#keenler positivity

[meetmeatthecoda]

Now that I’ve had some time to cry & mourn & actually think about that horrendous excuse for television... I have... some thoughts.

Firstly, the pace of that episode was insane. I mean, the season itself felt like we were slowly & tortuously hacking our way through a tangled rain forest, trying desperately to see the forest for the trees, but instead stuck cutting vines & branches down one by one... until we got to that finale, which felt comparatively like finally cutting away all the dense foliage only to immediately fall off a fucking cliff. You could just tell they were using the least amount of dialogue they could to move through so many weird emotions at fucking breakneck speed. I mean there was... the brief aftermath in Latvia, the 4 second plane ride to re-introduce Red’s illness after how many eps, Liz’s 3 second long recuperation, the awkward attempt at humor with the helium followed by a crash landing into solemnity at Red’s talk with Cooper, the abrupt & unsatisfying discussion with Red & Liz where he makes his rEqUESt, all the different “heartfelt” one-on-ones with Liz’s people, the fucking forced af “romance” with K**nler, the shoe-horned “chance meeting” with Beth Ryker, the most Agnes has ever talked in the history of ever, the weirdly morbid & fucking heartbreaking walk in the park, the choppy restaurant scene, to the unmentionable... end event. It went all over the place, which is very unlike TBL imo, which usually seems to stick to a theme or emotional center for an entire episode, whether blacklister or mythology driven. I think it was painfully clear how poor their planning was (when they have literally no excuse bc they knew this was coming the whole season???) & just how much shit they were trying to squeeze into one episode.

Secondly - & this may seem obvious, but I think it’s worth talking about anyway - Liz should have gotten her answers. And I’m not just saying this as a Lizzington shipper (I mean, mostly I am, but there are other reasons also!) Primarily, I think bc... literally everyone expected them. Not just bc they were advertised (it’s certainly not the first time they’ve delighted in false advertising in promos when it comes to the all-important AnSwErS) but bc THEY MADE SURE EVERYONE KNEW BEFOREHAND THAT IT WAS MEGAN’S LAST EP. It might have been mildly acceptable to play coy for yet another season finale IF she was coming back in some capacity later to eventually wrap things up, but - given that they fucking slammed the door on that possibility - THEY SHOULD HAVE GIVEN US ANSWERS. I don’t think anyone considered the possibility that they would KILL her & NOT give us answers bc it makes no fucking sense. Additionally, Liz should have gotten her answers simply bc SHE!! DESERVED!! THEM!! They’re literally the thing she’s been fighting for for eight seasons & she fucking died without them? WTF??? But, most importantly to us Lizzington shippers, Liz not getting her answers ruined the park fantasy. I think we all imagined (BC IT WAS MEGAN’S LAST EP) that Red & Liz would finally talk & Red would give her the answers she wanted. I think we all expected from the (misleading) promo that he would make some sense out of the potentially jumbled memories/visions (?) from 8.21 &, most importantly, there would be SOME KIND OF EMOTIONAL TURNING POINT, SOME CATHARSIS, AN UNDERSTANDING & RENEWED LOVE BETWEEN THEM DRIVEN BY THE AFOREMENTIONED REVELATIONS (& LOVE OF WHATEVER KIND, MIND YOU, WE WEREN’T PICKY, JUST SOMETHING FOUNDED ON RECONCILIATION & PEACE.) But - bc they denied us that - Liz was still in the dark & waiting on answers for the entire ep, unable to forgive or reconnect with her true feelings for Red (whatever you believe them to be) & this made her reaction to Red’s rEqUeSt ring very hollow & detached, the whole park bench conversation stilted & awkward (on Liz’s end) & - THE WORST PART - it made the whole park fantasy feel FALSE. It cheapened it. Like she was just indulging him, letting him walk with her & play with Agnes & enjoy one more day of life before she indifferently killed him. The one thing we expected to get, should have gotten, & THOUGHT WE WOULD HAVE NO MATTER WHAT ELSE HAPPENED IN THE FINALE was ruined. With the assisted suicide talk beforehand, the almost begrudging acceptance from Liz, the obvious morbid mindset from Red, the song in the background, the context of it all. It put an awful spin we completely didn’t expect on what should have been our beautiful Lizzington park fantasy. And I think that may be the part that hurts the most - the fact that I can only look at gifs of that scene - bc the music & dialogue & context completely undermine what Liz’s fantasy should have been, that she got for just one afternoon, when she was supposed to be happy & at peace with Red & Agnes.

Thirdly, (anyone still there? lolz) the whole “plot” of this episode was fucking nonsensical. Chiefly - & many other people have pointed this out before now - Red would never ask Liz to kill him. I simply call bullshit. No matter how hard they tried to justify it (& boyyyyy, did they try) Red has never wanted Liz to be a killer, criminal, or have to live a life like him. He has canonically said as much. I could maybe buy the whole “taking over his empire” thing as the seasons progressed, but asking Liz to live with the guilt (however slight or delayed) of killing him, after everything they’ve been through together, after she told him she loves him (seasons ago, but the feelings are still there, albeit buried deep)? And thereby launching her (& by extension Agnes) directly into harm’s way as the “new” Concierge of Crime (?), without him there to guide her from the shadows? No way. Bullshit. Also - & @iwouldlovetoeatyourtoast mentioned this first, I believe - the whole idea of it was stupid anyway bc Liz has spent the entire season chasing him, has repeatedly gotten opportunities to take the big shot, & has always been unable to kill him. It wasn’t even an engaging tWiSt to throw in at the very end bc - even when she agreed to do it - we all knew it wouldn’t happen, also bc Megan was the one leaving & not James. So, it wasn’t a surprise when she broke down at the end & said she couldn’t, so wtf was the point?

Fourthly (almost to the end, god this feels good) & this was a huge tell imo - everyone was OOC. Now you might say that’s the bitterness talking & you might be right... but you fucking try & tell me that 1) Red all of a sudden decides he’s ready for death after how long of not accepting it or mentioning it & absolutely must be killed by Liz & no one else within the next 24-48 hours 2) Liz would willingly go along with that for even a second 3) Dembe wouldn’t try his damnedest to talk Red out of assisted suicide in general & especially coercing Liz into doing it 4) Ressler would be the one to fucking figure it out & hightail it out of bed AFTER BEING ON DEATH’S DOOR WITH A BUSTED LUNG & SEPSIS FFS 5) Wolf Man Van Dyke would even know where to find Liz on a random fucking street corner outside a random fucking restaurant 6) Red wouldn’t see him behind Liz taking aim 7) THERE WOULDN’T BE A DECLARATION OF FEELINGS/LOVE CONFESSION BETWEEN RED & LIZ IN THE 14 MILLION OBVIOUS PLACES THERE COULD HAVE BEEN *PRIMARILY AFTER SHE SAYS “I CAN’T DO IT, I DON’T WANT TO” I MEAN, HELLO????? WTF, WHY WASN’T THERE AN “BC I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU TOO, LIZZIE” LIKE HOW HARD WOULD THAT HAVE BEEN, IT WAS THE PERFECT PLACE, THE LAST CHANCE, & WE FUCKING DESERVED ITTTTTTTTTTT *ahem* & lastly, & most importantly, & I’m definitely going to cry typing this... 8) if you fucking try to tell me that Red would allow himself to be pulled away from Lizzie’s dead body for a second time by Dembe or anyone else (especially when it was only the stupid task force arriving???) without simply crossing the street to load his gun with trembling fingers, pull the trigger, & join her... you’re fucking crazy.

In conclusion, bc this has gone on long enough, this was just... a hasty, sloppy, rushed, unprepared, careless ending on all fronts, no matter how hard they tried to convince us it was totally-100%-on-purpose-of-course-why-do-you-ask? (And I’m not even touching on the Redarina bait bc fuck that shit.) Like, did anyone else feel like when Red was telling Dembe that he was sure & this was what he wanted & really he’s positive so please stop asking, and when he was explaining things to Liz in almost too much detail, and when he was telling Harold this was absolutely necessary... that it was really the writers trying to convince us? It just felt so sudden & forced & heavy-handed & absurdly preventable & at the same time ridiculously unstoppable... I mean, look, whatever drama clearly went on behind the scenes? I think we can all agree that they did a terrible, awful, shit-tastic job on all fronts. And it’s just such a shame that that’s how it ended 💔

[spooniewithtn]

Keenler Roll Call is BACK!!!!!

That’s right all my Keenler people!  It’s been 8 long excruciating weeks without our beloved show.  I don’t know about you all but I have been miserable.  And I’ve missed you all!  Now, I’m not sure how much Keenler we will get tonight but what WE DO KNOW is that we have two straight hours of THE BLACKLIST!  And I’m extremely pleased by this.  So, without any more chatter here’s our official graphic for the night…

And who would like to get this Roll Call started tonight?  I’ve missed all my Keenler people.  Have we picked up any new shippers over hiatus that would like to pop in and say hello?

Keenlers, fall in!

[dailykeenler]

i see there is a post about how many times Tom saved Liz. how many times has Ressler saved Liz, do you know? i think it's a lot!

Hi, Anon!  Thanks for the ask.   WhileI don’t claim to be an expert on Keenler I’ll sure do my best.  There have been some really amazing sceneswhere Ressler has saved Liz’s life (and at risk to his own in the process in alot of instances).  So, here goes myattempt listing what I can from memory:

Pilot: When ambushed onthe bridge and Liz is still inside the SUV. Ressler shoots the guy who is about to shoot her.

The Stewmaker:  When Ressler goes with Red to try to getinformation off of Lorca.  He gets aknife put to his throat and has to think on his toes.

Gina Zanetakos: Resslerputting two in to Gina to keep her from stabbing Liz.

Anslo Garrick: WhenRessler gives up the access code to the box to save Liz’s life. And he didn’tdo it because Red put a gun to his head. Any true fan of Ressler will tell you that.

The Kingmaker: When Resslerdropped the Kingmaker by putting a bullet in his head as he was strangling Liz.

Scimitar: Pulling Lizout of the line of fire as they tried to flee from the fake hospital they werebeing held in.

Deer Hunter: He savedher from herself when she was strangling the copy cat “Deer Hunter” and alsorescued her.

Tom Keen: Ressler goesto Dresden with Red to bring Tom back. He ends up in a shootout.  He wasgoing to Dresden to bring Tom back so he could account for his killing of theHarbor Master so Liz would not go to jail for it.

Marvin Gerard:  When Ressler raced off to catch up with theRussian Convoy so they couldn’t put Liz on a plane to Moscow, saving her lifeand endangering his own in the process.

The Director:  Ressler racing out to the Lake Yvonne cabinto help keep Karakurt safe so he could testify for Liz.

The Director – Conclusion:Ressler saving Liz from the bullet fired by the Marshal Hitchen hired to assassinateher.

Mr. Solomon – Part 1:Reaching the church in time to help Liz and Tom flee from Mr. Solomon and hismercenaries just in time.

Let’s not forget hisstruggle during all of Season 3A to save her soul.  While he was unaware of the depth of theCabal and trusted the wrong people, his goal was to save her soul. To bring LizKeen, the Liz Keen he knew, back to them. To keep her from becoming like Reddington.

I think it’s fair to saythough that everyone on the show has at some point done something to save herlife.  Samar has played a role, Aramphysically saved her life, Cooper, Dembe, Kaplan, Red, Tom.

If I’ve missed any feel free to add them on to this list!  

[codewordpumpkin]

a very optimistic view of tbl 8x03

*long, heavy sigh* 

where do I begin...

- "I know how you feel about Elizabeth... How could you do that to someone you love?” (Cooper to Red) + “Whatever happens, he loves you. You know that, right?” (Marvin to Liz) = literally everyone knows Liz and Red are married, and they are frustrated by how goddamn stubborn/blind/stupid they are (as they should)

- this little exchange between Red and Marvin: 

“You want to know if I still intend to leave most everything of mine to Elizabeth?” 

“You don’t want me to change your will? Even after she took sides against you?” 

“Okay, so, today she opposes me - maybe, tomorrow. But not forever. Look at Dom and I... In the end, we found our way to each other.”

Also, Marvin asking Red if he still wants to leave most of his assets to Liz even after she betrayed him: if Liz was Red’s daughter (which we know she’s not) or biologically related to him in any way, I don’t believe this question would be asked because in the end, family is family, and it’s usually standard to pass on inheritance to family. But because Liz isn’t related to Red, Red has no real obligation to pass his assets to her, which is why it makes sense for Marvin to ask Red this question.

- “Not until we talk.”

Despite what a crazy bitch Liz has been/is being/will be for the foreseeable future, Red still loves her unconditionally and wants to do whatever he can to hang onto her and Agnes (*cough*agnesgate*cough*)

He made it sound like he would let her go if that’s what she ultimately wants, but we can tell that Red will in no way let her go that easily:

“It may feel, at times, like the end, but our story isn’t over yet.”

+

“And if after our talk, you still feel the same, you can say goodbye to us both.”

Red seemed pretty confident that after their talk, Liz would change her mind/heart about where she stands with him. This implies that whatever unsaid truths that Red has up his sleeve is extremely significant (which is why tptb had Red cough up blood on Liz’s car window and prevented their talk from happening... *sighhhhhh*)

- About Liz suddenly caring more about Ressler than Red + going to his apartment at the end: 

Remember what Red said to Ressler in the infamous mannequin-kiss ep? “Boy, she played you.” (yes, I know he was distracting him so Dembe could place the bug, but doesn’t make what he said any less true). 

I’m not saying Liz doesn’t care about Ressler - it’s obvious she does have love for him as a friend/partner. But she’s not in love with him - not by a long shot. And if Tom (sorry to bring him up) wasn’t her relationship endgame, then Ressler sure as hell isn’t. 

Also, I’m actually glad they’re dipping into Keenler waters right now and in this way. By “this way” I mean they’re getting “close/intimate” scenes every time Liz is in trouble and needs him for something. It hasn’t been a gradual build-up over the years like lizzington. It’s too sudden + Liz reverts to her cold demeanour every time she’s done using Ressler (before cozying up to him when she needs him again).

Also Also, Liz and Ressler just really wouldn’t work. Ressler is Captain America. Liz has crossed too many lines that she can’t uncross. She’s not that green, naive FBI agent who might’ve had a chance with Ressler back in the day. 

And to be honest, Ressler deserves way better than Liz at this point (Park did call him hot...). Just like the FBI Task Force deserves better. Just like Agnes deserves better. 

(I’m starting to get mad again, so let’s leave it at that for now...)

- I’ve always believed that Red and Liz’s relationship had to be completely destroyed in order to be rebuilt in the direction (lizzington) that we want - especially after tptb acted like Red was her father for a (dreadfully long, nightmarish) couple seasons. They have to destroy that foundation in order to create a new one. 

This is all I have to say for now. I mostly wrote this post for me, as I needed it for my own mental/emotional well-being, but I hope this manages to shed some positive light on the episode that pissed us off like no other. 

And remember, if everything truly does go down the drain one day... we’ll always have fanfiction. 

[eyessharpweaponshot]

fic writer asks

tagged by the forever wonderful @burninghoneyatdusk, @pawprinterfanfic and @sparklyfairymira - thank you guys, I enjoyed doing it!

Name(s)?

eyessharpweaponshot (Tumblr and AO3) eyessharp100 (twitter)

Fandom(s)?

just the 100. I have dabbled in The Blacklist (keenler for life) but nothing heavy. 

Where you post?

AO3

Most popular one-shot (by kudos)?

You Should Still Take Me Home

bellarke | modern au | friends with benefits/exes

Clarke and Bellamy fall into the "friends with benefits" dynamic in college, but when Clarke starts falling for Bellamy and stops their arrangement, it makes their interactions at a New Year’s Eve party a little painful - especially when Bellamy shows up with another girl.

This fic was part of the @bellarkejanuaryjoy series and I never expected it to reach this much popularity. it’s full of delicious angst (big surprise there) with a happy ending.

Most popular multi-chapter (by kudos)?

Lose You Too

bellarke | modern au | partners to lovers

Clarke and Bellamy, FBI agents - both too emotional to be level-headed in the dangerous situations they face together. Slow burn, mutual pining, angst, sex and these two idiots caring about one another. All the greatest hits.

This was my first ever published fic and again, did not expect it to take off like it did. I still have people reading it for the first time and screaming in the comment section about it.

Favourite story you’ve written so far?

Devil Side

bellarke | post apocalyptic au | strangers to lovers

Bellamy and Clarke face the end of the world but with their fears just at the other side of the door, they need to close their eyes and trust one another to make it out - together.

I literally can’t even explain why I love this so much. Post-apocalyptic au’s are my absolute favourite and I love how two people are forced together in a dystopian circumstance and the love grows out of fear/care for the other person. Bellamy falls over himself trying to protect Clarke and that is just something in a fic that GETS ME. This fic has an element of everything - co-parenting, angst, smut, found family, loss. I wish I could write it again, lol.

Fic you were nervous to post?

I Found Peace in Your Violence

bellarke | modern au | strangers to lovers

Clarke Griffin has it all. She’s popular, an artistic prodigy and has a wealthy family to boot. So when her perfect world comes crashing down around her, it’s time to sink or swim.

She tests positive for the Homicidal Tendency Syndrome gene, also known as the kill gene. Clarke is plucked from her comfortable life and placed into a school with people just like her - carriers, delinquents.

When she meets Bellamy Blake there, he looks like everything they say HTS carriers are. A monster, a criminal. Yet, he’s the one who protects her.

Clarke thinks existing in this school is the hardest thing they’ll have to do, but as the outside world falls into chaos, she soon learns that things can always get worse. At Mount Weather training camp, they’re made perform certain tasks that make them question who they are - make them wonder if they really are as evil as the world accuses them of being.

At least she has Bellamy. Clarke isn’t sure how they are supposed to be these violent monsters when they can do something so human, like fall in love with one another.

I am going to be screamed at for this because it’s quickly becoming my most popular fic, but I HATED it for so long. My fandom friends who had to endure me complaining about it will tell you, before I posted it, I actually considered scrapping the entire thing. If you’ve ever written a fic where it made you ask yourself if you can write at all, you’ll know what I mean! yet somehow, it won Best Alternate Universe Fic (WIP) in the @bellarkeficawards. the world works in mysterious ways.

How do you choose your titles?

mostly song lyrics. I listen to a lot of music and it usually strikes inspiration for a particular scene. even if it’s just one line in that song, it could inspire an entire fic.

Do you outline?

sometimes. if it’s a WIP or a difficult fic, I will. for nothing else only to help me keep track of a timeline or not to forget certain aspects. I tend to work better ironing out ideas with Ciara. She’s my favourite soundboard, lol.

Complete works?

16 on AO3, all bellarke.

In-progress works?

Two on AO3, bellarke again.

I Found Peace in Your Violence - I work on this whenever I get time. there isn’t many chapters left.

I Am Lost This Time - I will finish this eventually but I started it when I still had hope for canon.

Coming soon/not yet started?

I have a post apocalyptic au in the works that will be posted one day. I've also signed up for @bellarkebigbang again next year so I’m excited to start that. Then there’s about 15 drafts in my documents that maybe I'll finish one day.

Prompts?

not right now. I hit a milestone following on Tumblr a while ago (thank you all so much) and I was gonna write some epic fic requests from my best friends in the fandom but I literally can never find time to sit down lately so I’m thinking they may not be written (I am the worst ever.)

Tagging: @icantloseyou-too @kombellarke @she-who-the-river-could-not-hold @marauders-groupie and whoever else would like to do it. apologies if you’ve already completed it!

[fancycaroline]

Always - A Keenler + Agnes Story

Pt 2A

Pt 1

Ressler flinched, catching Liz’s wrist mid-slap.  His defensive instinct and  training would have had him wrestle her to the floor by now, but he resisted the impulse, quickly calculating the consequences of getting that physical with her. He sighed inwardly, thinking about his insensitive words, regretting that he’d provoked her with his sarcasm but, Damn it Liz!! he thought. How could she contemplate running away and abandoning him? Doesn’t she know how dangerous it would be for her and Agnes? And what that would do to him? he asked himself, silently cursing the prickly ache gathering around his eyes.

Liz wrenched her hand back, plastering it to her side, and their mutual gaze held, infrangible but fraught, as they teetered on the precipice that divided past and future, the former a narrow, jagged and treacherous path, the latter a vast chasm obscured by an embankment of swirling fog.

What were you thinking? Liz berated herself. You didn’t think, she concluded bitterly. Ressler’s behaviour had suddenly made her acutely aware of just how profound an  influence her actions had upon him. Dredged up, disjointed memories of her flight in the night to Cuba following Agnes’s birth invaded her thoughts. We’re free Tom had said. Poor Tom, Liz thought ruefully. She’d felt guilty about not echoing his enthusiasm, but she just wasn’t feeling it; something was wrong even before everything went wrong. Stand down! She’s one of ours! Ressler had been a sight for sore eyes  but, she had scarcely had time to ponder her own feelings, let alone anyone else’s at the time, so preoccupied had she been with the safety of her new baby. If she was being totally honest, this new realization both thrilled and terrified her which made no sense whatsoever. And her self-esteem crumbled in the new knowledge of the suffering she had caused.

“Liz, I....”,  Ressler made a move towards Liz that was barely perceptible, but it was enough to prompt her into action, though she was oblivious to his intent. Whatever it was, she couldn’t let another moment elapse without expressing her remorse. And not just with words. In a focussed advance, she collided into him with a fwump and flung her arms around Ressler’s torso,  adhering to him with the intensity of a sea-star on coral, her voice a muffled murmur, as she pleaded into his shirt, “God, Ressler, I’m so sorry. I didn’t think about how it would be for you. I never meant...I have never meant....” Ressler, taken aback, tentatively held her, his hands spanning the narrow plains of her back, apprehensive about the zero proximity between them while he was feeling so raw. But he soon gave in to the hug despite himself and Liz’s mournful outburst subsided..

They swayed languorously, with the occasional unwitting caress, as one or the other would readjust their hand position, clinging to and grasping for the desired permanence of this serene haven. They made a pretty picture, like a peaceful summer scene, disrupted only by the occasional butterfly or honeybee making its’ merry way. And Ressler, lulled by the sense of calm that cocooned them, indulged himself by turning his head just enough to let Liz’s soft tresses cascade over his face, breathing in her familiar scent, which he’d long presumed must be how a rose might smell. He really had no way of knowing  for sure. All he knew was that,  in all those years of it having drifted his way during countless stings and stakeouts, or having had faintly hung in the air of their shared office for hours and days after she had gone, he’d hazarded a guess that only a rose could smell as sweet.

Liz stirred and pulled back, lifting her face to look into his. The last thing she remembered before their lips met was that she was indeed adrift. In a sea of prismatic blues and greens. And she’d never felt more at home.

(Pt 2B)

[cesraeborgia]

Hey! This is a cool thing you're doing and thought I'd ask something!

I feel like ur gonna get asked this a lot but, realistically, what do you think is going to happen with keenler in the upcoming eps? Like obviously we'd love them to happily get together, but this is the Blacklist, and nothing is ever that simple.

Thoughts?

Hey!!! I’m happy to say your my first ask :)) !!!  If you want to chat with me about keenler, my fics, send me prompts, or just say hello!! feel free to drop me an ask here

I had a lot to say so I did a keep reading thing haha. Also, warning, spoilers for the last two eps. 

Personally, I think there’s an extremely interesting dynamic at play here that is similar to when Liz was on the run the first time. I can’t help but draw parallels between Ressler’s interactions with Liz in season 3 and his interactions with her now, and I think that Liz’s plot line this season is going to put her at odds with Ressler both professionally and personally. The fact of the matter is (and this might be a rogue opinion) that in the long run, I don’t see this causing issues for them romantically. The thing about Ressler is that he’s already crossed that line for Liz in the past - when pitted against his job and Liz, the choices he makes always boil down to one thing: whether or not the decision he makes keeps Liz safe. Because Ressler is always acting with Liz’s safety in mind, This might prove to be a problem for Liz, who is used to those who love her (Tom, Reddington) dropping everything on a dime to help her in any situation no matter the cost to her personal safety. This is partially why Ressler was at a crossroads in the last episode: he knew that the path Liz was going down was dangerous, and he was unwilling to help her if it affected her safety in a negative way, or if it contributed to her continued progression down a darkened path, which Ressler does not view to be her destiny, like Reddington does. In keeping with this characterization of Ressler (which, Lord knows if the show will actually do that; they are pretty consistent when it comes to him but still not great) I could see them continuing to work together, even if its not to the result that Liz wants. 

I think that Ressler brings out the best of Liz’s humanity (this is why I always use day/sun imagery when writing Ressler, and night/moon imagery when writing Liz) and that eventually Liz is going to be faced with deciding between embracing Reddington’s idea of her ‘destiny’ or embracing what she wanted her life to be like in the pilot. Obviously, going to war with Reddington posits one end of that spectrum, with exploring her relationship with Ressler being on the other side. 

(Real quick sidebar: I don’t like to describe female characters in relation to male characters; I’m not trying to say that Liz has to decide between the two men, I’m just saying that they symbolically represent the decision she’s going to have to make. If I were less tired I would go on a poststructural feminist rant that would make my dear sweet Judith Butler proud, but, alas, I’m exhausted)

I think that there’s three key things that SHOULD (key word being should, seeing as the writers are who the writers are) be factors in keenler’s progression this season. 

1.) Liz is alone on the run this time. This means that she’s most likely going to turn to Ressler for support, seeing as her sister is gone for the moment being, Tom is dead, her mother is dead, Reddington is pretty much dead to her, and the only person left in her life who she really trusts is Ressler. Now, there could be an interesting plot twist here. (this has been marinating in the back of my mind for the last couple of seasons.) Remember in like season 6 (I want to say??) when Liz let that one blacklister go and was starting to collect names for her own blacklist... let’s just say I wouldn’t be shocked if that plot line was unceremoniously picked up again sometime this season. That might be the only real shot she has at having allies besides Ressler or people who want to see Reddington dead. Ask me more on this later, once I watch the next episode in January haha.

2.) The issue of the taskforce and Reddington. As we can all see, Reddington has no qualms using Ressler as a pawn in his scheme to get to Liz, and I can envision Ressler acting in the role of messenger between the two warring sides during the rest of this season, which would allow for Liz and Ressler to continue to explore their developing relationship within this paradigm. I could also see =, however, Reddington using Ressler to gain an audience with Liz, and or threatening Ressler in order to get Liz to comply. 

In this category there is also the issue of the taskforce itself. As we all know, Cooper was pissed that Ressler had been running off without his knowledge to see Liz, and I can assure you that this is going to cause some problems between the rest of the taskforce and Ressler. (Aram may be a sleeper cell, because it’s Aram, but other than that I can see this getting to be extremely painful for Ressler, Cooper, and Park). I can see Cooper either sidelining Ressler, monitoring his phone, or pairing him off with Park so that she can keep an eye on him, or a combination of all three. I think that this dynamic is where we’re going to see the biggest obstacle to their relationship. 

3.) Finally, the trust issues. I can’t say I’m shocked that the blacklist has never confronted the fact that Ressler is blatantly in love with a woman who continuously lies to him (I love both of them to death, I mean this from a good place) and who has never really shown any signs of remorse about it. Now, while its a good thing that Liz opened up to Ressler later last season, it’s still problematic that she won’t share her cards with him when she knows he won’t be happy about what she’s doing. I personally would love to see Ressler confront her about this (I hope to god he does), but again, this will probably get swept under the rug. I have a lot of problems with this, which is why when I write them, I always try to address the imbalance of power between them and try to put them on a more equal playing field. I would be curious to see how the writers do this (if they decide to). 

I’m sorry that this has turned into a novella-length response, but also I’m not because I have had a lot of this stuff simmering in my brain for the last couple of years. I must also apologize for the random rants in the middle of this - that would be due to my raging ADHD and exhaustion. In conclusion, I would say that I can see keenler happening, however, it is not going to be all sunshine and rainbows, but, rather, a game which may involve using Ressler as bait. 

I hope that answers your question :))

[bravebold]

1 Keenler Week: Why I ship them

I’m not sure when I started to Ship Liz and Ressler together, I saw hintssince the beginning. But I think the moment that solidified them as a ship to me was when Liz went to Ressler after having problems with Tom and saying that she had nowhere else to go. From all people on Task Force, she trusted Ressler the most. Second Season had Liz share wine on her birthday with him and it was a ‘share with someone special” kind of wine.

I’m glad now they share their secrets and Liz is honest with Ressler how important he is to her life. Liz saying he is her tiny island of calm was everything. They are on a really good position to step up their relationship on the next level

[kiss-my-freckle]

“For most people, baptism comes early. My daughter had to wait half her life to be reborn.”

Understand Katarina became Raymond when she was around 30 and Raymond is now 60, that’s why Dom speaks to half her life. Liz is now the age her mother was when she was reborn, but there’s a reason she hires a cyranoid rather than going under the knife. Because it’s not her face that will be changing. 

The sins of the mother. The difference between Katarina acting as a sin eater for her daughter, and Agnes acting as a sin eater for her mother. 

“Do you really want your child to pay the price for that mistake for the rest of his or her life?”

Dialogues go all the way back to S2 & S3 and are as recent as S7 & S8. 

“You were wrong about him once.”

The reverse parallel. That’s why Ressler had one of Liz’s socks. Why Liz only had one foot on the ledge. She was already wrong about her husband once. When she remarried him, she knew what she was remarrying. Liz is a Keen because of it. The one foot, one sock thing with Liz is basic symbolism. She’s half right.

“What makes you so sure you're not wrong this time?”

Liz is wrong about the father. This is where Nyle Hatcher comes in and all the other Keenler baby seeds push through. Tom Keen basically takes on the role of Nyle Hatcher. "We have work to do." So you’re given dialogues fitting to Tom Keen. “I just didn't want any of those kids to grow up alone like me, without a family.” These dailogues push back to the adoption storyline for a reason. We already know who Agnes’ mother is. Everytime these characters speak, pay mind to how they refer to Agnes. She’s not the child of Tom and Liz, she’s the child of Liz and Ressler. 

“Because dead men tell no tales. Even about their seed.”

Therein lies the parallel. Katarina and Ressler are the “dead” parents. Ressler died in Krilov’s second memory manipulation on Liz. 

When they pull their bolo for Agnes, it’ll be different than Liz’s. Because both parents decide the name for the child. Not just last name, first name. This is where the “swipe right” dialogues come in from S3 & S7. 

Liz: I still like Agnes. Tom: You know my feelings. Besides reliving childhood traumas, it’s an old lady name. Liz: But with babies, everything that’s old is new again. Besides, it was Sam’s mother’s name. He’s the only family I ever knew.

It was Ressler’s position to decide WITH Liz what they’d be naming THEIR child. I think by the time they put a bolo out on Agnes, Ressler’s gonna know he’s the father, and he’s gonna refer to her as a Ressler. And they’ll likely find her quick because she’s the daughter of an FBI agent. I’m just not sure how far the parallels will go with Katarina/Raymond, but I am expecting the return of Scottie and Solomon at some point. Agnes is gonna get a new pair of shoes. 

EVERYTHING you see between Red and Liz, Raymond and Constantin... you’ll see with Liz and Agnes, Ressler and Tom. 

[meetmeatthecoda]

Wow, a kind someone just sent me the longest, most passive aggressive anon hate I think I’ve EVER received!! They clearly put lots of thought into it and took tons of time out of their day to write it all out, so I don’t think I’ll give them the satisfaction of posting it!! 😊 All I think I will say is this: Firstly, contrary to your apparently VERY strong belief, my ship preferences (you know, this one, singular ship of mine) prove absolutely nothing about my actual real life experiences and emotions, and I absolutely DON’T appreciate you trying to simplify my existence down to a list of unsavory qualities just to make yourself feel better.

Secondly, fiction is just that. FICTION. If you feel so strongly that my preferences involving FICTIONAL characters, FICTIONAL pairings, and a FICTIONAL show give you permission to declare me an unstable individual in need of serious psychiatric help, you are sorely mistaken. Just in case you need reminding, you’ve never met me in real life. Do you think you could magically draw these wildly specific conclusions you’ve complied just by looking at me? Would you go out of your way to tell me these things to my face? I certainly hope not! Fandom is a place to escape real life, but I don’t think you need reminding of this, since you sent your message on anon and are clearly not comfortable expressing your negative opinions about me in association with your blog’s url. I’d like to remind you that, while we get passionate about fandom, there is a real person sitting on the other side of this blog with feelings, and I would never burst into your living room and yell unsubstantiated vulgarities, complete with the cutesy smiley faces and hearts, which you took the extra time to include in your message.

Lastly, no matter what you ship or enjoy in the privacy of your fandom space, I would never encroach upon your rights to do just that and your feelings as a human being, hence why I tagged my last ask as anti-Keenler and anti-Ressler, per fandom etiquette. (I’m assuming that’s what prompted this heartfelt message.) I hope you feel better now, anon, I truly do, and I hope this message is the last of its kind you send to anyone. I’m sure you wouldn’t walk up to someone on the street and spew these kinds of rude things into their face. Remember, a blog equals a person, fiction is fiction, and it’s super easy to stay in your lane and have positive fandom experiences with people who share your beliefs and values. I’m sure you’ll get much more enjoyment out of that! And, before you use any more of your valuable time responding to this, please know that any further messages from you will go ignored by me. Have a great day! ❤️

[mytinyislandofcalm]

Day 7 - Saturday July 25th - Free choice. Be creative!  Fan art, videos, edits, fics - anything you like to celebrate Keenler!

Last but not least - A Keenler FanFic! Enjoy :) @keenlerweek @aussieokie @alyblacklist

2 Days. It's been 2 days since he took her from him.

He didn't know where she was 

And he blamed himself for it. 

"Uncle Donnie, I can't sleep...!" Agnes pulled him out of his thoughts.

"Come on sweetheart I'll tuck you in." He picked her up and carried her into the bed.

"Uncle Donnie... Where is Mommy?" His heart stopped for a second. What should he tell her? Hey Agnes your mom was kidnapped because of me?

"I actually don't know Munchkin" he said "But we are trying everything to find her, I promise you she'll be back soon"

"When is she coming back.. I miss her!" 

He knew he had to change the subject

" Aha little Miss, So you don't like me, hm? I get it know!" he started tingling her

"Nooo Nooo" she started giggling "You are my favourite Uncle!"

"I most certainly hope so!" he said while looking at her

She looked just like Liz, she had her eyes, her hair and her laugh. Almost everything reminded him of her and how badly he wanted her back.

He was up all night trying to find another way to save her, bring her back to Agnes. Bring her back to him but he couldn't think clearly. He would never forgive himself if something happened to her.

Next Morning he dropped Agnes of at school and went to the Post Office.

When he arrived he saw Reddington arguing with Cooper.

"I have to tell him" he thought. He said No Cops but Reddington was not a cop and he was the only chance to save Liz.

"If you hear something from Elizabeth, anything- I want you to call me, I will get her out myself" Reddington said while putting his  fedora hat on.

He walked towards Ressler and noticed he had something to say.

before Ressler could say anything, Reddington pulled him in the elevator: "Not here, Donald"

"Talk "he said while approaching his Car.

Ressler took a deep breath: " There was guy a partner I worked with.

We were really good friends until I discovered that he was corrupt. He took the Money from the Myers Syndicate who we were investigating at that point of time. I reported it and we breached his apartment. He had his friends from the Kartell over and then a shooting started." 

As He looked over to Reddington, he was calm ,waiting for him to continue. 

" In that shooting his wife was killed and he blames me for it... His name is Ma-"

"Marcus Hale" Reddington sighed.

Ressler was confused,"How do you kn-"

" He is a Blacklister. Did he reach out to you?"

"Yes, he wants the List of the agents who were with me that day. I am supposed to text him on this number" He showed Reddington the number. " But I don't have access to that file."

"Thank you Donald, That’s all I need to know" he pointed at the door" You may leave now"

" You know where she is don't you?" 

" I may have a slightest idea." 

"No, No" Ressler laughed sarcastically." I'm not going anywhere. You know where she is and I am going with you, there is no Way I am leaving now, She is my partner"

"Are you sure that’s the only reason you want to come Donald?"

Ressler never wanted to admit it. Deep down he always knew, that what he felt for her was more than just friendship. Now that she is missing he is starting to see things clearly. He is in love with her, he always was and now she is kidnapped because of him.

"Donald? Donald! Are you even listening?"

"Yeah, Sorry You were saying? 

"I said text him that you have the file"

"But I don't have it"

" Oh Donald always so stiff. Have you ever heard of the Word lying? That's something you do whe-"

"Don't push it Reddington." Ressler took his phone and started typing. "What if it’s too late? „he thought. "What if they've  killed her already? „ That thought sent a shiver down his spine.

The message was sent.

"What now" Ressler asked with a shaky Voice. He hated that he was so weak.

 He hated that she made him weak. Ressler needed to be strong. for her. 

"Now ? Now we wait!" Reddington said.

Not even five minutes later his phone rang.

Ressler looked at Reddington.

"Pick up and put it on speaker"

"Ressler? He answered the phone.

" Oh Don, I knew you would make the right decision. She is quite important to you isn't she?

"Where is Elizabeth Keen?" He asked. He knew he couldn't show too much emotion.

" Bring me the file and you will get her back"

" I need to know if she is alive. Let me talk to her"

" Fine Donnie"

A few seconds later they heard a heavy breathing from the phone : " Ressler?"

Her Voice.  Hearing her voice knowing that she was alive took a little Pressure of his chest. But hearing the pain in her Voice made him want to scream.

Red and Dembe were also relieved.

" Thank God Liz!  Jesus are you alright ?! Did he hurt you?!"

" Ressler" she said. Her voice broke. " Don't give him the file. He will kill me any-"

" Uh Oh I am afraid Times up Donnie" You want to see her? BRING ME THE GODDAMN FILE" 

" But where the hell are we going to meet Marcus?"

"You will find out soon enough!" Marcus said and hung up.

"Damn it ! Damn it! DAMN ITT!" Ressler shouted.

" Calm Down Agent Ressler!" Dembe said

" Calm Down? CALM DOWN!? Did you hear her? She is going to die because of me!"

Liz had been kidnapped often before but this Time. This Time he promised he would protect her. He was her island of calm and he let her down. Reddington remained silent. He was extremely mad and afraid of losing Elizabeth, because he knew. He knew what revenge could make a person do. And Marcus Hale needed that Revenge. Badly. 

" He texted!" Ressler interrupted his thought.

" What does the Text say?" 

"It’s an address: 5483 Pickford Road. D.C at 6 pm, What are we going to do now?"

" You Donald, are going home. There is still plenty of time left." 

" And you ? What are you going to do?"

" Me? I am going to get that file. Goodbye Donald! 

At home Ressler couldn't sit tight. He picked up Agnes from school. He had to bring her someplace safe before their meeting with Hale.

"Aram Mojtabai?"

"Hey Aram ? I need a favour."

"Agent Ressler? Sure What is it?"

"Could you watch Agnes for tonight? I have an important meeting"

"Sure! I will pick her up, Uhm Agent Ressler? Is it about Agent Keen? Is she safe? did you find her? 

"Not yet. But I hope she will be soon..."

Shortly After Aram picked up Agnes.

Ressler got a phone call from Nick's Pizza.

"Donald, Its Time. I am in front of your apartment. Get there." after that he hung up.

Ressler immediately made his way to Reds car.

" Reddington, Did you get the file" 

" Of Course I did well it’s not exactly a file its an USB Stick, Dembe ? Did you call Baz, Chuck and Morgan for backup?"

"Yes Raymond I did. There are all in position." 

Ressler was a nervous wreck inside. He must have looked that way because Reddington said:   " We are going to get her out safely."

Ressler remembered the first time that he thought she was dead. His whole world broke apart back then. He didn't want to no; he couldn't lose her again.

Dembe suddenly stopped the car.

“Agent Ressler, you have to go alone from here”

“ Donald there is a listening and tracking device in the Stick, so we will be knowing what is happening and where you are going. Good Luck”

Ressler took a deep breath and went to the meeting point. After a few minutes a guy with sunglasses came towards him. “Agent Donald Ressler? Come with me.”

They went into a Warehouse. Ressler looked around and then he saw her. She was wearing a dress. A dress which looked familiar to him. There where 5 to 10 men surrounding them but he only had eyes for her.

“Liz..” he whispered again. But this Time he finally had her in his arms. He gently stroked her back. She started crying and Ressler felt so helpless but  he finally had her back. He kissed her eyes, her cheek and her forehead. A little embarrassed by his outward affection he pulled away and his eyes dropped to her dress. He couldn´t stop thinking about the dress which looked so awfully familiar.

“Donnie! My dear friend ! Long Time No see huh? “. Ressler protectively put himself in front of Liz.

“ Do you have the File? “

“ Listen Marcus. This is how its gonna go. I will hand  you the file and you will let me and Elizabeth go. You hear me?”

“Fine, and now give it to me.”

“I don´t like this. He agreed too fast . Dembe call the others we have to move.”

Marcus looked at the file. Then he nodded. Two guards came from behind and grabbed Ressler.

“ I’m sorry Don. Change of plans” he took Liz by her Arm. She would fight, but she had no power.

“GET YOUR FRICKING HANDS OF HER OR I SWEAR TO GOD I WILL-“

“You will what? Kill me? I think this will be a little hard in your.. Position” Marcus laughed.

“Donnie, what I have been meaning to ask you… Does this dress look familiar ?

“Take. Your Hands. Off.  Her”

“Yeah No. I am not gonna do that. But remember this dress? This is the dress, my wife wore when YOU KILLED HER! And I am going to the same thing to her what you did to my wife. What you did TO ME!

It was those words that made ressler pause. Hanging in the hair were the words that defined how he really felt for Liz. The same value of Marcus's wife.

Ressler’s Heart stopped. They were going to kill her. Another friend of his was going to take the Life of the woman he loved.

“ No. Please! Marcus! You can´t do this ! Please! Take me! She has nothing to do with this please!”

“No; No killing you will not give me the satisfaction . I want to see you suffer.”

Ressler made attempts to wriggle out of the guards’ grip. But he failed. He screamed, he shouted, he begged. But nothing helped.  Tears came out of his eyes. I realized, that this was the moment he could lose her. She couldn’t go without knowing.

“I LOVE YOU, LIZ” he said under tears. “I love you. I love you: I LOVE YOU” he repeated like his mantra.

In between her tears and struggles Liz stopped at his words. Her eyes caught Ressler's and her eyebrows furrowed. She'd never seen him like this.

Liz wanted to say something but suddenly there was a shot. One of the guards that was holding him fell to the ground. Soon after the other one went down.

Ressler reacted fast. He took the gun and shot two other guards.  As he looked back he didn’t just see Reds Team. Harold and Park were standing there backing them up. Only Marcus was left. But he held a gun on to Liz’s head.

“Well If I am going to be arrested anyway, I can still do the thing I was planning to do. Any last words; Agent Keen?”

Liz cried. Ressler had never seen her this vulnerable.

“ Ressler, I lo-“ A shot.

 Marcus fell on the ground. Dead. Liz fell on to her knees sobbing and crying. Ressler told her that he loved her. She couldn´t even say how long she wanted to hear him say that. He came over to her and hugged her. “Shhh, Its gonna be fine. I am right here.”

“ I -love..” she tried to say. “ I lo…”

“I know. I know. It’s okay.

“ Donald. There is an ambulance outside. Get her checked and drive her to your apartment. She can’t be alone tonight.”

After getting checked. Ressler drove her to his apartment.

“Where is Agnes?” Liz asked while taking her coat off.

“She is with Aram” They looked at each other. Not saying anything.

“Look what I said earlier I-“ He was interrupted by her lips. She stopped thinking in that momemt. His lips were warm and soft. She felt safe. A feeling she didn’t have for a while. Ressler was still in shock. 

Realizing what was happening, Ressler responded the kiss. His was hand was cupping her neck while his arm was pulling her as close as possible. She pulled back just to look at him again. His eyes were vulnerable, but relieved, you could see how badly he wanted her.

Ressler broke the kiss again but before Liz could start protesting, she felt his lips kissing her jawline down to her neck. Her Hands moved into his hair when she pulled him up to kiss him again.

“You have no idea how long I wanted to do this” Ressler said between the kisses.

But just as he said those words he realised what a long day it must have been for Liz and resisted kissing her more.

“As much I would like to continue this Liz, you have to go and rest. You can use the shower, or the bathtub.”

“Thank you."

Her face was flushed and she pulled back a lock of her hair from her face. Before she walked away she added, "Oh and Don? I love you too”

[codewordpumpkin]

The Blacklist 8x04 Thoughts

i’m gonna begin with the NEGATIVES first because i like to end things on a high note:

- having to watch Liz reach a new low (shocking, i know) by manipulating and using Ressler, tarnishing a genuine friendship/partnership/sibling-ship through sex

- having to watch the most awkward sex scene in the world... what makes it awkward, you ask? well, the use of body doubles was way too obvious + liz’s dead eyes (lmaoooooo the bitch was ice cold) i mean cmon, i know the lights were off but at least try and be more convincing, girl

- liz impersonating a cartoon villain + liz trying to steal red’s associates literally made me laugh... ah what a joke :’) + i still genuinely don’t understand why liz is THIS fired up on getting “revenge” and killing red... like yes she has a right to be upset for red killing her bio mom in front of her but like... she knew kat for all of two seconds and liz has somehow forgotten all about kat using her and putting her daughter at risk and also conveniently forgetting about all the times RED WAS THERE FOR HER AND PROTECTED HER AND SAVED HER AND LOVED HER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i really can’t get over this “character development���... like at least give us a believable explanation for this stupid stupid stupid arc????

- tptb dumbing red down to allow liz to outsmart him... ughhhhhh cmon guys:

1. it’s MARVIN FFS! MARVIN!!!!

2. even if marvin was a traitor, no way red would hand power over to Skip or Chip or whatever the fuck his name is JUST LIKE THAT ugh

3. red (the one we know and love) would NEVER fall for the dumb ass ruse - airline tickets to switzerland with marvin’s real name on it lmaoooooo my god even liz admitted how lame that scheme was

3. cringed when liz got all giddy on the jet... taunting red on the phone as if she’s some mastermind.... bitch please

*now, finally, for the POSITIVES*:

- i actually love the fact that liz and ress slept together bc

1. she was using sex to manipulate ressler 

2. her dead eyes say more than anything i could

3. lol it’s like when samar and ress slept together... did anything come out of that? nope, nothing except Saram... aka ressler is just a tool the girl must use to find her way to her actual soulmate/endgame

3. tbh i see this as tptb killing keenler. i have literally zero worries about keenler being endgame. even aram thinks it’s a terrible idea lol “tell me it wasn’t at your apartment”

4. also park calling ress out for wanting to protect liz + park calling ress hot last ep = me thinking park has more of an actual chance with ress than liz does... which is fine by me

- *UNICORN* SOCKS!!!!!! (agnes saying they’re good luck + ress asking liz if she thinks unicorn socks will protect her from red) y’all remember the unicorn references in that one ep back in s6 (seriously can’t remember which ep it was but i think it was in s6) where i think brimley (possibly?) had some sort of UNICORN speech and at the end of the ep (possibly?) red and liz sit on a bench and watch agnes riding the carousel on not just a regular horse but a UNICORN??? ALSO THE SOCKS WERE R E D!!! coincidence?? I THINK NOT 

- liz taking her and tom’s engagement ring + thinking fondly of tom + talking to agnes about tom aka her agnes’ “father” = BAIT!!!! tom is dead (DEAD, dead) and not going to return except through flashbacks. I swear to god, tptb are using all this tom reminiscing to set up for some sort of revelation later on (a revelation regarding red and liz ofc... #agnesgate)

- liz looking gorg tho

- red looking gorg too

- shoutout to red’s associates who are loyal AF + liz talking to marvin in the restaurant as if she’s some italian gangster lmao... “you write your ticket... 50/50... i could make you riDICulOUsly RicH” lol also liz telling him red’s not loyal lol says the girl who betrayed literally everyone in her life lollllll please bitch go to your room)

- is it just me or is agnes getting blonder (yes i know it’s a diff child actress, but tptb chose this actress for a reason... #agnesgate)

- red’s very... interesting facial expressions (annoyed? mad? upset? JEALOUS?) when aram and ressler barged into cooper’s office to say liz called + red goading/pissing on Donald bc he fucking knows they slept together lmaoooo loved when red did his squinty face + his tone/face when he says “i believe you do... that’s what worries me” when ress said he believes liz was telling the truth about marvin turning +++ i also think red was more hardcore with marvin bc he was coming right from cooper’s office aka after his little butt-in with ressler aka after he found out liz and ress slept together AND HE’S PISSED (even marvin says “you’re so puffed up with anger, you don’t see it”

- this whole Sick Red arc being pushed in front of our faces and screamed into our ears (red repeatedly talking about his numbered days, repeatedly referencing his will (and leaving everything to liz), showing us red coughing blood + his many pills) just reinforces my belief that Red WILL NOT DIE... this is just bait + set up for next arc or endgame aka red and liz and agnes eventually living happily ever after

- Dembe telling red and us what we all already know aka RED LOVES LIZ!!!! + red admitting he “didn’t have a plan” in a heartbroken voice/face bc he’s a fool in love

- as much as i hate liz antagonizing red, i do like that this evens their playing field a bit, making liz more... worthy? capable? of being a partner to red

- love how murderous red’s face was when he warned the russian dude he better fucking NOT hurt liz keen 

* SIDE THOUGHTS * : 

- i hope marvin stays loyal to red even after all the goat torture... you’re the GOAT, marvin

- i wish we could’ve seen red’s reaction to liz escaping with agnes (bc he must know that puts agnes *cough-hisdaughter-cough* in even more danger)

- i can’t wait to watch red kill Skip lol 

- im sorta ignoring the whole red being N13 thing bc i give zero fucks to who red was (and the entire mythology of the show at this point)... i care about WHO HE IS... and that is a man who just LOVES ELIZABETH KEEN... literally nothing else matters to me

- i know pretty much everyone HATED this ep, but overall, i actually enjoyed it

*** END OF TBL 8x04 THOUGHTS***

this took me forever and a half to write + is not edited (clearly) so please ignore any spelling/grammar/disorganization/whatever 

[misterlords]

Creator Tag Game

RULES: it’s time to love yourselves! choose your 5 favorite works you created in the past year (fics, art, edits, etc.) and link them below to reflect on the amazing things you brought into the world in 2020. tag as many writers/artists/etc. as you want (fan or original) so we can spread the love and link each other to awesome works <3.

I was tagged by @alyblacklist and @bubblyani thanks guys! Honestly this was a piece of work! LOL I can hardly ever be like healthily positive about my work but this gave me the opportunity to reevaluate that and be nicer to my creations haha and they’re my favorites mostly bc of the process rather than the final result (although I found that I’m pretty pleased w that too lol) also they aren’t in any particular order.

1) This Gifset of Katarina and Liz: this was like my first try with following instructions on how to color gifs and make them look fancy lol and I had the loveliest time doing it but I was basically replicating what others did so doesn’t count but I’m proud of it

2)This Gifset of Red and Liz: basically it’s about the coloring too, because w this one I tried to do my own thing and just make the colors (black and yellow lol) pop and for me it’s like one of my most beautiful sets bc it’s so hq lol lowkey feeling myself now 💁🏻‍♀️💅🏻

3) Dangerous Games: My very first Irving Rosenfeld x reader 🤧 hopefully more coming. This was a big thinking outside the box for me haha and I loved every minute, it was one of those writing experiences that you know what you want it to look like and it ends up exactly like you planned, ya know? (for me that’s not always how it goes so this one was special) 

4) When in Alaska: OH MY GOD I had so much fun writing this it should be criminal lol I wrote it for keenler week and I remember being both so worried and so excited at the same time lol bc I didn’t exactly have a plan but ended up probably being the keenler fic I like better haha (of the ones I wrote that is)

5) MY VERY FIRST FANVID: Last but not least haha I busted my ass to do it and still there are a LOT of things wrong w it but I’m very proud of my baby (obviously a keenler) 

Tagging : whoever wants to do it! love yourself!

[red-is-the-new-blackington]

He's basically about to fall over with relief. Now it's only going to be worse when he finds out the truth. I hate that Liz put Dembe in this position, and I hate that he's going along with her wishes because EVERYONE MUST BREAK THEIR MORAL COMPASSES FOR ELIZABETH KEEN. (for reasons i guess?) Everyone. Always. And now Dembe. Doesn't matter what they believe, as long as Liz needs help, amirite? (Except maybe now Jennifer?)

At this point, I don't even much care if Keenler temporarily happens. They both need to get laid. I still ship lizzington, don't get me wrong, but at the moment, I don't even feel like she belongs in Red's mental spank bank. I have no doubt that Red will forgive her eventually, because that's what he does, but I hope it doesn't happen too quickly. I hope he finally rails into her first, and I hope she does a fair amount of crying and groveling.

And I certainly would be glad if the 'big thing about Agnes' Megan hinted about was that she's Red's. I'd like nothing more than to see the series end with Liz's fantasy walk in the park and Red's second chance. They have a long way to go before that's on the table, but still. Give me that.

End rant.

Correction edit: The line is supposed to say, "The thought that she'd betrayed me again." My first watch was on my cellphone during a break a work and I misheard it a bit. Whoops.

[falle-ness]

#NoMoreRessler on Twitter or The f***k is going on?!

Apparently, now certain folks of TBL fandom hate Ressler for helping Liz and going after Red.

Yeah, I get where it's coming from—it must be frustrating and all, but let's face it:

Ressler had never been a popular guy in the fandom.

We all know it. We've all seen and read the spits of hate towards him since s1.

Only a few actually liked him. Was it the writers fault to write him so unlikable in 1a? Certainly it was not Diego's fault because he's squeezing the best from any line he's given. Heck knows then.

Most of the viewers, me included, started because of Spader. He is the star, no denying.

But the characters? Well, imo, there's a difference. Each character is in any show because he tells a story (well, supposed to, anyway; the TBL writing is another debate). And all of them have a certain amount of time to unfold it.

Since TBL is a sort of procedural drama, so there's a team, not just 'sprinkling' the characters here n there. It's quite logical the writers should also give the team a face, so to say. And to dive into EACH member of the TF backstory/storyline. They do it in Hawaii 5.0, NCIS, Chicago PD.. Everywhere.

So, our writers try to define and give a fairly even amount of time n quality storyline for EACH member of the team (how they do it is another question) whylist keeping up with the gist—Reddington and his agendas (including the family drama stuff).

A confession: Actually, I had a crush at Ress after Anslo, but at the beginning he repelled me, lol, but it didn't occur to me to hate him for having screen time. Like, never.

And not only with Ressler. Same with Tom. As much as I found the whole 'tomfoolery' exhausting, it's still a story. The writers were telling us something. Well, it certainly had been sometimes not that I wanted... But hey, you kinda roll with it, right? Because you love certain charas. Or the show. In my case, at first it was Red, then Ress, then a keenler period to 3x10, and now I'm team Ress and proudly waving Resslington flag whylist occasionally headcanoning Ress with hot chicks.

I can't tolerate Liz going bonkers in her pursuit of truth but it NEVER occurred to me to spit the words like She doesn't deserve the screen time!!!

Because, as much as I despise her, Liz IS a main chara. Just like Red. Like Don. And the task force is also the main character. They all are connected. They are the show. And I'd love to find out more about each of them.

And you know what? Even if I'm not happy about the current path Ressler is taking or what Liz is doing, I'm still watching because I like Ress/Diego. It's as simple as that.

In my perfect universe I'd want a spin-off without any women but just Red n Ressler chasing blacklisters. Or I want Ressler to fuck some hot chick, not Liz. Maybe I want a whole show about Ressler, so I could easily go and say Forget Red, forget Liz!!!!

But I'm not doing that.

I'm just watching, waiting for my favorite character to show up. It's not that hard for me. And trust me, I do have issues with Liz now, so it's a challenge for me to watch. But my liking for Donald overweights my dislike for Liz.

And let's be honest, out of ALL the characters Ressler had much less screen time than any other. Even Aram had much more than Ress, esp in s4 n s5. Since s3 Ress was shoved back, his storyline was shown in bits, and, like it or not,

Ressler is as important as Liz, Red, Dembe, and everyone else within the TF.

All the characters are there for a reason. Each of them is adored or loathed. It's perfectly fine.

What is not fine is to diminish the character's right for a screen time.

Your fav character doesn't have enough screen time? Read a fanfic. Write a fanfic. Create a fanvid. An edit. Write a verse. A song. Draw.

Just put your energy into something positive. We have enough destructive vibes in real life. We all come to fandoms to chill, right?

I'm doing that since s4, and it's working :'D

To prevent hypocritical snaps at me, I do rant at Twitter about how I dislike Liz (some of my rants are pretty heated, I don't deny it) but I don't start campaign NOMoreLizKeen because... Because she is just as part of the show as any other chara. Wow, it's so simple, right?

It's ok to let go your emotions, but #NoMore (insert your fav chara name) is overreacting, don't you think?

Don't be a piece of toxic shit, please.

[riversonfire]

Happy 2018! 🎉

Wow, another 365 days have come and gone. Not gonna lie, this year was trying and there were many MANY ugly things that went down both personally in my life as well as in the world at large and honestly, there weren't a lot of good memories that I'll take from 2017. But the few positive things were VERY good and I'd like to touch on those.

The most beautiful thing that happened this past year was becoming a Melody 💙 I've been listening to BTOB since 2015 but I feel like I could only call myself a Melody recently since it wasn't till mid year that I began to invest in them as a group and individually. After more or less leaving one kpop fandom, I was relieved to have BTOB there- not as a replacement but as a light in my life, to show me what loving a kpop group is supposed to be- full of laughter, fun, and always joyous. They've made me smile when I was down, made me laugh till I cried, moved my heart with their lovely voices & music, and made me fangirl like I've never fangirled before 😊 I can confidently say that I will never regret being a Melody and never EVER regret loving Seo Eunkwang, Lee Minhyuk, Lee Changsub, Lim Hyunsik, Peniel Shin, Jung Ilhoon, and Yook Sungjae. 🎶 Melody, melody 영원히 you and meeeee 🎶

I'm also grateful to the friends I've had for a long time and to the ones who I've befriended this year.

@starssoblue - I know we said our thank you's on Twitter, but I wanted to say it again because our interactions have meant a lot to me. There aren't many Siwon based sites or accounts I follow so I was happy to see yours. There were times beforehand, where I thought I might've been overzealous about him and the person he is, but after talking at length with you about him, I knew I couldn't be wrong 😁 I am grateful to you for not only enlightening me to damn near everything I've learned about suju, Siwon and kpop but for supporting our angel at all times. I know it's been a hard year for you so I look forward to the new year, praying for the best for you ❤

@soft-slow-blue To my first official INFJ friend who happens to be a Melody and is infatuated with a certain squirrel, thanks for reaching out to me and offering to discuss our ot7! Our messages have gotten lengthier with time lol but I love every bit of it. Thank you for your insights on BTOB, suju, psychology, hair color and for both listening to my ramblings as well as sharing yours! I hope 2018 brings more memories worth sharing especially BTOB wise 💙

@kobean Giiiiiirl. I think it goes without saying but you know I love you. Sometime I think I'd forget about our purple & gold boys without seeing your tweets either loving them or cursing how much you love them because they drive you crazy 90% of the time. Thank you for being you, bb girl, I hope the new year brings better morning Metrolink commutes for you 😘

@sergeantbuckaroo From our days as Keenler/The Blacklist fans to being big time kpop heads, thanks for staying for the ride :) You were my first mutual who liked suju and Siwon too so I was just relieved I wasn't driving away all my followers 😛 Best wishes for the new year!

@stormpiloto I have no recollection of how we met or how long it's been lol but nonetheless, I'm very thankful to have been friends with you for so long! I'm sorry about what happened to your Dodgers but it was nice to share that playoff run with you. I love reading your thoughts on all things DC (bc I'm a closet comic nerd lol). I hope 2018 brings happier and successful times on all fronts 😊

And to everyone seeing this- I wish you joyous days, peaceful nights and lots of beautiful memories filled with laughter 💝 Happy New Year!