#heartbeat 1x02

[1liv]

[waltricia]

3x03 — Forces of Nature

“Call Me Simon” has been my favorite piece of scoring from the show. I’ve listened to it on repeat sooooo many times, particularly during the past few months. It plays in 1x02 while Simon watches Daphne dance with other men. As Bridgerton scoring goes, I think this piece sticks out. There’s something very mystical and haunting about it. There are elements of it that sound like a clock, tick-tocking and then striking midnight. And I think that makes sense for that season 1 episode because it’s Simon’s flashback episode, and that scene leads into the final flashback.

Although the thought crossed my mind that this song could possibly be brought back, I was really not expecting it to. So when it came up for this Polin scene, I bounced around my apartment for ten minutes.

And it fits so well, especially considering the clock aspect because time is beginning to run out for Colin.

Not only was it brought back, and not only does it fit for the scene, it was mixed beautifully. During the close-up shots of Pen’s lips and Colin’s eyes, my favorite sound effect, the heartbeat, is layered onto the scoring. Those sounds bring us in closer to the moment. And when Debling takes Pen’s hand, the song goes hollow and spins out in a way that makes my blood run cold and gives me full-body shivers.

And then it’s followed by the Happier Than Ever cover- another haunting song that I think pairs perfectly with it.

10/10. Brilliant.

[thedailydescent]

Oh, wait....

What if the reason Louis couldn't hear Claudia's heartbeat in the coffin in the beginning of 1x05, besides being too weak from his diet or just because it was bad writing, was just him giving her some privacy? :(

Like I kinda think the whole 'animal blood made Louis so weak he can't even hear heartbeats anymore' was a little bit of stretch, seeing that, despite Louis's weakness, the diet didn't make him so weak he lost all his vampire senses (he can still read minds and shove Lestat, for example). And I don't think hearing heartbeats within close range is such a significant power that requires a vampire that is well-fed. I might buy a writing error, or the writing asking you to suspend disbelief for a moment, but also:

In the beginning of 1x02, Lestat tells him that his enhanced abilities like mind reading, sounds, and smells can overwhelm or bore, so you kind of tend to tune it all out unless you're hunting. We don't see Louis using his powers much otherwise, unless he's defending Claudia from Lestat.

We see in 1x04 that Louis is annoyed that Claudia blocked him out of their mind groupchat, but maybe after the events with Charlie, Louis is now practicing giving Claudia her own space and treating her more like an older teenager, so much to the extent that not only is he not attempting to talk, read her mind or open the coffin while he's in her room trying to 'feed her', he's also not checking her vitals!

[kuwdora]

Oh, I wrote this kind of role reversal! It's rated teen but maybe it'll whet your appetite?

I can see through you, Geralt/Jaskier, 1x02, Alternate Universe - Canonical Divergence. ~5,000 words. Not-a-witcher Jaskier running away the moment Geralt notices him. Blind Jaskier and curious Geralt.

***

Geralt still didn’t know what to make of him. Jaskier’s heartbeat was still elevated, but not as much as when they left the tavern. The rest and water had seemed to have helped with his wearied disposition, yet whether he was a witcher or bard, Jaskier didn’t appear to have any other gear for the road.

Geralt wracked his mind, wondering what might appeal to a bard, who was not a witcher…

“You could come with me and help track down the devil,” he suggested. Could Jaskier be enticed by the taste of an adventure, even though he was sure there was nothing to the story about the devil? Then Geralt could keep an eye on him, maybe glean a few more details about the man.

“Why would I go and do something like that? I hear witchering is a dangerous trade. You and the supposed devil can go down to Dol Blathanna without me,” Jaskier said, and his fingers danced across the lute again, playing another string of notes.

Jaskier might have been some distance away when the peasant had given Geralt the directions. His hearing could be more acute than a human’s.

“You’re a bard. Put the story into a song, earn yourself some coin. It has to be more interesting than another drinking song,” Geralt pointed out, even though he wasn’t sure of what that would actually look like. He wasn’t a musician, but he wanted to play on the man’s interests.

“Real devils don’t exist,” Jaskier said admonishingly. “I always thought it was a saying—you know—the devil’s crossroad. A metaphor for cursing: devil’s tits, to the devil with you.” He sniffed and played a little downward tune on his lute, ending with a disparaging flat note, while his eyes wandered over the valley ahead of them.

“I don’t know if you can see, I’m doing quite fine without chasing monsters for coin,” Jaskier added.

“And here I thought bards chased metaphors. My mistake,” Geralt said.

Jaskier grinned, his fingers strumming a much jauntier string of notes to match his laughter.

“Do my ears deceive me? A witcher with a sense of humor?” Jaskier said, singsong.

“Not according to my reputation, according to you and the world. Don’t you know witcher mutagens strips us of emotion? Could use some help on that,” Geralt said quietly, and Roach chose that moment to bump her head against his shoulder. He patted her gently.

“That’s a nice bit of reverse psychology there. Enlist a bard to sing of your adventures and build some trust with the handsome and mysterious stranger,” Jaskier pointed out mildly.

on ao3

Hm, does anyone know of any Geraskier stories M or E where Geralt is doing the chasing at the very beginning of their first meeting in Posada? It'd be a fun role reversal is all...

Please, reblog ppl so we may find something 😃

[0ut-of-my-head]

Ali looking at Eylül

[shakespeareanwannabe]

Masterlist

Started: 2020-07-31

Updated: 2024-06-07

Top Gun Maverick Fics

As You Wish (a Jake Seresin x Reader Parent Trap AU

When arriving at Camp Silver Star, Abby Floyd was anticipating a summer of adventure with an ocean separating her from the three people she loved most: her mom, her Uncle Bob and her Aunt Natasha. But after a run in with Charlie Seresin, an extremely familiar looking and irritating camper in a different cabin, her summer plans take a turn that neither girl ever could have expected.

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Epilogue

Triple Frontier Fics

Not Another Fairytale Ending

A year after the disastrous events that went down in Colombia, Santiago Garcia comes to realize that guys like him don’t get the traditional fairytale ending. Sometimes, if they’re lucky, they get something even better.

*Based on a few of @darksideofclarke‘s wonderful Pope headcanons*

1. New Beginnings: A year after leaving Colombia, Santiago ‘Pope’ Garcia returns home, ready for something...more.

2. Play by Play: Santi gets in way too deep with this woman that he barely knows, but finds that sometimes a leap of faith can be worth it. 

3. Heartbeat: A first date at a Beer Garden shouldn’t be difficult to manage, especially with his team at his side, but Santi still has doubts.

4. First Times: While Frankie and Charlie start a new chapter of their lives, Santi and Bex are left wondering what comes next for them after they’ve been dancing around each other for so long. Of course, all things come to a head eventually, and they’ll find that some things are definitely worth waiting for.

5. Aftermath: The morning after Frankie and Charlie’s wedding, Santi and Bex continue to explore the new side of their relationship, and Santi comes to a startling conclusion.

6. Drowning: Santiago follows through with his escape plan, only to find that his freedom comes with a heavy price.

Protective Instincts: After everything he’s done, Santiago can’t fathom the idea of bringing a child into the world. But sometimes, life doesn’t work out exactly as you’ve planned.

Strange Comforts: With T-minus 10 weeks to go before the baby arrives, Pope discovers that it’s the little things in life that bring the most comfort.

Best Laid Plans: The last 7 and a half months have been a whirlwind, and part of Pope still can’t fathom the idea of being a father. But now that his kid is here? All bets are off.

Supernatural Fics

In His Glow 

"Being his real brother I could feel I lived in his shadows, but I never have and I do not now. I live in his glow." A series of one-shots, each based on an episode. These are the moments we never got to see.

*cross-posted on ff.net under the pen name Fanpire101*

**if titles are not bolded, then I haven’t posted them yet, but they’re written**

1. Engineering the Future (ep. 1x01 - Pilot)

2. Now Starring (ep. 1x02 - Wendigo)

[electricbluebutterflies]

How about #46 "go back to sleep" for darklina?

First time writing this ship so fingers crossed this isn't a disaster? 1x02-ish (gotta love vague timelines) and PG-ish / pre-everything.

The ground is cold beneath her, and the warmth draped around her isn’t quite helping. For a moment, Alina could be anywhere. Then her eyes flutter open and she is all too aware of the last day and a half of her life, her wounded body that is apparently more capable than she ever thought and…

They’d stopped a few hours ago, as it was getting dark. Something something safer to do that than try to travel through the night, which would’ve sounded questionable coming from anyone else Alina’s ever met but the general has the expected self-assuredness of someone who has seen some serious shit and hasn’t lost yet. She was in no position to pick a fight by that point, the exhaustion setting in and mixing with how overwhelmed she is into a less than ideal emotional state. Getting off that horse, and getting a little physical distance, had sounded like a great idea.

She’s not sure where in there she fell asleep, and she can’t remember how awake she was when he decided his cloak would have to do as a blanket for her. This level of protectiveness, while strange from someone who’s only actively existed in her world for about a day, she can accept. Compared to everything else…

He’s awake on the other side of the small fire, watching her in that way she suspects she’ll have to get used to, like she’s beautiful and terrifying and a hundred other things she has never been before. For a heartbeat, their eyes meet, and all of that falls away.

“Go back to sleep,” he murmurs low enough she’s not even sure it’s real. At least distance is kept. Having someone clinging to one’s body for hours, she has recently learned, can be a frustrating experience and-

“You’re not…” she says too quickly. Where did this all come from? She’s always been reckless, often at her peril, but trying to play-fight with someone whose terrifying abilities have been on display too recently is… maybe not a great idea. Something the better version of her wouldn’t do. But she’s not scared of him, and no point pretending otherwise.

“I’m more used to traveling longer distances.”

That is, objectively, both nicer and more of an explanation than she’d actually expected. Probably obvious enough to be more of a kindness than an actual statement, but combined with everything else…

No one’s ever been in awe of her before. He’s so open about it. She isn’t sure how to deal.

“You didn’t have to stop for me.” She tries to bury her face under the improvised blanket, wishes she just knew when to shut up, wants-

“You’re hurt,” he replies like that is reason enough for anything. She’d like to forget that part of it all, hands on her improvising a bandage. At least the major wound had been somewhere innocent enough.

“I’m fine.”

She’s pretty sure he does something with his face in an attempt to say what his voice won’t, that she is absolutely not fine and she needs to shut up and cooperate and be all the things she is not for long enough to get through this and-

“Your entire world has changed.”

“My entire world has been taken from me,” she corrects. Round four of this fight, already a routine. “That doesn’t mean-“

“You’re compromised, and you need to rest. Don’t think about me. I’ll make sure nothing happens to you.”

She can believe that part, at least. If she absolutely has to be in this ridiculous situation with a strange man, at least it’s this one. She’s already seen what he’ll do for her.

Alina shifts her position, trying to find comfort on the too-hard ground beneath her, and closes her eyes. No bad things. Protection. She could, in time, get used to all of this…

[crazyariaisa]

Sara Shepard makes her debut in “The Homecoming Hangover” (1x07) as a substitute teacher for Mr. Fitz while he’s away. She’s writing up two main questions regarding a book that she’s teaching her grade to read. First, I’ll analyze Madame Bovary and the questions and how they could relate back to Aria. What Ms. Shepard wrote on the board was...

“Is Emma Bovary responsible for her own downfall? Or is she the victim of her own surroundings...”

There is more to the passage Ms. Shepard is writing on the board, but this is all that we get to see. If Emma is represented by Aria, the question that I’m getting is...

“Is Aria Montgomery responsible for her own downfall? Or is she the victim of her own surroundings...”

Regarding Aria, if she were -A, she’d be responsible for her own downfall. As the show progresses, Aria descends further into insanity and loses control. Her surroundings could be represented by -A, her family, her best friends, and Ezra Fitz. If Aria was a victim along with her best friends, she wouldn’t be given any form of special treatment, and -A would be quite hard on her. Aria is most likely responsible for her own downfall.

“Madame Bovary” by French author; Gustave Flaubert was published in 1856. Here’s some information about a character from the book named Charles Bovary, Emma’s husband.

Charles Bovary is a shy, oddly dressed teenager arriving at a new school where his new classmates ridicule him. Charles struggles to a second-rate medical degree and becomes an Officier de santé in the Public Health Service.

So, Charles is an oddly dressed and shy teenager and gets a second-rate medical degree. He’s a mediocre doctor. Oh, the book is considered an Oxford World’s Classic. We only know of one doctor in the show. He rowed for Oxford University in “Pilot” (1x01), and his name? Wren Kingston. Apparently, Charles had his fair amount of struggles, and I remembered a conversation between Spencer and Wren from “The Jenna Thing” (1x02) that went a bit like this...

Wren: “I didn’t grow up in a family like yours. So I don’t know that kind of pressure. But I could imagine it could be unbearable at times.”

Spencer: “You’re not exactly a slouch Mr. Oxford. That drive had to come from somewhere.”

Wren: “Yeah, it came from me. My life has been my choice.”

He then approaches Spencer and says that the hat trick chair was inspired by an apple crate, revealing that he loves design, and he continues to flirt with Spencer. He commits adultery and proceeds to kiss her. The word (trick) now takes us to Ravenswood and The Great Charlemagne in (Now You See Me, Now You Do Not), (4x12). The mime pulling off the trick with Aria taking Emily, Spencer, and Hanna's attention so Cece could snag Emily and lock her in a crate had a heart. He made the heartbeat notion towards Aria instead of Spencer. This goes back to his love of beauty in (The Jenna Thing) (1x02). In (This Is A Dark Ride) (3x13), Aria is locked in a crate. Is this symbolic of Aria helping Darren Wilden and Melissa Hastings with the Queen of Hearts on the Halloween Train? It most definitely is.

Considering Aria is in the scene from “The Homecoming Hangover” (1x07), it implies that Charles and Aria could have some type of relationship. Do I think they were romantically involved? No. Do I know they’re related? Most definitely. Also, Aria’s dress has yellow roses scattered all over it.

The color yellow is bright and conveys happy thoughts, so it's no wonder that yellow roses showcase positive feelings of warmth. The yellow rose meaning is often considered that of friendship. However, the color once signified the negative traits of jealousy and greed.

The color yellow happens to be Bethany’s favorite color, and since I believe that Cece is Bethany, it means that Aria and Bethany have known each other for quite a long time. In “Scream For Me” (5x08), when Spencer goes to learn more about Bethany from Declan at the horse riding stables, she’s kicked in the face by a horse after being locked in a stable by Cece. The only weird thing happening with Aria when she starts volunteering at Radley Sanitarium is Eddie Lamb recognizing Aria instantly and not trusting her. The same as he did when he gained a gut feeling that Wren was up to no good when he was volunteering at Radley Sanitarium for the reading program during Aria’s junior year at Rosewood High. Rhonda and Aria have a revealing conversation that went like this...

Rhonda: “Was she a friend of yours?”

Aria: “Bethany? No, I never met her.”

When Aria answers Rhonda’s question, she avoids eye contact, turns away, and folds her arms over her chest to give the fans something to read and let the fans know that she’s lying. Considering how much Bethany and Aria have in common, it would appear that they’re more than friends, and they’re actually family.

If Charles and Bethany are both related to Aria, that means Aria is the most favored and gets away with everything she’s done. The family would go to any lengths for each other.

“The consequences have always worked for you, haven’t they?” - Jenna Marshall to Aria Montgomery | Kingdom Of The Blind, 3x03.

[whogirl42]

Episode 8. Oh wowee, episode 8.

Warning: I have a lot of thoughts and feelings because Marisa and Asriel finally interacted onscreen and it was glorious.

Let’s begin.

We all know Marisa has a... let's say, complicated relationship with her daemon. At his point, it’s no surprise to see Marisa abusing him in one form or the other. But we’ve never seen it like this before. Earlier times it was as a warning to behave or a slap as a form of punishment. This? This is something new. Marisa is gripping her daemon’s skin to the point of pain, a point so painful that she is closing her eyes and wincing. There’s no pretending it doesn’t hurt her too. This is self ham at its most explicit. 

What has he done to deserve such treatment? What could have driven her to this? What did we see Marisa doing in the scene we saw her last?

Marisa is bracing herself for having to kill Asriel, one of the only two people in the world she cares about. Her entire self is rebelling at the very thought.

"What did he do to you?" Macphail asks, and it might have been her asking herself that question. "What power he still exerts. I knew you. An ambitious young woman with a good marriage well on her way to quite some position, and then that man came along and you melted."

That won’t happen again. Marisa is far from that stupid girl who made the worst mistake of her life over a crush. She steels herself for what she needs to do. She is sure in her convictions and no one, least not that man, will stop her.

Below, armoured bears are readying for an attack.

Lyra is probably still with the Gyptions. There's no reason to think Lyra would be down there below. Maybe the possibility of Lyra being there doesn't even cross her mind. Except Iofer is dead. After an armoured bear helped Lyra escape Bolvanger. And now there are armoured bears readying for an attack against the Magisterium. Lyra could be down there. 

"Open fire," Marisa says. It's chaos down there, it's hard to see anything. But maybe she spots one bear running away. Maybe she spots a familiar red hat on its rider and sighs in relief. Maybe she berates herself for almost hurting her daughter again.

Or maybe Lyra isn't even on her radar, too consumed with thoughts of Asriel.

Marisa knew Asriel was doing something was Dust. She understands from his work that it has something to do with an energy discharge. The penny drops, and fear takes hold of Marisa. 

He wouldn't. Would he? But the numbers all add up. Marisa isn't beyond hurting children and they're the same, Asriel and her, they always have been. He'd enjoy besting Marisa at something, succeeding where she couldn't. He couldn't. But who was to say how far his convictions went? Lyra shouldn't be anywhere near there. There's no reason for her to be there. 

Still, Marisa is on edge. She demands Thorold tell her what Asriel is planning, even as she seems to have grasped the basics. She tries frightening him, appealing to the faith I'm surprised he'd even have after years of working for Asriel. Thorold lowers the gun but still doesn't say anything. Marisa tries a different tactic. 

"Thorold, I should throw you to the wolves. But I won't. I’ll tell them that Father Macphail is staying here to analyse what we’ve found, and then I’ll take the troops to pursue Asriel and you will leave. He’s always been so reckless. He’s never treated any of us well, you included."

Did Thorold tell her anything off-screen? We don't know. There's nothing to suggest that they talk any more after this scene. Which means that Marisa - always in control - Coulter let her guard down, let herself seem vulnerable about Asriel, without any clear gain. This isn't a ploy to get something. This isn't her being emotional because Lyra's there. This is just her being emotional. For the first time in god knows how long, she's going to see Asriel again. And Thorold has been working with Asriel for years. He probably knew about the affair as it happened, one of the only people in the know. Both Thorold and Marisa know Asriel intimately, and there's a camaraderie to that.

I can't not mention Marisa's remarks about Asriel throughout the season.

"He's a failure of a man and a failure of a father." (1x02)

"He thought he could protect you. Another one of his ridiculous ideas. Couldn't protect a painting if it was drawn on the wall." (1x02)

"[About giving up Lyra] And Asriel had ideas on what was best." (1x06)

“And if there's one thing that man doesn't need, it's more toys to do damage with.” (1x06)

“He’s always been so reckless. He’s never treated any of us well.” (1x08) 

And that’s probably barely scracthig the surface. We have no way of knowing how long it’s been since they last saw each other? Marisa told Lyra that she sometimes bumps into Asriel in the Arctic Institute, but there’s nothing to suggest that actually happened. For all we know, this could be the first time they speak since Asriel’s trial 12 years ago.

Marisa approaches him. He's sprouting out heresy like he always did, but she can't ignore it or roll her eyes or find better uses for his mouth. He's shattering her world, promising the end of everything she's worked for, everything she believes in.

Damn him, he has the audacity to smile.

This is the end of the Magisterium, that's what he said. The sun of another world.  "Come,” he says.

She doesn't want to, but she can't help it. Whether it’s a miracle, an abomination; she is first and foremost a scholar, and this is extraordinary.

Something like peace settles between them, but Asriel is still saying things she does not want to hear. "Marisa, come with me," he says, like it's that easy.

Marisa's religious beliefs haven't been given much attention until now. She's played with the Magisterium, manipulating them to get what she wants and not giving a damn to what they say if when doesn't suit her. In the previous episode, she told Father Macphail the Magisterium has her devotion, but that didn't ring true. She cares about her experiments. That's her priority. Everything else is background noise.

Marisa fully believes that Dust in sin. She said it herself to Lyra in the Daemon Cages. 

“Dust is not a good thing. Grown-ups are infected so deeply that it's too late for them. Condemned to a life of sin, guilt and regret. This is for a better future, a better life. [...] At the age that we call puberty, an age you'll come into very soon, darling, daemons bring all sorts of troublesome thoughts and feelings.” 

She's trying to create a better world, one where humans aren't plagued with temptation and guilt. It's easy to blame this on the consequences of her affair with Asriel, and I do believe that fuels some of it. But to solely credit him for her motivations does her character a disservice. It took three-quarters of the season to touch on what drives her to these extremes, and I very much hope that they continue to delve into it in season 2.

Okay. This moment. This moment this moment this moment. This moment. Sorry, my brain loops and glitches whenever I see or think of this moment, because this moment.

This moment.

It's best with audio because then you can hear the way Ruth Wilson says Marisa’s faint protests. She's breathless, confused, torn, unsure. Everything she hasn't been up till now. Ruth Wilson is out queen our lord and saviour.

And Asriel, our favourite slut, is so thirsty for her, leaning in as she pulls away. It's been years and finally, he can kiss her again and he doesn't want to ever stop. His experiment just changed things forever, could change them forever. He and Marisa are the same, and he loved her years ago and he still loves her now, and if everything is changing then maybe finally they can get their happy ending.

Marisa was able to convince Macphail to let her come along because she knows Asriel better than anyone else. The same is true vice versa.

“Lie about whatever you want. Lie about the Oblation Board. The Magisterium. Lie about the girl. But do not lie about your ambition your work or who you truly are. You used to want to change the world. Then leave the Magisterium. Come with me, and we will change them all.”

He talks between small kisses, tempting her, teasing her, seducing her. Despite her snapping remark at Macphail, Marisa does in fact melt. This will work, they can be together again.

But there's the one thing Asriel didn't expect. The one thing that Marisa herself hadn't expected.

But I love Lyra. Where did this love come from? I don't know; it came to me like a thief in the night, and now I love her so much my heart is bursting with it. 

Rewatching the scene, you can see the moment she makes her decision. She leans her head back just enough so she can look at Asriel.

Then leans back in and closes her eyes. Lets herself bask in the moment, lets herself feel the love and safety and rightness of being with him envelop her. When she opens her eyes, when she pulls away and speaks the words that will put them on separate paths, her resolution is clear. She's resigned to her decision and its consequences.

And Asriel could have debated theology and politics until the end of time, if that's what it took to have her again. He can't argue this. 

And so she leaves. And he lets her. And the two of them are just so unexpectedly soft with each other my heart can't take it.

Where's the furious fight? The cutting remarks? The bitter resentment pushed down all these years finally showing its ugly face? Where's the dysfunctional madness?

"Ah, those two. In a fight they're lethal. Around each other, they melt." - Richelle Mead, The Golden Lily.

Part of me is disappointed we missed out on that beautiful angst, the kind we'd probably see if they spent longer together, but another part of me loves it. Because they cut through the bullshit. With others maybe they'd put on an act, but it's just them. And they know each other. They'd see through the other's presences in a heartbeat. The whole scene is so intimate, so honest, they almost convince me they could be healthy. And that's the tragedy of them, I think. They're so alike, two sides of the same coin. They understand each other on such a deep level no amount of time apart makes a difference. In another life, they would work. They should work. But this is the reality they live in.

Confession time.

I have not read the books. I have no intention of reading the books, at least not the parts I haven't seen onscreen yet. The reason is that after episode 3, I picked up the first book, caught up to where I was on the show, and realised I enjoyed the show better. I'd rather experience the twists and turns first on the platform that I prefer, without having them spoiled first on a platform that just doesn't evoke the same emotional response. Please don't pelt tomatoes at me!

I vaguely knew the plot of the Golden Compass from the movie I half saw years ago, and from general knowledge. Going forth, I'm mostly blind. I know bits and pieces from Tumblr that I can't quite escape, (I.e: the quote from the books I used above that I've seen in multiple gifsets), and unfortunately, I already know Masriel's fate. The journey getting there? No clue.

Which is exciting.

I've understood that the show is delving much more into Maria's psyche than the books, and that her revelation that she loves Lyra has come earlier. I don't know what it means going forth, if there will be changes from the books or if it will stay the same for the most part. What I do know, is that I can't wait to see what happens next.

Marisa refused Asriel because of Lyra, but Lyra left their world. Next season, I'm sure Marisa will be just as ruthless and determined to get her back, that will probably result with her aligning with the Magisterium once more. 

I'd love to see her find a way to once again place the blame on Asriel, but as we've seen, her bitterness and resentment tend to fade away when faced with the man himself. Maybe it'll be easier to cling onto now the novelty of seeing him again after so long has worn off. But I honestly don't know how it will go when they next see each other. The softness of this scene took me by surprise, just as each of them always does individually. One thing's for sure, their connection isn't going anywhere.

But neither is the reality they live in. The Magisterium. It'll be interesting to see just how deep her loyalties go because the show did a great job in showing me that she'll choose Lyra over practically anything, but like I said, it hasn't talked much about her religious convictions.

See, that isn't what I'd expect to hear from the truly devout. It's part of her power-play with Macphail, yes, but it doesn't scream religious fanatic. 

I want next season to explore that side of her. Ruth is a fantastic actress and would portray the inner turmoil perfectly. But I need to believe there's a chance she won't choose Lyra. I need to be convinced in her conviction, to honesty fear that she's gone off the ledge. I love that Lyra is her weak spot, I love that in her own twisted way she believes she's putting Lyra first. But she's not just a mother. She's not just a scorned lover. She is Marisa fucking Coulter, cesspit of moral filth, mother of all evil, and I need to see her go dark.

Yes, darker than smiling as she attacks the daughter she loves, darker than killing a boy with her bare hands, darker than kidnapping and experimenting on children even as they continue to die. I want her to repulse me with her actions. I want her to cross every line imaginable. I want her completely unredeemable. And then have her love for her child override all those convictions.

I have high demands. I have high expectations. I have full confidence Ruth Wilson can deliver. I'm really hoping the writers and producers do too. 

[debrasmorgan420]

Jafael - 1x02 (1/?)

Little early to hear the heartbeat.

[petesmediadiary]

September 28th 2020

Podcasts: Comedy Bang Bang -- 675 Clothing Sausages How Did This Get Played? -- 67 Ring Fit Adventure LA Podcast -- 141 Sans Sherrif My Brother, My Brother, and Me -- 501 Face 2 Face: Jeans-Washed Acid TV: The Legend of Korra -- 1x01, 1x02 Last Week Tonight -- 7x24 The Vow -- 1x06 Schitt’s Creek -- 2x05, 2x06 Music: Pure Bathing Culture -- With Every Heartbeat (Robyn cover) Car Seat Headrest -- Scatterbrain (Radiohead cover) Gordi -- Hide and Seek (Imogen Heap cover) Wye Oak -- Goodbye Girls (Broadcast cover)

[ober-affen-geil]

There’s a lot of non-verbal communication on Roswell, and I’ve talked about it extensively as it applies to Michael and Alex. I will be doing something eventually involving the entire cast as well, but for right now I want to focus on how Alex uses it in two different moments to say the same thing: I love Michael Guerin.

The first in in 1x09 in the bunker with Kyle and Cam. Alex makes a snarky comment to Kyle about how Max “angsty nerd” Evans isn’t his type and Kyle, who has lost touch with Alex over the years and now benefits simultaneously from knowing him very well and having an outsider’s perspective, suddenly puts two and two together to make an educated guess. 

“Is your type angry cowboy?”

And Alex responds with this x

One look that says a lot, most of which are warnings. “Back off.” “Don’t go there.” “Watch it.” “Step off, now.” “Thin ice, buddy.”

You know what it DOESN’T say? “No.”

Alex had the chance to downplay his association with Michael here and he didn’t take it. It would have been very easy for him to brush the comment aside like he did with Maria in 1x02 (Hadn’t noticed) but he doesn’t do it. He doesn’t deny what Kyle is implying, which goes beyond Michael being his “type” and they both know it. Considering that the last time we saw them together earlier in the episode Alex was breaking up with Michael, this is significant.

Alex has just cut romantic and sexual ties with Michael, he has no real claim to him right now. Except that he does. Michael is his family, his home. His Person. Alex can’t deny that to himself or Kyle so he doesn’t. He doesn’t confirm it either but Kyle knows him well enough to read between the lines. And when Alex then objects to Kyle implying that he intervened in Project Shepherd only to protect Michael and NOT to Kyle implying that Michael is his boyfriend, it’s really not even subtext.

Alex’s reaction to Kyle’s statement is him acknowledging what Michael means to him, which is why Kyle is later able to say “If you care about him as much as it looks like you do...” with authority. Because Alex already told him as much.

The second moment is in 1x10 with Maria in the bar, and it’s actually in two parts. Maria who (unlike Kyle) has stayed close with Alex over the years and therefore fails to see the forest through the trees, makes a joke about two people Alex couldn’t possibly be in love with. Except one of them is Michael Guerin. And Alex, who most definitely didn’t come here to talk about this, reacts like so x

As with Kyle, he did not have to do this. He could have laughed it off and continued to play coy with Maria. And maybe this wasn’t really on purpose, maybe Maria caught him off guard and he’s already rattled from the conversation he just had with Michael and he can’t cover fast enough. But the end result is the same: This look tells Maria she hit the nail bang on the head.

But now she’s rattled too, because she knows what just happened between her and Michael and the Texas desert, so she needs to confirm what her sinking gut already knows.

“Please tell me you’re in love with Wyatt Long.”

And this time it is absolutely deliberate. Alex pauses for a heartbeat, enough to make sure she knows he’s heard her question and already regrets the hurt it will cause her to hear the answer. And then he tells her the truth. x

“No. I’m in love with Michael Guerin.“

And this. This has nearly as much magnitude as Alex turning to face Michael and saying “I’m tired of walking away.”

This is Alex actively claiming Michael in front of another person of his own free will for the first time ever. And I don’t mean “claiming” in the sense of “get away from my man” I mean it in the sense of “this is what he means to me”. Home can be a person, and Michael is Alex’s.

The last time we saw Alex with Michael in this episode he was having a minor crisis over the realization that Michael was trying to leave Earth, and he left Michael in the bunker because he needed some space to process. This is so important because it tells the audience that Alex really is done walking away; Alex wouldn’t have confirmed to Maria who Michael is to him if he was planning on backing out again.

He kept the identity of “museum guy” secret for 10 years because if he told some one, even Maria, it would make it real. And Alex hasn’t been ready to deal with that until now. With just a look and a shake of his head, Alex takes the last step and fully commits to Michael.

He loves him. Present tense.

[mtvswatches]

Friends  1x02 – The One with the Sonogram at the End

Click here for previous recaps!

In a nutshell: Carol is pregnant. We meet Ross and Monica’s parents. First mention of Ugly Naked Guy. Rachel deals with the aftermath of running away on her wedding day. There’s this beam that we will soon never see again.

Chandler: As they all discuss parent issues, Chandler admits to having an imaginary friend whom his parents actually preferred. Two episodes in and Chandler’s mommy/daddy issues keep being brought up. He takes the backseat together with Phoebe and Joey in this episode.

Joey: He is not given much to do, but a couple of personality “traits” are established. In the opening scene, he’s the one who doesn’t get the extended metaphor about sex, and as everyone is freaking out about the news of Carol being pregnant, he’s in the background digging into the lasagna because #priorities.

Monica: We get to see a bit more of Monica’s OCD tendencies, but it’s heavily implied at the beginning of the episode – and it’s something that I think it would’ve been very interesting to explore – that they derive from her constant need to please her parents because they always make her feel less than. I think it’s a great explanation for her relentless search for perfection in almost all areas of her life. You know, an “If I’m good enough, they’ll love me” kind of thing. Her parents were very unlikable, her mom being intentionally and surreptitiously evil and her father unintentionally hurtful but hurtful nonetheless.

Phoebe: We learn about Phoebe’s twin sister, Ursula, although her name is not mentioned. Phoebe explains that they don’t speak and describes her as “the high-powered, driven career-type” – a waitress. I always thought it was a great idea to have Lisa play both Phoebe and Ursula in these two different shows and have it be this be a meta-joke.

Rachel: Rachel has to meet Barry to give him back the engagement ring, and even though she’s kind of a mess about the whole thing (losing the ring only to find it in the lasagna she helped Monica make,) I admire how ready she is to take responsibility for the whole leaving-him-in-the-altar thing. Rachel and Ross also have a small moment at the cafeteria after commiserating about each other’s predicaments, and he honestly gave her some good advice, and it’s hard to deny that there really was a reason why everyone was rooting for these two to get together in the 90s. Of course, her meeting with Barry doesn’t go as expected when she finds out that he’s looking better than ever and it’s all because he went on their honeymoon with Mindy, one of her bridesmaids. She has a petty moment in the end when she calls Mindy, but all in all, I think she handles the whole situation with a lot of grace and it helps her eliminate any second-thoughts about her decision. Unfortunately, it won’t be the last we see of Barry.

Ross: We get to meet Carol in this episode, who is played by a different actress. I wonder what happened there, but I’m glad they did the switcharoo, actually. Ross learns that Carol is pregnant…

Priceless reaction, by the way. But even before the pregnancy reveal and the conflict, I must admit that Ross was handling the separation rather well. He truly seemed to have no contempt for Carol, even if he was trying to push too hard to get back together. Realizing you’re gay is not something you come back from, so I’ve always thought it was more about him trying to hold on to this idea of a perfect life he had. I don’t think he would’ve ever been able to trust Carol again if they got back together, lesbian or not. And well, we did get to see the alternate universe where they stayed together and it was… less than stellar. I don’t know how you all felt or feel about this, but I always got the impression Susan and Carol were really pushing it with how they decided to handle the pregnancy and the baby. I mean, Ross was the father after all, so it always rubbed me the wrong way how they purposefully tried to take him out of the picture and seemed offended when he demanded to be included, as if he had no right to demand so. It’s even more bizarre when you realize that Carol was still sleeping with Ross while having an affair with Susan, hence the pregnancy. So… how was Susan so on board with the whole pregnancy stuff from the get-go? It really took a long time for me to warm up to Susan because I always felt she was always overstepping. Say what you will about Ross, but I think it’s actually laudable how he was on board the minute he heard his baby’s heartbeat, and how he fought to be included in his child’s life.

One Iconic Scene: Rachel resting her head on Ross’s hand, it’s just so sweet.

BONUS QUESTION: Can you guess what episode was the first one I ever saw before I review it…?

[stahlop]

Once Upon a Time 1x03 “Snow Falls” Review

Review 1x01 1x02

This is one of my favorite episodes.  This is the episode where Snow and Charming meet and we learn the origins of their backstory.

Synopsis:

Henry finds a John Doe at the hospital and is convinced it is Prince Charming.  Emma convinces Mary Margaret to read to the man from the storybook to show Henry that he is just a regular coma patient, but it ends with him actually waking up! In the Enchanted Forest, we see how Snow White and Prince Charming first meet.

Opening: A troll in the forest.

New Characters:

Dr. Whale: We first meet him on a date with Mary Margaret and he’s obviously a cad.  While Mary Margaret is talking to him he is blatantly checking out Ruby in the background.  He also seems to be the head doctor in the hospital, and he’s in Regina’s pocket as he lies to Mary Margaret about David’s readings but lets Regina know that things have changed. We are not given any indication who he was in the Enchanted Forest.

Kathryn Nolan/Princess: Supposedly David’s wife in Storybrooke.  We don’t learn much about her except that her memories tell her that she and David fought before he left and fell into a coma and she thought he had left her.  She also says that the fight was all her fault, which makes her seem quite weak. In the Enchanted Forest she seems to be a princess that Prince James was engaged to.  She’s very haughty and doesn’t seem to have much interest in James.  She’s also very damsel in distress when Snow steals from the carriage, simply screaming instead of making any attempt at stopping her.

Character Observations:

Snow/Mary Margaret: Snow is a forest bandit and a real tough woman, a far cry from the meek Mary Margaret that we have seen. She is stealing to survive and knows her way around the Enchanted Forest. She is tough, as she decks Charming with a rock, and witty, she starts calling James, Charming, because of the way he speaks to her. She’s also resourceful; she knows she can sell the jewels to the trolls and she has the dark fairy dust to eventually take the Evil Queen out with. Mary Margaret, on the other hand, is very docile. She doesn’t seem to have a mean bone in her body and pretty much goes along with everything everyone tells her. She cowers in Regina’s presence and doesn’t have much of a voice around her. She’s also very unsure of herself. She also believes in hope and love, while Snow has been beaten down enough that she is very cynical and has no hope.  Mary Margaret starts to believe that John Doe could be her Charming soulmate as shown in Henry’s book, right up until Kathryn shows up.  Snow just sees Charming as the way out of the Enchanted Forest, but realizes she can’t leave him when he’s attacked by the trolls. It’s his attempt at saving her twice (once from the queen’s guards and once from the trolls) that opens up her heart to him.  

Regina/Evil Queen: Regina is her spectacular, horrid self as usual in this episode. While not in it much, we see her control over Dr. Whale as he calls to tell her about John Doe’s readings, and that it was Mary Margaret that set them off. And while she seems to have her eyes and ears everywhere, she does not seem to know where Henry is most of the time.  She’s so busy trying to hold her curse together that she is not being a good mother. But she still technically has Henry, so her dig towards Emma and Mary Margaret at the end “Not having someone is the worst curse imaginable” is very cruel. We don’t actually see the Evil Queen in this episode, but we are told that she blames Snow for ruining her life.  Most likely referring to whomever she loved that Snow somehow took from her.

Emma: Emma may not be trying to undermine Henry as blatantly as Regina is, but she is trying to show him that fairy tales don’t exist in more subtle ways.  Henry comes up with the plan for Mary Margaret to read to John Doe to ‘wake’ him up, but Emma goes a step further by having Mary Margaret go along with it with the intention that it won’t work and it will help Henry believe that his fairy tales aren’t real. It may not be as manipulative as Regina, but she’s still letting Henry go through with the plan with the intention that he will be disappointed and will possibly question the storybook. Imagine Emma’s surprise when John Doe not only moves, but ends up awake.  Emma, of course, will just sweep this under the rug as coincidence, because she can’t possibly believe in fairy tales. Emma, at this point is also living in her car, after having been kicked out of Granny’s due to the felony law. Because of her need to be independent and non-reliant on anyone, she turns down Mary Margaret’s offer to stay with her. After the whole search for David, Mary Margaret’s hope getting torn out from under her, and Regina’s not having someone comment, Emma decides to take Mary Margaret up on her offer.  So they are now officially roommates.

Henry: He is more of the catalyst for this episode rather than the narrator.  He’s still telling us things about the curse, but he’s the one who discovers Charming in the hospital and gets the ball rolling to have him wake up. We also see that he lies to Regina, a lot, as she doesn’t seem to know where he is half the time. His main purpose right now suggests that he is just guiding Emma (and the viewers) through Storybrooke but has no real purpose of his own.  He is not in any danger from Regina.  He sees through most of her lies and manipulation anyhow.

James “Charming”/David Nolan: We learn a lot about both Charming and David in this episode.  Charming is brave; he goes after the bandit despite the guards there to protect him, and he fights the trolls with Snow, risking his life; resourceful; he manages to catch Snow in a trap, knows she is wanted by the queen and uses that to his advantage in him helping her, is good, not only with a sword, but with a bow and arrow as well (as evidenced from his Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves moment); and, of course, charming; he’s sentimental about the engagement ring because it belonged to his mother. Charming is a real go getter, except for the fact that he has to marry the princess to merge their kingdoms together. We don’t know a lot about David’s personality yet.  He has amnesia, so he doesn’t remember anything about his life (or possibly Regina never invented a backstory for him because she thought he was dead), and he’s definitely attracted to Mary Margaret, but he’s married to Kathryn.

Questions:

What’s up with the feathers again? So far we’ve seen them on two of Snow’s outfits in the Pilot, Regina’s curse outfit, and now on the princess’s dress. Is this an Enchanted Forest thing, or do the bird feathers mean something?

Why does David’s scar still have blood on it?  He received it from Snow at least a year before the curse hit. It should not have blood on it, especially since he’s technically been in a coma for 28 years.

How much time is supposed to have passed between Snow robbing Charming and him tracking her down? I really don’t think he would have had enough time to build a freaking net trap without her knowing.  Did she go to her tree trunk dwelling before going to the trolls and now she’s come back?  If he just discovered her there, how did he set it up without her hearing him?

How does John Doe  wake up from a coma and walk out of a hospital? His muscles should be atrophied.  I guess this is another thing we can say is because of the curse.  Instead of his muscles atrophying they reset themselves every night since time didn’t move. And where are all the nurses? Because David was hooked up to machines yet none of them alerted anyone in the hospital that they weren’t hooked up to anyone anymore? It should have indicated he was dead since it wasn’t registering a heartbeat or brain activity. Emma had to look at the video surveillance to see what time he got up and left.

Why do trolls need money or jewels?

Was that water deep enough for David to drown in?  I know they say you can drown in an inch of water, but he wasn’t even face down in the water, he was on his side. I just feel like he should’ve been face down in the water if we were to believe he had drowned.

How does this curse work?  I know I asked this in the Pilot, but did Regina have contingencies built in for if time started moving, or does the curse adapt to things like that?  Did Kathryn have memories of her husband, David, before he woke up, or were those built in after?  

Observations:

David’s scar is from Snow hitting him with a rock.  Ouch!

I know it’s a television show, but Snow looks pretty good for living out in the forest.  She apparently has perfectly fitting clothes, can bathe often, and still wears makeup.

Charming tells Snow that he will find her, but it’s much more menacing than when he woke her up in the Pilot.

Whale tells Mary Margaret that John Doe has been in a coma for as long as he can remember.

We see the flying monkeys in the storybook again.

Snow’s wanted poster says she is wanted for crimes again the queen; murder, treason, and treachery.

The security guard was Sleepy.  We’ve now been introduced to Sleepy and Grumpy from the seven dwarfs.

The trolls climbing up the bridge reminded me of the trolls in the movie Willow.

The old Toll Bridge sign in Storybrooke has an R graffitied on it so it says Troll Bridge.

Mary Margaret’s version of CPR is basically a long smooch. Was it True Love’s Kiss that actually revived David?

The ring Mary Margaret wears is the engagement ring Charming was going to give to the princess.

Names:

James - English form of the Hebrew name Jacob, which means supplanter.  He was a twin who deprived his brother his rights as the firstborn son

David - Beloved.  Also known as the famous king in David vs. Goliath.

Kathryn - pure

Nolan - derived from the Irish, Nuall, which means noble.  Fitting as both David and Kathryn were nobles in the Enchanted Forest.

Ruby - red stone

I love learning the backstory of Snow and Charming.  It’s nice to see that it was not love at first sight and from what we see in the Pilot, they eventually do find their way back to each other. It’s also nice to see Snow as someone not to be trifled with, as in the stories and movies she is the epitome of innocence. Regina is a loathsome as ever, but it’s nice to see her reactions to her carefully constructed facade crumbling and now she’s attempting to deal with it.  She is someone who needs to be in control and she is having a hard time staying in control with her world, literally, falling apart.

As usual feedback is welcome.  Please let me know your thoughts about anything: the episode, the characters, the formatting, etc.

@searchingwardrobes @thisonesatellite@justbecauseyoubelievesomething@laschatzi @profdanglaisstuff@mariakov81

[elliebirdwrites]

Rain From an Empty Sky (Michael/Alex, R)

Rain From an Empty Sky Michael Guerin/Alex Manes Roswell, New Mexico 1200 words Note: coda to episode 1x02

The door slams shut behind Michael and in the echoing silence, there’s only the rhythm of Alex’s frantic heartbeat.

Inside the Airstream, the afternoon daylight casts a glow across the walls. The hot air is thick with dust, the tin shell of the trailer concentrating the summer heat.The floor creaks beneath Alex’s feet as Michael steps close. Behind him, Michael fits himself to the length of Alex from thighs and hips to belly and chest. With Michael’s hand on his hip, Alex leans back against the strength of his body. He’s vulnerable and exposed, having flayed himself open to Michael’s unflinching gaze, those haunting eyes never wavering as Alex showed his heart.

Michael braces him for a beat with a hand on Alex’s hip, giving them a moment to steady themselves. His t-shirt clings to him and Alex can smell the sweat on his skin. The tension of the moment is reflected in the sounds of their ragged breaths, the way Michael holds himself still.

Alex can feel the wild race of Michael’s heart where he’s tucked up against Alex.

Michael takes a breath and the earth tips wildly on its axis as he spins Alex around to face him.

The want and urgency on Michael’s face knocks the wind out of Alex. He reaches up blindly, gripping Michael to steady himself, his hand curling around the hot, damp skin of his arm beneath the sleeve of his t-shirt.

Rain From an Empty Sky on AO3 https://archiveofourown.org/works/22766380

[electricbluebutterflies]

I have so many ideas, but I feel like I need to wait until you get further in to prompt you. hmmm, let's see what we can do with where you are: 4, 22, 44, 89, 97 (which really works for ep 2) for jeresa!

Aright, I’m brand-new to this ship and two eps into the show and I have FEELINGS so here we go. 1x02 missing scene, PG-ish.

(22) “It’s not heavy.  I’m stronger than I look.”

She rests her head on his shoulder in the taxi.

She shouldn’t. She knows that. After the week from hell - Teresa doesn’t actually know what day it is, but it’s in the rough vicinity of a week so she might as well go with that - the absolute last thing she needs is another complication. But she’s tired, and she’s watched several people die recently, and the weight of everything is catching up with her and she just needs one tiny good thing that isn’t a hallucination of her future self. And really, a little bit of innocent human contact isn’t the worst she could do.

She doesn’t know a damn thing about this man, barely caught his name, but he’s been nicer to her than anyone since this nightmare became her life and he’s not bad to look at either. Not that Teresa is thinking about that, at all. Not that she’s noticing that he smells like home, somehow, or that he makes a soft little comforting noise as her hair flutters across his jacket. Not that she’s wondering what his heartbeat sounds like, or what his hands would feel like on her skin. Exactly none of that is happening, thank you very much, and-

“You did well. I’m impressed.”

He doesn’t give compliments easy, she can tell, and she feels her skin turn unusually pink. After everything, after the fear in his voice as he worried about losing yet another girl, she knows how much it means that she survived. (After everything, surviving might be the only think she’s good at.)

“I’m stronger than I look,” she replies.

“You are.” Of course he just goes with it, because she is, and she feels the tiniest fluttering of something she can’t describe, and-

“Thank you. For risking me.”

“You knew the odds and you still volunteered.”

“I’d rather die free than in there.”

He leans his head against hers, and she can’t help but suspect this is the most human contact he’s had in longer than he’d admit. Well, if that’s the case... she’s walked this path before. She could make someone love her if it would keep her safe, and god, right now she wants that more than anything.

“You’re brave. I can use that.”

“Alright.”

She closes her eyes, breathes him in, and lets exhaustion take her. As long as she’s with him, she’s as safe as she’ll ever be.