#feels wrong to have watched the first 2 seasons in full EXCEPT for the finale

[sea-buns]

the only bit of fantasy high that I have not watched is the 6+ hour behemoth that is the sophomore year finale and even after all this time it still makes my adhd brain want to shrivel up and die

[bisclavret]

like many who have suffered at the hands of bbc merlin before me, i recently indulged in a thought experiment in which i outlined my own version of seasons 3-5 that stay thematically and tonally in line with the show (except they're less fucking stupid). but then i quickly realized that focusing on details is pointless: all you need is to solve the one Big Problem the show has, and the rest will follow. the problem in question? ✨morgana✨

i like the first two seasons. s1 achieves what it sets out to do and has fun while doing it, and s2, while flawed, sets up a ton of potential that the following seasons unfortunately squander, beginning with the insidious season 3. you can only distract me with cute knights and goblins and fart jokes for so long before i start seeing through you, evil, evil season of television.

my hypothesis is that if the writers had crafted s3 morgana into anything more sympathetic than a violent half-alive poltergeist that can never be reasoned with because she's suddenly terminally off her rocker, everything would've fallen into place. a sympathetic morgana would've made real, valid arguments against uther (and arthur) that wouldn't just be the ramblings of a woman possessed. her betrayal of arthur would have stemmed from her feeling increasingly morally superior to him because of his complacency in the face of their father's tyranny. under morgause's guidance she would stop believing that arthur is capable of change, and the whole point would be that she might actually be right. arthur would have to actively try and prove her wrong, instead of getting praised for doing the bare minimum because the bar is on the floor.

furthermore, morgana's prophetic dream about arthur and gwen becoming king and queen and her decision to prevent this however she can is a direct parallel to merlin learning about that same prophecy and making it happen by any means necessary. merlin's desires about his and arthur's futures are subtextually fueled by gay love and devotion, so why couldn't morgana's be? why couldn't she properly express her bitterness that arthur gets to be with gwen in a way she can't "took gwen away" from her, instead of suddenly declaring that gwen is nothing more than a servant, after two seasons of demonstrating again and again that she loves, values, and respects gwen more than anyone else in that godforsaken castle?

following this, an angry and emotionally volatile but still sensible morgana asking gwen to stay by her side during the coup of the castle in the s3 finale and gwen going behind her back to help arthur and the knights would've hurt like a bitch. double-sided betrayal! gwen having a real plot! the proper beginnings of a toxic yuri that would shape a generation!

then there's the utter hubris of having morgana shoot arrows at the same civilians she worried herself sick over for 2 seasons — even morgan, her medieval counterpart that was rooted in every sexist trope in existence, doesn't just go around killing senselessly but instead has (often petty!) personal vendettas against gwen, arthur, and the knights. morgana had every right to be sick of the pretensions around chivalry in camelot (she was always quick to mock it, even in s1), and to lash out at the knights and soldiers after years of feeling powerless in a castle full of armed men that blindly followed her oppressor. the show conveniently forgets that morgana was victimized as a woman as well as a sorcerer those first 2 seasons.

but like i said, this is not just about morgana. allowing her to remain a real and multifaceted character even as she betrays everyone in pursuit of her ambitions would've given the rest of the core four more interesting conflict to work with: merlin because he would have to experience real consequences to his actions, arthur because he would watch his sister go against his father (and his knights, and his birthright) and experience some actual internal dilemmas about it, and gwen because she would be forced to choose between morgana and arthur without the pretense that it's an obvious or easy choice for her to make.

even morgause and gaius would come off more interesting as mentors: neither one inherently evil or inherently good, both jaded by events that happened before our protagonists were even born, both heavily influencing morgana and merlin into fulfilling roles that they think are appropriate, but that morgana and merlin may not have chosen for themselves had they not been under their care.

you get the gist. if the show followed its own setup, morgana's mistakes wouldn't lie in cheap and senseless acts of violence but in alienating the people she loves because she is too hurt and jaded to trust them. meanwhile, everybody else would feel guilt over "failing" her and yet they would be too caught up in their own (sometimes flawed!) beliefs of right and wrong to truly see her point of view.

arthur would convince himself it was sorcery that corrupted her. merlin would know that isn't true but he wouldn't be able to argue without confessing everything, which is the defining conflict between him and morgana and it's cheapened when she's just an evil witch caricature and merlin is framed as inherently virtuous in contrast. gwen, too, would become a more active participant in her own life by choosing arthur over morgana and choosing to rule camelot with him instead of just waiting politely to see where things go.

and, of course, uther's downfall and death would be quick, final, and completely earned — when and why did the show even decide he of all people was the sympathetic villain, anyway?

lastly, and perhaps controversially, i think morgana should've learned merlin's true identity by season 4. her being the first of the main characters to find out makes perfect sense considering their shared history and their interconnected and mirrored arcs. even the show seems to agree, considering she does find out a little before arthur. but the narrative itself tried pointing flashing neon arrows towards this way earlier — there is a whole entire episode in s4 where merlin being emrys is repeatedly spelled out for morgana and she still isn't allowed to see it. that episode makes her look like the stupidest person to ever live, which is pretty funny im not gonna lie, but also another frustrating thing in the endless string of frustrating things that make up this show.

morgana learning that merlin has magic would've transformed the source of merlin's anxiety from a crippling fear of being outed someday to the crippling fear of knowing she could out him at any moment. this would make him want to beat her to the punch (perhaps he'd consider killing her for a minute and decide against it because she isn't a cartoonishly insane evil person in my version of events) and maybe he would even feel some tentative excitement at the idea of coming clean, now that it seems inevitable. after all, he always intended to tell arthur eventually! and i think gaius would have to admit outright that he does not want merlin to tell arthur he has magic because he, gaius, simply cannot risk such a gamble. it would be so interesting to see gaius and merlin clash and disagree once it becomes obvious that it's not merlin that isn't ready for the reveal, it's gaius. delicious!

with morgana's knowledge looming, things would inevitably spiral into a magic reveal by the end of season 4. i picture this season as an absolute mess of miscommunication between everyone at camelot, which is, y'know, canon. growing increasingly cunning and vengeful, morgana would use this tension to her advantage, destabilizing the court from the outside while she creates alliances with other sorcerers outside of camelot (instead of living alone in a hovel for no reason — morgana le fay i'm sorry i'm so sorry they gave you agravaine instead of your all-female entourage oh my god).

and here's where the events would change beyond recognition (aka here's where the meta becomes the fanfic i refuse to write). picture it with me: a militia of sorcerers infiltrates camelot and arthur and gwen have to set aside their differences (assuming gwen kissing lancelot and arthur overreacting happens, which it should) for the good of the kingdom as well as for love. picture high priestess morgana in her element, side by side with a bunch of misfit sorcerers that aren't so easily vilified, chopping down camelot's soldiers and knights and assuredly making their way to the newly-minted king.

then, just as it starts to seem that all hope is lost, in swoops merlin (the actual merlin, not his old fart disguise) on dragonback (kilgharrah hates morgana so much i know his sexist ass would stoop to anything to stop her)!!! imagine merlin showing off the extent of his powers in front of everyone and preventing the sorcerers from getting any further, declaring loud and clear that camelot is protected by him, by emrys. imagine that display of power alone being enough to send everyone home.

imagine the loyalties clearly drawn: merlin on arthur's side, morgana on the sorcerers'. imagine arthur, feeling confused and betrayed by everyone at this point, banishing merlin despite everything he's done for him in the angstiest, most emotionally dysregulated scene the show had ever put to screen. imagine merlin starting season 5 free at last but very lonesome, an embittered dragonlord like his father. imagine the absolute mess camelot would become without him, even with gwen — now queen guinevere — there to pick up the slack. imagine arthur actually earning merlin back, finally growing into his role as king as he does so. imagine the reunion.

all this and more could've been not just possible but inevitable if morgana was allowed to remain a complex character that is neither inherently good nor inherently evil: it was undeniably the biased and one-note treatment of morgana's downfall by the writers that set the precedent for literally everything else that happened after merlin chose to poison her. the show wouldn't have even had to jeopardize its tone or the monster-of-the-week vibe, all it would've had to do is admit that even the "good guys" are capable of mistakes and what makes them good is the ability to feel remorse and change for the better. (as opposed to uther, who was miles beyond redemption since way before the pilot and deserved to lose everything and die alone. OBVIOUSLY???)

in a world where morgana remains multifaceted and sympathetic, mordred would get a better arc as well, so if we really wanted to, we could still end on the same tragic note that the show ended on. with so much harm inflicted onto so many innocent people by the pendragons for so long (including mordred and the many druids and sorcerers that raised him), it could realistically end up being a little too late for anything more than one shining glimpse of king arthur and the sorcerer merlin's short-lived golden age before fate catches up to them. glimpsing that reality just to immediately lose it would've been far more satisfying and far more tragic than whatever the writers thought they were doing with all that pointless carrot-dangling.

and finally, an ending in line with morgana's new and improved arc. in this version, rather than bleeding out on the forest floor alone, she would channel the morgan le fay we know from the legends: sobered up by the reality of her brother dying, she would use her high priestess status (and perhaps also her pendragon status) to be granted passage over to avalon alongside arthur on the boat — a one-way ride — just to make sure he gets there safely. this is her penance for the harm she has caused, the same way arthur's penance is to die and leave the true ruler of camelot (gwen) behind to achieve everything he was too slow and indecisive to build while he still had time.

merlin's penance, then, would be to stay behind and watch them cross over without him, waiting and waiting and waiting until they come back or until he can finally join them. which is a bit fucking harsh if i'm honest, so i'd at least make it slightly more faithful to the legends by having him return as an old man and letting him take a long nap under a tree by the shore, his body slowly enveloped by vines like the cobwebbed fisher king in 3x08, never fully sure if he's dreaming or if there really are strange shapes fading in and out of the fog over the lake. still tragic, but nevertheless a little more open-ended and whimsical than [TRUCK NOISES] THE END!

[fruitbasketball]

wnba highlights 8/17-8/18

okay so i’ve been out of it these past couple days so i’m just gonna give y’all the big games and moments and important shit

but please send in asks if i missed a game you wanted to see me cover, i’ll try to get to it 🤞🏽

new york liberty vs las vegas aces - 8/17

starting off strong with this 2023 finals rematch - LAWDDDD a’ja wilson you are a badddd woman. 24 points, 11 boards, but still could not walk away with the win.

that being said, the aces played like shit for being the aces. 37% from the field, 29% from 3 - what are we DOING bro. this is CRAZY!!!!!

i mean jackie young 1-8?? what the FUCK????

chelsea in double digits for points is a shock to me lately, but we’re here, so!!

not that the liberty as a whole played much better tho - slightly better fgp and slightly worse 3pfg BRO??? is THIS WHO WE ARE??

lord help me why is sabrina ionescu putting up 21 shots and only getting 23 points off of it. and 2 of those points were actually free throws so she got 21 on 21.

someone explain that shit to me. that math ain’t mathing.

jj with 17 REBOUNDS??? HELLO??? WHAT IN THE STAT PAD?? IS YOUR FGP THIS LOW FOR THAT PURPOSE??? fucking HELPPPP

y’all disappoint me. NEXT.

las vegas aces vs los angeles sparks

yeah i’m not here to speak on the game for this one. it was a slaughter from an efficiency perspective, i’ll say that.

i like watching the aces. they’re an entertaining team, and i feel bad from a basketball perspective that they had such a shitty start to the season.

but for aces fans to boo dearica in FRONT OF HER DAUGHTER - to act as though becky hammon is getting unfairly cancelled rather than acting as tho she committed a FEDERAL OFFENSE, which she DID…

fuckin crazy bro. you’re full of shit.

chicago sky vs phoenix mercury

the dee and angel hug at the end was everything. EVERYTHING.

but in case y’all missed the typa timing the chi town barbie been on: 19 points, 20 boards, on 8-16. play. with. ya mama.

they still lost tho don’t get me wrong, but the merc needed this after that fever loss bc bitch what the fuck.

y’all want me to be impresser that sofeet cuntingham got her first double double..? that ho been in the league for fucking ever gtfoh bro maga ass…

monique billings on a roster thank fucking god because i was boutta throw hands

anyway dee still got it like that… y’all don’t stress 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

seattle storm vs indiana fever

caitlin clark you are… something. telling the opposing bench to “stop crying” and then giggling right after is absolutely insane work. i might genuinely be terrified of that girl.

sds i love you bro if you wanna shoulder check that ho do it in game too. ain’t a damn thing. you do you baby.

aight real show of the night: LEXIE. MFKING. HULL.

don’t y’all EVER disrespect one of tara’s girls like that again. NEEEEVER. 22 points on 80%??? DO Y’ALL KNOW HOW CRAZY THAT IS??

i will say the fever played exceptionally last night (except kls, and imma ride for a husky always… but she should lowk not be starting): 3 guys over 20, 46 fgp, 3pfg at 48 so HIGHER than fgp?? some steph curry shit right there.

meanwhile in seattle, we don’t even breach 40. it’s getting to the point where i’m surprised that seattle loses a game, because what?? can someone HELP JEWELL BRO?? LORD!!! you just lost to a team that might have a lottery pick!!!

GET IT THE FUCK TOGETHER!!!

[corvikari]

Days of disappointment (brought to you by screenshots of me ranting to my friends about Season 7)

so pretty sure my friends are tired of hearing me rant about how bad the ending/arc 2 of the show is, so I’m finally gonna move my rants to tumblr. Also yes both my profile pictures in discord and tumblr are tributes to Leola, Leola was the best thing about arc 2 you cannot change my mind.

(Spoilers below)

ok I struggle with the moral lesson of this show, I didn’t know how to correctly summarize why I have a problem with all of it but I think this reddit post explains why the morality in the show feels off to me.

I was absolutely livid with the double standards given by the elves. Now that would be fine if the elves were continually painted as morally gray and not supposed to be likable, but these are supposed to be the good guys so of course they need to forgive everyone who’s wronged them. I’ve honestly hated the whole sunfire elf plot, not because it felt irrelevant. Don’t get me wrong it did, but if it was in a different show and written better? I would have ate it up, it was a decent plot line but as always TDP has horrible execution.

nothing to say other than what I said here.

again, nothing to say here except for what was already said (JJK is Jujutsu Kaisen, go watch it it’s good. It’s not perfect but it’s better than TDP)

this is the first thing I noticed in the ending scenes, if I could find more screenshots I would. It looked so bad and so obvious that that’s exactly what they did. It’s like they weren’t even trying in the end.

Now time for afterthoughts

also yes there’s a lot of typos in these messages, but I was both angry/frustrated and excited so I was typing fast and didn’t care about typos. That’s just how I operate.

OKAY

ending thoughts

If this post and the screenshots provided seem incoherent it’s just my reaction to season 7. I have yet to do a whole series rewatch, when I do I will take notes on what I like/dislike and what felt off to me. As of now I’m just incredibly upset about what could have been. I should have just dropped the series after season 4, but I wanted to see how it ended so..here I am.

I feel like this post encapsulates a few of my problems with season 7, not all of them but probably the most important issues. It will be a slow process but be prepared for posts covering every season of The Dragon Prince, capping them all off with a full series review.

I also made a thread on twitter however that’s mostly just a reiteration of what was said in these messages.

With all of this out of the way I’ll say what I said over on twitter (I refuse to call it X)

[steeltwigz]

has anyone seen marsh cry? (marshmallow cry lore)

I JUST rewatched the show and Marsh went through so much that I genuinely can't remember if we've ever seen her cry on screen before 😭😭😭 it feels like we must have but I'm rlly not sure 😭😭😭

I'm just gonna assume we Haven't. The thing is, Marsh is rlly open abt her emotions. She likes to talk abt things that bother her to her friends and solve the problems asap, I guess maybe barring the thing where she ran away w/o telling Paintbrush but that was kind of a complicated situation and she Was right that Paintbrush never rlly listened to her during the competition. That Being Said! I don't actually think she would cry often. She's tough and can Usually deal with things that upset her efficiently before they can become too overwhelming that she would start crying abt them.

I think probably in early season 1 Marsh would've had more situations that she didn't know how to handle and just in general she was a bit more helpless at the start, so she would've cried around Paintbrush more often. So they've seen it before (and hopefullyyyy act supportively). But since season 2 and living in the mansion, Marsh has matured a lot and become stronger and more able to defend herself so I don't think Apple or Bow have as many chances. I think there's good potential for one of them walking In on Marsh crying becuz I LOVEEEE those kinds of angst stories. If it Did happen that way, I think the reactions would be smth like. Apple freaks out, bursts into the room, and starts holding Marsh as tightly as possible until she feels better and promising to beat up whoever made Marsh upset, which is so startling and silly that it would always make Marsh feel a little better. Bow would phase through the wall awkwardly and try to ask Marsh what's wrong, and Marsh would get all surprised at being caught and then they'd talk it out. Dough would fly in, pretend like he's in the room for something else, and then once he had a read on the situation he would possess a pillow or blanket or bring snacks to give Marsh so she'll feel better. I don't think he'd snitch to Apple or Bow tho, I like to think he has some kind of awareness on Marsh's personality and can understand she would want her privacy to be respected.

I think actually they've seen Marsh cry once when she was super overwhelmingly happy tho, the first night she brought Apple back to the mansion and it finally sunk in that she was free from II and surrounded by the people she cares the most abt in the whole world. But they all spent that night sobbing and laughing and cuddling on the couch together, so it doesn't rlly count. Except Dough who was around but said the show of emotion was "an affront to the couch cushions" becuz of Bow's ghost mascara running and staining them so he left to watch spiders build webs in the basement. Apple and Bow have both tried to make Marsh so happy she starts crying again (becuz that night was also full of lots of cuddling and kissing and hugging and maybe sometimes girls just want to feel loved, okay?), but Marsh is a tough nut to crack AND she's smart so she can recognize what they're doing and use it to play jokes on them and annoy them. They have a whole secret corkboard that's covered in plans and ideas. Its not that secret cuz Marsh found it almost instantly and sometimes she'll add her Own ideas if she wants them to do something nice for her. Its a fun game, but now she's even More opposed to crying for any reason so that she can Win the game. The important thing abt Marshplebow is that they all love each other so so much, but they're also all competitive as FUCK and they love playing stupid little games and challenges with each other.

And actually I think MePad has seen Marsh cry too. In my headcanon lore, Bow possesses Apple by putting her soul in Apple's body and controlling it that way, meaning that when Bowpple left in episode 17, Bow didn't stay behind in the mansion (ig they were using phones to communicate or smth I didn't really bother w the logistics). After they explain the plan of Pulling the Plug on it all, Marsh decides she needs air and goes out on the porch to watch the ship where her gfs are. MePad follows her after a moment to offer his own kind of silent comfort and idk Paintbrush probably follows too, but they aren't important to the story rn. Marsh watches as the ship disappears in the sky, but the objects don't disappear instantly after that, it takes a few seconds for the effect to reach them. When it registers that the ship has disappeared and everyone is now perma-dead Marshmallow sniffles and gasps, unable to hold on to all the fear and sorrow of the episodes events and MePad, against his better judgement, probably just on reflex, turns to Marshmallow to try to comfort her. He watches as a single tear rolls down her cheek before she's gone and MePad is left alone on the mansion porch or like maybe on the ground beneath it, I kind of assumed the mansion would be a real building but maybe not. And now he gets to live with that memory forever ^_^ yayyyyy!!! I don't know if MePad has a favorite, but I always kind of assumed he cared abt Marshmallow and respected her more than he had for any of the other contestants. That's not saying MUCH becuz he very clearly cares abt them all, but I think Marshmallow is one of the most personal to him.

[gale-gentlepenguin]

Gale Reviews: ML Season 5 episode 17 Adoration

(Spoilers as this episode is out before other ones)

-Andre bonding with the child Audrey the supposed love of his life had with another man.

-I pity that man, changed everything about himself for love… it’s actually kind of sad. Because it’s clear he fell for the wrong person.

-Zoe got someone she is in love with. I’d say it’s Marinette, because she has LITERALLY no other people she has seen interacting with. But I doubt it will appear since this is an international show. So my bet is they will imply it without saying it, plus, Zoe doesn’t show the photo she was gonna bury.

-oh so Zoe is in 8th grade while Marinette is in 9th grade. So at least that conforms Audrey cheated on Andre AFTER having Chloe, Damn

-so those two are the reps. Also. Marc is a year younger than them. Interesting

-oh the zoenette is strong in this one

-The storage of all the gifts she made for Adrien, which needs cleaning out. Guess Marinette chilled out about things. Good on her.

-huh… this is the first time we actually get a full on tour of her room. (We see it a lot, but never knew how she divided her stuff up. Neat.

-Oh the hidden adrien simp board is new. Love the touch. (I love the little sticky drawings)

-That probably hurt Zoe more than she would let on.

-not gonna lie I know Andre isn’t his real name, but I get why he changed it. It’s a mouthful.

-the butlers name is Armand!?

-Zoe knows everyone in the hotel. Good. Glad that girl is respectful to the people that help run the place. (Zoe + 3 respect)

-And Chloe and Sabrina are there… what a shock (not really)

- Yea the show really just removed any and all character development they had for Chloe and squeezed it into Zoe. Points for Zoe standing up to Chloe.

-At least Audrey is still in character.

-Andre really be like (I prefer the daughter that was born from another man banging my wife than my own) points to the Simp mayor

-I take it back Anax as a nickname sounds kind of dope

-You ever just see a character on screen and hope a piano falls on him? Yes I’m talking about Gabriel that sterilized tampon

-now Nathalie here being the GOAT with only one line. Respect for Nathalie. Girl really gave up on her simp tendencies and decided to just be the mother Adrien needs

-Gabriel really be the worst. Looks like Lila gonna cook up something

-seems Zoe forgot about the photo is out. Which I bet will cause a misunderstanding with her hiding it.

-What exactly does Sabrina have morals in? Also side note, PUNCHING BAG?! Really?

-Yea, Chloe just be mustache twirling evil

-Vanisher is back and with Dog powers

-Lila literally plotted an akumatization.

-if I had a dollar for everytime Someone couldn’t tell Marinette they were in love with her. I’d have 2 nickles. Which isn’t a lot but weird it happened twice

-Marinette is pretty clever figuring out all the details… EXCEPT THE FACT THAT ITS HER!?

-Marinette shows she supports Love is Love.

-Op she thought it was a he, to bad Marinette you failed the game. Rip.

-wait did Marinette just condone polyamory? I might have read that wrong

-Marinette consulting Alya on the matter

-oh so that’s how Marinette gets the assumption it’s Adrien. To be fair, I’d have come to that conclusion at some point to.

-oh I can feel the awkward situation coming in 3…2….1….

-Zoe, thinking (wow I reall fell for a simp)

-ah yes the cringe is finally here, now to spend the next Hour trying to watch the episode.

-OOOO A MONTAGE, so how many items can be retrieved via one whistle blow

- They really replaced Luka with Nino. Wait… DOES THAT MEAN WHAT I THINK IT MEANS! Was the truth finally revealed?!

-I get the plan now, they are framing her for stealing stuff. So basically what Lila did in the episode Ladybug. That’s not surprising but also kind of mid. I was expecting more pizzaz. Side note, Zoe was with her the whole time? Also why would she steal from her parents?

-The Chloe accusing her part was clever, because the motive of Chloe walking in to yell at Marinette is very believable

- okay I take it back, this plan has Pizzaz. But the fact everyone sort of just believes it even her own parents? Like come on? And with an akuma litterally anything is possible.

-And Marinette caught on, sees vanisher thanks to the flowers.

-Chloé legit has a Gold phone?!

-Zoe is taking the blame! Zoe no!?

-Oh! Vanisher can just call back whatever she wants. Proof is in the pudding. Good thing Marinette is ladybug. Piñata time!!! Viva piñata

-yum ladynoir crumbs

- Rip Luka’s guitar

-Chloe now getting stared down

-So confession time!

-Well she never outright say it… but She pretty much says it and Marinette confirms it though turns her down. I’m surprised they did that much

-I was complaining earlier about subtlety but this was tastefully done.

-I FUCKING KNEW SHE WAS DOWN BAD SINCE DAY ONE!

-Good on Zoe for encouraging Marinette. Even though she got turned down. But at least it was canon

-Oh damn Marinette is gonna confess

-SHE DID IT FOLKS! She fucking did it! And Adrien is receptive! Will we get a kiss!?

-GABRIEL YOU COCKBLOCKING FUCKING PIECE OF GARBAGE! I WILL END YOU!

-My heart breaks for Marinette

_________________________________________

7/10

It was a fine episode, I think a lot of it felt padded out, and while I enjoyed the first few minutes and the LAST few minutes were epic. The rest of the episode felt… meh.

Yea Adrien is a sentimonster. There is no denying it. Like I’m sorry for the hood outs. This episodes ending confirmed it completely. Which may be the reason I’m not gonna rate it higher.

[youarentamaybeyoureayes]

rina was always gonna be the second choice, and was only made canon because olivia left, cope with that, their story was embarassing and they had been building up to ej and gina forever <3 everyone watching was disappointed except a tiny percentage

ok cool finally got my first round of anon hate from the losing side of the fandom and it only took approximately three weeks! i honestly thought it'd be sooner. so thank you for letting me reach a milestone, even if it's a little overdue.

so anyways, why is it that it's been almost 4 whole years and none of you can stick to one narrative? first it's "rina was never romantic" and their first prominent interaction on the show was supposed to end with a full on kiss. then it's "rina was just a plot device for r*ni" and despite several interviews dating back to december 2019 from the creator of the show himself stating otherwise, continuously reiterating that the car scene changed the trajectory of the show and when speaking about r*ni early on, he wanted to start a dialogue about how not all high school relationships last and that he wanted to depict breakups in a realistic way. all of the signs for r*ni's imminent failure were present. you were just choosing to ignore it because you were so threatened by a ship you wanted so badly to just be a plot device. and when you were rightfully proven wrong, you started shaking and panicking all because you were naive enough to think a season 1 endgame was supposed to determine the entire fate of the show.

i've already gotten more than enough into the fact that even if olivia had remained on the show, choosing to live in delusion by thinking that rina wouldn't have even been explored at the slightest when they were the only couple in the show to have unfinished business makes me think you either don't have much experience watching shows with similar character arcs, or you were just watching it with your eyes closed. tim envisioned the show to have about 5 to 7 seasons and you're genuinely convinced that rina would only remain a season 1 plot device. even seeing how they had to physically cut off their interactions in the later half of season 2 just for it to make sense for gina to pursue someone else, there's no way you thought that the characters that actually have the build up you're pretending p*rtwell had weren't ever going to address all of their history together, which has even been referenced in the show's universe on multiple occasions.

speaking of p*rtwell, if the "build up" in question was ej constantly mentioning how much older he was than her, shutting her down and blaming her for his relationship failing (something else that would end up paralleling their romantic relationship to no one's surprise but your own), and then having one moment of petting the dog by doing something mildly nice for her and we're all supposed to reward him for it as if he wouldn't later practically abandon her once their relationship made it to the next level, and all of that was supposed to be something that's not embarrassing, i'd take rina's build up any day than the mess that was.

notice how you can't find a single interview from season 1, the only season that was written before they had ANY audience to please, where tim mentions anything about ej and gina's relationship being vital to the show. there was a very clear difference between the relationship between ricky and gina and gina and ej. every season has shown this so far. all of the hoops they had to go through in order to attempt to justify their relationships outside of each other has shown this. i can't even be convinced you like either of the characters that much if you wanted them to end up with their season 1 or 2 endgames. you're advocating for the opposite of growth. and that's more embarrassing than crying over a dead and rotting ship almost an entire month after the show ended.

funnily enough, you claiming that only a tiny percentage enjoyed the show's ending actually makes me feel more confident and happy that my ship will continue to beat the fan service allegations even though there's actually nothing wrong with fan service if you're the fan being serviced. i haven't seen this outrage you speak of. even rina's rendition of can i have this dance has been excellently received in a way that even i as a fan didn't expect from the general public. the season in general has been praised for how it's handled certain topics, the growth the characters displayed, the more grounded soundtrack that was a refresher in comparison to previous seasons, the cinematography, and it remains one of the highest rated seasons for a reason.

eventually you're going to have to accept that you're only convinced that everyone is bitter, despite them having close to two years to cope with their mid-tier ships failing, because the crowd of losers you follow have been moping and complaining about their ships not working out because they ignored every warning sign no matter how much it was pushed in front of your faces. once you take those blinders off and even shift your focus outside of rinas getting the last laugh as we should, you'd realize that this season was one of their strongest because they stuck to their roots while also improving upon the things that were introduced in earlier seasons while they were still finding their footing. things weren't perfect because they never were, but i don't even see how you can watch the final performance of the show and think something negative about it.

most of you were retired nini stans who decided that you would vow to stop hating ej as long as he took gina out of the equation of ricky's life, which is 90% of the reason he has so many shooters now. even he had a satisfying ending, and you still can't find a way to cope with it and his new relationship with val because you want him to continue dating a high school junior he paid 0 attention to instead of furthering his studies in college. you don't even like nini that much anymore if you're disappointed over her no longer being with the same boy she used to feel trapped by. you're doing all of this because you were bitter that across four seasons, characters didn't remain frozen in the same place that they were in the very first season. and that's probably the most embarrassing thing of them all.

[theaceofskulls]

Oh boy... some thoughts on Red Vs Blue now that the announcement of the final season is here.

This series was probably one of my favorites. Hell for a bit there one of the more popular posts I had was a starter guide for people getting into it. It's not a long series but I knew that people had a limited amount of time and with every season being a full 90 minutes to 2 hours long, asking someone to catch up on 10 movies worth of stuff to get to the current arcs was an ask.

I was a fan of the series before Rooster Teeth got into making RWBY. Hell, I was a fan of the series before I got into Rooster Teeth in general.

In fact I like to say that RvB set my expectations for RWBY and is part of the reason I was able to enjoy the series as much as I have. So it's got me feeling all sorts of things to watch this come up as the finale announcement while RWBY's ultimate fate is currently up in the air, especially thinking back on how RvB really started without all of the corporate nonsense and way worse that everything surrounding Rooster Teeth is wrapped up in.

Anyways, if you haven't caught on, this is going to be rambling so I'll apologize here and put a readmore so that everyone else can just move past

RvB shows its age. From the fact that the best way to start it is something I'll put plenty of advisory warnings on when I share it with newcomers to the fact that it still rolls with machinima. There's a charm to that though. It's like watching a webcomic that you've fallen into. The start is rough but it finds a footing that no one else can really claim to be anything similar to.

That said, "rough" is a word that I feel eventually haunted the series for me.

Anyone who looks over my tag of it can see I'm a huge fan of the show and weathered almost every change it went through and oh boy does this show go through changes. It's fair to say that one of the biggest exodus of fans was after Season 5 when it looked like it ended for the first time when Season 6 took the series in a more serious route continuing off of the drama from 5 (and the mini series around that time). In fact, almost every transition saw people dip off and it's understandable even if most of them felt great in the long run once the new arcs were allowed to get rolling.

But I'll admit that eventually, I was one of those fans, and I wasn't alone from what I've experienced.

Season 13 had a monumental ending. Actually one of the more emotional pieces of media I've seen and that's not something I say lightly. It had a spectacular examination of storytelling and managed to find a solid endpoint to a character arc that wrecked me. I still tear up whenever I rewatch it.

Season 14 was a great cooldown by going with some more experimental media that disconnected itself from the stakes and acted as a good bonus, and I was willing to see more from the series.

However despite my willingness to meet this show with each of its new arcs in their own ways, the next couple seasons threw me and a lot of fans off. Something was definitely wrong and it wasn't just the change to the status quo or the new framing, it definitely began to spin wheels and to lose direction in a way that other arcs hadn't.

I got midway through season 16 before I just stopped checking in without realizing it. I kept up with the company though I rarely looked into anything other than RWBY or Gen:LOCK as the company began to shift away towards something different.

I've talked with other fans about this at various points whose experiences match my own. Anyone who made it to the Chorus arc of Seasons 11-13 all tend to agree that the show definitely managed to weather every arc change except the last two/three (depending on if you view season 15->16 as its own shift).

I compare this heavily to the fact that most people got through 15 and partway into 16 than the fact that most people who bounced off Season 6, 9, or 11 did so a few episodes in.

And almost everyone has an identical story: We all tried RvB Zero.

A lot has been said about it but this is my rambling post and if you're this far you're probably willing to read my take.

I went in welcoming the change of cast, the animation style, and the fact that it would probably be rougher to start. But I hate to say this: it was extremely poorly written and poorly delivered. Characters and plots were collections of tropes that couldn't hold the action scenes at the core of the show together. "Reveals" were things I assumed would be subversions and the show spent no time getting us invested in the characters because it was given a ridiculously short runtime so the twists landed with no emotional weight.

I know the creator has to deal with constant criticism of the show and is defensive of it so I have no wish to add to that pile but even approaching the season on its own merits I was unable to engage with it and felt like I was burying the series there.

Then came all the Rooster Teeth scandals. Crunch was a rumor but was then confirmed. Everything regarding the animation team (the other two big items were unrelated to RvB and RWBY but did put a damper on me engaging with the company the way it had always presented itself via the personalities it showcased). I drifted away from them until the latest season of RWBY (which itself premiered on a service that continues to deal with union related scandals). Regardless I'd sort of made my peace with RvB.

So then comes the announcement of the final season written by Burnie, whose retirement seems to have been in part one of the big reasons I drifted away from both the series and the company (it's notable that when I was a fan, the podcasts with him tended to be the highlights). I'm not here to put any of the founders on a pedestal after all of the dirty laundry that's come out about some of them, but it's reignited interest in this series at the least.

Added to that the soft retcon of everything after season 13, it seems a sort of acknowledgement that the series did lose its touch.

This post was meant to help me process the feelings I've had since hearing this announcement and record my experience with the show and I can't say for sure that I've sorted things completely as much as it feels like I understand where I stand with this.

I want it to be good. I want it to be a send off the series deserves. It's sad to watch something you've followed for almost 20 years be laid to rest and it's the closing of the chapter of "amateur art" as one of the last big machinima series comes to close.

If RWBY continues, its almost certainly going to be done by a separate studio, and while I've heard people are enjoying the new podcast formats I don't really enjoy general podcasts as much as specific interest ones these days.

All in all, this feels like closing a chapter on not just a series but the studio itself as Rooster Teeth has changed its logo to remove the "cock bite", changed its cast to remove most of the "old guard", and now lays to rest its longest running series. It's been obvious this has been coming for the better half of a decade now, but it's still the moment to me where a book is being closed. And it's bittersweet in its own way.

[atla-suki]

THE THOUGHTS. they consumed me. i don’t wanna do my english essay so have this instead:

atla hair symbolism (aside from zuko and azula cuz that’s obvious as hell):

toph:

oh my bbygirl!!!!!!! toph’s hair is very subtle, cause it’s generally the exact same style the whole show. EXCEPT it changes from the first time we meet her.

when she’s at home with her parents, her hair is very neat. like HELLA neat:

when she’s at earth rumble VI and after she joins the gaang, there is less care in styling:

but the general style is still the same. toph’s hair acts as a symbol for her rebelling against her parents and her strict upbringing, while also staying true to herself and not changing drastically just to prove a point. when she’s not at home, her bangs fall freely and the rest of her hair isn’t done up as high. (something something metaphor for her feeling less restricted and more free while travelling with the gaang~) toph DIRECTLY STATES that she doesn’t care about appearance or seeking approval, and this just shows how comfortable she is with her sense of self. i like that she doesn’t do a full 180 and change completely (some ‘i cut my hair cause nobody understand me!’ ‘it’s not a phase MOM’ shit would’ve been so BORING and predictable lmao) but the difference is that she now does everything on her own terms. i really like that subtle distinction. hair symbolism!!!!

katara:

something about katara *literally* letting her hair down as she finally learns she doesn’t have to be so mature and responsible all the time and that she is ultimately still a kid is so personal😖

but also i was curious so i googled it and-

katara exploring her freedom and discovering new connections across the other nations outside of the small world she knew as a kid (the SWT) something something… HAIR SYMBOLIMSN aUuUhsushshsjdkf

no but genuinely i feel like katara is a really difficult character to analyse cause her characterisation really depends on your external POV. but me, personally, i feel like she’s grown up with very distinct ideas on what is right and wrong and all that and it’s influenced how she’s perceived the rest of the world - symbolised in her s1 braid. and then i feel like by the end of the show we’ve watched her learn so much and progress so much and explore freedom to think for herself outside what she’s been taught as a kid. and ofc as she grows up this happens more rapidly (i’m thinking around s3 post-invasion. the katara development>>>>) ANYWAYS and THAT’S symbolised in her free-flowing hair.

am i making an actual point here? no idea. ima keep going~

aang:

oh yes oh yes book 3 aang hair symbolism my beloved🫶🫶

there’s so much that is already said and shown on screen about how important aang’s lack of hair is to him and how important his airbender tattoos are. and that’s so valid like this boy wears his arrows with pride because he is the only one left to do so! girlbossing hard.

anyways my point for bestie aang is that he adapts a LOT to the world he unfreezes in BUT still keeps his air nation beliefs and customs and i love it so much! i know that’s obvious ofc it’s like 40% of his character BUT the fact they showed him objecting to hiding his arrows in book 3>>>>> like YES this boy’s customs are IMPORTANT to him! let him PREACHHHH

also ofc him hiding his identity with hair cause of his shame about failing as the avatar in book 3 and then shaving his head before he redeems himself later on in the season <3333

but that’s all been said before.

i was gonna write some for sokka and suki but my phone is on 2% lmk if u want me to continue with these thoughts (i have some on mai too) & thx if u read this whole thing (it’s 90% waffle). kisses mwah mwah

thinking about atla hair symbolism again… zhrrngng

[impostoradult]

I finally figured out why it feels like Supernatural murdered a unicorn (AKA why you need to STOP telling me to watch Black Sails)

I’ll start by saying, everything everyone else has been saying CERTAINLY bothers me: 

- the queer-baiting - the bury your queers - the undermining of Dean’s character arc  - the wasted opportunity for a certain kind of overall narrative closure - the flat out disrespect to Misha Collins and Jensen Ackles

 All of that bothers me tremendously. 

But there has been something else rather ineffable about this that has left a horrible taste in my mouth that I couldn’t quite pin down until last night. Bear with me, if you will, because this will require some set-up. 

*** This is not the first show to ever disappoint me in a spectacular fashion, nor will it be the last, I suspect. And one of the ways I’ve always coped with that disappointment was to remind myself that there will be other stories, other characters, other chances to get it right. (”It” being any number of things from just pure narrative emotional coherence to not burying your queers to not stringing along your queer audience and then yelling fuck you to them on the way out) 

But somehow that assurance -- that there will be other stories, other characters, other chances to get it right -- has rung particularly hollow in this instance, and I couldn’t quite put my finger on why until yesterday. 

I kept asking myself, why do I still have this feeling, deep in the pit of my stomach, like something was lost here that can never be recovered? 

Because something was lost here that I am doubtful can ever be recovered, and I don’t think I’ve seen anyone else talking about this aspect of it at all. 

***

A few months ago, TV critic Maureen Ryan did a great interview piece with Mike Schur (of Parks & Rec/The Good Place) discussing the death of long-form TV in the streaming era. They explore how the longer seasons and longer runs of traditional broadcast/cable TV provided an opportunity to tell particular kinds of stories that you simply can’t when seasons are 8-10 episodes and series typically run 2-4 seasons (thanks Netflix).

One key thing we’ve all lost in this new era of highly condensed TV storytelling (and of prestige TV narrative styles)? The traditional (several season’s long) slow-burn/will-they-won’t-they romance. Not only is there simply no longer the time or space to write such romances, it has also come to be seen as hacky, manipulative, cheap, artistically impoverished, low-brow, a embarrassing vestige of the era before TV became art™. 

Everybody is trying to be Fleabag now. No one wants to be Frasier. (”It’s really more like a 10 hour movie” they all like to brag)

Obviously TV still has romances, even ‘drawn out’ romances. But ‘drawn out’ in 2020 is like 2-3 seasons, maybe. More commonly it’s like half a season. Take Schitt’s Creek. The number of episodes between when David and Patrick first meet and when they first kiss? Seven. Seven episodes. Half a season. If you watched it live, it took less than 2 months for them to move from introducing that dynamic to consummating it. And I’m not bagging on Schitt’s Creek; I think the David/Patrick’s story is very lovely and well-written. 

But Niles & Daphne (Fraiser) had to wait 7 years and over 150 episodes before they finally got there. Josh & Donna (The West Wing) had to wait 6+ years, and 145 episodes. Mulder & Scully (The X-Files) had to wait 7 seasons and 143 episodes. Booth & Bones had to wait...you see where I am going with this. 

And my point is (and I can’t believe I never realized this explicitly until now): there has NEVER been a queer slow-burn/will-they-won’t-they romance of that type on TV ever. EVER. 

I’m going to say that again, because I think it bares repeating:

There has never been a queer, slow-burn/will-they-won’t-they romance that fits the 100-150 episode paradigm of delayed gratification on TV. 

Not ever.  

I can’t think of ONE example  Not a single, solitary one. And I know queer TV pretty well. Arguably the closest we’ve ever come is Legend of Korra, and that ran 50 episodes, a THIRD of the length of old school will-they-won’t-theys like Booth & Bones or Josh & Donna. 

Queer people have had a fair number of canonical romances on TV by now, even fairly long running ones. But we never got a primary/front-and-center romance that you had to root for for 100+ episodes before you got any kind of canonical consummation.

That is a particular kind of TV experience that queer people and queer characters were just 100% shut out of until it was too late. And because of how the TV landscape has changed in the last 10 years, I don’t know that that opportunity will ever come back around in our lifetimes. 

***

Dean and Castiel are/were a legacy of an earlier era of TV, an era that still contained the possibility for a will-they-won’t-they of that particular mold. There were other shows that could have also filled this gap at one time - Rizzoli & Isles, OUAT, House MD, etc. But one by one all of them were killed off, their queer romances unrequited, until Supernatural was the only one of its’ generation left standing. 

And they should have acknowledged that they were a species about to become extinct. 

There are plenty of other valid and compelling reasons Supernatural should have gone full Destiel, don’t get me wrong.

A) It would have been the most emotionally satisfying ending to the series and to those characters (and that would have been reason enough). 

B) It would have stopped the manipulative queer-baiting of the (disproportionately queer) fanbase (and that would have been reason enough). 

C) It would have been queer representation of middle-aged men, of bi men, of queers who came to their queerness later in life (and any/all of those would have been reason enough). 

D) It could have been a glorious subversion of the bury your queers trope, considering how often they’ve died and been resurrected (and that would have been reason enough). 

But point E) on this list is the reason this one hurts in a singular way that no one even appears to be acknowledging. 

Almost all of the other wrongs and missed opportunities contained in this Supernatural debacle have the possibility of being rectified (at least to a degree) elsewhere. I can and I likely will get more bi male characters from TV as time goes on. I can and likely will get more middle-aged queer characters. I can and likely will get more queer characters coming to their queerness later in life, and starting queer romances later in life. I can and likely will get more queer characters who aren’t killed cheaply and prematurely. I can and likely will get more genre TV shows with sprawling myth arc plots that are resolved in a coherent, satisfying way. I can and likely will get Misha Collins and Jensen Ackles involved in other projects that value their work and their talents. 

All of those other things are at the very least POSSIBLE, and many are even likely. 

But a queer 100-150 episode slow-burn romance a la Mulder & Scully or Niles & Daphne or Booth & Bones? That is the one baton Supernatural dropped spectacularly that no one else even has the possibility of picking up again for the foreseeable future. (They don’t even write those types of romances for heterosexuals anymore!) 

Seriously. It was a TV unicorn. And rather than letting it run wild and free, they stabbed it with a rusty nail. 

***

Given the monumental shifts in the TV landscape that have occurred in the last decade, I don’t know that TV will ever go back to the slow-burn/will-they-won’t-they romance spanning 100-150 episodes. Today it is a miracle if you can get ANY show to last longer than 50 episodes in the first place. 

And that is the piece of this that makes it feel (to me) like they murdered a unicorn.  

Because queer people have gotten a lot of things from TV, and they will get a lot more as time goes on. But that one? That one could very well be a totally extinct species.

That is the larger missed opportunity here that has left this feeling especially hollow and destructive. That is the thing that makes me balk when people tell me to go watch Black Sails or Pose or whatever other prestige TV show is doing this representation ‘better.’ Because that’s not really the loss I am mourning here. I KNOW there is ‘better’ representation elsewhere.  

But the will-they-won’t-they/slow-burn romance is a qualitatively unique thing that queer people literally just never got. Ever. There is no substitute, no alternate, no other show I can turn to with that kind of build-up and pay-off for a queer couple, and there probably won’t be in my lifetime. Not unless the TV industry undergoes another monumental evolution similar to the streaming revolution that shifts the incentives back to telling those types of stories again. 

All those shows you want me to displace Supernatural with? None of them can give me the one thing I uniquely wanted (and could have gotten) from Supernatural. THAT ALTERNATE SHOW DOESN’T EXIST. It doesn’t exist. And I have no reason to hope it will ever exist in my lifetime. 

So stop telling me to look somewhere else; you don’t understand what made this one a unicorn. 

***

Addendum: The only other possible show that could perhaps fill this gap is It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (re: Mac/Dennis). But I’m hesitant to say it exactly meets that criteria, for a number of reasons:

1 - It’s far less serialized relative to Supernatural and (except for a handful of stand-alone episodes) very little of the story is grounded specifically in Dennis/Mac’s romantic dynamic (unlike SPN, where it is absolutely central to much of the narrative)

2 - IASIP is fundamentally satirically in nature/tone which makes it much harder to have genuine romantic pathos (not impossible, but harder) 

3 - All the characters on IASIP are fundamentally crummy people who you aren’t exactly supposed to root for. Which doesn’t mean a romance between two of them can’t have its value/charm/worth but it’s not the same as when it is between characters who unequivocally deserve nice things/happy endings

[gnar-slabdash]

I know some otherwise intelligent people that can't seem to appreciate "Leverage". How can this be?

I mean I feel like mostly the answer is "because different intelligent people naturally have different tastes" and also "one does not control the special interest." But here's a few possible answers just for kicks: 1. If you can't get them to START watching, are you sure you're meeting them on their level? I've been telling my bff about Leverage for years and he's never been interested. Then I remembered that he was never interested in MCR either until I showed him the Danger Days music videos, because what he IS into is apocalypse stories and comics and classic anime. BAM, he was obsessed. So I told him about all the people from STAR TREK who work on Leverage and he was like "WHY did you never tell me this before???" He still hasn't actually WATCHED it because he's just become a full-fledged Ivy League professor and also has ADHD up the wazoo, but now it's actually on his radar because I started where he's at.

2. If they've started watching and aren't getting into it, make sure they're watching in the CORRECT ORDER. As with a certain other halcyon 2000s show, the episodes were originally aired in the wrong order, and that's the order that streaming services usually retain (I believe the DVDs have the intended order). You can just google to find the right order, I usually find it in imdb's trivia section. How big a difference the change makes will vary by person, but for me watching int he wrong order made the emotional storylines make a lot less sense. Episode 3, for example, was SUPPOSED to be the Wedding Job, not the Two Horse Job. So it feels like she's really jumping the gun when Eliot's ex tells him he has a new family now -- really, he's known these people for like a month?? Well, that was supposed to come later. And likewise, this was supposed to be the point where Sophie freaks out because she doesn't know where her relationship with Nate was going. But because they moved THAT to later, it feels like she's happily settled into the status quo and then blows up out of nowhere. I legitimately didn't like Sophie at all when I first watched the first season, and it's NOT HER FAULT -- it's because they fucked up her emotional storyline by putting the episodes in the wrong places.

3. A lot of people fucking hate that the main character is a white male tortured asshole genius trope. Yeah there are lots of other characters they can focus on, but Nate is kind of a lot if that's not what you're into. I will never in my life UNDERSTAND not being into it because that trope is literally what got me into the show, but I realize I'm in the minority there.

4. Gotta get a little more serious now. One thing I appreciate about the Leverage fandom is we usually don't get hung up in arguments about what's problematic about the show and what issues people "should be talking about." We realize it's a show from the late 2000s created by a couple of white guys and it's not perfect, and then we focus on all the great stuff it was able to accomplish anyway. I LIKE that. BUT. It means when we go to recommend it to people, we sometimes oversell it. "It's a queer poly band of thieves trying to take down capitalism!" Well, no, it actually isn't. Just because JR likes to talk about how the OT3 is so totally canon actually doesn't make it true. He says he did everything the network allowed him to do, but now that he's making Redemption the way it is, we can guess that's not entirely true either. I think there are actually no canon gays except that one lady cop. And speaking of cops, there are a lot of those, and they're sometimes corrupt but they're very often good guys and sending the bad guys to jail is very often written as a major win, and that is understandably a problem for a lot of people. And finally, they are not actually trying to take down capitalism. I think it was Latimer who told them that they were actually just trying to REGULATE the system, not take it down -- and HE WAS RIGHT. They're trying to fix the system by taking down the Bad CEOS and replacing them with Good CEOS, which is an easier sell on 2000s network TV than it is to a new watcher today. There are other issues that might be more problematic to some people, I'm just using these ones to make my point that some of the most commonly mentioned selling points of Leverage aren't entirely accurate. So just be realistic when recommending it to avoid some serious sticker shock.

[showtoonzfan]

Hi again. You know, I often read different HB-critical blogs stating "Stolas and Blitz aren't in love, their relationship only have lust", and I just wanted to give a little bit of my perspective as an Aromantic.

I personally wouldn't mind if Blitz and Stolas had a queer-platonic or friends-with-benefits type of relationship (although I highly doubt that Viv could pull that off). But the thing is: you can't say their relationship build on "lust" or sexual attraction, when there's only one partner that feels this way. Yep. Not even once when I watched Blitz interacting with Stolas I thought "wow he surely is attracted to that owl dude" (at least until 2 episode of 2 season, but more on that later).

In the first season every time Blitz was forced to interact with Stolas I always read his expressions as "I'm really uncomfortable around this guy" or "ugh I guess I HAVE TO please him" (mostly referring to that one kiss that felt incredibly forced). An exception was maybe episode 7, where at the end of it Blitz was just straight up (rightfully so) pissed at him.

Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong, but I honestly just can't recall writers giving us any clues that Blitz at least finds Stolas hot. Stolas is often blushes or comments how sexy Blitz is, but I just don't remember any passing remarks when Blitz says he likes Stolas. Hell, Blitz genuinely had more tension with Striker in that one scene, we've never seen anything like this between him and Stolas.

We see them in bed together in episode 5, but it gives us "I'm not repulsed being in bed with you" at best. Sure, Blitz is having sex with Stolas, but that was a part of their deal. It literally looks like he sleeps with him only to get the book, full stop, there's no attraction on Blitz's part.

And then there's the second season. In the first episode writers (probably trying to justify Stolas's previous creepy behavior) show us that Blitz initiated the whole thing first. However, when Stolas caught Blitz he immediately jumped into conclusion, that he's here to "ravish" him. Now, Blitz was trying to get the book and was already caught, so I see his logic as if why he would try to initiate sex with Stolas, if that's what Stolas's presumably wanted. Again, you can very well read this scene as Blitz taking advantage of Stolas with no other reason but to get the book. It's not helping the situation when he presumably also had sex with Stolas out of pity(?).

And now we're only left with our favorite retcon-aboslutely-everything episode. Where we finally see Blitz being turned on by Stolas. Which was... kinda OOC at this point? I don't remember Blitz ever reciprocating any of Stolas feelings, but now he does, apparently? Guess it's another case of "caught feelings off screen", huh? Anyway, that's surprisingly not a lot for a main ship. I simply wanted to illustrate my point, I just think that Stoliz not only has zero romantic chemistry between the characters, but I personally don't even see a mutual sexual attraction here either.

I agree with you! Everything you said is right, however the reason why I always say their relationship is stemmed from sex, is that at FIRST it was one sided yes, with Stolas lusting over him and Blitz just not wanting any part of it. Had the show mainly been like that, I wouldn’t have said so, however that was until episode 6 came along.

Due to the episode’s lazy storytelling, through Moxxie’s dialogue the show flat out tells us that despite Blitz pushing Stolas away, he craves intimacy, he craves what him and Stolas have. The chains in this scene (in my personal interpretation) tells us that he feels trapped in this deal that HE created, because he doesn’t like it, yet wants it at the same time. When we look at Stolas and Blitz’s relationship throughout the beginning of the show, despite Blitz being the one who has to screw Stolas every now and then to keep the book for his end of the bargain, Stolas is clearly the bottom in the relationship, the one who submerges to Blitz while Blitz takes control, and I think that’s something he craves, power. Like you said, the kiss was definitely forced, especially since episode 7 opened with Blitz once again wanting nothing to do with Stolas, but that only proved to me further on how he only enjoys himself for the needless sex. Even if it doesn’t make any sense on a writing standpoint as we’ve discussed, it still seems to be that way, especially with the recent episode showing Blitz fawning over Stolas and ENJOYING it. Regardless of the terrible writing, that’s why I personally think their relationship is stemmed from sex, because Stolas only sees Blitz as someone who can fulfill his needs and satisfy him in the way he likes it, and Blitz only sees Stolas as someone who praises him, gives him that power he wants and makes him feel good about himself. Just like you said, there’s nothing else there really, nothing in between, no chemistry, no buildup. Your points were very well made and I do agree with them, this is just my personal opinion on why I think they’re BOTH only stemmed to each other for sex.

[billsfangearring]

Monthly Fandom Faves: January 2023 (ALOTO Edition)

I want to get back into reccing this year! I previously did themed rec lists, but I'm going to experiment with unthemed recs of a few things I loved reading each month, split into separate posts by fandom. Here are my inaugural ALOTO recs, which are all Jess/Lupe this month. (No one is surprised.) They're also all WIPs, which I promise won't always be the case. I hope you enjoy!

Fics reviewed below the cut, from longest to shortest:

relief next to me by meyeri

I've nowhere to be, other than right next to you by @7central

A letter does not blush by @oldmannuka and @talaricula

Posting this early because (1) my cat's first adoption anniversary is Tuesday and she deserves my full attention and (2) I have no chill.

relief next to me by meyeri

(Jess/Lupe, E, 60k and counting)

Jess takes a final drag and maybe she performs a little, because she wants to see what’ll happen: maybe she licks her lips before, maybe she leans so the jut of her collarbone stands out underneath her shirt, maybe she makes a point to catch García’s eye when she inhales, when the smoke pulls into her chest, when she hitches her breath to keep it there. Because García is watching, she has Jess pinned with her eyes, and this is probably a goddamn catastrophe of an idea (come on, don’t shit where you eat, McCready) but something about it feels alive to Jess, feels jittery and itchy like the buzz of a radio, like a snakebite under her skin. It feels right when the whole fucking day has felt wrong.

relief is a devastating, atmospheric, and visceral immersion in Jess's mind if she and Lupe were casually sleeping together from the beginning, slotted very precisely into the spaces between canon. It encapsulates everything that I read fanfic for—emotional depth, evocative prose, and nuanced characterization—both for our main duo and for the fic's secondary characters, especially Greta, who add so much richness to Jess's life on the team. Jess retains her fierce protectiveness even amid her uncertainty about where things stand with the magnetic enigma that is Lupe García. I've reread each chapter many times and never fail to notice something new. Also, uh, it's incredibly hot. Trust me.

The reality of Lupe García, her brother, this person who shows her iron shell to the world and yet incomprehensibly and inconceivably shows her softness and delicacy to Jess, whose walk is an echo of Jess’s own and who strides through life like she’s carrying the whole thing on her shoulders, like she’s resigned to her solitude, and yet for some reason allows Jess to see the strain of it, just sometimes—like one day she might let Jess share the load of it.

Note: the first chapter (roughly 6k) was originally posted as a one-shot, so you can still give that a go even if you aren't interested in committing to a long WIP!

I've nowhere to be, other than right next to you by absurdcapybara

(Jess/Lupe, E, 55k and counting)

Lupe and Jess end up in New York City for the off-season. Most confessions can be made over a good ballgame. New York is the prime spot for those few exceptions that can’t.

In thinking about how to describe this fic, I keep coming back to how Lupe and Jess's relationship ebbs and flows like the tides. Their life together in New York feels very real as the intimacy and domesticity between them grows in fits and starts as they transition from being teammates and housemates to roommates with Only One Bed. This story is a full-body experience to read, and I read it much more slowly than my usual so I can relish absurdcapybara's gorgeous metaphors. They really get Lupe, my beloved, and also address how Lupe's insecurities and guardedness have real consequences for Jess. The 1940s New York setting and all it entails are ever-present in the fic as well.

Lupe didn’t know what lines were left between her and Jess. She didn’t know if they were friends or ‘friends’ or brothers or soulmates or ships passing or cars crashing, and for one wonderful moment, she didn’t care that it was so ridiculously undefined.

A letter does not blush by summerdrive and talaricula

(Jess/Lupe, T, 18k and counting)

In the 1943-1944 off-season, Jess and Lupe settle in New York together. This collection of letters between them and Esti, as well as some of the other Peaches, tells the story of those few months.

The wealth of tiny details tucked into the letters and notes—from Jess's inclusion of detailed weather information such as the dew point in her letters to the use of real newspaper clippings and such from the era—make this an incredibly immersive and entertaining fic. I have so much fun trying to piece together what's going on behind the notes every time this updates. (And I'm ashamed to say I figured out the unfinished hangman game immediately.) Our hermanos' relationship with the delightfully perceptive Esti is a particular bright spot in this fic, especially the contrast between Jess's fatherly generosity and Lupe's hesitance after the events of last season, and the authors nail all the characters' distinctive voices. This is unquestionably one of the most impressive epistolary fics I’ve read.

Note: All the letters/notes/etc. are written in the typical AO3 style as well below the images if you prefer to read in that format, but I had to include part of one of the images and nothing will ever be funnier to me than Lupe’s 23 Dec. ‘43 diary entry:

Jess in feud with ex who stole fishing spot = butch??? Investigate

All of my ALOTO fic recs can be found here. I hope you find something you like!

[acewithapaintbrush]

@lunamadrigal and @princesa-pens-and-pizza

You two made me watch Inside Job part two so if I suffer, you must suffer!

A small something I wrote super fast to cope with that last episode. HUGE SPOILERS FOR SEASON 2! Read at your own risk

********************

When the man wakes up, he can just barely hear the sound of a helicopter in the distance. 

For a brief moment he wonders if that's what has woken him up so early in the morning, but before the thought can gain traction, the rattling of the rotor blades has disappeared and with it all memory of something ever being there. 

His head feels weird. Empty. No, not empty. Too full. Like a basket, overflowing. Before he can grasp onto specific thoughts or memories they fall over the edge into oblivion. Fleeting pictures swirl in his head like a kaleidoscope. 

A pyramid with an eye. Rome at night. An office party. A supply closet. A scrapbook. 

And a woman. Again and again, a woman with brown hair. Her image crosses his mind the most, but he can never see her face. 

A part of him knows that he needs to see her face. 

'Just let me see her face and everything will be alright', he thinks, but then that thought is gone too, fallen over the edge of the basket. Never to be seen again. 

She is gone. 

He wakes up and he is sad and he doesn't know why. 

With a groan he sits up and rubs his aching head. Everything feels muted except the texture of the trousers and the shirt against his skin.

Ah, fuck. Did he go to bed in his clothes? No wonder he feels so bad. He must have drunk too much again. 

"Classic Martin." he mumbles. 

Something gives him pause. The name sounds weird on his tongue. An overwhelming sense of wrongness fills him. Panic grips his heart because for a second he doesn't remember if that is really his name. 

But then his eyes fall on the boxes surrounding him and his heartbeat slows down. Calm washes over him.

His name is Martin Higgins and he just recently moved to Appleton. He had a hard time, for a long time, but he decided to be brave and start a new life because he deserves it. 

He deserves it. He deserves to be happy. 

Doesn't he? 

Tears gather in Martin's eyes. Tears he doesn't understand. He brushes them away and chuckles. 

"No more heavy drinking for you, Martin. This new life is a sober life." 

He looks at the boxes around him, at the remnants of his old life waiting to be unpacked, and for the first time in a long time he feels something like hope. 

He feels like he's finally had a really good night's sleep. 

"Okay!" Martin Higgins gets up and smiles. "Let's get started." 

[thegeminisage]

something i have very strong feelings about is dean and return of the jedi

consider this movie, in which against all odds, a young man whose father has manipulated him, hurt him, maimed him, attempted to kill him, insists “there is good in him i felt it i Know i understand him when no one else is willing to try it doesn’t matter that he’s hurt me it doesn’t matter that he’s hurt my loved ones it doesn’t matter that he’s a murderer i KNOW there’s good in him” and then he gets the SHIT beaten out of him while his father watches passively and does nothing!! EXCEPT in the very last second his dad CHANGES like his dad becomes the good man his faithful son always believed he was capable of being, and he does it SPECIFICALLY TO SAVE HIS SON, because he loves his son that much, his son who looked at all the awful things he did and said “i can fix him” and was RIGHT and was REWARDED for his steadfast unwavering belief

and he tells this boy to please tell his OTHER CHILD who he harmed even worse that hey you were right there’s good in me i need you to make her see that and then he just dies! the end! he doesn’t even apologize but he doesn’t need to because he just validated all this suffering and belief in one fell swoop!

and like he just fucking DIES. like he just dies. he just DIES. like that’s it!

and there is the son alone burning his father’s body while the rest of the world cheers his demise. the father who died for him as a reward for his belief and only one person in the whole world mourns him

and at the end of the movie you see his spirit finally at peace with the people he loved and son just has to move on without him

so like first of all this flipped dean’s brain inside out when he first saw it and he either went and watched it 7000 times in theaters or never watched it again and secondly you cannot convince me that sometime in season 2 offscreen dean didn’t like catch it on tv or something and cry his sorry way thru the end. like full season 14 after mary dies sobbing alone in the woods. like HELLO of course he would?? AND THIRDLY this is why fics that act like john dying is a happy ending are wrong it doesn’t matter what he does dean will always be there with steadfast luke skywalker faith alone burning his body

[spn masterpost]

[emwritesfootball]

Dirty Little Secret | Dominic Calvert-Lewin

It's midnight PST which means I'm so far past the deadline for @footballffbarbiex's Summer Writing Challenge but I don't really care. Please enjoy the millionth version of 'sneaking around with a rival' but with DCL. This one's for the babes: @sweetlikesugar9 @dclsbaby @domspeach

Word Count: 3,610

Warnings: light mentions of smut, sneaking around

- - -

Your phone felt heavy in your pocket. You wanted so badly to pull it out and reread the text you’d been sent an hour ago, but then Jordan would be suspicious and you didn’t want to try to cobble together some half-assed explanation that would ultimately end in disaster.

“Are you listening to me?” Jordan asked, huffing your name in frustration. “I swear, you’ve been spacy for the last week. What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” you lied, rolling your eyes. Jordan gave you a disbelieving look, so you elaborated, “Work has been kicking my ass and I’m annoyed, okay? I know it’ll pass, but I’d just like it if you let me handle it on my own.”

Jordan’s face softened. “I’m sorry. And I won’t, alright?” When you nodded, he continued, “But you know that if you ever need me to step in and use my name, I will.”

“I know,” you said, giving him a teary-eyed smile. “You know how much I don’t want that, but if it comes down to it, I’ll let you know.”

“It’s just...you’re my little sister, and I worry about you.” Jordan wrapped his arms around your shoulders and pulled you into a hug.

“Yeah, yeah - I appreciate it.” You paused, finally remembering the conversation from earlier. “Wait, you were saying something about England?”

Jordan smiled, launching into the conversation. “I just got the call from Southgate today. He told me I’ll be part of this upcoming England squad.”

“What?! Jordan, that’s incredible!” You squealed, wrapping him up in a tight hug. “I’m so proud of you!”

“Thanks. I was hoping I’d get the call-up, but with each camp, you never know. And I get older every year and-”

“I don’t wanna hear it,” you scoffed, waving him off. “You’ve done so much for the club and you deserve this. Take the win and move on.”

“I hate it when you’re right, you know.”

You giggled, shoving him playfully. “It feels weird to be the one dispensing life advice to my older brother, so don’t worry, it’s just as weird for me, too.”

You left Jordan’s place a little while later, promising to help him plan an England get-together once the rest of the squad was announced.

Once you were back home, you finally pulled up the text you’d been both excited for and dreading about replying to.

Dominic: When can I see you again?

Just as you started typing, the three dots on his end popped up and you couldn’t help the rush of excitement that pooled in your belly when his latest text came through.

Dominic: I just got good news. Come over and celebrate?

You: I’m on my way

***

The moment Dom opened his front door, his lips were on yours. He pinned you against the door, kissing you hungrily as his hands slid up your shirt. You moaned into his mouth, loving the way his body fit against yours as he swallowed the sound.

“What…” Your thought was cut off as Dom sucked on the sensitive spot on your neck. “What was the good news?”u

“Later,” Dom hummed, nibbling on your earlobe. “I wanna celebrate first.”

“That doesn’t make any sense!” You giggled, the sound quickly turning to a breathy whimper as one of Dom’s hands slid between your legs. “Fuck, Dom! It makes sense - please just take me to bed.”

Dom smirked, grabbing your hand and leading you to the bedroom. He threw you down on the bed, kneeling between your legs as he started to undress you. It had only been a little over a month since the two of you started sleeping together, but neither of you could get enough of each other.

Your name was on his lips as he sucked a mark into your hip, watching as you dug your heels into the mattress while he kissed his way up your inner thighs before sucking on your clit and making you cry out. “You’re always so responsive for me,” he praised, chuckling as he slid two fingers inside you. “So sexy.”

“Please, Dom!” You whimpered, burying your fingers in his curls. “Please make me cum already!”

He responded to your pleas, flipping you over onto your stomach and driving his cock into you. One hand was around your throat, the other smacking your ass as pure filth spewed from his mouth with every thrust. Dom made you feel dirty in the best possible ways and it wasn’t long before you were cumming around his cock, feeling his cum coat your inner walls as he released his own orgasm inside you.

“So, what’s the news?” You asked as you cuddled with Dom, your head on your chest with one hand tracing patterns across his forearm.

“I can’t believe I almost forgot - I got called up to the England squad for this upcoming run of matches.”

He said it so casually that you almost didn’t register what he’d said. “Wait, what?”

“I got another call-up!”

Your stomach bottomed out and you thought you were gonna be sick. “Dom, that’s amazing!” You said, hoping he didn’t notice how preoccupied you sounded.

“Thank you!” He pressed a kiss to your forehead, a much more intimate gesture than the two of you usually did, but you didn’t question it. “You’ll come see me play, right?”

“Of course,” you promised, hoping you sounded sincere.

When he drifted off to sleep, you were still up, your mind racing as you tried to figure out how you were going to tell Dom that you were Jordan Henderson’s baby sister.

***

Anfield. Last Spring.

You flashed your Friends and Family pass to the staff, feeling a bit awkward as you looked for Rebecca and the kids. It wasn’t often that you used the ticket Jordan purchased, preferring the season tickets you’d gotten with friends ages ago on the off-chance you were recognized. The only time you did was for Derby matches, and today was no exception; the ‘Henderson 14’ burning a hole in your back as you took your seat.

The whistle blew and the match began. You were as nervous as you always were during Derby matches, your heart in your throat every time Jordan got the ball. You were always worried something would happen to him on the pitch, what with the countless injuries he’d had over the years.

You cheered along with the rest of the spectators when Mo put one in the back of Pickford’s net a couple minutes outside of the 20th. Richarlison scored moments before the end of the first half, tying it up before the start of the second.

There was a penalty call early on in the second half and your heart stopped as you watched Jordan step up to take it. He hadn’t been in good form to take a pen all season, having missed three of his four pens so far, and you peeked through your fingers, hoping the ball would slot right into the back of the net.

...

It didn’t.

It didn’t, and you were devastated. Suddenly, you didn’t want to be wearing your brother’s jersey anymore. You felt sick as all the friends and family of your brother’s teammates gave you sympathetic pats and hugs while the match wore on.

When Mo scored his second of the night, you screamed until you were hoarse. It wasn’t long after that and the final whistle was blowing and the match ended 2-1 in favour of Liverpool. You hugged Jordan tightly when he finally appeared, giving him a small smile. “Sorry about your pen.”

He stiffened and you instantly knew you’d hit a nerve. Sometimes, he was able to laugh these things off, but tonight apparently wasn’t one of those nights. “Fuck off.”

“You’ll get the next one, I’m sure.” You winced internally as the words came out of your mouth and Jordan’s expression darkened.

Your name was an angry growl on his lips as he said, “If you’re trying to make me feel better, just don’t. I don’t need your sunshine and rainbows opinion - if I want it, I’ll ask, got it?”

His condescending tone ignited your own nerve and you got in his face. “Go to hell, Jordan,” you hissed, your eyes involuntarily welling with tears at the angry confrontation. You turned on your heel and stormed off, ignoring Rebecca’s pleas for you to come back.

You sat in your car, waiting for the tears to subside. It wasn’t often that you fought with him, and to make matters worse, you’d been staying with him for a bit while you looked for a place of your own, so you couldn’t even avoid him at home.

Instead of going home, you headed to your favourite pub. It was low key, and you knew there probably wouldn’t be too many people in there so you could drink in peace. You changed out of the jersey, throwing on a t-shirt you found in the backseat of your car, not wanting to draw any more attention to yourself than usual.

“Can I buy the next?” A man’s voice asked, and you turned to find Dominic Calvert-Lewin sitting on the barstool next to yours.

“Sure,” you said, giving him a small smile. “As long as you let me buy the one after that.”

“You’ve heard, I take it?” Dom gave you a sheepish smile, ducking his head and looking away.

“I was there. Thought you had it for a minute there when that pen didn’t go in.”

“Me, too. I had a couple good shots in there, but none of them ended up going in.”

“I saw.” Dom gave you a look at your comment and the two of you burst into giggles. “Sorry, I just had to say it.”

“Clearly, you know who I am,” he started, his gaze raking over your body. “Can I at least get your name? You look so familiar...”

You debated giving him your middle name or a fake name altogether, but ultimately gave him your real name, conveniently leaving out your surname. He rewarded you with a full-blown smile that you felt all the way down to your toes; a smile that made you think about what it would be like to kiss those lips.

A couple hours later, and you didn’t have to wonder what it felt like to kiss him. His lips were on yours in the back of the Uber as the two of you headed back to his place. Another hour after that, and you were discovering all the other things his mouth and hands could do, loving the way his body felt against yours.

When you left in the morning, you felt like you had a secret that was only yours to keep - and Dom’s, of course - but this was you sticking it to your brother by sleeping with one of his rival club’s players while also getting some much-needed sex.

A week later, you were grinning down at your phone as you read Dom’s latest text.

Dom: So, when can I see you again?

***

Jordan’s House, Present Day

“We’ve got everything we need, right?” Jordan asked, frantically looking around his kitchen. The counter was fully-stocked with all the alcohol he could possibly need, there was enough food to feed an army, and everything was as it should be.

“Yes,” Rebecca confirmed, wrapping her arms around him and giving him a kiss. You shut your eyes and made a face, still not used to seeing your brother be intimate with his wife. “Everything’s going to be great. The team should be arriving in about an hour, so don’t go too crazy waiting for them, okay?”

Jordan nodded and you laughed, knowing he wouldn’t be able to do that. “Well, if neither of you need me, I’m gonna go nap in the guest room,” you announced. “Wake me if I sleep through my alarm?”

“Sure.”

You went up to the guest room, setting your alarm to give yourself half an hour to get ready for the party.

***

The party was on by the time Dom walked through the door. Someone put a beer in his hands and he made the rounds, catching up with players he hadn’t called teammates since the last call-up.

“Hey!” Hendo shouted, waving at Dom from his lounge chair by the pool. “Calvert-Lewin, as I live and breathe. How are you?”

Dom brought it in for a hug, laughing. “I’m good, I’m good.”

“I’d ask how you’re coping with losing to us yet again in the Derby, but I’m sure you had no problem finding some willing girl to console you.”

“Now that you mention it, I’ve been seeing this girl for a few months now. Hooked up with her the night we lost to you and haven’t really looked back.”

“Good for you. She coming to the matches?”

Dom shrugged. “Not sure yet. Haven’t really done much talking, if you know what I mean.”

Hendo smirked. “Nice.”

Just as Dom was about to say more, Rebecca came running over. “Jordan, have you seen your sister? I think we’re running out of drinks and she said she’d run to the store if we needed her to and well, we need her to.”

“Is she not up from her nap?” Hendo asked, his brows furrowing when Rebecca shrugged. “Okay, can you go see if she’s awake? I’ve kind of got my hands full.”

“Yeah, I-”

“Mummy!” One of the kids ran up to Rebecca, drawing her attention away. “Dom! Good to see you! Can you go wake my sister-in-law?”

“Sure. Where is she?”

Hendo gave him directions and Dom was off, searching for the guest bedroom.

“Hello?” He asked, lightly knocking on the closed door. When he got no response, he turned the handle and opened the door. “Hendo’s sister?”

***

Shit. You’d slept through your alarm and now someone was waking you up. And to make matters worse, they were calling you ‘Hendo’s sister’. “What?” You asked groggily, shifting.

“Your brother needs you.”

The voice sounded familiar but you were too tired to figure out why. “Okay. Can you turn on the light?” The sound of the switch being flipped and the light hit you. “Oh, fuck, that’s bright!” You covered your eyes, blinking rapidly to try to get used to the light.

You heard your name being whispered incredulously and you realized it was Dom standing in front of you.

***

Dom couldn’t believe it. Here you were, standing - well, technically sitting in bed - in front of him and you turned out to be Jordan Henderson’s little sister. “You’re…” He trailed off, unable to say the words.

“Yeah.” You looked down at your hands, not wanting to see the look on his face. “Jordan Henderson is my older brother.” You heard the door shut and you looked up, not expecting him to still be standing in front of you.

“Why didn't you tell me?” Dom asked, his expression blank as he crossed his arm and leaned against the door. “You’ve had plenty of chances to tell me and you haven’t. Why?”

“I just… I don’t know.” You sighed, looking up at the ceiling as you struggled to find composure. “Everybody treats me differently when they find out who my brother is, so I don’t exactly go around telling everyone I meet that my brother is… who he is.”

“But we’re sleeping together! Hell, I’ve got you in my bed more than half the nights of the week and you still didn’t think to tell me?!”

“Dom!” You hissed, fear coursing through your veins. You didn’t want anyone to overhear him even though you knew they were probably too busy with the party. “I didn’t think to tell you because I didn’t think we were that serious!”

Dom looked furious. His jaw clenched and he stormed over to you, kneeling on the bed and taking your face in his hands. He kissed you hard, pinning you underneath him and all you could do was loop your arms around his neck and kiss him with everything you had. “How’s that for serious?” He asked, breathing heavily as he pressed his forehead against yours. “I’m here, kissing you in your brother’s house where anyone could discover us, and you don’t think I’m serious.”

“I-I get it now,” you stuttered, smiling at him. “Can we just wait a little while before we tell Jordan about us?”

“Just as long as we tell him before we have to go back to being rivals, okay?”

“Okay.” You gave him one last kiss. “Now you’re really gonna have to leave because I’m pretty sure Jordan didn’t send you here to come into the guest room and kiss me senseless.”

Dom chuckled at that. “He definitely didn’t. Pretty sure Rebecca was saying something about needing you to run and grab more alcohol, too? But the point is that we need to get you out of this bed and to the right people.”

***

You couldn’t stop staring at him. Dom was right across the room, chatting it up with Rice and Mount, laughing with the two footballers. He caught your gaze, giving you a subtle wink before turning back to say something to Rice. You watched him pull his phone out, your own vibrating in your back pocket moments later.

Dom: Meet me in the guest bedroom… Five minutes

You tried to keep the smile off your face, but it was impossible. “Who’s the guy?” Came Rebecca’s voice over your shoulder.

You gasped, hoping she didn’t see Dom’s name at the top of the contacts list before you shut it off. “Uh, nobody? Just a guy I’m sleeping with.”

Rebecca gave you a look. “Just a guy?” She rolled her eyes. “Not with that lovey-dovey look in your eyes, he’s not.”

“Okay, fine,” you sighed. “He’s not just a guy, but I’m not ready to introduce him to you and Jordan, okay? He’s just...not someone I would usually date and I don’t want Jordan to lose his shit, especially with these matches coming up.”

“I see,” Rebecca said wisely, giving you a knowing look. “Just don’t wait too long, because Dominic Calvert-Lewin looks like the kind of man who won’t wait around forever.”

“How did you-?” You asked, incredulous. “Nevermind, I don’t wanna know.”

Rebecca laughed. “Don’t worry - I won’t tell Jordan. That’s something you’ve gotta do.”

***

Two Weeks Later

“We can’t keep doing this,” Dom murmured in-between kisses in one of the empty rooms of Wembley. “Tomorrow’s the last match in this run of friendlies and I wanna catch Hendo on his good side when the two of us aren’t rivals.”

You giggled, the sound morphing into a moan as he kissed your neck. “After the match tomorrow, okay? I promise.”

Dom pulled away, a serious look on his face. “I’m serious. If you don’t tell him after the match tomorrow, I’m not sure I’ll be able to continue this.”

The pit of dread grew in your stomach. You wanted to tell Jordan but you’d never shown an interest in or dated any footballers before, let alone one of his rivals. It was going to be hard to convince him that you were serious about Dom, and for the first time, you realized you were serious about him.

~~~

The day of the match, you were in the stands in your ‘Henderson 8’ kit. The ‘Calvert-Lewin 18’ was underneath, your body tense with the anticipation - fear? - of telling your brother that you and Dom were seeing each other.

All your nerves went out the window the moment Dom came on and scored after less than five minutes of being on the pitch. You were on your feet with the rest of the stadium, cheering on your man as he celebrated with your brother.

The friendly ended England’s way and you were celebrating it like they’d won the World Cup. Without a second thought, you launched yourself into Dom’s arms, both of you giddy as he spun you around before setting you down on the ground and kissing you breathless.

“What the hell?!” Came Jordan’s voice, snapping you and Dom out of your own little world.

“Jordan, it’s-” you started, but your brother was furious.

“No, I don’t wanna hear it. The two of you?!” He glared at Dom. “At my party, were you talking about my sister? To me?! You’ve got some nerve, Dominic.”

Dom held up his hands. “I didn’t know she was your sister at the time, I swear!”

“It’s true: he didn’t,” you backed up your man, threading your fingers through his in a nonverbal show of support. “I knew who he was when I started sleeping with him, but he didn’t know who I was.”

Jordan rolled his eyes. “I don’t know what I hate more: that that’s actually believable or that I’m starting to be okay with this.”

“Really?” You asked, your eyes wide. You and Dom shared a look.

“Don’t get me wrong, I’m not going to completely love this - at least not for a year or more - but you better not hurt her, Dominic. I’m serious.”

Dom squeezed your hand, nodding with a serious expression. “Yes, sir.”

You held back your giggle at Dom’s response, not wanting to ruin your brother’s good mood. You let go of Dom’s hand to go over and hug Jordan, a bright smile on your face. “Thank you!”

“Don’t thank me; just make sure he doesn’t hurt you so I don’t have to hurt him.”

An hour later when you met Dom, you couldn’t stop smiling, making sure to stop in front of Wembley to kiss him one more time before he took you out on a proper date in public.