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nellie-elizabeth · 2 years ago

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Grey's Anatomy: Wedding Bell Blues/Happily Ever After (19x19/20)

Oh goodness. There are a lot of things about this that I really goddamn hate, but... plenty I loved, too!

Cons:

Jo and Link. Look, I'd honestly love to feel differently about this. It sucks to have a character like Link, who I used to greatly enjoy, turn into someone that I just don't want to spend time with anymore. I liked Jo and Alex, and I liked Amelia and Link. I have never once thought these two worked as a romance. And when they had their big love confession and kiss in the rain moment, I honestly felt nothing. Total numbness and boredom. Plus, Link seemed like such an insensitive jerk about Jo flirting with her patient, Sam. Just grow up and get over yourself, dude.

Simone and Lucas is great and I'll compliment the drama later, but I still think Trey should have... existed as a character more leading up to this point. It was such a non-choice, such an obvious conclusion. I would have liked a bit more wedding shenanigans, and a bit more of an understanding of who Trey is as a person, in order to enjoy this more fully.

Meredith and Nick... I knew I was going to be annoyed about it, and I was right. At least we see Meredith having her own goals and passions in Boston, but my god, that whole apology to Nick, and wanting to build something with him, was just so joyless and boring to me. I just don't think he's an interesting character, and I never, ever have.

For the most part, I am all for Bailey getting that award, but it did feel sort of weird from the outsider perspective, like... the people who are not personally friends with Richard Webber or Catherine Fox or Miranda Bailey have to be sitting there like... wait a minute. They just arranged this whole nice little surprise for their personal friend? The Catherine Fox award is named after Catherine Fox, a woman who is married to Miranda Bailey's long-time friend and mentor. I'm not saying she doesn't deserve this accolade, of course she does! I just couldn't help but think of the people who aren't in this clique, wondering how fair this really is.

It remains to be seen what will come of Teddy, but yikes, if they actually kill her just when she was starting to become vaguely tolerable to me (due to reduced interactions with Owen), I'll be pissed. So unnecessary, Grey's.

Also: sorry, but Richard maybe having another relapse and drinking again is just boring to me at this point. I feel like whenever they run out of things for Richard to do in the story, they either bring back Catherine's cancer, or they have him drink again. Enough already.

In the category of things I wish we could have seen, I was a little sad that we didn't get some sister time with Amelia, Meredith, and Maggie. Especially as a wrap-up on this season for Amelia, who has been undergoing these feelings of abandonment.

Pros:

Jo learning ASL, yay! She's simcoming, which basically means she's signing and speaking at the same time, meaning her grammar has some issues, but it's still so cool to see that on the show, and I hope it continues.

Despite my feelings of clique-i-ness with the whole Catherine Fox award thing, I did think it was enormously sweet and empowering that Bailey got the award for her work in training people on abortion care. This show has never been afraid to go political, and it was such a nice capstone to a season where Bailey had to suffer so much harassment and pain. I did think about Addison, though: surely the award should have been jointly granted to her as well, for the same reason? Meredith giving that speech, Ben showing up last minute to support his wife, Bailey's surprise about it all... very moving and sweet, indeed.

It could be a cool way to keep Meredith connected to the show with intermittent appearances, this idea of her new breakthrough in Alzheimer's research, something that flies in the face of all understanding in the field, including Derek's research. She's going to be off doing science things, trying to get funding and keep hold of her reputation as she shakes things up, and she can pop up once or twice a season to update us on the chaos of her life. I like this for her. Drama, but not drama we need to be constantly paying attention to. I can imagine her working hard and becoming even more of a legend, and taking care of her kids, and living her life.

Also, in the interest of being entirely fair, I will clock one moment of Nick that I did enjoy. When Meredith tells him that the guy he found at her house is the kids' tutor, who also happens to be gay, his response is a frankly adorable, childish, "really?" Which I thought was sweet. Glad that Meredith hadn't randomly started dating someone new so quickly after settling in Boston, although to be honest whoever else she might have picked would probably be more interesting than Nick! Sorry!

I was surprisingly cool with the way they did the Maggie/Winston thing? At first I was annoyed, like, great. They're just going to fall into bed together and perpetuate the confusion and pain? But then they talked at the award event, and they had this gentle conversation about the potential for their future. Should they get divorced? Is that the best thing for both of them? I like how earlier, when they were on the plane, Winston defended himself and Maggie to Amelia, saying that it wasn't either of their faults alone that their relationship had taken this turn. That's some nuanced understanding of the situation, and I enjoyed it.

The plane thing was kind of ridiculous, over the top turbulence making all the doctors fear for their lives momentarily. It's the kind of thing we know for a fact Grey's is willing to pull, but I didn't really think the plane was going to go down, not with so much else the episode was trying to grapple with. But I did begrudgingly kind of enjoy Amelia and Winston holding hands, that was a nice little beat. And Bailey gets MVP once again for knocking the drink out of Richard's hand.

Back at the hospital, we've got all sorts of stuff going on. I continue to be impressed by how much the new crop of characters and their drama appeals to me.

First you've got Yasuda and Helm, going on an adorable date to Simone's wedding, kissing and giggling and problem-solving together when the flowers don't arrive for the ceremony. I loved seeing how sweet they were together. I'm sure next season will bring them their fair share of drama, as Helm is now Yasuda's boss, but seeing Mika running at full capacity, having enough sleep to do her job well, and seeing Helm so happy at the successful start of this new romantic relationship, and new chance at her dream career, was such a balm! They're pretty fun.

Simone leaves Trey at the altar, of course. Literally she's already started walking down the aisle when she decides she can't go through with the wedding. That's pretty rough. We learn how much she's doing all of this because of her long-dead mother, and when she learns that her mom met her dad after being engaged to someone else, she realizes her intended husband isn't the man for her. She and Lucas immediately fall into bed together, he literally helps her out of her wedding dress, which is just the kind of juicy soap opera goodness we love to see on this show.

Of course, things go bad when Trey shows up after getting in a minor car accident, and punches Lucas in the face when he realizes that he was a factor in Simone leaving. Simone talks to him and says, basically, that regardless of Lucas, marrying Trey isn't what she wants. I liked that they addressed that what Simone did hurt people. Trey and his family, Lucas... they all got caught up in Simone's indecision and struggles. It's a rough move, doing what Simone did, but the alternative being marrying someone you don't want to be with is, of course, worse.

Blue was a serious highlight for me of this episode! First there was his utter bad-ass moment of helping save a kid, and then bridging the language barrier (the mother and son spoke Spanish), and stopping CPS from getting involved. It turns out that the little boy Enzo ingested drugs that were left behind by a prior visitor to the hotel, not given to him by his mother. And then after that, he has a much less bad-ass moment, where he intubates Max when she suddenly starts to code, specifically violating her DNR order. It ends up in a situation where it's too late to go back and un-do what he's done, so they keep her alive, and Jules, with her medical proxy, is now going to be in the position of making decisions for her. Luckily, Max wakes up and they explain that she had a temporary thing going on and that she won't have to keep being intubated. Basically, Blue did a bad thing, took a huge risk, and it did pay off... but Jules's anger is completely justified. And what Blue did was a serious violation of medical ethics.

This is the kind of twisty dilemma that we love to see. It gave me early Grey's vibes for sure, Blue reacting with too much emotional instinct, his feelings of tenderness towards Jules, his own feelings about his mother coming into play... and Jules hating him for his decision but also loving him for saving her favorite person. I'm very into seeing where this goes from here.

And then... oh my god. Despite how much I will be annoyed if they kill Teddy, I will admit the very end of this episode hyped me up in a way Grey's hasn't managed to do in a very long time. Sam, the patient who has been flirting with Jo, ends up suddenly in distress and rushed to the OR. Teddy is the only attending in the room, and along with Yasuda and Lucas, and they're getting ready to do a life-saving emergency surgery. When suddenly... Teddy collapses. She's been having tooth pain for a while, but that's been our only hint that something was wrong with her at all. Our other attendings are scattered to the winds: at Boston, or making out in rainy alleyways, or whatever. So as Yasuda drops to the ground and starts trying to tend to Teddy, Simone shows up and along with Lucas, the two of them try to save Sam on the table. Owen is fetched by someone, and runs into the operating room to see a patient bleeding out on the table, the floor drenched in blood, and his wife on the floor, entirely nonresponsive.

Drama! I don't like Owen, but even I'm not heartless enough not to feel for him as he collapses to the ground and tries to wake Teddy up. What the heck is going to happen from here? I was getting Schmitt flashbacks, seeing that patient on the table, an attending coming into the room to see what his students hath wrought in his absence, but like... what were they supposed to do? This is some juicy stuff, and I'm looking forward to seeing the aftermath of it all whenever we get back to this show. Given the writer's strike, we may have a longer wait time than usual, but that's not the writers' fault!

In all, these final two episodes were truly a mixed bag. I am so annoyed about Jo and Link. I still strongly dislike Nick. But the drama that I enjoyed most was the stuff with our younger crop of characters, and I think that bodes well for the show's longevity!

7/10

#review #grey's anatomy #grey's anatomy review #greys anatomy review #grey's abc

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moonlight-breeze-44 · 4 years ago

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Em’s Febuwhump 2021 Masterlist

Hey, guys! So, as some of you may know, I participated in Febuwhump this year! I didn’t manage to complete all 28 days, but I did complete 21. I worked with multiple fandoms, but mainly Shadowhunters and Leverage. All pairings, fandoms, ratings, and warnings will be noted. <3 With that, let’s get on to the masterlist!

Em’s Febuwhump 2021

Alex is in a coma. The only way to save her life is to let Lena Luthor give her an experimental drug that's never been tested on humans before. Maggie is less than happy with this, but the younger Danvers sister assures her that she has nothing to be worried about.

After they break up over the Soul Sword, Alec sends Magnus a voicemail suicide note. Luckily, Magnus is there to make sure he doesn't follow through with it.

After he and Parker wind up in adjacent prison cells, Eliot realises that he's been wasting precious time and makes a promise to himself. And, though they don't know it yet, it's a promise to Parker and Hardison, as well.

After a Circle member doses Alec with a truth serum, a few shocking revelations come to light and Alec realises that he & his siblings, blood-related or not, have a bond that can never be broken.

After Max's death, Alec retreats to a nearby hill and prays to the Angel to bring his brother back. Magnus makes sure he understands that he doesn't need to hide how he feels, and that he's never alone as long as Magnus is around.

Alec finds an ally in Raphael while walking the city one sleepless night.

After the shootout with Moreau's goons in the warehouse, Eliot has a hard time dealing with the fallout. Parker is there to help.

While they're doing surveillance for a con, Parker thinks about Eliot & Hardison, and she comes to the conclusion that they are her home.

When Alec and Jace are being held hostage and tortured by the Circle, they receive help from two unlikely sources.

Alec usually likes silence. He never has all that much to say, anyway. But sometimes silence can be stifling. Sometimes silence is laden with secrets and ghosts that haunt him no matter what he does, and sometimes silence means not that he doesn't have anything to say, but that he's too trapped to know the right words.

After the events of The Carnival Job, Hardison & Parker talk to Eliot about kids, and it leads to something Eliot never would have expected.

After a hard day, Alec goes home to Magnus and they have a much-needed talk about Alec's self-harm.

It’s been a rough week. Alec is dealing. But when things go a little too far, he needs some support from a trusted friend.

Eliot is learning how to ask for help. It’s hard, but luckily, Parker and Hardison are great teachers.

Sometimes the dark is a little too dark, and everyone needs a hand to hold in order to make it through the night.

Or, 5 times the OT3 shared a bed.

Alec is in charge of a mission that goes wrong, and Jace inadvertently makes the situation worse. Alec just wants to be normal, but he's not and he never has been.

Eliot gets injured on the job and needs stitches. He trusts Parker more than he trusts any doctor, but Parker isn't so sure he should.

Some wounds take time to heal, but luckily for Hardison, out of old wounds sometimes come new beginnings.

Or, I tried to write an angsty post-The Grave Danger Job fic, and it somehow turned into the OT3 getting together.

Alec is working late one night when he really should be sleeping, but luckily, he has a parabatai who’s anxious to get Alec home to Magnus so he can go home to his own partners.

After a rather impulsive stint with Hardison's new time travel machine, Parker, Eliot, and Hardison find themselves trapped in an underground prison, courtesy of Eliot's old friends. Eliot feels responsible, but Hardison is there to make sure he knows he's not.

Eliot is being held and tortured by a man with a personal vendetta against him, and the stakes increase tenfold when Parker and Hardison are captured, as well.

~ ~ ~

I hope you enjoy these, and thank you so much for reading! <3

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alexsfictionaddiction · 4 years ago

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Alex Recommends: May and June Books

I must apologise for the late arrival of this post. It should have been up days ago but I’ve been struggling to read much for the last month or so. My head has been very foggy and dark with all of the confusion, anxiety and hate that has been filling my news feeds and I’ve been filled with a desire to combat it. Before this month, I’d have run in the opposite direction from any kind of confrontation but recent events have given me the kick up the butt to actively do better. I’ve been calling out bigotry when I come across it and I’ve noticed that some people, notably my older relatives, haven’t necessarily reacted favorably to the changed, more outspoken Alex. It has been pretty daunting and I’ve worked myself up into fits of rage and tears several times over the last couple of months.

A lot of things have changed for me since my last Alex Recommends post. I’m currently temporarily living in Staffordshire with my boyfriend because my depression got too bad for me to stay at home for much longer. I missed him unbelievably much and I knew that spending some prolonged time with him would help -and it has. Both him and I have spent 12 weeks religiously following all of the rules, so we’re both extremely low-risk for catching and spreading COVID-19 and being together was something that we simply really needed to do. Please don’t hate me for it! In other news, I have also started writing again, which feels amazing. I’m now a few thousand words into a queer Rapunzel retelling that I have lots of ideas for. Maybe I’ll even post an extract or two, when I feel it’s ready to show you.

In the centre of the renewed energy of Black Lives Matter and the undeniable exposure of the horrors that is police brutality, the book blogging and BookTube worlds vowed to uplift Black voices. I wrote a very long, in-depth blog post full of Black-written books and Black book influencers. Please check it out to diversify your TBR and educate yourself on Black issues, which is what every white person should be doing now and always.

June was Pride Month and I tried my best to compile a series of recommendation posts in honour of it. These included gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, non-binary, ace, pansexual and intersex lists. I’ve had some great feedback on this, so I hope you find some fantastic new reads. It felt especially poignant to put them together the same year that one of my childhood heroes came out as an ignorant trans-exclusive feminist. As a lifelong Harry Potter superfan and someone who has repeatedly publicly supported Rowling in the past, I feel the need to clarify where I now stand. I do not support or agree with a single thing that she has said in recent times with regard to transgender people. I’ve never felt my own status as a cisgender female threatened by trans people wanting more rights or believed that children or women were at risk due to their existence.

I read her words more than once and struggled to find any semblance of the woman who wrote the books that have most defined my life. I’m hesitant to say that we can always successfully separate the art from the artist but I will say that it makes sense to me that the Rowling of 2020 is not the same Rowling that wrote Harry Potter. She was a destitute single mother when Philosopher’s Stone was published in 1997 and of course, she is now a million worlds away from that lifestyle. It breaks my heart but it makes sense to me that she has changed beyond belief because her life has changed beyond belief. I’m not and never would make any excuses for her recent behaviour and I have stopped supporting her personally but I will not be getting rid of my Harry Potter books and I will undoubtedly re-read them several more times. However, I am now hugely reluctant to buy any more merchandise or special editions of the books, which saddens me but at the moment, it feels right. There is no coming back for her from this and I will make a conscious effort to keep Harry Potter and Rowling away from my future content. It can be really tough to admit that the people you once really admired aren’t great humans but it’s something that we all have to acknowledge in this case, in order to move forward with our own quests to become our best selves.

It didn’t feel right to post my May recommendations last month as I didn’t feel comfortable promoting my own content in the midst of boosting Black voices. So today I’m bringing you a bumper edition of Alex Recommends. Here are 10 books that I’ve enjoyed since the start of May that I’d love to share with you. Enjoy! -Love, Alex x

FICTION: Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng

Set in the affluent neighbourhood of Shaker Heights, Ohio in the 1990s, two families are brought together and pulled apart by the most intense, devastating circumstances. Dealing with issues of race, class, coming-of-age, motherhood and the dangers of perfection, Little Fires Everywhere is highly addictive and effecting. With characters who are so heartbreakingly real and a story that weaves its way to your very core, I couldn’t put it down and I’m still thinking about it over a month after finishing it.

FICTION: Get A Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert

When coding nerd Chloe Brown almost dies, she makes a list of goals and vows to finally Get A Life. So she enlists tattooed redhead handyman and biker Red to teach her how. Cute, funny and ultimately life-affirming, this enemies-to-lovers rom-com was exactly the brand of light relief that I needed this month. The follow-up Take A Hint, Dani Brown focuses on a fake-dating situation with Chloe’s over-achieving academic sister and I can’t wait to get my hands on that.

FICTION: The Rearranged Life of Oona Lockhart by Margarita Montimore

Just before her 19th birthday at midnight on New Year’s Eve 1983, Oona Lockhart finds herself inexplicably in 2015 inside her 51-year-old body. She soon learns that every year on New Year’s Day, she will now find herself inside a random year of her life and she has no control over it. Seeing her through relationships, friendships and extreme wealth, this strange novel has echoes of Back To The Future and 13 Going On 30 with a final revelation that I certainly never saw coming.

NON-FICTION: The Five by Hallie Rubenhold

Atmospheric and engaging, The Five details the previously untold stories of Polly, Annie, Elisabeth, Kate and Mary-Jane -the women who lost their lives at the hands of Jack the Ripper. Full of fascinating research and heartbreaking accounts of what these women’s lives may have been like, Rubenhold paints a dark immersive portrait of Victorian London and gives voice to these tragic silenced lives. Although we can’t know for certain if these accounts are entirely accurate, they feel very plausible and in some ways, The Five exposes how little time has moved on, when it comes to the public portrayal of single, troubled women.

NON-FICTION: Unicorn by Amrou Al-Kadhi

From a childhood crush on Macaulay Culkin to how a teenage obsession with marine biology helped them realise their non-binary identity, Unicorn tells the story of how the obsessive perfectionist son of a strict Muslim Iraqi family became the gorgeous drag queen Glamrou. Packed full of humour, honesty and heart, this book will give you the strength and inspiration to harness what you were born with and be who you were always meant to be.

MIDDLE-GRADE: The Super Miraculous Journey of Freddie Yates by Jenny Pearson

When fact-obsessed Freddie’s grandmother dies, he discovers that the father he has never met may actually be alive and living in Wales. So he has no choice but to grab his best friends Ben and Charlie, leave his home in Andover and go to find his dad! I laughed so many times during this madcap adventure and I know the slapstick crazy humour will hit the middle-grade target audience just right. It’s also a wonderful depiction of small town Britain with a focus on the true meaning of family.

MIDDLE-GRADE: A Kind Of Spark by Elle McNicoll

When Addie learns about her hometown’s history of witch trials, she campaigns tirelessly to get a memorial for the women who lost their lives through it. This wonderfully beautiful novel gives a unique insight into the mind of an 11-year-old autistic girl with a huge heart. Busting myths about neurodiversity while tackling typical pre-teen drama, you’ll laugh, you’ll cry but most of all, you’ll close the book with a huge smile on your face.

HISTORICAL FICTION: Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell

In 16th century Warwickshire, Agnes is a woman with a unique gift whose relationship with a young Latin tutor produces three children and a legacy that lasts for centuries. This enchanting, all-consuming account of the tragic story of Shakespeare’s lost son, the effects that rippled through the family and the play that was born from their pain will send a bullet straight through your heart. Wonderfully researched and beautifully written, Hamnet is worth all of the hype.

HISTORICAL FICTION: The Mercies by Kiran Millwood Hargrave

When a vicious storm kills most of the men of Vardø, Norway, it’s up to the women to keep things going but a man with a murderous past is about to come down with an iron fist. At the heart of this dark tale of witch trials, grief and feminism, two women find something they’ve each been searching for within each other. Gorgeously written with a fantastically slow-burning queer romance, Kiran Millwood Hargrave’s first adult novel is an addictive, atmospheric read with a poignant, tearjerker of an ending.

SCI-FI: Q by Christina Dalcher

When one of Elena’s daughters manages to drop below the country’s desired Q number, she is sent away to one of the new state schools and Elena is about to find out something she’d really rather not know about the new system. Packed full of real social commentary and critique of life as we know it while painting a picture of how things could be even worse (yes, really!), this pulse-racing, horrifying sci-fi dystopian gripped me from the first page and refused to let me go.

#book recommendations #recommended #recommendations #may #june #books #bookworm

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ittookthelightforever · 6 years ago

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Tell Me Why - Chapter 11 (Smut)

Hi!

This is another fluffy chapter, with a hint of drama, but the addition of smut. I don’t think this is my best smut, I’ve been uninspired lately and blame the lack of new pictures of the Boy. Thankfully we know he’s living his best life, going to amazing concerts and all that jazz... Ok, back to the fic, I hope y’all like it!

Love, Lina

(chapter 1) – (chapter 2 - smut) – (chapter 3 - TW) – (chapter 4) – (chapter 5) – (chapter 6) – (chapter 7) – (chapter 8) – (chapter 9 - TW) -- (chapter 10)

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Charlotte and Alex snuggled in bed, delaying the act of waking up proper and heading downstairs for breakfast. She turns on her side, facing Alex, “I do ‘ave summat unpleasant to ask.” He tightens his hold of her hand and nods, “Wot ‘appened between yeh and Louise? A-After tha’ night…” Alex grimaces a bit, remembering the aftermath of his stupidness, “Ugh, a-after tha’s, uh, incident, she and I talked and I explained tha’ the babeh came before I’d even met ‘er. She seemed satisfied enough tha’ i woulnd’t leave ‘er for yeh and weh stayed together, she came wiv us all the way back to LA.” Alex has to take a few breaths to maintain a straight voice, “Uh, LA were ‘ard, because it were meh first time there after I broke up wiv Taylor. But tha’s when Matt sat down wiv meh and talked sum sense into meh.”

Charlie laughed, she could picture the conversation perfectly, Matt was incredible at being a no nonsense friend. “ ‘e made meh realise tha’ at tha’ point I probableh weren’t wiv Louise for tha’ reight reasons, tha’ I couldn’t possibleh be takin’ meh relationship wiv ‘er seriously when I were mopin’ around for yeh. And when weh came back to Europe I broke up wiv ‘er.” Charlie can’t help but smile, “Blessed be Matthew J. ‘elders, the third.” Alex kisses her, pulling away slowly. Charlie holds his face close to hers, squeezing his cheeks, “Moping, babeh? Were you annoying our friends?”

She pecks his lips between the words, enjoying the feeling of his chapped lips against her, the familiarity of them, “Yeh laugh, but those bastards made it a rule tha’ I couldn’t say yehr name more than once per ‘our or I’d ‘ave to call yeh and apologize.” Charlie stops playing, her face growing serious, “Did yeh? Say it more than once…” Alex takes her hand, kissing her palm tenderly, “Yeah, I did. But every time I did I ‘id meself like the coward I am. I once even threw me phone against a wall, just so I wouldn’t ‘ave a way to call yeh.” She nuzzles her nose against him, capturing his lips in a gentle kiss, “No, yeh’re not. Otherwise weh wouldn’t be ‘ere today.” She kisses him again.

“Kids!! Yeh better not beh doin’ anyfing inappropriate!” They pull away, laughing at Penny’s teasing tone. Slowly they untangle themselves and try to get ready, the process itself is stopped multiple times to make way for tender kisses and belly rubs. Once they are ready, Alex takes her hand and pulls her in for one more kiss, Charlie can’t help but sigh as his lips part and their tongues join, something clicks within her. Pulling away, she laughs, “C’mon, otherwise Penny will come up to check if weh’re shagging.” Alex nods, pecking her lips one last time, before following her out of the room.

Charlotte goes down the steps laughing at some nonsense Alex said, but as she entered the kitchen Charlie stops and Alex’s bumps into her, “Wot’s wrong, love?” As he looks beyond her Alex sees Charlotte’s parents and Emily sitting on the kitchen table with his parents, “Mum, dad! Yeh are ‘ere!” Maggie and Pete get up and embrace their youngest daughter, Charlie is a little flustered but she manages to respond to her mother’s cooings about the baby. Alex stands back, giving them space, fully aware he was enemy number one in this situation, and Emily remains seated, looking quite fed up with the situation.

“I ‘ave made us all tea, so why don’t weh move this to the living room, where weh can sit more comfortableh?” Maggie helps Penny bring the things over to the adjacent room, where Charlie takes a seat on the couch next to her parents and Alex sits in front of her on a loveseat. He makes a funny face at the whole thing and Charlie has to hide her giggles, as she feels Emily’s hard gaze on her. “It sure is good to see yeh kids in good terms once again!” Charlie turns to her mother with a grateful smile, “I’m sad tha’ it took Nanna’s passing for us to start working through our issues, but ’m glad weh did.”

“Of course weh are ‘appy for yeh, but it’s also important to keep in mind tha’ yeh are ‘aving a child together.” Penny and Maggie take the reins of the conversation, “Yes, these incidents can’t ‘appen. Ever again. Weh know yeh kids ‘ave crazy lives sumtimes, but a babeh needs lots of love and a solid famileh structure.” Alex is hesitant but he chimes in for the first time, “I know I’ve been wrong… I see meh mistakes and I promise yeh that wot ‘appened shall never ‘appen again, I will always be there for the babeh and Charleh.” He directs his words not only to Charlie but to their parents present.

“We’ve watched yeh grow into a fine hard-working man, Alexander. And I am sure yeh will never repeat such behaviours, son.” Her father’s approval puts him at somewhat of an ease, but that doesn’t last long, “No offense Mr and Mrs Turner, but tha’s all it takes? A pretteh little speech and all the pain ‘e brought to my sister is forgotten?” Emily stands up and gestures at Alex, “This is the man tha’ put yeh in bed for a whole week. For a whole week yeh wouldn’t speak or eat, yeh put not onleh yehr life in danger but tha’ of yehr babeh, and yeh just forgive ‘im like tha’?”

“Emily, stop. ‘ow maneh times? Alex is not Michael! Not only ‘as ‘e never laid a finger on meh,all meh life, Alex is the best ‘uman being I’ve ever met. ‘e’s cared for meh more times than I can’t count and tha’ night, wot ‘appened, tha’ is between meh and ‘im. And weh are choosing to work through it, because weh love each other and weh are ‘aving a kid together.” Charlie pauses to take a breath, a hand pressed to her bump. “Iif yeh can’t see past yehr own problems, goodness I can’t deal wiv yeh reight now. I love yeh, but I can’t stand yeh talking about Alex like ‘e’s a monster all of a sudden.” Emily wipes her tears, taking one last look at Alex and then Charlie before storming out.

Charlie takes a few deep breaths, trying to calm herself, but the inevitable tears come. She is so overcome with sobs she doesn’t notice as her mother trading places with Alex, who wraps his arms around her and starts whispering soothing words to her ear. They stay there for several minutes and he helps her calm down, as their parents watch the sweet interaction and are reassured that Alex’s and Charlie’s decision to stay together was the right one.

--//--//--

Soon Charlie and Alex board a train bound to London, where their lives couldn’t wait for them any longer. For the whole ride Charlie stays wrapped in Alex’s arms, the couple whispering sweet nothings to each other, relishing in this honeymoon phase of their relationship. Exhausted from the train ride they simply swing by Charlie’s for clean non-black clothes and order some take out to Alex’s, indulging in pizza and pop on his bed, which had been cleaned thanks to Miles’ wiseness to call a professional cleaning company to deal with the mess and make the apartment liveable again.

They lay in bed, bodies tangled up, bellies full, whispering to each other in their new found bliss, “I don’t want to tell people yet. I want this to be ours.” Alex nods, nipping at the soft skin of her neck and earning a low moan from Charlie, “Tha’ sounds perfect.” Charlie turns in his arms, facing him, and kisses him, pulling him against her. His hand brushes her upper thigh and Charlie moans, pressing herself as close to him as possible with the baby bump between them. She pulls away from his lips, kissing and sucking down his jaw and neck, which causes Alex to let out a low growl that soaks her underwear.

“Did I mention yeh’ve been moaning meh name in yehr sleep these past nights?” Charlotte pulls away to look him in the eye, “No, I ‘aven’t!” Alex chuckles, running his fingers slowly up her thigh which makes her automatically moan again. He grins, as if to say I told yeh so. The sexual tension had been building since Sheffield and now it was clear they both needed some relief. “Alex, stop teasing meh about it then and do summat about it.” He takes the queue, bowing over her and capturing her lips in a sweet, tame kiss that Alex maintains as much control over as he can before Charlie grips his shoulders and deepens the kiss.

As one of her hands moves up to grip his face, the other trails down his back, feeling each ripple of his muscles, until it reaches his bum and gives him a playful squeeze, “C’monnnn rockstar, gimme yehr best.” Alex chuckles at the nickname and moves his lips down, kissing down her neck and over her collarbones, praises to her beauty echo against her skin. He reaches her nightgown and helps her sit up so she can remove that, taking the moment to remove his own t-shirt, and Charlotte is left completely naked in front of him. Utterly breathtaking, Alex stops for a second to regard her.

“Wot? Do I ‘ave anyfing on meh face?” She gives him a playful half-smile and Alex sighs in contentment, “Yeh are the most beautiful woman I ‘ave ever laid my eyes on. So… Stunning.” Charlie blushes, but doesn’t attempt to hide any of herself, “And this, your magnificent body tha’ is creating our child.” Alex is once again over her, pressing his lips to her skin, adoring every inch of her body, and as he reaches her bump Alex stops, kissing the skin gently. “I love ‘ow sweet this is, but I need yeh lower reight now, love.” He chuckles at her anxiety and moves lower as requested.

Alex parts her thighs and looks up to Charlie, who’s watching anxiously, “Patience, babeh… It’s a virtue, tha’ knows.” She rolls her eyes and moves a hand over her abdomen, reaching her soaking core, “I seem to ‘ave lost mine.” Charlie moans as she toys with her clit and Alex is mesmerized, almost paralized by the sight, “Excuse meh, I fink tha’s my job.” With a gentle hand he pushes her hand away, taking over with his own fingers. He gently swirls around her clit, bringing his finger down and over her folds, teasingly, making Charlie moan and grip the sheets.

“Hmmm, so wet for meh, babeh. I wonder wot would ‘appen if I did this?” Alex pushes a finger into her, caressing her walls with the rough pad of his finger and Charlie curls her toes, raising her hips towards his touch, moaning for more. He adds a second finger, curling them against her pleasure point, “Tha’s meh girl, yeh look so beautiful, writhing under meh touch.” Charlie moans and moves her hips against his touch, hands massaging her own breasts roughly, “M-More, p-pl-please.” Alex picks up the speed and bends down to press his lips to her clit, letting his tongue move over it in hard strokes. Charlie feels her orgasm build up and up, focusing on Alex’s tongue on her clit, so dextrous with its movements, and his talented fingers curling and stretching her walls, until her core is nearly bursting and she grips at the sheets, nearling howling in pleasure as she reaches her apex.

“Yeh taste absolutelleh delicious… Tha’ was realleh summat.” Charlie is catching her breath, a sheen of sweat covers her body as she comes down from her high, “Are yeh okay, love?” Alex lays down next to her, tracing the pattern of her body, rough finger pad over sensitive skin, “Yeah, hmmm, if yeh continue tha’ I might cum again.” He chuckles, making a point of circling her nipple, “I’d love nowt more, but I feel tha’ we’ve a logistics issue.” Charlie takes his hand, intertwining their fingers, “Yeh afraid of the bump.” He chuckled nervously, “Kind of, yeah.”

Charlie smiles and sits up, straddling him, “Here’s a verreh easeh fix for tha’.” She wiggles her soaking core over his hips, which were still clad in underwear, moaning as the movement produced the perfect friction between her pulsing pussy and his hard cock. Alex moans, moving in tandem with her, “Meh clever girl.” She winks at him raising her hips just enough for him to remove his underwear and position himself against her entrance, Charlie takes him in her hand and sinks down onto his dick, throwing her head back at the perfect sensation of his hard cock filling her up, every ridge stroking her over-sensitive core.

She grabs his shoulders to get purchase, while Alex holds onto her hips, and they move in synchrony. Alex is mesmerized by the sight of Charlotte - head hung back, eyes closed, lips slightly parted as moans come out; He drives his hips up to meet each of her movements, his cock burrying deep into her core with every stroke, “B-Babeh, yeh feel like ‘eaven… Yeh’re so wet for meh…” Charlie’s movements soon become slower as she builds up for her second orgasm, Alex holds her face making her look at him, “Let go for meh, babeh… I want to feel yeh cum all over meh.” As she stares into those golden chocolate eyes, Charlie lets go and moans as waves of pleasure wash over her, her walls clenching around Alex’s dick which set his own orgasm off.

Charlie uses the last of her energy to pull back from Alex and lay down on the bed, “G-Goodness, tha’ was…” She sighs trying to catch her breath as he inches closer to her, pulling her against his sweaty body, “Tha’ was literally the sexiest fing I’ve ever experienced.” She smiles and cuddles against his body, curling up to fit within his frame, “Hmmm, even sexier than Miles?” Alex laughs, kissing the top of her head, “Miles’ got nowt on yeh babeh, yeh… Yeh are the missing piece tha’ I never realized had been missing but now I can’t ever live wivout again.” Charlie looks up at him, reaching up to press a chaste kiss to his lips, “Ever the poet, huh Turner? I love yeh.” Alex smiles and tightens his grip of her, “I love yeh endlessly, meh Charleh.

--//--//--

Despite her tiredness, Charlie couldn’t sleep due to pregnancy induced insomnia, so she had settled on Alex’s couch with a pint of Cherry Garcia, watching a french romance from Alex’s collection. “ ‘ey, what yeh doin’ up?” Alex plops down next to her on the couch and Charlie pauses, “Can’t sleep. Why is it tha’ yeh don’t ‘ave aneh cable or internet on yehr tv? Onleh a collection of foreign movehs and Batman.” Alex shrugs, taking her spoon, “Eh, don’t realleh need anyfing else. Can I ‘ave some?” Charlie pushes the ice cream towards him, “Course, it’s yehrs, genius.”

Alex squints his eyes at her, eating a big spoonful of ice cream, “Yeh know what I meant. ‘ave yeh been eating enough?” Charlie avoids his gaze, taking the spoon, “Well, now I ‘ave an obligation to eat and since the morning sickness went away fings got a whole lot better.” She takes another mouthful of ice cream, handing the spoon back to Alex, “I ‘ate that yeh went through that whole phase by yehrself.”

“Alex, it’s not yehr fault and I ‘ad the support I needed then, now yeh know and can participate in every step of the way, okay? Just make sure to be a cool dad.” Alex laughs, giving her the spoon back, “Oh, check this out, whenever I eat cold stuff, baby moves like crazeh.” Charlie takes his hand, positioning over her belly and takes another bit of ice cream. Alex’s smile widens and moves his hand along Charlie’s belly, “Tha’s incredible, there realleh is a tineh person in there. Do yeh know the gender yet?”

Charlie shakes her head, “No, but me midwife wrote it in and put it in an envelope.I were waitin’ for yeh to look, it’s actualleh in my purse upstairs.” Alex face can’t contain his giddiness, “Can weh go look?” Charlie chuckles at his childish expression, which reminded her so much of when they were kids, in that moment she hoped that their child would inherit his enthusiasm, “Of course.” They tread upstairs, leaving the TV on and the ice cream to melt, in her room Charlie looks through her stuff for the envelope, finding it jammed between the pages of the book she’d been reading.

“ ‘ere it is.” She holds the thin paper envelope between them, “Let’s get it over wiv.” Alex motions for her to open, but she pauses and sits down, patting the bed for Alex to join her, “This… This babeh is a big step, for both of us. In our relationship, in our lives. Promise meh whatever ‘appens this tiny ‘uman being will come first?” Alex cups her face with his hands, centering her gaze on his eyes, “Charleh, I ‘ope tha’ there’s nofing tha’ could ‘appen tha’ could push us apart again, yeh are one of the moost important people in meh life and tha’ will never change. And I promise yeh, there won’t be a day in meh life when tha’ kid yehr carrying won’t be meh number one prioriteh, okeh?”

Charlotte sighs, a rogue tear slipping down her face, “Yes… Okeh, let’s see if babeh is a girl or a boy!” Alex smiles and presses a kiss to her forehead, “Do the honours then…” Charlie’s hands are shaking slightly as she pries the envelope open and pulls the paper from within, she reads the words, once, twice, gasping in surprise, “Wot? Wot is it?” She giggles through her tears, “It’s a boy.” Alex beams and hugs her, squishing her against him. Charlie closes her eyes and she can picture it perfectly. A little boy, the spitting image of his dad, playing piano next to Alex, the both of them causing a raucous around the house. Her heart swells with the thought of little boy that will be half of her and half of the man she loves.

“Wow, Charleh, I-I… A little fella…” Alex chokes on his words, tears slipping down his face as well, “I know, I understand love. I joost ‘ope ‘e inherits yehr ridiculously amazing ‘air and not tha’ giant nose.” Charlie wipes his tears as Alex snorts at her words, “If ‘e’s ‘alf as incredible as ‘is mum everfing will be fine.” Charlie averts her gaze at his words, laying down on the bed, “Yeh should probably go to sleep, Al..” He yawns, causing her to yawn back, “Weh bof should.” He lays down next to her, staring at the ceiling.

Alex holds Charlie’s hand as they stare up at the ceiling, both knocked down by the lovely news, “I love yeh, Charleh. More than I ‘ave ever loved anyoneh.” Charlie smiles and turns on her side to face him, “Marreh meh, Turner.” Alex turns in a second, nearly bumping into Charlie, “Wot?” She smiles, bringing a hand up to his face, “I love yeh. Marreh meh.” Alex regards her for a second, trying to gauge whether she was serious, before a huge smile spreads on his face, “Ei, I should beh asking yeh tha’.” Charlie giggles, tangling her legs with his.

“If yeh want to weh can tell people yeh were tha’ one who asked. It don’t matter! Alexander David Turner, will yeh marreh meh?”

#alex turner #alex turner imagine #alex turner fanfic #alex turner fanfiction #arctic monkeys #arctic monkeys fanfic #arctic monkeys fanfiction #arctic monkeys imagine #smut fic #alex turner smut #tell me why #ittookthelightforever

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reactingtosomething · 7 years ago

Text

Reacting to Supergirl: “Resist”

Cat Grant Has Never Sat in an Alley in Her Fabulous Life

The Setup: Kris and Miri love Supergirl. And all of us here at Reacting to Something believe in being critical of the media you love. Expect plenty of both those things in our gif-iest Reaction yet (#sorrynotsorry it’s NOT OUR FAULT they cast people with THESE FACES).

As always, post-chat annotations are in italics, and you can click on our names up here to get a sense of where we’re coming from as both writers and reactors.

KRIS: Ready whenever you are

MIRI: Ready!

KRIS: It’s a little fresher for you (but I’m hopping back through it now) -- first impressions?

MIRI: FEELINGS

many of them

I watched the last two eps back to back, so I’m probably going to mix up what happened when a bit

I like it

*liked

I liked getting to see Cat Grant again, obviously

KRIS: Yes

MIRI: I’m glad the payoff for President Lynda Carter being an alien wasn’t She’s a Secret Bad Guy!!

KRIS: “At least tell me you’re still a Democrat”

MIRI: Hahahahah

Shall we get right into the politics?

KRIS: We’ll definitely have to find a gif or photoset of Cat’s stoner recollections

MIRI: YES

KRIS: Sure let’s do it

MIRI: Overall I liked them

I don’t know if Supergirl always hits the marks on some of their political statements

KRIS: Cat’s big return speech was a little rough for me

MIRI: Such as the accidentally painful “Can’t believe anyone voted for the other guy” line right after the election

And the whole Girl Power speech in the pilot

I very much agree about the return speech

BUT overall I thought it worked this time

KRIS: It was silly in a gender essentialist way, though I guess I do buy that from Cat

MIRI: Agreed

And I think you were the one to point out early last season that some of the reason the feminism is so bite sized consumable may be for the benefit of a younger audience, which I think should be considered

The whole ‘we will get this done because that’s what we do’ thing worked for me, and the line about the Future is Female t-shirt

KRIS: For me there was an unfortunate (and I’m sure completely unintentional) Trump parallel when Cat was like “I can talk down these celebrities so I bet we can also make peace between our warring peoples”

MIRI: Shit, that’s a good/gross point

Didn’t even think about that

Unfortunate

Cat’s later speech that was sooo clearly anti Trump tickled me.

KRIS: Although again I guess I could buy that sort of thing from Cat

I did like that one

MIRI: How did you feel about the episode title?

M: I knew I’d screw up which ep we were talking about at some point--I meant “Nevertheless She Persisted” when I asked this question. Kris responded as if I had asked about the episode we were actually discussing at the time, “Resist.”

KRIS: Hmm

Let’s say I found it on-brand

Didn’t hate it

MIRI: Say more

KRIS: Wouldn’t have missed it if they’d gone less on-the-nose, but it’s a look Supergirl can pull off

MIRI: I’d agree with both points

KRIS: (Watching Cat’s first speech now and I do like her criticizing Rhea’s tiara)

(felt the right kind of Cat pettiness)

MIRI: I think I’m inclined to be a little generous with their political attempts because I know somewhat where Melissa Benoist’s opinions fall

KRIS: I do wonder how anyone on Air Force One expected that call to end?

MIRI: Which is not really a fair way to judge things, but oh well

KRIS: The look on Cat’s face when Rhea cuts off the call does not say “I planned for this”

MIRI: Yeah, there was no good outcome there, and I don’t entirely buy that they thought there would be

Also, the show kind of glosses over the presumed deaths of everyone else on that plane

KRIS: Yeah, in a world where Supergirl had a higher budget I would have loved a version of the Iron Man 3 rescue, which is my favorite superhero set piece of the last decade

K: Maybe ever. For me the only other real contender is the space shuttle/airplane rescue in Superman Returns. But what’s so great about IM3 is the group effort. They get to help save each other! Tony needs them as much as they need him! Plus those are real skydivers! Doing a real skydive!

MIRI: Exactly

KRIS: But anyway yeah, on balance I’m pretty good with our network superhero dramas going political

I don’t think you’re caught up on SHIELD but I’m sure you’ve heard their last arc this season was great on many levels

MIRI: Yeah, I think it’s working more than it isn’t

I actually haven’t heard much about it! Can you give me the broad strokes?

AGENTS OF SHIELD SPOILERS BEGIN HERE

KRIS: Most All of the regulars get stuck in a really really advanced VR simulation where Melinda May never killed the Inhuman girl in Bahrain

MIRI: Whoa

KRIS: which results in a horrific Stateside massacre, and the rise of Hydra in place of SHIELD

Only Daisy and Jemma go in in their right minds, and they have to win everyone over

K: May and Fitz are both in Hydra leadership and it’s very upsetting

M: WHAT???!?!?!? NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

MIRI: Noo we have too many Nazis in real life, I don’t want any more fictional ones

KRIS: The Inhumans are used as a rough parallel for immigration

MIRI: (at least Shield admits that they are Nazis)

Oh, that sounds effective

KRIS: Yeah, there’s a part where Coulson (as a brainwashed schoolteacher) corrects a student by saying “but Hydra’s been around for centuries, they can’t be Nazis”

and later Jemma tells that kid “They’re all Nazis, every single one of them, don’t let anyone tell you different”

MIRI: 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻

KRIS: There’s also a Plausible Redemption of Grant Ward (to borrow one of your hashtags) because the simulation’s version was trained by Victoria Hand instead of Garrett

AGENTS OF SHIELD SPOILERS END HERE

Anyway back to Supergirl

Sorry readers

We like all of the superhero things

MIRI: Sorry not sorry

Wonder Woman reaction coming soon!

KRIS: You know who’s great? Katie McGrath.

MIRI: Katie McGrath is excellent!

I really liked her an Chris Wood (this is Mon-El’s name, yes??) playing off each other

KRIS: Yeah, that was fun

K: They’re such an interesting pair. I suspect Wood works harder than most of us can tell, but it can often seem like all he's asked to do is just kind of show up and be Charming. Whereas McGrath is like, so clearly Such a Good Actor -- one of the very best on the show, I think -- without the performance feeling like #ACTING. And she can really work a close-up. She almost doesn’t need dialogue to convey everything Lena thinks and feels. Some of this is that Lena’s a much richer character than Mon-El, and some of it is that dialogue has never been a particular strength of this show anyway, but still. Damn.

MIRI: And she does nobly wounded SO well

KRIS: Excellent description

I also enjoyed that Lena and Mon-El had no interpersonal baggage

MIRI: Agreed

KRIS: We’re suckers for mutual respect and affection, contra lots of our screenwriting training

MIRI: hahahahahahhaa

That is very true

Ok, I liked the Lena and Mama Luthor stuff

KRIS: But this scene I’m watching now of Alex being the Good Soldier is a good way to give the A-story a conflict between two of our leads

Oh yeah, that honestly worked better than I might’ve expected

MIRI: And I have to admit that I like that it’s not a dude with father issues. Dear everyone: if you just have women in your stories you can reuse so much crap and have it feel fresh! Same with queer people and POC!

Yes, let’s talk more about Alex!

And not just because I love Alex

KRIS: Alex jumping off a balcony

MIRI: I do love Alex

YEs!

I love that they have a plan for that

Her hesitating to use the weapon was very well played

KRIS: I think we agree with the rough critical consensus that Alex has been the highlight of the season

MIRI: Accurate

Chyler Leigh and her eyes can pull off just about anything

KRIS: I’ve been really impressed with how both Alex and Kara have had arcs involving their rebellions against authority and/or rules that end with them being something other than just The Loose Cannon Who Is Correct

K: You’ll learn a lot about My Least Favorite Tropes today, dear reader

Alex’s poor interrogation techniques

Alex’s blind trust of her father

They weren’t just played as “Alex is Right, Root for Alex!”

which I would have expected in the season 1 version of this show

MIRI: very true, and too rare in a lot of superhero/law enforcement media

KRIS: Or most network shows

YES

MIRI: Sidebar: Alex’s interrogation techniques are Extreme Violence and sharing hamburgers with no in between

Which is not ok

KRIS: (I’ve also enjoyed this about Skye/Daisy over the years but again I digress)

MIRI: But is also great and so her

KRIS: Yeah

I guess it’s worked in part because J’onn has been so well established as Space Dad

MIRI: I ❤️ Space Dad!

KRIS: Basically every conflict between series regulars ends up being pretty fair-handed because they’ve given everyone space to develop

MIRI: Yes, it was a nicely plotted last ep (or last 2 eps)

KRIS: And not fair-handed in a False Middle Road kind of way, but in an Everyone Means Well kind of way even if one of them is more wrong than the other

K: Caroline Siede has written a lot this season about both the virtues and the drawbacks of how Supergirl has fleshed out its non-Kara characters. What I was trying to get at here was that J’onn, for example, because he’s gotten B-stories and even an A-story or two of his own, is immediately easy to empathize with even when he does something like disguise himself as Alex’s dad to bait her into admitting her willingness to defy her orders. (He was right, incidentally, and like Allison Shoemaker I feel strongly that he should not have apologized.) Maggie in “Alex” is another strong example of someone other than Kara or Alex getting to be right for most of the episode. Even Snapper, in “Exodus,” though that was less about affection for the character and more about the writers generally being better at these dynamics, I think, than Arrow or especially The Flash.

MIRI: I am (obviously) all fluttery over Alex and Maggie getting engaged, but the real world cynic in me is a little concerned that they have not known each other long enough for this. Thoughts?

KRIS: I don’t know yet either. It’s also hard to compartmentalize the metatextual knowledge that Floriana Lima is only a recurring guest next year (I guess they originally only planned for Maggie to be around for one season? so she was already looking for other gigs)

MIRI: Ahhhhh I didn’t know that

Awkward

KRIS: I’m hoping that means a low-conflict buildup to the wedding, as opposed to a protracted breakup arc

MIRI: BITE YOUR TONGUE

Don’t even put that possibility out there, Miranda

M: Upon reflection, I don’t actually know if Alex and Maggie need to be endgame (DON’T AT ME, TUMBLR). I have a lot of emotional attachment to Alex’s coming out arc, which I refused to believe they were actually going for (until it was basically stated outright) out of sheer self defense. I have been burned by queerbaiting before. An unfortunate factor of the lack of queer relationships on screen is that those that exist carry more weight than the average story arc, which can limit storytelling.

MIRI: We have not yet discussed Superman

KRIS: Let’s stay on Cat for awhile

MIRI: Ok

KRIS: Mostly because I’m watching this alley pep talk scene

MIRI: Are you just straight up rewatching the ep as we talk?

KRIS: skipped around a little, paused a little

MIRI: Ok

What are your thoughts on the alley pep talk scene?

KRIS: On a superficial level I like how well it works even with this very not-Cat staging

MIRI: Cat Grant has never sat in an alley in her fabulous life

(Although she was a stoner in college. Who knows? She contains multitudes)

KRIS: And I guess it’s deliberate-ish given her story about the yurt

Cat Grant Has Learned What Really Matters

MIRI: I did like that performance from Flockhart

KRIS: which is a mini-arc that I think works surprisingly well for having sat out so much of the season

MIRI: I am always pleasantly surprised when shows are able to use external circumstances (like shooting schedules and being in Vancouver) to good effect

When the show moved to the CW it also moved to Vancouver. Flockhart was not willing to move out for such a large portion of the year, thus her reduced episode count.

KRIS: I’m often ambivalent about Ethics Lessons in stuff like this

With Cat concluding here that Kara isn’t selfish to potentially put love over saving the world

BUT

MIRI: I think Kara more than most needs to hear that

KRIS: that Kara’s solution of working with Cadmus is then a compromise of an earlier moral hardline position complicates that beat for me -- which I would normally find a little lazy -- in a really good and interesting way

I guess that’s true

MIRI: I mean she still needs to save the world, like that’s definitely the right thing to do

But I think she needs to hear that wishing she didn’t have to do the right thing doesn’t make her less good

KRIS: Yeah, that’s interesting

I think I’ve subconsciously or not so subconsciously continued to have a low bar in my head for a lot of Supergirl’s storytelling

K: I wish this sounded less mean. Thematics in particular are what I tend not to have high expectations for, almost entirely because of heavy-handed Cat writing in the first third or so of season 1. But this season has generally been more solid in this respect, especially toward the end of Kara’s reporter arc.

M: As Kris stated at the top, we can be and often are critical of the things we love.

So I didn’t immediately expect Kara to find a Third Way

MIRI: ...it’s fairly merited

Although I think this season was less of a roller coaster than the first

KRIS: yeah, the highs weren’t as high but it was arguably more consistently solid

oh man I just accidentally clicked RIGHT to “Just be faster than me”

which is maybe the best line of the episode

MIRI: Nooooooo emotions!

Yes!

I think that’s where you see the core Danvers sisters relationship of this episode. They’re both going to do the right thing no matter how much it hurts them

But Kara has to make it

There’s no other option for Alex

M: Sister relationships will always be my kryptonite. (#sorrynotsorry for that one)

KRIS: I like the idea here that Alex, even though she hasn’t been the MOST rigorously professional this season, is trying to do what J’onn would do

And to an earlier point you made, I think this works better than it would have with a white (or I guess in J’onn’s case “white”) man authority figure

MIRI: Alex is definitely a true believer, in J’onn if not always in the DEO

KRIS: and I think this is true of J’onn’s general role in the cast as the Voice of Reason

MIRI: Good point!

KRIS: Like that’s such a Male Character archetype

But it doesn’t feel lazy here

MIRI: He can be paternal without being patriarchal, if that makes sense?

KRIS: Yeah, well put

Watching Cat’s Resist Speech now

Love Lena and Mon-El watching it

MIRI: Is that the anti-Trump one?

KRIS: yeah

MIRI: Hold on, I’m going to find it and watch too

KRIS: Katie McGrath does such good face acting

early-middle act 5

MIRI: bless you ❤️

KRIS: Fan mileage may vary but I think this speech works MUCH better than Kara’s speech at the end of season 1

MIRI: Ughhhh still watching commercials

Refresh my memory on that speech?

KRIS: I think it was a generally Hope-themed speech?

I mean I thought it was good

But it’s right on that edge of unreasonably optimistic earnestness

And on the page I think Cat’s speech here could be really self-congratulatory and valedictory but because it’s Cat, it’s got an edge to it that makes it feel ... not that way?

K: Still not sure how best to put this. I think it’s that even though her words lean toward “Go Get Em, Plucky Underdogs” (which is really not a theme I love, despite being a Star Wars fan), her tone is more “No One Gets to Sit This Out, So Get Your Shit Together”

MIRI: The Cat speech is post Rooftop battle, right?

Oh, how did you feel about the Kryptonite in the blood thing?

KRIS: Oh I’m still in Resist

It interrupts Rhea’s wedding ceremony

MIRI: ohhhh I thought you said act 5?

KRIS: Yeah

MIRI: The rooftop fight is the top of 5

KRIS: 5 in Nevertheless She Persisted

Cat’s speech is in Resist

MIRI: Ohhhhhhh I’m an idiot

I thought you were describing as the Resist speech, like it is about resisting

KRIS: I’ll look for Kara’s season 1 speech while you get there

MIRI: I forgot that the episode is called Resist

KRIS: Oh I did mean it that way, so you were not wrong

MIRI: hahahahahahahahaaaaa

M: I honestly just pinballed between both episodes in my head this whole time and it is thanks to Kris that any of this makes any sense.

KRIS: Okay so the conceit of Kara’s speech in the season 1 finale is that her appeal to everyone’s better angels, and the Power of Love, gets through Myriad and un-brainwashes everyone

K: Fucking Myriad

MIRI: Ohhhhhhh right

KRIS: in combination with the S taking over everyone’s screens

MIRI: Yeah, that’s conceptually a bit shlocky for me

KRIS: (which does work really well for Winn and James)

MIRI: I buy it in the personal cases

KRIS: they have these little flashback montages

MIRI: Not as much for the general public

KRIS: right

MIRI: But Melissa Benoist can sell a lot

KRIS: Child Kara Flashbacks always work on me

Red-Faced is not a good episode but it has a GREAT ending

MIRI: Whaaat?

You hate the children, though!

KRIS: I KNOW

MIRI: hahahahahaa

M: I think I care more about this than Kris, but I want to clarify that Kris does not hate children. He doesn’t super love them, though.

Mostly unrelated story: the first time Kris held our friend Karisa’s baby he was very uncomfortable and the baby cried. But then the next time, Kris was dramatically more comfortable. When asked why, he explained that he had realized that a baby human isn’t much smaller or more fragile than a puppy, and he had held puppies before.

KRIS: I guess Kara with Alura, specifically

as opposed to Growing Up on Earth flashbacks

MIRI: Right, that makes sense

KRIS: So obviously a big part of the reason Cat’s speech works so well is that it’s specific to a real-world moment

MIRI: I do like the idea that Kara lost more than Kal-El did (in some ways) because she can remember what she lost

Ok I’m almost to the Cat speech

KRIS: yeah

MIRI: I do love Cat’s “I can see his eyes” thing re: James/Guardian

KRIS: Which sets up that long-awaited Of Course She Knows payoff at the end of Nevertheless She Persisted

MIRI: Of course

I have gotten to the resist speech

KRIS: cool

MIRI: It is in no way subtle and I love that about it

They use Winn as an audience surrogate pretty effectively throughout. I like that

KRIS: Yes

I also love that Cat’s delivery stays sardonic and casual for 90 percent of the speech

MIRI: Yes!

KRIS: And she goes big for a second -- Not In My House -- but then she ends on a very Cat note

And I think a version of this speech delivered by Kara might’ve been just a touch heavy-handed for me

I mean I totally would have bought it, but I would have cringed a little too

I don’t know if I’m making much sense here

MIRI: Oh, definitely

No, I’m totally with you

Sometimes the pure Belief that Melissa Benoist pulls off so well is what we need, especially with all the Dark and Gritty out there

But sometimes things are so crap that you need a slightly more believable version

That’s a little darker and a little more lived in, but still belief

And that’s what Cat gives there

KRIS: Yeah

MIRI: It works both for the show and the state of the world

KRIS: Okay this Mon-El fight scene -- it’s not showy or anything but I love Lena’s blocking

Or I guess the way it’s shot to always focus on Mon-El but we still see what Lena’s doing

MIRI: Wait, where/when are we talking now?

KRIS: A little after the speech

in the hallway

MIRI: Oh, I paused to talk, so I’ll find it now

Lillian Luthor is such a bitch

KRIS: ha

MIRI: Yessss I love that little fight scene

She’s just so practical

Ok, I genuinely do want to talk about Superman at some point

KRIS: Okay I think I’m done with Resist now

MIRI: Wait, real quick--Lena hacking the ship with her tiara is great

Find our Reaction to the season finale, “Nevertheless, She Persisted,” here.

Coming soon: Wonder Woman.

#supergirl #kara danvers #alex danvers #cat grant #lena luthor #tv #superheroes #miri #kris #cat grant's trash throne #katie mcgrath's eyebrows #oh my god Kris typed the words Cat Grant's trash throne and I may never have loved him more #Kris and Miri's Women of DC Series #feminism #reaction

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brinshannara · 8 years ago

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Supergirl S1 Appreciation Week - Day 3

Supergirl S1 Appreciation Week

Why you love Season 1

I feel it necessary to state, again, that I love a few things about Season 2. I really, really, really do. I love Alex’s coming out story. I love the introduction of Maggie Sawyer. I love the buildup of their working relationship, friendship and finally romantic relationship. I love it all. I love that Winn is now at the DEO. I love a ton of little moments that are just perfect between various characters.

So Season 2 has a place in my heart, despite some of the other problems I have with it.

It’s no Season 1, though.

Season 1 focused on the women

Gasp. A show that focused on women? That focused on a young woman (Kara) and her sister (Alex) and had other, strong female characters like Cat Grant and Lucy Lane and General (!) Astra? Season 2 no longer has Cat Grant or Lucy Lane or General Astra. Instead, we do have Maggie Sawyer (who gets about five minutes of screen time per episode), we have Lena Luthor (who is a recurring character and is occasionally the focus of the episode but not usually) and we have Lillian Luthor (another recurring character who occasionally has big chunks of screen time, but not usually). We also have Rhea, who is played by the outstanding Teri Hatcher (my favourite Lois Lane ever), but her role has been fairly small so far.

Instead of strong, deep characters like Cat, Lucy and Astra, we have Mon-El, who takes up an inordinate amount of time in almost every episode in which he appears.

So I definitely loved Season 1′s focus on the women and it’s something I miss about Season 2.

The discussions that don’t happen elsewhere

There’s an episode, Red Faced, where Cat takes Kara for drinks and talks to her about anger and emotion in the workplace.

I sat there, on my couch, watching this dialogue about the things no one ever talks about when it comes to being a woman in the workplace.

“When I was working at the Daily Planet, Perry White picked up a chair and he threw it out of the window, because somebody missed a deadline. And no he didn't open the window first. If I had thrown a chair, or, my God, if I had thrown a napkin, it would have been all over the papers. It would have been professional and cultural suicide.”

Being a woman in a daily workplace was something I was getting used to when this episode aired. Most of my life, I’ve freelanced, worked remotely or been a student. When this episode aired, I’d made my first hire as the head of my department at work. I worked at a tech company, so the atmosphere was casual, but it was still very much an old boys’ club. And so Cat’s words rang so true to me. This discussion about the differences between what Perry White has the freedom to do versus what Cat couldn’t do (even throw a napkin!), was so good to hear. It wasn’t all in my head that there were double-standards at work. It wasn’t me being stupid that caused so many of my male co-workers to try to explain (MANSPLAIN) things to me. It was this. This is the “norm” for society. And I actually got teary-eyed because this made me realize, emotionally, that it wasn’t just me. I’d known that sexism and misogyny occurred, of course, and I’d had a couple more obvious run-ins at work previously, but I didn’t recognize the more subtle issues at work.

So it’s discussions like that, about women in the workplace, about what it takes to be successful, about the struggles we will endure, that I loved. And I miss.

(Again, not to say I don’t love some of the discussions in S2. Alex’s coming out speech to Kara is one of the things that has resonated with me most in basically all of television. But that’s about being gay, about pushing down feelings and memories and not accepting yourself. Very important, but not nearly as common, as widespread, as the simple act of being a woman in the workplace.)

The compelling storylines

Look, not every episode of Season 1 was a winner. There were some boring ones, some duds, whatever. Every show has a few meh episodes every season. But episodes like Red Faced, Human for a Day, For the Girl Who Has Everything... these are some amazing episodes. Not necessarily all perfect episodes, of course, but the discussions in Red Faced and how Kara channels her anger, these are superb. How Kara still wants to help while hurt and without her powers in Human for a Day? So amazingly in-character and yet you want to hold her back from doing so. And the false Krypton reality in For the Girl Who Has Everything... Oh God, my heart still aches for Kara.

Again, Season 2 has had some great episodes, too, but I felt Season 1 was usually more solid than S2 has been.

The joie de vivre

The sheer joy we saw in Season 1 is oddly missing. Kara is mopey and more and more isolated in Season 2 -- and I have to hope that that’s by design, in the hopes that the whole bunch of characters will reunite to face a threat by season’s end -- and she’s just not the same Kara.

What happened to the Kara who was so delighted when Barry brought her an ice cream cone while demonstrating his speed? That look, that one “YES!”, that alone can convey how joyful Kara is. There are other examples, like Kara threatening Alex if she doesn’t let her have the last potsticker and throwing a pillow at her face. Like Sister Nights and Game Nights. We don’t see these anymore. And I miss them terribly. I definitely loved S1 in part because it showed us how joyful Kara was.

The complexity of the relationships between characters

So, like, all of this is gone, these days, IMHO.

In Season 1, we had:

- Alex in the DEO, who had been lying to Kara forever (not a fan of the lying, but the complexity is fascinating) - Alex who killed Astra and let Hank/J’onn take the blame (again, not a fan of the lying and was glad it got resolved quickly, but YOU KILLED YOUR ADOPTIVE SISTER’S AUNT, WHO WAS ONE OF TWO BLOOD RELATIVES STILL ALIVE, ALEX! Complex.) - Astra, who was trying to take over the Earth for Myriad and would go through Kara if she had to - Hank/J’onn hiding who he was and how that affected his relationship with Alex - Eliza and her relationships with both Kara and Alex (still happens about as often in S2, to be fair, and we do have Jeremiah thrown in there now) - Lucy and James vs. Kara and James - Winn’s place in Kara’s life

I mean, I could go on. In this season, we do have some Daddy Danvers drama, which is great, but what else? Some tension about Kara not being Alex’s number one priority all of the time, due to her relationship with Maggie. And? The Guardian storyline, but that’s not been done too well, IMHO -- and I mourn the lack of James in recent episodes. Then what, Mon-El lied about being the prince? Come on, we all knew Mon-El was the stupid prince from the moment he told that BS story, because, hi, UNRELIABLE NARRATOR. And apparently lying to Kara for 9 months or whatever is fine, so that’s not adding any complexity to things. :P

Relationships have gotten very simplistic in Season 2, at least compared to Season 1. I don’t hate all the relationships and such, in terms of enjoying that Lena and Kara are friends, Maggie and Alex have gotten together, etc. But I do miss how layered things could be. Think about how Non -- Kara’s uncle (by marriage, but uncle nonetheless!) -- planted the Black Mercy for her. Think about how Kara had to say goodbye to her family again in order to escape. Think about how Alex risked herself to save her sister, to bring her back. Think about how Astra and Alex had a temporary ceasefire to allow Astra to tell Alex what was going on.

This is compelling and complex.

And I miss it.

See you tomorrow for another day of Supergirl S1 Appreciation Week.

#sgs1aw #karazorelgifs #supergirl #season 1 #women #strong women #cat grant #lucy lane #general astra #complex characters #women in the workplace

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justanotheraveragelesbian · 8 years ago

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My Thoughts on Supergirl 2x13

Here are my thoughts on Supergirl Episode 13 of Season 2, the Valentine’s Day episode (”Mr. and Mrs. Mxyzptlk”). Spoiler warning if you need it.

As usual this is going to be a long post, and possibly longer than usual.

I want to start by talking about the positives of this episode, which just so you know I don’t think there were many, because this is going to turn into a rant very quickly.

I was very excited about the valentine’s day episode, because it was supposed to be Sanvers centric. Which of course it wasn’t, because they got very little screen time, but what we got of them was pretty good. I liked the storyline that we got, because while most of it was predictable, the surprise that Maggie had lied to Alex about her coming out experience was good. I’ve seen some negative comments about this, because people feel like Maggie shouldn’t have lied, but the thing is that many people who come out have bad experiences. Some get to be like Alex and have a nice easy coming out where they tell everybody and everybody is happy for them, but many have to experience something closer to Maggie. Kids get kicked out of their house for being gay or trans or any other non-cisgender heterosexual. Maggie had that experience, and is a strong, independent, woman because of it. She overcame what happened to her and it is important for kids who experience that to know that they can overcome it too. So many of them feel like their life ends after they come out and because of that they take their own life. This is an important role model for them to have. It is also important for them to see Alex have a good experience, because increasingly kids are getting to have those positive reactions too. I also really like the idea that Maggie wanted Alex to feel confident and not be scared to come out, because ultimately self-doubt and self-hatred are a person’s worst enemies when they are coming out of the closet. She obviously cared about Alex, even then, and wanted her experience to be better. I was surprised by that turn, but I really enjoyed it. I also really liked that Maggie tried to make Valentine’s day special for Alex at the end, although there is a part of me that wishes Alex would have respected Maggie’s wishes. It is good to see the two of them communicating well and working through issues. The fact that Alex stopped Maggie when she tried to walk away when they were arguing was great.

Just a side note, J’onn was so cute sending a valentine’s message to M’gann. I was grinning ear to ear.

I also liked Mxy (I don’t want to type his full name every time I need to, so we’ll just stick with that). He was a fun and dynamic villain of the week, and the way that Kara dispatched him at the end of the episode was fantastic. I love it when she gets to use her intelligence to defeat a villain, just as much as I love to see her kick some butt. The effects were also fantastic on this episode. All of his powers were done really well, but also the fight between the giant, ice sculpture of Jor-El and Supergirl was fantastic. It is amazing what they are able to do on this show.

Having said all that, now it is time for the rant, because despite all the times in the episode that I smiled or laughed, by the end of it I was angry. It is obviously no secret at this point that I dislike Mon-El. Chris Wood has been doing a good job with him and I think he and Melissa Benoist have great chemistry. The two of them play off each other well, but the way that Mon-El is written is horrible. The message that this relationship sends to young girls is not positive. On a personal note, I have two teenage sons, and I have tried to teach them to treat women with respect. I have been in relationships with women before where when you treat them like crap they really like you and when you treat them well they walk all over you. I did not want that for my boys, but I also didn’t want to see them be jerks to the girls they were dating. Recently I noticed that my oldest son, who has been in a relationship for about a year, was being very mean to his girlfriend and I called him out on it. His response was that she likes it when he talks like that. I didn’t know what to say, but to groan, because that is not how I raised him, but that is the message that he is getting. That is the message that this relationship sends. Kara is well aware of Mon-El’s faults. She calls him out on it in the episode, in some of my favorite scenes. I loved that he admitted to being misogynistic. The writers are aware of these faults. He even called her a “nasty woman” for goodness sake. The two of them fight and argue all the time. This is not a healthy relationship. A man calling a woman names and being treated like he is the best possible love interest for the heroine is not the message that needs to be sent to young girls.

I feel like there is a natural comparison that can be made on the show between the three major relationships that we have gotten over the course of the two seasons. Maggie and Alex have a strong, loving relationship where they communicate well. They may have gotten into a fight this episode, but they were still able to see things from each other’s perspectives and move forward as a couple. That relationship is written so well, it is scary, because it is so often the case that well written lesbian storylines don’t last. In the first season, James and Kara may not have gotten together until the very end of the season, but they were the romantic pair from the beginning of the season. They fought on occasion and had differences of opinion. Kara actively tried to protect James, because he is only human, but James also tried to protect Kara. They argued about issues, but never called each other names or ended a fight without understanding where the other person was coming from. By contrast we have Mon-El and Kara. They fight. They argue. They do not see eye-to-eye on practically anything. He tries to protect her, because he sees her as a damsel in distress who needs a big strong man to come in and help. He talks over her and interrupts her. He calls her names. Yes, he has grown as a person a little bit, and I would say a very little bit, since the beginning of the season. Yes, I can see why Kara would want to be with an alien. Yes, I can see why Kara would want to be with a guy who looks like Chris Wood (I will admit he is attractive), but love is not about treating someone like an object. Love is not about treating someone like a prize. Love is not about treating someone like they are less than you. This show is supposed to be about Kara/Supergirl. A female hero who is strong, smart, and capable. This season has turned it into the Mon-El show, and sidelined Supergirl in her own show.

I feel like it is telling that James and Lena were not in this episode, because both of them respect Kara and Supergirl for who they are. Mon-El is a stark contrast to that. I am really hoping that by the end of the season the message is clear that this is not the kind of relationship that Kara deserves to have, but I am losing faith in the Supergirl writers to be able to write a good romance for her, not that she needs one. I was disappointed in this episode and have been disappointed in the season as a whole. This is still my favorite show on tv right now, but it is losing me (something I never thought would happen).

I am looking forward to Jeremiah coming back next episode, although it looked to me like Alex and Kara were fighting over it (possibly because Kara doesn’t think Jeremiah is really him?). This will probably be a hard one to watch. I’m hoping for less Mon-El and more focus on the Danvers family. I guess all I can do is keep my fingers crossed.

#supergirl #review #2x13 #spoilers #long post

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saintsavory · 8 years ago

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Control the Body, Avoid the Sin

Snippet from Chapter 3 for the few followers I have on Tumblr. Note that the format might be wonky. I’ve never copied & pasted this much text into one post.

As promised, Alex sent a text to her that Saturday morning, indicating the 3 o’clock sailing time and the address of the marina. Piper didn’t return the message—she was still not convinced that she should show up.

Alex is your student.

If anyone—a student, parent, teacher or administrator—saw the two of them together, Piper would have some serious questions to answer. She risked being fired from her job. Was a three-hour outing worth it?

On the other hand, Piper wanted to spend time with Alex—personal time, not school time. Alex had proven her intellectual aptitude, maturity and patience, and if Piper wasn’t a teacher at Newton, this would be a non-issue—after all, Alex had already turned 18. The fact that she was still in high school troubled Piper, but it didn’t deter her from desperately wanting to get to know her better.

It was a sunny, brisk day, and the leaves all over Eastern Maine had already turned various shades of red and yellow. Piper had kept herself busy since waking up that morning to try to avoid thinking about what she should do—scratch that, she knew what she should do, the question was, what would she do. She went for a jog that morning, appreciating the fall foliage along the coast and thought that could be good enough—she didn’t need to see the leaves from the water, though she was certain they’d look even more vibrant as their reflection danced on the ocean. She went to a yoga class and tried to concentrate on her inner being rather than a certain student and what she might look like on a boat as her dark hair blew in the breeze. She went to the grocery store; a deli in a neighboring town that she’d heard had the best Italian subs; and the university library to study for her grad school classes.

At 2:45, Piper drove towards the water, passing the marina a couple of times before deciding to pull in. She swerved into the parking lot and felt her pulse quicken as she put the car in park. She took several uneven breaths before deciding that she would go through with it. Logically, she thought, she’d be out to sea, so unless one of the other passengers was associated with Newton School, it was safe to assume no one would know or care that Alex was her student. She trusted that Alex had avoided any questions about the student/teacher relationship, and she hoped neither of them would have to lie about it.

Piper grabbed an insulated bag from the back seat, which was filled with two bottles of San Pellegrino and various cheeses. She didn’t want to show up empty handed, and she hoped what she brought was enough to please the host. She’d originally packed a bottle of Pinot Gris, but upon further consideration, figured she shouldn’t bring alcohol with Alex present. Piper walked tentatively through a tall gate and noticed that most boats were idle with no one aboard. She continued down the narrow, wooden dock until she heard laughter coming from a large boat.

“Looking for anyone in particular?” A woman approached from behind.

“I’m meeting some friends down here,” Piper announced. “You wouldn’t happen to know Alex Vause?”

“Alex? Yeah, of course!” The woman replied with a thick New York accent. “You’re headed in the right direction. Follow me.”

Sure enough, the boat where the laughter was coming from was the one she’d been searching for. Piper looked up and saw Alex, wearing a gray sweater with maroon sleeves. She allowed herself to appreciate Alex’s figure—since she’d found out that Alex was her student, Piper had tried earnestly not to admire her physical beauty; rather, she focused on her beautiful mind. Alex threw her head back with laughter, and Piper was close enough to take in the sight of her long, white neck that contrasted dramatically against her black hair.

“I’m Lorna, by the way.”

Piper whipped her head around, forgetting that she’d been accompanied to the yacht by the shorter woman. “Hi, I’m Piper.”

“I’d shake your hand, but mine are kind of full.” She held up two paper bags. “A little help down here!”

The three women already aboard looked down.

“Keep your panties on,” a woman with wild, reddish-blonde hair stated as she made her way down the steps. “Hey, you must be Piper.”

She squinted into the sun at a grinning Alex; Lorna and the crazy-haired woman all but forgotten.

“Glad you could make it. I’m Nicky.” She shook Piper’s hand, and then pointed to the two other women aboard. “You obviously know Alex, and that’s Maggie. She owns this thing.”

Piper shielded the sun with a hand. “Thanks for inviting me.”

Alex reached down to help her onto the platform. “I’m glad you made it.”

“I’m only hear because you answered my question appropriately,” she said quite enough for only Alex to hear.

“Is that why?”

She blushed and couldn’t think of a proper comeback that wouldn’t sound like an equal falsehood.

Nicky took one of the bags Lorna was carrying, and all of the women climbed aboard.

Piper shook Maggie’s hand, who thanked her for the sparkling water and cheese. “I’m happy to open these, but we have a pretty decent spread in the cabin.”

“I didn’t know what I should bring,” she confessed, pulling out the cheeses.

Maggie, who looked like she might’ve been a movie star 20 years ago, smiled and patted her on the arm. “You’re my guest—you didn’t have to bring a thing. Let me show you around.”

She followed Maggie, turning back once to silently check with Alex.

Alex waved. “Enjoy the tour.”

Maggie told her about the 50-foot yacht while showing her the two-bedroom cabin and the spacious captain’s deck, complete with an L-shaped sofa and a table that looked perfect for mixing cocktails. Everything was modern and luxurious, and Piper wondered what Maggie did for a living to own such a gorgeous vessel.

“There are two heads on board,” she explained. “Make yourself comfortable, grab anything you want out of the refrigerator, and enjoy yourself, sweetie.”

“This is amazing,” Piper said as she stepped back into the main cabin. “Thank you again for having me.”

“I know Alex was looking forward to it.” The older woman smiled and headed back to the open area in the rear of the boat where the other guests were.

“Impressive, huh?” Alex stepped over the baseboard and joined her in the cabin.

Her eyes roamed around the well-appointed space. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”

“Want something to drink?” She made her way to the wet bar. “There’s white wine, Champagne, beer and sparkling water, which I think is courtesy of you.”

“I’ll have whatever’s open.” Piper admired the spread of everything from shrimp cocktail to steak skewers.

Alex held up a bottle and read the label. “Looks like Veuve du Vernay Brut Rosé. I have no fucking clue what any of that means, but it sounds expensive.”

She was hardly paying attention to Alex as she walked into the larger of two sleeping quarters. “I’ll have a glass of that.”

Alex poured two flutes of sparkling wine. “Can you believe the size of the master bedroom?”

“They’re called staterooms not bedrooms.” Piper walked back into the living room. “And the kitchen is the galley.” She ran her hand across the marble countertop. “So, you’ve been on the yacht before?”

“I’ve been on board two or three times this summer. They throw a big Fourth of July party with so many people, you can hardly find a place to stand.”

“It’s aboard not on board,” Piper corrected her again, and then held a hand in the air. “Sorry, I’ll stop.”

Alex handed her one of the Champagne flutes. “For someone who hasn’t been on a yacht before, you sure know your boating terminology.”

Piper shrugged. “I read a book called, Boating Skills & Seamanship the other day.”

“You fucking studied before coming aboard?” Alex teased with a wide grin.

She shrugged again. “What can I say? I’m a sucker for proper vocabulary.”

“Whatever turns you on.” Alex rolled her eyes and lifted her glass. “A toast?”

Piper raised her glass, thinking about exactly what turned her on, and it had nothing to do with boating terminology.

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bookclub4m · 7 years ago

Audio

It’s time for our Best Books of 2017 episode! We’ll talk about our favourite things we read for the podcast, our favourite things we read that weren’t for the podcast, and lots more! Please note, while many of the titles we recommend were published in 2017, this is our list of best of that we read in 2017, so there is some older material on the list as well.

You can download the podcast directly, find it on Libsyn, or get it through iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play or your favourite podcast delivery system.

In this episode

Anna Ferri | Meghan Whyte | Matthew Murray | Jessi

Top Book Club Picks

Non-Fiction

Anna

The Argonauts (2015) by Maggie Nelson (Episode 031 - LGBTQ+/QUILTBAG Non-Fiction)

Jessi

The Witches: Salem, 1692 (2016) by Stacy Schiff (Episode 027 - Non-Fiction Audiobooks)

Matthew

Prose: The Not-Quite States of America: Dispatches from the Territories and Other Far-Flung Outposts of the USA (2017) by Doug Mack (Episode 039 - Non-Fiction Travel)

Comic: My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness (2017) by Nagata Kabi (Episode 031 - LGBTQ+/QUILTBAG Non-Fiction)

Meghan

In Cold Blood (1966) by Truman Capote, narrated by Scott Brick (Episode 027 - Non-Fiction Audiobooks)

Fiction

Anna

Death in the Vines (2013) by M.L. Longworth (Episode 025 - Detective Fiction)

The Snowman (2011) by Jo Nesbø (Episode 043 - Page to Screen (Books turned into movies and TV shows))

Jessi

Stardust (1998) by Neil Gaiman (Episode 043 - Page to Screen (Books turned into movies and TV shows))

Matthew

Prose: Autonomous (2017) by Annalee Newitz (Episode 041 - Dystopian Fiction)

Comic: Nausicaa: Valley of the Wind (1982-1994) by Hayao Miyazaki (Episode 043 - Page to Screen (Books turned into movies and TV shows))

Meghan

The City and the City (2009) by China Miéville (Episode 025 - Detective Fiction)

Top Non-Book Club Picks

Non-Fiction

Anna

American Fire: Love, Arson, and Life in a Vanishing Land (2017) by Monica Hesse

Jessi

Tomboy Survival Guide (2016) by Ivan Coyote (we mention this one in Episode 021 - Coming-of-Age and Episode 031 - LGBTQ+/QUILTBAG Non-Fiction)

Matthew

Prose: Crash Override: How Gamergate (Nearly) Destroyed My Life, and How We Can Win the Fight Against Online Hate (2017) by Zoe Quinn (mentioned in Episode 032.5 - BookExpo America and the American Library Association Annual Conference)

Comic: Lighter than my Shadow (2017) by Katie Green (Episode 040 - Precipitation in Video Games)

Meghan

Indigenous Writes: A Guide to First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Issues (2016) in Canada by Chelsea Vowel

Métis in Space podcast with Chelsea Vowel and Molly Swain

Fiction

Anna

The Queen of Blood (2016) by Sarah Beth Durst (Episode 040 - Precipitation in Video Games)

Jessi

The Bear and the Nightingale (2017) by Katherine Arden (mentioned in Episode 034 - Reading Resolutions)

Matthew

Prose: Red Spider White Web (1990) by Misha (mentioned in Episode 034 - Reading Resolutions)

Comic: Giant Days (2015-present) by John Allison and Max Sarin

Meghan

Next Year for Sure (2017) by Zoey Leigh Peterson

Other recommendations

Anna

From Here to Eternity: Traveling the World to Find the Good Death by Caitlin Doughty

Lucky Penny (2016) by Ananth Hirsh and Yuko Ota (Episode 021 - Coming-of-Age)

Our Cats Are More Famous Than Us: A Johnny Wander Collection (2017) by Ananth Hirsh and Yuko Ota

Blood at the Root: A Racial Cleansing in America (2016) by Patrick Phillips

The Fire This Time: A New Generation Speaks about Race (2016) edited by Jesmyn Ward

The Fire Next Time (1992) by James Baldwin

Clean Sweep (2013) by Ilona Andrews (and the rest of that series)

Spill Zone, vol. 1 (2017) by Scott Westerfeld and Alex Puvilland

Volume 2 is being serialized as a webcomic (frustratingly the site seems to be setup so that you cannot link directly to pages, so to get to the beginning of volume two hit the previous chapter link a few times)

HiLo, vol. 1: The Boy Who Crashed to Earth (2015) by Judd Winick

Here’s the full panel (Read-Alikes: What to Suggest When They've Already Read Smile & The Walking Dead) from the Comics Conference for Educators and Librarians that Anna mentioned

Jessi

Working Stiff: Two Years, 262 Bodies, and the Making of a Medical Examiner (2014) by Judy Melinek and T.J. Mitchell

Queers Were Here: Heroes & Icons of Queer Canada (2016) edited by Robin Ganev and RJ Gilmour (Episode 031 - LGBTQ+/QUILTBAG Non-Fiction)

Green River, Running Red (2007) by Ann Rule (Episode 027 - Non-Fiction Audiobooks)

The Hating Game (2016) by Sally Thorne (Episode 028 - Accidental Romance)

Matthew

Three Parts Dead (2012) by Max Gladstone (Episode 33 - Legal Thrillers)

True Grit (1968) by Charles Portis (Episode 29 - Westerns)

The Sisters Brothers (2011) by Patrick deWitt (Episode 29 - Westerns)

No Mercy, vol. 2 (2016) by Alex de Campi, Carla Speed McNeil, and Jenn Manley Lee (specifically issue #9)

Matthew’s longer list of favorite comics he read in 2017 is below

Meghan

Turning (2017) by Jessica J. Lee (Non-fiction memoir)

See What I Have Done (2017) by Sarah Schmidt (Fictionalized true crime)

Dreams of Shreds and Tatters (2015) by Amanda Downum (New Weird)

Need for the Bike (2011) by Paul Fournel, translated by Allan Stoekl (non-fic BICYCLES)

Blue Light Yokohama (2017) by Nicolás Obregón (Mystery)

Matthew’s List of Top Comics he Read in 2017 that weren’t his top picks (Anna’s recommendations were also good!)

Monstress vols. 1-2 by Marjorie M. Liu and Sana Takeda (2016-2017)

This is an insanely epic (and beautiful) fantasy. You should read it!

No Mercy, vol. 2 (2016) by Alex de Campi, Carla Speed McNeil, and Jenn Manley Lee

No, I haven’t read volume 3 yet...

Omega Men: The End is Here (2016) by Tom King, Barnaby Bagenda, Toby Cyprus, and Ig Guara

Invincible vols. 23-24 (2017) by by Robert Kirkman, Cory Walker, Ryan Ottley, and Nathan Fairbairn

It’s superheroes meet Dragonball Z, except much bloodier. It’s ending with volume 25, and I’m kind of sad about that.

The Art of Charlie Chan Hock Chye (2016) by Sonny Liew

Despite really liking this, I don’t think it should have won the Eisner for “Best U.S. Edition of International Material - Asia”

The Private Eye (2015) by Brian K. Vaughan, Marcos Martin, and Muntsa Vicente

As much as I enjoyed this, I don’t think the hardcover is worth $50.

4 Kids Walk Into a Bank (2017) by Matthew Rosenberg and Tyler Boss

I was supplied with a review copy by the publishers.

Hellboy: Into the Silent Sea (2017) by Mike Mignola and Gary Gianni

Delicious in Dungeon vol. 1 (2017) by Ryoko Kui

Yowamushi Pedal vols. 3-4 (2016) by Wataru Watanabe

Bicycles!

Demon vols. 1-4 (2016-2017) by Jason Shiga

The first volume is the best and, to be honest, this series is kind of gross, so be warned...

Order of the Stick: How the Paladin Got His Scar (2017) by Rich Burlew

This was a reward only given to backers of the 2012 Kickstarter so you can’t actually buy or read it, but it’s really good!

Questions

What were your favourite reads of 2017?

What would you recommend to us?

Is there a supernatural gardening book you could recommend to Jessi?

What is “Clean Sweep”?

A curling related cozy mystery?

A high school hijinx sports novel?

A romance novel about a chimney sweep who is reforming himself after his criminal past?

Something else?

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Join us again on January 16th for our episode on Family Sagas!

Then come back on February 6th for our episode on our Reading Resolutions for 2018!

#episodes #2017 #best-of #fiction #non-fiction

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