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wowthatsextra · 1 year ago

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how would you rank the seasons of the oc?

(oh and btw i'm working on your ask, i just love so many of ryan' scenes, so it's hard to find specific ones)

Well I adore all the seasons but my ranking goes a little weird. There are first and second halves bc I can't decide full seasons lol

Season 1 is the best obviously. The classic class dynamics, the characters being babies and just starting off their development, the Cohens accepting Ryan and the beginning of Ryissa and Sethmer/the core four. I remember watching the first two episodes being like- yeah they always fight and burn shit down, this show seems like my thing. Thank you @closetfascination for recommending it xD. The Oliver storyline was so intense and all of the conflicts in that season is so entertaining and dramatic, even though there were ones that didn’t age well- like Luke's gay dad or Hailey's stripping.

Then I'd say Season 2B. Mostly because Seth and Summer and Ryan and Marissa coming back together as couples and as the core four. The Mallpisode was great! The whole "save Trey" drug bust storyline was cool too- I basically gasped when Seth and Ryan are talking in the kitchen and Seth is like, are you disappointed Trey is selling drugs after everything you did for him? And Ryan is like he isn’t, he only confessed to the police to protect Marissa. Seth asks how do you know? Ryan says, because I was about to do the same. It was painful to see the SA storyline and how it impacted Ryissa. Loved Marissa and Alex's relationship in the beginning but didn’t like how they treated them later on- I get that they were getting homophobic backlash but they didn’t have to casually homophobic too :( Julie and the revenge porn situation was so icky although I did like that she was about to kill Caleb for money but saved herself from doing it but he died anyways lol. The comic book storyline was so ridiculous it was funny. And of course, Kirsten's deterioration was the hardest but it made so much sense.

Season 3A. I love how the season starts off them facing external battles (expulsion, scrutiny) but internally going strong. The core four was ride and die for each other! Sethmer planning to go to college together was so cute, and I like that despite being horrible to Ryan, Julie stayed loyal to Kirsten and protected her and the town from Charlotte's scam. It ends with the core four successfully getting Marissa back into Harbour which is very sweet! I didn’t like the Taylor/Dean Hess storyline but him getting kicked out was satisfying and even though Taylor started out annoying, I grew to like her when she started befriending and helping them. I even liked Marissa's public school storyline until the Johnny thing became too depressing.

Season 2A. Loved Seth and Ryan being back but the whole season is Kirsten and Sandy slowly facing issues and it was so painful to watch :( Marissa had it rough with her mom and Ryan leaving and DJ, but her dynamic with Alex started off really fun. I liked Lindsay's character and her relationship with Ryan and the reveal that she was Caleb's daughter but the aftermath was painful as expected. Sethmer started off kinda flaky and shaky but they got better eventually.

Then 4. It starts off dark but I'm glad they took the time to honour Marissa. It feels like a different show but I loved it. Ryan and Taylor's entire relationship is so funny and sweet and I love that Ryan got to be a little lighter this season. Sethmer getting engaged was funny but also a little frustrating. This season would've been higher because I was mostly happy and carefree watching it but it's so low because Frank's introduction was so suspenseful and fun but they ruined it for me by making it another "let's forgive abusive parents for doing the bare minimum". I loved the ending though- Julie getting her degree, Sandy and Kirsten having another baby, independent Summer, Sethmer married and Ryan helping that kid. It was also funny when Chris Pratt was in love with Seth for two seconds lol

Season 3B. It's the last one because it is the most painful lol (Ryissa breakup, everything about Johnny, them being in random relationships especially Marissa and Volchok ew and her eventual death) but I really love it too. Summer and Marissa officially becoming sisters was cute. The post-breakup friendship between Ryan and Marissa came naturally to them without the romantic expectations. Ryan's jealousy arc with MV was so fun- I always howl in the scene where Ryan and Sadie are hooking up in the poolhouse and Seth yells from outside that Marissa is hooking up with Volchok and the scene cuts to Ryan letting Sadie out because "the mood is ruined"- and ofc the prom and the aftermath. Ryan learning about Theresa's baby and putting up boundaries with Jess was cool to watch. Sethmer breaking up over college was frustrating and sad but glad they got back together and Seth smoking weed and burning down Sandy's office was so funny. Kirsten almost relapsing was sad and I'm glad Sandy finally prioritized family over the hospital.

Finally ugh 😭 sorry for keeping this hanging for so long! I'd respond to the other asks soon <3 best wishes!

#thank you!#ryanatwoodenthusiast #ask #ryan atwood #marissa cooper #seth cohen #summer roberts #the oc

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mischas · 1 year ago

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Another long ask 😅 Do you have any thoughts on how Marissa and Alex's relationship (+Ryan's involvement) should've been like? Like obviously Ryan was gonna be in the picture and the one she had a superior connection with overall but what if MA were given time and space to breathe and how it would've looked like with RM's dynamic.

I do feel like the whole discussion around Marissa's sexuality had to be different. It was mostly just fetishizing (Seth) and invalidating (the whole phase talk with Julie- AND Kirsten who's supposed to be the supportive open-minded mom). Yeah it's a product of the time but it's also a product of homophobia (or specifically lesbophobia, with the male gaze thing).

I don't remember her ever finding any of the "gay" jokes funny (like Seth's jokes about Luke for shaving his chest) but she also knew Luke used gay and queer as insults at both Ryan and Seth but didn’t exactly say anything even though she was uncomfortable. I also find it interesting when in Season 3 Volchok makes a comment about something (prom? I can't remember rn) being gay in a derogatory manner and Marissa doesn’t look too comfortable but she also doesn’t say anything about it specifically. I guess what I'm trying to say is Marissa has had to see a lot of casual (and not eo casual) homophobia growing up AND after her realization/coming out but didn’t stand up to it for understandable reasons and that would've been an interesting thing to explore.

I'm in the middle of my s2 rewatch (specifically the MA storyline) so it's interesting you bring it up. I think, first off, that it was never in the cards for Marissa's sexuality to veer off course but I'm really glad it did. The MA arc is mostly done so well so credit where credit's due, but this isn't a show that was mapped out from the beginning. So it can't be tracked in s1 with her facial cues or anything. I do think there's an annoyance but passivity with Luke's bullshit comments that come from being a teen in the 2000s and also living in this conservative, isolated community (that is extremely pulled back in s2 so we don't get that kind of social commentary again, unfortunately). She calls Luke out but only to a certain extent. I think shit like that was just so commonplace in 2003 and especially in an insulated community such as that. 112 really touches on how big of an ~event~ it is that Luke's dad is gay.

Seth's homophobia and biphobia in 209 really tick me off, as does Kirsten's attitude in 214. Kirsten for the reasons you mention and Seth in particular because his schtick is supposed to be seen as funny and it just comes off horrendously offensive now. (As do AB's comments in the press at the time. Basically it seems all the men behind the scenes were getting their rocks off watching the 214 MA kiss.)

As for KV I think his casual homophobic comment and her specific reaction is more her feeling disillusioned with this guy she's choosing to spend time with than a deliberate nod to her identity. But of course it makes no sense that she goes back to him at the end of 322 after realizing she wants more for herself. That whole arc is designed to isolate and punish Marissa/Mischa from everyone else, though, so should be taken with a grain of salt.

I think, considering all the casual homophobia Marissa did in fact hear and see growing up, all that we see when she's 16 at least, it doesn't seem like that's impacted her all that much when it comes to exploring her feelings for Alex. But s2 gives her character so little to do beyond being angry/sad/aggrieved with Julie that it's hard to believe the writers were taking much of her history into context. Marissa's scene with Summer in 211 where she does some thinking about what it means to "graze noses" with someone you never would've guessed you'd want to graze noses with is done well, though.

If MA had been given a longer arc I would've liked to see Marissa move back home while staying in the relationship with Alex and seeing how that works afterward. Pushing that kind of dynamic on them so soon was their kiss of death, but so was making Ryan single again. It would've been cute to see Ryan do the pining a bit longer considering she pined for him until meeting Alex. I think the general framework of 'Marissa feels the emotional, historical pull to Ryan' thing is accurate to her character but it should've been stretched out to at least four or five episodes. Not two!

#ask #wowthatsextra #marissa x alex

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larauthorized · 4 years ago

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Marissa Cooper Analysis

Coop, as Summer calls her. Or Cosmo Girl as Seth refers to her in his comic book. The girl next door whom Ryan first met in that driveway, delivering the most iconic flirtatious pick-up line in history. Yup, we’re going to dive deeper into the one and only Marissa Cooper, the heart of the show, who’s sadly misunderstood and overlooked even in The OC fandom. (Also, because she’s not here to defend herself, but we got you, girl!)

She’s introduced as the rich girl next door, who’s waiting to be picked up by her possibly first, long time boyfriend in the driveway. Later on, we find out that she’s not just the ordinary girl next door. She’s organized and loves planning events (the fashion show was the start of many), while it may seem like she’s only doing it for her mother’s sake, but you can tell that she really enjoys it as it becomes another way of escapism from her dysfunctional family (other than drinking that we’ll get into that later). She does this every season that when she’s kicked off the school even for heroic reasons, that’s when everything starts spiraling out of control that she loses herself.

Now let’s talk about Luke, Marissa’s first, long-time boyfriend who happens to be a water polo guy that Seth might or might not hold hatred for. From the first season, we get to see a glimpse of how her family, well, Julie mostly, is the kind of rich family that forces her to be and stay with Luke just because they “look good on paper”. It reminds me of Blair and Nate from Gossip Girl, another one of Josh Schwartz’s big hit show. However, Marissa doesn’t seem too happy with the rich life that she’s used to, especially when she knows that her father is possibly in deep trouble as cops keep showing up at her door. Enter Ryan. He’s an outsider, someone who’s far different than her, someone that she longed for in years. She’s intrigued, that one is hard to deny. However, when they start talking and conversing in each other as they sneak into the Model Home house, she realizes that they’re not that different, if anything, they’re similar. In a way.. But, when Cotillion comes around, she doesn’t know what to do, as Julie once again, demands that she stays with Luke just because they’re “picture perfect” (doesn’t matter if the guy cheats and whores around behind her back like the asshole he is *sigh*). And if we’re not going to blame Blair Waldorf for letting Nate cheat on her and still choose to be with him, then we’re not going to shame Marissa, either. Yes, we went there. (take that, Bustle and TheTalko!).

Marissa’s addiction. That one is possibly one of her worst traits, that the writers loved toying around with throughout the seasons. She tends to go overboard with this one as we see on the very first episode where she steals a whole bottle of alcohol and is left on the driveway, passed-out. This is where Ryan comes in, carrying her back to the pool house, indirectly claiming as her savior *this goes both ways for each other throughout the series, by the way*. Her alcoholism isn’t just the only thing that occurs whenever her life’s on downward spiral, it’s also shown in her bedroom sometimes. When she’s on a grey area with her life emotionally, she reflects it on her bedroom, that soon leads to be a makeover project by her best friend, Summer. Summer describes this as a reason why she’s so depressed, which psychologically speaking, can be accurate. Messy rooms are sometimes interpreted as one’s life not being as organized as they expect it to be, therefore they tend to think that “if my life is out of control, then what’s the point of keeping my room clean”? This is definitely what happens to Marissa.

Her addiction doesn’t even get too much until Season 3. Even after what happens with Ryan’s brother, we rarely see her taking a drop after, Ryan says and I quote, “You’ve been amazing,” She replies with, “I know what it feels like to have someone believes in you when no one else does.”

Aside from negative coping, she’s not only known for that, if you’re actually looking closely into her character and not just judging it based on the cover. She’s an avid reader, though it’s barely shown, but we see her having her nose buried in a book every once in a while. Now that I think about it, that and many other positive qualities that she has, should have been focused and explored way more. She’s organized and carries planner whenever she needs to, she’s clearly more than the girl who needed saving if only the writers see that. Cause then maybe, people won’t refer to her as a “tragic” character that the writers want us to believe *she is not*.

She’s definitely an introvert - compared to her best friend, Summer, who’s more the life of the party. Sure, she goes to parties and surrounds herself with her so-called “friends”, but you can literally see her drinking alone in the corner while Summer is probably having a lot more fun than she is. It’s clear that she only uses party scene as a way to steal alcohol that she will probably drink later at night as a way of coping. She also seems to be uncomfortable around new people and charges her energy while she’s on her own. This is why when she’s kicked off the school and has to go to a new environment, she doesn’t fit in right away, which leads to her insecurity increasing even higher (something that she also struggles with on a daily basis). The insecurity itself is possibly rooted from maternal issues she has, we see that on the very first episode, Julie is critizing her on how she looks, how she takes the comment on a personal level. After overdosing herself in Tijuana, she’s put on Suicide Watch, and we learn that she also suffers from “possible” ED in the past, masking it something that’s not serious because she was very stressed at the time, but is it though? Now, we never really know further cause that storyline is never explored further, we also don’t know if the writers are taking it seriously or just putting heavy weight on her shoulder for fun. Either way, it really sucks for her character, especially when she had other deep trauma issues that are barely addressed throughout the series.

Her savior complex. Now now now, this one is kind of controversial, excluding the last season where the main focus is “Ryan failed to save her”, helping and saving people are actually her forte, just like Ryan - which is why they probably connect in the first place. People love to call she’s selfish and needs saving all the time, but they’re people, who don’t bother to look deeper and judge all they please, it’s sickening. First, despite how problematic it might seem, she tries to help Oliver (no matter how many times Ryan thinks she doesn’t). She sees herself in Oliver and is scared that he might go down the rabbit hole if she leaves him alone, that’s actually sweet and showcases her nurturing side. The only downside is that every guy she does this to, seems to take it the wrong way and thinks of it as more than a friendly gesture. Cause you know, it was the 2000s, boy/girl friendships aren’t as common as it is now. She even lets Ryan go to help Theresa even though she needs him as well, knowing that he literally has an affair with another girl while they are still kind of together. How she’s trying to make Ryan’s brother feel welcome in the neighborhood, keeping him company, not realizing that Trey might turn out to be the one that truly hurt and destroy her. What makes my blood boil even more is when they call her stupid for trusting Trey, for what, really? For wanting to get to know Ryan’s family because she loves him that much, that she’s willing to go far and beyond? *shudders* Even then, she’s still not thinking of herself when that happens, that her only response when Trey confronts her is “Me?! How about Ryan?” So yeah, I’ll fight anyone who calls her selfish. My ass. The other thing with Johnny is that, she doesn’t try to save him, she actually sees him as a friend that she can vent to about her traumatic events that happen to her in the previous season. Because, for some reason they make Ryan look and seem like a douche this season and not wanting to talk to her though he always is there for her before *probably for angst, right?*. It’s actually stupid how they twist Johnny around and make him in love with her, leaving her yet alone again, but guess that’s what they’re trying to accomplish with her character as she’s left with her addiction only during this entire thing.

Saving guys who don’t even deserve a shred of her kindness aren’t the only thing she’s good at - remember Hailey, Kirsten’s sister, who ends up a stripper that one time and how Marissa and Ryan find her and as he’s about to give up after getting kicked out of a club, she’s still optimistic and comes up with a plan to save her? Yeah, that one true partner in crime right there. She also schemes every now and then, not that that’s ever explored deeply in the show, but it’s there.

Now Volchok, the guy that we all want to punch (Let’s go, Ryan!). She just loses a friend (one she can talk to about traumatic events), deals with s3xual assault and having to shoot someone to save her boyfriend, that’s got to be too much on a teenager girl like her. So no, she doesn’t just do that because she “loves to date bad boys”. There she is, standing and looking around the Model Home house, reconciling of the old times between her and Ryan. She realizes that she wants to be with Ryan and is ready for it too, but she can’t seem to go over to him when the time comes, giving him the mixtape that she makes him. The situation’s reversed, she used to be the rich girl with a mansion, now there she is, barely having her own bedroom, living in a trailer park. To add to that, she’s dealing with traumatic events still, so of course she’s insecure. She thinks she’s not good enough for Ryan and giving in to Volchok is a sign of that. But she wants Ryan to be happy, hence why she chases after Sadie, practically driving the girl into his arms. Poor, poor girl deserves so much better.

Let’s take a breather and talk about her family now. Despite how dysfunctional it might seem on the outside, and how many furniture thrown in the pool, doesn’t erase the fact that she’s a family girl. Jimmy, her father, has a way of coming and going any ways he likes. She even points it out and says, “You know, I wish you’d be like a real dad,” Ouch, that hurt. But it’s true, when it comes to family, she’s looking for a tradition, something stable that she can always cling onto especially when she’s in time of need. This is why when she comes up bringing bagels to the Cohen’s house, she feels warmed and welcomed by the family. It’s the one thing she lacks of in her family. Julie, despite the crazy ways in providing for her, is actually doing a better job at being there for her than Jimmy ever does. Sure, Julie is seen more of a villain in the first season (hell, the woman sleeps with her boyfriend that she lost her virginity to, so if I were her, I’d understand if she wants to, say, take revenge and invite her mom’s sister that Julie strongly hates as part of her master plan), but by the end of Season 3, they really grow stronger as a mother-daughter relationship that we really wish to see more of if given a chance. Despite not showing much for her and only coming for the drama, she truly cares for her sister, Kaitlin. When she’s done moping around after traumatic events, she drives away to where her sister’s boarding school is, all because she wants to help her sister with something. There she is, finally having drama-free, fun episode where we get to see her strolling around in a sexy school girl outfit, but clearly the writers never catch her a break and hate to see her happy for once.

Marissa is always seen as beautiful on the outside, but I don’t think she ever feels it at times. Luke’s cheating, probably makes her feel insecure and her mother sleeping with him helps as well. Ryan is the only person who actually sees her. She’s his heather.

People love pointing out her flaws when it comes to her relationship with darling Ryan, but the truth is, she has always been putting him before anyone else. She saves him multiple times throughout the series, even when he’s hardly there for her in Season 3. When she follows him to Chino, she visits his house and finds out more about him as a child - discovering that he used to be in a play dressed as Snoopy (again, she’s finding more and more about him because she cares and loves him deeply). Then, he goes out there saving his brother, not knowing that who he’s dealing with, she comes just in time with a car, saving him. This happens again when he’s broken up with Lindsay, she finds him in the rain, and comforts him, no talking needed. She shot her rapist to save him by the finale. Even in Season 3, when he’s chasing trouble with Volchok going back to his old ways as she’s miles away from Newport, he seeks for her help again, she is quick to respond and be there for him right away. Something he fails to do during this season, don’t ever tell me that she never thinks of him when that’s not true. She encourages him to talk about his architecture dream when they’re both on a college trip (this is such goals!).

With her neglectful and narcistic parents, emotionally, and Ryan’s who’s more physically, that’s why they click and their relationship works. He doesn’t trust anyone and she doesn’t encourage her bad behavior on him, but they’re both there for each other. Always. She’s his constant, just like he’s hers, she accepts him the way he is because she’s imperfect as well. She sees him as the one thing that she can rely on and that’s really sweet. They both come from dysfunctional family with their own issues in hopes to build one of their own that actually works, at least that’s what we’re all rooting for, right?

Well, at least, in another world, we see Marissa Cooper and Ryan Atwood sailing away on a boat, travelling, and exploring the world as they should be before settling back down to their roots - Model Home House, Newport. It’s what she deserves.

#marissa cooper #ryan atwood #the oc #marissa cooper analysis #character analysis #the oc analysis #ryissa #ryanandmarissa #marissacooper #ryanatwood #theoc #analysis #blog #blogger #bloggerslife #writerslife

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crowdvscritic · 3 years ago

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round up // JULY 21

‘Tis the season to beat the heat at the always-cold theatres and next to fans set at turbo speed. While my movie watching slowed a bit with the launch of the Summer Olympics on July 23rd, I’ve still got plenty of popcorn-ready and artsy recommendations for you. A few themes in the new-to-me pop culture I’m recommending this month:

Casts oozing with embarrassing levels of talent (sometimes overqualified for the movies they’re in)

Pop culture that is responding or reinterpreting past pop culture

Stories that get weEeEeird

Keep on-a-scrollin’ to see which is which!

July Crowd-Pleasers

1. Double Feature – ‘90s Rom-Coms feat. Lots of Lies: Mystery Date (1991) + The Pallbearer (1996)

In Mystery Date (Crowd: 7.5/10 // Critic: 6/10), Ethan Hawke and Teri Polo get set up on a blind date that gets so bizarre and crime-y I’m not sure how this didn’t come out in the ‘80s. In The Pallbearer (Crowd: 8/10 // Critic: 7/10), David Schwimmer and Gwyneth Paltrow try to combine The Graduate with Four Weddings and a Funeral in a story about lost twentysomethings. If you don’t like rom-coms in which circumstances depend on lots of lies and misunderstandings, these won’t be your jam, but if you’re like me and don’t mind these somewhat-cliché devices, you’ll be hooked by likeable casts and plenty of rom and com.

2. The Tomorrow War (2021)

I thought of no fewer movies than this list while watching: Alien, Aliens, Angel Has Fallen, Cloverfield, Interstellar, Kong: Skull Island, Prometheus, A Quiet Place: Part II, Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, Star Wars: The Revenge of the Sith, The Silence of the Lambs, The Terminator, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, and World War Z. And you know what? I like all those movies! (Okay, maybe I just have a healthy respect/fear of The Silence of the Lambs.) The Tomorrow War may not be original, but it borrows some of the best tropes and beats from the sci-fi and action genres, so much so I wish I could’ve seen Chris Pratt and Co. fight those gross monsters on a big screen. Crowd: 9/10 // Critic: 6/10

3. Dream a Little Dream (1989)

My July pick for the Dumb Rom-Com I Nevertheless Enjoyed! I CANNOT explain the mechanics of this body switch comedy to you—nor can the back of the DVD case above—but, boy, what an ‘80s MOOD. I did not know I needed to see a choreographed dance routine starring Jason Robards and Corey Feldman, but I DID. All I know is some movies are made for me and that I’m now a card-carrying member of the Two Coreys fan club. Crowd: 8/10 // Critic: 6.5/10

4. Black Widow (2021)

The braids! The Pugh! Black Widow worked for me both as an exciting action adventure and as a respite from the Marvel adventures dependent on a long memory of the franchise. (Well, mostly—keep reading for a second MCU rec much more dependent on the gobs of previous releases.) Crowd: 9/10 // Critic: 7.5/10

5. Liar Liar (1997)

Guys, Jim Carrey is hilarious. That’s it—that’s the review. Crowd: 9/10 // Critic: 7/10

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6. Sob Rock by John Mayer (2021)

It’s very possible I’ve already listened to this record more than all other John Mayer records. It doesn’t surpass the capital-G Greatness of Continuum, but it’s a little bit of old school Mayer, a little bit ‘80s soft rock/pop, and I’ve had it on repeat most of the two weeks since it’s been out. Featuring the boppiest bop that ever bopped, at least one lyrical gem in every track, and an ad campaign focused on Walkmans, this record skirts the line between Crowd faves and Critic-worthy musicianship.

7. Double Feature – ‘00s Ben Affleck Political Thrillers: The Sum of All Fears (2002) + State of Play (2009)

In The Sum of All Fears (Crowd: 8.5/10 // Critic: 7.5/10), Ben Affleck is Jack Ryan caught up in yet another international incident. In State of Play (Crowd: 8/10 // Critic: 7/10), he’s a hotshot Congressman caught up in a scandal. Both are full of plot twists and unexpected turns, and in both, Affleck is accompanied by actors you’re always happy to see, like Jason Bateman, James Cromwell, Russell Crowe, Jeff Daniels, Viola Davis, Morgan Freeman, Philip Baker Hall, David Harbour, Rachel McAdams, Helen Mirren, Liev Schreiber, and Robin Wright—yes, I swear all of those people are in just those two movies.

8. Loki (2021-)

Unlike Black Widow, you can’t go into Loki with no MCU experience. The show finds clever ways to nudge us with reminders (and did better at it than Falcon and the Winter Soldier), but be forewarned that at some point, you’re just going to have to let go and accept wherever this timeline-hopper is taking you. An ever-charismatic cast keeps us grounded (Owen Wilson, Jonathan Majors, and an alligator almost steal the show from Tom Hiddleston in some eps), but while Falcon lasted an episode or two too long, Loki could’ve used a few more to flesh out its complicated plot and develop its characters. Thankfully, the jokes matter almost as much as the sci-fi, so you can still have fun even if you have no idea what’s going on.

9. Double Feature – Bruce Willis: Die Hard With a Vengeance (1995) + The Whole Nine Yards (2000)

Before Bruce Willis began starring in many random direct-to-DVD movies I only ever hear about in my Redbox emails, he was a Movie Star smirking his way up the box office charts. In the third Die Hard (Crowd: 10/10 // Critic: 7.5/10), he teams up with Samuel L. Jackson to decipher the riddles of a terrorist madman (Jeremy Irons), and it’s a thrill ride. In The Whole Nine Yards (Crowd: 9/10 // Critic: 8/10), he’s hitman that screws up dentist Matthew Perry’s boring life in Canada, and—aside from one frustrating scene of let’s-objectify-women-style nudity—it’s hilarious.

10. This Is the End (2013)

On paper, this is not a movie for me. An irreverent stoner comedy about a bunch of bros partying it up before the end of the world? None of things are for Taylors. But with a little help of a TV edit to pare down the raunchy and crude bits, I laughed my way through and spent the next several days thinking through its exploration of what makes a good person. While little of the plot is accurate to Christian Gospel and theology, some of its big ideas are consistent enough with the themes of the book of Revelation I found myself thinking about it again in church this morning. (Would love to know if Seth Rogen ever expected that.) Plus, I love a good self-aware celebrity spoof—can’t tell you how many times I’ve just laughed remembering the line, “It’s me, Jonah Hill, from Moneyball”—and an homage to horror classics. Crowd: 8/10 // Critic: 7/10

July Critic Picks

1. Summer of Soul (…or, When the Television Could Not Be Televised) (2021)

Even director Questlove didn’t know about the Harlem Cultural Festival, but now he’s compiled the footage so we can all enjoy one of the coolest music fest lineups ever, including The 5th Dimension, B.B. King, Gladys Knight and the Pips, Nina Simone, Sly and the Family Stone, and Stevie Wonder, who made my friend’s baby dance more than once in the womb. See it on the big screen for top-notch audio. Crowd: 8/10 // Critic: 9/10

2. Good Morning, Vietnam (1987)

Robin Williams takes on the bureaucracy, disillusionment, and malaise of the Vietnam War with comedy. Williams was a one-of-a-kind talent, and here it’s on display at a level on par with Aladdin. Crowd: 8/10 // Critic: 9/10

3. Against the Rules Season 2 (2020-21)

Michael Lewis (author of Moneyball, adapted into a film starring Jonah Hill), is interested in how we talk about fairness. This season he looks at how coaches impact fairness in areas like college admissions, credit cards, and youth sports.

4. Bugsy Malone (1976)

A gangster musical starring only children? It’s a little like someone just picked ideas out of a hat, but somehow it works. You can hear why in the Bugsy Malone episode Kyla and I released this month on SO IT’S A SHOW?, plus how this weird artifact of a film connects with Gilmore Girls.

5. The Queen (2006)

Before The Crown, Peter Morgan wrote The Queen, focusing on Queen Elizabeth II (Helen Mirren) in the days following the death of Princess Diana. It’s a complex and compassionate drama, both for the Queen and for Prime Minister Tony Blair (Michael Sheen, who has snuck up on me to become a favorite character actor). Maybe I’ve got a problem, but I’ll never tire of the analysis of this famous family. Crowd: 8.5/10 // Critic: 9.5/10

6. The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean (1972)

This month at ZekeFilm, we took a closer look at Revisionist Westerns we’ve missed. I fell hard for Roy Bean, and I think you will, too, if for no other reason than you might like a story starring Jacqueline Bisset, Ava Gardner, John Huston, Paul Newman, and Anthony Perkins. Oh, and a bear! Crowd: 8.5/10 // Critic: 10/10

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7. New Trailer Round Up

Naked Singularity (Aug. 6) – John Boyega in a crime thriller!

Queenpins (Aug. 10) – A crime comedy about extreme coupon-ing!

Dune (Oct. 1) – I’ve been cooler on the anticipation for this film, but this new look has me cautiously intrigued thanks to the Bardem + Bautista + Brolin + Chalamet + Ferguson + Isaac + Momoa + Zendaya of it all.

The Last Duel (Oct. 15) – Affleck! Damon! Driver!

Ghostbusters: Afterlife (Nov. 11) - I’m not sure why we need this, but I’m down for the Paul Rudd + Finn Wolfhard combo

King Richard (Nov. 19) - Will Smith as Venus and Serena’s father!

Encanto (Nov. 24) – Disney and Lin-Manuel Miranda making more magic together!

House of Gucci (Nov. 24) - Gaga! Pacino! Driver!

Also in July…

Kyla and I took a look at the classic supernatural soap Dark Shadows and why Sookie might be obsessed with it on Gilmore Girls.

I revisited a so-bad-it’s-good masterpiece that’s a surrealist dream even Fellini couldn’t have cooked up. Yes, for ZekeFilm I wrote about the Vanilla Ice movie, Cool as Ice, which is now a part of my Blu-ray collection.

Photo credits: Against the Rules. All others IMDb.com.

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mysteriesofloves · 3 years ago

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are there any other tv ships that remind you of dan and blair?

rory/paris from gilmore girls is THEE dair blueprint . hence the fic that i am “writing” (sitting untouched in my docs like everything else). it’s about the bickering the rivalry the first true friendship you find yourself choosing. most of the time i really hated you! i really hated you too! i know this is not a “canon” “ship” but yes it is.

seth/summer from the oc obviously was the actual blueprint i firmly believe had the s1 dair storyline panned out they would’ve done something similar. (also the “one kiss and that’s that” was a ryan/taylor scene first and i don’t ship that but know your history).

xander and cordelia from buffy the vampire slayer are also a blueprint ship 100%

haven’t watched hart of dixie yet but @strideofpride wrote me an ask here about george/AB being dair-like! i also haven’t seen all of dawson’s creek but joey/pacey is widely regarded as a similar ship

did a downton abbey rewatch recently so feel the need to include mary/matthew (someone talk to me about how mary and blair are like the Same Character). how matthew saw a kindness in mary that she believed was only there because of him. also just the whole “if you like to argue we should spend more time together”

RELATED i rewatched the emma 2009 miniseries and this specific portrayal of the emma/knightley relationship is so exactly dair!! it’s about LOVE and FIGHTING born out of familiarity. jonny lee miller’s knightley has something so charmingly geeky about him the dan humphrey energy is through the roof

#asks

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bisexual-maelstrom12 · 4 years ago

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Ranking the Lovelink Matches (a completely subjective list by moi)

22. Clementine Hill / Grace Kim

I already wasn’t into her because she’s a privileged rich girl who uses literary quotes to seem smart (but really it’s just obnoxious). But then she tells us she’s thinking about dumping us for her creepy old professor?? Girl needs an actual job so she can stop relying on her parents and a therapist for her daddy issues.

21. Dominic Wright / Adam Johnson

I’m still pretty early on in the storyline here but so far I’m just bored. A “love” photography theme? Big yawn.

20. Liam Park / Min-Jae Lee

How Is Dating A K-Pop Star This BORING

19. Jake Gonzales / Zayn Kassab

The sexting is fun but honestly his film project sounds terrible and he needs to cool his feelings down like 200%.

18. Angel Reed / Emmalyn Roberts

Look she’s amazing and gorgeous and the animals are ADORABLE but honestly I find her pretty boring compared to the other matches SORRY DON’T HATE ME

17. Antoine Dawson / Noah Cruz

He comes on too strong a lot but I dig the puppies and the sexual tension. I would absolutely enter a FWB relationship with him but nothing more.

16. Albert Bishop / Jonathan Hayes

This ranking is subject to change bc tbh I swiped left on these boys at first (#fuckamericanimperialism). But then other matches finished up and I needed more content and y’know what? Albert’s pretty okay. I like his backstory so far and he’s sweet and sexy. Should def get out of the military tho.

15. Stefan Silver / Oliver Black

I appreciate that he’s a more consent-friendly version of Christian Gray and I like the “defrosting ice king” trope. But I would much rather be using the riding crop on him than vice versa. >:)

14. Jamie Grant / Seth Evans

Jamie is kind of a weird match in that I LOVE his storyline but also the flirting is pretty weak?? Like, I literally would have had to pay gems for the first “date”. I’m not feeling much of a sexual connection here, but I’m all aboard the hacker kidnapping storyline.

13. Austin Russo / Damien Jones

He’s rough around the edges but the character growth is pretty spectacular. Gotta save my boo from death row.

12. Sam Knight / Michael Evans

Never thought I’d be into a jock frat boy but here we are. I like how I snarked at him constantly for a week and he still fell for me. Ghosting us after we call him out on his daddy issues is pretty weak tho.

11. Samantha Clark / Aesha Nora

Okay she isn’t the greatest person or partner but cute gamer gf?? Yes please. And she can cook and bench press me too! *swoon* Also Fiction needs to be real asap.

10. Sage Foster / Vitoria Voznesenky

Sage was one of my first matches and was my favorite for a while. Who doesn’t want a hot goth gf? But then she PUNCTURED MY LIP (does that even heal??) and almost ate me and I’m just not about that. Hopefully she can go give Baba Yaga a talking to and get that curse removed.

9. Skylar Quinn / Jaden Bower

So making us commit a crime and then ditching us on the first date wasn’t cool, and I’m not much for a “rebel without a cause,” but then Skylar hit me with his tragic backstory and, well, I’m weak y’all. Also he’s so smart and snarky and sexy and I want him to achieve his dreams.

8. Eve Rockwood / Alice Martin

Look I’m still pissed at Eve for ditching us in Ibiza. But also I would absolutely drop everything to follow a hot girl to Japan.

7. William Crome / Julien Alexandre

I was never really into the whole dating a vampire thing but William just does it for me. I think it’s the hair and the old timey fashion. And he told off his mom for me, which is more than I can say about SOME of these matches.

6. Hugo Hornsby / Marco Bottazzi

Hugo is lowkey a garbage human who absolutely emotionally cheated on his long-term fiance with us. So why do I love him so much?? Idk, could be my trash taste in men, could be my love of geeks, could be the delicious drama of his plotline. Hugo pls come back from ur convo with ur fiance and d*ck us down already.

5. Kayla Summers / Jasmin Medina

Kayla/Jasmin is objectively the most badass match in Lovelink. She’s hot, ambitious, and didn’t ghost me for a dumb reason. She can kill it in heels AND kill actual killers! Get you a girl who can do both!

4. Raphael Becker / Wyatt Moore

The creepy cult plot is fascinating and Raph is the perfect combination of sweet/romantic and hott. That dream date was amazing. Pls Lovelink, when will my husband* come back from the war**?

* musician boyfriend

** creepy cult village

3. Ryan Byrne

Ryan is lowkey my perfect guy--sweet, nerdy, and SO SEXY OMG. I need his sex scene so bad pls. Also he might have caused the zombie apocalypse and that’s very interesting of him. I’m hooked on his story and I want his **** hooked in my *****.

2. Milena Sarafian / Ana Samarine (also maybe the same route as Ruby Thomas and Julia Greene?? Idk I’m pretty confused by this whole situation)

Apparently my ideal type is an adorable yet sexy computer who discovers love and how to be human through interacting with me. I should probably go watch that Her movie.

1. Cpt. Muffin

CAT. SHY BOY. <3.

#lovelink

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since0202 · 4 years ago

Text

Chapter 41: Birth

February

Things had been relatively quiet the past month. Bella was progressing in her pregnancy, coming up on her six month and starting to look like herself, despite the whole drinking blood thing. Grace visited the Cullen’s place daily and on a mid-February afternoon, in the late winter light, she lay cuddled up next to Bella, one hand laid protectively over her belly as they watched Sleepless in Seattle.

As Meg Ryan folded herself into a closet to speak on the phone, Bella cleared her throat and said, “Charlie keeps calling.” Grace looked up at her with curious eyes.

“And?” she asked.

“He wants to see me,” Bella said unsure.

“You haven’t seen him this whole time?! Bella!” This was new.

“I just...didn’t know how to tell him about this,” Bella gestured to her belly, very pronounced and looking farther along than six months to be sure.

“Well, it’s going to be even weirder when you have the baby and have to present him with that,” Grace said. As if on cue, the phone rang and Grace knitted her eyebrows together at Bella accusingly. Carlisle was there to answer it, but Grace held her hand out while leaning over the back of the couch to take it from him. Carlisle handed it over with a small smile.

“Charlie?” Grace said knowingly.

“Grace! What are you doing at the Cullen’s place?!” Charlie asked genuinely surprised. “Where’s Jake?” Grace rolled her eyes at this.

“Probably at the house,” Billy had been keeping Charlie up to date on Jake and Grace’s relationship. They’d been living together for only a couple of weeks at this point, but having him there full time was like a dream come true. “I’m with Bella.” Grace baited.

“Bella’s there?! Carlisle keeps telling me they're abroad and wouldn’t give me a return date.” Charlie grumbled. Grace gave Carlisle a glowering look and he smiled.

“Rich people, am I right?” Grace replied. Charlie let out a laugh. “Well, she’s back. You should come by when you get a chance.�� Bella’s eyes shot wide with fear as she tried to sit up. She mouthed “GRACE!” at her but Grace waved a hand at her dismissing her silent protest.

“She is?! Okay, I’ll swing by after work tonight. Hey, see if Jake wants to show up too. Haven’t seen that kid in forever,” Charlie said musingly.

Grace let out a laugh, “Got it. I’ll let him know to be here.” Grace hung up the phone and handed it back over the couch to Carlisle.

“I’ll let Esme know we have dinner guests this evening,” Carlisle said softly, giving a gentle look to Bella. She looked terrified.

“It’s going to be fine,” Grace said, patting her arm lightly. “People get knocked up all the time. Plus, you’re married so the whole teen pregnancy thing won’t be so scandalous.”

Later that evening, Esme was off to the right in the open kitchen cooking up some pasta with Carlisle helping. Rosalie and Emmett were off hunting and Jasper and Alice were upstairs. Bella thought it would be a good idea to keep Jasper near in case Charlie blew a gasket when he found out about the pregnancy to help cool him off. Edward lounged in an oversized chair while reading Charlotte Bronte as Grace and Bella were halfway through You Got Mail.

Charlie strode through the entryway to the living room and for just a second, neither of the girls noticed. Edward stood suddenly and reached out to shake Charlie’s hand in greeting. Grace sprang up from the couch, a Nerds rope hanging out the side of her mouth as she launched her whole body at Charlie. He caught her and gripped her in a firm bear hug.

“Hey Gracie!” Charlie said delighted.

“Oh! I’m sorry I haven’t come to see you sooner, things have been nuts. I’m instating weekly dinners,” Grace promised as she pulled away from him with a smile. He chuckled and patted her shoulders.

“Sounds good,” he gave Bella, who was covered in a blanket, a glance and then said, “What? You’re not going to give your old man a hug after six months?”

Bella gave him an odd smile. Edward was next to her now, taking her extended hand as she hoisted herself from the couch, the blanket slipping off around her midsection and revealing her belly. She let a hand rest over her belly and looked down at her feet before saying, “Hey Dad.”

Charlie went through so many flashes of emotion in such a short while as his eyes flickered from Bella’s face, to her belly, to Edward, to Grace and back to Bella. When he finally found the words, he said with a soft, almost whimper, “Oh.” Bella was moved to tears as she saw the sheer shock and joy color his face as he reached both his arms for her. He wrapped her in a hug as a bemused Edward stood next to her, beaming.

Grace perched on one of the island stools and picked at some salad that Carlisle had prepared as he watched Bella, Charlie, and Edward devolve into delighted laughter and exultations of excitement.

“I thought that might work out,” Esme said with a warm smile. Grace looked over her shoulder and smiled back just as Jacob and Seth walked through the entryway, their eyes drawn to the sounds of joy by the couch. Jacob leaned down and planted a soft kiss on Grace before he said, “Hey.”

“Hey.”

“So he finally knows? About time.” He said, pleased. Charlie spun around and his eyes collided with Jacob’s, tears apparent around the rim of his eyes. Jacob went to give Charlie a hug, Seth following suit. As she watched the pleasant scene before her, Grace tried to memorize every reaction and every moment as it unfolded. This was something she was fighting for and she wanted to remember it.

Later, when Jacob and Grace were tucked up in bed, spending their last precious hour together before he had to disappear on rounds, she held that picture in her mind. Jake was quiet, contemplative, before he said.

“Grace?” his dark eyes made her melt and she felt a comfortable buzz humming through her body as she looked up at him, allowing their connection to solidify and pull her in closer. His hand rubbed the side of her thigh that she had draped across his abdomen and she felt her body ache with a need to feel him closer. Every breath saturated the air with her desire and she almost felt herself slipping into a different part of herself, a part that wouldn’t hesitate to pull her body on top of his and demand with a look that he take her. Luckily, he seemed distracted by the image of Bella, Charlie, and Edward that she shared with him.

“Hmm?” she said softly, letting her hand trace his smooth jaw line.

“Is that something that you might want?” Jake asked, tentatively. Grace was confused and let her hand pause on it’s path down his neck.

“What do you mean?” Had he really heard her thoughts about wanting every part of his body on her body just then? Despite their intense physical attraction, Jake and Grace hadn’t ventured into the physical territory of their new relationship yet. Grace dismissed this as them just being exceedingly busy and stressed with the impending attack of Sam on Bella and her baby, but maybe it was something else. She readjusted the line of her body on his and his hand gripped her waist tighter. He took a deep breath before continuing, turning his face to meet hers.

“I mean...do you want to have that someday? Kids? With….me.” Grace’s eyes shot wide. Okay, hold on there buddy. They haven’t even had sex and he was talking about making babies?! Grace opened and closed her mouth, gaping like a fish.

“I….oh,” Grace finally got out. Jacob turned his eyes to meet hers now, worry pooling between them. She tried to collect herself and propped her head up on bent elbow to get a better look at him. “Jake we’re….kind of 18. No offense to Bella or anything, but isn’t that kind of young for us?” Jacob blinked a few times and then rushed to correct.

“No! No, no I don’t mean now not when we haven’t even….Oh, god no Grace. I’m sorry. I meant, like, hypothetically, in the way off future. Not like...let me put one in you now,” His perfect russet skin tinged with a deep blush of red and Grace couldn’t help but laugh as he clearly cringed with embarrassment. Grace sat up fully now next to him, crossing her legs and Jacob rubbed his hands across his face, making a groaning noise that indicated he was annoyed with himself.

“Jake,” she said softly after a minute, resting a hand on his arm. He let his hands down and turned to look at her. “Of course,” she said after some minutes of thinking. “In the way off, distant future, of course I see myself having kids with you. There’s a couple of things I’d like to do first, but yeah, absolutely.”

As she said this, her heart fluttered with excitement. She had really never given the thought of having kids with anyone before a second thought and ventured so far as to thinking that maybe she didn’t even want kids. But when he had asked her, so soft and vulnerable, her mind came alive with pictures in her head that she’d never had. And soon after, she realized they were Jacob’s thoughts that had creeped into hers. He held the picture of them in the future so clearly in their mind, their kid’s faces clear and bright. She was kind of amazed at the detail he’d gone to imagine them. After thinking on that picture, Grace clicked something into place and her heart ached to meet those children one day.

“But not tonight,” she said with finality, a smile peeking through her lips.

“Yeah, yeah, okay, I got it!” Jacob said, still embarrassed as he pulled her down onto him and connected his lips to hers as she giggled. Their remaining time together that evening was spent in silence, with soft gasps peppering the air as Jake made sure every part of her body was touched by his wide hands at some point.

It was the very last day of February when Grace was woken up from a dead sleep in the middle of the night by the persistent ringing of her phone. The space next to her was empty—Jake was out on rounds with Embry. Begrudgingly, she answered her phone without looking at the caller ID.

“Hello?” her voice was hoarse with sleep.

“It’s Carlisle. You should come over here when you can. Bella has...taken a turn.” Grace’s eyes flashed open wide as she quickly pulled herself out of bed and dragged on some sweats.

“Is she—?” Grace couldn’t bring herself to say it. Over the past month, Bella had been declining some. Her body was reacting negatively to the blood now and she could barely keep any food down. Her body was starting to hollow out in the limbs again, her cheeks were sallow and her skin constantly had a tinge of yellowy green.

“We don’t know.” he said softly.

“I’m on my way,” she said and clipped her phone shut, throwing on a zip up grey hoodie and her boots before clattering down the stairs. She woke Seth who was sleeping on the couch and he startled awake.

“Get Jake and the others, please.” She said to him as he rubbed his eyes awake. On only the second step of her porch, she recast closely to the Cullen’s house taking the steps two at a time to the door. Grace wasted no time heading to Carlisle’s office that he had essentially transformed into a mini hospital.

Bella was propped up on the hospital bed, her eyes closed, seemingly unresponsive. Grace went to her side immediately as Edward stood off in the corner looking frantic, a hand covering his mouth. On the other side of Bella, Carlisle was working quickly with syringes filled with strange, glittering silver liquid. Grace ran a hand soothingly through Bella’s rough hair, her eyes fluttering around her face—Bella’s cheeks were dramatically sunken, her arms were skin and bone, and she looked entirely too skeletal to be carrying a baby. Her belly pulsed sickeningly.

“What’s happening to her?” Grace said, quietly but distressed.

“It’s draining her,” Carlisle muttered as he moved to open one of Bella’s eyelids and shined a small light in them. “Her hip broke tonight, she has nothing left to give.” Carlisle looked over his shoulder toward Edward. “It’s time.” Grace looked to him too and his panicked eyes flicked to each of them before he tried to steal himself and took a spot next to Grace, his jaw clenched and his eyes never leaving Bella’s face.

“Bella?” Grace choked out, tears coming to her eyes now. There was a faint buzzing in her head, coupled with the sound of muffled voices, but Grace couldn’t find the focus to access them right now. Her heart rested in this room with Bella and she was going to do her best to keep her and the baby alive if she could.

Carlisle had set up a morphine drip but looked skeptical that it would assist with the amount of pain Bella would endure. As he waited the appropriate time for the morphine to spread, he stayed poised over her exposed belly with a scalpel. Grace pressed her hand firmly against Bella’s collarbone as her heart rate quickened.

Carlisle lowered his scalpel and slid it across Bella’s protruding stomach. Edward’s eyes instantly flicked to the wound and a glittering shell was exposed beneath the thin skin. Grace kept her eyes on Bella, pressing her forehead to hers whispering frantically, “Stay here bells, stay here.”

“Edward,” Carlisle said seriously. Edward lowered his head to the glittering shell and bit and pulled at it, as it made a metallic scraping noise. At this, Bella’s eyes snapped open and she started to scream. Edward stopped immediately, his mouth swathed in blood as his eyes met hers in desperation.

Grace held tightly around Bella’s shoulders as she began to buck and scream, writhing in pain. Her terrified voice cut through the quiet of the Cullen house as she screamed: “DON’T TOUCH HER! ” Bella’s eyes were clouded and couldn’t seem to focus on any one person. Grace held on with all of her might, but Bella in her frenzied state was surprisingly powerful.

“EDWARD!” Carlisle shouted at the shocked Edward, “You have to keep going, we only have a limited time to administer the venom once we get the baby clear.” Edward’s eyes snapped back to Carlisle and as Grace continued to hold Bella tightly, tears streaming down her face as she screamed ‘No!’, Edward lowered his head again, working faster this time. Carlisle stood poised with multiple syringes at the ready to administer.

Bella’s screams were almost unbearable as Edward tore through her stomach. Once he had pulled open the hard shell encasing the baby, he reached in and swiftly removed the infant, cutting the cord with his teeth. The baby let out a sharp cry and Bella’s eyes snapped to it in recognition. Bella’s screams had quieted and she was suddenly still. Edward was transfixed by the infant now crying in his arms, and tears of pure joy sprang to his eyes.

Grace was watching Bella, her eyes darting to the open wound that was her stomach as blood pooled onto the floor below. Carlisle’s hands were moving quickly and his eyes met Grace’s for a half a second, beckoning her forward as he attempted to remove the hard casing that the baby had been pulled from.

“I need to remove this and sew her up as much as I can before the venom to give her the best chance of survival,” Carlisle said to no one in particular. He was able to disconnect the shell from her and set it on a short metal table. Grace’s eyes were transfixed on the seemingly serene look on Bella’s face as she gazed adoringly at the squalling baby in Edward’s arms. She glanced over at Grace, raising a hand to grip Grace’s wrist and said, barely above a whisper,

“She’s so beautiful, Grace.” Bella’s eyes glistened with tears. “You have to protect her.” Her speech was slowly slurring and she rolled her head heavily back to look at Edward, “Renesmee.” She whispered before her eyes fluttered closed.

“Bella?” Edward said, his eyes now widening in alarm. Carlisle was working quickly, stitching her up her delicate, thin skin, but he knew she was dying. Edward’s hold loosened around Renesmee and Grace lunged forward across Bella’s limp body to grab her. Edward was collapsing in on himself, his hand stroking back Bella’s hair as he frantically said her name over and over.

Grace cradled the newborn in her arms and locked eyes with her. Every instinct in her told her that she had to protect Bella’s daughter at all cost. It felt irrational, it felt surreal, but it was the right thing to do. It was her choice to protect her and she’d happily make that choice.

“Carlisle!” Edward wailed. “Do something!” Grace stumbled back as they took filled syringes with shimmering liquid and began to inject Bella from all points around her body. At one point, Edward, desperate, gave up and lowered his head to gently bite on every open surface of Bella’s body to ensure his venom entered her quickly.

Grace turned quickly and carried Renesmee out of the room, unable to feel much of anything except the overwhelming weight of protecting this child she now cradled in her arms. Renesmee’s cries had quieted as if she understood the severity of the moment and was hoping to bring more peace by quelling her tears.

Grace wrapped her in a blanket over the sofa and looked down at her again. She was beautiful, with a slight shimmer under the pale glow of her skin, almost imperceptible. She had Bella’s chocolate brown eyes and Edward’s smooth pouted lips. A thick mop of golden brown hair swept across her small forehead and Grace carefully ran a finger down the bridge of her nose. The baby cooed softly in response, her eyes still locked with Grace’s.

It’s time. She heard a distinct growling voice out past the treeline. It was angry, determined and she felt a pang of fear erupt in her stomach. Without a plan still, Grace carried on out the door, trying to put the scene unfolding in Carlisle’s office out of her mind. She had one job—to keep Renesmee safe and Grace was determined to die trying if that’s what it took at this point. She wouldn't let Bella down. She just didn’t know how she was going to do it yet.

As she descended the front porch steps and made her way into the woods holding a newborn infant that barely made a sound, Grace wondered for a split second why no one was coming after her. However, her question was quickly answered when she felt the clear presence of Rosalie, Emmett, Alice, and Jasper in the trees closely followed up by the soft padding of Jacob to her right. Seth, Leah, and Embry brought up the rear. The full moon’s brightness illuminated the gnarled branches of trees. Her breath made ghosts in the air before her and the baby looked up at her, quietly.

Still no plan. Her own voice echoed in her head. A dark figure padded into the clearing, a low snarl escaping it’s lips.

“Sam.” Grace said as soon as she saw him.

Let’s end this now, Grace. He replied as soon as he was in front of her. His nose sniffed tentatively at the air around him, taking in the obvious smell of the Cullen’s who were walking out into the clearing now. Jacob emerged after them coming to a rest next to Grace.

“Look Sam, it’s just a baby,” Grace said. Okay, she’d start with reasoning. Sam wasn’t so far gone that he couldn’t see the small squirming bundle innocently cradled in her arms. Grace held the baby out slightly away from her body and a hiss issued clearly from the Cullens behind her. “See?”

It’s an abomination.

“Bella’s dead.” Grace said softly. She could hear a crushing sound from Jacob like a whimper, “No rules have been broken.” Grace wiped the image of Edward’s head clearly leaning over Bella’s body, breaking the skin with his teeth as he frantically tried to fill her with venom in an effort to save her life. “I—”

ENOUGH. I’m sick of this. I’m sick of you choosing them over your brothers. Your family! Let us do what we were born to do! Sam started toward her but Grace was faster, pulling a wide shield that knocked him back. She saw the other members of his pack pull forward out of the forest as if on command. Her eyes flickered to each of them, pleading.

“Sam, please! You’re not going to do this. You’re not going to kill her or me or any of us over something like this. I know that’s not who you were born to be,” Grace’s voice was stern but Sam growled and bucked against the shield, trying to crash through it by scratching and tearing at it.

For a moment, Grace was terrified. The Cullens were pressing forward now, sticking behind her shield but flanking her. Jake was nosing Grace back and getting in front of her. The other pack mates darted forward on Sam’s command and starting tearing against her shield. All at once, Grace felt immense pain as they collided with it. Her knees began to buckle as she grasped Renesmee against her chest.

And then, as she curled in on herself in pain bringing her forehead down close to Renesmee, a tiny hand pushed out of the blanket and grasped Grace’s cheek softly. Grace gasped as the pain in her melted away as Renesmee showed her Bella, in her last moments before death, swimming in such immeasurable love at the sight of Renesmee, talking to her as she lay spoiled in her belly the days leading up to her birth and the smile of Edward’s face as it beamed down on her for the first time. Grace felt her shield falter as she became momentarily distracted by Renesmee’s vision and Sam’s pack moved forward.

...need a better plan!

They’re not going to stop.

Jake what do we do?

I can’t kill them.

It won’t come to that, stay behind me!

A flurry of voices circled in her head, but it suddenly became clear what Grace needed to do. The Cullens were up against the shield now staring down the wolves and causing the fear to rise in the pack. Jake looked over his shoulder at Grace for a moment and as he did, Grace nodded at him once and mouthed, ‘Trust me.’

Recognition flitted into his eyes as Grace let her shield fall. In one movement the wolves were on the Cullens in a frenzy, foaming at the mouth. The Cullens responded in kind and no sooner had the thrashing started when Grace sucked in a deep breath, pulling in as much energy as she could from around her. The sleeping trees creaked toward her. With a concentrated exhale, Grace pushed the energy boiled up through her belly out around her in one big gust. An explosion of blue light swept across the clearing, pushing the wolves and the Cullen’s apart. Even Jacob was knocked back to the treeline. As he frantically scrambled to his feet, he paused.

Sam was frozen in the clearing as Grace walked purposefully toward him with Renesmee in her arms. Jacob hesitated, watching. His eyes darted around to the others who also seemed frozen. The Cullens seemed glued to the ground where they fell. As Grace strode forward, Renesmee held her hand out of the blanket, reaching toward Sam. Jacob’s eyes went wide.

Grace’s eyes were clouded over but she felt entirely in control. As Renesmee reached her outstretched hand up toward Sam’s muzzle, Grace felt the ripple of energy sling-shot back to her like a rubber band. The glittering, blue light surrounded the three of them. Renesmee’s tiny hand touched the side of Sam’s face that was twisted into a snarl, but as soon as her hand landed, the fear dropped away from him. Renesmee showed him Bella in her weakened state, love emanating from her eyes in only a way a mother so newly in love with her baby could and as her eyes flickered to Grace, Sam heard the words Bella had asked of Grace echo clearly in his head “You have to protect her.” Tears were forming around the edge of Bella’s eyes in that moment and her lower lip quivered, something Grace hadn’t seen before in her panic.

Love awash with pain. Renesmee held Bella’s face in her mind for Sam to see for a moment longer and then dropped her hand. The forcefield around them dropped at the same time and everyone sprang back up ready to attack but held off. It was like time suddenly sped up and everyone was getting back to their places. Sam stumbled backwards unable to shake the image from his mind.

“No monsters live here, Sam. It’s just us.” Grace said quietly. His eyes connected with Grace’s again and she saw the fear resting in them still, but something in him had shifted.

Behind them, the sun started to rise.

#twilight fanfiction #Twilight FanFic #twilightfanfic #twilightfanfiction #new moon #eclipse #breaking dawn #the cullens #bella swan #jacob black #jacobblack #jacobblackxoc #jacobxoc #the pack survives #edward cullen #a monster lives here #chapter 41

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safflowerseason · 4 years ago

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what are some of your favourite fights (verbal not physical!) from the oc? i was thinking about how much i enjoy ryan and marissa's fight in 3x02 about the shooting. it's one of the few (only?) instance where they talk about it and marissa vocalises ryan not needing to save her all the time. for all their misery in season 3, it's a shame we didn't get more explosive fights between the two. really emblematic of how the show lost its energy and spark

Oooh, this is a great question, Anon, as everyone here knows I love a good fight. However, the only season I can really consider in my answer is S1, because I haven’t watched the other seasons closely enough to really have a favorite (I also think they are written badly enough that a lot of the fighting just annoys me because none of it actually makes sense emotionally).

In general, my favorite fights on The OC are between Sandy and Kirsten, for a couple reasons. For one thing, they are always the best acted (um, sorry to the core four, but it’s true). Peter Gallagher and Kelly Rowan had such good chemistry and did an incredible job of portraying a marriage in all its dimensions. I also just personally love watching/reading a good fight between married people (I am writing a whole fic to that effect) because there’s always so much going on, so much history to draw from, and so much more is always at stake. I’m not sure I can pick a favorite, but whenever Sandy and Kirsten are fighting in S1, I am always having a great time and just appreciating their dynamic because it’s so rich. One of my favorite fights is the fight they have during the Valentine’s Day episode in Kirsten’s office, which starts out kind of silly about the V-Day dance and then turns into a bigger fight about their whole relationship. Inject that kind of fighting into my veins.

Anyway, after Sandy and Kirsten’s fights, I also really do appreciate Seth and Summer’s fight at the beginning of S2, when Summer reads the riot act and calls him on all his bullshit, because she basically sums up everything that’s wrong with Seth’s character and it’s just a shame Seth actually regresses in S2 as a human. “What do you want, Cohen?” “I just want you.” “...No, you don’t.” SO GOOD. Normally Adam Brody out-acts Bilson (and/or you get the sense they are just being a couple onscreen together), but she completely shines in that scene. Rachel Bilson went to acting classes or something between S1 and S2.

For Ryan and Marissa, it’s a bit difficult for me to choose. Unlike Sandy and Kirsten or Seth and Summer, who largely communicate via fighting, Ryan and Marissa do not communicate that way, so fighting for them is often less about communication and more just...yelling past each other, which is more frustrating to watch. The moments when they make up from their arguments are always the more compelling to me. I’m not sure I agree that Ryan and Marissa needed more fights to fix what went wrong in S3 (although I haven’t seen it in years and years and it sounds like maybe they did need to scream at each other)...I just think the writers had no idea how to write their relationship anymore. To me, Ryan and Marissa’s best moments as a couple are their quietest moments...Ben McKenzie and Mischa Barton are not very talk-y actors...they often do better just letting their faces do the work for them.

Nevertheless, I do enjoy their fight in the S1 Chrismukkah ep, after they get pulled over by the cops and Marissa almost gets busted for drinking and Ryan unloads on her about how he can’t put up with her behavior anymore. To me, it’s a very realistic argument, and Ryan is actually setting a boundary with Marissa (albeit angrily), which is very compelling to see considering they have basically no boundaries with each other at that point in their relationship. I also enjoy their post-Oliver arc when Marissa wants to go back to normal and Ryan can’t because he feels too betrayed...when Marissa shows up and basically wants to have sex as a way to make up for it and Ryan is like “ahhh stop.” These arguments both center Ryan’s perspective over Marissa’s--the perennial problem in the writing of their relationship, especially after Oliver--but nevertheless, both those fights, to me, say a lot about both Ryan and Marissa’s separate psychologies and the root of their dysfunction.

In response to an ask, I also wrote a close reading here about their argument in 2x09, when Lindsey gets really drunk and Ryan blames Marissa. True to form, I find their conversation AFTER the fight a lot more interesting than the fight itself, but I dissect both. And fwiw this is also a ~*great*~ fight for Ryan and Marissa, and it’s not a coincidence it calls back to their fight in the Christmas episode.

Thanks so much for the great ask, Anon! As you can see, I love dissecting how a good fight works on the page and on-screen 😎 it’s harder than it looks!

#the oc #ryan x marissa #sandy x kirsten #seth x summer #the marissa discourse #ryan atwood #marissa cooper #seth cohen #summer roberts #sandy cohen #kirsten cohen

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seancamerons · 4 years ago

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ep/arcs in shows that make me sad

- in boy meets world when cory and topanga are broken up and its all depressing and shit it was well written but damn the whole situation made me sad

- in oth when haley leaves and nathan’s like depressed - in oth when haley first comes back from tour in s3 and nathan’s all y’know - in degrassi when c*m died and maya goes through a downward sprial - also maya’s depression in next class - in fnl when matt and julie break up when he like leaves and it gets like super emotional its not okay - that time in degrassi when darcy struggles after her rape - and zoe’s sexual assault and trial when she almost overdoses :’( - and when she confesses to winston she’s gay (and she’d been hurting herself) - when ADAM would burn himself when he’s forced to pretend he’s gracie - tyler down’s entire plot in s2 in thirteen reasons - HANNAH BAKER - the aftermath on degrassi gives me sad feelings sometimes for a lot of reasons - but what about when marissa died on the oc that whole arc leading up to it fucking hurts - especially with ryan like holding her lifeless body i fucking can’t - i can’t with s1′s finale that whole ep like it’s one of my favorite episodes but the ending makes me cry - i fucking lose it when kirsten cries in the pool house when ryan and seth leave town and marissa goes back to the bottle and they play fucking hallejuah - “we’re from different worlds” that scene hurt me - when seth tells summer he doesn’t love her anymore - when summer and seth are so not in acting so loveydovey (because the actors split up irl) in s4 of the oc and the dynamic shifted and the mermaid poem was a sham ugh - that one time i felt sorry for kelly in that throwaway sleepover episode of bh90210 when she talks about that guy and when steve fuckin lied about shit and spread rumors about her because he was hurt or something and it really hurt her feelings because i have a soft spot for them even tho they don’t work i guess - when steve found out he’s adopted and runs away to find his biomom in s2 - brenda being pariahed in s3-4 of bh90210 subtly - when dylan and kelly take brenda to the park to tell her they’re together and felt like they ‘owed it to her’ like get the fuck out of here you guys are trash friends - in degrassi when zig tells maya he ‘fooled around’ with zoe and maya takes her hands away like that fucking moment ok - “i’m sorry too.” takin’ it waaaay back to s1 with sean and emma - “i’ve got nothing to say” from gg tied with, “maybe it’s not the chemo.” - the only time i had sad feels about ecl*re when clare had a miscarriage because it really was sad the way it all happened i was mad about the pregnancy plot but i was more upset when after all the careful preparation it was just tossed aside - jt’s death bc well c’mon and that plot when jay suckered him into stealing oxy and he ruined his life - when e**ie cut herself - that time when ashley cried during her school pictures :’( yeah same - ok breaking bad but the time when walt finally tells jesse the truth about jane and that he could’ve stopped her death and he didn’t before selling him to the fucking neonazis who then tortured him for like 80 years (including when they killed his girlfriend) - betty’s whole life on mad men but especially that one ep when she worked fucking hard as shit on that ‘around the world dinner’ and then found out that he’d been cheating on her or put pieces together in her head and she stayed in her party dress all day and didn’t do shit but think about all the shit with don - while also satisfying to me like the part when peggy confesses to pete after he confesses to peggy he loves her, about how she had a baby that was his and she gave it away - when poussey died on oitnb - how taystee got life for something she didn’t do - how taystee found tucky ended up graduating afterall (and did she find her) - when tucky got r*ped and nothing was done about it and she continued spending time with her perp and her best friend abandoned her over it - maritza getting separated from flaca after the riots and ending up getting deported like wtf - susanne in jail and why she’s there breaks my heart - speaking of netflix shows the ass end of the last ep of on my block hurts alot about that show hurts - skins when freddie gets straight up murdered by effy’s doctor still freaks me out to this daaaayyy (that scene was unnecessary and brutal) but that’s just one of skins tragedies and omg i can’t - how we’ll never know anything about the society cuz it got canned - elite when marina is murdered and then it was covered up and then i stopped watching for a bit so idk what ever becomes of it but i loved marina feel free to add more!

#sad times on tv shows #this list is long af #television #feel free to add more #this is mostly degrassi #but i have a few from other shows too

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crazy-loca-blog · 5 years ago

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Personal thoughts on Red Carpet Diaries, Book 3, Ch. 5

Note: As the title says, these are just personal opinions on Choices books and chapters. Of course, you may agree or disagree with them, I only use this platform to express my thoughts on what I read every week and what I’d like to see in the next chapters, because none of my friends play Choices so I have no one to comment the books with.

Is there anything we can do to stop things from being weirder?

Last chapter ended when we discovered our engagement pictures had been leaked. The least we deserved was to have a serious conversation with our significant other, especially because I think this is the first time in the series that our MC goes through something like this, with pictures involved (how can we forget the scandal in book 1!). But what we got? A group chat. I mean, I love this gang, but it just wasn’t the right moment. Luckily, if you’re dating Victoria, the next scene makes total sense, because she’s the only one who actually calls us to know if we are OK. But if you’re not, we didn’t get to talk about this with our LI in the whole chapter, and basically we got to solve the problem by ourselves, so it kinda sucked.

Now, as a friend, I’m grateful for having Victoria. I’m a person who hated her in the first book, to the point I didn’t include her in the movie… she was just mean and toxic! But her arc of redemption has led her to a place where now we can see her using her experience to help others, and I don’t mean it because of her mentoring job, but because she’s the only one that’s truly capable to offer our MC real help on what to do in this situation and how to face it. You may say “But what about Thomas and Matt? They’ve also been in the business for years!” And you’re right, but they’ve been in different situations. Thomas has always worked behind the cameras, so probably being in the spotlight and being exposed this way is something that he’s not used to, so I guess that if you’re dating him, he’s probably as overwhelmed as you, and if you’re not engaged to him, he just doesn’t know how to react because, again, he’s not used to this. And Matt is the total opposite: he’s been in the spotlight since he was a kid, so he probably has no idea how it looks like to have a “real” private life, because he has always seen press, cameras and paparazzis around him. So he must be thinking something like “OK, they did it again, let’s just move on and forget that this happened”.

However, I’ve always thought that Victoria cares about our MC because she sees herself in our MC, so it’s easy for her to feel related to us and deeply understand how we feel. If you forget about book 1 and think about it, she’s the one who told us to be careful around Harvey Weinstein Viktor Montmartre, and she was the one who invited us to her place to comfort us when no one else cared, even though she wasn’t even living in LA. And now she does it again. So kudos to Victoria for being that friend who always knows what to say when you need some good piece of advice.

We also got to meet Arianna, Victoria’s mentee. I’m not going to lie… at some point of the scene I thought that maybe Arianna had something to do with the leaked pictures… you know, I saw her so capable of doing anything to become a famous actress that I thought “what if the pictures were in Victoria’s phone and she just stole them to get some recognition?”… but then, if you read Chapter 8 summary (SPOILER ALERT!!!) you may notice we’re going to be stalked by someone (I can’t believe it! I mentioned it in my Chapter 2 text as one of the possibilities for drama in this book… but I didn’t see it coming honestly!), so maybe I should trust this kid.

On other issues… OMG… Teja was late to the actor casting! I’m so surprised! OK… not. I knew this was going to happen and I know it will keep happening to the point it will become a problem in the future, even if our MC literally told her “No problem” this time. Girl, you’re working too much! You’re going to get a burnout! And I’m telling you this as a person who constantly lives with higher stress levels than normal, so I know what I’m talking about. On the other hand, I’m so happy that Seth got the role. We hadn’t had the chance to work with him in past books and this will probably mean he’ll get more screen time (yeah!), bur after the mess that Teja and Seth were in book 2, I’m seriously worried about them working together again. They had this big “ego problem” in book 2, and I’m not that sure they may leave their work issues in the past so easily, so maybe we’ll have some extra drama here? Time (and future chapters) will tell.

I did have problems trying to realize the weirdest moment of the chapter. So I think there is a tie between two of them. The first one has to be Marianne’s reaction to the news that we’re engaged (seriously girl? you didn’t notice our MC was wearing a ring when you first met her?) and the leaked pictures (like seriously… I understand this is a business, but at least you could have asked my MC how she felt about it instead of immediately seeing the pictures as “good marketing for the movie”… especially because when I talked to the magazine, I asked for more privacy, not for movie coverage… oops!).

And the second one is the party… like the whole party thing. Since the moment Seth invited us, everything around it felt out of place. Three of our five LIs were there, so the chances to see your partner at the party were pretty high… how is that we didn’t know that our LI was going to attend this party? I mean, I’m not saying that if you’re dating Matt and Thomas they had to invite you, but in my case, it felt weird that I knew that Matt was going to a party because Teja told me he was going to be there. Like… why didn’t HE tell me? There was also the pool scene. Even though this meant to have some extra time to spend with our LI, it felt out of place. Like… nothing happened… it was just plain… I mean, at least we could have had a chance to go home with our LI… just saying…

I don’t think we’re going to see much of the movie this week as we’re leaving Hollywood. But… one of the good things that the party left us was Addison. I’m really hoping to have her in the movie as well. She’s an amazing designer and she’d be perfect to work with us. And please, please PB… can we have Ryan in our movie as well? He appears in just many books as a (very) secondary character, he deserves his time to shine in one of them! On the other hand, I guess it‘s time to set things straight with our partner. I mean… we’re basically planning our wedding by ourselves, when this is supposed to be a thing of two. I’m guessing PB may be planning something like a brief breakup before the wedding, otherwise, I can’t understand how all the engagement thing has been so poorly handled.

#playchoices #choices stories you play #red carpet diaries #RCD #rcd3 #choices RCD #jessica clark #matt rodriguez #thomas hunt #seth levine #victoria fontaine #teja desai #chazz javellana #matt rodriguez x mc #thomas hunt x mc #seth levine x mc #victoria fontaine x mc #teja desai x mc

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imaginexwwe · 7 years ago

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Two Weeks: Day 8 (SETH ROLLINS)

Warnings: SLIGHT CURSING

_________

Is it really Monday?

Like legit?

Guess so, I thought answering my own thoughts as I stepped out of Seth’s car and stared up at the eight hour prison.

He stole a quick kiss in the crowded parking lot, to my suprise.

I mean, I know we shared a crazy weekend together, with the party, then me getting mad at him, flash forward to him showing up at my house, us kissing and him staying the night.

Oh and us kinda making it official.

Damn, that’s enough to make my head spin thinking about it.

But I thought considering his reputation, and the group he hangs with that he’d want to be as low-key as possible.

Maybe he doesn’t ca–

“I couldn’t wait eight hours for that, but let’s keep it low-key.”

Spoke too soon.

Well thought too soon.

Not even waiting for a spoken reply, Seth ran into the school leaving me to trail behind.

Boys are so confusing.

They steal a quick kiss from you in a crowded parking lot, but then they’ll run into school making sure no one sees you with him.

If he wants to be low-key like he say, then why even bother dropping me off?

Oh, wait.

Maybe he’ll just play that off as just being nice, since we’re working on project together.

Yep, I’m sure that’ll be the first excuse to spill from his mouth if he’s ever questioned.

________

“In gonna step out for a minute, just continue working in silence on the board work.” The teacher spoke, before leaving the room.

Not even a good two minutes after the class door closed behind the teacher, I could hear someone make an annoying psst sound next to me.

At first I was quick to ignore it, thinking it might be some jock, or cheerleader that wanted to get some answers from her work, considering that’s really all they want from me.

And that’s the only reason they ever talk to me.

It’s constantly. “Y/N what’s the answer to this?” Or the usual. “Y/N let me see your paper.”

Like chill, and do your own work, maybe you’ll learn something.

I felt a tap on my back, and some part of me wanted it to be Seth.

I mean if my boyfriend wanted answers, I just may give him the answers.

No scratch that, I will.

“Y/N.” A guy whispered.

Okay definitely not Seth’s voice.

Before I could fully turn around to see who was calling me, the person was already in my face.

A somewhat fake smile spread across my face. “Oh hey, Ryan.” I spoke focusing from my work to him.

Hopefully he gets the memo, that I’m not in the mood to talk.

To him at least.

“You know I never did get your number that night at the party.” He said with a grin.

“Ryan, I’m not a mind reader.” I laughed a little. “If you wanted my number, you should’ve said it.”

Ryan nodded, before speaking again. “So, this is me saying it.” He put his hand over mines, caressing it a bit. “I want your number, and I wanna take you out, Friday night.”

I looked at him for a few seconds, before shaking my head.

“I can’t do that.” I said hoping to shut that down.

Ryan did a pout and I got to admit, it was cute. “Please?” He said sorta begging.

Again, I shook my head but before I could say anything Seth inserted himself in our conversation.

_________

Seth scrunched up his nose, unable to hold himself back anymore.

Could you blame him though?

Some dudes trying to step into his territory.

“She said no, Ryan.” He said stepping up to Y/N’s desk.

Ryan stood up. “Bro, this doesn’t concern you…”

It does concern me when it’s my girl you’re asking out.

Seth took a few more steps, now eye to eye with Ryan. “She said no.” I repeated with a glare.

He looked on as Ryan threw his head back, his laughter filling the room. “And in case you didn’t hear me.” He said not backing down. “This doesn’t concern you.”

Seth clenched his jaw, shoving Ryan, then standing his ground as Ryan caught hiss balance coming back for Seth.

But by now Y/N had got out of her seat.

________

“Oh my god, Seth stop.” I said looking at him, with a hand on his chest.

I could feel his heart pounding from the adrenaline.

Which is why I had to step in, the look on Seth’s face is not the look of someone who’s about to take it easy on you.

Ryan laughed again. “You heard her Seth, go back to your seat so we can continue our talk.”

I rolled my eyes looking from Seth, but not taking my hand off him.

“I didn’t say that Ryan.”

Seth began moving again, trying to get to Ryan, after his smart ass remark.

“For fucking sake Seth, leave him alone.”

I watched as my boyfriend’s eyes went from angry to hurt, then back to angry. “Oh, so you’re taking up for him?”

“Seth I’m not taking up for–”

He didn’t even let me finish, before he began yelling. “My own fucking girlfriend, taking up for some random ass like him?” He blurted out making my own hear began to race.

Did he really just say that in front of the whole class?

I quickly glanced around seeing mouths open from shock.

Guess he did.

“Can you please just not? We can talk about this after school.” I pleaded with my voice and my eyes.

Seth, this time was the one doing the laughter. “No, I wanna talk about this now? Why the fuck were you beating around the bush, instead of just saying no as soon as he asked?”

Okay now I was getting mad.

“I turned him down the minute he asked. What did you want me to do? Jump up and yell no I can’t go out with you, because I’m dating Seth Rollins?” I rolled my eyes. “Is that what you wanted me to do? Cause a big scene like you?”

My idiot boyfriend just shrugged. “At least then he would’ve known you were taken.”

Boy, bye.

It’s not like you were so concerned about people knowing you were taken this morning.

“Oh, okay. So you want people to know I’m taken by you right? But you don’t even want to be seen walking into school with me?”

He opened his mouth to talk but I cut him off before he could even began.

“I believe you said something like, I’m not embarrassed of you or anything, I just don’t think it’s anybody’s business. Well why is it the whole class’ business now Seth, because you couldn’t just let me handle Ryan on my own? You had to be the big, scary boyfriend ready to pick a fight cause you’re jealous?”

I took my seat again, after telling seth off.

Jealousy is not a good look on Seth.

“Y/N, it’s not like that.” Seth said trying to explain his side but I didn’t want to hear it, at least not now.

“Seth just leave me alone please. I’m trying to finish my work.”

A groan came from him, but he reluctantly went back to his seat, and I continue on the assignment trying to block out all the whispers Seth had caused.

_________

@princesstoniii @panic-angel3314 @eshia16 @littleprincess1621 @panda-girl1999 @geekoftv @xfirespritex @queennikki-kingdean @calwitch @maryskahadeondawwe @batgirlbethany @jooheonie-bee @rebelfleur22 @lilred91 @m-a-t-91

#seth rollins #seth rollins fluff #seth rollins imagines #seth rollins fanfiction #sethxreader #seth rollins fanfic #seth rollins fic #seth rollins imagine #wwe seth rollins #wwe requests #wwe imagines #wwe imagine #wwe fic #wwe fanfiction #wwe #wwe shield #wwe raw #wwe superstars #wwe shield imagines

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mischas · 2 years ago

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Would love to hear your thoughts on that scene in 3.01 ("you're not alone this time"). I always find it very upsetting that M has to remind R she exists, he doesn't ask how she is... somehow her trauma and everything she has been through becomes about him? Also LOVE the wordless phone call. M is especially brilliant in that scene.

I hear you! This got insanely long, like much more than you were probably expecting...

So my thing about this scene is that it's a favorite, if not my very favorite, outside of the episode's context. 3x01 tells us, not all that subtly, that Ryan wants to speak to Trey. He wants him to wake up. And I don't think Ryan even knows what he wants to say. And maybe that's reasonable, but we have to assume from context clues that Ryan thinks that because they fought it out and Trey's been in a coma all summer that they're square. Ryan tells Seth something along the lines of "I'd give anything for him to wake up" and yes that's his brother so it's incredibly complicated but also what the fuck.

The attack and shooting were intensely psychologically damaging for Ryan that summer but 1) the show never really attempted to treat it as such and 2) it impacted how he was able to identify with and console Marissa. It's pretty in character for him to keep things bottled up while she's all emotion and heart. Their similarly shared trauma is what bonded them in the first place but this was something they went through together, though having had different roles in each event. And somehow it's worse, because their coping mechanisms are different and there's a lot unsaid due to them being all-too-reliant on nonverbal communication. They are so separately traumatized in 3x01 that they've both contended that things will be okay when Trey awakes and probably not thought about anything beyond that. Ryan hasn't let himself consider Marissa's own trauma from the events because he already feels so, so bad that he brought Trey into her life in the first place. And that's not right, of course he should've given her perspective much more thought, but I think it's his way of coping. As Sandy says in 3x02, Ryan wanting to fix the situation is "the universal male instinct" rather than just sitting with Marissa and talking. The third season should've delved into this as they were trying to evolve the characters into adults anyway due to it being senior year.

As for the end scene you actually asked about (lol) I've chosen to see the scene as Ryan having seen Trey for the last time and lamenting the last real familial tie he had. Much of the Ryan we came to know is defined by his upbringing and frayed ties with his blood relatives. Trey's crimes are the whole reason Ryan ended up in Newport and I have to give that final scene credit for somehow bringing Ryan's complicated feelings toward his family full circle. I don't think he really knows what he's feeling but he's also just been in jail for a few days so he's probably been thinking about stealing that first car with Trey in 1x01 and everything that's come from it. Ryan's been confused and anxious all summer. The story he tells Marissa is an allegory for him feeling like a scared little kid again. As Theresa said in 2x23, "Trey's been kicking you around your whole life". Trey's crimes against Marissa are horrifying and I think Ryan's only way of acknowledging that was with his fist in that apartment. Because talking it out is something he was never raised to do. Ryan has alluded to basically raising himself but "It was always me and Trey against the world" is telling too. Ryan not only thought of him as a brother but as a protector. We saw in s2 how complicated Ryan's feelings are about his brother and we saw how Trey could manipulate Ryan pretty easily. I think 3x01 is an example of Trey pulling those strings again with just his presence. Him being around discombobulates Ryan so much and there will always be a power imbalance between them. Because Trey has the ability to make Ryan feel like a scared little kid.

Ryan sharing the story with Marissa means a lot because we never see him share much about his home life beyond little comments to Seth and an anecdote here and there. Even though Ryan doesn't have the emotional maturity to talk through everything with Marissa, she's still the one he's closest to emotionally. And he knows she'd never judge him for feeling lost and small. They get one another in ways that are overwhelming yet comforting and it's part of why they keep coming back together. This scene promises a closeness and Marissa's "You're not alone this time" is very key in this vulnerable position Ryan's found himself in. We never see him like this, and we have to assume Marissa has seen it infrequently too. Marissa's saying "I'm scared with you, if you're that scared little kid I'm right there too, we'll be scared together" and it's so simple. Because ALL Marissa wants is to walk through this with him. Even this schtick they have of "if we stick together, things will be okay" in the first three episodes is so much clinging to the other so they don't drown. And it's not just Ryan who wants to avoid it. Marissa wasn't taught how to process her feelings or trauma either. They enable one another sometimes because they're also afraid of that same vulnerability and even culpability; it comes out a bit in their 3x02 fight (Marissa knows Ryan lowkey blames her for Trey leaving and Ryan is still very confused about those things so he doesn't even consider them and is instead defensive). It's really the last time we see them actually discuss what happened in 2x24 (2x21 is barely discussed in 3x01) so we have to piece together a few things.

But resolving to stick together isn't in itself unhealthy, and they're so so young that it makes sense that they think (or at least wish) that clinging to what they've built together will resolve their problems. It's actually incredibly romantic, and I think goes to the root of why I love them so much. They're deeply traumatized characters who see those same things in one another and are constantly trying to survive.

#ask #anonymous #3x01 #i have thought about this about a thousand times more than js ever did is all i'm saying #marissa deserved better from ryan for sure regarding these events and i think if he was in character he would've realized this sooner #like i'm not saying it's okay that he pushed it from his mind i'm just saying it makes sense since he was also so involved #he can't be objective when it comes to trey and you can see in s2 he so badly wishes he could be #so turning his brain off is how he deals. and tbh that's real

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adambstingus · 6 years ago

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Macaulay Culkin: ‘No, I was not pounding six grand of heroin a month’

The Home Alone star talks about the drug rumours, dodging paparazzi and his cheese-flavoured Velvet Underground tribute act

Of all modern myths, it is the fall of the child star that most compels us. Whether theyre embarking on 55-hour marriages, throwing bongs out of windows or abandoning monkeys at customs, we cant seem to get enough. Theres something pathological in our need to tear down our icons of innocence, which might explain the overprotective nature of Macaulay Culkins US publicist, who wants to see all my questions upfront. I refuse. I thought we could just … have a chat? The interview, Culkins biggest in 10 years, is supposed to focus on his comeback. Im instructed to avoid anything negative. I ask if I can ask if he has any regrets. Regrets sounds too negative, is the response.

When we meet, in the lobby of a hotel in Spain, Im still trying to figure out what exactly this comeback consists of. Culkins filming an advert for Compare the Market, which is obviously not a passion project. It was fun, and we hammered that sucker out pretty quickly. The biggest scene was me sitting on a bench eating ice-cream.

Is he doing this to fund an exciting new venture? No, not necessarily. Hes dressed grungily, long hair man-bunned back, boots open-laced, blazer badge-studded. He doesnt project the focused careerism of most actors. People feel they have to be in perpetual motion, or drown. Ive never had a problem saying Ive got nothing lined up. Maybe Ill take the next year off. It sounds as if hes not particularly drawn to acting at all. Im not much active, he concedes. If I knew what I wanted to do, Id be writing it myself.

The trajectory of Culkins life feels like fallout from an atomic blast. By the age of 12, Uncle Buck, two Home Alone films, My Girl and (to a lesser extent) Richie Rich had made him the most successful child actor of all time. At 14, he became legally emancipated from his parents; both had been trying to gain control of his $17m fortune in their divorce. Culkin married at 17, and separated two years later. Sleepovers with Michael Jackson became public knowledge when he was called as a defence witness at the singers molestation trial. Im ghoulishly fascinated by this alien childhood. Id like to ask about Michael Jackson.

In Home Alone (1990). Photograph: Alamy Stock Photo

I think its best you dont, interjects his manager. She is one of three people sitting with us. Its not that its a painful topic … begins Culkin. His manager insists we move on, the PR next to her agrees. Culkin clearly wants to say something, but six eyes are telling him not to.

I suspect were both wondering why were here; 35-year-old Culkin doesnt do this sort of thing any more, having turned his back on the spotlight. I dont just turn my back, I actively dont want it. The paps go after me because I dont whore myself out. He has spent a decade turning down interviews, and mostly lives in France, where the aloof Parisians leave him alone. (Its also where Kevin McCallisters family were headed when they left him Home Alone, but we cant talk about that.) I get the impression hes as eager to talk about a price comparison website as I am to ask about one. Instead, I ask why people are still fascinated by him.

I have no idea. I was thinking about this the other day Id crossed the wrong street, picked up a tail, suddenly theres a crush of 20 paparazzi. Then people with cameraphones get involved. I dont think Im worthy of that.

With Michael Jackson in 2001. Photograph: Kevin Kane/WireImage

Has it got better with time?

Its been like that my whole adult life. You take on a prey-like attitude, always scanning the horizon. Its strange on dates, as it looks like youre not paying attention. But Ive stopped trying to think of myself in the third person, because thats just gonna drive me nuts.

You had to think about yourself in the third person?

Exactly. Macaulay Culkin is out there, and Im Mac. You guys can play with the first one.

Hes not averse to a bit of playing himself, for Culkin is the celebritys meta-celebrity. You may remember the meme-meltdown a few years back when Ryan Gosling was pictured wearing a T-shirt of Kevin McCallister. Culkin responded by creating a T-shirt that pictured Gosling wearing the shirt, before Gosling responded in kind, being photographed wearing a T-shirt of Culkin wearing a T-shirt of Gosling wearing a T-shirt of Culkin. They may still be at it for all we know.

Culkins previous ads, for the likes of Orange (and, in a Partridge move, the rebranding of Norwich Union), trade in close-to-the-bone self-analysis. For Compare the Market, he plays a hitchhiker picked up by the lovable meerkats, who see him as a child, buying him ice-cream and making him ride merry-go-rounds hes too big for.

In 2006, Culkin wrote an experimental novel, Junior, from the perspective of a certifiable child star with father issues. In web comedy :DRYVRS, hes a blood-spattered sadist, unhinged by the childhood trauma of parental abandonment, and defending himself against home invaders. Is all this self-quoting what hes drawn to, or just what he gets offered? A bit of both. It suits my personality and sense of humour. But I would be game for something non-self-referential.

Given this dilemma constantly returning to a past he wants distance from where does his sense of self come from? From me. I try to figure out what makes me happy and not in a superficial way. I keep my soul fit. Is he spiritual? I know enough to know I dont know. I was raised Catholic, so theres a lot of guilt. Were born with original sin. He veers off into a joke. Since I was told that, Ive been trying to come up with even more original sins, thatll really blow my priest away at confession. Like, heres one you havent heard it involves a pitching wedge, a donkey and a bucket of ice. And two meerkats? Yeah! You might wanna record this one!

With his brother, Kieran Culkin, c 1990. Photograph: Dave Benett/Getty Images

He reflects. Actually, Im very much at peace lately. I can debate with people, and my heart rate never changes. And Culkin is witty and affable. Funny, but distant. He offers confrontational figures of speech amiably. If you want to get into an argument with an artist, ask them what art is, he says. If you want to make an actor feel uncomfortable, ask them what theyre doing next. (I hastily scribble out one of the few questions Ive written down.)

Are his debates political? I have leanings, but Im the definition of a disenfranchised voter I think the system is ugly. This whole Trump thing is amazing. (Trump cameos in Home Alone 2, showing our hero the way to the Plaza Hotel lobby, although we cant talk about it.) Culkin doesnt want to be drawn further. Discussing politics is the quickest way to alienate people, so I dont wanna go into it. And Trump has enough column inches? Exactly! Hes like the Candyman, we have to stop saying his name.

Culkin was acting at four, an age at which no one knows what they want beyond watching cartoons and eating oversugared cereal. Having described himself as effectively retired, he works occasionally (voices for Seth Greens Robot Chicken, cameoing as himself in Zoolander 2), but: Im much more proactive with visual arts and writing, my notebook and little projects. Of the projects that reach the public, most could charitably be classed as divisive. There are paintings: one of the cast of Seinfeld on the set of Wheel of Fortune, being painted, nude, by He-Man. Theres The Wrong Ferrari, a Dadaist knockabout written on ketamine with Adam Green of the Moldy Peaches, shot entirely on iPhones. Most notorious is the Pizza Underground, his Velvet Underground tribute act that replaces the original lyrics with pizza puns (Im Waiting for Delivery Man, Take a Bite of the Wild Slice). At Nottingham Rock City, the band were pelted with beer and booed off stage as he played a kazoo solo. They cancelled their European dates, citing a cheesemergency. My question about all this is: what the hell?

Its one of those good ideas you have when youre drunk, and you wake up and forget about it. But were taking it to the end of the joke. We have an album coming out, a vinyl pressing with a childrens choir, a symphony orchestra. Were giving it away, our gift to the world. Does he still find it funny? Of course I find it funny! We rhyme mushrooms with mushrooms, come on. Its the same joke, relentlessly. Like, theyre really doing this?

Culkin enjoys the absurdity his fame bestows. But scrutiny has its downside. In New York, he takes walks at 4am to avoid harassment. On YouTube, one can find clips of him being harassed by wannabe-paps with smartphones. In 2012, photographs of him looking gaunt, almost transparent, set tabloids aflame with stories he was addicted to heroin and oxycodone, following the breakdown of his relationship with Mila Kunis. Given his friendship with Adam Green and Pete Doherty as well as a previous arrest for possession of marijuana, Xanax and clonazepam it seemed plausible.

Performing as Pizza Underground with Deenah Vollmer. Photograph: Sam Santos/WireImage

Were people right to be worried? Not necessarily. Of course, when silly stuff is going on but no, I was not pounding six grand of heroin every month or whatever. The thing that bugged me was tabloids wrapping it all in this weird guise of concern. No, youre trying to shift papers. Is there a story there he might want to tell one day, on his own terms? Perhaps.

Whatever his recreational habits, Im surprised by how unscrewed-up Macaulay Culkin is. Plans for the summer mainly involve roadying for Har Mar Superstar and Green (with whom he has another lo-fi film out, Aladdin). Home is where my boots are. Im a big fan of jumping on peoples tourbuses, making myself useful, doing load-ins and outs. I do everything except the merch table. I tried that, but … we didnt sell anything.

He has directionless days. He sleeps in, stays up late, indulges immature humour, bounces around with bad-influence friends. In short, hes enjoying the adolescence that celebrity stole from him. Ironically, his personal problems and turbulent relationship with the media have also given him a pretty grown-up perspective. Not a bad epilogue for a child star.

Its allowed me to become the person I am, and I like me, so I wouldnt change a thing. Not having to do anything for my dinner, financially, lets me treat every gig like its the last. He laughs, and this time addresses himself in the second person. If it is, Id think: Culkin, you had a good run.

from All Of Beer http://allofbeer.com/macaulay-culkin-no-i-was-not-pounding-six-grand-of-heroin-a-month/ from All of Beer https://allofbeercom.tumblr.com/post/181995008877

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samanthasroberts · 6 years ago

Text

Macaulay Culkin: ‘No, I was not pounding six grand of heroin a month’

The Home Alone star talks about the drug rumours, dodging paparazzi and his cheese-flavoured Velvet Underground tribute act

In Home Alone (1990). Photograph: Alamy Stock Photo

With Michael Jackson in 2001. Photograph: Kevin Kane/WireImage

Has it got better with time?

You had to think about yourself in the third person?

Exactly. Macaulay Culkin is out there, and Im Mac. You guys can play with the first one.

With his brother, Kieran Culkin, c 1990. Photograph: Dave Benett/Getty Images

Performing as Pizza Underground with Deenah Vollmer. Photograph: Sam Santos/WireImage

Source: http://allofbeer.com/macaulay-culkin-no-i-was-not-pounding-six-grand-of-heroin-a-month/

from All of Beer https://allofbeer.wordpress.com/2019/01/14/macaulay-culkin-no-i-was-not-pounding-six-grand-of-heroin-a-month/

0 notes

allofbeercom · 6 years ago

Text

Macaulay Culkin: ‘No, I was not pounding six grand of heroin a month’

The Home Alone star talks about the drug rumours, dodging paparazzi and his cheese-flavoured Velvet Underground tribute act

In Home Alone (1990). Photograph: Alamy Stock Photo

With Michael Jackson in 2001. Photograph: Kevin Kane/WireImage

Has it got better with time?

You had to think about yourself in the third person?

Exactly. Macaulay Culkin is out there, and Im Mac. You guys can play with the first one.

With his brother, Kieran Culkin, c 1990. Photograph: Dave Benett/Getty Images

Performing as Pizza Underground with Deenah Vollmer. Photograph: Sam Santos/WireImage

from All Of Beer http://allofbeer.com/macaulay-culkin-no-i-was-not-pounding-six-grand-of-heroin-a-month/

0 notes