#love the actor but man I hate the character lmao

[birdiebirdjay]

what are your thoughts on Severus Snape?

AW HECK YEAH I FREAKING LOVE SEVERUS SNAPE!!!

I've talked about him a lot on my blog lol- not as much recently, but rest assured I still love him <3

He's one of my favorite dudes!! Percy is awesome because he is me and I am him sometimes but Snape is awesome because HOLY SHIT the amount of trauma this man went through just to become one of the saviors of the wizarding world?? holy shit it's insane

I have so much love and admiration for him as a character. He's the most heroic hero to ever hero tbh (overexaggeration I know.. but still)

Also, honestly, no I don't really care about the whole thing with Neville. In the most polite way possible, canonically, that kid was either a cowardly idiot or a kid who didn't listen in class and needed to get straightened out. Signed, an autistic nerd who would have hated him in real life. I'm sorry but I just cannot listen to any argument that basically goes 'ohh but he BULLIED CHILDREN!!' like no he was a strict teacher and Neville was a bad student who endangered others 😭😭

Oh also I absolutely love the John Nettleship lore!! (Basically Snape was based off JKR's old chemistry teacher, who she hated for like no reason lmao. He was super nice and everyone else loved him and he dressed up as a wizard and sang songs in Welsh. He was also most likely autistic and most definitely a mega feminist!! Absolutely based dude tbh. He even had disability accomodations installed in their building for JKR's mother!) Anyways book!Snape is autistic and you can't convince me otherwise <3

OH!! ANOTHER THING!! I love Alan Rickman, think he was an awesome actor, but movie!Snape is inferior to book!Snape in every way to me. He makes me shudder. Canon Snape is screamy and rough around the edges and mentally unstable and traumatized AND IT SHOWS! Movie!Snape is... smooth speaking... and calm... and slaps student... and is NOT book!Snape in any way shape or form!!!

Oh speaking of (can you tell I love yapping about Snape?), despite being pronounced a student-hating abusive bully by a certain side of the fandom, he's actually one of the only teachers that canonically never put the students in physical danger, and I think that's very snexy of him.

Anyways yeah I love Snape :) there's literally only one thing he's done in canon that I can't defend. Ask me questions about him anytime <3

[draethius]

[strangestcase]

glad we all agree Allan LXG is forgettable at best. sure sure the story needs an old British hero to work but what is his personality really. Sean Connery playing him like every single sentence he says is utter torment also doesn't help.

[bat-the-misfit]

ok but i can't help but feel like the 👑 prince 👑 pretty much HATED playing my fave chara

like EVERYONE in the cast talked about their characters at some point or took a pic with other actor (which is also a way of saying "hey look i'm in the cast!!")

but not only he waited until the last day to say smth but also he said some really stupid and vague things about him like he was bothered to talk about it

i bet he only accepted this role as a way to start his carreer as an actor just to be more famous, bc it's obvious how much uninsterested he is in playing him

[ofyorkshire]

GOSH. goooooooosh. watching an ep of ozark and i take it back. bj would trust ruth. and he would love her oh.

oh is it weird i see a lot of them in each other. she's much more ready to use her teeth but bj admires it. doesn't really... agree with what she does, a lot of the time, but he gets it.

the leniency he gives for people just trying to survive, man. bj would get it, and he would not hold it against her or think any less of her for it. even if he's at a point where he's trying to keep his nose clean, he'd look the other way for her. might even help her, a little, as long as it was something he believed would be a one-off and wouldn't keep him in trouble.

[azaharinflames]

I still don´t get what they thought they would achieve with Brad but it seems to never have crossed their minds that people would actually NOT care for the character. It is wild how much screentime he got, in a mid-season finale no less, and this public ass kissing of cast and the official account after he left is so weird. Nobody piled hate on the character or the actor they just were not interested, so why the need for this outpouring of support all of the sudden?

When the next character making eyes at either Buck or Eddie comes around and this lot decides to stay silent again we will all have our answer without a shadow of a doubt. That they hang the LI out to dry because they are scared shitless of Buddie backlash, but will jump into action for the next bit part player who just wasn´t as popular as they thought he would be.

I really started to dislike them, not gonna lie. I like Tommy, I like bucktommy but I will cheer on who ever comes next for Buck or Eddie just out of spite now. Because whoever plays them will be treated like shit by the fandom and will get no help from the mean girls clique that is the 911 production

Hi, Nonnie! Thanks for the ask. I see what you're saying, and overall I have to agree.

Here is my take. I try to play devil's advocate and give grace as much as possible. But earlier today I went on Twitter, and I saw a hate tweet (disclaimer: I've blocked hundreds of BD accounts by now, and I have blocked many, many words to not find a new one, but a BT account I follow had quoted it, so I saw it). In it, they were essentially laughing and having a party at the goodbye comments Callum had received, because that 'confirms' for them that the cast hates Lou. That they knew before, but now it's confirmed.

And the thing is... I've said it before, Lou is not a defenseless little boy. He's a grown man that, in my opinion, has a great head on his shoulders and knows very well what he's doing. And he's a busy man. So I honestly don't think he gives two craps about some losers on Twitter claiming his co-workers hate him - he knows better (he knows what happened), and he's the one with a career in acting and loving fans, so. Does he deserve the harassment? Hell, no. But I don't think he cares if some loser claims the cast hates him.

However. This behavior is only enabling hate. Not addressing the hate the LIs go through and the harassment the actors receive isn't just 'ignoring the hate so it goes away'. Ignoring that behavior and then showing support for other guest stars tells the deranged fans that they are good to go. That their bullying and hate is allowed, justified.

Is that the truth? Well, no. But it is what has happened. Because all the people being this hateful and sending harassment or death threats fully believe the show has their backs because nothing has told them otherwise.

Is it the intention of the show? No.

Is it still what they're accomplishing by their lack of response? Yes.

I don't overall dislike the cast as people because I don't know them. But the representation of themselves they're giving right now,? Not exactly a fan of that.

Also, as for Brad... I just have to laugh. They fully thought the Facebook moms would fall deep in love with him, and didn't take into account their hearts were already taken by Tommy, and that they'd be heartbroken enough for Tommy to not care for a character that doesn't have nearly the same charisma or depth.

Anyway. Thanks for letting me rant, lmao.

My inbox is always open for venting, ranting, and to discuss any topics <3

Take care!

[monkey-overalls]

Project: Eden’s Garden Deadly Life/Trial Thoughts

Feeling a bit more incoherent now than I did before for… obvious reasons, so these are gonna be bullet points instead of full paragraphs:

Kai’s “OOOHHH SHIT” voice line cracks me up every time I hear it, the delivery is hilarious.

Also the “GAME OVER MAN, GAME OVER”—I see you Aliens reference, don’t think I didn’t catch that 👀

Wolfgang’s enraged sprites were phenomenal. The emotion captured in them had me on the edge of my seat.

I still don’t trust him though. They keep hammering in how great of a person he was but I dooon’t trust it not ooone bit!!!

WOLFGANG’S VOICE ACTOR NAILED IT OH MY GOSH ‼️‼️

The performance may have been much less intense than many of the other characters, but I want to shout out Eloise’s VA as well. Her voice is so soft and sweet, but she can also sound authoritative when she wants to be (i.e., questioning Grace). Anytime she speaks I’m like 🥰

Diana lowkey sounds like Kaede. Am I the only one who thinks she sounds like Kaede???

The fact that they made Ulysses say “Um ackshually ☝️🤓” gave me irreversible whiplash.

I can’t attest to the playability of the Argument Altercation (I watched it, not played it) but it was visually and conceptually stunning. Eva may be having a complete mental breakdown, but the art makes her look super cool doing it lmao

Diana I am so sorry for thinking you were sus, you deserve so much better… your speech was a little goofy though ngl

I say this while also still shipping her and Eva… whoops, got blinded by the toxic yuri beams sorrynotsorry-

Now for the elephant in the room… Eva they could never make me hate you. NEVER. I don’t care that you chewed Damon out or framed Diana for murder, you’re still my favorite girl and this game will have to pry my imaginary Eva Tsunaka marketable plushie from my cold, dead hands!!!

Obviously her VA also slayed. I love how quiet and raspy her voice normally is, and how that juxtaposes with her absolutely losing her shit towards the end of the trial.

That execution, man. At first I was like “A fire pit? That’s it? Seems like a pretty instant death to me” and then they brought out the glass and the nails and I was SILENT. The ghost of Kirumi Tojo was cheering you on the entire way, Eva.

The animation had no right being that smooth??? Tozu was right, this probably did take up most of the budget.

Everyone’s crying sprites make me want to commit Sakura Protein Shake 😭

INGRID’S AFFIRMATIONS DIDN’T HELP, THEY JUST MADE ME CRY HARDER 😭😭😭

[the-menace-in-pink]

The Phantom Troupe auditioning for Romeo and Juliet (chaotic headcanons)

Letting these rascals live up to their theater kids fantasies… how bad can it get? 💀

Chrollo: He wants to be Juliet AND Romeo because he believes he’s got a deep understanding of both characters on a level no one else does, and he gets cast as neither. He ends up getting Prince Escalus’ role as the director thought Chrollo had the regal and commanding look for that.

Machi: She doesn’t bother auditioning—clearly not a big fan of the play. But the casting director is very adamant about her being the perfect Tybalt.

Pakunoda: Gets cast as Lady Capulet, Juliet’s mom, after so many people insisted she was so ‘mother’. Casting director said bring me the mother in question!!!!

Feitan: He wanted Tybalt’s role so badly but got everyone thinking ‘Damn, even Tybalt isn’t that much of a demon.’ No. Surprisingly nailed the Nurse’s role??? And no one in the Troupe is letting him live that one down.

Shalnark: Everyone thought his boyish and mediator (lmao) vibes were 100% Benvolio. Surprisingly he did very well, but kept cracking up every now and then during rehearsals—to the point Machi almost stabbed him fr during the early Benvolio vs Tybalt show off. No one knows how she snuck that sword on stage. Props staff had to make sure the rest of the weapons were fake.

Phinks: Was in competition with Feitan over Tybalt’s role even though he secretly wanted to be Romeo. Almost became Tybalt if not for Machi. He gets to play Count Paris ultimately. Hated the role but eh.

Nobunaga: Lord Capulet your honor, and Shalnark couldn’t resist making comments about him looking like the perfect ‘distinguished-but-not-so-much middle aged man’ for that role. But he was one of the most convincing on stage!

Kortopi: Wanted no part in it. Absolutely none. Got eventually cast as Peter and even that was too much for him.

Shizuku: Casting director wanted her to be Juliet but she couldn’t remember any line for crying out loud. She let out a very rare laugh over reading R&J’s first ever flirting sene. Also deadpans ‘Why must I say Romeo so many times in one sentence? Was Juliet summoning a demon?’ ‘This sounds so bad. They’ve known each other for 2 hours, why is she asking him to get disowned?’ She ended up walking out of the play, and bringing confettis with her to cheer on the others during rehearsals. The Critic no one asked for (Kept pointing out their mistakes all thorough and shouting/whispering every characters’ respective lines to fumbling actors. So much for not being able to remember her parts—)

Uvogin: Got Mercutio’s role a bit too easily. Was proud of himself until he got absolutely livid after finding out he’s gotta die in the play, by Machi’s hands no less! Each time he took a bit too long to give it up, drew out his last lines in the most dramatic ways possible. But audience loved it.

Franklin: Friar Laurence excellence. Pretty much the only person besides Pakunoda who didn’t make much fuss, although him having to stick around as Romeo and Juliet turned to sleeping beauties had him stand like 🧍‍♂️ ‘I thought that was supposed to be the greatest love story of all times?’

Bonolenov: Acted unbothered but begged the director to let him be one of the musicians during the ballroom scene instead. He got in a few nights just fine before some fussing spectators and sponsors inquired about why a mummy was on stage during R&J’s most iconic scenes, and if that was supposed to be a Halloween rendition or something.

Hisoka: You can bet he acted his arse out thinking he could bring a brand new flavor to Romeo. He’d have LOVED having to act it out with Chrollo as Juliet lmao, especially if the decors and stage burned down as the two ended up more busy aiming props and unlucky spectators at each other than acting.

All in all, the ones who got no roles: Shizuku (hates her character and can’t remember her lines), Hisoka (self-explanatory).

Members who got kicked out after a few performances: Bonolenov (stood out too much), Phinks (got out of character by bickering way too often with Feitan, made people think Count Paris was into the Nurse), Machi (she took her Tybalt era a bit too seriously), Chrollo (he kept trying to steal the spotlight like sir YOU’RE A SECOND ROLE SIT DOWN).

[creatingblackcharacters]

(Warning: fandom rant incoming)

I'm slowly but surely realizing that Epic!Eurylochus is being heavily whitewashed in the fandom, since he isn't on anyone's "Black Epic characters" list, so I would just like to remind everyone that this is what his actor, Armando Julián, looks like:

Also, I'm sorry, but no one will ever make me hate Epic!Calypso. Other versions of the character, yeah, but not the one from Epic. Her songs portray her as a tragic lovesick girl, not the evil manipulator the fans seem to think she is. Hell, in "Not Sorry For Loving You," Odysseus even has a line that's pretty much, "You're awesome, but I'm married!" (Also, she didn't even bring him to the island in this version. Zeus did!)

Armando Julian. I like that name. Definitely, unambiguously, a Black man lmao.

And I'm glad you like her! I was never concerned with whether people loved or hated her, it was specifically whether or not pre-formed bias was having an effect on how they perceived her and her actions. And when characters are 1) women 2) Black and 3) dark-skinned, the odds that there is an underlying bias tend to be far higher. Remember, we've discussed how Black characters are held to a higher standard of behavior (usually meant to excuse the dislike of them)!

[swifty-fox]

As callum is double the size of Austin and quite a bit taller, how do you think this affected the way bucky and buck were portrayed on screen? I know there's also a lot of physicality in acting and I found it interesting that in certain scenes - like when they're fighting with the British at the table, or at that party where bucky has a tense moment with his superior, or when bucky gets up and starts singing - that he seems like someone buck can be quiet behind, he can watch him go and be amazed/amused at what he might do and whilst all the noise happens around bucky remain in his own seemingly preffered quietnes. Buck also watches bucky a lot too, like he is as intrigued with this larger than life character as we are - until he needs to step in lmao.

Not to say a smaller person can't be formidable, after all I think callum is distinctly bigger than the real life Eagen, but for Apples interpretation of MOTA it fits that bucky is this bull of man. It makes the moments -like that super tense moment when crank says 'the people we're bombing didn't shoot down buck' or when Bucky walks into the bar after bucks been shot down and tells everyone they don't have to guess why he's come back and slaps a bill down, or when he won't give that nazi anything but his number - all the more tangible for us watching at home.

The use of callums size is very, very wonderfully executed imo and kudos to callum and the directors for that because I think it can be so easy to end up being a caricature of some tough guy JUST because of size as opposed to being tough in spite of it, that's the balance of physical acting imo you can shoe horn any buff actor into a role but it's how secondary his size is to Buckys rage of emotions that makes it impactful, it's wielded like an accessory to an already formidable character.

I also think it shows in callum and austins friendship like Austin in their interveiws is very content often to simply relax and laugh and watch and listen, he said they're cut from the same cloth and callum said their personalties are similar to buck and buckys I.e. introvert and extrovert but they're kindred spirits. - sorry this was long but I find the art of acting so fascinating when it's done well. And the phycality of buck and bucky is to me really well done and an important part of how they understand each other

Callum is only 2 inches taller than Austin! He's just....big. he's just broad. Austin is much more trim and it makes the difference look extreme but they are in fact very similar in height!

I think from what we know the real John Egan had a very similar bombastic personality lmao. I don't think they were really factoring in Callums height or size into the casting so much as his physicality. He plays the cocky self assured pilot so well. and one thing we know about John Egan was that he was one cocksure motherfucker

^ his POW with a very cocky popped collar.

I do agree that Callum injects a lotta physicality into his roles. i can spot him from a few pixels just by the way he walks. I think it's what lends to his charisma on screen but I also think yes it is virtue of being a big guy. he's got a lotta limb and a lotta body of course he's gonna use it in his acting, of course he's someone whos probably grown up being very aware of his size. Bet he bashed those long arms a lot on things before he learned how to control himself lol. I think of course he is quite physically intimidating in scenes where he needs to be and his size lends to it but it's just the simple fact of him being a big guy.

Austin is shy and an introvert and hates talking about himself, but loves talking about things other than himself. and Callum is willing to talk about anything lol. He seems like one of those guys who kinda has a thought on every subject. It's no wonder they mesh well, they're both deeply thoughtful guys and it seems like Callums open personality smooths the path for Austin really well. I doubt they have many awkward silences between them due to Callum being Callum

[malarkgirlypop]

MEDIC! Part 29 (Donald Malarkey x Fem!OC)

Listen when I say these characters have a mind of their own, I mean it. I was just chilling writing the start of the last episode and then all of a sudden boom, we kissing and shit. Like ah excuse me, this wasn't in my plan, what are we doing? But hey they deserved a we treat and I mean so do we. So this chapter is definitely rated, if you aren't over 18, back! Back, I say! 🤺

TW: sexy time lmao, long chapter

Based on the HBO show and the actors who portray the characters, not hate to anyone involved.

Tag list: @imusicaddict, anyone else please let me know.

We entered Bavaria in early May, and we had been tasked in capturing Berchtesgaden. It was a town high in the Alps, and was the symbolic home of the Nazi party. Apparently all of the important men of the party had houses there. Even though the man was dead, Hitler had ordered the SS to make it their last stand to keep the enemy out of their “sacred” town. 

I sighed, staring at the mass of boulders that blocked our way up the mountain, the hot sun beating down on my back. We had been stuck here for hours, waiting for someone with more artillery than we did, so we could blast our way through. 

I hummed a tune twirling a curl around my finger, trying to remember all of the words to the song I had stuck in my head. I couldn’t for the life of me remember the lyrics, only the melody played on and on in my mind.     

Lieb leaned against the wheel next to me smoking. “How long does it take for engineers to arrive?” I asked while shielding the sun from my eyes as I looked over to Lieb. 

“Who knows?” He said while taking a deep drag from his cigarette, blowing the smoke in my face. 

“Lieb!” I whined pushing him away as he chuckled. 

“Stop humming, you’re driving me insane.” He retorted, shoving me back. “You just keep repeating the same part over and over again. You’re just as bad as Web and his stupid quotes from his literature.” I gawked offended by his comment, no way I was as annoying as Web.  

“Ugh, rude!” I got up from my position, dusting the dirt off the back of my pants. Lieb grinned at me, knowing he had wound me up. 

“Stop smirking!” I nudged his leg with my boot. “Take it back!” I crossed my arms over my chest, giving him my best pissed off face. 

“You’re not as annoying as Web.” Joe held his hands up in surrender. I laughed, smiling down at Lieb, who grinned back at me. 

“What about me?” Web startled me as he snuck up from behind. My eyes grew wide, plastering a smile on my face. 

“Web you need to stop sneaking up on me, seriously.” I burst out laughing, fortunately he hadn’t heard what we were talking about. 

I loved Web, he was so sweet, but his endless love for literature got very tiring. Somehow the conversation with him always ended in his love of books and all things written. Half the time I had no clue what he was talking about, I would nod and smile adding in, “Oh that’s so interesting.” But I wasn’t listening by that point anymore. 

“We were just talking about how long it would take the engineers to arrive.” I skipped over the most recent conversation we had, I didn’t want to hurt the poor man's feelings.  

“I think they are going to try something right now. Everyone is getting tired of waiting.” Web pointed to the pile of rocks that blocked the road. 

I peaked my head over the truck to catch a glimpse of two soldiers standing in the middle of the road with one of the bazooka's we had with us. I covered my ears just in time to muffle the explosion that blasted into the debris.

“I don’t think that will work.” I huffed, it had hardly made a dent in the huge pile. 

“No, but that does look fun.” Web grinned admiring the massive explosion. 

“Yeah!” Lieb launched to his feet. “Web, we should go help.” Web and Joe excitedly nodded at each other racing off to the front of the road.

“Ok, bye.” I said to the pair's back as they enthusiastically scurried away.  

I slumped down again, the same song still stuck in my head. 

“Aw, Em.” A large hand reached down and ruffled my hair. I looked up to find Bull standing over me. 

“They ditched me, for explosives. Can you believe that?” I asked in astonishment. 

A wry grin formed on Bull’s lips, he tilted his head to the side with a hearty chuckle. “I can’t say I am, little lady.” He said in his thick country accent. 

“No you’re right. I’m not shocked.” I laughed, shaking my head. 

I looked over to find Web and Lieb stacking grenades on the landslide of rocks. They sprinted back to where the two other soldiers stood still with the bazooka. Their grin’s were child-like as they ran back. 

Bull and I watched them, laughing at how excited they all seemed to be. Was it really that much fun blowing things up? 

They didn’t wait long, firing the rocket right into the pile of explosives the pair had set. The ground shook, as the booming echoed around the mountains. But still the pile of rocks seemed to remain the same, at least they were having fun. It was nice to see genuine smiles on their faces. 

“Easy!” Speirs yelled from the front of the trucks. “Let’s move out!” Spiers grinned widely with a skip in his step as he made his way back through the parked vehicles. 

“Are we not waiting for the engineers anymore?” I leaned over to Bull. 

“Guess not.” Bull smiled. “We better get moving, come on.” He took me by the crook of my arm, leading the way behind Speirs who was getting together all of Easy so that we could leave. 

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

“It’s so quiet.” I whispered to Don as we walked. He nodded in agreement before turning back to the task at hand. 

Easy Company tiptoed silently down the empty streets, the group had found an alternative route up the mountain. We had been told to be on guard, and to expect the unexpected. 

So the soldiers walked through the streets with their weapons drawn, readying themselves for whatever was waiting for us.   

The town was eerily still, white flags hung from the windows of the houses we passed. The town appeared empty, there was no one present. The deserted village sent shivers up my back. Something that should be so busy and bustling with life now sat forlorn and abandoned.

Still I couldn’t deny that the place was beautiful even in its abandonment. The houses looked cosy and quaint as the tall mountains loomed over the small village. 

My eyes darted from one place to another, taking in all the sights that laid before me. A large red banner caught my attention. 

“Jesus.” I muttered to myself, eyes practically bulging out of my head as I took in the large swastika that covered the building in front of us. 

It was strange to see a symbol that meant peace and well-being have such a sinister feeling now attached to it. 

“Well, they really weren’t hiding it were they.” Grant said from beside me as we both gawked at banner’s. 

“Nope.” I agreed with the man. 

We made our way inside the big building that had ‘​​Berchtesgadener hof’ proudly displayed over the entrance. 

“Was it a hotel?” I leaned over to whisper to Don as we walked inside what appeared to be the foyer. 

“I think so.” Don confirmed. 

Like the town the hotel was just as quiet, no guests seemed to be staying or staff either.

I shied away from the brass sculpture of Hitler, that was prominently displayed in the middle of one of the rooms we walked through as we continued to search the building.  

A clanging made me jump from my skin, we rounded the corner to find a lone clerk being held at gunpoint by Lew. His eyes darted from Nixon to the rather large book that sat on the desk. 

“Looks like a guest book.” I said loudly, glancing over to Lew who nodded his head. 

“Everyone who was anyone signed into this hotel. And now we have all the dates and names of anyone who ever supported Hitler in his plans.” Lew said as he flicked through the book. 

“Guess there are staff after all.” I mused, watching the clerk scamper away.

************************************ 

Don and I walked around together forgetting the mission at hand, being too caught up in the lavish hotel. 

“Should we sneak into one of the rooms? See if the bath works?” Don asked suggestively, wiggling his eyebrows at me. 

“Donald!” I giggled at the man giving him a whack. “No, well. No, we couldn’t. Well.” I debated the very enticing idea. 

“Oh come on! Speirs is probably out there now stealing all the silverware.” Don grinned at me, his fingers finding the nook of my arm to bring me along in his mischief. 

“Fine! We will look, quickly.” I added but not putting up much of a fight as Don dragged me down one of the halls.      

We pried open one of the doors, standing in the entrance way admiring the room. In the middle of the room sat a giant four poster bed. The duvet looked elegant, satin and lace coverings, with large fluffy pillows adorning the head. Across the room a tall window opened up, looking over the alps that surrounded the town. 

Don and I moved further into the room, finding our way into the bathroom, which seemed to be even bigger than the master suite. A white clawfoot bathtub stood proudly in the middle of the space. 

The far side of the room was taken up by a vanity that covered the width of the wall, with large basins that you could bathe in, if you so wished. 

“Fucking hell.” I uttered, completely in awe of it all. 

“Yup!” Don nodded as we looked over all of the interior. Even the ceilings were beautiful, fluffy white clouds and the bluest sky had been painted onto the roof of the bathroom. Gold accents of branches and leaves vined out into the sky. Everywhere my eyes could see the room was filled with exquisite details. 

“It’s stunning.” I couldn’t pick my jaw off the floor. 

“Eh, it’s alright. I’ve seen better.” Don shrugged, not seeming impressed with the glamour. 

“What?! When?” I asked in disbelief. 

“I have, truly.” I shook my head scoffing at him. 

“When?” I eyed him suspiciously. 

“Well.” Don started slowly making his way over to me. His stride was confident, freezing me in place. I sucked in a breath as he drew near, suddenly it wasn’t funny anymore. The look in his eyes sent the butterflies in my stomach into a frenzy. 

“There’s you.” Don had moved closer to me, my back pressed into the cold marble basin. My breath hitched in my throat as he leaned even further into me. 

We weren’t even touching yet, but the way Don took up the space had me stunned into silence. 

“You’ve gone all quiet on me.” He teased, deliberately placing his hands either side of my body, caging me into him.   

Goosebumps rose on my skin, I felt my cheeks flush. How had he turned this around so quickly?

“Emily?” My full name dripped off his tongue, as he smirked at me tilting his head ever so slightly. He knew what he was doing to me. 

I swallowed, trying to find my voice again. 

“What are you doing?” I asked softly, scared if I raised my voice too much it would disturb whatever was happening. 

“Nothing.” Don breathed, leaning further forward. “Is there something you want me to do?” His whispers tickled my neck. I hid away the sensitive skin, turning to meet his gaze. 

My heart pounded in my ears as our eyes locked. His stare was full of want, I almost melted into a puddle right then. 

“Stop teasing me.” I pleaded. The tension was overwhelming but exhilarating at the same time. It felt as if I was a raw nerve, the slightest of touch would set me on fire. 

“Oh my love, I’m not teasing.” Don smiled, but it wasn’t his normal smile. There was another intention behind it. I gasped as his hand cupped my cheek gently tracing over my jawline, it was only a slight brush but I found myself leaning into his palm. He didn’t give me the satisfaction, stealing away the brief contact. 

I glared at the man. Don was clearly teasing me. 

“Don.” I protested, trying to find his hand to bring back up to my face. But instead he found me first, holding my wrist still. 

I tried again with my free hand but it was no use Don had me pinned. 

I groaned in frustration. 

“You’re teasing me.” I whined, huffing. 

My annoyance didn’t seem to deter Don from his antics. He moved forward his mouth inches away from my ear. 

“You have to ask nicely.” Don’s lips brushed over the sensitive skin of my jaw. I suppressed a moan by trapping my lip between my teeth. 

“Please. Donald Malarkey, you have me. Now do something about it.” I challenged him. 

A smile formed on his lips but I only saw it for a split second before his lips crashed into mine. I sighed into the kiss as his hands cupped my face pulling me closer to him. My hands roamed around his body, tracing anything I could get my hands on. I didn’t realise how much tension had built from our last kiss, but I needed him so badly it hurt. 

Don swiftly lifted me up, sitting me on the edge of the basin as we continued to kiss. I opened my mouth as our tongues swirled together. It was an addiction, I couldn’t get enough. I needed him closer. I grabbed at the fabric that impeded me from Don. 

I tugged off his jacket, too busy kissing him to see where I threw it. Don’s hand’s did the same pulling the material from my arms tossing the item to the side. I gasped as he pulled me forward, sliding me to the very edge of the bench. Don pressed himself to me, even with pants on I could feel everything. 

“Off, I need this off!” I said breathlessly, pulling at his collar. I helped him tug off the t-shirt, admiring his body lovingly. I raked my fingers down his chest, sliding my hand below his belt. Don shuddered seemingly immobilised as I palmed his front. 

Don snatched my wrist, a wry grin forming on his features, “We have plenty of time for that later.” 

A pout formed on my lips. He moved forward kissing me gently. Unlike before he savoured the kiss. Don’s lips moved over my face, gently placing kisses at the corners of my lips, by the creases of my eyes, my temples and cheeks. His touch was so soft but everytime he moved to a different spot I could still feel the last caress. 

I captured his face in my hands, my thumbs tracing over his features. With each movement I kissed him gently. 

I sighed in pleasure as Don’s hands found the small of my back pulling me even closer. 

“Take it off.” I begged, needing the fabric that separated us to be removed. Don’s finger’s found the hem of my shirt, slowly dragging it up my body. I arched into him, enjoying the feeling of his fingertips brushing on my skin. 

Don threw my top to the side, I didn’t have the patience to be admired just yet, still sporting a bra. I brought his hands around my back to the clasp. 

He made quick work of the fastening. I felt it loosen from my back as he pulled the straps over my shoulders and down my arms.  

I sat half naked watching Don take me in. He blew out a breath, shaking his head slightly. 

“Fucking hell. And you’re all mine.” Don said to himself, I giggled at him. 

“Donald, stop gawking and kiss me.” I said my tone was playful. But I didn’t need to tell him twice. He moved forward pressing us together, his fingers dragged down my exposed back sending shivers up my spine. 

Don’s head dipped down to my neck slowly trailing his lips down my skin. I leaned back enjoying the feeling of his tongue swirling down my body. I gasped when his mouth latched onto the soft flesh of my chest. 

Don’s lips nipped and sucked, finding his way down to my erect nipple. His other hand massaging my other breast as he assaulted my nipple with his mouth. I leaned my head back, mouth open in pleasure, moans and gasps fell from my lips in hasty succession. 

He moved to my other breast giving it the same treatment as the previous. I panted and bucked against him, the feeling of his kisses and hands sending me spiralling. 

“Fuck! Holy fuck.” I groaned watching him enjoy me. The wetness between my legs somehow grew more. I pulled his face back up to mine, needing his lips on my own again. 

My hands snaked down to his pants, trying my best to undo his belt while not being able to see. It was harder than I thought, after a while of fumbling around I finally pulled away to glance down at what I was doing. 

“Desperate?” Donald asked, smirking. I didn’t even deny it, breathlessly nodding my head while still trying to yank the belt from his pants. 

“I have waited far too long for a belt to put a stop to it.” I groaned, still failing at the simple job. 

“You’ve waited, oh my love, you don’t know the half of it.” Donald’s hands found mine, taking over the task. I watched him easily pull the belt free and remove it from his trousers. Don undid the button, loosening them around his hips. I greedily licked my lips moving my hands to his waistband tugging them down. I bit my lip, a shy smile formed on my mouth. 

I couldn’t wait any longer, my own hands unbuttoning my pants and trying my best to shimmy them down while still being perched on the counter. 

“So impatient!” Don tutted, his arms lifting me so I could successfully pull down my clothing. 

I kicked off the green cargo pants, leaving us both in just our underwear. I giggled, somehow the innocent looking in the rooms had gotten out of hand. 

Don kissed me again, his fingers lazily dragging around my body and into my hair. I did the same, tangling my fingers in his and pulling gently. A low moan left his lips as he moved his mouth over mine. The electricity between us was almost palpable, with every touch and sound I could feel the lustful energy flowing through my body. 

I yelped in surprise as Don lifted me so easily from the basin. I didn’t look where he was taking us too busy assaulting his face and neck with kisses. 

We landed gently on the decadent bed, but Don and I were too enraptured in each other to truly appreciate the comfort of the soft mattress and the silk sheets against our skin. 

Don ran his fingers down my side, teasingly stopping around the hem of my underwear. He pulled it back, snapping the waistband against my skin. In the same movement Don dipped his head down, trailing soft kisses down my skin and stopping near my collarbone to nip at the sensitive skin.  

His hand slipped down between my thighs, caressing around my hips. I rocked back, eyes closed in pleasure. I couldn’t stifle the loud moans that fell from my lips. 

I could feel his smirk as he placed more feverish kisses around my navel, his hands roaming around my thighs never quite landing where I needed them too. Don was making me beg for it. 

Don’s touch continued down towards my hips, his lips finding the right spots to make me squirm and bite my lip in desperation. 

“Don.” I pleaded through my pants.  

“Yes my love?” He said with a smirk, as his kisses wandered down, his touch still tantalising and teasing. I could feel Don’s breath against my core, as he continued to run his fingers along my inner thighs.

“Stop teasing me!” I whined. 

Don chuckled at my pleading, looking up at me with a devilish smile. I watched as he bit my inner thigh gently in response. 

“Beg for it.” He said in a low husky voice that was filled with desire. 

“Please Donald, make me feel alive!” I begged, feeling so vulnerable in his arms. 

“I love you.” Don said before he pulled my underwear from my body, taking his time admiring me placing sweet kisses to the soft skin between my legs. I groaned as his mouth found my core, his hot tongue swirling over my bud of nerves. 

I cried out in pleasure as he feasted on me, I gripped onto his hair hanging on for dear life as he shook me to my core. I trembled in ecstasy as Don’s tongue dipped inside of me.   

Don seemed to enjoy seeing me come undone, moaning against my core. His fingers slipped inside of me pulling in and out with force. 

I threw my head back screaming into my free hand that covered my mouth. I arched and bucked against his every move. Don’s free hand pinned me to the bed to stop me from escaping the overwhelming feeling that rippled throughout my body. 

He sucked and nipped at my sensitive core as he worked his fingers in and out of my entrance. 

Bright colours swarmed my vision as I shook, I had reached my climax. I held onto Don, the only thing that seemed to be grounding me to reality. It felt as if I had left my body, floating above the scene that was playing before me. Don did not stop his movements, riding out the orgasm as long as he could. 

My breath left me as I writhed under his touch, I didn’t think that it could last long, but I was still overcome by my euphoric satisfaction.    

Finally he let me come down, pulling away from my core. I caught my breath, eyes still closed trying to come back to the real world, rather than the cloud I was floating on. 

“I think you were trying to kill me.” I panted as Don moved back up to kiss me gently on my lips. 

“What’s more alive than being nearly half dead?” Don chuckled as he lay against me, his fingers tangling into my hair and pulling me towards him. He rested his forehead against mine, our breaths mixing together as we enjoyed the quiet moment. 

I closed my eyes enjoying the simple sounds, his soft breaths fanning on my face, and the quiet heartbeat that pulsed against my own chest. I kissed him again, I kissed him like I would never see him again. 

My hands travelled down his torso, it was my turn to show him how much I loved him. I palmed his hard cock through his underwear. Don groaned into my mouth, keeping his eyes squeezed shut. 

I trailed my kisses down his neck, chest and stomach. Don sighed in pleasure, lying his head back against the bed. Every touch under his hands and the feeling of his skin on mine, I felt the love and desire he had for me, I wanted him to feel the same as I kissed him. I wanted to make him want me more than ever.  

I let my tongue drag down his hips, swirling over the sensitive skin. I needed to drive him insane with desire, like he had me only moments before. 

Tugging down his briefs his hard cock sprung free. I tossed the item of clothing to the side. I bit my lip taking in his size, how he had hidden that from me I had no idea. I wrapped my hand around the base stroking my thumb gently up the shaft. Don shuddered under my grip, groaning huskily. 

Don propped himself up on his elbows and I started slowly moving my hand up and down his length. I licked my lips desperately wanting to taste him. 

“Jesus christ Emily, you’re going to be the death of me.” Don muttered a mix of shock and pleasure on his face. 

I grinned. I continued to stare at him as I moved forward, my tongue darting out to swirl around his tip. His cock twitched in my hand, Don looked as if he was going to pass out. 

“Now who’s teasing?” He leaned forward brushing a curl out of my face. I wrapped my lips around him sucking. Donald inhaled sharply tensing under my touch. I moved further down, bringing more of him into my mouth. Don’s breaths grew uneven as I continued. 

I bobbed my head up and down, taking as much of him as I could into my throat. My hand still gripped the base of his cock moving as I sucked and licked. 

“Oh god!” Donald moaned watching me with lust filled eyes. 

I pulled back sucking in air as I continued to massage his cock with my hand. Don gripped onto the bed sheets panting heavily. His fingers weaved into my hair, gripping just as tightly as he was the fabric under him. I continued my assault, my pace becoming faster. 

“Don’t stop my love.” He begged, he was almost to his limit. I did as he asked, continuing my rhythm. 

“I’m going to cum!” Don whined pulling back from me, but I held his hips steady, looking up at him through my lashes. I wanted to taste him like he tasted me. I didn’t stop, bobbing my head and sucking. I felt his body jolt under me, hot liquid filled my mouth as I watched Don’s eyes roll back in his head.      

“Em.” Don breathed, sitting up from his position and moving down to where I knelt between his legs. His hands cupped my face peppering my skin with light kisses. Don pulled me up to him, as we laid back down against the bed, limbs tangled and bodies entwined. A moment of pure serenity as we embraced each other, basking in the warmth of one another. 

“I love you.” I whispered as we gazed into each other’s eyes. 

“I love you.” Don lips brushed against my skin. 

“Guys we’re leaving!” The door burst open as Babe and George sauntered into the room. Both Don and I screamed in surprise, scrambling to hide ourselves. Don dove over me, covering my body with his. His ass out in the wind for all to see. George and Babe’s eyes bulged seeing their friends bare butt pointing right in their direction. 

“Get out!!” Don screeched, as I hid beneath him trying to contain my fit of giggles.

“Oh my god!” George gasped covering his mouth as Babe stared wide eyed at us. 

“Guys get the fuck out, right now!!” Don demanded the men leave. But it still didn’t work, the pair didn’t budge. 

“What is going on here?” George asked through bouts of laughter he shared with Babe. 

Don grabbed the nearest pillow chucking at the heads of the two men who were crying with laughter. 

“OUT!” Don yelled, but he was trying not to laugh as well. I wrapped my arms around his waist keeping him close to me. Don was the only thing keeping my naked body out of sight of the pair of idiots who howled with laughter in the still wide open door. 

“Fine, we will go. But it’s going to cost you.” George waggled his finger at us as he hauled the still hysterical Babe out of the room. The door clicked shut, as it did so both Don and I sighed in relief. 

“You didn’t lock the door!” I playfully smacked his chest as he grinned down at me. 

“Neither did you!” But we couldn’t stop our own giggles from escaping our lips.

---------------------------------

Chapter 30

[beebeetheclown]

Jeremy Strong haters… cmhere I just got a lil something to say.. come on come on have a seat☺️🎀😉🤭🧚🏻‍♀️

I was scrolling through the recents in the Jeremy Strong tag and oh my god. There’s so many people being so cruel. So can I just say☺️… SHUT UP SHUT THE HELL UPPPPPPPPP

And then the dude they like is wearing a black and white suit or wearing something we’ve seen 1000 times. They’ve got money, it’s a red carpet, wear something we’ve never seen before.

Making fun of him cause he looks sad after the lose,.. yeah of course he’s sad, he deserved that award and worked so hard for it, playing a nonfictional historical character so well that I couldn’t even see him as Jeremy on screen. (Straight man had to do a receiving back shot scene for no award? Loll sorry I just had to add this).

And then I think people making fun of his personality and work is what really fucking gets me. He is seriously the kindest man I have ever met. “Method actor bullshit”. No, shut up. As a person who was in plays and still enjoys being involved in theater, it’s so much more than that. They read one article or see one tik tok video and are like ‘omg this guy is so bad’ and that’s their only research lmao. He works very hard, does his deep research, and puts so much time into what he does just to make the film feel so real.

He is just so unique and beautiful and that’s what I love most about him. I’ve posted this video a couple of times now but I’m doing it again just to show you how sweet he is:

Introverted me meets introverted man haha! But no seriously, him coming out to sign almost every night after his performance is so kind. He must have been so tired and yet he took his time with each person and kept the conversation going. And kept a smile on his face the whole time after I gifted him my bracelet😫😫😫 Can’t even watch the video cause I just either get way too excited or cry lolll.

Anyways my point is; people who are so bored and start shit just out of spite about kind people who have done nothing wrong are truly media brain rotted and have nothing better to do with their time. Yeah sure, I’ve made fun of some celebs that aren’t particularly bad people, but I don’t shit on everything they do and just hate them completely and then post about it. So to end this, Jeremy haters: get a hobby and do actual research😉 or if you do that already, wow congrats, so happy for you. Would you like a reward? Would you like a treat? if you get offended by this that’s literally just your own problem to solve bahaha

[sunnysideaeggs]

hi babes this is my ep 3 review. this is a lil monday tradition i love to yap

lmao rhaenys subtly gagging rhaenyra and calling her out. i’m liking her more and more compared to the first season, she seems more rounded and actually a figure of peace instead of coping

now rhaenyra is coping lol. ‘a little boy murdered in his bed’ ‘but my throonee :((((‘

rhaenyra parentifying rhaena and making her go to her mother’s place of death to safeguard her sons 🙄 not even recognizing the burden she is putting in her. a white woman giving her children to raise to a black girl smh

i like a lot what they’re making with rhaena, giving her actual thoughts that often contradict her ‘side’. go get your hightower husband girl

why no one remembered that larys, yk, the greens’ master of whispers, is lord of harrenhal? like of course it is a green location? where is he? isn’t he a memeber of the council? why does he never attends council meetings?

lmao not daemon wishing to be called king when the proper title is king consort. let me just get a meme:

i just realized that alicent now dresses less ‘richly’ maybe to indicate frugality during war to the people. ‘look, we’re not having feasts while you starve’ kind of vibe. the green queen beloved of the smallfolk

and she is also less structured because she doesn’t need to cover herself for viserys. i enjoy her having the freedom to dress as she likes

as a sansa lover, i must say i love rhaena. go gentle princess with a good who feels everything too much and wears courtesy as a weapon. i love u

if they’re diminishing helaena’s grief and they’re not going to give me helaena taking revenge in dreamfyre istg 🤨🤨🤨

I KNEW THE ARMOR WAS VALYRIAN STEEEEELL 🔥🔥🔥 that’s why it doesn’t fit him it literally isn’t made for him. i hope it’s fireproof

egg promoting his lads 😭 medieval networking

lol larys is the kind of guy that suddenly comes to you with the weirdest true crime facts that leave you feeling icky. i love him

aegon did the alicent disappointed face to his kingsguard. neat party trick

not making baelon cheat on alyssa 🙄 our one successful sibling marriage and they take it from us

tbh if i was dyana you wouldn’t catch a glimpse of me after the meeting with alicent. fuck king’s landing, that stinky city. i would have alicent get me a little house in oldtown. a job as a cook. no chance of any dirty man getting his hands on me. why keep victimizing a character for no reason condal?

any dragonseed should zip it for good, unless you get something for your heritage. my mom was a lyseni whore, that’s what i would say. nobody asks you questions when you say your mom was a lyseni whore

aegon 🙄 i thought we were getting past this. i hope he apologizes, i’m tired of this aemond slander.

i dislike the full frontal scene with aemond. literally gratuitous, no one asked for it. and we know there’s awful people saying shit about ewan’s body, they now get another chance of making fun of his most intimate parts and aemond’s intimate moments. why.

finally some class conscience exploration with criston? are my prayers being answered?

lmao not rhaenyra getting another girl daemon. i dislike baela’s hot head since ever but if it gives me comedic relief i’ll take it

rhaenyra is his father’s daughter. not a compliment

i love how daemon barricades his door just to… open it when he thinks someone wants to get in. and gets out. big forehead not big brain.

MILLY APPEARS YAYYYY 🥰🥰🥰 jaehaerys noooooo 😭😭😭

i could see jae’s actor kinda winking, his little lashes twitching. he’s a baby and he’s doing his best omg 😭💕 it could be the candles tho

yes daemon cry i hate you

imagine you’re a kid and they tell you your job is to be still and have a pretty lady hum at you and touch your cheek. so comforting tbh

ALYS APPARITION YAYYYY 🥰🥰🔥 she’s as stunning and disturbing as i imagined her. devoured. ate him alive. as she should.

lmao of course alicent would think war is to be averted after seeing her grandson without a head 🙄 and if she does she’s dead to me istg

yes rhaenyra threaten a queen 🙄 of course she will react well and think of making peace with you. at gunpoint. classical targaryen.

also she literally smuggled a weapon into a church. threatened to spill blood in a holy place. then ask why people don’t believe you have any morals or respect for anything.

alicent asking her if she’s surrending it’s so funny loool

once again, alicent talks about a child’s murder. rhaenyra brings up the throne. i’m done with her tantrums.

did you betray him at your very last, alicent? don’t you know you owe loyalty to your rapist and jailer, alicent? don’t you know you’re not allowed to want, alicent?

that’s how rhaenyra sounds.

i love how rhaenyra doesn’t spare a thought to surrender yet wants to pretend bloodshed concerns her. lmao.

alicent, i’m back. go green queen.

[thegreymoon]

The Story of Minglan

Bitch, you just tried to strangle your daughter. What maternal instinct?

And the only reason you took your son when you abandoned her was because you thought you could get more money for him.

***

OH MY GOOOOODDDDDDDDDDDD 🤬🤬

THIS REPULSIVE PETTY PIECE OF SHIT WASTE OF AIR!!

Seriously, I despise him more than Manniang!

My guy, quit while you're ahead! You lost the girl because you were spineless. Get over it and stop embarrassing yourself! 🤬🤬

***

LMAO, what else is he supposed to do?

Let's say it's been four or five years since Manniang ran off. This child was two at most at the time. He would be six or seven now. What are you talking about? That is still a whole baby!

I love (and by love, I mean hate) how disposable children are in this society unless they are sons anchoring their mother's position in their respective households.

***

Oh, shut the fuck up, you bitter, pathetic loser.

***

Drag him, Tingye!

I am so sick and tired of his bullshit.

***

NOOOO, BUT DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND, HE IS THE MAIN CHARACTER OF THE ENTIRE UNIVERSE!

OF COURSE, MINGLAN WAS SUPPOSED TO WAIT UNTIL RETIREMENT FOR HIM TO GET HIS SHIT TOGETHER AND SUFFER ALL KINDS OF INDIGNITIES IN THE MEANTIME!

HOW DARE SHE NOT BUILD A SHRINE TO HIS ESTEEMED PERSON AND PUT HER ENTIRE LIFE ON HOLD SO THAT HE CAN FEEL IMPORTANT?

With all that said, this actor is beyond fantastic, I can see why people are obsessed with him. I hope to watch him in a more sympathetic role next time.

***

LMAO, look at the pot calling the kettle black 🤣🤣

I cannot with this loser of a man.

***

If he had not been born rich, he would have been the founding father of the incel movement, blaming every man with even a semblance of a spine on his inability to fuck.

***

Oh, sure, it was for the government 🙄🙄

Your jealousy is palpable. You can't even convince yourself.

***

LMAO, what the fuck.

This is a dead child you're talking about! Your child! And you are mad you cannot get money and status because of him?

***

She's right, though, she did make the biggest fool out of him.

***

Good for you for slapping her, Minglan!

I've been waiting for someone to do it for ages now.

In fact, so many people in this drama deserve slapping. It's about time you got started on that.

***

Aww, he found his dead baby 😢

***

Wait, that's all?

THAT'S ALL??

WE DO NOT EVEN GET A BEHEADING 😭😭

Not only does her sorry ass not get punished in any way, he will continue to provide for her for the rest of her life. Sure, she will not be living in a manor in luxury as his wife, but she will have a roof over he head and food to eat, plus he will have to employ people in the middle of nowhere to make sure she doesn't go causing trouble again.

She should be in prison instead. Or in some hard labour colony, which I'm sure there are plenty of in Song Dynasty China. OR BEHEADED!!

And what about his maternal Bai relatives? Do they at least get arrested/exiled/beheaded? They have been REPEATEDLY trying to kill him for YEARS!

I am very disappointed with this resolution.

***

Well, I am glad this is over.

Honestly, as far as I am concerned, this whole Manniang subplot has been a huge blight on this otherwise excellent show and a black stain on Gu Tingye as a character. Big thanks to @ruizhi for filling me in on the details from the novel so that I can understand the writing decisions here better. Obviously, I realise that I am in the minority for disliking these decisions (and Gu Tingye as a character) because from what I have seen, he is a firm favourite among the people who watched this drama and everyone is on board with this sanitised version of his character arc.

I have to be honest, if they had kept his harem from the novel, I probably would not have touched this with a ten-foot pole, because I freely admit that I watch c-dramas for the pretty people and idealised romance. I also know that this would have made Gu Tingye more realistic and thus harder to project on, which is ironic because my complaints here are the lack of realism and easy ways out since they decided to include his other women in the drama too. Harem stories depress and infuriate me and I do not watch them unless there are very compelling reasons for me to pick them up, so out of a couple of hundred dramas on my to-watch list, this one would probably not have made it to the top if it had been closer to the source material.

Even as it is, all this is precisely why I put off watching Minglan for the longest time. I knew it had polygamy at its core and this made me disinclined to start it, even though it was warmly recommended by many people in whose good taste I trust. I eventually only started watching because a c-drama friend of mine told me that there is no harem here and that Minglan and Tingye were monogamous and ride-or-die for each other, so Manniang showing up early on was an extremely nasty surprise.

With that said, now that I am here already and very invested in this story, I've long since come to terms with the fact that romance is not the main focus of this show and adjusted my expectations. I am really enjoying it for what it is, which is a family drama focused on women's struggle and suffering in this hell system that they must learn to navigate or die destitute, which is why I am especially irked by this cheap trickery they are employing to make Gu Tingye's and Minglan's relationship more "clean" than it actually is. You cannot have it both ways. Either these characters are realistic people of their time or they are not. Either you are sticking to the book version of them in the adaptation or you are not. But these cake-eating writers (as in wanting their cake and eating it too) definitely tried to get away with both and ended up with huge inconsistencies in their story that irritated me enough to sit down and write this entire screed.

Like I said in my comments on my previous Minglan post, this is the exact thing that made TTEOTM unwatchable for me and landed it on the list of the worst dramas I ever subjected myself to, despite my unceasing obsession with Luo Yunxi. Obviously, I am feeling this on a lesser level with Gu Tingye, because overall, the writing of Minglan committed fewer crimes than TTEOM and remains solid on all other fronts, so I am still invested in the story overall, him as a character and him and Minglan as a couple, but the writers here are just as much cake eaters as the writers on TTEOTM. They looked at this bad boy who worked for a story in another medium precisely because he was morally compromised in some way, wanted that for themselves, but then could not or would not follow through, either because they feared they would alienate a big portion of their audience, or because the Chinese censorship board wouldn't let them get away with it. Then they did this ridiculous thing where they tried going, "Yeah, he's bad, but he's not really! He was set up! It was a misunderstanding!" And ended up blowing a giant hole in their whole story.

If they didn't want to explore Gu Tingye as a man of his time making the same selfish decisions as other men of that time, then they should not have had him acting like one. They should have had a logical and consistent reason why he didn't keep mistresses and concubines (such as, idk, seeing his mother suffer or something) and not introduce Manniang in the first place. What was the point of her in the plotline if we were not going to see him and Minglan make the hard decisions, either to treat his illegitimate offspring as lower-class citizens so that her biological kids could be afforded all the privileges of their rank (which would obviously not sit right with the modern audience), or go with the modern moral code that the show wants them to have and deny Minglan's bio kids by treating all the children equally (which could have been done legally if Minglan was to adopt them, but of course, she was never going to do that)? If you never intended to go there, then why bring in Manniang and her kids in the first place?

In my opinion, if they wanted Gu Tingye untarnished in this way and his love with Minglan unburdened with the baggage of other women and stepkids, they should never have kept Manniang in the adaptation. Once they brought her in, there was no stuffing that genie back into the bottle. The shadow of book!Tingye has been around since the adult actors took over and it is not even the non-monogamy that is an issue for me now, but the character inconsistency and the extremely cheap sleight of hand that they pulled in an attempt to smooth it over.

Here is the thing. Every time I start on a story, be it a book, movie, drama, or whatever, there is a certain premise that it promises to fulfil, which comes with the expectations and limitations of the genre. I adjust my standards accordingly, so if I sit down to watch a fluffy romcom with a young, naive intern falling in love with the son of CEO, then I will judge it on how funny it is and whether the main couple is hot enough and has enough chemistry to keep me invested till the end. I am not going to be particularly worried about the power imbalance and the IRL implications of such a setup, my main concern will be if the main couple look like they are having good enough sex and if I can shoehorn my own escapist fantasy into that dynamic. However, if I start a show that deals with misogyny, patriarchy and sexual harassment of women in the workplace, then you cannot dump the privileged son of the CEO into a relationship with the main heroine and expect me to root for it, unless he is right there beside her, taking his father to court for abuse of power and dismantling the system from within. This is, IMO, what this drama failed to do with Gu Tingye. You cannot promise me a Xiao Qi and deliver a Sheng Hong with the serial numbers filed off.

Based on what I've heard and read about the original novel, book!Tingye is not that much better than Sheng Hong. He had multiple women and illegitimate children that he was playing favourites with based on their birth and rank. He sabotaged his older son and indirectly caused his death so that Minglan's children would not have competition. His daughter by Manniang was just as traumatised as Minglan. He had concubines, who were also technically wives with no way out of a hell marriage, whom he then discarded when it was convenient for him. The only reason this marriage was a victory for Minglan is that she was now the favoured wife with the highest rank, thus her circumstances in life dramatically improved. I understand why they didn't want to portray this to a wider audience, and that doing so would have seriously dented Feng Shaofeng's reputation as a heartthrob in the c-ent industry, but then they shouldn't have opened that can of worms to begin with.

I feel like they should have cut the Manniang storyline completely if they weren't going to do it properly, or, idk, had her go off the deep end much earlier and kill her kids off before he got with Minglan. That could have been used as a catalyst for his change, having him go, "That's it! No more mistresses and concubines for me!" Then we could have seen the rest of it play out as it did (minus Manniang) with a REASON, with his family pressuring him to take in a wife and concubines, him saying no, then falling in love with Minglan and moving on from there naturally and giving us a clean, idealised romance that is not typical for their time.

However, once they brought in Manniang but did not bring in all the nasty stuff implied with him having a kept woman and illegitimate children, they shot themselves in the foot because now Gu Tingye's character was in conflict with the story's internal logic. We have seen how this world functions, we have seen how concubines and the children of concubines are treated. Naturally, once they introduced Manniang and her kids (but especially her son), we were expecting to see exactly what happened in the novel, because this is the premise of the story and the laws by which the world it is set in is governed. The fact that this didn't happen did not make me sigh in relief and think of Gu Tingye as a good guy, it made me question why the story never went there. The cowardly shortcuts out of this predicament and the cheap trickery the writers used to avoid it made me feel like the story was "lying" to me, which is maybe a ridiculous word to use because this whole thing is fiction and therefore a lie. But I could no longer suspend my disbelief, immerse myself in the narrative and root for these characters. Suddenly, they felt fake.

Also, I feel downright insulted by these writing choices.

"Yeah, Gu Tingye had another woman but that's OK because she was actually evil so she doesn't count and he was right to abandon her and have his true romance with Minglan! 😀"

"Yeah, he had a son that he would have had to have been grossly unfair to or not have Minglan's kids get the full extent of their privilege of rank, but that's OK, because the kid just conveniently died! 😀"

"Yeah, his daughter should be traumatised in a hundred different ways from having such a biological mother and dealing with the inferiority complex from growing up right next to Minglan's legitimate children and knowing that in the eyes of society and her own father, she is lesser than them, but don't worry, that's OK, because we are making her suuuuuuuper well adjusted! 😀"

"Yeah, if Chang'er had lived, the audience would have been forced to confront the fact that Gu Tingye was very much a man of his time and that Minglan was also no benevolent saint and that they would have treated children that are not biologically hers as second-class citizens, just like Sheng Hong and Wang Ruofu did in the Sheng household! But that's OK, we'll just kill his illegitimate firstborn son so that you don't have to think about that! 😀"

As a character, Gu Tingye feels so disingenuous because of these shortcuts the writers took to scapegoat Manniang and absolve him of the consequences of being just like the other men in this drama. Would he have been an idealised c-drama hero that girls could pin their fantasies on if they had kept his novel characterisation? Absolutely not. They made him more attractive and palatable to a wider, modern, likely younger-leaning audience at the cost of the story's internal logic, plot coherency and character consistency, and that, for me, is a much bigger writing crime than him having a harem and treating his illegitimate children as lesser-than.

Again, this is an adaptation and nobody put a gun to their heads and forced them to include Manniang. If they had wanted Gu Tingye untarnished and idealised, they should have handled her differently. They cannot have it both ways.

With that said, I realise that I am in the minority here because most viewers were obviously very happy to let this slide (just like they were with TTEOTM). Again, most viewers will not agree with me on Gu Tingye because he is obviously a favourite ML for many, but for me personally, the overall drama loses lots of points on him, especially because of Manniang.

In any case, there are still more than twenty episodes left here for me, so onwards and forward to better plot points and character arcs! ��

[libbys-braincell-loss]

boutta be a junior in high school when school starts up, and since im a theatre kid, im ranking the roles i played for my first half of my high school drama career, just for funsies :)

#6: Peaseblossom -- "A Midsummer Nights Dream"

My first ever high school play! This was the fall play for my freshman year

Kinda boring, I was one of the fairies for the fairy queen Titania, but i really didn't do much. I had fun feeding Nick Bottom peas tho

#5: Fauchelevent -- "Les Miserables"

This was the spring musical I did for my sophomore year

I played an old man who got run over by a cart full of acid and had one line. I think its a significant improvement from being a random ass fairy :)

#4: Flight Attendant Ancestor -- "The Addams Family Musical"

My first high school musical! The spring musical for my freshman year

I did a lot more as this character than get run over by a cart full of acid despite still being ensemble, and Addams is just a much more entertaining show than Les Mis LMAO

#3: Lesgles -- "Les Miserables"

Another role i played in that same Les Mis show lol

Being a student was epic :)) i got to have a gun and i got to die, and i also got to be very silly with the student gang, had a lot of fun as him hehe

#2: Mary (Green) -- "Fearful Symmetry"

The one act we did for our ITS show my sophomore year

There were multiple Mary's, 5 in total, as well as 5 versions of each of the other characters, so I was one of several Mary's (the green version), and it was a ton of fun despite the role being tricky and having to learn another language for a couple of the lines (cuz each Mary was in a different section of the world - I was in Kazakhstan)

I also ended up getting an award for "outstanding actor" when we performed at the ITS festival, which was pretty cool i think :]

#1: The Narrator -- "Puffs, or Seven Increasingly Eventful Years at a Certain School of Magic and Magic"

The fall play of my sophomore year, and my first time playing a lead B)

THE NARRATOR IS SUCH AN EPIC CHARACTER MAN they were so fun to play. Normally i hate being a narrator but i got a chance to watch the show and not interact with the cast's drama and also make jokes that would make the audience chuckle. This was my peak, it goes downhill from here

I love this show and i will forever have warm memories whenever i think abt it

Cant wait for my junior years shows. Woo

[wellofdean]

What's your -coded/-girl alignment? Let me guess: Dean-coded Dean-girl who is all about Dean and hasn't even noticed anyone else is in the whole story. Where's your Sam meta?

LMAO. Ok, hi anon. Thanks for asking, I guess? I'm ashamed to admit that though I have seen this around, I wasn't sure I knew exactly what the hell it meant, so I looked it up and found this, which, ok... an interesting thing to think about.

I would say I am a Cas-coded Dean-girl, I guess. I think I'm more like Cas than Dean in that I am more reflective, and I often suffer endless, life-changing devotions to people who are more like Dean. Deangirl because I love Dean. When Cas told Dean who he was, that he was wrong about how he saw himself, that he was made of and for love, he was speaking for me. That is EXACTLY what I wanted someone to please, for the love of god, tell Dean about himself. Like Cas, I would definitely have fallen in love with Dean right away and then been his devoted servant for however long the universe allowed it. Shit, there are people in my life I feel just that way about.

Finally, I don't write much about Sam because Sam doesn't engage me much. I'm sorry to say it, and maybe it's a character flaw, but I think Sam is a bit squandered as a character, and that part of the reason that's true is because Jared is just not that good an actor and couldn't stand up to Jensen's magnificence, skill and commitment as Dean. Sam has awesome, juicy, delicious storylines that have so much potential, but then he ends up always being the straight man somehow, even while he is literally drinking demon blood. It's a shame, and I'm sorry to say it, but he doesn't especially interest me. Not only that, but sometimes I just think he is being a dick to my boy Dean. He doesn't understand Dean.

I don't hate him; I care about him because Dean does, and I love Dean.

See. Cas-coded. Dean-girl.