#this is the kind of thing that consent would've been given for before being made and distributed

[jarchaeology]

x(.)com/deadiish/status/1752356697614528741?s=20

WELL. i'm in contact with the person who took those pictures. the VHS belongs to a friend of theirs who was actually in the production. it's been many years and the friend has moved across the country since those photos were taken, so he isn't sure where the tape is now. but i was told that if it's found, they'll let me know. it's the kind of situation where we just have to wait and see. the lines of communication are still open, but i don't want to bug them for updates. we've just gotta be patient.

to be completely honest, i'm not even sure i want it to be found at this point. i've already received a lot of shit for other things i've uncovered and it makes me hesitant to want to open myself up to more of that.

[imptwins]

The thing is right, even before I was fully into dark kink (or 'proship' if you wanna call it that) I still wrote things with problematic undertones. Everyone does. Even the most wholesome media properties have dark themes. Steven Universe has characters - protagonists, mind - using, manipulating, lying to each other. She-Ra, Gravity Falls, The Owl House, all the most celebrated modern 'cartoons that appeal to adults' kinda shows have this kind of stuff in them, not to even mention anime and plain ole live action shows/movies. But before, I masked it. I had characters do things that were out of character for them to avoid something that would actually fall under a category or - much worse - I portrayed things that technically were in that category but just told myself I was skirting the line enough that it wouldn't actually fall into it. Most properties do this. You'd be hard pressed to find anyone who deals in mature themes - let alone outright porn - who hasn't ever depicted something that would most likely, without a 'headcanon' that there were negotiations beforehand, fall under a category of (sexual/)abuse, (sexual/)harassment, or simply rape. I've mentioned those tropes more than enough; a spur of the moment touch or kiss that one character is shocked about at first but realizes they like, mild blackmail, nagging, or duress played off as banter, the ever-popular Sleeping Beauty moments. Again, Steven Universe frequently depicts domestic abuse even from protagonists. I use SU as an example of this a lot because it was there for my whole 'arc' for problematic content; first being blind to it, then realizing the themes were there and feeling really conflicted and confronted, and then coming to appreciate that the show dealt with them in mature and realistic ways, that showed flawed people who made mistakes and weren't demonized for it, but were given the chance to learn and grow. Like I shouldn't have to point out how bad Pearl can be sometimes. A really big moment for me was when a close friend wound up triggered from one of my works, because they correctly pointed out that the consent in it was dubious at best. I wound up adding a dubcon CW, but I felt awful about it. Both because I'd hurt a friend and because that was what I'd written, without even really meaning to. It wasn't that I didn't understand consent, I knew that I was skirting the line when I wrote it. But I was so afraid of the tag, of the label. And as a result not only did I upset a friend, I also wrote something that wasn't as good as I could have. I shied away from it, when if I had have just embraced from the start that I was writing dubcon and actually leaned into it, there would've been more interesting and mature themes that I could have explored. Instead I tried to never quite cross the line, and it upset someone anyway. It should have been tagged from the start. But only ONE PERSON out of the like 30 people who read it took issue, because it personally triggered them. To be totally honest, I could have just ignored them, said 'one out of thirty must mean they're over-sensitive,' and went on with my day. I think this is what leads to SO MUCH mainstream work that has this kind of stuff in it. Someone doing something that by all rights qualifies as sexual assault, but just isn't tagged. Because people WILL just let them get away with doing it as long as they have some plausible deniability room that it wasn't really noncon or blackmail or abuse. But if they put the tag on? Now, people will simply call them a [accusation] without even really looking through their work. Those people probably wouldn't have ever been interested in the first place, but tagging it makes you a target. So, good job antis, you've created an atmosphere where people would rather not tag something and pretend it's not as dark as it is, or bypass tags, than just use them. Because you'll doxx and threaten people who conscientiously tag, and ignore works that straight up depict domestic abuse as long as it's coy about it, and pretend that's not what it is.

[alpaca-clouds]

So many kids | Some Belmont Family Tree Headcanon

Alright. Enabled by @udaberriwrites, I finally made the effort to draw down the Belmont family tree from my works! Yes, it is a lot of kids. Because, let's face it. We are still in the middle ages. Folks had a lot of kids - not to mention that with the four folks, there is a lot of chances for kids.

Red lines: Relationships

Green lines: Offspring

The children in orange are dhampirs. Note for this: Based on Alucard's comment in canon that he grew up very fast, I decided that dhampir's are fully grown at age 12. Hence their at times young ages of becoming parents.

Now, I have been kind to myself and this graph, by only always including the main generation and not including adopted children. Also not including the romantic partners within the later generations. Because given the amounts of polyamory going on, it would've gotten out of hand.

So, let's go through it layer by layer.

First Generation:

Trevor, Sypha, Adrian and Greta are in a polyamorous relationship, though it should be noted, that they do not all get together at the same time (because that's not how polyamory works). Also it should be noted, that I headcanon Greta as aromantic-bisexual, which is part of it. She starts sleeping with Sypha in late 1478 and with Trevor in 1482, but does not actually become "part of the family" befor 1485, when she finally gives in and moves into the castle.

Marie Belmont (*1477) is the kid of Trevor and Sypha, that Sypha is pregnant with at the end of the series.

Freng & Ilias (*1480) are twins that Greta has with... an unknown father. Literally, she is not entirely certain, who the father is.

Simon Belmont (*1483) is the child Adrian and Sypha have together. As such, he is a dhampir, too.

Trevor gets turned into a dhampir in 1484.

Anna Belmont (*1485) is technically a child of the trio, with whom they never find out, who the father is, given that both fathers would have a dhampir child by then. (But it is Trevor.)

Sasca Belmont (*1485) is the child Trevor finally has with Greta. She is 4 mounths younger than Anna.

It should be noted, that there are quite a few adopted children, most notably of course Coman and Joia, from For a Brighter Future. But over the years there are quite a few.

Additionally it should be said, that over the next decades, Trevor has five kids with people with mothers other than Greta or Sypha. Again, polyamory + relationship anarchy (+ Trevor now being immortal).

Second Generation

Alright, first thing that should be noted here: Yes, Marie and Ilias later grow up in the same household, from the time they are 8 and 6 years old respectively, but they still later get romantically involved. They never see each other as siblings, though, given that they spent too long seeing each other as just friends.

So, Simon is the first one to successfully procreate, given that, again, he is fully grown by age 12. And you gotta see: He is hot. He knows it. He is very bisexual. And he enthusiastically likes sex.

So, Simon's kids are:

Alba Belmont (*1495) is a girl he has with a lady of 19years (named Jeni) at the time. His parents are in disbelief.

Jander and Milos Belmont (*1496) are twin boys, he has with another teen (Hesta). At this point his parents get angry.

After this he gets sent to be straightened out by his grandfather. Somehow he manages to not procreate while in England.

After that he has Firene Belmont (*1501) with the 25 year old Julia.

And finally Fetia Belmont (*1503) who is indeed also the child of him and Jeni.

At this point he leaves the village and travels together with Anna. There are probably other kids after which as well, given that he follows very much the Jack Harkness rules of consent and usually will just sleep around. But he is not aware of those kids.

Anna is a lesbian. She does not have any kids for now. (Honestly, I do not know whether there will be kids of hers in the future, given that kids with a trans woman would totally be possible.)

Marie and Ilias have four kids together: daughter Marita Belmont (*1501), son Soare Belmont (*1503), son Ursul Belmont (*1506) and daughter Lisa Belmont (*1509).

Now, Freng is a bit like Simon as in that he has multiple partners and really does not settle down at first. His son Kal (*1500) is with a woman named Feltia, his son Mizla (*1504) with a woman called Alba and his daughter Ulla (*1506) with a woman called Buna, who is finally the one he settles down with.

Sasca is the one dhampir kid, who actually has no romantic involvements for quite a while. She ends up in a polycule as well, made up of her, two other women (Cetina and Stefania) and two men (Franke and Csegő). While the polycule ends up with a total of six children, she has two kids herself: Daughter Cneajna Belmont (*1505) and son Lepădat Belmont (*1508). (Also, it should be noted that yes, indeed, just like Simon has the family name Belmont, even though he is not blood related to Trevor, the other four kids of the polycule are also named Belmont.)

Third Generation

Alright. This is obviously getting outa hand by now. Again, this is the middle ages, people had more kids than you would have today. Especially as there is the simple lack of contraception at this point in time.

I am just moving through this from left to right this time around, even though it is not the right order in which kids are born

Alba Belmont becomes a travelling doctor. She never gets a husband, but she at some point has a daughter, Laenesa Belmont (*1510).

Jander Belmont follows the foot-steps of his father of sleeping around a lot. Which leads to the first three kids, the twin girls Meda and Jolta Belmont (*1513) by the mother Elina, and daughter Santiona Belmont (*1514) by the mother Păştina. He finally settles down with a woman named Johanna, though, and has two more kids: Surata Belmont (*1516) and Stephan Belmont (*1520).

While Milos at first seems as chaotic as his twin brother, he calms down, as he is an adult. He travels first and later returns with a pregnant wife Vlădelina, who has son Murgu Belmont (*1517) first and then Lupa Belmont (*1519) two years later.

Firene Belmont is a historian. He lives in the castle and has two husbands: Vesel and Dános. With them she has three kids: Vlad (*1515), Joia (*1517) and Radu Belmont (*1520).

Finally, Fetia has the most cliché life, doing mostly farm work and a bit of engineering. She has a husband (Stefan) and two daughters: Anghel (*1519) and Comana Belmont (*1524).

Alright. Simon's grandkids are done!

Marita Belmont marries a merchant's son, Petros, and they have two kids: Daughter Meda (*1520) and son Petrasco Belmont (*1523).

Now, Soare learns fighting and leaves the village of Belmont as a monster hunter at age 20. If he has any children, nobody knows about them.

While Ursul Belmont is one of those kids, who are super into the idea of fighting as kids, he ends up turning to the sciences (including magic sciences) and marries a woman named Săraca. They have three kids, two boys, one daughter. Vesel (*1528), Oltia (*1530) and Franghis Belmont (*1533).

Lisa Belmont, obviously named after her great-grandmother, is a good tailor. She has a husband (Grozav) and two kids: Bunea (*1532) and Franke Belmont (*1536). It should be noted that technically speaking Bunea is non-binary, though obviously as this is the 1540s by that time... there is no word for that at the point.

Cneajna once again ends up being a monster hunter and for now does not have any kids. She might well be asexual.

Lepădat settles down rather quickly. He is of the mad-scientist kid. Now, for him it is a bit complicated. Because he gets together with Basarab, a man, but given that Basarab is a trans man, they still have kids. Tarsa (*1525), Pyrothea (*1527) and Doda Belmont (1531).

Kal does a lot of travelling and ends up meeting with a young gentry woman, Katheia Lapis, whom he ends up marrying. While he does not end up living in the town of Belmont, he does have two sons: Ciezmir (*1528) and Guarinus Lapis (*1532).

Mizla once again is an off-spring who does not have kids himself. He is an explorer.

And then finally (finally!!!), we have Ulla, who technically also is part of a polycule, but the long and short of it is, that she has two kids with the fathers being either one Coman (no, not adopted kid Coman xD) and one Stefaniat. Those kids being daughter Basina (*1535) and Sulwal (*1539).

.

.

Boy, yes. This is a lot of kids and grand kids and great grandkids. And while there obviously will be great great grandkids, I will not bother myself by thinking about them.

This is mostly for the benefit of stories like Moments, which cover a broader timeframe. xD

Also tagging @zkang288 and @mikaharuka, because I guess they might enjoy this whole write up. Oh, and maybe @lena-hills xD

[brett-is-afraid]

Heaven must Be Missing An Angel

Ship: Ted x Cooper

Rating: Explicit

Request: dom top ted and sub bottom cooper with size difference, choking and maybe pet play. or just like anything kinky with bottom cooper lol

Summary: That was the thing about Ted and Cooper's relationship, it was a constant cycle of breaking each other down and putting each other back together again.

Warnings: Top Ted, dom Ted, bottom Cooper, sub Cooper, anal fingering, anal sex, rough sex, barebacking, creampie, dirty talk, face slapping, size kink, consent play.

Words: 2,193

Cooper shivered as he laid on the slightly uncomfortable bed, stripped completely down and spread out while Ted watched him. It seemed like this had been going on for hours now. He couldn't tell quite when they started or how long they'd been doing this, but he imagined it had been a long time. Ted had been in a mood all day. They'd be dating long enough for Cooper to know the signs of Ted needing a night where he just took control over everything. He'd been irritable all day long and had taken the first chance he had to pull Cooper into his bedroom. Cooper never needed much urging before he was giving Ted whatever he needed; they always took care of one another, that was their thing. 

Ted had instructed him to strip, his voice soft and steady, but still controlling and dominant. It made Cooper want to break down to his knees and give Ted anything he wanted. He obeyed every command as soon as it was given, wanting to be good for Ted. Other times, he would be a brat and act out, but that wasn't what either of them needed or wanted right then. He'd pulled off his own clothes easily, taking his time and putting on a show as Ted watched him closely. He would never get over how Ted looked at him, he decided, the way he acted like Cooper was the only thing he could focus on. It made Cooper feel unbelievably loved with just a look and it was almost overwhelming sometimes. 

Never touching him, Ted told Cooper to get himself ready for him. And how could he deny him anything? Of course, he would've loved having Ted's hands on him, but he wanted to please him more than anything. And if it took his own fingers pressing inside himself, one after another while Ted told him when to push another in, then that's exactly what he would do. A part of him liked being watched anyway. Exhibitionism had never quite been his thing, but he liked it when Ted would pay this kind of attention to him. And Ted's eyes never left him, pupils tiny dots in his eyes and his gaze following every small movement of Cooper's body as he writhed against the bed. 

"You're an angel, Coop. A fucking angel," Ted had murmured out at some point and it made Cooper whine, wanting to be close to him so badly. "I know, sweetheart. Soon, okay? Just add another finger for me," Cooper nodded before the words were even out, pressing a third finger inside of himself and continued to stretch himself out. It seemed to take forever before Ted was finally beginning to take his own clothes off. Cooper's eyes followed him and he never stopped fingering himself because Ted hadn't told him to. Ted hesitated when he finally got to his underwear, seeming a bit insecure and Cooper wasn't surprised; Ted just got that way sometimes. But a brief second later, fingers pushed the fabric down and Ted's hard cock popped out, seeming to catch Cooper off guard no matter how many times he saw the other man undressed. 

"You look so hot, Teddy. You're so handsome for me," Cooper rambled as soon as his words found him again. He wanted, no, he needed Ted to know just how beautiful he was. No matter how long they'd been together, Cooper always found him so breathtaking. Ted gave him a small smile at the words and reached down to stroke himself. Ted's cock was proportional to the rest of him, long and thick in between his legs. His body hair was neatly groomed and he took pride in keeping himself tidy. In the beginning of their relationship, Cooper had been slightly intimidated by Ted's size and how experienced he seemed in everything that he did. It all just seemed to come naturally to him. 

“Just hold still for a second,” Ted murmured and readjusted himself to be over top of Cooper. The position emphasized their size difference, showing just how much bigger Ted was and Cooper had to keep himself from shivering at that. He’d always loved feeling small compared to Ted, loved being completely covered by his boyfriend’s body when they were like this. Large hands found his thighs, spreading them gently. Some days, Ted wouldn’t be like this. He’d be rough as he took hold of Cooper’s body, not caring about their size or strength difference. He would leave bruises and marks in his wake, ignoring Cooper’s whimpering and complaints about the roughness. But Cooper never truly minded. 

He especially couldn’t bring himself to care when Ted was stroking his own cock, lining the head up with Cooper’s hole. For a few moments, he just rubbed himself there. His head was leaking already, precum smearing across Cooper’s skin and making it shiny. Ted’s eyes were mostly focused on the sight there, but he looked back up when Cooper made a slightly unhappy sound and began squirming around a bit. 

“It’s not gonna fit,” Cooper said softly. He knew Ted like he knew the back of his hand, knowing everything the other liked in bed and what he didn’t. Ted’s free hand reached out to take hold of Cooper’s hip and Cooper was quickly grabbing onto his wrist. “Please, you’re too big. It won’t fit,” He repeated, faking desperation. Ted smirked softly and leaned in, kissing Cooper for a few long seconds before pulling away from his mouth. 

“Oh, angel. Don’t worry,” Ted whispered to him, pressing a kiss to his forehead. The hand on Cooper’s waist rubbed his skin in small circles, just letting him lay there for a moment. “I’ll make it fit,” He assured and his hips started pushing in before Cooper could react. A strangled gasp escaped Cooper’s throat and his hand held tightly onto Ted’s wrist. He hadn’t been lying when he said Ted was big, he was fucking massive. Even after Cooper prepared himself, the first push inside still burned and Ted had to readjust himself a couple times. “Fuck. You’re so tight,” He muttered as he struggled to force the head inside. 

“I told you it wasn’t gonna-” Cooper’s words were cut off by a sharp hand coming down across his cheek. His skin burned and tears welled up in his eyes, it hurt and it was humiliating. And it was everything he loved about moments like these. “I’m sorry,” He said quietly, wincing when Ted shoved himself forward. A sharp snap of his hips buried him completely inside and he paused as soon as he did, giving Cooper time to adjust and relax to the feeling. They stayed quiet for a couple minutes, the only sound between them was heavy breathing.

“I’ve got you, baby. Told you I’d fit,” Ted knew Cooper knew his safewords and signals, he’d use them if he needed to. Until then, he wasn’t going to ease up on him. He finally felt comfortable enough to start moving. Cooper let out an airy noise when he first started moving, his pace slow and steady. He’d pull out a few inches before pressing back inside deeply. It took everything in him to not just lose control and start fucking into him, but he managed it and kept his movements gentle to let Cooper get used to his size again. 

“You feel so good,” Cooper murmured and that was all that Ted needed, it was their signal for him to be rougher if he wanted to be. And God, he really wanted to. His hips began rocking quicker, taking a bit of time to build up a rougher pace with Cooper. Cooper moaned quietly at the feeling, the stretch still burning as Ted started using him however he wanted. Ted shifted upwards, getting a better grip on Cooper’s thighs to give himself a bit more leverage to fuck into him. The new angle forced him somehow deeper inside of him. 

“You feel my cock bulging out of you, baby boy?” Ted grinned down at him, grasping one of Cooper’s hands to bring it to his stomach. Cooper knew logically that he couldn’t actually feel Ted’s cock pressing through his skin, maybe if he lost a bit of weight, but they were both so caught up in the moment. He nodded as he pressed his fingers into his own skin. In actuality, he could feel Ted moving with each thrust and it was easy to let his mind run wild. “I’m practically breaking you apart, huh?” Cooper nodded again, smiling back up at Ted. 

“Feels like you’re in my stomach,” Cooper whined, tears still streaking his face and his cheek a bright red from where Ted had hit him. Ted thrust harder, adjusting his hips a bit to brush against Cooper’s prostate with every movement. “Fuck,” He breathed out shakily, fingers grasping at the blankets as Ted kept up his pace. He’d always been shocked by Ted’s stamina, the man never seeming to need to slow down. And in moments like these, it was almost overwhelming in the best ways possible. 

“It’s not my fault you’re so small,” Ted knew they both liked the size difference between them. And during times when Ted needed to relax a bit, he liked pointing it out even more. He liked feeling needed, liked feeling like he could take care of Cooper. He enjoyed how every inch of Cooper seemed to fit in his hands, easy to manhandle and overpower. Cooper had no choice but to let him do whatever he wanted in times like these. Even though Ted knew in the back of his mind that Cooper had a stranglehold over his heart. 

He’d never felt so deeply for someone before and he knew he’d do anything the second Cooper asked him to. In bed, Ted could take over and be the one who was listened to. It gave him the full control he lacked in other aspects of his life. And he was just thankful Cooper trusted him enough to give him full control, trusting Ted to make the right choices for him and to put him back together after breaking him.

“You make me feel even smaller,” Cooper told him and Ted cursed at those words. A shudder rolled through him, hips stuttering a bit as he tried to keep up his pace. Cooper had always known exactly what to say to drive him out of his mind. Ted wanted to make Cooper feel small and Cooper always knew how to make Ted feel like he was needed. Maybe both of them pulled each other apart and put one another back together again. 

“I’m gonna fill you up, baby. You’re making me feel so good,” Ted praised, putting his full effort into making himself come. Cooper’s noises got louder as Ted drilled into his prostate more frequently, not giving his body a moment of reprieve in between thrusts. “That’s right. Let me hear how good I’m making you feel,” Ted’s ego was getting the better of him, making him yearn for every sound he could pull from Cooper. 

“Feels good, Teddy. You feel so good,” Cooper rambled, words sounding strained as he struggled to get them out. He sounded so broken. Ted groaned and buried his face into Cooper’s shoulder, hips slamming into him in shorter thrusts. Cooper’s fingers tangled into Ted’s hair, knowing his boyfriend was about to tip over that edge. “Please come in me,” Cooper’s words were barely above a whisper, breathy and stuttered, and that was all it took. 

“Fuck,” Ted drew the word out as he fucked into Cooper wildly, body almost trembling from pleasure as he came. He pressed himself deep inside of his partner, wanting to be as close as he could get. “You feel so fucking good,” He murmured out, pressing a kiss against his skin. Cooper was breathing hard beneath him, acting as though he’d been the one doing all the work and Ted smiled at that a bit as he nuzzled into him. ‘I love you,” He told him easily, fingers stroking against whatever warm skin he could reach. 

“I love you too,” Cooper smiled and relaxed further into the bed, feeling comfortable being caught between the bed and Ted’s warm body on top of him. His fingers tangled into Ted’s hair to stroke through it gently, enjoying how close they were in the afterglow of it all. Things were always so peaceful after.  “Are you done being a grump now?” He asked with a soft laugh, his words teasing and Ted’s eyebrows furrowing up at the question. 

“Hey. I am not a grump,” Ted huffed out, burying his face deeper into Cooper’s shoulder. Cooper simply rolled his eyes at the protestation, the smile never leaving his face. “But if I were to be a grump then yes. I would be done,” He confirmed after a few seconds of silence, laughing a bit as he spoke. Cooper shook his head and laughed warmly, hugging Ted a little tighter. Yeah, he knew he’d never feel more whole than he did in that moment.

[organic-guacamole]

I've got a lot of thoughts on this finale.

starting with the length.

27 minutes? really?

I'm not asking for a 2 hour episode but cmon, at least give us something closer to 40 minutes.

next, the characters

the characters just didn't feel like themselves, especially portwell.

all season long we saw how much potential they had, how well communicated they were, how good they were at being a proper, healthy couple, and now they just can't talk to each other?

it doesn't feel like them.

portwell had arguably the best set up of all the other ships, they showed us how good they had the potential to be only to throw in a cheap plot to wrap it up? I would understand that they want some angst to make the ending all the more satisfying, but this was pathetic.

there I said it.

of all the ways to add drama in a ship, don't use the one that completely contradicts their entire development.

paired with the length of the episode, it seemed even more poorly written.

here I made a lovely, handy dandy homemade graph to represent how I see portwell's storyline:

as i said before, we saw the build up being nearly perfect. they peaked during episodes 9-11 because they just had the chemistry, the communication, and the most potential to be the endgame couple.

they just got eachother.

then we get Jamie popping in for 10 seconds and erasing a lot of that, only for mediator Ashlyn to jump in and solve their problems.

then there's the "kiss".

I know that Sofia is underage and that even if she/her legal guardians consent to the kiss, the writers can still decide not to show it, but still. In my opinion, if you're not going to show the kiss, then don't bother.

there are other ways to establish a relationship that would work better in this situation. Of course if they get together they'll have to kiss sometime, but one way they could postpone it is by having Gina be a bit more reluctant to give away her first kiss like that. it could also show how accomodating EJ is.

I like to think that Gina is very meticulous when making decisions so she'll probably want to be very sure of the relationship before giving him her first kiss. perhaps she'd stick to cheek kisses until she's ready, and then she kisses him and he's surprised.

that would've been, in my opinion, a sufficient way to hold off the kiss while still wrapping up portwell until season 3 when Sofia would be 18 (assuming they get picked up for S3 this summer then start filming fall-winter. Sofia will be 18 in January).

as my friend @rtcosley (idk why it's not letting me tag them, so their page is linked) said,

"They created like 10 plots

And instead of wrapping it up

They added 4 more"

there's just so much more they could've done...it's the season finale for crying out loud.

I get that seblos already had (what I assume is) their storyline for the season, the fight and resolution. Ignoring the fact that that only lasted for 2 episodes and didn't have anything to do with what we were expecting, (i.e.the financial differences between their families, as mentioned in episode 1, the fact that everyone treats seb like he's stupid, this being carlos' first show and the drama that the stress of that caused, etc.), seblos had to purpose this episode than to stand next to eachother and be gay.

I get that they're not part of the core four or anything, but the poster for season 2 has all of them, as opposed to season 1 just being the core four.

They deserved better, just like redlyn and kowie.

redlyn's arc was pretty early in the season compared to the other ships. they had Ashlyn confessing her insecurities in episode 3, antoine stirring the pot of confusion and causing a bit of distance between them briefly, and then big red confessing his goals and plans for the future in episode 8 and for the rest of it, we just see them getting closer and more comfortable with each other and caring about each other more and more.

they had a good arc together.

but that's just it. I wanted to see them have their own arcs. but then again, this show can't seem to balance multiple storylines. I think it is possible, but not when they keep adding new characters that don't contribute anything much to the story(more on that later).

kowie's storyline is... confusing.

I really like their dynamic, how carefree and happy Kourtney gets around him, how she's remaining true to herself and managing a million and one things, plus a relationship in her own without losing herself to it all.

but the main issue I have is that the entire development was never shown.

we went from strangers, to coworkers, to friends that flirt, to lovers that text constantly and went on numerous dates (and Howie met her mother at some point). but all of that, was off screen.

it's like the writers made every episode with them in it kind of thrown in at a new stage of relationship progression and said "here, accept this, no questions asked because we don't have answers"

I just wish we could've seen more of howie trying to get in her good side again after episode 7 because it seems like that's when a lot of it happened.

I appreciate the Rini scene in this episode, seems to be the very end of them, for good this time.

i'm happy about that.

Ricky especially deserves to be free for a while to focus on his development, and Nini has the chance now to really shine through her talents and make a name for herself.

The Rini storyline is the only one I'm fully satisfied with.

now, that being said;

what the heck are they trying to pull with Lily and Ricky rn???

just like that.

after lily being the villain this whole season, they're just gonna not redeem her and then have her confess her feelings to Ricky, a guy she barely knows and only talked to to harass and intimidate, and for him to reject her publicly then call her afterwards?

please I hope it's just to say "you dropped something, here it is and never contact me again, thanks." /hj

speaking of the villains, this season was promoted as the season of rivalry between North and East High right? so why did that plot idea only progress in about 3 out if 12 episodes?

we got Zackey Roy in there for a few episodes then he disappeared, Lily just caused Gina to stay true to her friends in episode 2 and 7 and then basically did nothing else?

this is what I mean by the new characters providing nothing to the show.

the writers can't manage having so many characters and plots at once so they start so many promising arcs, only to kick them aside later on.

we already know that the first half of the season felt like filler episodes, so I think they could've cut those down to leave room for the more important plots to take root, rather than have them pop up and get rushed at the end of the season.

all that, and they just add 4 more plots at the end of the season.

this post sounds very negative looking back...but if I'm being honest with myself, I'm just very very disappointed.

I love this show so much and I really expected better for the season finale, especially if they don't know if it's getting renewed or not.

given the IMDB ratings of this episode so far, I don't have very high expectations for the renewal, but I'm still hopeful because this show is a great thing, one of the best things that happened to me over the course of this quarantine. I've become so attached to this show, the cast and the friends I made through it, that I don't know what I would do if it just ends like this. writing these reviews and posts about this season has been so fun for me to do and thinking that this may be the very last one is a painful thought.

I'm sorry if you were expecting this post to be as light-hearted as my other posts about the episodes, I just had a lot to say about this episode in particular.

all my episode posts are tagged with "#guac's episode text blocks :)" in case you wanna read through and reminisce the simpler times🥲

[john-laurens]

Do you think John would've been a good father if he ever got the chance to meet Frances?

I think he would have been. Although Laurens never had the opportunity to be a father for Frances(which I’ll get into later on), he had essentially been acting as a parentalfigure since the age of 15.  John’smother passed away in 1770, leaving Henry to raise the five Laurens children(including newborn Mary Eleanor) on his own (but also likely with some helpfrom the ~300 slaves on the plantation). At this time, John began to take on more responsibilities in lookingafter his siblings – not just as an older brother, but as a sort of proxy forthe mother they had lost.  This role isbest seen when John and his younger brothers Harry and Jemmy went to Europe fortheir education.  Although they receiveddifferent schooling and were sometimes at different locations, John often tooka very active role in teaching his brothers and ensuring they were receivingthe best education possible. Particularly interesting is the transformation that Harry exhibitedduring this time period.  Prior to Johntaking on his role as parent and tutor, Henry often remarked that Harry’s intellectwas inferior to that of his other siblings’ and made comments such as these (toGeorge Appleby, September 26, 1769):

“Harry is a little thick Headed, loves Marbles, Tops, andTumbling much more than his Books and in time may make a driving Shipper or atolerable Will Wimble.”

After John’s care and instruction, we find passages such asthese:

“Harry goes on very well. Tell Mr. Gervais that beyond myexpectation he has lately won a Silver Medal for Some performance at the GeneveCollege which according to their order he wears in a button hole.” – HL to hisbrother James Laurens, December 16, 1773

“My little Harry is busy at my Side making his Latin Versesfor Monday Morning_ a little while at making one or two quicker than he isaccustomed_ he exulted and exclaimed ‘Apollo favours me to night.’” – JL to HL,February 18, 1775

“Harry spent his Easter Vacation of three days, with me_ andis improving every day in Strength Activity and Knowledge_ he ask’d Leave of MrHenderson, to go upon the Water with the rest of his little Comrades, this is afav’rite Diversion of the Westminsters, but was prudently refused him by hisTutor_ who however to pacify him, said that he would write and ask your opinionof the Matter; the little Man complaind that before your Consent can beobtain’d the Season for this pleasurable Exercise will be almost past_ uponapplication to me, I told him he should go with me at proper times, accordinglyhe has been once or twice, and rows, and uses the technical Terms like a littleWaterman.” – JL to HL, April 20, 1775

“Harry enjoys vigorous Health_ nor does he want theagreeable Appearance of it on his Cheek_ while Increase of Strength and Statureprove the Reality_ he and I spent the last Holydays very agreeably at the HotWells” – JL to HL, March 20, 1776

There are two main things to note here.  First, Harry seems to have excelled in schoolunder John’s guidance.  Where Henry hadbeen reluctant or unwilling to see Harry’s potential, John fostered Harry’sability with gentle encouragement and praises and helped him grow into anaccomplished young man.  Secondly, wealso see that John set aside time to spend with his brothers enjoying someleisurely activities, such as boating or exploring the local attractions of thecity.  He showed great care for hisbrothers and wanted to provide them with both the education they needed and theleisure time they deserved to enjoy as children.  There are also some passages similar to theones above that illustrate John’s relationship with Jemmy:

“Letters from Walsall from Mr. Stone and our dear littleJemmy, are inclosed_ will you indulge him in his Plan for spending WhitsuntideHolidays?  I promise to take great careof him, and shall be glad of an oportunity of having him under my eye for aweek or two_” – JL to HL, January 20, 1775

“The Recommendation of other Schools besides those I hadseen, particularly of one at Brompton, prevented me from fixing James, so soonas I expected_ the Absence of the Master from the last, (it being the Vacationof Bartholymew Tide,) hinder’d me from determining with respect to it_ and someCircumstances of Situation the, Air of the School, Behaviour of the Usher,& Performances of the Boys, incline me to stay till I see him_ which willbe this afternoon or to morrow morng early_ the Price is £20 an. And 5 GuineasEntrance_ Either this or the Greenwich School, which is somewhat dearer £25 an.And 5 Guineas Entrance, will be determined upon at least till fartherDirections from you_ there is this advantage attending the Greenwich Schoolthat the Master is well known to some of your Acquaintance, and that Mr Manningin particular has an Influence over him_ I had some objection to his Pedantry,which however may not be hurtful to so young a Spark as James_ and indeed I wasafraid that from the Situation of the Academy the Young Gentlemen might besubject to hear a great deal of Blagardism from the kind of People who are inand about the Town_ but as they are never Suffer’d to go abroad without an Usherwho presides over all their Diversions_ have a large Play Ground within theirown Inclosure_ and when they go out of this, are guarded as abovementioned, andwalk only in the park and on Black Heath_ my Fears may have been ill grounded_The little fellow has employed his Time with me, in Latin, and writingGeography, which he and Harry are fond of_ and the little Course they aremaking, to be continued occasionally when they come to see me, will be sent toyou when finished and I hope will give you some Pleasure_” – JL to HL,September 4, 1775

From these examples, it becomes quite clear that John wasquite capable of raising children (and very willing to do so) when given theopportunity.  Had John been able to meetand raise his daughter Frances after the war, I think he would have been a goodfather who would have played an active role in her education andupbringing.  Of course, we cannot be sureof what would have happened in this alternate reality, but given John’s pastexperience with children, I think this is the most likely expectation.

As for John leaving before Frances was born and neversending for her during the war – @ciceroprofacto and I have made posts aboutthis here and here.  Essentially, it isunfair to ask that John bring his sick wife and child across an ocean andbetween two warring countries, and it is unfair to give John flack for notseeing Frances during the war when many other men of the time also left wivesand families to join the fight (and they, for some reason, don’t get nearly asmuch hate for it as John does).  Isuggest reading the posts I linked above for more detailed explanations of John’ssupposed “failures” as a parent and why they may not have been as serious assome people like to believe.