points for that when it made up only a portion of ACOC’s 0.5 of a point. I greatly enjoyed TRW, but not for mice/rat reasons.

UPDATE: Dungeons & Drag Queens, Mentopolis, and the promising beginnings of Burrow’s End

DNDQ - 0/10. No mention of mice or rats. honorable mention to Alvin, a chipmunk who I would call a semi-prominent rodent. I only watched half of the 1st ep* but my usual command + F of the transcripts yielded no results.

*no shade to the queens, this season just didn’t work for me specifically, I have a thing where when I know the rules to something watching people learn them/not know them is like. chalkboard screech. it’s the autism I think. so as much as I love the queens & their characters I just couldn’t watch the actual show. 

Mentopolis - 0/10 understandable as canonically the only animal in Mentopolis is Justin. in absence of any mouse/rat characters, I was hoping for perhaps a mouse/rat fact from The Fix, but i really can’t complain about the myriad of animal facts in this season in good conscience. they were many and varied and I am very grateful. still no mice/rats though. Birds, snakes, and their “prey” are discussed, which mice can certainly be. For example, the heat pits on a python’s lips that Ronnie mentions can be used to detect warm-blooded animals like mice, rats, and other small rodents. But as no rodent is directly mentioned it will not be counted. perhaps next time a reptile eating a mouse will be mentioned, or one of my fave rodent factoids, “a mouse’s heartbeat is so fast that to the human ear it just sounds like buzzing,” will be included.

Burrow’s End - ?/10 I have high hopes but did you know that stoats are actually not rodents??? neither are badgers, otters, wolverines, or pine martens. rodents are all vegetarian - they’re (obvs) in the order Rodentia, so they can’t be in the order Carnivora. so far we have strong chipmunk presence (that’s 3 campaigns with important chipmunks!), and a variety of “woodland animals”, so I remain optimistic.

UPDATE: final score for Burrow’s End - 1.5/10. frankly appalling lack of mice & rats given the setting. occasionally (as in 2-3 times in the series) a mouse or rat will be mentioned in passing, but the only rodents the gang actually interact with are rabbits and chipmunks. I’m guessing that’s probably bc stoats are specifically known for hunting rabbits, so mice/rats would be too small of a prey animal for them? plus the watership down allusions. and then of course we have the horrifying chipmunk/bear battle. credit for the few rat mentions and rodent presence in general, but this isn’t the rodent post, it’s the mice and rats post.

Fantasy High: Junior Year - ?/10 I am terrified. there’s a set of antagonists called the Rat Grinders. well, at least we know there will be rats! Zayn also reappears and with him a mention of Edgar the rat, a fantastic character. potentially...could there even be mention of the original, iconic, sexy rat? we shall see!

UPDATE (5/29/24): final score for FHJY - 8.99/10 fucking spectacular. not only do we get multiple mentions and a partial reappearance of the OG icon, Sexy Rat, but we get the Rat-ettes, the Rat Grinders, Rat World, and as hoped for, the return of Edgar, the originator of this whole proud Dimension 20 tradition of plot-relevant rats! He even gets a ghostly little miniature in the “Baron’s Game” battle! Fabian is also gifted (and makes frequent use of) the Pipes of the Sewers, an item which summons rats. The combo of this item and Fig’s Mask of Animal Friendship leads to several instances of rat-summoning both in and out of in combat, the likes of which have not been seen in years. One of the most unhinged and transcendent moments of the season, the Rat-ettes showing hole, led to the uncovering of the ancient name Ankarna, kicking off both a fucking excellent mid-season finale as well the central plot of the rest of the season. The rat swarm minis in The Last Stand & Ragenarok pt 1 truly brought me back to the glory days of The Unsleeping City. The only thing keeping this season from a 9/10 is lack of mouse/rat PCs or major NPCS, which all of our 9/10+ seasons have had thus far. Much as I adore Edgar, I would categorize him as a supporting NPC this season rather than a major one. The Rat Grinders definitely add to this season’s score, but as none of them are actually rats, I can’t count them as rat NPCs. Easily the height of Fantasy High rat content, and that’s saying something. We’ve been in a bit of a drought lately, but FHJY truly delivered.

I would like to give credit to a post I read many years ago that I realize may have given me inspiration to make whatever this is: harry potter rated by mentions of swans.

don’t ask

[dil-ibaadat]

Do you still like Kanthony or more specifically Kate? I was scrolling down your Twitter and I saw you recommend an Edwina fic. I started reading and I’m halfway through it and it kinda pains me to see some fic authors or people from the fandom love this fic. It’s well written but it also makes Kate a villain and rewrites season two to fit the narrative of Edwina being a puppet in Kate’s hand. Of course i’m not saying what you should enjoy or read but I’m just wondering if that fic mirrors your opinion of Kate. I really hope I don’t seem rude with this ask, it’s not my intention and if so I apologize.

hey! going through my asks top-down because it’s easier. 

yes, i adore kate. she’s my #1, my ride-or-die, my unabashed favorite. i have a hard time getting investing in stories where she’s not at least a peripheral presence. 

because i love kate and i love flawed characters, i enjoy seeing her make mistakes and other characters viewing her in a critical light. it makes her human and it makes her all the more appealing to me. 

the edwina fic, for me, is one of the best fics in this fandom. i find the author’s portrayal of both edwina and kate (even in her more limited presence) to be compassionate and forgiving. a hard truth we have to swallow is that kate fucked up!! not as much as anthony did (that man was a single-handed catalyst for the mess of season 2 and he got off essentially scot-free; the audacity of men indeed). but she did fuck up by not telling edwina about her feelings and almost letting edwina marry a man who didn’t love her (and what’s worse, loved her sister). kate had her reasons and they were very sympathetic, but that doesn’t erase that hurt. and then, after s2, edwina had to attend kate’s wedding to the man she almost married, and have her entire future basically dependent on being in the good graces of that very same man (who is now her brother-in-law). 

that shit’s tough. edwina’s allowed to not have the most gracious feelings towards kate. in fact, that push-pull between love and hurt/hate/heartbreak/devastation was what made their relationship so good. kate was a good sister. an overbearing one, but a good one. and now, she barely knows anything about edwina and edwina barely knows anything about her. it’s so heartbreaking. i mean, they were family!!! the angst, the hurt, the love that continues to survive despite it all. this author did such a great, great job with edwina and kate’s relationship and edwina’s character development. 

and she also got me thinking: how could kate accept anthony’s love at the end of s2 if the fractured relationship with her sister was the consequence? how would she get over that roadblock? how would anthony feel for being the cause of this broken relationship? the possibilities there for an angsty post-s2 kanthony fic are ENDLESS. the situation is so good, so painful. the writer in me was endlessly inspired by the beautiful, haunting world this author created. 

as to your point about edwina being a ‘puppet’ in kate’s hands, well.... it’s an AU fic. some things were different, some remained the same. also, we have to understand... it’s edwina’s POV. the way she sees things were obviously very different from how kate or anthony (or the viewer) saw them. it doesn’t matter if her perspective is right or wrong, because the story’s about edwina and her journey to healing! it’s not so important to me because i think the friction in kate and edwina’s relationship was realistic and extremely well-done. i enjoyed the hell out of it. 

and edwina and freddie were so cute!!!! i’m now also shipping them like nobody’s business, which is great. 

tl;dr: it was a fabulous fic, the author is enormously talented, and i can still love and adore kate even if she’s not portrayed in the most flattering light in the stories that i read. good writing is good writing, and that author, to me, was one of the most talented voices i’ve encountered in this fandom thus far. we’re privileged to have her :)

[apinchofm]

Regarding your last post Tbh I blame Anthony the most and Kate and their family next. Kate has a responsibility to tell edwina ( before I get hate I’m a Kate fan! But their actions screwed over ediwna so badly ). I don’t like Anthony ( don’t attack me fans I’m sorry I just don’t) and I expected him to be a douche but Kate she honestly broke my heart her and their mother because I expected better of them as family. I think the problem is that the show has a habit of writing things and ignoring the big picture. Honest question to all the fans what do you think would realistically happen to edwina? I think society would shun her

Kate had good intentions, and yep, should have told Edwina all of it, but she thought she was acting in her best interest (all my self-sacrificing older daughters stand up!)

Again, realistically, Edwina would be scorned for what happens. Bridgerton society solved racism but not sexism. Anthony is the respectable and well-liked Viscount who is married to a woman he is very much in love with. Edwina is a newcomer from a different country and is the first unmarried Diamond who ran from the altar. Even if they are all unified, everyone is going to be whispering about what is wrong with her.

[fitrahgolden]

There's A World You Need To Know: 4 - It's the wrong kind of place to be thinking of you

[PLEASE READ: So, I start to get into Kate’s ethical crisis here. Please note that this is a work of poorly researched fiction. Maybe in real life, there would be no socially acceptable way Kate and Anthony could ever be in a relationship after she’d been his siblings’ therapist. While I am trying to not totally disregard the ethical problem here, this isn’t real life. It’s an HEA.]

Anthony Bridgerton (G and H Brother): Hi, Kate.  I hope your flight goes OK. Please let us know when you’ve landed safely.

Anthony Bridgerton (G and H Brother): This is Anthony Bridgerton, by the way.

Brother. Brother. Kate was surprised to see a text from Anthony as she was packing for Ireland. And though she tried not to let herself admit it, it made her smile. But he’s their brother. No relationships with the family members of current clients. No exceptions.

Current clients. The thoughts that distinction led to felt so selfish. It could still have consequences for her career. Would her colleagues take her seriously? Would her other clients? Her publisher? How would Gregory and Hyacinth feel after she abandoned them and then showed back up on Anthony’s arm? They would hate it. They would hate her. If she was having these thoughts, is it right to continue to be their therapist anyway?

After staring at the messages for far too long, she put her phone face down and resumed packing. She turned on music to try to drown the thoughts out. It didn’t work.

—

“Hey, hey! KC, looking gorgeous, as always.” Tom approached Kate as she sat in Heathrow, checked in and ready to board. She smiled when she heard Tom’s greeting. She got up and gave him a tight hug before he settled next to her.

“Thought I was gonna have to go without you. No photos for my next book.”

“I would never.” Tom clutched his chest in mock offense.

“Are you gonna see family while we’re there? We’ll be so close.”

Tom ran his hand through his hair. “Eh, yeah. I reckon I should. I’d never hear the end of it from Mum if I was an hour away from Aunty for three weeks and didn’t pop by.”

“Yeah. You know I won’t need photos every day. You could have a little holiday during the trip.”

“What about you? Fancy a trip to the seaside? Aunty would love to meet you. She’s a big fan.”

“Thanks, but I’m gonna try to work efficiently. I want to get back home as soon as I can.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. I don’t like being away from Mum and Edwina for so long. Or abandoning my clients.” Or anyone else. No, no. There is no one else.

“Abandon? That’s being a bit hard on yourself, KC. Though I guess that is your way.” Tom pulled her into a side hug and she rested her head on his shoulder. “You’re wonderful to your clients. Too wonderful, even. You only take a break from that work to do other work. When’s the last time you took a proper holiday?”

“Well, all this work pays off. Ed's school is taken care of. Mum's house is paid off. They were actually just away themselves. Anyway, I travel,” Kate said defensively.

“Like I said, for work. Hey, why don’t you and I plan for a trip later this year? Once the book is in review, eh? Me, you, Edwina, Mary. No work allowed?”

Kate side eyed him. “I don’t know, Tom…”

Tom nodded knowingly, “Look, again, I’m sorry I misread things when we first started working together. I was a dickhead. But we are friends now, right?”

“Yeah, of course, Tom.”

“Good.” Tom sighed, relieved. “No vacation with your family, though. Got it.”

Kate scrunched up her nose. “No, not mad about that idea.”

—

Checked into their hotel in downtown Cork, Tom walked Kate to her room.

“Bright and early in the morning?”

Kate opened her door and turned back to Tom. “Yep, the building is thankfully a short taxi ride away. Should be able to get down to work pretty quickly.”

“Excellent.” Tom spared a glance into Kate’s room and looked down at her luggage. “You good with your bags?”

“Yep. Don’t worry about me, Tom. Get some sleep. We both need it.”

“Alright. You know I’m just down the hall if you need anything.”

“Mmhmm. Good night.”

“Good night.” Tom took a couple of steps backward before turning and heading to his room.

Once inside, Kate promptly video called Edwina and Mary. As usual, they insisted they were fine without her and, yes, Simon had said he would come by to check on them. Kate wanted to go over the checklist, but was out voted. After good nights and air kisses, Kate hung up, plugged in her phone, unpacked, prepped for tomorrow morning, and finally got ready for bed.

As soon as she lied down, she knew sleep wouldn't be coming anytime soon.

Don't do it. Text Ed. Text Simon. Next Tom. No, not Tom. But anyone else. Don't text him. 

Anthony Bridgerton, was it? Thank you for checking in. Really, it's quite thoughtful. We did land safely and are in for the night so we can get an early start tomorrow.

Kate hit send before she could think too much about the fact that she said "we" and would that make Anthony think she and Tom were sharing a room or something? Doesn't matter. Does not–

Her phone chimed.

Anthony Bridgerton (G and H Brother): Glad to hear it. I've never been to Cork.

First time here. Would you like me to return with a report?

Anthony Bridgerton (G and H Brother): A thorough one, yes. Double spaced, if you don't mind.

Of course.

Would it be annoying if I asked about Gregory and Hyacinth?

I know it's not my place.

Anthony Bridgerton (G and H Brother): No, no. It's fine. It's nice that you care so much about them. They are both in a proper mourning period.

Aw, don't tell me that.

Anthony Bridgerton (G and H Brother): Fine. They won't stop singing Ding Dong, The Witch Is Dead.

Ha ha.

Anthony Bridgerton (G and H Brother): They miss you. Hyacinth wants a guitar. They plan to give us all music and paint lessons so we will "learn to communicate our feelings while avoiding becoming overwhelmed by them." What have you done to these kids? 

Hopefully, something good. Seems like a lot when it's been two days. I only see them twice a week anyway.

Anthony Bridgerton (G and H Brother): And I genuinely think it's the highlight of their week. Who knew having a safe outlet to express yourself could be so rewarding?

Me. I knew. You should try it. 

Shit, sorry. That was out of line. 

Anthony Bridgerton (G and H Brother): No, it's OK.

No, it's not. I try really hard to avoid giving unsolicited advice.

Anthony Bridgerton (G and H Brother): Good on you. Personally, I find it impossible not to tell everyone what they should be doing at all times.

Well, you should be telling me to go to sleep, then.

Anthony Bridgerton (G and H Brother): Go to sleep, Kate.

Good night, Anthony.

Anthony Bridgerton (G and H Brother): Good night. 

—

“Think we are at the halfway mark?” Tom asked as he set Kate’s drink down in front of her. They were finishing up supper at the pub directly across the street from their hotel.

“Yeah, I think I can confidently say that.” Kate sat back triumphantly.

“Only a week in. Efficient, indeed. And it’s looking amazing, but you already knew that. Client happy so far?”

“Yup.” Tom studied her for a moment. Kate, furrowed her brow. “What?”

“You are usually more of a stress ball during these big projects. Everything’s seeming to flow more easily this go round.” Kate shrugged. “Might it be you’ve finally learned to relax? That’s the right direction towards letting yourself take a real holiday, I suppose.”

“Speaking of, are you making your way towards the coast in the morning?”

“Yeah, playing dutiful nephew. Sure you don’t want to come?”

“Thanks, but I’ve got a good rhythm set. Don’t want to lose momentum.”

Kate’s phone chimed. She tried to ignore it, but–

“That thing’s been going off like mad all evening.” Tom chuckled.

“It’s what I get for asking for updates from Ed and Mum as well as updates on their updates from Si.”

It was true. She was exchanging a lot of messages with her family. But she and Anthony had also not stopped texting since her first night in Cork. And it had Kate giddy. Giddy. After the first couple of days, she decided to compartmentalize away her guilty feelings. She could enjoy talking with him. They were just talking. As friends.

Her phone chimed again.

“You don’t have to ignore them on my account.”

“You don’t mind?” Kate was already reaching into her pocket.

“Go on. Want another?” Tom pointed at her glass.

“Yes, please,” Kate said, not looking up from her phone.

Anthony Bridgerton (G and H Brother): Was I right? I was, wasn’t I?

Anthony Bridgerton (G and H Brother): What’s my prize?

Remind me what this is referring to?

Anthony Bridgerton (G and H Brother): You know what.

I’m sure I don’t.

Anthony Bridgerton (G and H Brother): Right. You’re already halfway done, aren’t you? And all of Cork is falling at your feet, feeling utterly unworthy of their city being permanently graced by the artwork of one Kathani Cavery Sharma.

Kate could feel herself grinning like an idiot and she didn't care.

I don't know about the second thing.

Anthony Bridgerton (G and H Brother): Which means I'm right about the first thing. That’s all I need to be the victor, so I ask again, what are my spoils?

See, it would have been a legitimate bet if we had laid out specific terms, but alas, we made no such agreement.

Anthony Bridgerton (G and H Brother): Yeah, no, I'll let you know what my spoils are to be once I've decided, Ms. Sharma.

I can hear you maniacally rubbing your hands together from here.

Anthony Bridgerton (G and H Brother): I'm being loud for your benefit.

Anthony Bridgerton (G and H Brother): Can I see any pictures of your work in progress or do I have to wait until it's done?

Kate's cheeks got hot. Calm down, dummy. He's asking for pictures of the mural, not you. 

So, you’ve been playing the long game. All this talking has just been a way to get early access to the latest attraction in Cork? How can I be sure nothing I share will be leaked to every major news site in the world by tomorrow morning?

Anthony Bridgerton (G and H Brother): Easy. You have leverage. Those aforementioned spoils I want from you. Nay, I am owed! I wouldn't dare betray you before I've secured those.

Fingers snapped in front of Kate's face. She blinked up and saw Tom smiling at her curiously.

"Shit, sorry."

"No, it's fine. I guess it's all good news?"

"Ha, yeah."

Tom leaned back in his chair. Kate pushed some hair–that was already behind her ear–behind her ear. Why do you feel nervous? Nothing is going on and it's none of Tom's business if anything was.

"You OK?"

Kate sighed and rolled her eyes. "I really am, Tom."

"I know it's fucked up, but that's why I'm asking. You seem genuinely OK. It's off brand."

Kate sat up straight. "What does that mean?"

"Sorry, sorry. That came out wrong." Tom held his hands up in surrender. "I'm being a dick. Like I said, I've never seen you so relaxed. Whatever the reason, I'm happy for you."

"Um, thanks."

The conversation finally moved on and Kate called it a night before they could circle back around to why Kate was in such a good mood. She didn't want things to be awkward with Tom and she meant it when she said they were friends. Not the kind of friend she can confide in about Anthony, though. On top of Tom knowing Anthony, at least once upon a time, she didn't want to talk to anyone about Anthony, full stop.

—

Anthony Bridgerton (G and H Brother): Hey, I promise I was just curious about what you're doing over there.

Just getting back into my room. Hope you are ready to have your mind blown. 

Anthony Bridgerton (G and H Brother): Boo! I can't even see anything. Some random woman is taking up most of the frame. How am I supposed to sell this to The Daily Mail? Give me something I can use!

Kate's smile fell when the next message came through. 

Anthony Bridgerton (G and H Brother): Did Tom take that?

For some reason Kate didn't want to acknowledge, she was struggling with how to respond. It doesn't matter. You're not doing anything wrong. Anthony doesn't care. Why would he care? He's asking because he knows Tom, that's all.

Yeah. I forgot you guys know each other, right? Si mentioned that at some point. You were all mates at Oxford?

Anthony Bridgerton (G and H Brother): Yeah. Haven't talked to him in years. You guys work together often?

Um, yeah, I guess you could say that. He was recommended to me when I was working on my book.

Anthony Bridgerton (G and H Brother): He's a good bloke from what I remember.

What is his aim? Am I supposed to agree?

I'll be on my own for a few days, though. He has family nearby so he's going to see them while we are here.

Who fucking cares? I don't want to talk about Tom.

Any ideas for what you want for winning our "bet?" (Which I maintain is illegitimate and would never hold up in court, but don't mind me.)

Anthony Bridgerton (G and H Brother): A tour of your favorite murals around here when you get back. El is always going on about how I'm not cultured enough.

Shit, shit, shit. A date? No, not a date. Get the fuck over yourself, Christ.

Anthony Bridgerton (G and H Brother): It would also drive her mad if THE Kate Sharma gave me a personal public art tour.

You're mean. We should invite her.

Anthony Bridgerton (G and H Brother): No, we shouldn't.

[aspoonfuloffiction]

How were the fans projecting? I'm not arguing. All I know is that people kept looking at the actress's social media accounts and thought that she was a racist for some reason. And everyone kept saying how Penelope was a racist too.

Me? The series has problems. The diversity they like to talk about is very skin deep but it's more of a societal problem.

It’s projecting because fans are putting their feelings about the characters onto the actors. Obsessively reading into anything and twisting crumbs of a celebrity’s social media presence to confirm their biases.

Do I think Penelope is racist? No. Because I don’t think narratively she’s specifically targeted people of color. Instead like you said-I think the show has a race problem. Penelope, a white woman, destroying Marina, a black woman’s, life by outings a pregnancy to cast her out of society is terrible to us, outside viewers of the show, but within the show the racial dynamics at play will not be brought up because the conceit of this story is that they don’t exist.

This also applies to Anthony and Daphne. Anthony bulldozes the lives of 2 brown women who’s futures if this show were historically accurate would both be ruined even with K/A ending up married. And yet in the very minimal amount that Anthony is held accountable him viewing brown women as an object and means to end is narratively problematic not bc they are brown only because they’re women. Daphne literally SAs her husband, a black man, and no one cares. In fact her actions are even justified in a conversation about the disparities in their relationship where gender and class are brought up but never race. There’s nothing wrong in universe with a white woman denying a poc bodily autonomy.

According to the narrative of the show the white privilege that Penelope Anthony and Daphne have simply doesn’t exist, there’s no difference in them and Marina, Kate, Edwina, or Simon on the basis of race (which is an insane storytelling choice but that’s a separate issue) therefore their actions are not considered racist. (Again insane)

But the fact that the biggest victims are Marina, Kate, Edwina, and Simon all people of color. That the two characters to not get an assured HEA in a story about happy endings are both women of color. And that white characters are rewarded for their actions against the poc in the show in every instance. Even if in universe these characters aren’t racist—this show out of universe definitely is.

[newtonsheffield]

How does Anthony feel about the pregnancy rumours?

Anthony’s is… a little stressed about this rumour.

Kate’ so used to people making up stupid rumours about her life that this doesn’t really bother her. She thinks the idea that the only reason she’d be publicly acknowledging Anthony, publicly in a relationship; is an unwanted pregnancy.

This is Anthony’s first experience with the press inventing wildly about his life and he’s stressed. He doesn’t want Kate’s mother and father (You know, the actual King and Queen) to think he’s… trying to trap her into anything.

“Well, how’s the little Princess this morning?” Edwina chuckled, leaning back against the back of her chair.

Kate rolled her eyes, flicking her sister’s ear as she strode past and joined her at the breakfast table. “I don’t know. You’re the tiny one.”

Edwina sent her a rude hand gesture, “Should Appa get a birth announcement ready?”

“You’re making Anthony nervous.” Kate paused, “It’s pretty fucking hilarious though.”

Anthony looked as though he might faint honestly, sitting beside Kate, staring at the newspaper Edwina slid across the table.

“Oh my god.” Anthony gasped, “It’s my fault.”

And he’s not wrong. Because the evidence printed on the front page is a collage of photos of his hand on Kate’s waist.

“I just like holding your waist! I only have one hand, I’m just trying to leave your hands free!” Anthony put his head in his hands, “Your Dad is going to actually have me killed.”

Kate sighed, kissing Anthony’s temple. “Don’t worry, Edwina will wear someone’s thong on her head soon and take the heat off you.”

[mariailoveyou-guerin]

fcvk Cress y’all didn’t have this kinda energy or even an ounce of understanding or will to understand Marina who actually was doing to survive and for her kids to live without racism/abuse but rich yt girl hers sent off to the beautiful country side and it’s oh poor yt girl 😂  

We been knew the fandom was racist af and only cared about characters of they are black 😂 imagine having so much empathy for rich yt girl who blackmailed extorted Colin and his wife but sure they had no feeling about what happened to Marina the way they never have an ounce of understanding for black characters but put them on such high standards where the yt characters can do everything and still do no wrong to them and they have the outmost understanding sympathy for them I’m not even shocked or surprised about it and the way they acting about Michaela 😂 this fandom truly only cares about their yt characters and said fcvk the bipoc why should I give a fcvk about them they don’t look like me so I couldn’t give a fcvk!

The fact they didn’t even have this much empathy or understanding for Edwina 😂 but the rich yt girl they do that’s only been sent to her aunt in pretty country

If my Edwina Marina couldn’t get a happy ending why should the likes of Cressida evil bully villain get it huh?

‪personally I don’t care about Cress like that she bullied my girl for years and tried blackmailing her so whatever happens to her to me is deserved justified she didnt deserve a redemption arc 😂 she was jsur awful person from start to finish but what I do care about is‬ a rich yt girl getting a happiness after being horrible for years + the fandom having so much sympathy for her why bc she’s skinny yt or y’all wanted her to be lesbain with Eloise 😂 nah #BRIDGERTON  if my mind loving pretty girls couldnt have that kinda energy or ending trust I

will not sit idly by if the kindest prettiest girlies got sent off to mf India and had to be forced to marry a man they didn’t love after getting ruined exposed by pen I’m not about to watch yt rich girl get away with all her sh*t also her redemption was unnecessary! If Marina last scene was her shipped off after being ruined exposed by pen and in carriage with man she didn’t know trust the rich yt girl being carriage with her rich aunt and getting sent off to the pretty highlands will not get any sympathy from me since y’all couldn’t have any for my girls especially Marina whos life was in danger thx to🖊️

‪just say y’all only cared about cress bc she’s white and y’all wanted her in sapphic ship with Bridgerton an go! either have same energy for how Edwina Marin ending was or go fcvk the evil bully (to be a bully btw) villain!

[baenthony]

Violet Bridgertons famous matchmaking skills at its finest

“Actually, if I might ask you a question.”

Lady Bridgerton smiled warmly. “Of course.”

“I noticed when we arrived that you have extensive flower gardens. Might I explore them?”

“Then you are a gardener as well?” Lady Bridgerton inquired.

“Not a very good one,” Kate admitted, “but I do admire the hand of an expert.”

The viscountess blushed. “I should be honored if you explored the gardens. They are my pride and joy. I don’t have much a hand in them now, but when Edmund was al—” She stopped and cleared her throat. “That is to say, when I spent more time here, I was always up to my elbows in dirt. It used to drive my mother positively mad.”

....

“But don’t let me keep you any longer,” Lady Bridgerton said. “Let Rose take you up and get you settled in. And Miss Sheffield,” she said to Kate, “if you like, I should be happy to give you a tour of the gardens later in the week. I’m afraid I’m too busy greeting guests right now, but I would be delighted to make time for you at a later date.”

“I would like that, thank you,” Kate said, and then she and Mary and Edwina followed the maid up the stairs.

....

He leaned forward and dropped a kiss on her cheek. “Have fun greeting your guests, Mother.”

She scowled at him, but her heart clearly wasn’t in it. “Where are you going?” she asked as he started to move away.

“For a walk.”

“Really?”

He turned around, a bit bewildered over her interest. “Yes, really. Is there a problem with that?”

“Not at all,” she replied. “Just that you haven’t taken a walk—for the simple sake of taking a walk—in ages.”

“I haven’t been in the country in ages,” he commented.

“True,” she conceded. “In that case, you should really head out to the flower gardens. The early species are just beginning to bloom, and it’s simply spectacular. Like nothing you can ever see in London.”

......

Her eldest son’s interest in the Sheffields was most intriguing. Now, if she could only figure out which Sheffield he was interested in….

About a quarter of an hour later, Anthony was out strolling through his mother’s flower gardens, enjoying the contradiction of the warm sun and the cool breeze, when he heard the light sound of a second set of footsteps on a nearby path. This piqued his curiosity. The guests were all settling in their rooms, and it was the gardener’s day off. Frankly, he’d been anticipating solitude.

He turned toward the direction of the footfall, moving silently until he reached the end of his path. He looked to the right, then to the left, and then he saw…

Her.

Why, he wondered, was he surprised?

...

“Why did you seek me out?” she asked.

Anthony pushed off the wooden post and stood straight. “I didn’t, actually. I was just as surprised to see you as you were me.” Although, he thought acerbically, he shouldn’t have been. He should have realized his mother was up to something the moment she actually suggested where he take his walk.

But could she possibly be steering him to the wrong Miss Sheffield? Surely she wouldn’t choose Kate over Edwina as a prospective daughter-in-law.

[bohemian-nights]

I hate how people hate on edwina for calling our Kate after she found out how Antony loves Kate. It’s her wedding day and she just found out the her future husband is in love with her sister and her sister felt the same way, people say Kate “tried” to tell her she could have told her the truth not a half ass lie to not hurt her feelings like I get being protective but Kate wasn’t just protective she was also manipulative in a way like y’all both lost a father that doesn’t mean you owe her anything y’all are sisters, she tried to live through edwina and I didn’t like that at all.

Yep, Kate should’ve told Edwina what was up long before her wedding. That’s her duty as her sister. Even if she had told her the night before the wedding(that’s still incredibly tacky) that would’ve been way better than giving Anthony f*ck me eyes at the alter 🤦🏽‍♀️

Now I will say I don’t think Kate was trying to live through Edwina, but she did take on a role that she never should’ve taken on. She was trying to be Edwina’s second parent and put her needs ahead of her own when she herself still needed someone to take care of her.

Anyway, Edwina definitely wasn’t wrong for lashing out at Kate in the heat of the moment. Kate should’ve been honest with her, but she was too busy trying to be her parent instead of being her sister. The road she was going down would’ve led to nothing, but resentment, hurt, and possibly infidelity 😬

[fortunatelylori]

What did you think of Bridgerton s2? The leads were gorgeous and seemed very dedicated to making the most of it but the writing felt off to me?

Hi, nonnie!

I’m really sorry for taking so long to answer your question. It really sparked some very interesting food for thought for me and it’s taken me a long time to be able to sit down and actually write down all I wanted to say.

Bridgerton on the whole left me with pretty mixed feelings.

I really didn’t like season 1. There were elements in it that I enjoyed like the costume porn, Polly Walker (I’ve loved her ever since Rome), Jonathan Bailey and the general commentary on the role of women within regency society. But overall, it was a frustrating experience. 

Daphne was a pretty weak protagonist, in my opinion. Rather bland and one note. And I wasn’t fully convinced by the Duke. Don’t get me wrong. Jean-Rege Page is incredibly gorgeous and very charismatic. However, he felt awkward to me through out most of the romantic scenes. It felt like he was embarrassed by the romantic speeches and gestures he had to say and make.

So in that sense, Bridgeton season 2 was very much an improvement. Kate, I felt, was a much more interesting and complex heroine. And Jonathan Bailey was absolutely fantastic. He really carried the season, in my opinion. Mainly because, unlike Page, he committed fully to being the dashing romantic lead and felt completely at ease with the role.

Which brings me to my main issue with both seasons of Bridgerton. And that is the Western, Anglo-Saxon discomfort around heterosexual romance.

I know … I know … it sounds like a college communist dissertation but hear me out.

It all really just boils down to this idea that writing a love story between heterosexual people is simply not interesting enough anymore. There has to be an angle, a particular out of the box view point or a subversion of expectations in order to make it meaningful. You simple can’t make An Affair to Remember or History is made at night or When Harry met Sally anymore. It’s not edgy or serious or important.

The only way you can make movies like that anymore is with gay characters. Because romantic gay love in a mainstream sense is still seen as transgressive. Which is why the only classic romantic comedy to get really any traction on the internet this year was Bros (it failed at the box office but that’s a different discussion).

All of that is to say, Bridgerton felt very much like that to me. All the romantic moments were undercut by a desperate need not to appear too romantic or cheesy or too “heteronormative”. Anthony couldn’t simply be a strong regency alpha male like God intended him to be, he needed to say he was going to humble himself for Kate because the writers were afraid of being accused of writing “toxic masculinity”. Kate couldn’t be too in love with Anthony because that wouldn’t be “feminist” enough. We couldn’t have too many romantic moments between the two of them or full blown romantic lines and declarations because angst and repression is so much more appealing and it would make for better cliffhangers.

It's those needs that have very little to do with the story being told or the characters that really made the 2nd half of the season feel off to me. They made me go through this whole turmoil of feelings and stress over will they get together or not, will Anthony actually marry Kate’s sister etc. to then just end it with a 1 minute convo between the two of them and a post-coital scene. I felt very let down by that.

Also I feel like the whole wedding thing was a monumentally bad narrative idea. For one, I never really understood why Anthony wanted to marry Edwina in the first place. He found Kate completely unacceptable despite his attraction to her but Edwina made sense according to his list? You can’t just explain that away with her being made Diamond of the First Water.

And narratively once they’re standing at that altar to have it all undone over a fallen bracelet is very ham fisted and clunky. It made both Kate and, particularly, Anthony look like monumental idiots for really no reason. There were many ways in which they could have progressed that story that didn’t include Anthony being seconds away from marrying Kate’s sister.  

But, coming back to my original statement, all of these convoluted, clunky narrative choices, for me, tend to fall under the same overarching idea that has been occupying much of the American movie industry in recent years: heterosexual romances are not interesting or compelling enough and need to be subverted and skewed, looked at through a post-modernist lense. I mean, if you aren’t writing about selfish, immature, self-important, destructive people are you even doing your job nowadays? Yes, Scenes of a Marriage. I’m looking at you.

Then there’s, of course, the obligatory nods to 3rd wave feminism, toxic masculinity and the evil patriarchy that simply need to make their way into every single story being told. Whether it makes sense or not.

And, while I think storytelling has always had a political angle to one degree or another, Bridgerton isn’t really the place I go to if I want to be exposed to tik tok ideology. At the end of the day, a love story is a love story is a love story. And Hollywood is making less and less good ones every year.

I don’t think I even realized why I felt dissatisfied by it until after seeing Crash Landing on You, only a few weeks after finishing Bridgerton season 2.

For those who’ve never heard about Crash Landing on you, it’s a South Korean tv show about a rich heiress who ends up stuck in North Korea and is helped by a NK army captain. It’s epic melodrama at its finest and everything that I love about love stories, no holds barred. It showed me just how limiting Hollywood’s approach to love stories had become and how unsatisfying it all is when you refuse to give true catharsis to your viewers.

If you haven’t seen Crash landing on you, I highly recommend it. It’s one of my most favorite things I’ve seen in a long time and it’s really pushed me out of my comfort zone in seeking movies and tv shows outside of the American/Anglo-Saxon mainstream. I’ve watch various more South Korean shows, I’m currently watching a Turkish TV show and have a growing list of French movies I’m looking forward to watching. And I couldn’t be happier to find that the kind of storytelling I love to watch is still out there, just a few subtitles away.

All of that being said, I’m still going to watch Bridgerton season 3. Particularly since they promised me that Kate/Anthony honeymoon. I’m a sucker, I guess, but I will always love love . 😊

Have a good one, nonnie!