#i guess they remind me of a married couple 😂

[snakies-sideblog]

I have no idea why, but this panel had me crying and laughing so fucking hard! 😂😭

[navybrat817]

Calgon, Take Me Away

Pairing: Reader's Choice

Word Count: 900

Warnings: None really. Reader is just done with some parts of adulting. 😂

A/N: We know @biteofcherry , @bucks-and-noble , and others love to do Choose Your Babe and similar variations. With the next couple of weeks being busy, busy, busy, I just want someone to be like Calgon and take me away. 😌

It was an average day as you had lunch with a friend. Nothing out of the ordinary. Both of you took turns trading topics of discussion. Work naturally came up, which made you think of money and relationships. How broke you were. Lonely. Exhausted. You couldn't hold it in.

“You know what? I’m sick of my job. I wish I could just quit,” you said, narrowing your eyes when your friend giggled. “I’m serious. I’m tired of it. I work my ass off, but I'm not going anywhere. I don't feel accomplished when I’m done at the end of the day and I dread hearing my alarm because it’s just another day of having to push through it. But I can't quit because I have to pay my bills. And I'm tired of being tired.”

Even saying the words wore you out.

She asked once your rant was over, “What’s the solution then?”

“I wish I knew,” you answered. You couldn't exactly quit without a plan in place. “If someone could just... I don't know, take me away, it would solve my problem.”

“Take you away?” She raised an eyebrow when you nodded. “How would that solve your problem? Sure, someone takes you away for a bit, but you’d have to go right back to work after your vacation because you'd still have bills. That or you'd have to find another job if you're gone for too long.”

“No, because it wouldn't be a vacation. It would be something more permanent,” you said, a dreamy look taking over your expression. “He would decide my new job is just taking care of myself. And taking care of him, of course.”

She blinked. It sounded crazy to your own ears, but you meant it. “So, you'd be a housewife?”

“Sort of. I guess? Housewife, sugar baby, whatever he needs.” She stared as you paused to take a drink. “He'd let me have hobbies because he wants me to be happy, but I wouldn't have to stress about a job I hate and I'd actually sleep and feel rested when I wake up. I wouldn't have to worry about anything.”

“A guy like that is probably married or a serial dater.”

“This one wouldn't be. He’d be devoted to me,” you said before you corrected yourself. “We’d be devoted to each other.”

Your friend playfully rolled her eyes. “And you think some guy is just going to show up and decide, 'Yeah! I'll make her my little housewife or sugar baby or whatever and I’ll be faithful and worship her!' Really?”

Your head hung for a moment. “A girl can dream, okay?”

“Look. You don't actually want that. You just hate your job right now. Maybe you'll find something else and it'll get better.”

“I've tried finding something else,” you reminded her, doing your best not to whine. “I've been trying for months and the light at the end of the tunnel is only getting further away.”

“Well, not to shit on your dream, but no one is going to show up and take you away,” she said, finishing the rest of her drink. She was being logical, of course, but why couldn't she let you fantasize for a moment? “That's reality. It sucks, I know.”

You deflated a bit and pushed the remainder of your food around your plate. You shouldn't have said anything. “It would still be nice if someone did,” you muttered.

But it was a dream, nothing more.

Someone clearing their throat at the table beside you pulled you from your thoughts. You gasped when you looked his way. He was one of the most handsome men you had ever seen. “Sorry for interrupting, but what’s your name?”

You shrugged at your friend before you answered him.

“That’s a beautiful name,” he smiled, making your cheeks feel hot. “I couldn't help but overhear your problem. I think I can help if you're serious.”

Your friend's eyes were as large as saucers, no doubt noticing just how hot he was. “Wait. Really?” You asked.

This gorgeous man heard everything you said and wanted to make your fantasy a reality?

Your heart fluttered when he smiled more. “Really.”

“You're fucking with her right?” Your friend scoffed. “You thought it'd be a funny joke to say that? That's pretty fucked up. You should mind your own business.”

His gaze flickered toward her. “And I think it's pretty fucked up that this beautiful gem is on the verge of tears because she's unhappy and you'd rather roll your eyes and brush off her feelings,” he said, directing his gaze back at you once he finished.

Both of you gasped, you from shock that he defended you and her from offense. “That. That's not what I did!” She argued.

“She’s just trying to keep my feet on the ground,” you said to keep the peace. There was no reason to make a scene.

He softly smiled. “Well, I'd like to pay for your meal, if you'll let me,” he said, flagging the server down before he leaned over to hand you a business card with a wink. There was no ring on his ring finger, which was a good sign. “And I really can help you with your problem. So, if you're interested, call me.”

You glanced at the card in your hand and ran your thumb along the name…

Whose name is it?

Well. Who is it, lovelies? Love and thanks for playing! ❤️

[thatseventiesbitch]

My That ‘90s Show Review: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

Alright, a few days (and rewatches) in, and I’m finally ready to give my thoughts on That ‘90s Show - a show I waited on for two years (but really, more like 17 years). Buckle in for a looooong essay, lol.

I give That ‘90s Show a solid 4 out of 5 stars. I’ll do my best to explain my rating below.

The Good

The Eric-and-Donna of it all. Well - this is an Eric & Donna blog above all else, so of course we were watching first and foremost to see our OTP reunited onscreen after 15 years! And we were not disappointed by what we found. 💗😭

Eric and Donna are happily married in 1995, and navigating the perils of parenting a teenager (shudder). They’re still just as in-love as ever, but now in their mid (late??) 30′s and acting like they’ve been married for 150 years. I guess they have been together since they were 4 🤣.

One thing I think the show really got right is Eric-and-Donna-as-parents. That went exactly as I could’ve predicted. Eric is Kitty to his daughter, well-intentioned but overbearing - and Donna sets boundaries with Leia (like her parents didn’t with her) but is also there to reel Eric in and to remind him of the important stuff: to trust their kid, to let her have her own experiences, to help teach her to take (smart!) risks. I adored that we got to see them “in action” as a parenting team, I loved when Donna went out to check on him and they talked through his fears about Leia growing up and not needing him anymore, I loved seeing how Eric is clearly worried he’s going to become his father (but it’s so clear that he’s so not)... I just loved it all.

Specific shout out to Donna-as-a-mom, which I never knew I needed in my life so much until I saw it! Her running into the Forman’s living room, screaming that she got Leia condoms, jellies, and the uglies underwear she could find... 🤣 Hysterical, and also felt so true to character. That’s exactly how I saw Donna parenting a teenager.

The Red-and-Kitty of it all. Red and Kitty are a joy. Seeing them as grandparents - and as a still-happy couple, enjoying their retirement (or not-so-retirement?) -was the other high point of the series for me.

Red and Kitty are still happy and in love. I never doubted they would be, but it was just heartwarming to see. I also loved their interactions with other characters, like seeing Bob and Fez come back (!!) and the introduction of Sherri, who very much feels like pseudo-daughter for them.

Red as a grandparent was everything I wanted it to be. Him calling Leia “kiddo” - my heart 💗. We kind of got glimpses that he was excited to become a grandparent on the show - like Eric and Donna’s pregnancy scare in season 6 - and I think now we see why. Red knows being a grandpa is where it’s at! He’s done with all the hard parts of being a father, being the ‘bad cop’, and just gets to enjoy and be the fun one! I am picturing him doing this Leia’s whole life lmao... like Eric and Donna sent her over for an afternoon and she comes home hopped up on sugar and Red’s like, “Sorry, she wanted it all and I couldn’t say no. Oh, getting her to bed tonight? I don’t know, not my problem!” Or like, he always gets her the noisiest gifts for Christmas. Kitty as a grandparent was also very sweet - her and Leia making up the pasta names is what immediately comes to mind 😂. Their “good cop” and “bad cop” dynamic has definitely shifted with the grandkid, and I could have predicted that (but it is fun to see!!).

Leia Forman. I adore Leia. I saw someone online say she’s the rare case of two great characters not having a super annoying kid, and I thought yep, spot on. Reboots are always a tricky beast, casting the kid of two beloved characters even more so, but this one worked out.

Leia is funny, endearing, smart, and I see a lot of shades of both Eric and Donna in her but also plenty that sets her apart as her own character. Her storyline about being a coddled, sheltered kid looking to break free and have some adventure worked for me, and I would love to get the chance to see how Leia continues to evolve as she gets older and spends more summers in Point Place.

Gwen and Leia, aka Geia. This is my ship! I really love Gwen and Leia together, and want them to fall in love (cackles in *fanfic author*). But I want it to be a slow-burn, where they realize they’ve fallen for each other, ‘accidentally’, over time. Falling for your best friend... who lives next door... hmmm, wonder why I like this pairing so much...? 😉🤣🥰

Pure nostalgia. The basement. The Hub. The Vista Cruiser. Fenton. Leo. I wanted nostalgia, dammit, and the show delivered. I will even (tentatively) put a few ‘90s references in this column, like hearing ‘Shoop’, ‘I’ll Make Love to You’, and ‘You Outta Know’ and seeing a few other 90s things that reminded me of my childhood, like Free Willy and snap bracelets. 

The humor. I went into the show with low expectations, specifically in this department. I was worried the humor would feel ‘off’, or would feel cheesy, or just not funny to me. There were definitely a few jokes that didn’t land (aren’t there always?), but over all I am happy to put the show’s humor in the ‘win’ column! I laughed out loud - a lot. I could tell that the same writers/showrunners were involved - it felt like similar humor from the original series. I think I enjoyed so much partly because I just love these characters, but many of the new characters had me in stitches too. Ozzie and Sherri in particular.

Sherri. Speaking of Sherri, she was my favorite of the new characters. Obvious Laurie stand-in is obvious, and that’s sad/unfortunate, but once I can move beyond that I really enjoyed her. I liked that she was a well-meaning mom but she definitely needs Red and Kitty’s support and guidance - I look forward to seeing how their relationship will develop. I even thought Sherri’s storyline with Fez was funny. It leaves the door open for Wilmer to return.

The references back to the OG show. The split-screen moments. The extended 90210 daydream/fantasy sequence. The Circle. The screen change sequences (the one with Kitty and Leia in the beanie hats is my favorite!)

The Bad

The 10-episode format. To me the most glaring issue was the 10-episode format, which rendered the season far too short to develop any of the characters or plot-lines they’d set up to satisfaction. Now, in fairness, maybe this is just the order they got for season 1. If they are successful, perhaps a longer order can be made for season 2. But also - maybe not. A lot of Netflix shows are consistently 10-episodes only these days.

But That ‘90s Show had less than half the episodes That ‘70s Show had in its first season to develop character and interesting conflict - and it shows. I like where they were going with everything, but storylines often felt rushed or like a lot of jumping around had happened from one episode to the next (For instance, I thought the Leia-and-Jay dating story went really fast. One minute they were all will-they-won’t-they, Leia’s never kissed a boy, and then BAM they’re together, calling each other babe, and she’s sneaking him up into her room for make-out sessions. Whoa!). The characters felt underdeveloped, too, or like we only knew one thing about them - because we didn’t have time to learn more.

So I know this is unlikely to change, but my biggest gripe is that there wasn’t enough runtime. You have an interesting premise here, you’ve sucked me in. Now properly develop it.

The focus on romantic relationships. Related, the focus on Leia’s romantic relationships was not my favorite aspect. I actually liked how they started the thing with her and Jay - Jay’s a playboy, but he’s not being one with her. They should’ve developed that out through all ten episodes, and had him just give her her first kiss in like, episode 9 or 10. The twist with Nate at the end is kind of interesting and could still happen (but as it is, it comes out of left field... which, now that I think about it, is how Leia felt about it too, I guess).

Regardless, I am neither team-Jay or team-Nate. I didn’t think either couple like, blew me away with their chemistry (although I don’t think we’re meant to feel that way yet, as viewers). My favorite parts of the season were seeing Leia’s friendships blossom, with Gwen and with Ozzie mostly. I’d have liked this season to be more focused on that - and maybe she stumbles into her first kiss along the way by the end of the season, anyway, and there’s still a romantic cliff-hanger.

The timeline inconsistencies (and others). There were several - the most notable being the timeline around Jackie-Kelso getting back together and Jay’s existence, and Eric’s age (38? He was born in 1960 so he and Donna would be 35 in 1995) - and while I am disappointed, I am not surprised. 

These are the same showrunners who gave us 3 different birthdays for Eric during the run of the show. The same people who gave us 3 different stories about how/when Eric and Donna met for the first time. The same people who gave Donna 2 sisters and then - poof - magically wrote them off (including in That ‘90s Show lol - “There’s only one girl in the world with Bob as her dad, and Eric had to pick her!”). The same showrunners who had Hyde turn 18 two seasons before Eric. The same - you know what, I’m going to stop myself. The point is, this shit is nothing new. That ‘70s Show fans are used to setting their non-sensical mistakes aside and enjoying the show anyway. Their inattention to detail officially goes in the ‘Bad’ column, though. It’s frustrating.

Jackie and Kelso endgame. Well, this ended up being exactly as it was leaked to be, and Jackie and Kelso were on their second remarriage. I do not mind Jackie and Kelso together and do frankly find it realistic, but this isn’t the happiest ending for Ms. Jackie Burkhart. I thought their scene was pretty funny (we did get a “Damn, Jackie!”), albeit brief, but I had higher hopes for the state of their relationship based on some recent promo materials. I also wished we’d seen (1) Jackie, Kelso and Jay interact as a family, (2) Learned what Jackie and Kelso do for a living/a little bit of backstory as to how they ended up back in Point Place.

No on-screen character reunion. I am bummed that Eric and Donna didn’t interact with the Kelso’s - or with Fez! (I guess Donna did, briefly) Seeing this picture makes me want to see it so, so badly in season 2! I think we’re all curious as to what Eric and Donna’s relationship is like with Jackie and Kelso these days.

The Ugly

Hyde’s absence. I think any long-time fan of the show felt Hyde’s absence, and wondered about the character’s ending. The character’s ending is: totally open-ended, since he was not mentioned at all. Although it was painful to feel his absence, I preferred this to giving him an ending like prison or death, which would have felt like a fuck you to the actor but not fair to the character of Steven Hyde. Mostly because it allows us to fill in our own ending for him. I’m going to say that he finally moved to New York, and he’s happy out there. He keeps in contact with Eric and Donna still. 😊

A few side-notes: One, I have a feeling most of the OG cast actually supports Danny Masterson, so... yeah. Do with that sinking feeling in your heart what you will. But I doubt they will write him off in a mean way for that reason.

Two, I think they were in between a rock and a hard place with this. Honestly, if they’d written Hyde in, in any way, I’d feel squicky about it. Even an off-screen mention. But long-live the fan fiction, am I right?? I’ve already started to see some popping up 👀

Kitty’s moment. Kitty had a moment where I clapped my hand over my mouth (even though I literally knew it was coming), and that was when she called Leia, “That lying little bitch,” when Ozzie told her they were at a rave. It was very shocking, and very un-Kitty-like. Did not like.

(That said, I am not one who uses labels like out-of-character in a context like this. It’s not my character - it’s Debra Jo’s and the showrunners’. It’s a part of her character I didn’t like. And that’s okay. She was in a moment of huge stress, probably suddenly worried sick about her granddaughter. I have certainly had bad reactions to stress, too. As my girl Brene Brown says, “People get scary when they’re scared.”)

Overview

So, I mean... I have largely good things to say about That ‘90s Show, and it was a tall order man, because That ‘70s Show is my baby. And ain’t nobody finna touch my baby!!!

Was it perfect? No. Some of the little things were off, but it felt like overall, the big things were on. And that’s what’s important. I also feel invested enough in the new kids (definitely in Leia), and I think they have a lot of different directions they can take the rest of the series. So 4 out of 5 stars, and when can I expect a season 2 announcement, Netflix??? 😆

[violivs]

NMTDaily: BIRDS

- There he is, folks. My favorite fictional character ever. In his first solo episode. I cannot be held responsible for the level of fangirling that must now commence.

- I mean, I was a lonely teenage girl watching this show in 2014, and he was a cute, nerdy, dark-haired guy with an accent. It was a foregone conclusion, shallow though it might sound. There was no way I was watching this show and not loving Benedick. Including when he’s being cringy and over the top. And then we peel back the layers and see that “having a new friend every week” just means Ben is ALSO desperately lonely and self-conscious? I was toast. It was so over for me, from day one.

- I love that his header image is just a piece of paper with The Ben Show written in messy Sharpie and he’s still acting like he’s presenting the most exciting show ever. The confidence! His icon image being him kissing his reflection and the username “benaddicktion” are also strokes of genius. The cocky, overconfident characterization is so strong just based on those choices. Truly a teenage version of the character from the play.

- We must note the heinous laser cat t-shirt and how Ben is matching Beatrice with her Grumpy Cat t-shirt in recent videos. Love it. Another parallel- they both have extensive collections of nerdy and random t-shirts. AND they’re both cat people!

- Set dressing: Ben has a horse lamp for some reason, which reminds me of “Hero, it’s Darcy on a horse!” Beatrice, meet your very own personal Darcy. He’s just, you know, a lot less shy and buttoned-up than actual Darcy.

- He also has several sports trophies on his desk there, I like that he’s accomplished. Proud of you Ben! A good soldier becomes a good football player, modern adaptation choices! (I can practically hear Beatrice snickering about them just being participation trophies though lol)

- The trophies do remind me of another question: why does Ben never try out for sports at university in Lolilo? He can go intramural just for fun, he doesn’t have to be on a scholarship or trying to go pro. Maybe anxiety??? Maybe he just wasn’t feeling it anymore, or maybe he did try and didn’t make whatever team? *adds to social anxiety headcanon evidence list*

- I always wanted to know what book was on Ben’s bed, and someone in the comments has come through for me! It’s Children of Huron by Tolkien even though that cover art looks like it should be literary historical fiction about a tragic married couple who are lighthouse keepers. Which is also a valid literary genre!

- He also has Game of Thrones books, another connection to Beatrice and her interests. You know they must argue about whether the books or show are better at least once offscreen.

- He also has a little rubber duck dressed like Shakespeare (thank you again comment section for your eagle eyes), which has catapulted me back in time to one of the NMTD fandom’s finest early crack!posts: the Beneduck. Born of an unholy typo made by yours truly these many years ago. (I only made the typo, though, not the edit. Credits for that at the link lol. Miss you both, hope you’re well.❤️ ) You’re welcome. 😂

- “A story about birds”- this reminds me, Ben doesn’t seem as upset about all the bird killings as someone who loves birds would be, so does that mean him loving birds wasn’t set in stone yet? I sometimes wonder if I’m misremembering Ben liking birds because Jake likes birds. But the flamingos are canon so I guess it is canon.

- “easily the best driver in Messina High School, no matter what Beatrice says” Oh, Ben is absolutely only making a video about this topic because he and Bea had another argument about this recently. He’d be like, “I’m an excellent driver” and she’d say, “oh yeah, how many living things have you killed” and that’s the true “how many hath he killed in these wars” moment!

- This video is, of course, intentionally, very cringe. But Ben is so damn good at making it likable. Honest props to Jake, the comments in this video are all loving Ben already because he makes him so likable and fun to watch make a fool of himself.

- Not even 45 seconds into Ben’s first video and he’s already mentioned Beatrice TWICE. Speaking of it’s so over- he was literally always obsessed with her. It’s adorable.

- “obviously he’s quite nervous- but it’s all good! He knows he can do this ‘cause he’s great.” Oh my GOD there it is! There it all is! His entire character. Ben gets so nervous- anxious- and he gets through life by ignoring that feeling and having a big head. Because if he keeps telling himself he’s wonderful and perfect and confident, then he can make himself believe that’s true long enough to get through the scary thing. I love him.

- The fact that Ben definitely scripted this and hunted down all these props ahead of time though. The water gun for the rainstorm! It’s so cute and earnest of him. It reminds me a little of Lizzie Bennet-style costume theater, but it’s puppet theater instead. Good thing, too, because some of these stories sound like they were extremely visceral and gory in real life 😬

- “Bird death rua” Ben knowing a little Te Reo Māori reminds me of another backstory question: how long has Ben lived in A/NZ at this point? He’s lived in Auckland since he was 13, because that’s when he met Peter/Pedro, the year leading up to the summer he was 14 and met Bea. But did he live in another part of A/NZ before that for a while? Or did he come from the UK at 13? I just feel like the timeline is important for the “has a new best friend every week” thing, and actually it could make sense if they lived in the UK for his early years (he didn’t know the reference to an A/NZ little kids’ tv show the flatmates made in Lolilo because he was too old when he moved there to have ever seen it), but then also maybe bounced around different parts of A/NZ for a while before settling in Auckland- he was always the New Kid and that’s why he comes on so strong in friendships and never believes they’ll last. But it’s also very cute if Peter and Beatrice are his actual first friends he makes in A/NZ right after moving countries. I don’t know.

- Extremely funny to me that Ben is a Taylor Swift fan since the moment we meet him. The artist who is stereotyped for only writing about Ben’s supposed least favorite thing, romantic relationships. It’s not even like he gets into her music while he’s coming to terms with his feelings for Bea, no, he’s already singing I Knew You Were Trouble back when he says he hates relationships and romance. Actually, goddamn, that’s a good song choice for him right now, when he sees Bea as the ex-best friend who broke his heart. She’s the one he knew was trouble when she walked in! She’s the one who puts him down!

- Now I am admittedly not a pet person, but it seems unusual for a teenager to be taking the cat to the vet by himself. He doesn’t hold the pet insurance policy, right? So this is the first moment that shows Ben is actually really independent and mature on some levels (foreshadowing), and that his parents are very hands-off. That’s partly because of the “parents must be absent so the kid can have a plotline fully unencumbered by rules and adult interference” trope. But I also always interpreted Ben’s parents as loving but emotionally neglectful. And that also contributes to his anxiety, loneliness, and wild self-esteem fluctuations. (It suddenly occurs to me that this interpretation of it being unusual for a teen to be able to take a cat to the vet by himself might be colored by the fact that I had severe social anxiety as a teen, so I literally could not have gone up to a person working a desk and asked for what I needed in most contexts. If it’s normal for a teen to take a cat to the vet alone, then never mind. But I still hold these headcanons.)

- He dedicated the video to Hero and Bea! Oh he was definitely so nervous and hyperaware that Bea was on the sidelines that whole game and he doesn’t know why it genuinely made him happy that she was there. He’s being sarcastic here, but still! Cute.

- As mentioned in one of my other NMTDaily posts, Ursula helped edit this video and Ben thanks her in the description, and I love that for them. Ursula is probably relieved that Bea hates the video too much to bother reading the description, or she would be mad at Ursula for being friends with him.

- I still can’t watch this video without thinking of the song “Live in Living Color” from the musical Catch Me If You Can. Really, it’s literally the perfect MT song to represent this video. I should find and reblog my old NMTD as a musical fanmix just for fun.

- You see? A big long analytical post about a video in which my cringy dorkass boy pretends to gnaw a bird-shaped oven mitt to death. I can’t even help myself.

- I am so behind on these but i promise I’ll catch up!

💖🦩🥭

[millerflintstone]

I talked way too much earlier and my sore throat is keeping me up. Since sleep is non existent at the moment, let me tell you about GrammyC's next door neighbors, the sorta drama therein, and how I'm tangentially involved. (!)

I think these neighbors moved in either early 2021 or at the end of 2020. They're a married couple in their 60s. At the time, they also had their 5 year old granddaughter with them. I'll call the couple Becky and Bryan. The granddaughter was what pulled GrammyC in. She adores kids, saw that Becky had some mobility issues and would help her out with the kid.

Becky is super entitled. GrammyC loves feeling like she's being helpful and did not pick up that Becky was entitled. In addition to asking for help with the kid, she started asking GrammyC for rides to doctor's appointments, etc. No idea why her husband could not do these things. Becky also started asking GrammyC's husband for help around her house.

Well, apparently Becky also has a boyfriend, John. He is the reason she moved to Georgia. I am not clear on if Bryan knows John is his wife's boyfriend. I asked if they might be in a thruple but GrammyC does not think so.

John also does Becky and Bryan's accounting but I don't think he's an accountant. (???) I don't know what exactly that entails because Becky will ask businesses to not deposit her checks right away and gets bent out of shape if they can't accommodate her. (How did she meet this guy? Are you confused? I'm confused. Why he is not over there helping his girlfriend if hubby Bryan can't? What?)

After the granddaughter went back to her mom in FL, which is a totally different long and sad story, Becky asked GrammyC if her husband could come by and take down her bird feeder because it reminded her of her granddaughter and made her sad. This was in September after GrammyC found out that the reason why her husband was having balance issues was due to a small stroke. She had already told Becky about this, reminded her, and let Becky know that Bryan would have to do it. She also couldn't take Becky places because she had her own set of doctor's appointments to go to for herself and her husband's stroke rehab and she other health issues he's been having. Mind you, they're in their late 70s and are older than Becky and Bryan.

Becky did not like this at all.

One of the times I was over at GrammyC's in either late September or early October, I guess Becky noticed. The fact that I was over more than once and Becky did not get introduced to me pissed her off. Becky either texted or Facebook messaged GrammyC about how she didn't want her to take her anywhere anymore and basically ended the "friendship". She did mention not getting introduced to me as some type of affront I guess.

I'm still not 100% sure how I got dragged into this as a reason. I'm not even sure I have the whole story yet!

GrammyC had told me about Becky and Bryan in passing. I didn't get to meet the kid before she went back to FL and I had not met Becky or Bryan either. I just knew they were neighbors but I didn't realize the extent of GrammyC's involvement in Becky's life. I think the whole thing had been weighing on GrammyC and I got an earful. I've never been listed as a reason in a friend breakup 😂

My gut says Becky did not like having a boundary set, got weirdly friend jealous and then overcorrected. IDK. I'll try to iron out these details soon. I was letting her vent so I did not get too many questions in

[alj4890]

Sparks of Hope

(Thomas Hunt x OC) in a Choices Red Carpet Diaries Drabble

Thirty Kisses in Thirty Days Challenge with the prompt: a kiss shared underneath fireworks

Rating G for fluff

Masterlist

@hopelessromantic1352 @krsnlove @trappedinfanfiction @my-heart-beats-for-ya ​ @aworldoffandoms ​​ @flyawayboo ​​ ​​  @sophxwithers @twinkleallnight @tessa-liam @choicesficwriterscreations @harleybeaumont

A/N Special thanks to @trappedinfanfiction for requesting this couple with this particular prompt. I guess this is a sequel to this drabble a while back 😂 I loved the subterfuge Thomas and Amanda did in pretending to be in a romantic relationship. His family not only bought it, but it ended up being true in the end. For this drabble, the pair have been together for about five months or so and are going (with his pushy yet well intentioned parents, sister, and brother-in-law) to his cousin's wedding.

Hunt Family Home, Stowe, VT

"You're bringing Amanda with you to the wedding, right?" Susan asked.

Thomas rolled his eyes over his mother's need to remind him to bring Amanda with him wherever he went. It was as if she doubted he knew how to act in a relationship.

"Yes. You know she arrives tomorrow to travel with us to Ben's wedding."

"I know that." Susan rolled her eyes. "I only wanted to make certain that you weren't going to send her back home before the ceremony."

He didn't know why his mother was making such a big deal out of seeing his cousin get married, but here he was back in Vermont, instead of his Los Angeles home, and surrounded by his parents, sister, and brother-in-law .

"It would be a missed opportunity." His sister, Rachel, grumbled.

"A missed opportunity?" Thomas snapped, not particularly liking his sister's tone, "for what exactly?"

"Are you serious right now?!" Rachel snapped back. "Tell me you aren't this clueless."

"Rach." Her husband, Stephen, tried to get her to calm down.

"I can't believe you don't see it!" She ignored her husband pulling on her hand.

"See what?" Thomas raised his voice.

Before things got too out of hand, their father stepped between them.

"The wedding," Richard explained before his daughter had a chance to throttle his son, "is an excellent opportunity to bring up the subject of marriage."

"For what purpose?" Thomas demanded. "Ben must be all for matrimony since he's the one getting married."

"Idiot." Rachel smacked the palm of her hand to her head. "The purpose is for you to bring up matrimony to Amanda!"

She sat down in a huff.

"Honestly Mom, are you sure we're related."

"Trust me. I was awake the whole time. There's no denying the relation." Susan teased.

She leveled a disapproving stare upon her son. "Though I do wonder at times where our DNA failed in making you hurry Amanda to the altar before she has a chance to meet someone else."

Thomas had to bite his tongue. First off, he knew he shouldn't be disrespectful to his parent. Secondly, he couldn't very well admit that he'd only been truly dating Amanda for about five months, unlike the lie he gave last Thanksgiving that they'd been dating for a long while.

By his calculations, that meant that his family was still under the assumption that they were nearing their one year anniversary as a couple.

Though he was in love with the lady from Cordonia and could honestly see himself taking that massive step forward in their relationship, he didn't know what Amanda would think of the notion.

Weddings were highly emotional anyway, he argued with himself. Who could trust any decision made under an event practically dripping with romance and sentimentality?

He prided himself on being one of the few to see past the heartfelt vows and such. He'd attended a number of weddings in the past where he'd seen weaker individuals succumb to the moment and end up either engaged themselves or claiming they were madly in love with their dates. Most did not work out once the ceremony concluded.

He wasn't about to chance what he had with Amanda with a suggestion that they give it a try.

The problem he now faced though was keeping his family from suggesting it to her before he did.

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

Burlington Airport...

"There's that greeting I love." Amanda mumbled against his lips.

Thomas kissed her again before taking her luggage from her. "How was your flight?"

"Good." She looped her arm with his as they made their way out of the airport. "How's your family?"

He rolled his eyes in response.

Amanda began to laugh. "Oh no. What have they done this time?"

"Since they are still in the dark over when our relationship officially began," he grimaced with having to tell her what had been the main topic of conversation ever since he arrived a few days earlier, "they want me to take advantage of the wedding."

"Take advantage to do what exactly?"

He eyed her quietly.

Her eyes widened with realization. "Oh!"

She began to smile at the notion. "That's actually really sweet."

Thomas snorted while opening the passenger door for her. "More like manipulative."

"I think it's sweet. Clearly they see we're happy together." Amanda wrapped her arms around his waist, pulling him close for another kiss. "And they like me enough to want me as part of the family."

"They adore you." He deepened the kiss. "Almost as much as I do."

"I've missed hearing you say things like that in person." She sank into another kiss of his. "I love what always follows such declarations."

Thomas smiled against her lips.

"So?" She said a touch breathlessly. "Shall we at least pretend to give the notion of marriage a fair try or should we be upfront and say that you aren't quite there yet?"

"I think we should--" his eyes widened. "What do you mean, I'm not quite there yet?!'

"I don't mean anything other than that. Thomas, you've said yourself that you never saw the need to rush into any institution, especially marriage."

Amanda's brow furrowed over the dark expression forming on his face.

"What? Is something else wrong? Is it something I said?"

She didn't know why he would be upset. The entire world knew he preferred the life of a bachelor. He'd certainly said so in more than enough interviews in the oast to prove his point.

"I..." He trailed off as anger choked him.

Thomas refused to let his first moment reunited with the woman he loved be one where they argued.

He gestured silently for her to get into the car.

"Thomas?" She reached for him when he pulled away from her. "I didn't mean--"

"It's fine." He bit out. "Let's be on our way, shall we?"

Amanda reluctantly got into the car. She didn't know what to do or say when he was in this type of mood.

The two spent the next forty-five minutes in tense silence as they made their way back to his parents' home.

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

"Perhaps I should say I have an emergency back at home." She mumbled while helping get her bags out of the car. "Then, you won't have any worries over the wedding."

If her visit here was going to be like this, she didn't want to remain stuck in the same room with him, much less the suite he'd booked for them at the wedding venue. It was already killing her to be at odds with him, especially when she didn't understand what she'd done to make him so angry. She'd expected nothing but romance after nearly a month of their schedules conflicting and keeping them apart. Now that seemed as likely to happen as her sprouting wings.

Thomas jerked around in surprise. "I don't want you to go."

Her eyes narrowed. "You certainly don't act like you want me to stay either."

"Of course I do!" He snapped, slamming the trunk closed. "I've missed you, damnit!'

"I missed you too." Amanda fought back a smile over him cursing about it.

Thomas grimaced once more as he realized she was the last person he should be angry with.

It was himself he was furious at. He'd been the one to live his life in such a way that the moment he believed he'd possibly met the one, he'd given her the illusion that marriage was not for him. He didn't know how to rectify this assumption of hers without it appearing as if he was giving in to familial pressure.

"I apologize for my outburst." He tugged her into his arms. "I'm not angry at you."

"I hope not." She slid her arms around his neck. "Because I couldn't wait on seeing you again."

"Neither could I." He hugged her close.

His lips brushed against her ear as he whispered all he'd missed.

She moved closer within his embrace with each spoken attribute of hers he missed. She stopped his list with a heated kiss.

Stephen clearing his throat had them both turning to him with irritated expressions.

He held his hands up. "Sorry to interrupt, but I was sent out here to see what was taking you two so long and to help with the bags."

He quickly swiped up the luggage and led the way in.

Amanda went through all the warm hugs and questions from the family she'd gotten close to that fateful Thanksgiving. Thomas watched the interaction with a slight smile upon his face. His family truly loved her. He knew that if he were to ever feel the need to propose that they would be beyond overjoyed with his choice of wife.

Perhaps one day, they might all get what they wished for.

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

Lake Placid, New York, three days later...

"How do I look?" Amanda twirled around, checking all sides in the mirror. "Does the dress hang right in the back?"

Thomas stopped her twisting about by placing his hands on her hips. His eyes met hers in the mirror while he took in her figure.

"You look beautiful." He kissed the side of her neck.

"You're just saying that." She sighed as she critically took in her features. "I wanted to look my best tonight since I'm meeting your extended family for the first time."

"You do." He pulled her back within his arms when she huffed in disbelief. "I've always loved you in teal."

"You say that about every color." She teased, slipping her arms around him.

"I happen to love you in every color." Thomas admitted. "But there is something about teal that makes it my favorite on you."

"Really?" She smiled at him. "Then I'll just have to wear it more often."

He kissed her, softly groaning at the knock on their door.

"If that's my sister, she won't survive the rehearsal dinner." He muttered.

Amanda's laughter was smothered by another kiss.

Rachel's voice came loud and clear through the wooden door.

"We're going to be late! Mom and Dad already went downstairs!"

Thomas glared at the door.

His date eased out of his arms and gathered her wrap and clutch. Taking his arm, she tugged him out the door.

Ignoring the smug expression on his sister's face, Thomas followed Amanda towards the elevator.

He began to make plans for how to spend their first night in their suite as they all made their way to the wedding pavilion.

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

The night was filled with speeches, good food, and a great many toasts. Ben and his soon to be bride, Bailey, were everything a picture perfect couple should be. They never stopped smiling and they stole kisses every chance they got.

Guests soon took to the outdoor patio to dance and mingle.

"It's beautiful out here." Amanda leaned back in Thomas's arms to look up at the night sky. Stars twinkled above and shimmered on the lake's surface.

"Yes, it is."

He rested his chin on her shoulder while watching his family members. Everyone was distracted with either discussions or as in his parents' case, slow dancing. Though now was the perfect chance to slip back upstairs, he knew his family would never let him live it down.

"Would you like to dance?" He instead asked.

"I'd love to."

Thomas set his hand low on her back while taking her hand in his. He pressed her close while leading her in a slow box step.

The entire party stilled with the first firework shooting out over the lake.

Oohs and Ahhs followed with every burst of colorful light.

Heart shaped sparklers were passed around in honor of the bride and groom.

"How sweet." Amanda said to Thomas after Ben claimed that Bailey was his spark in life.

Thomas thought it was a corny line, yet kept that opinion to himself. He instead focused on Amanda's face lit up from the lights of the fireworks.

He tipped her chin up and pressed a tender kiss to her lips.

"Speaking of sparks," she teased him, kissing him once more, "I'm very happy you invited me to this, Mr. Hunt."

His lips curved. "I'm very happy you accepted, Lady Bridgerton."

She rested her head on his shoulder as the fireworks continued.

Thomas couldn't help but notice how right everything was at this moment. His family was distracted. He'd just shared a kiss with the woman he loved. The setting couldn't be more perfect to at least hint at what he hoped might happen soon.

"Amanda?" He murmured near her ear.

"Yes?" She looked up at him.

"I love you." He tugged her back from the crowd.

"I love you too." She bumped into him when he stopped in the shadows.

He cupped her face to kiss her passionately.

Amanda gripped his dinner jacket to remain upright.

Her eyelashes fluttered as she looked up at him.

Thomas swallowed and then spoke from his heart.

"I want this one day."

"Want what?" She asked a touch breathlessly.

"I want our loved ones around us, celebrating the fact that we are about to be married." He admitted.

"Thomas." She couldn't quite believe he said something like that.

Not one family member was near enough to hear what he was saying, so she knew it wasn't an act on his part. The flashes of colored light from the fireworks revealed his somber expression along with the vulnerability reflected in the dark depths of his eyes.

Knowing she wanted nothing more than that with him, Amanda rose up to kiss Thomas once more.

He clutched her to him, wishing she would say something to keep that spark of hope alive.

She smiled against his lips as their kiss came to an end.

"I want all that with you, Thomas." She told him. "And I can't wait until that day comes."

[practicalmagicintuitions]

Just saw people talking about Sebastian Stan and Annabelle Wallis, I’m not sure what is the general reaction to them. But I quite like Annabelle, she’s lovely. This proves that a lot of fans think that the actor owns them something that they are not allowed to date anyone ever, like literally ever.

Sometimes they do have valid points, but please keep in mind that in all of these toxic women the actor is the common aspect, this speaks volumes.

Also, for some reason, I recently saw pictures of CE and AB, I cannot see their pictures without thinking they are related 😂 It reminds me of these videos on tiktok where they show people pictures and they have to guess if they are siblings or couples. To me they are siblings 💀🏃🏼‍♀️

I kinda disconnected emotionally from all of these news when HC’s current relationship came to light and what was exposed after. She still gives me the ick not gonna lie, but it’s sooo boring at this point. And Henry isn’t doing himself any favours as well. I wish this could just end, either get married, which I don’t think it will get to that point with them, or just move on. WH isn’t happening for another 2 or 3 years, life is on low mode right now. I’m not bitter, but for some reason this has drained me, I don’t know why 🤷🏼‍♀️

I don't know much about Annabelle, but she seems normal and she is gorgeous. And they don't make a big fuss about their relationship which is always a good sign. No lovey-dovey Monopoly pictures or something. :D

CE and AB... another couple I don't follow but I have a strange feeling that he just wanted a young wife who can deliver many babies to him while he is working and building his career.. Usual Hollywood stuff...

I feel the same with HC. I am glad if they are happy in private but this is just so boring. I mean he doesn't even post about his projects. I wonder why... I think Highlander will never happen and that rom-com seems dead too. And WH... I feel... we won't really see that either.

Don't feel bad, he is just boring. I support him to be quiet about his relationship, especially after the disastrous start but he doesn't give a damn about his business either. Doesn't post about his movies, he doesn't have any contract with serious brands, he doesn't advertise perfume, car, watch, booze... NOTHING. Brands know too that he is not exciting enough.

[dreamwritesimagines]

Dreeeeeeeam omg girl! 💕💕💕

Ok I know I asked for it a couple weeks back but I wasn’t expecting all of it at once, we got the hands touching, we got a dance, we got a kiss, we got a love confession, we got a marriage proposal (kinda 😂) OMG THESE TWO ARE A ROLLERCOASTER (not that I’m complaining at all, bring it!!!!)

Also can I say this chapter reminded me of “The Viscount Who Loved Me” and I loved that book so much ❤️❤️❤️

I love the “we must get married and sort out our feelings in the process” trope and I love that you went with it, I’m expecting SO MUCH angst, god help me!!!

Also all this talk of Lottie/Anthony, as much as I’m on board with the ship, is making me miss my girl Chérie… ❤️ I guess I’ll have to read Enamored for the 47372828th time 🙈

Anyway you nailed it, as always, loved it, love you ❤️

Gab hiii my love! ❤️❤️❤️

Omg I actually wanted to tell you back then when you said you wanted those, how they all would come at the same timeee😂 And I was like "Nope, don't give any spoilers, it'll be more fun that way" 😂

I love that trope so much, it's one of my absolute favorites! 😍 And a looot of angst is on the way😈😏

Awww I miss Cherie too! 😍🥰❤️

Thank you so much for this, love youuuu! 😍😍❤️

[shyspider]

Hey! I saw you post something about a missing message or spam 😋 yeah that was me. I had a thing explaining that I’m Blue from archive of our own the twin tails and When sparks burn (if I remember that name correctly 😅) but I guess me re-deleting my account because my summer semester started last Monday and I erased it Saturday to start reading on my psychology book, microbiology, humanity’s 2, and intro to literature. I used to be on here in high school but when I started collage I kinda left. I was on here too much and was trying to distance myself from social media to focus and it helps resist the ADHD impulse to give in and log in to my account and scroll instead of doing whatever report or essay ect ect. But I still come on here every so often to check up on old friends like Deep-space-dukat and Horta-in-charge ect ect.

So just an explanation for that but basically my thingy was saying I’m Blue and when I was visiting back here I saw your profile and I wanted to pop in to say I loved the newest chapter of sparks burn you (and this one too with Optimus and megatron arguing like an old married couple during an effing battle) and I’m excited for the newest twin tails chapter! 😄squee! Also I wanted to show you a picture of my betta Takeda (who unfortunately developed a tumor on his right hill set and developed dropsy and passed away a couple months back. Apparently white, yellow, and pink bettas are prone to cancer because that coloring is so unnatural it’s a severely inbred trait and so is long fins which probably explains his temperament issues, having to black out his tank because he’d attack his reflection or rip up his fins) and I upgraded the tank from a 5 to 10 gallon and got Boreal a Samurai betta (I was going to get a wild type betta which live 10 years or hybrid betta 5-7 years. But caved and adopted Boreal which samurai betta and dragon scale betta are prone to diamond eye which is overgrowth of scales growing over the eye and causing blindness oof)

I miss Takeda, but I can say Boreal has short fins, a more natural coloration, and doesn’t seem to have any temperament issues. He’s so chill actually that I haven’t seen him flare once I can even leave the side of the tank uncovered that gives a reflection he puffs up a little at himself to look bigger but doesn’t attack or obsess and swims on (just a halfhearted one when I moved him into his tank he got startled), no self harm like fin biting so I’m not constantly medicating him or rearranging his tank, and he gets along with snails. p.s. But yeah Takeda’s high strung and aggressive attitude plus being so nit picky over decor as he’d inspect every new decoration and or flare at something if he didn’t like the position of it reminded me of Sunstreaker in twin tails 😂

Hi Blue!!!!

Everyone! Look at Blue's fish! So pretty ❤️🖤💛💜🩵

I totally understand taking breaks from social media. I do it all the time. I wish you the best of luck this semester ✨

Thank you 💚 I'm glad you liked what I put out there. I'll be updating Twintails as soon as I'm done replying to comments.

I only have a modest amount of knowledge on fish and their upkeep (kept koi in an 80 gallon. I moved around a lot, so I had to find them a new home) but today I learned inbreeding of fish are a thing - so a quick thanks for teaching me something new (I always love it when people share their passions with me. I always end up learning something new.)

I've seen betta flare and puff, and I have to admit, whenever I write the mers doing the same thing, I think of bettas. THOUGH sometimes I think of bluegill and how they'll flare their dorsal up, and you get a row of spines. And Sunstreaker would get all huffy at stuff he didn't like in his enclosure - that is, if the aquarium he was held in even bothered to give him a more natural-looking tank.

[a-spell-a-rebel-yell]

2023!!!

phew, we made it into another new year, huh!? hello lads and lasses, hope you're all doing good out there.

it's January 2023 at last, and as always i'm late to post this one. oh well. it's a tradition now. (i swear i made sure i remember to put this one out on Jan 31, but i had lots of patients that day, so yeah) so, i owe you guys a few things to tell (and overshare) about!

first week of January i got to spend time with my cousins, including the Brisbane based one, and guess what good news she brought with her? she's getting married!!! 💗 remember the boyfriend that got through my inspection/test? yep that's the lucky guy! the timing is perfect, the engagement and wedding will be held at Bandung aka my favorite city ever in this world (purely for sentimental reasons, discounting the insane traffic), and i'm just so excited + happy! we didn't get to hold a sleepover because of time limits but we did spend a day to make eggnog, which turned out not that bad, and it was due to our mistake in using cooking cream instead of following the recipe with heavy cream 😂 in our defense, finding heavy cream isn't easy and it's pretty expensive!

mid January is just like how the time range described: it's pretty mid as in not much happened. it's proper rainy season now and i love it! i'm not bestfriends with the sun so some cloud awnings throughout the day is just my type of weather hehe

last week of January is marked with a friend's wedding trip with a couple of my friends! this is actually the first time i went on a journey to another city to attend a friend's wedding and to make it even better it's like an upgraded version of sleepover at the hotel. the city with the honor was Sukabumi, and everything there reminds me of my hometown Tasikmalaya (which is only two hours away) the wedding was on a Saturday so me and a friend took a travel minibus on Friday morning so we'll have time to rest a bit, explore the city and its culinary goodness. i guess spending quality time catching up with friends until late night is one of the best things you can do in this world??? we talked just about everything and my favorite topic is how we may have to face so many challenges on our path, but we strode on anyway, and here we are, experienced it all. proud is an understatement. then on d-day we ate even more food, met lots of people, all in all just having a great time together 🥺 sadly because of work we all had to go back to Jakarta right after the wedding. only spent 30 hours with each other but it feels like a week, it was lovely i didn't want it to end huhu

1/12 of 2023 done and the more i think about it the more i feel like i'm getting even more steady. i know this sounds a bit cryptic but context doesn't matter here anyway. my hypotheses one by one are proven correct and i'm glad i decided to trust time, time is indeed my best friend. missing puzzles have begun to resurface, i'm finally getting the answers i've been looking for for years, though just bits it still mean a lot to me. things are changing, progressing, and i hope it's all for the better. the best is yet to come! 💙

on another note, 2023 starting means i have one mission on going that i can't disclose here, but just needing you guys to wish me luck hehe. if i made it i'll tell all about it later 😁 see you on the next month's post!

[accio-victuuri]

CPN : 071722 LRLG Rumor Clues 🕵️‍♀️

If you are not familiar with LRLG, I explain it here. We’ve all been waiting for something like this and it has arrived! It may seem confusing because of the conversations with absolutely no context ( which is how these things usually are ) so it’s mostly BXGs who try to fill in the gap.

This is gonna be all over the place because the original post is also like that 😂. You can go back here once the account allowed to make english translations share it so it will make more sense. Or you can start now, it’s your choice LOL.

• My favorite part is the bickering! HAHAHAHA! It reminds me of their CQL days when they just won’t stop. Maybe it’s their form of flirting ( still to this day ). I swear. These two ⬇️⬇️⬇️

💚 "Are you going to visit me this afternoon?"

♥️ "No, there is work"

💚 "what"

♥️ "secret"

💚 "okay I know"

//

♥️ "You really know what you don't know

💚 "I really know"

♥️ "how do you know"

💚 "I just know"

♥️ "Then you just don't know"

💚 "Yes, yes, I don't know, I don't know

This is also me when answering people why I believe that they are SZD— I just know. Some are also speculating this could be talking about a birthday gift or a surprise. Like Yibo is saying he knows something is going on.

• There is a part where GG’s staff helped Bobo shoot something. At this point, I’m not even surprised. Ee have noticed similarities in their studio’s outputs. We CPN that they share resources— so this affirms that. What’s funny is GG said “you are using my staff!” / “pay the salary!” LOL. So we don’t know when this was but a popular guess is the infamous hotel CPN.

XZ’s WYB’s

There are other sections in this, once translated, you will see the proof that their staff is basically blended. I mean, Yibo practically lets his bodyguards prioritize XZ over him so this should not be surprising.

• LRLG put a line in there that said which one of them bought a Garlic Q ( character ). LRLG sometimes does this, they put a line that is not part of the conversation as an additional clue. Well, this bizarre looking character? My money is on XZ. 🤣 He is the type to find the creepiest looking things as cute.

• The aromatherapy makes a comeback. Lol.

Staff 1: "This is the aromatherapy that xx brought back, it is said to be super expensive"

Staff 2: "It's worth looking at the packaging"

If you all don’t remember, this is the incident why BXGs are sensitive to it. Well now that person sends him actual aromatherapy stuff. What an upgrade!

• And you have a short part like this, it’s just 🟢 talking in here. It’s so familiar. Implying that they share a house. Well. In our clown dreams they do.

🟢 “Buy clothes"

🟢 "Black and white T (shirt), there is so little space on the shelf"

• This part also said by Yibo, it could be he was talking to GG about that Ultraman costume that went on HS. Understandable because that one really got so much heat so it will come up in conversation. and it’s a classic GG reaction to laugh/tease him 😂

🟢 "What are you laughing at?”

🟢 "It's okay, it's just hot"

That is all for now cause not much “analysis” is in this contribution. There are a couple of moments in here that displays married behavior ( like taking care of each other ) and it’s better to have the full translation to enjoy it. It is good old LRLG sharing snippets of their lives to us. To those who are having FOMO, don’t worry, there is no big revelation in this one.

BONUS: I LOVE HOW LRLG USES “🥺” TO DESCRIBE YIBO’S FACE!!!!! HAHAHAHAHA! Because that’s how most of us react when we see him. Yibo is just so 🥺🥺🥺.

[ichayalovesyou]

Hey, do you have any wishes/headcanons for how the Chapel/Korby situation should play out in SNW?

I just rewatched "What are Little Girls Made Of" and apparently Korby has been missing for 5 years in 2261, Chapel was his student (?) at some point and she seems to genuinely love him. How do you think they will fit their engagement into the plot?

Oooh! I AM SO GLAD YOU ASKED! 🤩

I think, given Roger’s been missing for 5 years, TOS starts in 2265-66ish, which means Korby goes missing a couple years after the premiering season of SNW (2259)

My guess is that Spock and Chapel are gonna either have an outright falling out, or Christine will learn to accept that Spock can not love her back in season two (or maybe three, I’m getting the vibe the seasons aren’t a year of in-world time) of Strange New Worlds.

And that Roger will absolutely be her “bounce back” boyfriend, then fiancé. We already know he is a man of science with a vested interest in robotics. Not only that but they’re already familiar with each other so maybe she had a very “Don’t Stand So Close To Me” style crush to begin with!

Chapel probably: What’s that?? An emotionally distant science nerd that I needed to hide my feelings from for professional reasons you say? 👀 Eh! That sounds enough like Spock!

I love Chapel really I do but she is MESSY, and I love her because she’s messy!

It wouldn’t surprise me if she changed her tune from “no attachments because it hurts” to “oh my god you remind me of this one guy who doesn’t love me back. That I am totally over and definitely not coping with not being with by being with you instead by clinging to my college crush on you… Do you want to get married???” and Korby, as we know, says “uh? YES!” 😂

Cue a solid season/half-season of hilariously insufferable and/or possibly very cute Christine/Roger content. We’ll get to a point where she’s pretty much over Spock and genuinely in love with Roger. Before we get a violent tonal change of Roger going MIA and presumed dead. Chapel is completely devastated about it because she JUST got over Spock and was learning to get attached to the idea of being attached. 😢

It is then, and ONLY then, poor Christine will hopefully finally have a character arc at least somewhat independent from her trainwreck of a romantic life! Hooray! 🥳

[reginacyrkonia]

Hi! I'm in love with ur couples valentine's pics❤. Maybe are u interested in start series "Olive Specter go marry" and post her wedding photos with late husband's?

Hi Anon! 💗

Thank you! I love Olive Specter and I think that's a great idea! I'd love to do the photos... maybe for the next Valentine's day? If I forget about that - please, remind me later. 😊

Now I need to focus to end 2nd season of PV.... and try to be not too distracted by Strangetown... 😂😂 which is already too hard for me I guess...

[carewyncromwell]

How about an alternate love interest for carewyn?

LMAO, I kind of hate myself for saying this, considering how super popular he is with the fandom...but Talbott. 😂

I'm sorry, I’ve considered other endgame ships in the past for Carewyn like Chiara/Carewyn and Diego/Carewyn, and they are both friggin’ adorable...but whenever I write Carewyn and Talbott interacting, they always have such fun platonic chemistry, it wouldn't be too much of a stretch to see them being not so platonic. The stuff I wrote for them in the second half of my Lone Wolves roleplay series really accents this --

Carewyn: “(curiously) So…what are you?”

Talbott: “Hn?”

Carewyn: “Your Animagus form.”

Talbott: “(smirks) What do you think?”

[Carewyn raised her eyebrows. Talbott’s smirk broadened, to reveal teeth.]

Talbott: “Indulge me.” 

[Trying not to smile amusedly at him throwing her own words back at her, Carewyn considered this.]

Carewyn: “(airily) Hmm…well, I could see you as a Doberman.”

Considering your habit of biting people’s hands off.

[Talbott actually gave a loud snort. One could’ve mistaken it for genuine laughter, but he tried to cover it up as something more derisive. The reaction actually made Carewyn smile a bit more broadly despite herself.]

Carewyn: “But judging by that reaction, I reckon that’s way off. Your mother was a swan, so you could be a bird of some kind…but considering you’re so opposed to Quidditch and flying, I have a bit of a hard time seeing that…”

Talbott: “(coolly) I said I’m not interested in Quidditch friendlies. I never said I didn’t like flying.”

Carewyn: “(amusedly) Aha! A bird it is, then. Thanks for the hint. Care to give me any more?”

Talbott: “(very dryly) Nope. One’s enough.”

Carewyn: “(smirks) Hn! If you’re a swan yourself, I guess you’d have to be a mute one.”

[Talbott once again snorted loudly. This time, though, he was having a lot of trouble keeping the smirk off his face, which likewise made Carewyn smile.]

I ultimately think Talbott and Carewyn would probably be way too serious of a pair-up (I mean, seriously, get these two some sunshine stat!!)...but that doesn’t mean I couldn’t see them being a pretty good couple, if they got together. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not taking down the Carion shipper flag anytime soon, because ultimate sunshine man Orion really helps Carewyn find some peace and contentment and pursue better psychological health, which she severely needs -- but after giving it some thought, I’ve decided that, of all of Carewyn’s friends, Talbott is probably the one who’d be the best choice for “alternate love interest.” He’s one of the few who can make Carewyn laugh a lot with his equally dry, witty sense of humor, but he’s also blunt enough to call her out on her crap, intellectual enough to engage her interest, and encouraging enough that he wouldn’t subconsciously push her perfectionism any harder the way that people like Andre do. And on the flip side, Carewyn is able to tap into Talbott’s feelings very deeply with both her strong Legilimency potential and highly developed empathy, making it so she can easily understand and articulate Talbott’s feelings when he has trouble saying the right words, and she shares his strong desire to make the world better and prevent other innocent people from being hurt the way she and Talbott were. Plus they honestly are the types who’d prefer a quiet existence rather than anything flashy or loud. There would admittedly be a bit of a conflict of interest in the working world if these two were a couple, since I see Talbott as an Auror and Carewyn as a lawyer who work together rather frequently -- but yeah, their career paths would still match up really well too. I’m kind of reminded of how Barbara Gordon in Batman Beyond ended up becoming a police chief who was married to Gotham City District Attorney Sam Young. 😆  I also personally headcanon Talbott on the “A” side of the LGBT+ community, just like Carewyn and Orion are (though I headcanon Talbott as demi, Carey as ace/pan, and Orion as gray-A), so that matches up too! 💜🤍🖤

Alternate Love Interest Ask!

[theplacesshesees]

Bag•yo (Baguio) • 122021

I will always be in awe of the cold breeze that chills me literally down to my core, the warmth and kindness of the locals, and the beautiful city lights at night that rests on top of the hills. Too dreamy, I know!

En route to the city is a five-hour drive from Manila. Since moving here for work, we would sometimes decide to go to Baguio on the day, pack our bags and go (lol). We’d come back every year, just to explore the city, move in a different environment just for a bit and then spend the night. We even went one time without securing a place to stay (please don’t do it, it was so stressful!!! i swear!!).

They say that Baguio City has this kind of a “curse” where couples’ relationship won’t last long if they visit the city together. Back in 2018 when we were just a new couple, we visited the city and we fought at that time when we were about to go home. LOL In 2020 pre-pandemic, we came back in Baguio as 2 people who were trying to fix their broken relationship (we broke up in new year lol). I really thought the curse would work on us at that time. 😵‍💫 Fast forward to 2021, we planned on going for our fourth anniversary and since we’re travelling during a different situation (with travel requirements, QR Codes, Vaccination cards and all), we really have to sort everything — from Hotels, to bus tickets and travel registrations. Tbh, I wasn’t the one who organized everything, it was Ferny 😋 (syempre, may plans pala! 🙈)

This trip is definitely the most memorable. Ferny got a reservation in one of the most romantic yet chill restaurant for our anniversary dinner date, I got tipsy from a margarita that I drank in Kamp, and got engaged in the middle of Session Road. Crazy, I know!!! Just like that, I’m getting married (but not too soon) with my person!!!

Anyway, I’m posting this a day after our first monthsary of being engaged lol 😂 It’s funny how things just works. Four years ago, I didn’t think that I will trust someone and love again, let alone believe in marriage but here we are. I guess things that are really meant for you will find you. God-willing, it will. 🤍✨

So here’s me and Fern just minutes after I said “yes, of course”. Our eyes tell 😅

••••

dear you,

remember those nights when you’ve cried so hard over a heartbreak? you thought you won’t get over it but you did, you got through the pain and you survived.

may this post be a reminder that every rejection is a redirection. you are meant for something greater and better, just trust the process and put your faith in the Lord, He will not fail you.

••••

[fizzydrink698]

I just downloaded the tumblr app specifically because I have so many thoughts on consort three and I would rather put it as one giant ask instead of like 38 tiny ones 😅 tbh I’m probably going to end up sending a bunch of followup thoughts anyway but maybe it will reduce the number to like 17 or something 😂 Also warning this is definitely going to be VERY long:

(1) Did Felix ever actually tell reader that he only ever wanted to have sex with her? I am guessing not because that wouldn’t be viewed as proper but it seemed like he previously was pretty open with her? I’ve just been kind of struck in the last couple parts how little she seems to think about/feel bad about leaving him, so it’s left me wondering if she actually knew how deeply into her he was? Like I don’t sense she was feeling too much guilt over sleeping with Minho and Felix only pops into her mind when she gets a visual reminder of his absence, and I feel like if she knew she definitely would feel worse

(2) Does Minho have friends or like any sort of actual confidante? He seems super isolated. Like he’s trying to make the best decisions based on the info he has, but he has no one to talk over his problems with and everyone is just kind of angling to get something from him. Maybe that person was Felix?? That would be super tragic if Minho lost his one true friend because of this marriage debacle 😞

(3) I really enjoyed getting some more info on reader’s personality. One of my biggest pet peeves when reading (warning, small rant ahead) is it seems like in recent years we made a jump from mcs always being Mary Sues to mcs now being special edition, superwoman Mary Sues in the name of *female empowerment*. And the character always ends up being pretty much perfect, but now her only flaw is that she is just too a headstrong for/too ahead of her time, and this usually includes her having one single hobby that is not a “traditionally female” hobby while she side-eyes things traditionally viewed as “female”. So whenever I’m reading a female character, I’m always on the lookout for well-written female characters with actual flaws and complexity, and consort is definitely delivering that with reader 😀

(4) This is related to (3) but I think the exploration of power dynamics was really interesting in this chapter. I was thinking earlier about that scene in consort ii where Minho kisses her with a little more feeling and she immediately kind of rejects it, labeling it as pity. And I thought that was interesting because my read on the facts of that situation was that his action was just affection? Like she had just actively initiated a kiss with him and she was using her limited knowledge to make him feel good, and he was just like in his feels in that moment about it? But with the environment she grew up in, she has such a hard time not viewing everything as some sort of power-play (maybe because, as she says, the concept of equality is dangerous) which makes it impossible for her to have any sort of actual relationship with her husband. Like her preoccupation with trying to have control in her relationship is actually keeping her from having control/being settled in her relationship. (Also, side note, I wonder if her desire for power will ever translate into a dom!reader/sub!minho scenario 👀)

Tbh I have more thoughts but I’m going to stop myself now because this is already so long 😬 ugh I love consort so much -🍁

give me allll the follow-up questions, i adore them 🥺

ok, let’s break this down!

1. I think the big thing with Felix and reader is that while they were pretty open about having a lot of affection for each other, they were also very much assuming they’d get married. why would felix need to make any big dramatic declaration of feelings when he ‘knew’ they’d get married? a lot of things were left unsaid, and then suddenly reader is engaged to someone else and felix…well, felix left. there’s a lot of things they need to talk about now.

2. Minho is very much aware of how important being the crown prince’s ‘friend’ is to the court, and i don’t know if you can tell, he’s a bit of a bitch towards social-climbers. I’ll just say he knows people have agendas, but also that being alone without allies in court is a bad idea. As for who he can turn to about marriage problems…yeah. his best option for that is currently brooding on the coast 😔

3. I have a big pet peeve for historical fiction heroines that are…like, viewed as “ahead of her time”. doesn’t like girly skills, doesn’t like corsets, doesn’t want to get married bc ~freedom~. it just feels very off. mostly bc my actual field of study is in history, and i read a shit-ton about real women who did embroidery and wore corsets and got married, but were also so fucking smart and witty and accomplished. both is good. both is great.

4. I really liked that little moment. idk, reader is so constantly wary of being made a fool or being condescended to or being viewed as weak. she wants power but she also wants to earn it. anything less is a trap and she won’t fall for it. in that moment, affection from minho felt like he was humouring her, along the lines of just telling her what she wanted to hear. she’s fun, i enjoy her.

AND DOM!READER/SUB!MINHO?? i die. am dead. i’m not gonna lie, when reader thinks back to their wedding night, the specific details she remembers are interesting. it’s interesting to see what her mind keeps hold of and focuses on 😇😇

(and for further details about this, i would recommend having a lil re-read of consort 1 when reader is talking about her nightmares before the wedding. that last type of ‘nightmare’ in particular. hmmm.)