#i don't know what simon's deal is tbh

[seefasters]

thinking about it, apollo might be the only defense attorney in the ace attorney franchise who became a lawyer to actually be a lawyer, which explains a lot about him

[wowowwild]

I love justquill and even if I didn't I would have to for Aura and Apollo's dynamic alone. (I don't really think his and Athena's dynamic would change much tbh except he'd have to see her more often bc she has a habit of just showing up to their apartment to see Simon.)

We already know Aura likes Apollo, personally I think they met when he and Clay would hang around the space center as teens and Apollo with all his anxiety was likely very polite and awkward. She probably bullied him a little bc she likes to bully people and Apollo is very bully-able but I think he probably would have let stuff slip about his personal life and I think they just would have had a good, fun, healthy relationship bc she sees this kid who is only a little younger than her own brother and just as kind and I think they don't exactly feel like siblings to each other, but I think they take to each other and I don't really have the mental capacity right now to write it all out.

So Apollo Justice is one of the few people Aura actually likes which boggled Simon's mind bc they didn't meet back then, he was always hanging around the psych department while Apollo and Clay were dealing with space stuff mostly except when they were in the robotics department. They probably saw each other in passing but that was it.

So when Simon says he's bringing someone special to visit (he didn't hear much about what actually happened on Apollo's end with meeting up with his sister during the retrial bc he was still in prison at the time) and he brings Apollo in and she's just ecstatic. Simon is confused as hell.

He knew Apollo had met Aura which honestly made him more nervous bc she hates almost everyone she meets and he gets a little scared when Apollo says he thinks she's nice.

Then he sees them interact. She grills him a little and chastises him for not coming to see her as often. Then they start talking about all sorts of who knows what and he should know bc he's right there but they're both laughing and he's short circuiting a little.

Then she starts to roast Apollo's taste in partners and Apollo subtly defends him and she makes a gagging gesture but they laugh. Simon's world has been flipped upside down.

Now whenever Simon mildly annoys his sister she says she's replacing him with Apollo. At first whenever they go see her or she comes to them Apollo tries his best to be proper and polite, but Aura is having none of it and slings her arm around his shoulder and roasts him until he pushes her away and fights back.

Aura and Apollo have weekly calls. Sometimes Simon is there, most of the time he's not. Aura actually feels a little comfortable opening up the tiniest bit to Apollo, mostly about Metis, but a little about her brother and how everything affected her and the tiniest about the things she is doing currently. They become really good friends and whenever Simon and Apollo have a mild fight she jokes that Apollo had better take her in the divorce. Of course Apollo knows that if they ever split and it was even a little bit his own fault he'd probably be facing death by robot and he accepts this.

Aura loves to overshare certain things to see how far she can push before Apollo will hang up on her or leave the room bc Apollo is still just too polite to her and she loves seeing how far that extends. Usually he makes up an excuse, but he's never told her to shut up. Yet. He has, however, overshared his own stuff to get her to leave him alone or just annoy her bc she really does not want to know these things about her brother and she hates the mushy stuff. She will say 'You're gross, I'm hanging up.'

Could you even imagine if they took her to Khura'in? I've said it once (actually many times) and I'll say it again, Aura would lay Amara both as a power move and bc they just genuinely have a lot in common and like each other. She would bully Nahyuta with it but her and Rayfa get along very well. Datz would love Aura, he would just think she's so funny and she can appreciate a 'yes-man'. She is having the time of her life and no one will ever know peace again.

[zee-has-commitment-issues]

while attempting to Avoid Thinking, i landed on a conclusion somehow about how August and Micke both play similar rolls in showing how drug addiction can look when compared between upper and lower classes.

also how they both sort of show why Wille and Simon's understanding of the drug incident were so violently different.

because while Wille doesn't know that August is addicted, he does know that he regularly does drugs and even partakes in it himself. drugs are something that you do for fun sometimes, not a hug deal. besides, Erik did them too, so they can't be THAT bad. (but of course he does also know they're illegal and he can't be caught doing them, but he's the Prince so he really can't be caught doing much of ANYTHING so what's the harm, right?)

but Simon has Micke as an introduction to drugs and the effects they can have on not only your own life, but the lives of those around you. drugs ruined Micke's life, and they damaged Simon's family. they aren't some fun hobby that you do sometimes, they're addictive and destroying and dangerous.

and tbh I had always had kind of a hard time seeing either side of their argument or fully understanding why they were behaving as they were, but this actually... helped a lot. so cool :]

Hi. Hi, hello, hi. I did not see this in my ask box, I apologize.

BIG BRAIN ENERGY.

Yes. That is exactly what's going on. Simon and Wille see drugs in two completely different lights. And it also shows the stark contrast of a drug addicted rich person and a drug addicted lower class person. Micke is addicted and it ruined their lives. Simon even says "you couldn't even get sober for mine and Sara's sake." Micke gets addicted and neglects his responsibilities. He wastes money, he can't look after his children, he can't keep his marriage intact. Problems like that don't go away in Micke's world. If he wastes money, he doesn't have anything to fall back on. If he can't take care of his children, he loses them.

But August does not face consequences. Firstly, because he does not personally have many responsibilities. Not yet, at least. He has money at his disposal, so he isn't neglecting anything or anyone other than himself when he buys them. And in August's world, when trouble comes up, the problems conveniently go away. Even his money problems disappeared - the Crown payed for his school, which then allows him time to figure everything else out. If he were to get into trouble because of the drugs he does, it would stand to reason that those problems would also disappear.

Simon sees drugs and he sees destruction. Wille sees drugs and he sees a Friday night. They see the consequences of the drugs as two completely different things.

Simon knows what it does to a person, and Wille knows what it does to a system. And drugs hurt a person a hell of a lot more than they hurt a system.

I have so many thoughts about this.

[bingoboingobongo]

this is specific so feel free to not do this but maybe some hcs of the 141 + Alejandro with a s/o who has vitiligo? I love your writing sm but dont feel pressured to do this one <3

task force 141 + s/o with vitiligo

Characters: Simon "Ghost" Riley, John "Soap" MacTavish, Kyle "Gaz" Garrick, John Price, Alejandro Vargas, Rodolfo "Rudy" Parra

Warnings: none

A/N: tbh if it weren't for this ask i would have probably never realized i was pronouncing vitiligo wrong so thanks tumblr user spookirain

simon "ghost" riley:

okay so honestly i doubt that ghost would be fazed or even really care about the fact that you have vitiligo

i mean it might have caught his eye the first time he saw you but it wasn't in a bad way or anything

he just thought it was interesting and made you stand out

so tbh you having vitiligo really doesn't affect your relationship at all really

i mean skin color really plays no part in ghost's preferences, because he's really just never been a looks kinda guy

he really doesn't make any comments on it unless you do

and so, in the best way possible bc ik this sounds kinda bad, he doesn't really hype you up or spend a lot of time complimenting you about it out of the blue

i mean again it's really like not a big deal to him so he just doesn't see the point

it's like complimenting someone on their height or their skin color

it's not like they had a choice or can change it so he doesn't feel the need to compliment them about it

that being said if you are feeling insecure about it he'll reassure you and make sure you understand that he loves you no matter what you look like

also if you wear makeup he'll definitely help you apply it, especially if it's in a tricky spot

john "soap" mactavish:

alright so no offense to soap but he doesn't exactly have the same tact or class as ghost

when he saw you, the first thing he notices was your skin and that it looked really cool and interesting

immediately went over to you to let you know too

he thinks it's super interesting that you have vitiligo and it's one of his favorite parts about you

he likes to admire your skin/body and try and find cool shapes or patterns in your skin

he'd also definitely try to draw a face on your patches if he finds one that has a good head shape so watch out

if you're insecure about it i can totally see him being quick to reassure you with a harmless joke or something like that

especially if you joke about it a lot yourself and he knows your boundaries about it

soap is also kinda impatient so if you're out in public and someone's repeatedly questioning/harassing you about it he's very quick to tell them off

sorry but he has better things to do than sit around while some stranger interrogates his s/o

kyle "gaz" garrick:

okay so like soap kyle is definitely more vocal about your vitiligo and how much he likes it

it was probably one of the first things he noticed about you, and that plus your personality had him falling pretty fast

one of his favorite things to do is to trace along your patches with his fingers

whether it's when he's holding your hands at a restaurant or when you're laying on his chest at home in bed

it's one of those mindless activities he can do when he's bored or restless in order to get him to relax

if you're insecure about it he's always quick to give you a tight hug or squeeze your hands and reassure you that it's not a bad thing

that being said he gets that sometimes it can be hard looking a different way and so if you need to rant to him than he's more than happy to listen

as long as you know that in the end he absolutely adores you and your vitiligo

john price:

okay so like ghost price doesn't really place a lot of emphasis on your vitiligo

don't get him wrong he definitely loves it and thinks it's beautiful

but even if you didn't have it he would still love you the same (although he's glad you do have it because it makes you unique)

that being said he tries not to make a big deal out of it because he doesn't want to seem weird or anything like that

so he'll usually compliment it very subtly and maybe not as often

something like "your skin looks great today, love" or "is that a new patch? it looks good on you"

one of his favorite things to do is try and spot where new patches/macules show up before you do

and he's honestly pretty good at it

let's be real he knows your body really well and so he's good at noticing new things

alejandro vargas:

alright so if anyone's a supporter of your vitiligo it's gonna be alejandro

he just loves the way it makes you look one of a kind

ofc he always tells you that there's no one else like you

and he's definitely a romantic so expect a lot of verbal praise and stuff from him

"i'll never find anyone like you"

"you look like you made for me"

"you're the only person i'll love as much as you"

stuff like that

even though he's already pretty liberal with his compliments, get ready for them to increase a lot more if you ever show that you're insecure about your skin

he definitely has a great way with words and knows exactly how to make you feel better

rodolfo "rudy" parra:

okay so like pretty much everyone else rudy really loves your vitiligo

it was definitely the first thing that caught his eye and made him want to approach you, and once he finally mustered the courage to do so he was very fast to compliment your vitiligo

like alejandro he's very vocal about his love for you and your skin

although he doesn't exactly have the same way with words that alejandro does

but he's still able to get his message across just fine

his message being that you're beautiful, you're perfect, etc.

like gaz (i think) he really likes tracing along your patches when he's falling asleep or just whenever he's bored

he also asks you to tell him whenever a new one pops up so he can trace that one too

his goal is to trace every single one

if you're ever insecure about it he'll be quick to reassure you (probably while tracing your patches because it helps him think straighter)

[crownedwille]

ngl im kinda confused on why people support crown wille so much. i’m open to the idea, but i’ve always read him the same way since ep1. he was miserable from the beginning of the show (before he even met simon) up until the end. everything about the monarchy affected him in a negative way. wille and simon could not have existed as a couple if wille didn’t step down (and i feel this is something i feel they’ve expressed since s1.) ntm that there is no such thing as a good monarch and wille has never wanted to be in that role. wille is not a PUBLIC person. and nether is simon.

i’m not sure why some ppl think the fall of their relationship came out of nowhere; different problems can always arise, especially with teenagers. maybe some more explaining would help me understand, but at this point i think crown wille was such a stretch to root for.

i’d also like to add that s1 and s2 more likely had open endings to leave as cliffhangers, while s3 is the conclusion of the story. obviously, it’s not to say that everything is figured out, but that everything will be okay.

oh boy, you really want me to get into this again, here we go

he was miserable from the beginning - yeah, imagine me wanting him to have actual development and have a different mindset in the end. you don't start off your protagonist with the same mindset and that never changes, that is not proper satisfying storytelling imo. and it seems like i do have to remind people every time but if wille steps down he will still be a prince, just the second in line and no longer the heir - which is exactly who he was in the beginning. so yeah actually nothing has changed. and there was already attention and pressure on him and he still had duties and i honestly do wonder what was so different about being crown prince bc they never actually showed us.

so he will never really 'escape' the monarchy, he still is part of the royal family, his mother is the queen and he ABSOLUTELY will be a public person his entire life. and simon by association too. a fucking sex tape came out with them and wille came out to the world as queer, there is no way that people won't care anymore about it just bc wille wouldn't be crown prince anymore in a year. and as if him renouncing wouldn't make any headlines and be a huge deal and simon and wilhelm wouldn't have to deal with the aftermath and consequences of that (if they're still together at that point which i have my doubts)

there will always be attention on wille and that is something that should be obvious and i don't understand why the fandom is choosing to be so naive and blissfully ignorant about this. no, i do know, bc the show is framing it like that and wanting people to think that and stay naive and blissfully ignorant to all these facts

and i love hearing how my interpretation was wrong from the start and of course you were right all along. how dare i had hope and thought the point of killing off erik and making wille the crown prince is bc he would do things differently and bring changes and "start a revolution" bc that is totally not what the show has been about before abandoning it and taking the easy way out and not wanting to deal with what that would really entail. how dare i saw wille question traditions at hillerska and him making a public speech addressing that as him stepping into his role as crown prince and show signs of a great, competent "leader" before they also abandoned that and made sure none of that mattered and erased his growth in s3. how dare i thought wille and simon both wanted changes to the monarchy instead of letting it stay exactly how it is and giving it over to a person who has done fucked up things to them and likes the system as it is

if that and the stuff you're saying was the message the entire time i find it really sad tbh and i call bullshit on it. i definitely don't see how everything will be okay now with none of simon's or wille's mental health issues addressed and implied they're actually working on it but yeah of course they escaped the ~evil~ monarchy now and it was all its fault they didn't work out and now they're completely fine and all their problems have vanished, how could i forget

[brilla-brilla-estrellita]

MOCKUP COMPLETE???? (Mostly).

Last time, I was in a tizzy because the pattern for the fingers didn't seem to fit the mockup, but it did fit the wing pattern, and the mockup fit the wing pattern, so...????

I still don't know what that's about, but I persisted! The next thing I did was pin down the pattern and trace it with a yellow Frixion pen so that the line would hopefully be visible, but not obvious if it didn't fully go away. Apparently, I didn't take pics of this step. Oops.

Then I pinned along the traced lines to hold the fabric together but also because the lines were a little too hard to see (should've used the pink marker!). See below my pinned nonsense.

Next, I just had to sew along the lines! These are probably some of the best seams I've ever sewn, tbh. I t was hard to see the traced line sometimes, but I took it slow and checked that I was still on track pretty often and it paid off!

I did have a brief period where I couldn't stop thinking about the apple danish sitting behind me. I had fallen into the trap of promising myself I could have it as a reward when I finished sewing all the finger channels, but that just made me obsess over it and start to rush. I could actually feel the anxiety building up as it went on and I realized how much sewing I still had to do.

I've been attributing this kind of behavior to ADHD, but maybe that's just because I only noticed the pattern after I was diagnosed with ADHD. Maybe someone here can tell me if it's an ADHD thing. Anyway, my brain does NOT work that way. Reward must come before or during activity, not after, if I want the work to be done well. So I took a bite of the danish after I finished each line, and that worked out a lot better.

And with that, I have a wing!!!

I had to hold the un-sleeved wing because adding this fabric added enough weight to make them very crooked. The wings are held in closed position via magnets, and this fabric is so heavy that the wing doesn't stay closed! It opens when I lean over!

This means I'm probably going to have to scrap my original idea for the fabric, which was going to be something suede-like for the "lambs ear" touch on the inside and something a little more leather-like for the outside. I'll need something heckin light for these magnets to hold, and that's probably the only downside to this setup so far.

I didn't put wire in the finger channels because I don't have any yet, and I want to figure out what to do about the spike on top because I want it to be black in the final product, like Simon's. But for all intents and purposes, the mockup is done and I am ready to buy fabric and start on the real deal!

[skibasyndrome]

🦉Positivity owl reporting for duty! This was sent by a friend who wants you to smile as much as your posts make them smile. Please list five things that make you unique, four things you are super passionate about and why, OR three of your favorite memories. Feel free to send the owl to those who you feel deserve to smile🦉

Sweetest anon 💜💜💜 sorry for holding the positivity owl hostage for so long, but I'll have you know that i've been smiling at this message whenever I read it again :)

I'm going with four things I'm super passionate about

wilmon and writing silly little stories about them 💜 idk, they just mean the fucking world to me!!! the way they overcame their obstacles together and individually, the fact that their love for each other is so fucking strong, the way that they make each other better people ist just so!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Reading (even though stress makes it difficult to read a lot these days) and writing (same thing tbh. except that I sometimes very selfishly opt for writing instead of reading because it gives me more happy chemicals) about these two beautiful souls is an amazing experience every time, i love imagining them in different scenarios and seeing where it goes

is it cheating if I make she/her Wille a separate point???? idk but I'm just gonna do it because boy oh boy do i love her dearly. i mean, it's not a secret that Wille is my baby and that I connect a lot to that character but what i like most about canon Wille is the potential for change and the aspect of breaking free from all sorts of expectations,, especially from family and society. and... idk, that just goes BEAUTIFULLY with a trans headcanon i feel like. There's just so much there in canon that you can expand upon, there are, as my besties with the she/her wille brainrot who i've shared this with know, whole scenes that just!!!!! read perfectly with a closeted trans wille headcanon and just!!!! I love imagining her finding herself and navigating yet another revelation about herself that's difficult to deal with, except this time she's got a proper support system in place. i also love the idea of examining what it would mean for Simon to have Wille come out to him, what that would change and what it wouldn't change (in my mind, Simon's love for Wille never ever wavers), in which ways Simon would support her, even before she finds the words for what it is she's feeling, just...... aaaaaaaaaahhhhh. idk. that's just one of my favorite headcanons and/or fic scenarios recently

literature!!!!!! getting to read it!!!!! getting to analyze it!!!!!!! oh my GOD isn't art amazing? the fact that human beings at all times in history have told each other stories? that there's something so fucking inherently human and beautifully social in creating art to share with others? what does literature tell us about the individual? what can it tell us about the human condition as a whole? how do politics influence art, how does art influence politics??? SO many amazing questions you can ask, and i get to think about some of them??? incredible. i will never ever take my studies for granted because I love doing what i'm doing, even in times when doing the actual work is very hard

................ yeah I'm already blanking again lmfao, but uh..... do you know what's amazing??? when it's cold and gloomy and foggy outside but you're sitting with a hot drink and a candle on and your sweater is big and cuddly. I don't think that's something to be passionate about, but it's me rn and so I'm very happy about it.

thank you so much for sending this in 💜💜💜 very sorry for making you wait for a reply for so long but

[sugdenlovesdingle]

Hi! Just on "Danny doesn't like kissing guys anon" - I remember the interviews they are talking about and tbh in one of those he said it in a way that bothered me too! But then I realised that interview was at a time when Emmerdale didn't know what to do with Robron. I still remember during Liv's alcohol+Ketamine, they were making up after an argument and you could literally put a truck in between them!!

But we need to remember that this same Danny has said, not once but MANY times Robr-ON, Rob-OFF, I would like it to be on because I like kissing Ryan! In fact, some people started harassing him in real life for being gay when Robron was at its peak.

And it IS A FACT that Robron didn't do PDA until much later because they began as an affair and Robert in the closet. In fact, every time Charity or someone brought up sex between them two you will notice Robert making a face. Every single time. I always thought it was a brilliant acting choice by Ryan.

And they have been best friends even when they weren't boyfriends. In fact that was what 2017 Christmas was about! WHICH IS WHY canon Aaron now not rushing to IoW MAKES ZERO sense to me. I am willing to die on the hill that our Robron Aaron would have gone to IOW, fought with Robert, got him out, brought him back to the Mill but also punished him for sending those divorce papers.

Personally I don't want Danny to work on his chemistry with anyone because I am hoping against hope for a miracle.😂 Both Danny and Ryan are good actors. But there is a limit to which even a soap superstar can make a ridiculous situation believable at such short notice. On a separate note, Ryan still looks like Robert on Casualty, at least to most of us. It's like two complementary magnets🧲⚡that are being forced apart. Anything else will always look tame compared to them.

Current canon Aaron not rushing to the Isle of Wight is because Ryan won't come back as Robert. Aaron accepting Robert cutting him out of his life when he got sent down was because Ryan left.

They couldn't have Aaron mope around and wait for Robert or even fight for Robert - because there was no Robert because Ryan left.

And the robr-on rob-off and "i like kissing Ryan" was Danny being cheeky with the press (he knows how to play the game). I honestly don't think Danny gives a shit about kissing anyone on screen. I remember him kissing one of the hosts on loose women once just to prove screen kisses mean nothing/ are no big deal. I do think he was more comfortable with Ryan than he is with Oliver now (or was with Stephen as doctor boring or Simon as kayak bore) just because they worked together so closely for about 5 years and were good friends off screen too.

The best friends thing never bothered me tbh. Like I said, if your partner isn't also your best friend - someone you honestly like spending time with outside the bedroom... why are you together? Robron were (ARE) each other's great love AND best friend.

And emmerdale aren't great with PDA anyway. Matty and Amy's first kiss as husband and wife was maybe their third on screen kiss? Cain and Moira rarely kiss or touch because they're always fighting these days, Dawn and Billy - i don't remember the last time they kissed or even hugged (maybe when Evan was born?), Mack and Charity... had one incredibly forced (post) sex scene a few months ago and nothing since, Paddy and Mandy are getting MARRIED next week and they haven't kissed in months either (I think - i don't pay much attention to their scenes). If it's not relevant to the plot (like getting together, going public/taking a next big step in the relationship, marriage, affair) these characters don't touch/kiss. I think either Danny or someone else once mentioned that most of those things aren't scripted and it's basically up to the actors to decide "oh i think my character would kiss their partner here"

I'm not saying robron or emmerdale were/are perfect... god knows they weren't (and emmerdale itself definitely isn't these days) but come on, it's 2024, aren't we over the 'best friends' and "they don't touch" discourse by now? Or does anyone want to throw in the "bro hugs" too?

As for Ryan looking like Robert on casualty... he does but if Robert met Jamie, he'd get his shovel out again. We know what he does with rapists!

(I wanted to put a gif of Rob whacking lee over the head with the shovel but the gif search fails me once again - so just pretend it's here)

[mermaidsirennikita]

In your opinion what are the best and worst novels by your favorite historical romance authors and why?

Hmmm, I've read the full backlist of only a few authors, but ones I've read a lot of....

To get her outta the way, for Kleypas--

Best: Dreaming of You. Defined an romance hero archetype and one she would draw from for some of her other well-done heroes (McKenna, Simon Hunt, Winterborne, the self-made man is her wonderland and Derek Craven didn't do it first but he did do it best).

Worst: I haven't read any of her books set in the South and I suspect those are much worse, but Stranger in My Arms is my least favorite. Does the Sommersby Plot better than Sommersby because the ending is better and they aren't Confederates, but there is some Exotic India Stuff and I felt like the hero and heroine didn't have amazing chemistry. I think that in making the hero a good contrast to the bad husband, he became boring.

Hoyt--

Best: Thief of Shadows. Duke of Midnight is probably a close second, and Scandalous Desires is right up there too. The Ghost of St. Giles arc is the best Maiden Lane arc, Winter and Isabel are amazing characters, that scene where he laughs into her pussy and is like I don't know what I'm doing but I'm gonna find out, the scene where he pulls the pins from her hair and she's overwhelmed, the scene where he tells her would've loved to have babies with her but that's not what it's about, all the Zorro vibes.

Worst: tbh I don't think I've read a book of hers that is dull or bad, but her Four Soldiers series hasn't aged the best because the heroes are veterans who fought in the American territories, and a lot of their traumatic backstories involve this like... prolonged POW torture executed by indigenous people against the British soldiers.... And like honestly, I've read some accounts of this kind of incident and I don't think it was a binary issue morally. And I don't even think Hoyt necessarily thinks that; but I don't think it was executed well, and it is very, very disturbing to read about. Especially in To Seduce a Sinner, which would honestly otherwise be a solid, entertaining book.

Lorraine Heath--

Best: Waking Up with the Duke, because it's the greatest angstfest, and Jayne making Ainsley feel the baby kick and him freezing and being like "it's not MINE, it CANNOT be mine" and having a full emotional break in a garden with dozens of people nearby is glorious, and their goodbye in the middle of the book never fails to make me cry.

Worst: I mean it's gonna be one of her Texas books because as good as they are otherwise, two of the three heroes are actually! Former Confederates! And like, yes, they were teenagers (at least one of them was a minor) when this happened, but it doesn't super matter to me. And one of them calls the Civil War the WAR OF NORTHERN AGGRESSION!!! Which sucks, because otherwise, Dallas is a great hero with a great love story, but I can't look past that. I think Texas Destiny has a heroine whose backstory is that her plantation was attacked by Union soldiers and terrible things happened. But idk, as a Southern woman who's descended from Confederates, I'm a bit "then perish" about precious Confederate Womanhood. Don't know that she'd write that today, though.

Joanna Shupe--

Best: It's a close one between this and Prince of Broadway, but I do think The Duke Gets Even is my favorite because it's enhanced by the leadup and the scene where Lockwood bites Nellie all over her tits HARD and says "I'm going to cover you in bite marks, darling". That was good for my spirit. I also love when Lockwood is like "THIS IS THE LAST CHANCE, ELEANOR (it's a big deal when a hero is the only man to call a bitch Eleanor, btw) DON'T COME CRYING FOR ME" and leaves with great dignity but inwardly is like sobbing.

Worst: I have not ready a Shupe I really dislike, but The Gangster's Prize is probably the weakest; I think she was testing her Mila Finelli style in a historical setting. And I liked it, and I LOVE the Mila books, but the Mila tone doesn't quite fit historicals.

Sarah MacLean--

Best: A Rogue By Any Other Name. The angst, the backstory, Bourne eating Penelope up and going "well you have to marry me now MUAHAHAHAHA" directly after, the scene where her dad is like, screaming at him on the ground and Bourne leans out the window like, "OH WHAT'S THAT??? IT'S YOUR DAUGHTER'S PUSSY. WHICH WAS ALL I HAD FOR DINNER LAST NIGHT OLD MAN." What an asshole. I'd have several babies for him.

Worst: Ten Ways to Be Adored When Landing A Lord. It's not bad, I just feel like Nick is not the kind of hero I have come to associate with MacLean. He's too lovely. I think that Christmas novella she wrote about Ebeneezer Scrooge if he fuuuucked is much more her.

Monica McCarty--

Best: The Recruit, because I love a good "man finds out he got a woman pregnant and she tries to hide it but then he feels her baby bump and is like EXCUSE???" And then I thought he was gonna be one of those guys who's like "I can't fuck you while you're pregnant, what if the baby feels it". But nah, he's like a " babies can't feel shit, bend over" kind of guy.

Worst: The Saint, because I was so excited for the Illicit Affairs energy, and instead there's just a lot of waiting.. for them to fuck... There is an excellent scene where it's dark and he thinks she's someone else and he fingers her from behind and then is like "SHITFUCK".

[nellie-elizabeth]

Grey's Anatomy: Walk on the Ocean (20x03)

Man, lotsa juicy drama in this one.

Cons:

I thought Winston having a subplot about giving up on his marriage with Maggie was a little weird and unnecessary. I legit hadn't realized we were supposed to think they were still trying to work on their relationship. Maggie left him and Winston seemed pretty firm on what that meant. Or am I misremembering?

The main catastrophe of this episode features a man who gets extravagantly injured trying to imitate the jet-setting adventurous behavior of his wife's ex-husband, in order to prove to himself and to her that he's cool enough. I felt like thematically this was kind of basic and didn't really connect to the characters as much as I wanted, and then the poor wife at the end when she shows up and learns that her husband is dead... she wasn't the strongest actor, unfortunately. The crying needed some work.

Pros:

I kind of love the Teddy and Meredith scenes because Teddy and Meredith aren't like... good close best friend family forever? They're just two people who have known each other and have people in common, and I felt like the actors brought that energy in a way that was refreshing. They're colleagues, and yet there's also that deeper level of camaraderie there. When Catherine shows up, Teddy covers for Meredith and then gets brought into the secret of the research Meredith and Amelia are doing. Looks like Teddy is going to be able to move some discretionary funds their way, so that's exciting stuff!

I'm loving Levi getting some screentime, especially because it also highlighted his friendship with Jo! That really is one of my favorite relationships on the show these days, and we truly don't see enough of it. I gotta say, Nico really behaves like a jerk for not telling his partner that Levi is his ex, but at the same time, I think Jo is right: Levi's hurt feelings aren't about having feelings for Nico, it's about seeing his ex move on and take these big steps in his life. Their conversation at the end was great, it had that difficult bittersweet intimacy of exes who used to know each other really well. Nico is able to tell the story of how they're having a kid, and they can joke around a bit, showing how well they still know each other. Two moments I really loved was Levi knowing how big a deal it would be for Nico to leave the pizza behind, and Nico's soft reaction of delight in learning that Schmitt is Chief Resident. Also... the "Levon" thing made me laugh. We need more Levi subplots please! Find him some love!

And then let's turn to the various intern plots.

I really liked Blue's story again this week, he's still shaping up to be a fave. This new surgeon lady looks like she might be a great mentor for him, and also maybe an enemies-to-lovers situation for Amelia? Jury's out on that, but I would not be mad about it, tbh. But I love that Blue needs to keep getting that lesson reinforced about his demeanor with the patients. He knows his stuff medically, but he also needs to listen. Working in pediatrics really makes the case for how these things all blend together. It was the young patient's mother who noticed something off and decided to take her daughter in, thus saving her life!

And then, Yasuda vs. Lucas... dang, Adams, I was rooting for you! Just last week, I was saying that his anger with Simone was totally justified and I got why he was being such a grump, but this week, he really crossed a line for me. I thought the moment when he failed to say something to Bailey was interesting, that felt like the kind of believable dick move that someone makes in the moment and then it's too late to change it, but for him to dig his heels in later with Yasuda, after being an asshole and leaving her on her own all day? Wow, seriously not the thing. I was totally on Yasuda's side and was annoyed at Simone for daring to accuse Yasuda of not trying to move on. She's the one who has been playing nice and trying to be everyone's friend! Yeesh!!

And then we see that Lucas has moved out of the house. I have a feeling we're going to have to deal with a certain threshold of moping Adams as we work out the issues going on here. I hope Yasuda just lives her best life and crushes it and doesn't let Lucas's nonsense slow her down. Or Simone's either, honestly. (As a side note, loving Simone's hair in this ep, she looked fantastic.)

I think I'll stop there - lots of moving pieces, most of them compelling enough to keep my interest. Loving the opportunity for more Levi, more of the interns, less Owen/Teddy, less Jo/Link... for those reasons, this episode is a win for me!

9/10

[littledinosaurarms]

this started as a comment but the autism won

(I have come to realize that I'm going to be a nerd with Opinions about Media for the rest of my life and I have to stop hiding who I am. If that makes me cringe, so be it.)

Hot take: Betty Grof is the actual villain in Adventure Time

Yall just gonna let FaC tell you Simon was a selfish jerk and what happened to Betty was his fault like Betty isn't totally yandere for their entire relationship.

Betty invites herself on a trip with Simon, Betty decides not to go to Australia because she finds out Simon likes her even though he didn't ask her to do that, Betty ignores Simon saying losing her was devastating to him and jumps through the portal to try to skip over whatever boring part of Simon's life he was talking about, Betty makes Simon be crazy again, refuses even talking to the Ice King until she has exhausted all other options (including giving him brain damage and stealing his beloved little guy), gives up trying to talk to him after like ten minutes, and then tries to kill him, then almost ends reality itself over him = Simon being selfish?

Why *would* Simon get on the bus with her? He doesn't have a ticket for Australia! He just wanted to tell her how he felt before she left!

Simon uses a poor choice of words when he says "I forgive you for leaving me" but he's not the best with people and he was clearly just trying to make sure she felt no guilt about his terrible fate or imminent death. And then she interrupts him in order to literally abandon his past self in his hour of fucking need so that she can skip the unpleasantness, without knowing what it was or how long it lasted. She put herself in Ooo. Then she insists he become the Ice King again so she can save him, but doesn't stay with the Ice King or even talk to him. She leaves him rather than work on the problem with him by her side. She is never apologetic for this utter rejection of the Ice King at any point. She is willing to kidnap Gunter just for a chance to give Ice King brain damage and see if that brings Simon back. She is willing to use IK as a spell battery (which is where he must get the idea to use Choose Goose- I felt like that was both out of left field and out of character tbh) to go back in time and prevent him putting on the crown.

No matter what the Ice King, who is a version of Simon, asks of her she refuses. She does not want to know his friends, she doesn't even know Marceline's name at any point iirc. We don't know if she ever sat down and listened to an explanation of what has happened, but I am guessing not or she would know that the Mushroom War would have killed them both if he hadn't put the crown on, not to mention left Marceline alone to either die or be corrupted by the vampires.

As another fan pointed out, she could have shared the crown with him, shared the burden with him, but she didn't want to do the hard work of loving him as he was. She wanted him to be exactly how she had originally perceived him to be. She was willing to risk the lives of everything in existence to force the mental illness out of him rather than help him deal with it in a healthy way.

Yeah, she sacrificed everything for him, entirely by choice! Simon never asked her to do any of it. In fact, both he and the Ice King asked her specifically not to do what she was doing multiple times.

Simon managed to take care of a scared little girl during a nuclear zombie apocalypse while going slowly insane, summoned her deadbeat demon dad in an effort to try to keep her safe when he couldn't anymore, and was basically guilty only of the crime of wanting a little closure.

Hell, even the Ice King was better at caring about people. He was willing to walk through lava for his Goontz. His admiration for Finn and Jake led to him becoming a better person over time, once they accepted him, and he never forgot about Marceline even if he didn't remember how they became friends.

Maybe I take it personally as someone with a mental disability (autism) but I think the way Betty treated the Ice King, and Simon, was disgusting. Simon was a good person. He had a few character flaws, like everyone else in the universe, but fundamentally he just wanted to help people and to share his life with someone special. Hell, the Ice King's ability to treat Gunter better than Evergreen treated the original Gunter is what finally broke the curse of the crown. Did yall miss that part too? They're different versions of the same dude.

I cannot believe how dirty FaC did him in the ending. Totally uncalled for. Literally no one asked for that.

I'm with the people who wanted Simon and Ice King to interact, to have Marceline play a bigger role in the story both because she is literally Simon's best friend and because she's fucking awesome, and oh yeah- to not be condescendingly spoon-fed the conclusions that the showrunner wanted people to draw only to then totally contradict them two minutes later because he couldn't keep a coherent narrative running if his life depended on it. Man did us all dirty with that half-assed ending to a convoluted story.

Betty had to become Golb to clean up the mess she herself had made, and it seemed like she understood and accepted that. That act was her redemption. Why take that away just to shit on the character who arguably suffered more than just about anyone else in the narrative? Simon had magic alzheimers for a thousand fucking years and this asshole is saying he deserved it. I can't even.

And another thing:

If their genders were reversed, do you think people would still defend Betty so much? I highly doubt it, and I find that messed up. Women can be the toxic side of a relationship. Men can be victims. It's almost 2024 we're still not able to see a failed hetero relationship as anything but the guy's fault? Come on.

[andthatisnotfake]

Ok, rewatching episode 1 (of S3 of Young Royals), comments under the read more. Might include spoilers for later episodes too, FYI.

Kristina comes into the room and doesn't even look at Wilhelm. She walks right past him, sits next to him, and doesn't acknowledge him at all. No matter how much pain she's in, I'm sure she could have mustered a small smile for her son, couldn't she? Or a pat on the leg? Nothing?!?

Ludwig doesn't acknowledge him either, of course. It's funny how concern he seems to be for his wife, but not his teenage son.

The contrast with Linda taking Simon's hand in the car though. The contrast is contrasting!

Simon drawing the heart on the window 🥺

I stand corrected, Wille is actually sitting next to Jan-Olof 🙃

Is August just hungry because of his ED or has he developed gastritis? I wouldn't be surprised.

It's funny how the last season ended with spring coming, the sun shining again, and now, technically just a few days later - oh look, it's a fucking blizzard.

Omar played nervous Simon so well 😭

August's stepfather is so smarmy, he could actually be his father. Him saying there's no proof it was August and the video is relatively innocent... The way I wanted to shake him by the hair until he got bald...

Thank you, Linda, for speaking up (and bringing us up to date with how bad things were for them). The fact that these people, and I'm including Wilhelm here, heard what has said about the neonazi and the threats and completely ignored it makes my blood boil. You're supposed to be outraged as well!

August being upset that people are looking at him as if he's an asshole...

1.2 million kronor sounds like very little, to be honest. I think August might have paid nearly that for Rousseau. And Simon saying August will have to sell Årnas... Are we sure of that? I'd have asked for a lot more.

Wille's little door-leaning... I see you...

The immediate smiles when they see each other 🥺

Simon saying Wille's bedroom is cozy. Sweetie, I appreciate the parallel, but please don't lie.

Let's count how many times they get interrupted. This was the first.

Linda and Kristina looking at Simon and Wilhelm when August's stepfather tells them what they did was funny, ngl. But also, August hates his stepdad, but he seems to have learned very well from him, because his posture is the same. As is the same the way he distorts the truth to gain some advantage at all times, telling Wille Simon had been dealing for them for months, telling Alexander he'd been the only one to defend him against evil Wille, planning that bogus plan of having Alexander take the blame because they can't prove it was him who took the video, just his phone... God, people like this are so infuriating and so damn tiring! It's no wonder Simon just wants this over with.

And August just did it again, saying Wille had also taken the drugs. Technically, true, but he just takes the part of the truth that's convenient to him.

August saying Wille will screw things up himself, I--

And the fact that the RC doesn't seem to care that the newly appointed heir to the throne is someone capable of all this, Goddammit... I bet they actually think it makes him an even better choice, tbh.

Linda's silent anger... Oh, shit. Everyone knows that when you're mom is so angry she goes quiet it's way worse than when she's screaming.

Wilhelm says Erik wouldn't have forgiven August, and I actually do think that might be true, even after what we now know about Erik. I think he'd be an intermediate for the queen with Wille, trying to tell him to deny it was him in the video just like she did, but maybe appealing to Wille's affection. But I still think he'd have chewed on August. Mind you, he wouldn't have told Wille that it had been him either, and he'd definitely have protected August from any possible consequences, but I don't think he'd have forgiven him. Or at the very least he wouldn't be so buddy-buddy with him anymore. I think August would have crossed a line with him. And honestly, I think that might have been the worst punishment for August.

Madison reading tarot cards, I love her so much. Also, I need someone who knows tarot to interpret the cards she takes, thank you.

Stella saying Felice should get over it already was insensitive, but exactly what I'd expect from her. And bless you Madison for saying breaking up with a friend can be worse. Also, Fredrika attempting to be cheerful was useless, but very cute.

Fredrika is such a gossip girl, and ngl, I relate.

Farima had the right idea with using Wille's relationship to show a more modern side of Sweden, but I also understand why Wille wasn't keen. He should be allowed to just have a relationship, his first real one, and not have it be a walking pride flag. It's great to open doors and bring representation and help the community, but he's also allowed to just want to have a regular relationship, like other kids do.

This quick talk with Farima should have been a long conversation about social media, and we saw why.

Nils and Vincent casually talking about a guy who broke his arm in a mission for those points, I...

Are there no cars with tinted windows in Sweden? Is that not a thing? Why is Wille in a regular car for the paparazzi to take pictures of him (again, btw - I had this same thought in the very first episode).

I need to see more of Wille's jacked with the spikes! Also, can the pink sweater come back, please?

The way the chatter immediately dies when they kiss 🤣

Should we also count how many times they ask each other how they are? I think this is the first of the season...

Simon saying the attention is making him uncomfortable... I get it, and I'd feel the same, but sweetie, give it a couple weeks and no one will care anymore. They just need to get used to it.

Simon's 🖕 keychain between their joined hands...

Vicent teasing August about Sara just shows what good friends these boys all are to each other 😒

The heart-drawing scene 🥰🥰🥰 They're so in love. 🥹

Simon agreeing that it is degrading to miss someone who's hurt you... Sweetheart...

Simon is a better person than me, I would have 100% told the reporters to fuck off. And Marcus, ugh... I knew he'd talk, and I'm glad to see it confirmed, even though I'm angry.

The fact that the court couldn't even ask Wille's bodyguards, who are already idle at Hillerska anyway, to ensure Simon would be safe at least when leaving the school grounds, is baffling.

While I agree that Wille could have told Simon he was going to admit to being in the video, I do think it was a spur of the moment decision. And, moreover, Simon wanted him to do that before anyway. I think to Wille he was doing what Simon wanted. I just think Simon failed to realize the consequences.

Rosh is right in her assessment of Wille though, he's pretty impulsive.

Wille's red lights forming a heart, I see you!

I understand that Wille wanted to let Simon know he should ignore the comments as soon as possible, but I don't think telling him so in the comments helped much.

Bless Nils for being the only one to tell Wille he'd been brave, btw. I don't always agree with him, but that was nice of him.

I understand Sara wanting to leave the house, but going to her father's was very hypocritical of her, ngl. I understand why Simon was mad.

I know the girls meant well with the intervention, but the execution of it was maybe not the best. That said, I wouldn't mind being gifted a trip to New York. 😌

Wille's contented smile when he wakes up 🥹

Him tracing over the heart 🥹🥹🥹

Why is Farima sending Wille the articles for him to read instead of shielding him from this shit? 😭 He's 16 and you've given him no media training, what's he supposed to do?

Why is Malin by Wille's door again? Weren't they going to stay away while he was in classes? Had that been revoked now?

Them thinking it's Wille's fault that the horrors that happen at Hillerska are being revealed is... very telling.

The new rules are a bit harsh, but honestly? I'd have done something similar. Best to be harsher at first to nip this in the bud, then gradually access what can and can't be restored. No cellphones for teens is a bit too harsh though 😅

The seniors thinking they're exempt lol. You're still students, you're included.

Okie, I'll make another post for ep. 2, but I can't rewatch it now. 😭 Also, not re-reading all of this, if there's a typo, so be it.

[smalltownfae]

This is a post asking for contemporary romance books recommendations.

So, seems like I am in a weird contemporary romance kick – which is a genre I never cared about before in books. I always enjoyed it ocasionally in movies or korean dramas. Love that for me tbh because I am exploring something new. The problem is that I am so terribly picky and I can't tell beforehand what will and will not work for me in this...

All I can tell is that I like the character dynamics of the ones that I enjoyed and that I seem to love opposites attract and that doesn't necessarily mean grumpy/sunshine (which seems to be a popular trope). Seems like the books also need to be queer in some way, but I did enjoy Book Lovers even though that was an heterosexual one. Usually funny books work the best for me in this genre and I have been noticing that the ones I find funny are by authors from the UK (not surprised at all about this tbh), but I also think I would enjoy something dramatic. I mean, Glitterland had an mc dealing with mental health and got quite heart hitting at times. Seems that I also like series that focus on a different person in a friend group or something. For example, a character is introduced in the first book and they are just a friend of the main character or a sibling or whatever and then they get their own story in the next book in the series.

This is all to ask what are the standouts in this genre? The ones that you love, especially if you are also picky about contemporary romance and like when it makes you laugh or cry (preferably both).

I have been adding books to try on my tbr, but I still don't exactly know where to start.

Books I really liked so far:

Glitterland by Alexis Hall: I had some little problems with this book, but overall I found it dramatic and very funny. I liked to see a main character in romance that was quite unlikeable too and stated that his behaviour could not be excused because of his mental health. I found it pretty unique. I enjoyed Boyfriend Material, but not nearly as much and since that series seems to go on with the same main characters getting married and then having a baby or something I don't think I will continue because those are not the things I like to read about. I do want to read more books by the author though and I plan to continue the Spires series soon.

Heartbreak Boys by Simon James Green: apparently I like YA if it's funny and it doesn't happen in a school setting. This also had some bits I didn't like that came out as a bit preachy, but it made me laugh out loud and the premise is so petty and messy it could only be good (to me).

First and First by Santino Hassel: Fine. I am putting my hands in the fire with this one. I know about the mess surrounding this author now, but I didn't when I started this series (my fault for not researching names I guess). There are two specific scenes I hate in this book, but I would be lying if I said I didn't like it a lot overall. It is messy, a bit kinky and has a lot of smut that makes sense for the plot because it is about a guy learning to let go and not be embarassed about sex. I can't help liking both main characters and their dynamic, but I bet most people would hate it. It also looks quite not set in reality because some of the stuff here is wild and everyone is like "yeah, this could happen" 😂 This also made me like the word "baby" to refer to a love interest just like Robin Hobb made me like the word "beloved". Authors, please, let me be a hater. Still hate the "babe/babes" version even though I tolerated it both in this series and in Glitterland.

Book Lovers by Emily Henry: This was good. Read it last year and I can't remember having any issue with any scenes tbh which makes it weird when I say it's the one I enjoyed the least out of these and yet I would still rank it the highest... I will probably try more books by this author.

Did not like: Red, White and Royal Blue and Get a Life Chloe Brown was good except for the sex scenes. (Unsure if I should try any more Tahlia Hibbert because apparently I dislike the word tit as much as I dislike the word shaft. If it's used once or twice in a book I can bear it but not often)

Authors to try: Cat Sebastian (read 1 book that was ok and I am currently reading the sequel but they are historical romance which surprisingly is not what is working for me at the moment); Ashley Herring Blake and Alison Cochrun.

[glimpsesofeuterpe]

been glancing at 2023's stuff for a moment, now wondering if it wasn't as bad as it seemed or was it

...did anything even happen at all? gotta try to take a look at bites

- have realised i have developed an ability to experience romantic interest or mb it was always there, failed to notice under layers of trauma and denial

- nearly every night i cried my eyes out about my ex friend in question (we broke up in the end of 2k22)... first weird exp or not, by now i know i should have known better and escape earlier. tbh it's been a struggle to move on fully, i still kinda miss that attention x ignoring combo and blunt wannabe guru "lessons", at least thanks to him i know what one shouldnt be doing if they wanna be a better friend

- i managed to make more friends and met one irl ... all just to fail later and avoid almost all interactions esp personal chats as apparently i am really scared of getting abandoned again, it's way easier for me to avoid and stay mostly alone... besides i still don't have enough energy to provide new ppl with anything more useful than basic enertainment

- despite stuff mentioned above, i figured out i love talking to ppl and i really wanna do good, i wanna love and be loved even even if it could be too much to wish for

- finally became a massagist!

- somehow nailed to help some ppl (wat)

- learned how to bake without setting everything on fire

- computer's video card died, so had to deal with a very laggy ol laptop

- fixed computer parts, switched from windows 7 to windows 10

- improved drawing skills, started to figure backgrounds out

- started to discover clip paint studio

- lots of rp madness was going on! felix and pals my beloved <3

- started to return back to actual writing

- spent most of summer in parks

- kinda started listening podcasts again ... this reminds i should resume woe dot begone, ty popping up in person when

- simon petrikov and elliot stardew valley taking the top spot on my list of comfort muses

[kneelingshadowsalome]

I absolutely must wax poetic to you. Love Is A Heavy Weapon resonated with me so deeply. I read Ghost fan fiction to escape and imagine lives I don’t exist in, but that story felt so real and I felt so deeply that I was both Simon and Sarah that their finding of each other and development and depth of intimacy made me feel such hope in the universe.

I believe that there are people out there who have stories like this because I feel like they do, only I haven’t had the ending they’ve found in each other. I felt that story so deeply and it made me feel loved and connected and clarified all the ways in which I want to be seen and held and touched. Thank you for your sensitive writing.

I don't even know where to start or what to say because I was at a friend's place when I read this the first time and had to try my best not to burst into tears. Not that I couldn't cry there but this was just something so pure that I wanted to process it in peace.

LIAHW and the whole Sarah/Simon series has a special place in my heart because it deals with so much trauma while also being the most passionate and tender love story I have ever written. So to hear that it has touched and moved you so is absolutely heart warming and tear jerking.

"—it made me feel loved and connected and clarified all the ways in which I want to be seen and held and touched."

This part especially has me in tears every time I read it... Good God. That is so, so, so beautiful.

I hope with all my heart that you find this kind of love, tbh I hope everyone finds it. And like you said, it's not that unrealistic. To have that kind of connection and trust and intimacy and true love should be a given, not a luxury.

I'm so happy that you came to me with this. This message gives me life 🩷🩷🩷 Thank you so very much.

[effieandtim]

I have seen waitingforneddy, and at first I thought she was being targeted because this fandom is prone to that. But then she kept saying things that were inflammatory and stir up drama in every post.

And she especially hates Jonathan Bailey and I have no idea why. I don't even know where she came from. Her posts just appeared and they were always negative.

What is her deal?

she’s a member of the bridgerton fandom who started hating jonny bc apparently he doesnt like simone’s photos enough or doesnt comment (he does like a lot of her posts but thats not the point)

she changed her tune when it was pointed out that simone doesnt like his photos either and twisted that into him having wronged her in some way

thats how it started and it has just escalated from there - she has made up so many lies from that point onwards, all in her head mind you about what the bridgerton set was like and how jonathan hates simone - completely unfounded claims with no proof lmao and all based on social media interactions or lack thereof

she has been blatanly homophobic and racist to me and other wocs when called out (she’s a white ass) and always speaks over wocs to define our experiences for us just bc she supposedly stans a woc (she only token stans and nothing else to win brownie points bc of her white saviour complex)

so that is how it started and she now views everything related to jonathan as a problem so the best course of action is to just block her and move on tbh, no point in engaging with her