#i see why they rushed the 2nd season now

[arabellas]

we're not getting kanej reunion we're not getting the ice court heist we're not getting and if I couldn’t walk, I’d crawl to you

[baurbiediv]

Hiii i saw you’re taking requests rn :)

Reade is in the family suit watching the game and suddenly doesnt feel good and coughs blood and then passes out. The other gf and wives (they love reader) trying to help. Maybe she has a cerebral hemorrhage and is rushed to the hospital. They cant get a hold of joey at first amd reader is scared and only sees him after surgery

sweet nothing

PAIRING ➔ joe burrow x gf!reader

WARNINGS ➔ mentions of blood, passing out, fainting & hospitalization (do not read if topic is sensitive to you! i am not forcing you to read this story!)

SYNOPSIS ➔ everything seems to not be going to well with y/n, what happens when joe can’t reach her?

A/N ➔ i had to change some stuff around (sorry anon!!!!) + if this is a triggering topic, please do not read for your own well-being! i also tried to do as much research as i could for this one, so please if there are any mistakes, do not hesitate to let me know!

-

usually you’d been excited for game days, except this time, it felt different.

you’d woke up that morning feeling incredibly groggy and exhausted, but you kept it pushing since you didn’t want make joe nervous.

it was the biggest game of the season, the AFC championship. joe had been pushing himself for this game and you were undoubtedly behind him for every single step.

you observed how hard he worked, even in the times he was so sore he could barely move, he wanted to be out there with his team and make them proud.

the clock read 8:45 am, just barely missing the alarm, you sat up and rubbed the slumber from your eyes and stretched.

looking back, joe, who was comfortably sleeping on his back and you watched the lazy sun just narrowly peeking through the blinds, hit his skin. getting up to get ready, you figured joe could use a little extra sleep so you let him sleep and left him to go to the bathroom.

usually when you got up in the morning, you weren’t sensitive to the lights at all really as they never affected you, but in that moment, you were oddly sensitive to them today.

carrying it with a grain of salt, you left the bathroom, the clock now reading 8:55 am, you approached the bed and ran a hand up and down joe’s back.

you laughed quietly seeing his face smushed into the pillow, before kissing his cheek, “wake up sleepyhead!” you whispered said as his eyes slowly opened.

a smile slowly etched onto his face, regularly he was a heavy sleeper, this time all it took was a kiss from you to wake him up, “good morning” he said, the rasp in voice very prominent.

you both smiled as you leaned back down and pressed a quick kiss to his lips.

you’d never admit it but you loved his morning voice, although you were almost sure joe knew that.

-

normally you two had never been this late leaving the house, but your body was against you today. you couldn’t pin point what was going on, but you hoped that it would stop soon. nothing like this had ever happened before, so why now?

once you arrived at the stadium, you turned and looked at joe, “now, i know i say this before every game day, but you know i love you. don’t get into your head too much, joey. you’ll do great, i know you will.” you told him as he smiled above you.

“thank you my love, i’ll try not to psych myself out”, he said which made you furrow your eyebrows and look at him, “okay, okay, i was joking! but i got it. i love you.” he said before leaning down and pressing a kiss to your forehead, you smiled and waved goodbye as he left to go practice.

you headed up to the family suite and were immediately met with the other wives and girlfriends of the other players, the first to approach you, was meggi.

you two had known each other for quite some time now and were excited to find out that your boyfriends would be playing on the same team.

you all sat down and caught up with each other, as if you didn’t do that any other day with them. time had passed by and eventually the game had begun and was already in its 2nd quarter.

but that wasn’t before you were hit with the most severe headache you’ve ever before felt something thick, trickling down your nose, blood.

kayla, who wasn’t standing too far from you, noticed you and she made her way towards you, “y/n, what’s going on?” she said, before grabbing a few napkins and helping you hold them towards your nose.

you shook your head as felt like you could barely speak, “i don’t know, one minute i’m perfectly fine, next thing i know my head is killing me and my nose is bleeding.”

you said before putting a hand on the back of your head, trying to relieve the pressure of the headache somehow. you thought you could physically feel your heart beating faster and directly out of your chest right now.

chassidy was helping you stand and at this point everyone was nervous, meggi & iris making calls down to medical assistance and even the team assistant in hopes for them to reach joe, but nothing was working and nobody was answering back.

-

the dimmed lights and cold air felt very foreign to you, somewhat uncomfortable, and making you unreasonably anxious.

the only thing that was even capable were the faint beeping of the monitors around you and the faint voices heard out in the hallway.

you did your best to make out the voices, but there was no luck. heading the door open, you slowly looked over seeing joe’s figure, you smiled, yet, his eyes were nearly bloodshot red and puffy.

you’d never been so confused as to why he was crying.

joe quickly hugged you, yet, he was careful. he wasn’t sure what was going on with the love of his life, he didn’t want to hurt her more than she already was.

“hi my love.” he said as you quickly hugged him back, that feeling of love coming back to you.

“hi joey, did you win the game?” you said, clearly oblivious to the major traumatic event that occurred.

joe softly pulled away from you allowing you to rest, he laughed tenderly as he wiped the few tears from his eyes that seemingly escaped without him noticing, “yes y/n we won.” he said, which made you slightly cheer.

“so what happened?” you asked him, he sighed before he looked down, “you had a cerebral hemorrhage y/n,” you started to remember everything from that entire morning. from the groggy feeling and the sensitivity, to the splitting headache, and finally the nose bleed.

“the doctors don’t know how it happened, they checked family history, they found nothing.” he said, you softly grabbed his hand, “i’m okay now though joey.” you smiled, he nodded in agreement.

“but i’m watching you with my every move y/n, you got that?” he said pointing to you, making a ridiculous face,

“yes sir burrow!” you said laughing.

-

sorry ab the shit ending 🙍🏽‍♀️

[fountainpenguin]

Riddle watches New Wish - Post #23

Hazel Wells and the Multiverse of Jenkins

PFFT-EH?-EHHH? It's confirmed daylight savings time? Then take down the posters that've been up for 30 episodes implying it was November, you goofs.

I'm thinking Hazel showed up around September or October (i.e. before the November Sneezy Hawkins dance and we know she was in school for a few weeks before the exam at the end of "Teacher's Pal," because she told us), then Antony came home for winter break, and now it's March. That gives us a good estimate of things like founder's day and Dev's birthday. In fact, we know exactly what the length of time between those two dates is because Dev told us his birthday was 9 years, 7 months, and 14 days ago. I guess that checks out since Antony probably came home in December. If it's March for daylight savings, that would be another 3 months. This also implies Dimmadelphia is farther south than Dimmsdale, which occasionally saw snow (though it's possible godkids were wishing for it). Dimmadelphia doesn't seem to get snow.

Or he could just say "set your clocks BACK" as soon as I unpause and I'll just... sit here with my little notes. it's fine.

We're confirmed for fall, then. Possibly Hazel's been here a year if the posters are to be believed, but also at this point, those posters stay up all year round, so they're not to be trusted even for Episode 1. Unclear what the summer situation is, but I'll make a proper timeline another time.

I would say this is the key episode to build a timeline around. Then roughly place Dev's birthday and then Founder's Day the appropriate time apart and fill in the blanks.

Looks like "Operation: Birthday Takeback" aired July 31st, which might be a good place to start if I want to canonize Dev's birthday date for fanfic purposes.

Founder's Day was around school because Dale was prepping during "A New Dev-elopment," when we know school was in session, so I'll do math and consider my options when I'm done with Season 1.

So... Dev just told Hazel someone has a crush on her, but I find that hard to believe because they're at odds and I can't imagine he has good reasons for chatting like this.

He called her a nickname, which he only does when they're not friendly. And no Peri to give her any clues...

I would not trust this man, but I respect the hustle.

Are we going to be manipulating time and space; is that why it's daylight savings?

They have a class pet:

Aw, I like how Winn became a Prime Meridian fan after the book club episode, apparently.

Huh. Was it Winn who had Shakespeare for Mimes early on? It's clearly in their locker. I could've sworn it was Jasmine, which is why I was confused she was afraid of clowns. Maybe she finished and gave it to them. I'm gonna check.

I say as I look up and see the clown toy sitting in her locker. Good for her for conquering her fears.

No, it was Jasmine (end of "Teacher's Pal")

Yes, those dance posters are still up. They're getting the boot from my canon.

Hazel's "next class" is Room 104, so that could theoretically be used to scout her classroom number. Which confuses me because we know she's on the 2nd floor, but okay.

I love Father Time; he's such a silly guy.

I like how Hazel is just... so stressed out about Jenkins having a crush on her.

I particularly enjoy like how after he said she was so confident in a flirty voice, Hazel's body literally shatters and then she rushes to the cereal, throws back her head, and gobbles it in bulk. She wants this so little, she's not willing to return his affection whatsoever. sldfkj.

Hazel in "Prime Meridian Love": I don't want a relationship; I'm only 10. Hazel now, even after I was starting to believe she might be growing a crush on Dev: I don't want a relationship; I'm only 10.

That's so funny...

Timmy: I have a crush on someone even though she's not interested in me, but I hope she'll change her mind. Hazel: you guys are having crushes??

I really like how Hazel's specific reason for not wanting Jenkins to like her is "I'm too self-conscious and can't remember how to act normal." She's a very anxious character...

It's not that she's into someone else, and it's not that she has anything against Jenkins specifically. She just is way too anxious and doesn't want to deal with it.

Hazel, scrambling for a way out without hurting Jenkins' feelings: I can't go around with you. I have a crush on someone else. Uh... Trev. Trev, who was behind her and she didn't notice: Did I just hear you have a crush on me, Hazel?? Hazel: /absorbs entire box of cereal in .2 seconds

She doesn't want ANYONE to like her!! she is 10 and squirmy!

I'm once again sad Dev cited Trev as "his bud" in Episode 1, but we haven't seen them interact. I feel like Trev existing on the periphery of her interactions with Dev would've made this even funnier, lmao.

That said, it's funny that Dev's description of Trev was "He's my bud, so he probably won't give YOU time of day" and Trev is out here like "I am totally down to give Hazel the time of day." He's just chillin' and smiling. I like him.

Hazel at the top of her lungs when the entire hallway flirts with her: I don't CARE who like-likes me! I don't like any of you BACK!!

Chloe and Hazel (to me):

Holy cow, Hazel. I don't have much to say, but I enjoy watching her screw people's memories up by manipulating time. And that's a heavy sentence to drop out of context, but...

Yeah, she just did 568 timeloops speedrun and now everyone has a crush on her.

Including Dev, apparently.

Should we be worried that Dev specifically cited the thing he finds attractive about Hazel to be "how ruthless she is," because buddy... You're on track to continue the Dimmadome abuse cycle!

Hey Dev, it's kind of weird to know her middle name. What've you been doing; who've you been talking to?

Wow, it took absolutely 0 thought for Dev to yell loudly about how in love he is with Hazel [in this time loop] for the whole hall to hear.

I am once again fascinated by how he's never cared for "maintaining a reputation" at this school in any way and he's willing to dropkick whatever "cool, tough, and closed-off" persona he's formed at the first sign of what he thinks is a better future.

Local rich kid desperate for affection once again willing to jump 12 feet if you ask him to jump 6. She asked him to jump 0. She asked him to sit down and not even think about jumping.

Dev "I would commit B&E for you a second time; please let me commit B&E for you a second time" Dimmadome.

I like how Dimmadomes are known for putting the Dimm name on everything, but we keep seeing Dev's first name used (such as in the episode title "A New Dev-elopment" or Peri's quote "I'm going to take you from Dev to Dev-ine!")

It gives me the vibe that yes, he's a Dimmadome, but he's a little disconnected. Wow, it's a pun AND sadness!

I can't stop thinking about how annoyed he sounded when the time came to finally tell Vicky his last name. All the other Dimmadomes repeatedly introduce themselves by their full name... but he holds back.

Also, I like how the O-pairs are always down for anything. Dev is their special boy <3

I really really like them for some reason and I'm sorry because I can already tell any Dev 'fic I write is going to lean into them. My curse of getting attached to weird background characters unfortunately continues and these might be the worst ones I've ever fallen for. I don't look forward to trying to search up cute 'fics or fanart of them. haha; I'm in danger...

I just looked up how to spell O-pair because I was tired of not knowing and I found this Wikipedia page:

au pair /ˌō ˈper/ - An au pair (/oʊˈpɛər/; pl.: au pairs) is a person working for, and living as part of, a host family. Typically, au pairs take on a share of the family's responsibility for child care as well as some housework, and receive a monetary allowance or stipend for personal use.

oh. okay.

IMBD's "Operation: Birthday Takeback" page lists them as O-Pair #1 and O-Pair #2, which just hurts.

Dev: My dad gives me the coolest gadgets. They have fancy futuristic names. They're my friends and I love them :) Dale, who knew exactly what he was doing:

Wow, it's TWO puns and sadness!!

Hazel's theme song, but it's rewritten for Dev and the "pair quite strange" who changed his life are the O-Pairs.

I like how in "Operation: Birthday Takeback," Peri's instinctual disguise was an O-Pair, which is incredibly fitting now that I see this description.

I wish we saw signs of Peri hanging around Dev, like a pin on his shirt or the headphones again. Or maybe I'm afraid.

This is nuts. How many hours did Hazel just live through? She needs a nap... Aw, I like the moral lesson for this episode (Letting go and not obsessing over things you can't change). Mr. Guzman is a lovely character; he's so friendly.

Also:

Jenkins: Um... I don't have a crush on you, Hazel. Dev: PSYCH! I made it up~!

She's SO mad. sdfjk

"DEV DIMMADOME!"

I've never seen her this mad. That's great.

Local anxious girl just put herself through some of the worst experiences she's faced, and for WHAT??

He's just a quirky little guy! You wouldn't hurt a quirky little guy!! He's just goofin' with you~

- This feels extremely in-character for Dev considering he outfoxed the never-before-beaten negotiator aliens in "Peace of Pizza" by memeing on them. He's just a silly wittle boy... I'm fascinated by the way his mind works. - I'm not sure Dev even knows how his mind works.

That was great! I liked that. I don't often see a character trying to work through feelings about crushes like this and I enjoyed it.

[theoddest1]

with how the fans and even viv being VERY excited with the “visuals” of poison it’s was very clear that the intended purpose of having those scenes was for porn. Why else would viv be excited for SA scenes and make a cum joke? Not dismissing any SA survivors that felt seen or represented through Angel. I think the bar scene where Angel has a breakdown is good I just hate how they kinda swept everything he said under the rug for a musical, with the episode ending on a happy note and were told not shown that he gets better.

That’s why people kept bringing up moral Orel, silent hill 2 and tuca and Bertie as good SA rep because the abuse is NEVER shown were told or it’s heavily implied it was the aftermath that was shown, nurse bendy is hyper sexual in public but she secretly hates, is lonely and regresses into a little girl playing family with stuffed animals when she’s in her safe space. Angela is depressed/suicidal her only hope is to find her mother so things can get better but she never finds her mom and it’s implied Angela dies, Tuca and struggled with her sexuality and sexual trauma even feels ashamed about having intrusive fantasies of her abuser and thinks that after being SA’d but she is complete control of those situations and it’s her way o healing and even if she wasn’t SA’d she’d still be into those fantasies. It’s too early to say anything about Angel character it might change in season 2 and actually talk more about his trauma especially since the vees are gonna be more prominent (which I call bs because they said the exact same thing about Adam and he didn’t do shit, he only showed up in 3 episodes and he was so underwhelming plus he was the 2nd most powerful being in the show, idk what vox and Val are gonna bring to the table expect be stupid wannabe “mean girls”, plus lute is still around and she is by more powerful and interesing villain) but we have to wait and see, right now I’m indifferent to Angel he’s not a bad character but he’s not the best, sir pentious and nifty outshined him and everybody else, they were the best characters, and they were just joke characters

Viv is very, very obvious with what she seeks involving Angel Dust's character arc. She sees it as an opportunity to recreate a similar situation to Raph's animatic, a 3rd person view surrounding Angel's dilemma rather than Vox's. It's paraded around as though it's a tragic "Love Song" but there is no proper or meaningful way to convey the tragedy surrounding it all. It's an elaborate kink video for those who indulge those sorts of subjects. As you've mentioned, some other known media have handled the topic with much care and didn'tshow it, but this time around, this could have been a great time to make useful imagery to show just how awful the entire situation is. But we don't get that. All of it is glamorized in a pop song with neon lights and no subversion of one's expectations. The only time we are shown any blunt and saddening imagery is when Angel is passed around in bindage gear. The colors change and turn red, and we are faced with a strikingly blunt reality of the situation, but we then see Angel dancing in front of his situation, whiplash of the seriousness pertaining to it all. And while the pacing is better in this episode than most, it's still FAST.

So on top of everything we have a rushed pop song that's supposed to engage the audience in a mindset regarding SA to further think and discuss but it only aided in fueling kink culture and no one has had any strong meaningful discussions when it is about that entire sequence but the kinks sure are THRIVING! Imo, the fact that this side of the community got more outta this than those who love to discuss stories reflects on how unserious and sexual Viv saw it to be, and THAT is what makes Viv's shit representation bad. The remix only solidifies what I had assumed this entire song to sound like. It fails to be commentary, only fuel for a kink someone has, and NEARLY EVERYONE in the community is letting it slide cause of that.

[oddly-twisted-muses]

My podcast list

(will be updated regularly)

The Magnus Archives (Completed)

Progress: 200/200

Retrospective: An amazingly crafted story that has shifted the way I think about horror and fear. I will never be the same again.

Favorite Character: Tim Stoker

Spirit Box Radio (Completed)

Progress: 93/93

Retrospective: An extremely underrated podcast that I need everyone to listen to right now. Heartbreaking and beautiful.

Favorite Character: Oliver Boleyn

Welcome To Nightvale (Ongoing)

Progress: 50/250+ not actively listening

Retrospective: I understand why people like this, but honestly it's not really my cup of tea. It's fine to put on in the background when I don't have anything else to listen to.

Camp Here & There (On Haitus)

Progress: 34/34

Retrospective: I'm going to need 7-10 business days to put myself back together. This was a hilarious and emotionally devastating experience. Fingers crossed, we get a 2nd season (no rush. Quality over quickly). And Blue I don't think you'll see this, but keep up the good work.

Favorite Character: Sydney Sargent

Favorite Quote: "But there’s something I’ve learned, growing up, that you all have to learn too: Lucille has a flamethrower. You have to listen to what she says." Sydney Sargent episode 10.

Sherlock & Co. (Ongoing)

Progress: 53/55 I wait for the full adventure

Retrospective: I love this interpretation of a classic story. I'm very biased, but this is so good. Though sometimes they do miss the mark, I can see the story improving over time.

Favorite Character: Sherlock Holmes (duh)

The Magnus Protocol (Ongoing)

Progress: 30/30

Retrospective: I love listening to the story unfurl slowly in real time, like outstretched limps reaching for a sense of purpose as each new episode spons a new set of memes on tumblr.

Favorite Character: Colin Becher

Remnants (Ongoing)

Progress: 15/15

Retrospective: TBD

Favorite Character: TBD

TBR...TBL? (Always taking recommendations)

Malevolent

The Penumbra

[me-and-snails]

congrats netflix for giving another reason for audiences to never become invested in their shows bc we know they'll 100% get cancelled before being finished.

cancelling good shows is now netflix's model. the writers saw this coming (throwing so much of kaz's backstory into S2, completely dropping slow burn wylan/jesper, etc) - and the show suffered for it!

im glad to have gotten my scraps even though i didn't love how rushed it was. what i really hate is that rushing it WAS ACTUALLY THE RIGHT CALL by the writers bc netflix did fucking cancel it!

tv is a fantastic storytelling medium but netflix has really butchered it and is starting to dance on its grave. we've already seen the effects of the SoB writers suspecting that netflix will cancel them - that's only going to become an even bigger fear impacting the work of writers. why bother setting up plotlines that will take several seasons to resolve when you know you'll get cancelled after 1 or 2 seasons?

sometimes cancelling something is the right call (e.g. dont think any1 cried over the 2nd half of the last Divergent movie being cancelled). sometimes a show genuinely sucks & doesnt have an audience.

but that WAS NOT THE CASE here. it's such a fucking joke. when will streaming services learn to respect the books that they're adapting and the hard work that cast, crew, writers, producers, etc put in to the adaptation? you'd think they'd have learnt after seeing HBO's dumpster fire with the end of Game of Thrones...

but nah. they're just gonna continue buying incredible IPs & obliterating them for some quick attention & subscribers. fantastic.

[kiss-my-freckle]

Most episodes are written like their seasons - they end opposite how they start. This is the 2nd installment of my 14 episode series post. For those who don't know me, you can take and use my gifs any time you want.

3x2: The Hybrid

3x2 opens on Damon having no hope of saving Stefan. 3x2 ends on Damon having the hope he needs of saving Stefan.

Elena outs her love to Damon in a single scene, and it's so random, fans wouldn't expect it. Best refer to 1x21 as I speak to this episode because that's how real it is.

"Damon, we've got to get out of here. We gotta get out of these mountains, now! Damon, now!"

This is Elena outing her love to Damon. You have to view this scene as you'd view Isobel threatening Elena, only they went into Ray's town and Ray is threatening Damon.

As I go over this Defan scene, best to include their 3x1 soundtrack - Are We There Yet by Ingrid Michaelson. I say this because seasons are often written opposite how they start. Best to know what "home" is to Elena because the writers are showing it.

"Why don't you get her home?"

(♪ They say that home is where the heart is ♪)

"See if you could keep her there this time."

I know fans like to disregard Stefan's actions in season 3, but know that he blames himself for Delena because he has reason to. He is to blame. Yes, Stefan pushed Damon and Elena together. And yes, Stefan knew what he was doing. Do not disregard this scene because Stefan is telling Damon what Katherine told Elena in 2x22. "It's a good thing you have Damon to keep you company." By this, I mean Stefan is flat-out telling Damon to keep Elena company. Literally giving Damon permission to keep her company. That's what Stefan means when he tells Damon to take her home and keep her there. So when you get this response from Damon, know that Stefan is half the reason he's in Elena's bedroom.

Stefan has absolutely no idea that Elena is in love with Damon as he gives Damon permission to keep her company. Elena outing her love to Damon is the other reason he's in her bedroom.

This scene is Stefan's second push. His first push was killing Andie, all-knowing she was Damon's distraction from Elena. And yes, these pushes continue. Damon isn't about holding Elena back, that's why he takes her to Chicago in the very next episode. He isn't gonna take her home and keep her there. He's not gonna keep her anywhere. He's gonna keep her, period.

This scene is hilarious to me. Damon is rushing to get Elena in the car because he knows she's in love with him. He's like… Elena, you don't wanna do this here. Not in front of Alaric, and certainly not when Stefan could be watching lol

This is Elena's love for Damon -

This is Elena fighting her love for Damon -

Fighting one's love requires resisting temptation. The closer Damon gets to Elena, the more tempting he is. Best to understand this now because she continues to fight her feelings for him.

This is Damon pushing Elena to confess. (Tell me you love me) -

"But before I do, I need you to answer one question. What made you change your mind?"

This is Damon pushing Elena to confess. (Tell me you love me) -

"You were so hellbent on staying on that mountain, then you just gave up. So what changed your mind?"

This is Damon pushing Elena to confess. (Tell me you love me) -

"It was too dangerous going out there to begin with, so what was it?"

This is Damon pushing Elena to confess. (Tell me you love me) -

"What changed your mind, Elena?"

"I didn't want to see you get hurt, okay? I was...I was worried about you."

This is Elena confessing her love for Damon, and for the first time. Yes, you read that correctly. You don't have to believe me, but you should because I'm being serious. Not only is Elena terrified of loving him, she's fighting her love for him. So yes, this is how she would confess her love to him. When I say she's terrified of loving him, trust I mean it. That fear is shown even in her confession.

This is Elena's fear of loving Damon -

This is Elena's fear of loving Damon -

This is Elena's fear of loving Damon -

Her body language is just as important because her fear doesn't simply go away. She's ruled by it. Just watch her face, her body. Listen to her words, how her voice shakes. Everything you need to see and hear is there.

Because Damon is the "bad" brother, he's not the brother you take home to meet the parents. Understand this, you'll understand why Elena is terrified of loving him. Damon is specific with how he approaches Elena's feelings for him. In this episode, he pushes Elena to confess her feelings rather than put those words in her mouth. Because Damon is specific with his approach to her feelings, expect some of these 3x2 gifs to end up in my post for 3x3.

[ahsokazworld]

I'm seeing a lot of criticisms (including from actual 'critics' but hey its been documented that they are bought so not an actual critic but I digress not the point I'm trying to make 😆) towards the Ashoka show and also WOT that is just more an opinion and frankly a shit tonne of misogyny.

There is 1 thing I think is a true criticisms for the faulty concept that is 8 episode seasons -> uneven pacing. All of the 8 episode streaming shows I have watched have a problem with pacing, its very very uneven.

The buildup doesn't always work because its shot too much like an 8 episode movie, the material is too spread out. When condensing the material into a 2,5/3 hour movie, it might work better, at least the build up to certain revelations will. However, there is actually too much going on for a movie which is why you are making a series in the first place 😡.

Or with a reveal that does deserves a bit more time which historically you would have in a series but it doesn't get it because its only an 8 episode season.

Part of the reason I think Star Trek: Strange New Worlds works really well is it follows that tv concept more. They had a reveal about the 1st officer in S01 that was alluded to and referenced throughout both seasons but resolved (sorta but not entirely) in a dedicated episode in S02. Now THAT is how you make a great build up and pay off because that episode was a REALLY great Star Trek episode and just good television in general because of the work that was put in before.

This is something I do miss in Ahsoka (and other 8 epsiode series including WOT, little less this 2nd season but still) some of it felt rushed, some of it felt slow and when the revelation followed it lacked the impact.

[alagalaska]

A Chrissstmasss Ssurprissse- Part Two

Summary: Three-parter. Christmas is approaching fast and Y/N doesn’t know what to get Thor as a present. 

Pairing: Thor x Fem! Reader

A/N: Welp, here's the 2nd part, FINALLY. Sorry it's taken me so long to post this. This is not edited. I figured that if I did, I would never post it. I know it's not the right season, but I thought if I post this one now, the last part might finally be ready in time for Christmas XD I hope you enjoy.

Story Warnings: None that I can think of? Please let me know if there's anything you think I missed.

Word Count: 3,024

My Masterlist // you can read Part 1 Here // Part 3: coming soon

Please do not copy or repost my work, in part or in whole, including posting to other sites without my express permission, even if I am credited as the author. Plagiarism is a crime. Tumblr reblogs are of course fine and are encouraged! Thank you.

First thing the next morning, you rush to Bruce’s lab again. You know he’ll already be in there, working away; he always is these days. This time you knock on the double doors, cracking one open and poking your head round to peer inside. 

Bruce is sat at his desk, concentrating on the layer of papers spread haphazardly across its surface. The machinery that had been all over the floor the other day, is now gathered up in a heap at the side of the room. It looks no closer to being completed, whatever it’s supposed to be. 

Bruce looks up when he hears you knock. 

“Y/N, hey,” he says, smiling sleepily and pulling his glasses off his nose to rub a hand over his face. You’re judging by the dark circles under his eyes that he’s been awake all night. “Did you have any luck getting a present for Thor?” he asks, stifling a yawn.

“That’s actually what I wanted to talk to you about,” you say, hovering next to the door. “Is now a good time?”

He pushes his glasses back onto his face and starts shifting the papers around on his desk, tidying them into a messy pile.

“Er, yeah, sure.” He gestures for you to come in, frowning slightly. 

“Don’t worry, I’m not here to pick your brains for ideas again,” you huff a nervous laugh and he looks relieved. “I was actually hoping you might be able to… help me find someone,” you say carefully.

“Oh,” he glances up from the papers in his hand, intrigued. “Who?” 

You hover awkwardly in front of his desk and take a deep breath.

“Loki,” you say quickly, before you have the chance to convince yourself that this is a bad idea. “I need you to help me find Loki.”

Bruce stares at you for a moment in silence, his paperwork now laying forgotten on the desk. Squints his eyes slightly as if trying to figure out if you’re joking. He opens his mouth to speak, then closes it again. He lets out a huff of breath and shakes his head, baffled.

“You’re not serious?” he finally asks you.

You take a step closer.

“Look, I know this sounds crazy-”

“Yeah, it does,” Bruce cuts in. 

“But, please, I didn’t know who else to ask,” you plead with him. You knew there was no way anyone else would ever agree to help you. Bruce was by far your best shot. He’d been there when Loki had helped Thor defeat Hela; he’d seen first hand that Loki clearly isn’t all bad.

“But why? Why in the Hell would you want to find Loki?”

His question catches you off guard and you stare at him. You’d thought your reasoning would have been obvious.

“For Thor,” you say simply.     

“And you think Thor would want to see him? After everything he’s done?” 

You have no doubt that he would. 

“Loki’s his brother, Bruce, of course he’d want to see him.” 

Banner gives a laboured sigh and takes his glasses off again, this time abandoning them on the desk. He leans back in his chair to look at you, his brow furrowed deeply.

“Y/N, look, Loki and Thor have a complicated past. That’s something that’s best not getting mixed up in.”

You get what Bruce is trying to say, but you can’t help but feel like he’s wrong about this. As if he can hear your thoughts, he adds, “Trust me, Y/N, it won’t end well for anyone. Loki’s brain is like a bag full of cats.”

“Well that doesn’t sound so bad…” you mumble quietly, in an attempt to lighten the mood a little; but when you meet Bruce’s eyes, they are serious.

In the awkward silence, you lean against the filing cabinet beside you and fold your arms over your chest.

“It’s just, Thor seemed so upset when we were talking about Loki yesterday. I really think he does miss him. I mean, how could he not? No matter what Loki may have done in the past, they’re family.” You look at him pleadingly. “And he’s the only family Thor has left,” you add thickly. 

“If it were my sister… even if she had done all of the bad things Loki has, I would still want to find her.  To know that she was ok.” 

You had thought that Bruce was the person who knew Thor the best out of everyone at the compound, but now you can see you were wrong. It was so obvious to you that Thor was hurting over Loki and everyone else was so blinded by Loki’s wrong-doings that they couldn’t see it. 

Bruce slowly stands and makes his way round to the front of his desk, sitting down on the edge  closest to you. He seems torn. 

“Y/N,” he says, hesitating. “I can’t help you. Even if I wanted to find Loki myself, nobody knows where he is. I’m sorry.”

There’s a sinking feeling deep in the pit of your stomach. 

“You’re right. It was a stupid idea.” You sit down on the edge of the desk, beside him, and hang your head. 

He sighs and reaches over to reluctantly touch your arm. You glance down at it in surprise.

“No, it wasn’t, Y/N. You were trying to do a nice thing for Thor, because you love him. That’s not stupid, that’s beautiful.” He smiles reassuringly at you then takes his hand back. “Even if it was trying to reunite him with his homicidal maniac of a brother,” he adds. You both huff a laugh.

A moment passes in silence and you consider getting up to leave. You glance at Bruce to see him pulling a face, as if he’s struggling to make his mind up about something. He catches you looking at him and seems to cave. 

“Look,” he says, pausing to glance at  you again as if he’s already regretting saying anything, “But, perhaps the next time Thor goes to New Asgard, you should go with him,” he lets the sentence hang there for a second, then quickly adds, “I’m not saying anyone there will know where Loki is, or that they would even want to help you, but... it’s a place to start.” He shrugs halfheartedly. 

You jump up from the table excitedly.

“Of course! Bruce, you’re a genius! Thank you.”

He puts his hands up in front of him, shaking his head. 

“Oh, no. I’m not taking any credit for this.” He looks at you concernedly. “Just… be careful, ok? I don’t want this to backfire, for your sake.”

After speaking with Bruce, you practically skip down the halls of the compound, excited to ask Thor if he would let you accompany him to New Asgard. 

“Thor?” you ask in a sing-song voice, entering your bedroom. He’s not there. You peer into the ensuite bathroom, “Thor?” Not in there either. 

Wondering where he could be, you head back out of your room and down the hall to the communal living area. As the door slides open you notice two blonde-haired, broad-shouldered men, sitting on the sofa with their backs to you.

“There you are,” you say, walking towards Thor and Steve, who both jump at the sound of you. You had always thought it was impossible to sneak up on a Demi-God and a super soldier with enhanced hearing, but apparently they were so transfixed with what they were doing, they hadn’t heard you enter. Thor jumps to his feet and bounds over, intercepting you before you can make it round to the front of the sofa. 

Steve panickingly attempts to cover whatever is on the coffee table in front of him, but you can’t see past Thor’s thick frame anyway. 

“I thought you were going out shopping, my love,” Thor says shiftily, placing two large hands on your upper arms and steering you slightly further away from the sofa. 

“I’m just about to, I had something to do first,” you say, referring to your visit to Bruce’s lab. “What are you two doing?” You ask him, with suspicion, attempting to peer past him. He blocks you with his shoulder. 

“Nothing that concerns you,” he says, but his tone is playful.

��Alright…” you say, narrowing your eyes slightly. “Anyway,” you continue, changing the subject to the reason you came to find him in the first place, “I was just wondering… the next time you go to New Asgard, could I perhaps go with you?”

He looks surprised by your suggestion. 

“I mean, I totally don’t have to, if you would prefer to go alone. I just thought…” 

He cuts off your rambling by embracing you so hard in his large arms that he almost lifts you straight off the floor. 

“That would be wonderful!” He says excitedly, beaming at you. “I can’t wait to introduce you to my fellow Asgardians, they will love you!” 

“Ok, that’s great,” you say, returning his smile, “I’m really looking forward to meeting them.” 

He lets go of you and you straighten your outfit. “Well, I better go do some shopping, or I’ll never be ready for Christmas,” you say then give Thor a peck on the lips. “I’ll see you later.”

“Goodbye, my love,” he says, steering you back in the direction of the door. 

“Bye Steve,” you say, waving to him, still sitting on the sofa. 

Having panicked and finally given in to Sam and Nat’s idea, you’re now hurrying down the busy city street lined with twinkling fairy lights, in the direction of the nearest lingerie shop. You glance at the window of a shop across the street from you and do a double take. 

There’s a large glass tank in the display. You stop abruptly to stare at it from the opposite side of the pavement out of curiosity, causing the woman behind you to swerve out of the way to avoid hitting you with her shopping bags. She tuts loudly as she carries on bustling down the street. 

You carefully negotiate crossing the busy road, then stand on the sidewalk with one of your gloved hands held up to the glass, cupped above your eyes to help you see in through the window of the store. 

You can see the outlines of various tanks and cages along the back wall and, in the ones closer to you, the moving shapes of the different animals inside them.  

The snake in the tank closest to you, slithers slightly closer to the window and raises its head, staring back at you, unblinking. Butterflies start swirling around in your stomach, as you peer in at it. You remember your conversation with Thor from yesterday and how he had said he loves snakes. Is this a totally insane idea? you think to yourself. Not the first one I’ve had today, you add, remembering Banner’s reaction to you wanting to find Loki. 

A small, hopeful part of you thinks as you gaze at the animal, that perhaps it would remind him of his brother and the good times they used to have together. It seems like a good alternative, at least until you can start your search for Loki properly. 

You chew on your bottom lip, still studying the snake. As much as you think he’d love it, what if Thor doesn’t want the commitment of owning a pet? He does sometimes go on long missions and wouldn’t be around to look after it all the time; but you would be there, so it wouldn’t be neglected. 

You’re slowly talking yourself into it, when you’re drawn out of your reverie by a voice beside you. “Unusual creatures, aren’t they?” 

You look to your left, startled, to see a man wearing a smart black suit and overcoat with black shoulder length hair, standing next to you. 

He’s staring straight ahead, but you know his comment was definitely directed at you; there’s no one else around for him to have aimed it at. Following his gaze, you see he is looking through the window at the large tank with the snake in it; the very same snake you had just been considering buying for Thor. 

“Yeah,” you say in response, not really sure what else to say. “I was thinking of buying one for my boyfriend. As a Christmas present.” 

He turns to look at you and offers you a charming smile. “That’s very thoughtful of you,” he says in his posh British accent, then pauses, “I’m sure Thor will love it. He was always very fond of snakes.”

You smile in return then do a double take. 

“What? How… how do you…?” You stumble over your words, causing him to laugh lightly, flashing his teeth. Then it clicks. 

“Loki?” you whisper in amazement. 

He bows his head to you. 

“Lady Y/N.” 

You’re dumbfounded. Opening and shutting your mouth several times. You discreetly pinch the skin on your forearm, just to make sure you’re not dreaming.

“How…?” is the only thing able to make it past your lips, as you gaze at him in wonder and disbelief. 

This earns another soft chuckle from him. 

He gestures across the road towards a small park area with a few benches, “We have much to talk about. Shall we?” 

At a complete loss for words, you simply nod and follow his lead. 

“After we escaped, I had nowhere to go,” Loki explains. “Asgard was destroyed and I couldn’t go back to Sakaar. Which was a shame really, I quite liked it there. Could see myself fitting in,” he adds wistfully. “I’m not exactly welcome here on Midgard,” he casts a wary look around as he says this, lowering his voice. “So I ventured off on my own, trying to find another planet to settle on.”

“So, why did you come back?” you ask. 

He looks at you with a creased brow. 

“I’ve come to tell you to stop looking for me.” 

You scoff softly, taken aback by his suggestion. 

“How did you know I was looking for you, when I hadn’t even started?” Then a thought creeps into your brain, making you shudder. “Wait, have you been spying on me?” you ask in disgust. 

“Oh, don’t make it sound so perverse,” he chastises you. “I like to keep an eye on my brother,” he says hesitantly, as if he isn’t sure he should be admitting this to you. 

“Then why would you come here if you didn’t want to be found?” It doesn’t make any sense to you. 

He casts his eyes to the floor. Then you remember something Clint had once said to you, about Loki’s projections of himself. 

“You’re… not really here, are you?” you ask quietly. You reach out to touch his hand and it flickers slightly, your fingers brushing nothing but air. 

“I couldn’t risk it,” he says in response to the disappointed look on your face. “Besides, Thor doesn’t want to see me. He’s happy now,” he says, catching your gaze. “He has you.” 

You smile thoughtfully. 

“Family is important, Loki,” you say after a moment of silence. “And sometimes we don’t realise that until it’s too late.” Your voice is wistful, as you stare into the distance. 

His face falls at your remark, it seems you caught him off guard. 

“Our mother used to say something similar to that.” 

Although you don’t know much about their mother, Thor had always spoken very highly of her and you knew they both loved her very much. 

“Whenever Thor and I would fight, she would say that one day we’d be all each other would have left. As usual, she was right.” he looks off in the direction you are staring. 

The pair of you stay quiet for a little while, then you speak up. 

“Look, Loki, after all this time you’ve still kept an eye on Thor, obviously because you care for him a great deal. And he misses you, he really does, I can tell. Why don’t you just come back to the compound with me? See him,” you suggest. Loki looks startled by the idea. 

“Absolutely not,” he scoffs. “No.” 

“It’s ok, I get it. You’re scared about seeing him, but I-” 

“I am not scared,” he cuts in stubbornly and you have to fight the urge to roll your eyes at him. 

“Well, how about you think on it?” You suggest, and then you have an idea. “Hey, I know! Come for Christmas!” you say excitedly. You see the look on Loki’s face and dial your enthusiasm back a notch. “You could join us at the compound on Christmas day, I’m sure Thor would love that.” 

Loki continues to shake his head.

“Nobody wants me there, Y/N,” he says plainly. You see the hurt in his eyes. 

“Thor does. And if he does, so do I.” 

He gives you a doubtful look in return. 

“Don’t worry about the others,” you say, “ I’ll handle them.” He says nothing, so you figure you’ve probably said enough. 

You’re starting to resign yourself to the fact that you’ll never be able to reunite Thor with his brother. 

“It was really nice to meet you Loki,” you say genuinely, standing up from the bench, “but if you’ll excuse me, I have to go panic-buy a snake.” 

He gives a small laugh and smiles. 

“You know, my brother is a lucky man.” The corners of your mouth twitch upwards at the compliment. It’s funny, you never expected you’d be having a conversation with Loki, let alone that it would shape out like this. 

“Just, please, promise me you’ll think about my offer,” you say, straightening out your coat. 

He doesn’t say anything but smiles and politely bows his head to you in a final goodbye. You cross the road to get back to the shop and once you’ve made the short walk to the other side, you turn back to look at the bench you had left Loki standing in front of, but he is gone. 

Please let me know if you would like to be tagged in the future/ removed from my taglist :)

@beautifulrare4leafclover @shreddedparchment @sincerelyyourz @readerandcinephileingeneral @hiddeniron @lancsnerd @weebid @supervengerslock​ @clarinetdork9​ @strawberrypoptartodinson @charmed-asylum

[therookieroad]

The Rookie Road: A Beginner's Guide to Workout Wisdom with Kirby Repaja

In the ever-evolving fitness world, getting started can feel like navigating through a jungle of information. Overwhelming, to say the least, especially with so much conflicting advice floating around the internet. Introducing Coach Kirby Repaja, someone who's been in the trenches of fitness for over six years as a professional bodybuilder.

So, whether you're a complete beginner or a seasoned gym-goer looking to level up your game, his insights will resonate with you. His passion for fitness is infectious, his knowledge is invaluable, and his commitment to helping others achieve their goals is unwavering.

Who exactly is Coach Kirby Repaja? He has been in the field for quite some time, and being so has made him accumulate a following. He now coaches many people to help them in their journey. For credentials, he is the Champion of the IFBB Nationals of 2022, 2nd Place in the 2022 IFBB Nationals Open Teens, and 5th Place in the BHC 2023 Junior Division. He has allowed us to dive into his world and see what he has in store for us today.

"What were the most impactful and significant moments in your journey?"

In retrospect, he recalls the turning point that shaped his path:

"The most significant moment in my journey was back when I got my first champion in the IFBB Nationals, where it was my men's physique debut. I survived at that prep even though I had a low budget then."

Coach Kirby explores the particulars of diet for weight management, emphasizing the significance of customized strategies suited to each person's physique and goals, using this milestone as a source of inspiration. "Regarding weight loss and weight gain, it depends on your weight, activity rate, and current physique," he says.

"The secret to it is to be consistent."

Coach Kirby does, however, provide a general rule for losing weight or fat:

"Make sure to be on a calorie deficit and hit your macronutrients."

When paired with consistency, this structured strategy is the core of successful weight management programs. At the same time, he recommends a calorie surplus while keeping adherence to macro-objectives for individuals trying to gain weight or develop a lean body.

Considering budget and accessibility, we asked him about what he would recommend to individuals striving to meet their dietary needs on a budget.

"For me, it is the basics, especially if you are only a student who budgets his money. Chicken breast and eggs are two basic sources of protein and essential nutrients. This is very sustainable and effective. You can get your protein intake and fats there. For your carbohydrates, you get them in rice, oats, or sweet potatoes."

He spoke.

Next, we asked Coach Kirby his thoughts on the never-ending debate about what weightlifting and calisthenics provide better than the other. This is the wise advice he gave based on firsthand knowledge.

"The decision between weightlifting and calisthenics is based on personal tastes and aspirations."

He says.

"Both can be combined to produce a well-rounded exercise program."

He recommends a balanced approach to muscle stimulation when designing an exercise program.

"For beginners, four exercises for big body parts in the upper and lower body are optimal."

he says. He also added that one should do at least 2-3 exercises for small body parts such as the arms and shoulders.

To end the interview, we asked him one final question:

"What is a quote or saying that you would like to impart to those just starting in their workout journey, and why this specific quote/saying?"

"Love and trust the process." He emphasized the quote by saying it is very one-to-one with the journey someone takes in the fitness world. There is no rushing it; whether you like it or not, there will be days where progress feels stagnant and slow, but the point of all of it is to learn and hone your body to its best version. There is no rushing the process; you must let it take its course to see your efforts bear fruit. And so,

"Love and trust the process."

[rangetsuryuu]

tozx redeems the most unredeamble parts of the game

Rewatched a lot of the TOZX anime in 2024 and honestly. This show does a lot to save the characterization and plot of the game, but also not enough.

The anime's 2nd season is still burdened down by the rushed 2nd half of the original game. Rose is again done dirty, and everything they do to build her up as a chracter is still reduced to just being a puppet molded by Dezel's meddling and desire for vengeance.

Still, there's still a lot I like about her portrayal in the anime. You get to see the side of ther that's cold, calculating, methodical, brutal... I love it. They actually gave some proper insight into her motivations, whereas the game attributed all of them to Dezel. But. It's not. Good enough.

I love that Rose is getting the opportunity to finally confront her past on her own terms. That she's choosing a version of justice that's not really as straight forward as Brad's. But I dislike how much influence Eguille and Dezel seem to have on her. People always want her to be a certain way. Eguille's constantly reminding her to be calm and indirectly implying that she needs to be cold when it could have been better if it was the other way around. IMO, her final attack on Konan would have been much more impactful if she was telling her guild to stay calm, when she was the one who still carried a very personal grudge.

I feel like that's also better in line with how her own malevolence is described in the game. She does 'evil' things but doesn't breed Malevolence. In the game, it's implied that Rose has no hate or negative emotions despite her job. She lacks Malevolence. In the anime, negative emotions are said to influence malevolence and that threshold is different for everyone. No real indication of the the level malevolence in Rose in the anime.

The anime comes this close to bringing her hate to the surface and makes it seem like she WILL be overwhelmed by it. She acts recklessly and takes Konan on solo even when he's clearly become a hellion. The biggest proof of that is that she takes off her mask when she's about to kill him so that Konan KNOWs why he's going to die. That is in complete contrast with how she took out the pope dude in Lastonbell's church. Rose took that guy out, in cold blood. It was just something she had to do.

But Konan's hit was PERSONAL. She's not turning off her emotions fort this. She's angry, she's got all these negative emotions and compared to how impersonal Rose has been about almost everything else, it's awesome. I love it. It's real vengeance for her own sake, not just for someone else's.

Her inner turmoil, her doubt, those are all things I like. By itself, I don't think this would be an issue, but my issue is how they follow up this episode. What the heck is the conflict that they're giving Rose here? She confronted Konan, but now what?

What are the consequences to her giving into her emotions that she was supposed to have buried? To taking on a personal grudge? What are the repurcussions? Especially now that her identity as an assassin is exposed to Sorey who doesn't want her to kill?

The game and anime both fail to bring her into any real conflict with Sorey, the Shepherd who insists that killing is not the answer. And that's because the anime kinda implies that Rose's methods are not wrong. (IMO the game kinda does too tbh)

It's almost suggested that her method are actually one of the few tools that people have in combatting an otherwise unseeablee threat; the Malevolence of the modern age. While not the solution, her assassinations have been alleviating the symptoms of something awful, unseen, and untreabale. She's never painted in the wrong for it. It's implied that Rose never hurts or kills anyone that doesn't deserve it.

And the anime never puts Rose in a position where she might have hurt someone that doesn't need to be killed. She never actually has to be truly combatted for her ideals by anyone but herself.

The Scattered Bones take on contracts and enact vengeance for civilians. For those that don't have the power to protect themselves or defend themselves. That's the vibe you get when you see them killing the corruption that's in power. Killing those that need to be killed. The law and people in charge aren't doing enough. So someone needs to take action. Real action. Not just promised action for the distant future. Immediate action and immediate justice.

A philosophy that was inspired by Rose's lost foster father. In a way, Rose's guild is portrayed as a successor to her father's guild that was revered as the kind that doled out vigilante justice.

What other parties have been dealing with that corruption that's hurting the common man? Who's actually standing up for those who can't?

Alisha is implied to be lowborn princesss constantly struggling against the corruption of her country's monarchy and military despite being a princess and a knight. She's monarchy and military, but she's separate from the actual decision making. She is constantly butting heads with them. She has limited influence but her conflict has always been that she's struggled to make an actual meaningful change for her country's people. That's why she wanted to find the Shepherd. She believed the Shepherd would be needed to save this place. It's largely implied that she doesn't believe she has enough power to make any change of her own power. She believes in true pacifism and never hurting someone else. Even in self-defense, to never kill someone.

Sorey on the other hand, has never actually lived in the day-to-day reality of the modern world. He was raised in complete isolation by Seraphim. As a Shepherd, he's supposed to learn and fight back against humanities long bred Malevolence. His entire journey is learning about humanity and where humanitie's Malevolence comes from. He comes to understand Malevolence as a cycle of hate and vengeance. It's something he wants to stop cold after he sees the aftermath of it firsthand. But he doesn't have to take any action against humanity or anyone. He doesn't have to actually stop humanitie's conflict, he just needs to deal with the aftermath. In the game it's outright implied that he needs to take a neutral stance for peace. That his goal is to really cut down the symptoms of human hate, rather than to take on the root problems. Still, he knows he doesn't want people to die, no matter what.

Both Sorey and Alisha, have a stance of pure of never killing.

Alisha and Rose have an outright conflict of ideals, with Alisha's pacifism at the cost of self, and Rose's killing for the sake of others. Sorey and Rose are practically DESTINED to have a conflict about how they handle the cycle of hate respectively.

But Rose's ideals are never challenged in any meaningful way by anyone else.

Again, Rose's methods are implied to actually be a realist solution.

This is really cemented by the fact that Alsha takes absolute 0 issue with Rose being an assassin. She welcomes Rose to kill her in season 1, if Rose truly believes her to be in the wrong. The PACIFIST PRINCESS. Gives an ASSASSIN the green light to kill her, if that would mean true justice for her people.

To me that's how that scene reads. Not as some game of chicken, but an acknowledgement that Alisha's methods, if flawed, deserve the judgment of a third party that the Scattered Bones have set themselves up to be. Rose's methods may be different but they have the same goal, of protecting the people that need it. If Rose's method can do that better than Alisha's then THAT'S how it'll go down.

Now, obviously, there is that scene where Alisha prevents Rose from going in for the kill in an act of self-defense, when they're surrounded by Landon's men. But this instance of kiling is separate from Rose's actions as an assassin. In this instance, Rose is about to kill a man for supposed self-defense. THIS is what Alisha takes offense too. If Rose is going to kil Alisha for being evil, FINE, that's okay but if Rose is going to kill someone else for trying to kill them, then THAT'S WHERE SHE DRAWS THE LINE.

It's honestly hilarious, and a little messed up. Alisha never takes any action to report Rose. She never steps in to stop her or talk her out of it. She never even tells Sorey that Rose is an assassin. She never rats them out, even after exposing Rose's actual identity. She picks Rose out as an ally she wants to back her up. Is it just me, or does that read as complacency? A silent, acknowledgement that she won't interfere? This is Alisha we're talking about, if she thought somoene was doing something wrong, wouldn't she try do someting? Especially since she has the upper hand. She's clocked Rose, and the Sparrowfeather's guild as assassins.

But instead...Alisha HIRES them. (I mean as merchants but.)

Point being. No one contests Rose in any meaningful way for being an assassin. They should have let someone have an actual confrontation with Rose about this. And they almost did.

When Edna learns that Rose is an assassin she has a PROPER reaction and a proper response, as someone who does not like this, and won't condone it, unlike Alisha's who's pretty much dropped it.

Edna immediately hops off to try to get Sorey to stop Rose. It doesn't matter if she's heard the tragic backstory. To Edna, not even monsters deserve to be killed.

Edna has a an actual, deeply personal reason to be opposed to Rose's entire character. Edna's brother has been turned into a literal monster. And he's been slated for death, by just about everyone except Sorey. But shes clinging onto hope that he can be saved.

That is DIRECT conflict with Rose's ideals who will kill monsters for the sake of others.

Rose: Monsters(human) deserve to die.

Edna: Monsters(any) don't deserve to die.

Isn't that perfect?

So how does this resolve? With crickets. Nothing.

That's what Sorey's lukewarm intervention was to me. Just crickets. He finds Rose, tries to stop her. He doesn't even do shit, he just gets beat up and knocked around while Rose is trying to kill a man!

AND THEN HE CARES FOR HER IN THE AFTERMATH. AND RIDES WITH HER CARAVAN. And Edna? What does she do? Fuck all.

Like bro what? You have a perfect drama baked into their characters. WHY NOT TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS? Why can't we have characters actually disagreeing and fighting each other? I want to see how that would have resolved.

And this is so unfortunate, because I feel like we are SO so close to a character in this show having some kind of growth or real conflict with SOMETHING.

But at least Rose has a conflict wiith herself. For once she is challenging her own ideals.

She has baggage, she's chosen a course of action for herself. She knows it's immoral in some way, but she's still taken this on to beat down those that are even worse.

And she has this awful revelation in the middle of this forest full of the dead, where ghostlike banshees, that she can't see are screaming past her, that maybe, she realizes, it was all for NAUGHT. She has this horrible realization that she might not have made an impact at all. That everything she's done up until now might be completely insignificant. That she might not have had any real power to do good, maybe she's just deluded herself into thinking she could.

It is the only time any character has to actually confront some aspect or part of themselves in a MAJOR way.

BUT THIS DOESNT HAVE AN ACTUAL RESOLUTION. . .? There are no CONSEQUENCES to what she did. Her actions aren't actually painted as wrong in any light, it's literally just set up as a completely personal drama. The conflicts that she has with other characters about this is brought up and then dropped. And then it's left up in the air whether or not she really killed Konan but somehow still imples that he kinda is actually DEAD for real this time. So. She still won? She beat the guy who ruined her life. Didn't she get her revenge in the end?

I don't understand and I can't actually understand what the anime is trying to say about her character after this point.

What direction has her character actually taken? Does she regret choosing killing as her method of justice? Has she renounced her previous way of life? What about her role as leader to a whole assassin guild? What does this mean about her relationship to Eguille and the rest of her guild? Does she have the entire guild change tunes? What does this mean about the legacy of her guild and foster father's ideals?

Well. I don't got a clue. Her inner conflict changes nothing about her relationship with anyone, despite how it very directly has conflicts with other people.

Instead, we see her really pushing to find a way to help Sorey. The power he has to do good is something that she's been lacking. She thought she was doing everything she could be to do good for the weak but it wasn't enough.

For me, I interpret this as her trying to choose a new path for herself. A more solid way to make an actual long term, permanent change for people, and not just the short-sighted justice she was carrying out.

Okay. So she's moved past the philosphy she's long since believed in, in that sense. But what about the stuff she already has going in? Is she completely renouncing her entire past?

She'll fight malevolence with the Shepherd's power instead, sure. She's course-correcting, I guess. But the issue is, this doesn't actually address her past actions. It's not implied at all that she's disbanding the Scattered Bones or turning a new leaf in the same vein. So is she regretful for killing people? Or is she regretful of the fact that she misinterpretted what power she needed? Maybe it can be both, but I don't think she's put in the wrong for her actions at all.

if the act of her killing was actually wrong, why isn't it condemned? Where are the repurcussions? Proof that she's actually hurt someone or set her own goals back by doing what she's been doing? Conflict from people she cares about?

There's nothing. Not even a single acknowledgement by anyone that she'll stop. So what the HECK does that mean?

Every time she's killed someone they HAVE deserved it. They've been proven AWFUL people that would have continued to hurt people if she didn't take action.

Sorey, never learned about the corruption of the Blue Storm Knights and the church. And even when he learned about the corruption of Hyland's royaly, what could he do?

He didn't confront Alisha about it, he didn't develop a mistrust, and he didn't need to. His role was to acknowledge, learn, and understand humanity to be the Shepherd that they needed him to be. His role is the Shepherd of the world.

So who else was going to stop the pope or Konan? It wasn't going to be Sergei or Alisha. So were they supposed to wait for someone like Sorey to findout he was a hellion to purify? No! If Rose didn't take the action she had taken, then people who had suffered would have continued to suffer.

So is she still in the wrong for what she did? Is being the Shepherd's squire the only way she can actually help people? What BULLSHIT!

Anyways. The whole game was trash, every character deserved better and only Alisha got better in the anime(kinda.) I don't think she should have been crowned Queen TBH i think they should have just kept the political drama going and let ALL characters slowly and surely address the malevolence with their powers, and be unified under Sorey's meteoric rise and fall.

Game sucks. Anime sucks less.

[mirrorballwhoistrying]

Sky Blue January (02.02.2024)

Hey, it's me again! I can't believe a month of 2024 is gone already. Who said January was moving slowly didn't make sense. I never feel like time ever moves slowly. It moves a little a time then all at once. Oop! Just like growing up!

I had a countdown party at my cousin's house on New Year's Eve. It was fun until the topic of marriage was constantly brought up. I wasn't even surprised. My brother was the main target. He left early and never came back. Good for him as I would do the same.

I woke up to New Year late as I should. I had a haircut. That's already the norm, right?

The next day, January 2nd I went to Chef Nak's house with BKT and BSR for photoshooting. The main purpose was not only for the photo shoot but also to talk about the unfinished work. Things were going okay until discussing with BSR. What I could hear from him was that my work is not worthy for him to pay a lot. A side of me wanted to prove him wrong and tried to do my best, but then on the way home, I became mad and decided that if people not going to see value in my work, then I was not wasting time trying to prove them. Did I do the right thing? Is this a sign of my lack of communication skill and collaboration skills? Is this what's costing me all the good opportunities?

On the first weekend, I went on a trip with BKT and BKL. This is definitely another occasion that sent me into another existential crisis. They lived in a very different world from my usual circle and that's somehow all my friend groups are. They are rich and talk about businesses and having fun. Money isn't their concern, but it's about love and friendship. I had fun of course but a different kind of fun, but a good thing is I know they are people I can count on, right?

I also started posting content back on social media. In a way, I feel so lost in direction. Am I doing the right thing? Do people even care what I'm saying? Am I not trying hard enough? Am I trying hard in the right direction? What does it all lead up to? Why do I have to question so much instead of putting effort into making it good and happen?

I finally announced my resignation to my teammates. They were so sad and really wanted me to stay. I feel so lucky to have them for real.

I have to address the elephant in the room. I was selected for YSEALI AFP! Damn! My 5 years of effort finally paid off! I was so happy, but I also hated another part of me that immediately started asking "What's next?" Why can't I live in the moment instead of always constantly looking for what's next? I really need to enjoy the moment and appreciate my efforts. I know for sure that I'm the oldest in my cohort but I don't care as long as I'm going to the US!

I went to G sauna and on a date. It was nice and I'm glad and I put myself out there again. Workwise, it's also really hectic at the workplace as it's still the peak season. I sent a message to VT to separate PPUB but she hasn't responded yet. I made up my mind and she's not going to change that.

I'm 25 this year. I feel such an existential crisis. Most of my peers are either in their family era or cooperate era because they finished their academic era already. I feel like I'm still starting. This is a hard thing I have to constantly tell myself to stop living my life based on society's pressure, and limited belief... I can travel around, enjoy the view, and arrive at the destination. I should enjoy the journey instead of rushing to finish the race. It was always about the journey.

I feel so old when there are these young upcoming youths lately. Maybe that's what I shouldn't worry about. It's not about competition. It's about helping one another win.

I feel lost, to be honest on what I should focus on now. Should I focus on switching my career? Should I focus on building my project? Should I focus on academic things?

Or maybe I shouldn't be stressed out too much. I learned from Taylor that I can switch from one era to another era any time. I really just have to focus on choosing one thing in front of me and focus on it and make it the best I can. It's easier said than done, but I'd do the best I can for 2024 because I'm in my 1989 era!

[atlsportsstan]

Why the NFC South will have the best division race in the NFL (And why the Falcons will win it)

We are already 7 weeks into the 2023 NFL season. Around this point in the season, you start looking at divisional games a little bit more, and paying attention to who would make the playoffs if the season ended today. Sitting here, we have a bunch of big time divisional rivalries to look at. The Bills and Dolphins fighting it out to see who is the new king of the AFC East, the NFC West looking like the NFC West of old, and, somewhat surprisingly, the NFC South sticking in there. I fully believe that the NFC South will have one of the greatest divisional races of all time, and here’s why.

No, the NFC South doesn't have any big-name teams. And, yes, every team in this division has a bottom 16 quarterback in the league. But that’s every team in this division. The Saints are rolling with Dereck Carr for their campaign, currently sitting at 3-4. The Bucs are rocking with Baker Mayfield, and they sit at 3-3. The Falcons are sticking with Desmond Ridder, and they have a 4-3 record. Hell, even the Panthers, who are starting a rookie Bryce Young and who currently sit at 0-6 still have a chance to make the playoffs.

For most playoff teams, they’re schedule will get harder as the season goes on. Not these teams. The Falcons have the “easiest” remaining schedule in the NFL, with the Bucs and Saints not too far behind them, ranking at 27th and 18th respectively. They don’t coin the phrase “Any given Sunday” for no reason. Because on any given Sunday, the Panthers could easily rattle off a bunch of wins against the Texans, Colts, and Bears, while the Falcons, Saints, and Bucs all go on cold spells, and all of a sudden, the Panthers are sitting at 3-6, tied for 2nd in the division, and 1 game behind the first place Falcons.

But, who do I see winning this division? Well if you look at how the roster is constructed, I don’t know how you can look at the Atlanta Falcons roster, and say that they are not making the playoffs. Desmond Ridder, despite some early woes, will get it together as he gets more experience under his belt. The three-headed monster of Bijan, Tyler, and CP will terrorize defenses, and Ridder has weapons he can trust in London, Hollins, Pitts, and now Jonnu Smith. The defense is still a brick wall that has only allowed 1 rushing touchdown all season. All I’m saying is, don’t be surprised when the Falcons come out of January hosting a playoff game. And like I said back in May, “fuck around and bring a playoff game to the benz. see what happens.”

[pantherazuredevil]

Japan Trip 2023 - Day 5 (Fushimi Inari Taisha) Part 1

I ended up not sleeping well throughout the night and got up with my alarm feeling tired, partially because of the hotel environment. I didn't really like how many gaijin were there making noise throughout the night. I went down at slightly before 8 for breakfast as the sign said that the congestion times were most likely 7-8 AM.

That ended up being the first big mistake of the day. There was a large crowd, though I suppose being able to find a seat did mean it wasn't fully congested. It was a Western-style buffet breakfast and didn't really taste that good either, except for the milk and minestrone soup. I didn't bother with pictures, and rushed to finish as soon as possible so I could get out of there to rest a bit before heading out at about 9:15 AM.

I reached Fushimi Inari Taisha (hereafter referred to Mt. Inari for reasons that will become apparent) by about 9:40 AM latest, and began to see where to go and what to do. One of the main highlights would be tossing the coin into the prayer box before making a prayer, but by the time I found it there were not only a lot of people there, but once again I had run out of ￥100 coins, so I decided to return later once I had bought stuff off the tourist traps uphill and obtained some change.

There were huge crowds my gawd, both of the international kind and the school trip kind. I suppose the timing was just bad since it was still spring and the time when schools around Japan made their trips to Kyoto. If I had come during the sakura season (it was almost over when I got there) or Golden Week (it was the week after I left Japan) it'd be unimaginably worse. I started climbing amidst the sea of humans, trying not to bump into people and hoping for a way out of the masses. I actually took 3 short videos of the squeeze but decided to just save 1, and you can view it here.

Now here was where I made my 2nd big mistake of the day. I saw the torii gates heading downward at one point and got confused. I thought they were supposed to keep going up to a fork in the road where I could then take another path upwards to the mountain peak. There was, however, a very small side path of gravel that seemed to go upward branching off from the main route, and a gaijin made his way up the path, with a sign that said there was some shrine there too, so I decided, why not? Maybe this was the correct way, since it looked to me at the time that it was the only way up. The picture on the right above is a picture of the small shrine that was further down the path when you follow it.

Climbing on the path at first seemed like a really good decision. The number of people immediately dropped drastically to almost none, and here's a video I took of the initial part of the path showing its lack of popularity. There were no torii gates here, only small shrines, and I suppose that should have been a red flag in and of itself. I liked the scenery though as well as the lack of people, and I don't think I've climbed a mountain (or anything that could even be remotely called a proper hill) for decades, so I was enjoying the trek honestly.

The above pictures show part of the path after I left the small shrine, the number of people eventually dwindled to nothing, leaving me alone on what I could only call a mountain trail, though it wasn't anything dangerous or difficult. Here's a short video of some part I passed showing what I guessed to be bamboo at around 10 AM.

It was truly like a mountain trail though, with slippery muddy slopes and steep stairs, which accounted for the lack of people around. That did however make it better for me, the serenity of it all was calming after the huge crowds, but by now I knew it was truly not the main path.

I reached a midway point of sorts I suppose, where I actually saw cats! There were some buildings that people obviously lived in, and some cars. There was an old man and I asked him politely about the way up to the mountain top, and he pointed me in the right direction, saying it was about another 20 more minutes of climbing.

I persisted onward despite the revelation that I was not on the main path and came onto a rather steep and dangerous flight of stairs, where one wrong step would definitely end up in an injury in a part of the mountain no one was in, so I was very careful here. Even so, I made good progress in terms of time, but I had to rest a few times because it was such a steep climb and I was truly huffing hard by the end of it.

These two pictures are of the same flight of stairs that I had to climb while panting really hard in the process. I paused in the middle to take a picture of the way I had come and the way I still had to climb. The pictures don't show the winding steep stairs that I had already taken up to this point, and the continuing climb upwards.

The guy had said 20 minutes, but when I finally reached what I could only guess was the side entry to one of the main paths going up to the top, I was like, "No man, 20 minutes is for you folks accustomed to the climb, damn that was really tough for me." I believe I took about 25 minutes but I couldn't be sure at the time.

The main path of course took me to the top, but wow what a climb. It was definitely quite the experience for sure, and I was messaging my friends throughout wondering where it had all gone wrong, but hey I got to experience a different side of Mt. Inari, and quite frankly it wasn't half as bad as I would have people imagine it was at the time. At least I skipped the crowds. Here's a video I took around 10:39 AM after exiting the side path. I reached the peak not long after this video.

A map drawn on the whiteboard at the peak showing the actual main routes, two of them, forming a loop you were supposed to go counter-clockwise or clockwise in. I didn't follow either route on the way up or down.

I rested for a while at the top and had a look around. There was a shrine up there but I ended up not praying at it. I did pay respects with a bow at a lot of mini shrines on the way up, there were tons of them off the beaten path. I didn't take pictures as it would be disrespectful, and most of them were of the same types of statues anyway.

I believe this was where I exited the side path onto the main path at last. It was a treacherous trek indeed, but I did take it as a good experience for the future. I was careful throughout not to make a slip since it did mean I would have no one coming to assist me should something happen.

I started descending and 10 minutes later came upon a shop that was selling some matcha ice-cream wafer. It was nice to have a cold snack after the harsh climb I undertook, and once again I sat here a short while enjoying the wafer and taking a break. Here's a video I took as I started my descent around 10:50 AM.

It was also here that I asked the shopkeeper about the routes, and he brought out a map showing that there were only 2, meaning I had truly taken a side path. I believe the side path was only for mountain hikers or locals, and therefore was unused most of the time. That meant I had strayed off the main path, which was already obvious anyway, GFDI. I thanked him for the info and continued my descent.

Continued in Part 2

[blue-scorpion-king]

Samurai Jack has inspired RWBY V9

Samurai Jack’s 5th season came to mind with this RWBY V9 prediction.

My third one. owo

Curious Cat, when he comes back, would have to spell it out for our heroes.

To Team RWBY & Jaune.

The reason why the Ever After Tree is not getting any closer to them is simply this.

It knows that they have a lot of problems that they should work out amongst each other before they can get out of Remnant.

Time flows different in the Evert After than in Remnant, which could be 4 minutes or a hour, while 30 years for Jaune.

So, with that in mind-

I think the Ever After *wants* our heroes to EARN their escape by mending their strained relationships, look inward on what is wrong, what they can learn that can be used to fight Salem and Tyrian, Cinder, & Mercury, and actually face their mental burden head on, while letting each other know that they will try to hold their burdens together.

Yes, they want to escape. They don’t belong in the Ever After. But the land wants them to realize that they don’t need to *rush* so much and deal with the self-imposed timer in their head.

-That is, if my prediction of the end of Cinder’s character doesn’t come true.

The land itself wants Team RWBY to go through their journey, like all of the fairy tales it has cycled through, go through their own self-imposed hardships, alongside external obstacles, like the Red Prince, and then, maybe even plot can get Neo to *talk* so Ruby can finally know why Neo hates her so much. 

But that last part is a stretch.

And particularly Jaune in this volume reminds me of Samurai Jack in season 5, before he went to the monk to try and get his sword back.

I think that Jaune wouldn’t die, but go through the same lowest point as Jack and truly have to fight himself internally, seeing Ironwood in himself, being terrified that he has stooped to his mindset after being lonely for so long, for 30 years, and just admit that he just wants to go home.

Despite how harsh the 2nd half of the war against Salem would be.

A fight against evil that needs to be won by those who ultimately found a way to victory through something else other than strength.

Ruby did let the whole world know that Salem exists after all.

------

Also, I think that even with Team _WBY admitting their failures as a team to Ruby once they found her, Weiss will give a tearful, worried, and stern talk as a *partner* & best friend to Ruby.

And Yang will give Ruby a older sister talk of her life, while saying that she should be the one who gets yelled at only because she just wants to mend the strained relationship between sisters, which shouldn’t have happened. And Yang apologizing for doubting Ruby in Atlas.

And that’s all I have for now.

~The Bat~

[peterpparkrr]

art is to feel (Epilogue 2: A Very Bridgerton Christmas) | A Bridgerton Series

Series: art is to feel

Paring: Anthony Bridgerton x F!Reader

Summary: (post-art is to feel) The new Viscount and Viscountess Bridgerton spend their first Christmas together.  

Word Count: 1.4k

Warnings: N/A this is just tooth-rotting fluff

A/N: Let me know what you think of these little blurbs! Traditionally a Julia Quinn 2nd epilogue is about kids but I don’t write pregnancy so I wrote this instead lol

epilogue 1  // Series Masterlist

Aubrey Hall was alight for the festive season. 

As the new Viscountess, (Y/N) had taken it upon herself to decorate her new home to the highest standards, going all out in preparation for the celebrations. She had even invited every last one of the Bridgerton’s neighbors to make the journey to spend the holidays celebrating with the Bridgertons. Filling into her new position with confidence.

Seemingly every corner of the house was covered in baubles, ribbons, candles, pine and fir trees, holly, and other various decorations that the servants had pulled out of storage at the new Viscountess’ behest. 

You had been admiring your own handiwork in the front hall when a footman informed you that the rest of your family had begun to pull up the drive. You rushed to find your coat and meet them out on the drive.

When you and Anthony had decided to move your residence from London back to Anthony’s seat in Kent, you’d assumed that his mother and siblings would all be returning with you, but Violet had insisted that the two of you go back alone and that she and Anthony’s younger siblings would remain in London a while longer to give the two of you a longer, a quote-un-quote “honeymoon period” insisting that they’d all return closer to the holidays.

And while you’d appreciated the chance to get settled in at Aubrey Hall and to spend some quality time with Anthony without having to worry about any of his family members hearing the two of you through the walls,  now they were on their way back. And you couldn’t have been more excited to have plenty of people around.

“Violet! It’s so good to see you,” You greeted your mother-in-law as she stepped out of her carriage as a Hyacinth and Gregory-sized blur whisked past you and into the house. 

“And you as well, you look lovely dear,” Violet greeted you with a tight hug.

“Anthony’s just finishing up the last bit of decorating in the drawing-room, I told him we’d meet him in there when you arrived,” You tell her as the older Bridgerton siblings step out of their own carriage and make their way towards you. 

Violet grinned as she allowed you to escort her and the rest to the drawing-room.

It was later in the evening when Violet entered the drawing-room and found her eldest two sons and her only daughter-in-law already dressed for dinner. 

“Anthony, darling, why is there mistletoe in every room of the house?” Violet Bridgerton asked her eldest son. 

“Well, we had to make sure everything was perfectly decorated for (Y/N)’s first Christmas here at Aubrey Hall,” Anthony tells his mother as you placed a kiss on his cheek.

“Your wife doesn’t seem to need a reason to kiss you,” Benedict scoffed as he glanced up from his sketchbook.

“She certainly does not,” Anthony replied cheekily. “But it is fun.”

A few days after the Bridgertons arrived, the rest of the Viscount and Viscountesses guests descended at Aubrey Hall. 

Anthony was fulfilling his hosting duties and making the rounds, greeting his guests when he approached one of his least favorite neighbors, who was admiring some of the artwork hanging on the wall.

“I hear your wife fancies herself a painter, does she do watercolors?” Lord Hacksby asked Anthony.

“Not very frequently, she prefers oils,” Anthony replied. “Many of her paintings are displayed here in the house.”

“Are they? Perhaps in a back bedroom somewhere?” The Lord asked in that conspiratorial tone that gentlemen liked to use when talking about how silly women are.

“You’re actually looking at one of her pieces right now,” Anthony replied cooly. “My wife does not like to brag about her work, but I myself happen to enjoy the task. She has several pieces on display at the National Gallery, as well as many other exhibits across the continent. Turns out her work is quite popular in Italy.”

“So I suppose she does not fancy herself a painter, Lord Hacksby, but rather, she is a painter. And a very talented one at that.” Anthony added before making his way across the room, back to his wife.

As snow fell the silence outside Aubrey Hall was a welcome change from the hustle and bustle of the house the last few days. As much as you enjoyed hosting, and spending time with friends. You were more than ready to have the house back to just yourselves. Well you, Anthony, and your entire family. 

“Are they all gone?” A voice asked from behind you. 

You turned to see Anthony making his way over to you, his jacket haphazardly draped over his shoulders.

“That’s the last of them,” You replied as your turned your head to gesture towards the carriage that was making his way back to the road in the gentle flurries that were beginning to fall around you.

“Tonight will be just family, so we’ll open presents tonight,” Anthony tells you as he wraps his arms around you and pulls your back into his warm chest.

“Did you get me a good present?” You ask as you turn your head slightly, peering back at him with curiosity. 

“I guess you’ll just have to wait and see,” He quips as he presses a quick kiss to the crown of your head. 

You both stand like that for a few moments, just appreciating the quiet and each other's company.

“You didn’t need to defend me to Lord Hacksby,” You say after a moment.

“Yes I did, you’re my wife,” Anthony tells you, loosening his grip on you slightly so that you can turn around and face him as he speaks. “So it’s one of my obligations as your husband to defend your honor. Besides, it’s one of my favorite things about being married.”

“What are your other favorite things about being married?” You ask with a wicked grin.

“I think you know,” He whispered in your ear before pulling his head back and kissing you soundly.

“Happy Christmas, Viscountess Bridgerton,” Anthony tells you quietly, his lips still just inches from yours as he looks into your eyes lovingly.

“Happy Christmas, Anthony,” You replied, unable to stop yourself from grinning back at him broadly.

An incomplete list of the 1814 Bridgerton Christmas gifts:

From (Y/N) to Anthony, a puppy. 

Anthony was not pleased when the puppy jumped up and began licking his face, but the look on his face at that moment had been priceless.

From Anthony to (Y/N), a set of new paints. 

Hyacinth didn’t think the gift was particularly romantic, but (Y/N) had kissed her brother like it was the most beautiful piece of jewelry in the world.

From (Y/N) to Violet, a painting of the Bridgerton family. 

Violet teared up when she unwrapped the canvas to see a likeness of the entire Bridgerton family sitting around the table eating dinner.

From Benedict to Anthony, a framed sketch of (Y/N).

Eloise didn’t know why Anthony looked terribly embarrassed by this gift, it was a sketch of his own wife, after all.

From Anthony and (Y/N) to Hyacinth, a blue riding habit, in addition to a horse for her to ride when at Aubrey Hall. 

Violet Bridgerton was not particularly pleased by this incredibly extravagant gift.

From (Y/N) to Eloise, A set of small soft, leather-covered journals.

From Simon to (Y/N), a crystal vase.

Violet thought it looked oddly similar to the vase that Lady Featherington gifted Daphne and Simon on the occasion of their wedding. 

From Violet to Eloise, a collection of books.

Most of which turned out to be etiquette guides.

From Daphne to Simon, a baby’s rattle.

The gift was followed immediately by Daphne announcing that she would be giving birth to the couple’s second child in the early summer, much to everyone’s delight.

From Colin to all, a letter from the Amalfi Coast and a large package of presents

For Anthony, cured ham. 

For Violet, Daphne, (Y/N), and Francesca various pieces of Italian glass jewelry. 

For Gregory and Hyacinth, Sicilian sweets. 

For Eloise, specialty stationery. 

And for Benedict, several bottles of wine. 

Unfortunately, the jewelry and bottles broke during their journey, drenching the stationary and spoiling the sweets and even the ham.