#when he said in episode one that daphne and everyone likes him best this is what he talks about

[alexalblondo]

1.04 truly is THAT Colin episode

[callingbridgerton]

Is it any surprise that Colin "all or nothing" Bridgerton takes his time trying and failing to understand his feelings after the kiss?

I wrote a little bit about this in a comment on Reddit, but I think some of the frustration that we are hearing from people stems from Colin's lack of vocal processing throughout the first half of the season.

I'll admit that his development is subtle, and happens quietly, but I believe that was done on purpose. It needed to be quiet. For a couple reasons. Hear me out.

For the sake of the carriage scene, Pen needed to not know that Colin was falling for her. People are saying that they felt Colin's declaration felt rushed and sudden, but it was supposed to! His reveal needed to feel completely unexpected!

Penelope is supposed to be shocked by it. In order to believe her shock, we too needed to be a bit shocked. It helped so much with the intensity of the carriage scene. I believe Penelope saw Colin looking at her over the last few weeks, but he's kinda always done that? Only we are supposed to know that Colin feels any differently than normal. If we all had known solidly how Colin felt the whole time then we wouldn't have related to Pen's shock in the carrriage at all. She's shut off any hope of Colin feeling the same way. I think the brevity of the scenes where Colin is looking at her during balls and whatnot are done on purpose (through Pen's eyes). Not to beat a dead horse but the carriage scene really really (to me) wouldn't have felt the same if Colin had given Pen more signs. (And throughout all the criticisms, people seem to all agree that that scene was outstanding. But it doesn't exist in a vacuum!)

So much of what we see of Colin processing his feelings for Penelope is done through looks, facial expressions, body language, etc.

This is a bit unique from the other two seasons, in which Daphne and Anthony were both a bit more aware of what they were feeling (even if they were fighting it) and more obvious about it outwardly to others. Perhaps this is what people feel was missing in the build-up?

We do get some hints of Colin thinking about it and struggling with it as he talks to other people such as the Mondriches, Eloise when he thinks that they've spoken about the kiss, Benedict and Hyacinth after his dream, and later, Violet. But primarily, I think that Colin was simply still figuring it out.

And can we blame him? If I were as all-or-nothing as him, a feeling like I was falling in love with my best friend would scare me half to death. Beyond the initial confusion, he needs to be sure how he feels because once Colin knows what he wants he can't hold himself back from getting it.

I know a lot of people think Colin realizes how he feels immediately after the kiss. I could see that, for sure (and I know it's that way in the books and that Nicola said she thinks it's all in one moment), but ultimately I disagree. It of course jump starts everything (and I don't think anything would have happened without it) but I think that it really does happen more slowly, both before and after that. In the first 2 episodes, Colin is repeatedly affected by Penelope during their scenes. He doesn't overthink it, but it's there. Over episodes 3 and 4 Colin consistently tries and fails to understand what is happening to him, even going as far as to go back to the brothel to try to make it stop, but after kissing them both realizes it's just not the same. (One of my favorite moments was when he goes to kiss one of the ladies, pulls away, and looks dumbfounded after feeling nothing.)

In the last episode, when he's in his study thinking back on the hand-cut scene with Pen, he finally realizes he can't make this stop. In fact, he doesn't even want to. That is the moment everyone was waiting for. And no, it is not shoved in your face, nor in his. It's fast, like "Got it, okay, gotta go." All. Or. Nothing.

Hence Colin making his appearance at the ball, his utter lack of care for society rules in breaking up Pen and Lord Debling's dance. His tunnel vision (and speed, ha!) trying to get to Penelope in the carriage. When Colin knows what he wants he just goes for it. He always does this, as others have said, with Marina, with his investment and then takedown of Jack, with Pen.

If people are left frustrated by the lack of obviousness in Colin's realization, I think that's a little silly. If Colin had fully realized any earlier he would've been breaking things up much faster and it would've been a very different story. The pacing to me was perfect. And it made the pay-off so much more rewarding.

[maefansblog]

The main point of this specific entry is to make sense of this gif from the trailer.

Most of the time I write these blogs, I do stream of consciousness. I have opinions, I may be wrong, and I'm also learning more about the story/characters by writing them out. It is ok for you to draw your own conclusions and have your own opinions. I just want to share this. 💕

Long Post

Eloise is watching her mom dancing with Marcus. I wonder how hurt, confused, and lonely she must be.

I loved the close friendship that Eloise and Penelope shared in Season 1. I love how innocent, but free spirited she was. She understands that she doesn't have a lot of rights in this society and wants to push back on it. I love that.

I know how narrow-minded Eloise can be. She has disdain when the other debutantes talk about weddings. She was sickened when Daphne was trying to secure a match with Simon.

I have to remind myself that Eloise is growing and she doesn't fully how hurtful the things she says can be.

However, she said it best in Season 3 Episode 2 that she has a habit of saying wrong things at the wrong time.

Even the crush that she had on Theo could be attributing to her hurt. Ultimately, I do not fault her for her not wanting to kiss him. Yet she said no, he stopped himself. She wanted to protect him and make sure he still had his job. To Theo, he thought she would never lower herself in society and would play with his feelings. Theo showed his hurt by lashing out from her rejection.

Eloise pulls away. She is still a lady.

This brings us to Penelope and Eloise's friendship. (I know hot topic. It's no surprise that I don't like how Eloise has treated Penelope since she found out about Lady Whistledown. This is my opinion, you can have your own. Let's be respectful to everyone.) I understand Eloise is coming from a place of hurt not only from Theo, but that her friend would keep such a big portion of her life from her. It's like they took some of the anger from book Colin and gave it to Eloise in Season 2 Episode 8. Only Eloise isn't concerned for Penelope at ALL. She hurt that Pen would keep it from HER. She is hurt that she won't be able to talk to the Queen. She is hurt that Theo wants nothing to do with her (even though she rejected him).

She is hurt at the possibility that she could be "ruined." Which Eloise never was, as you see her gaining even more friends and being welcomed into society. Eloise calls Penelope a Wallflower, befriends her rival (which book Eloise would NEVER), and never wants to speak to her. Then Eloise has the gall to say that Penelope never visited her at Aubrey Hall??? Excuse you?!?!

Penelope does bring scandals to light- even scandals for the Bridgertons. Daphne's lack of suitors because of Anthony, Anthony's wedding, even Eloise's political radical rallies. Yes Eloise would be hurt for her family.

Penelope has not made up ANY of these scandals. It wasn't as if she befriended the Bridgertons solely for Whistledown. It was more like no one was listening to her. She was bullied by society/family, and she created the column. She was trying to protect Theo's job and protect Eloise. Imagine if the printers were raided by the Queen’s guards. All of the people would be out of work. Pen only wrote what Society was already saying. The only instance that she did not was for Eloise and Colin to protect them, and she only did it as a last resort.

If I think objectively about this, Eloise still keeps Penelope’s secret, tells Colin he can still be her friend because she knows that Penelope would be lonely, and she checks in after the scandal (that she caused 🙄).

Now that we're caught up, let's talk about what this post is about. The repercussions of the first gif. Violet dancing.

Part 2 Trailer

When said that Colin and Penelope are engaged, Eloise is being unfair -> Of course, to the audience, we are frustrated because our main couple is finally together, and she can't let them be happy for ONE NIGHT?!

Eloise is being truthful, though. Penelope should tell Colin about Lady Whistledown. Pen has accomplished something amazing and it is a part of her. Colin wants to love all of Pen, and it is unfair of her to keep it from him.

Back to Eloise. I think Cressida and Eloise will have a falling out because of Lady Whistledown. Even if Pen and Eloise resolve things, their relationship won't be the same since Penelope is marrying Colin. Eloise is starting to see everyone around her pairing off. Anthony and Kate, John and Francesca, and Penelope and Colin.

It's going to be a harder gut when she sees her MOTHER dancing with Marcus. The loss of her father has deeply impacted Eloise. Even when Violet was giving birth to Hyacinth, it was traumatic for her.

That is why Eloise, in her young adult mind, is scared of having children and getting married. Above this, Eloise loved her father. Eloise also feels that Violet is disappointed in her sometimes because she just doesn't want to be married. To see Violet with a man other than her father is going to be possibly nuclear.

We know that in the books, Eloise runs away, but I don't think we have the key plot points to have this happen quickly.

Spoilers in emojis: iykyk 💌🌊⚰️🧍‍♂️

I am looking forward to seeing Eloise's character development. My guess is Benedict is next, unless Eloise has been writing secret letters in episodes 5-8.

Whether the reaction from Eloise is understanding, shock, sadness, loneliness, or anger, it's going to be good for the story and good for Eloise. She's a complex character who loves her family. She's strong, stubborn, motivated, inquisitive, and wants more from life than what is handed to her.

After this stream of consciousness, I feel like I know Eloise a little better. Waiting anxiously for the next part to come out!! Ahhhhh!

[detectivereads]

Batman and Scooby Doo! Mysteries #1 by Sholly Fisch

5/5

This post is for fan entertainment, I am not being paid.

Hi everyone,

I want to try something different, granted I normally like to wait to see if they come out with omnibus of a comic series, because I run into the problem where I am missing an issue (this series I am missing #2). So, I will cover the ones I do have and hopefully I can get my hands on issues #2.

Now I will go over the majority of the story, but I won’t unmask who the culprit is, I am against spoiling any mysteries.

Now I grew up watching Scooby Doo and Batman, and when I watch that one series where they teamed up to take on Joker and Penguin, I thought that was the coolest episode of Scooby Doo (till I watched the one episode where Scooby Doo meets the Addams Family).

Now we have comics that are just as cool as the old episode. 

This first issues centers around the famous Haly’s Circus and it starts out with a flash back to Richard “Dick” Grayson time at the circus leading up to parent unfortunate murders. The Mystery Inc. gang are in attendance enjoying the show and food that the circus has to offer.

They witness the new acrobat in action Zoltan (not Zoltar, I kid you not I had to re-read that panel of the comic) where he was scared by this issue villain Deadman! When Zoltan missed his dismount, he falls but is saved by none other than Nightwing.

After Deadman causes a panic, the audience runs wild to get away from the villain.

Already the Mystery Inc. gang is ready to get to work.

Velma already has found a clue on one of the sandbags, a chalk handprint (How can a ghost leave a handprint.)

The gang meets the ringmaster Haly, the fortune teller Vashnu, the strong man Sando & and another person of the circus Esmeralda.

Vashnu tells the gang about Deadman, once he was named Boston Brand and he was one of the best acrobats in the world. However much like the Flying Grayson’s, Boston died by a criminal. Then the whole ghost thing of haunting the circus.

Zoltan demands to know why Deadman is going after him, that if it weren’t for Nightwing he could have been hurt. Also, Zoltan asks where his partner is Adolfo. Which right on cue he comes out and explains he was knocked out.

Daphne asks the normal questions, has anyone either criminals or developers approach Ringmaster to buy him out. Cue the Dingaling Brothers, they run a rival circus that wants the Haly’s circus.

Nightwing accuses the brothers that this could be their plans, which of course they deny this.

Ringmaster wants to proceed with the show, but Esmeralda is against it. She doesn’t want Zoltan her fiancé is in danger. At this moment Adolfo pipes up he can perform Zoltan act, but Nightwing agrees with Esmerald, which is why Nightwing offers to do the act with Adolfo, which Adolfo is against saying he needs training for that.

However, Ringmaster loves the idea of having a famous superhero in one of his acts.

The Mystery Inc. gang also joins in as well. Daphne said for an old case she has taken some trapeze lessons so she can also help Nightwing.

This is where I’ll leave the issue, but I will say this that Velma is standing in for the Ringmaster introducing the acts. Fred is an escape artist (He makes traps, so this should be perfect for him), and poor Shaggy and Scooby are with the clowns.

However, when the culprit is unmasking and everything is out in the open, I thought the ending was very sweet. We also have a double unmasking in this issue

My thoughts on this issue, I loved it. It was a Nightwing focus issues with no mention of Batman for almost the whole issue. I know in other comics Nightwing has worked hard to be his own hero. This issue was perfect in my opinion, having Nightwing coming home to the circus and helping his old home out.

[britingotmywholeheart]

I asked @britinbliss for their favorite britin scenes and also for their favorite qaf scenes in the whole show, and I am sooo happy that they answered, and they asked me to answer the questions too, so here we are.

My favorite britin scenes:

5. I really love their first time sex scene cause it was so intense and just beautiful and really hot. Especially, I love the rim-job Brian gave Justin. It was so beautiful when Brian's tongue runs over Justin's back and a small drop of sweat caught on her. And Justin moaning when Brian's tongue got in his ass was just so intense. I love it!

4. The pride party scene at the end of the pride episode is sooo beautiful. Justin accepted who and how Brian is and wanted to leave, so Brian can do what he wants to do, but Brian just wanted to dance with Justin is such a huge step in their relationship. "Hey stud, wanna dance with me?" "Shut up." "I promise you won't forget this one." makes me giggling and smiling every time cause it is just so cute and beautiful. Brian would literally do anything for Justin, and we see this in season two. Season five is so far away, but we can see that Brian really cares about Justin and loves him. Brian is just proud of Justin cause he made it. He showed his pride and he got over the thing with Chris Hobbs. Brian taught Justin so much and this scene shows this and is just lovely.

3. Of course, I really love the scene in s5 ep10 where Brian says "I love you." for the first time. I cried so much when I first saw it because we all waited so long for this moment, and it was soooo beautiful. Brian showed Justin that he loves him for five seasons (not straight lol) but when he said it a new era began.

2. Also, one of my favorite scenes is when Brian brought Justin to Britin and said he would do anything and be anyone to prove Justin that he loves him and that he meant it when he said he wants to marry him. The best part of this scene is when Justin said, "You bought this! This Palace!" and is totally in shock and Brian just answered "It's for my Prince." And when they made love on the floor in front of the fireplace, I was crying again.

1. My all-time favorite scene is their reunification in season three. How they are laughing and smiling while kissing and undressing each other is so beautiful. I can see that Brian missed Justin so much, and he wants him back soo badly. I just love this. And how they dance after this in Babylon is just perfect. Ben was so right when he said, "The biggest reunion since Germany" (which is so meaningful and funny to me because I am German). But I can not stay with my top five, cause my second all-time favorite scene is when Brian and Justin are celebrating that they betrayed Stockwell (of course they are celebrating with sex) and got interrupted by Stockwell and Gardner Vance. The sex in this scene was so intense and how they undressed each other was just beautiful. But what I also like about this scene is that Brian said "Wanna finish?" after Stockwell and Gardner Vance were gone. He doesn't seem to be mad about Justin and what happened. He wanted to go back to Justin and fuck his brains out like he always does, cause he hates it to get interrupted when he has his time with Justin.

To write down my top five was really difficult cause I love nearly all the britin scenes the show gives us, but I tried.

My favorite scenes from the show in general:

5. I really love the scene in s3 ep14 when everyone at Liberty Avenue is celebrating that Stockwell lost the election and Mel and Lindsey had their absolutely cute moment. They were sooo happy together, and I loved them very much in that scene. I also love the britin scene in the last moments of season three when Brian said, "I guess I've lost everything." And Justin answered, "Not everything." to show Brian, he will stay with him no matter what happens.

4. I also really enjoyed the scene in s1 ep1 when Daphne asked Justin where he was, and he just said, "I saw the face of god! His name is Brian Kinney." This scene is so funny but also shows how much Justin felt in love with Brian after one, okay two times, they had sex.

3. And you're right! I love the scenes where the whole group of friends helped for Mel´ and Lind's wedding. It was such so beautiful how they all worked together and Mel was soo happy about this. In my opinion, she wanted to hug Brian, but she knew it would be awkward for both of them, so she just smiled and punched him softly.

2. I really liked much of the scenes with Emmett and George. In my opinion they were a good and cute mature couple. And Emmett was so tough with the thing with George's money to give the whole money back to his awful family just to make his point clear.

1. I really don't like Cody Bell and what he made Justin do, but I love his little argument in the church with the reverent. "What's your point, young man?" "I believe the point is, if you can eat shrimp, we can eat cock!" I love this quote. It's so on the point and so true.

My favorite episode:

I would say my favorite episode in the show is s2 ep9, cause in serious times it's nice to watch it and just laugh about it. This whole episode is just funny and nice. The beginning where Brian fucks the reverent is so cool, cause in first place I thought Brian is just fucking around as always, but then he leans to the side and kisses Justin. And Micheal says they have a date night. Their definition of a date night is so cool. And then the whole thing with Ted taking viagra and the conversation on Mel´and Linds´ veranda, "What do you mean, you still have an erection?!" "Thank you, CNN!" is just so hilarious. Brian's idea to spook Ted's penis and when he said Mel and Lindsay should show him their tits to turn him of is soo funny. And after that, the scene where Justin and Brian really stole Teds viagra and are fucking for the tenth time this day and their conversation "I can't believe you're fucking me again." "It was your idea to steal Ted's viagra." is so fucking hilarious, too. The whole thing with Brian's mum is so shitty, and I hate Joan so much that it's actually funny again. How Brian holds his hands in front of his erection, so his mum can not see it, is so funny. I just love everything about this episode, so I should stop.

I could write so much more about other (favorite) episodes, so I should stop. It's too much.

I hope you all can understand what I wrote in here. English is not my first language, but I really try.

[thealmightyemprex]

Halloweenathon: The 13 Ghosts of Scooby Doo

It aint the spooky season without talkin about everyones favorite mystery solving dog ,and why not talk about the series where he first encountered real ghost and teamed up with Vincent Price

This 1985 series follows Scooby Doo (Don Messick) Shaggy (Case Kassem ),Daphne (Heather North ),and Scoobys nephew Scrappy (Also Don Messick ) as due to the manipulations of two ineffectual ghosts who wish to gain respect , Weerd (Arte Johnson ) and Bogel (Howard Morris) , Scooby and Shaggy have let loose 13 evil ghosts who seek to use the Chest of demons to rule the world ,and with the help of a con artist named Flim Flam (Susan Blu ) and a powerful mystic named Vincent Van Ghoul (Vincent Price),the gang must capture the malevolent ghosts

So my relationship with the Scooby Doo franchise is....Odd .For years I have said I am not a fan ,but realized I kind of am one .Specifically I am I find the Scooby Doo formula kind of a slog ,of the villain just being some greedy captalist dressed up as a monster(Cept for Pup Named Scooby Doo that show rocks ) .....What I love is when the monsters are real ,hell when I was a kid it was a huge deal to see Scooby Doo on Zombie Island where the villains are legit life force eating cat monsters...But older Scooby fan s will know that this was not first time he faced real monsters :There were the movies Scooby Doo and the Ghoul School and Scooby Doo and the Reluctant Werewolf(Which I like but I know people dont ) .....And of course The 13 Ghosts of Scooby Doo

Now while I grew up on reruns of various Scooby shows like the original Scooby Doo Where Are You,The New Scooby Doo Movies ,A Pup Named Scooby Doo and so on......This is one I never saw in reruns,and honestly I only heard about it cause one of my favorite horror actors Vincent Price was a main character ,so for Spooky month I decided to watch all 13 episodes

Now .....THis show might be the weirdest Scooby show I have ever seen .The show was developed by Tom Ruegger ,who would go on to do Animaniacs,Pinky and the Brain and Freakazoid and you can kind of see some of his sensibilities in this show,in that it runs on rule of funny ,and there are a lot absurd and fourth wall jokes(The weirdest one involving a woman complaining about fire being used in a kids cartoon in a scene involving a dragon,which then becomes Scrappy calling her racist against Dragons ....This is an actual scene ) ..You also get aesthetic things like to modern fans this show to watch.....Cause Fred and Velma arent in it ,of the main group its just Daphne , Shaggy and Scooby.Also since its the 80's they have their 80's redesigns (I refer to this era as the Red shirt Shaggy era )

As for character depictions Shaggy is pretty much himself,scared of monsters and loving food ,and Casey Kasem is great as always .I think this might be my favorite use of Daphne who is kind of the voice of reason and sort of leader . SCrappy makes his fnal appearence in a Scooby show and I am just gonna say it....I .DONT.HATE .SCRAPPY.I think he has his fun moments and I think this might be the best use of him ,as he really works as a double act with the equally overconfident Flim Flam

Scooby Doo is himself....But this might just be the most interesting depiction of Scooby ,because his fear of ghosts is depicted in a few episodes like crippling PTSD ,like facing real ghosts is taking a toll on poor Scooby .Also....WE MEET SCOOBYS PARENTS !!! I dunno that just blew my mind

Now lets talk about the new characters we meet a kid con artist named Flim Flam ....I think I hate Flim Flam .Not entirely hat,mind you ,he has some funny moments ,Susan Blus vocal performance is good and again I love his double act with Scrappy ....But he is so smug and cocky you just want him to shut up sometimes.Add to that he was a network addition and the writers hated him,and I dont blame them

We also have recurring villains in Weerd and Bogel who basically latch on to which of the 13 Ghosts is the big bad of the episode,and are the comical villains in juxtaposition to the often more serious 13 Ghosts. Not much to say ,they are fine though comedians Arte Johnson and Howard Morris deliver great vocal performances

The best part of the series however is Vincent Van Ghoul,a powerful sorcerer who guides the team .Part of why he works is he is played by the legendary Vincent Price.Much like Flim Flam the inclusion of a big name celeb was a network but which one was up to the creative team,The choice of Vincent Price I think was a brillaint one .Personally I like to describe Vincent Price as a master of Cozy horror,he's spooky but there is sense of fun and comfort to him and the honestly the same goes for Scooby Doo even at its creepiest .He is also just a genuinely good voice actor with a wonderful sense of humor so he is a perfect fit for the show .Now the show could have coasted on being a saturday morning cartoon starring Vincent Price (The character is even designed to look like Price ) but truthly Van Ghoul is a fun character on his own.Van Ghoul is both the wise expostion guy ,but he is also the team dad who will just hang out with the gang .He also has his faults that make him more endearing ,he gets grumpy and one of my favorite moments he's revealed to be an obnoxious house guest .He's truly a funny character and he adds a bit of spice to the show

The shows humor is mixed ,sometimes it is really funny,mostly when they just go off the rails or show off the comedic timing of both Casey Kasem and Vincent Price ......Other times,especially when its Flim Flam it can be annoying .Animation is ....Well its both a Hannah Barbera cartoon AND it was made in the 80's so its not great though there are some good designs

Now my top 5 episodes are

5.Its a Wonderful Scoob-Scooby quits the gang and is shown what the world will be like if villain of the week Time Slime won .Its one where Scooby truly is a hero have to have it

4.The Ghouliest Show on Earth -A circus themed adventure with my favorite the 13 Ghosts ,Professor Phantazmo played by the amazing Alan Oppenheimer

3.Scooby in Kwakyland -The gang are trapped in a newspaper comic ,theres is some great art direction and I adore the side plot about Vincent being a house guest

2.A Spooky Little Ghoul Like You -Vincent is placed under a love spell by the seductress Nekara who plans on draining his power .Good plot and just fun

1.Thats Monstertainment -The gang is sucked into a old Frankenstein movie and must play the parts till they can find a way out.What can I say I love old monster movies and this to me was the funniest episode

Overall its not a perfect show ,but if you like Vincent Price,Scooby Doo and bonkers cartoons I reccomend it

@ariel-seagull-wings @amalthea9 @metropolitan-mutant-of-ark @the-blue-fairie @themousefromfantasyland @angelixgutz @princesssarisa @filmcityworld1

[dreamyfanfix]

Chapter 3: Unsettling

Previously on the Bachelor. The contestants were separated into two teams of eleven and had to put on a play. Things got heated with group A as Claudia and Maria got came to blows. [insert clip of Claudia and Maria fighting over who should be the lead of their play. The group voted for Maria after her plea of having stage experience as a singer]. In the end, it was Maria's inability to remember lines that lasted longer than 3 minutes that gave group B their edge (with Anthony's brother Benedict here to judge) and it was group B that won the outing with The Bachelor, Anthony [insert clip of group B being announced the winners and some members of group A, Claudia and Rachel, complaining about Maria]

Today, the winners of the last episode will have a nice fun time at a salsa dancing class where each of them will get a chance to dance with Anthony but this class is more than education and whoever Anthony feels he has the best dance chemistry with will be the winner of the first one-on-one date of the season. The stakes are high but remember the first one-on-one date could set the tone for the season and the aforementioned winner could get a rose before the ceremony at the end of the day [insert Anthony talking to a mysterious lady about how much chemistry he is feeling]

Just remember dears, Lady Whistledown will be watching.

--

"Daphne, what the fuck are you doing here?" Anthony said immediately after shutting the door to his room.

"I just wanted to see you," she said sheepishly.

"Okay you have seen me now get out of here before anyone gets a long look at you and see that you are pregnant," Anthony gesticulates towards the door.

Daphne sniffles and then starts crying "I'm sorry, I just didn't know who else to talk to,"

Anthony immediately feels bad and embraces his sister while directing her to sit down on his soft couch. "Daf what's wrong? Is it Simon?"

Daphne sniffed "Yes and no. These pregnancy hormones are doing a number on me but it's about you,"

"What about me?"

"I know why you are doing this and I feel bad-" he tried to interject but Daphne held her hand up "-please just let me finish," He nodded and Daphne continued "I know you are doing this so no one finds about me and Simon and I feel bad. You never liked having public relationships and now you are dating multiple women on national television and it's all my fault," 

Anthony took a deep breath. He didn't know what to say. He hadn't known what to say to his sister or his family about this situation for months. "I'll handle it," was kind of his motto at this point.

When Daphne and Simon had shown up on his London doorstep 5 months ago having eloped, he was disappointed. Disappointed in his sister's choice of partner but also that Daphne had forgone all of the things that she had always wanted as a little girl: the big wedding with all her family there and yeah it hurt that one of the few things that Anthony looked forward to as the family's pseudo father figure was the ability to walk his sister down the aisle and he missed that chance with Daphne. Despite it all, Anthony swallowed his disappointment and helped Daphne and Simon announce their situation to the rest of the family. Anthony usually sat at the head of the table so he had a clear view of everyone's reactions. His mother Violet Bridgerton looked at him first and then smiled at Daphne and Simon, taking her daughter's hand. Hyacinth and Gregory who hadn't quite learnt any tact yet asked about Fred and everyone looked at Daphne and Simon, while Anthony took another sip of his drink. It burnt his throat as it went down but he needed it.

Daphne thought she might have been helping the situation because even Eloise joined in on complaining about the suddenness of Daphne's nuptials. Daphne looked to Anthony for help but he shrugged his shoulders, he had warned her. Mostly he warned her that if she could not stand up to the scrutiny of the family when Daphne does eventually go public about her and Simon's relationship the scrutiny would be even more heavy. She then exclaimed, "I'm pregnant!" It silenced the table and Anthony had honestly never seen his family so shocked since Colin had run off a month ago to go chasing after a girl who did not want him. His mother stood up to congratulate Daphne in a hug which got Daphne to finally relax while the siblings all murmured congratulations while Fran, Hyacinth ad Greg spoke about who the favourite Aunt/Uncle was going to be.

Anthony thought it was over, at least for a while, until he got an appointment request from Charlotte Queen. Anthony was prepared to grovel for her forgiveness on behalf of his sister but instead of an angry executive, he got a cool and calm one. Which to be honest, was a lot scarier to him. Charlotte came as a courtesy to let Anthony know that she was going to be making her nephew the new Bachelor. At first, Anthony did not understand why that was news until he realised that that would mean people would be asking questions about why Daphne and Friederich did not work and whatever Fred said on the show could make or break Daphne's reputation. Friederich wasn't a bad guy but he was incredibly sincere and a bit naive, it made it hard for people not to be on his side. It could easily make Daphne look bad especially when news of her pregnancy got out. Anthony asked Charlotte if there was anything he could do to get Frederich out of the next season and Charlotte made it clear that she would someone of equal standing to take her nephew's place. Anthony knew what he had to do next. It was excruciating but after cancelling his meetings for the day and having meetings with all his solicitors and media people it became clear that this could do good things not just for Daphne but as a way to clean up his romantic image as well.

Later that week when Anthony announced that he was going to be the next Bachelor his news gave way to a very mixed reception. Ben and Colin went in on the teasing Hy and Greg were intrigued but it was Eloise who was able to figure out that Anthony had secret motives. That is when Anthony had to come clean about why he was doing it. Everyone understood and no one could offer up any other solutions so Violet then proceeded with the Sunday lunch and the family moved on to lighter topics.

After the lunch was over Anthony went outside to get some fresh, not to smoke a stress cigarette, and Simon came out to speak to him. It was stilted at first, in a lot of ways Anthony had lost one of his oldest and dearest friends to his sister and no one knew how he was feeling. Anthony had a line drawn in the sand for their relationship now: Simon was Daphne's husband and that was that. Things took a turn when Simon commented how this could be a good thing for Anthony and his philandering ways when Anthony lost it. He didn't know when he started but he knew that he was punching Simon relentlessly and Simon did not fight back, it only made him angrier. It was only when Ben came to pull Anthony off Simon did Anthony see the damage he had done. Every one of his siblings looked at him like he was something to be afraid of and Anthony did not stop to speak to any of them as he left Bridgerton House.

It had 4 months since the incident and everyone in the family had moved on. Everyone except Daphne, who he hadn't spoken to in months. He got information about how she was doing from their mother and his siblings but he realised that he could not speak to Daphne or Simon without getting angry and he did not want to be angry around his pregnant little sister.

"Daf I don't know what you want me to say," Anthony said softly.

"I want you to speak to Simon," Daphne said looking at him with those bright teary eyes.

"What would we speak about? I already apologised for the punches. It's done now,"

"Except it's not done. Simon was your best friend. The only other people you are close with are Benedict and Fife, and Fife is terrible and Ben is family,"

"Simon's family now too Daphne, that's what happens when you get married,"

"I know I just didn't think you would lose your friendship over this," she said softly

Anthony got up feeling agitated "Well, we did. He went from being my best friend to your husband that's how these things work,"

"He can still be your friend," Daphne pleaded.

"Except he can't Daf. Not the way he used to be. Simon was the person who I could go to outside of this family, whose loyalty was to me first. It was nice it was freeing at times but now he's your husband and that means his loyalty is to you first," Daphne looked like she wanted to interrupt but Anthony continued "And that's okay. I wouldn't want it any other way for you and my baby niece or nephew in there but it just means I have to keep things a little close to the chest a bit. It may not be this glamourized version of how you thought this was going to go when you married your brother's best friend but it is what it has to be. At least for now,"

Daphne sniffed some more and nodded her head "I wish I had done things differently,"

Before Anthony could answer her there was a knock on the dressing room door.

It took Anthony right out of his moment and he went to go answer it. It was Kate.

"Hi," she said softly.

"Hi," Kate was so beautiful sometimes he needed a moment to adjust "Listen I don't have the time right now to speak,"

"Yeah, I didn't come to speak to you. Well, I did but not like that. Sophie and another line producer are coming to get you so that you can record your confessional for some of the contestants,"

Anthony nodded his head and went to close the door but he must have looked confused because Kate stopped the door from closing and said "I'm telling you this because few people know of your guest and the state she is currently in. We all sign NDA's but things get out. You might want her to put on a cap and leave through the back entrance,"

Anthony sighed and nodded "Thanks Kate,"

"No problem. You have 10 minutes," she said as she quickly walked away.

Anthony tried not to get too distracted by Kate's figure walking confidently and rushed to get a 6 months pregnant Daphne out of the studio lot.

--

Edwina was a nice girl. Nice being the operative word here. There was technically nothing wrong with her but as he got mic'ed up for their one-on-one date he could not help but feel like he made the wrong choice. Edwina was just one year younger than Daphne but she had already accomplished a lot, she was a principal dancer with the royal ballet, a dancing ability that helped a lot during today's salsa class, she had a degree in psychology and played the piano splendidly. These were all the things he needed reminding of going into this date because although no one could deny Edwina was a beauty, there was nothing distinct about her looks, bright wide eyes, soft delicate features and a smile that made you want to melt inside. It was usually his type but he could not help make the comparison between her and Kate. He did not know why but every time he saw Edwina he thought of Kate. Where Edwina was polite, Kate was cutting. Where Edwina was soft-spoken, Kate was direct and loud. Edwina was pretty, beautiful even but Kate was stunning. A strong beauty with strong features.

Anthony had to shake himself off from thinking about Kate. It was strange but also it made him uncomfortable that he looked at one Indian woman and saw another. Edwina and Kate may share similarities but it's not like he looked at Josie or Anika and saw Kate so why did Edwina remind him so much of Kate? Was he a racist? No way.

As the date with Edwina went on, they spoke about a few things. Anthony asked if she ever went horseriding and Edwina made a face "No not really. I'm not a big fan of horses. I like the small cute kind of animals that curl up in my lap,"

"The really cute ones like you," Anthony internally cringed at his comment but Edwina seemed to like it.

"Thank you. Tell me about you," Edwina prompted.

"What do you want to know?" He asked.

"What animals do you like? What books have you read? I want to know everything," she said sweetly.

"Everything huh? Well, I like cats and horses. My family owns a breed of horses," Anthony could feel that not only was he losing the interest of Edwina but the crew who seemed bored at the conversation unfolding. It was embarrassing, to say the least, he had never had his romantic charisma on display like this before "But if I had to be honest. The last thing I read was accounts and ledgers for my family company. I know it's incredibly boring,"

Edwina giggled "I don't think so. I love to read so I can keep you appraised about what the shelves are being stocked with for the both of us,"

Anthony chuckled a little bit and said "I'm glad, I always loved being read to. Especially by someone with a smooth voice like yours,"

Edwina visibly blushed and Anthony knew he had her hooked. He really was good at this. They spoke about family, Anthony told her to her shock that he had seven siblings and Edwina was nervous but said she did not have any siblings. Anthony figured her nervousness came from the thought of having seven members of his family she might have to impress.

--

After the end of his date with Edwina, Anthony was feeling invigorated. He liked her. Not as much as someone like Siena, Claudia or Maria but he did not want to give Siena a big head by showing his interest just yet. After recording his confessional, Anthony was able to spot Kate walking around on the grounds.

She was pacing staring at her phone and Anthony knew he should stay clear of her thinking about all the things he has been thinking about since he met her. The way she had already worked her way into his dreams. He convinced himself to go and speak to her by saying it was merely to thank her for the warning about Daphne earlier.

--

"...Yes, but she may be a bit over her head here. She is only doing this because of her grandparents and what they said," Kate said to Mary, her stepmother over the phone.

"Those people are vile Kate but Edwina can handle herself unless there is another reason why you think Edwina should not be in the running for one of England's most eligible Bachelors?" Mary asked with a sweeter tone

'Yeah, Edwina's gay mom' Kate thought but did not say, this was something Edwina was going to have to figure out on her own and she sure as hell was not going to be the one to out her sister.

Kate then heard someone behind her and saw Anthony heading her way. "Hey, Mom I gotta go. Send my love to Newton please,"

"Will do sweetie. I love you,"

"Love you too," As Kate ended the call Anthony had just reached her. Man, he smelled good. If she did not draw the short straw and had to rally footage for the girls in the house today then she would have been able to see his date with Edwina. She was nervous. Edwina was always good at putting on a show she just hopes that she didn't hurt anyone in the process.

"Who's Newton?" Anthony asked with a quirked eyebrow.

"Why do you want to know?" she asked.

"Why did you answer my question with another question? Is he your boyfriend?" He asked.

Kate was surprised by his boldness then again he had a way of making her heart beat faster. "Would that be any of your business?"

"Maybe not but I feel like I have to know," Anthony said.

Was it just her or did his voice get deeper at the end of that sentence? Kate felt herself heating up and said "He's my dog. A small little corgi,"

Anthony said "A dog huh? Why am I still jealous?"

Kate tried not to be affected by his question but she always loved showing pictures of her little boy so she brought her phone out and asked "Do you want to see how cute he is and how no one stands a chance next to him?"

"Sure,"

Kate showed Anthony a picture of her and Edwina lying on the grass with Newton stretched over her legs. Anthony looked taken back and then pointed at the picture it was then that she realised that Edwina was in the picture "You know Edwina?"

"Yes, she's my little sister. I told you I was here for family reasons just like you," Kate said nervously because she knew she should not have shown him that picture but at the same time hoped that it might prompt him to expel her sooner.

"That's surprising,"

"Surprising? Come on we look alike a bit," Kate said self-consciously about the fact that people liked to make jokes about how Edwina was the pretty one and Kate was the smart one. It was condescending but also opened Edwina up to people who liked to take advantage of her because she might not be historically clever.

"I know you look alike. The minute I saw her I thought of you. It was weird I thought I was racist for a second," Anthony was rambling but Kate found it cute.

"Well, take this as a warning to treat her with kindness," Kate said poking him in the chest.

Anthony grabbed her finger that lingered on her chest and Kate's heart skipped a beat "And why aren't you concerned that she might be the one who would be the mean one?"

"Edwina is kind and sweet and one of the few pure things in this world," she said.

Anthony quirked his brow "Is that so?"

"It is," she said.

"Well, I promise to treat her with the exact amount of kindness she gives out," Anthony said as he dropped Kate's finger to her surprise and disappointment.

Anthony walked away even though wanted him to stay. For what? She doesn't know but Kate knew she had to get a grip quickly because Anthony was supposed to be finding love on this show and she cannot be one of those women who is known for sleeping with people on the job.

Later as Kate watched footage of Edwina's date with Anthony did she realise Anthony's confusion. Edwina did not claim her. To be fair they were only half-sisters and a lot of Western families do not claim siblings that were not full but that was not how she and Edwina were raised so even though it hurt she kept on and tried to find the best angle for Edwina to come out of this date.

[bluerosejuliet]

Bridgerton: Season 3 thoughts

So as many of us know season 3 is going to focus on Polin as the main couple and some people are not to thrilled about it. I’ve read more than a few comments about how they will handle Benedict’s and also Eloise’s season. Here are some of my thoughts uo the upcoming season. (If you do not wish for book spoilers do not click keep reading)

First of all, the most important relationship that needs to be fixed is obviously Eloise and Penelope’s. Both need to do some growing and I predict Pen is going to do some big gesture to get back into her good friend’s grace’s. 

Colin was a bit harsher in his statement than in the books so not sure how it will play out but I do think we can expect some serious groveling. N

Now for Benophie.

I think season 3 will show Benedict in conflict with himself and trying to figure out if his art if good enough. I would love it if they gave glimpses of Sophie as well, not her face but just maybe Benedict and Sophie passing each other but not quite ever meeting. Someone mentioned having them meet at a ball at the start of the season which could work but I’ve also thought of this (again spoilers for Romancing Mr. Bridgerton).

So at the end of RMB Penelope is revealed by Colin as Lady Whistledown at Simon and Daphne’s ball because Cressida was threatening to blackmail her. I imagine in the show this will lead to Eloise somehow being threatened and Penelope deciding to sacrifice herself for her friend until Colin decides “like hell we are going through this shit. Here is the plan.”

In the final episode, Simon and Daphne hold a masquerade ball, where Colin unmasks his wife’s identity and somehow things work out for them (though the two do leave that night for a honeymoon to Italy, just in case). At the same ball Benedict, feeling despondent and uninspired as he has been throughout the season, becomes enraptured by a mysterious lady in silver with who he shares a dance with. However, when the time comes for everyone to take off their masks, in the chaos of Colin’s announcement, Benedict finds that his lady has disappeared. The episode ends with Sophie glancing back at the house and finally revealing her face for the audience. 

During Benedict’s story, since Eloise is supposed to be after Colin’s but now may be after Benedict’s, here is how I think they will focus on her. Eloise continues to pursue her dreams, but with her favorite brother in pursuit of love and her best friend pregnant with her first child, she starts to feel a bit out of place. Of course, there are also hints that she is corresponding  with someone but is secretive about it.  I know Eloise is supposed to be this strong, independent character but with all this happening a think she would start to be afraid of ending up alone. At the end of the season, as she watches Benedict happily marry Sophie while Penelope holds her newborn daughter, she decides to throw caution to the wind and meet with her pen pal: Philip Crane. 

Bonus: I’m just imagining the scene where the brothers are drinking with Philip and Colin is complaining about missing Penelope but instead he’s complaining about missing his family. So I rewrote the scene:

“How can you think of food?” Gregory said angrily.“I always think of food,” Colin replied, his eyes searching the table until he located the butter. “What else is there?”

“Your wife and child,” Benedict drawled.

“Ah, yes, my family,” Colin said with a nod. He turned to Phillip, leveled a hard stare at him, and said, “Just so that you are aware, I would have rather have stayed home with my wife and child.”

Phillip couldn’t think of a reply that might not hint at insult to the absent Mrs. Bridgerton, so he just nodded and buttered a roll of his own.Colin took a huge bite, then spoke with his mouth full, the etiquette breach a clear insult to his host. 

“We’ve actually only just had the baby you know. A daughter, Agatha.”

Phillip raised one of his brows in question.

“She’s only a couple weeks old and my sweet wife is still recovering.”

Phillip nodded, since some sort of response seemed to be required.Colin leaned forward. “I really did not want to leave my wife and daughter.”

This does lead to Benedict and Colin arguing about whose situation is worse as Benedict had to leave his honeymoon while Colin left his wife and newborn. I can bet Colin would complain about his daughter forgetting his face or that she’ll have grown more and he’ll have missed it.

Sorry for the rant but I just wanted to share my thoughts. I’m probably wrong but we shall see. The main thing I want to see is Eloise and Penelope make up. 

[cal-kestis]

Hi. Isn't it ''weird'' that Anthony put his hand on Kate's back already at that horse race? Like they hardly knew each other at that moment. Would you say Anthony already liked her and was aware of it? Or did he do it subconsciously? And Kate just didn't react? Surely everyone would react if someone you hardly know would put a hand on your back lol. Idk, i just found it wild they didn't acknowledge it. Or the fact that he took her drink. Not even a side eye or something ;)

hi! i guess "weird" would be subjective but it definitely was "improper" for the time period, especially since his goal was to court edwina 🤡 (long answer under the cut)

but I like to believe this was a conscious choice jonny made for Anthony to do subconsciously. and tbh, so many viewers completely missed it because it was so subtle. but it's just one of those little pieces you can pick up as evidence of him starting to fall in love before his mind could even catch up to the fact.

when he proposes to kate, he says "i've loved you since the first moment we raced each other in that park." i take that to mean the first episode is when the seed was planted and the love began to grow. he was clearly very attracted to her in the first episode. obviously, he fought it VERY hard though. like after daphne walks in on kate & ant in 2x04, she tells anthony the feeling she sees between him and kate is love. and i think he starts to realize what daphne said could be a little true. so his response — being a dutiful clown — is: "i know what i must do then" (read: "i will not allow myself to be in love, so if i'm in love, i must expidite my duties to squash those feelings").

but all the while, he's constantly pulled into kate's gravity: his hand on her back, his whole body turned in her direction, his eyes immediately finding hers in a crowded room, barely able to fight the need to kiss her. so yeah, i think his hand on her was a subconscious action born out of his growing feelings and immediate attraction.

but also, they were both SO in the moment and had so much energy invested in the horse race. so I'm sure it was easy for them to forget themselves. as far as kate not reacting to it — I'm guessing his hand was either barely touching her so she couldn't feel the pressure or she just wasn't focused on it while she was cheering and eager to best him.

also re: the drink, lmaoooo i didn't even remember it was meant for kate until now. she did say she didn't need a drink when anthony first mentioned it to lumley. so I guess he took it since she said she wasn't thirsty. but let's face it, they are both thirsty

[anastasiaavd]

I am obviously rewatching bridgerton s1 and I like those dump reactions posts so I am making one that I will keep updated w my every thoughts 💭

First of all HE CALLED HIS SON AN IMBECILE omg the word imbecile is so funny to me, a French speaker

"I believe I should like to stay" "I believe you should like to leave" VIOLET IS THAT BITCH this is one of my favorite line

Lady Danbury is the perfect embodiment of the aries-libra axis my queen ugh

YOU DO NOT DESERVE TO BREATH THE SAME AIR AS HER was he already soooooo mad for her where are those mens today

Okay he was already down bad in episode 2 when he asked her to call him by his name OMG HE TOUCHED HER BACK I did not remember this small details I love that

THE LOOKS HE HAS FOR HER ON GOD HE STUTTERED WHILE TALKING ABOUT HER SOMEBODY SEDATE ME

Okay the dream, the tea afternoon.. they are all in love so fast my babies I will try to keep my mouth shut bc my reaction to the inn scene will probably be 5000 words long

"You must marry the man who feels like your dearest friend" I remember this line very well bc it simply left me FLABBERGASTED I was like YES love is actually that simple

Regarding violet now, she IS the virgo-pisces axis

THE HAND TOUCH I AM CRYING yes I am easily moved by romantic gestures and grand feelings

"You wish to follow your heart and I wish to nurture my mind" Eloise is an amazing character

Stop whispering "touch yourself" in a public park Simon wtf is wrong w you

"If you desire the sun and the moon, all you have to do is go out and shoot at the sky" + "[She] is a woman, therefore she has nothing. You are a man, therefore you have everything." Eloise god bless you pls write your own book your words are everything to me

HE LOOKED BACK BEFORE LIVING THE BALL my man had visions of murder watching daphne and the prince dancing

I feel she looked better w the prince like the energies were more similar but they had NO chemistry it was almost awkward so yeah long live Simon

Love conquers all

YALL I JUST UNDERSTOOD SOMETHING HABSJSKSLD when Simon was staying quiet while daphne was screaming about how she was gonna be a princess and marry the prince, when he did not answer it was bc he COULDN’T talk, he was petrified just like he was in front of his father bc these are the only two ppl that can reach him I AM SO DUMB HOW COME I NEVER NOTICED THAT

The "says the man who almost shoot at me ! YOU WALKED IN THE MIDDLE OF A DUEL" scene really made me understand why ppl say the bridgerton family share one single brain cell omg

I love violet so much she is the mother everyone deserve I love my little lady

THE SPEECH IN FRONT OF THE QUEEN IS TAKING AWAY MY SANITY HE SAYS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL THINGS when he says "w miss bridgerton conversation has always been easy" he REALLY means it bc we know of his struggle omg I love him so very much TO MEET A BEAUTIFUL WOMAN IS ONE THING, BUT TO MEET YOUR BEST FRIEND IN THE MOST BEAUTIFUL OF WOMEN IS SOMETHING ENTIRELY APART i am deceased

OMG it’s happening ITS HAPPENING THE INN SCENE ITS HAPPENING I AM GOING CRAZY MAD IT IS TOO MUCH the speeches are the one thing keeping me alive the way they express their love I DO NOT WANT ANY DINNER i love their voices their accents their words

A separate post is needed for simons lines which are the closest things to heaven for me

SHE FEELS WONDERFUL YOU GUYS

Colin shutting down Anthony is highly appreciated this man needed to be humbled in s1

Jeffrey is a gem

Okay honestly not much happen after the sex scenes so I’m gonna stop this post and just enjoy it, nonetheless if violet or eloise or daphne say something incredibly wise that brings tears of admiration to my eyes I will obviously share it tho

I don’t have an opinion on that whole baby lies etc.. bc I understand both sides tbh. As he said he’d rather die than force daphne in an unhappy marriage but he still took advantage of her ignorance, while she took advantage of him like literally bsnskdld yet she didn’t even know she was doing such a bad thing bc she actually didn’t know ANYTHING bdndkdkd

And I love how they put some responsibility on violet for that whole mess bc yeah it is a mother’s job to teach such things to her children

I still don’t know if daphne had a miscarriage or just her periods at the end of episode 7 but that scene breaks me every time I watch it, i feel her pain so profoundly It is unthinkable to loose a child and the futur you imagined for them. And the duke’s eyes watering bc he deep inside wanted that child…

"I miss dancing with your father. The very last time I danced was with him. I suppose I miss everything about him, really." It is remarkable the way I miss Edmund and feel so sad about him when we never really saw him, we know nothing about him, we just have violet and the way she shines so much love when she or her children talk of him

[queer-and-dear-books]

Title: The Charm Offensive

Author: Alison Cochrun

Genre: Fiction | Romance | Friendship | Drama | “Reality” TV | LGBTQ+

Content Warnings: Homophobia | Biphobia | Racism | [All from one character]

Overall Rating: 9.9/10

Personal Opinion: The Bachelor but make it gay. No, this doesn’t mean one guy dating multiple men. This means the bachelor falls in love with his male handler and they embark on this thrilling, romantic ride of an adventure while on the show. Every moment made my heart swell in the best way possible and in the end, I had fallen for Dev and Charlie as well. As I’m sure you all would too. Them and their found family of queers.

Couple Classification: Dev Deshpande X Charles Winshaw = Nerd X Prep/Nerd

Do I Own This Book? I want to. One day.

Spoilers Below For My Likes & Dislikes:

Likes:

- Okay, I’ve only recently seen the appeal of reality TV with my brief fall into Big Brother. That being said, I still loathe the Bachelor franchise. I hate the heteronormative, toxic, female VS female storylines that they push and I hate the attention-seeking drama hogs that are cast every season. That is why this book is amazing. It completely subverts all those tropes by having an incredibly diverse cast and crew. I mean, we have the bachelor himself, the prince in this case, Charles Winshaw. He’s a tech mogul with a hot body who has severe anxiety and OCD. He’s also on the ace spectrum (probably) and gay (although he was repressed and didn’t even realize it). His love interest is his openly gay handler, Dev Deshpande who is desi and is suffering from depression. We have Jules Lu, Chinese and bi. We have Parisa Khadim, pan and brown. We have Skylar Jones, black and ace, with a non-binary partner. We have Ryan Parker who is the queer white guy. We have Angie and Daphne, the final two girls in the competition who are both queer! (Lesbian and bisexual respectively) And it was just so amazing watching this journey as Charlie and Dev fell in love and became this found family with everyone else.

- Charlie and Dev are just so adorable. They’re so patient and understanding with one another. When Charlie had his panic attacks, Dev was by his side. He never judged Charlie for his “quirks” and he paid so much attention to Charlie that he learned his coping skills like tapping out “calm” in morse code or breathing three times. He didn’t need Charlie to tell him those things. He just did everything he could to calm Charlie and accommodate his needs to make his experience on the show as pleasant and tolerable as possible.

- Likewise, when Dev had his depressive episode in Munich, Charlie stayed. When others left and were pushed away like Ryan and Jules, Charlie chose to stay. Because Charlie knew what it was like to push people away when all he wanted was for them to stay. And he was there for Dev every time. They knew when the other one was spiraling and instinctively went to look for one another when they were on set and it just made their chemistry so great to witness. It’s no surprise that literally all of their friends knew they were together.

- I love how this book strongly advocates for therapy and talking about how you don’t need to have your sexuality figured out at any specific point in time. For Dev, he was five. And for Charlie, he was twenty-eight. Both are okay and valid. And I love that they made each other feel valid. And for Dev, who was so afraid of being seen as not Fun Dev for going to therapy, I am so happy that Jules, Skylar, Parisa, and Charlie all talked about their own experiences in therapy to make him feel valid too.

- Okay, Dev flying Parisa out to be with her best friend on his birthday and Charlie flying out Leland Barlow, Dev’s favorite pop singer, to do a concert in Cape Town, South Africa, was just so sweet of them both! It made me feel so giddy too, just seeing them have fun at that concert especially after that big fight they had. Like Dev knew he was a dick and Charlie still did this for him all because of the depressive episode. I want a sugar daddy that will do that for me.

- And Charlie reading Dev’s entire script and loving it and telling Dev that it needs to be sold even though it’s about brown men falling in love is just so adorable and validating? I love that so much, especially as a writer. And the fact that Charlie realized his feelings after reading it was just so, so great! And the way he realized that his OCD wasn’t triggered when he was close to Dev and only Dev was just so sweet. Ugh, they’re just so fucking sweet!

- Their respective best friends are so funny and confident and I adore them. Jules and Parisa knew that their best friends were fucking and set them up at almost every turn. Parisa especially is hilarious and just brilliant. She was ready to sue Ever After for discrimination and became their new head of HR. She gave Charlie condoms, lube, and vividly drawn diagrams of anal sex. She is a queen on every level. And then we have Jules with that “practice date” idea and also pretending she couldn’t be his fake girlfriend so she can push the Dev/Charlie agenda.

- I knew that that ending was going to happen. I knew that they were going to slap all of the footage that they could find of Charlie and Dev together to create the first ever gay season. But just seeing the storyline the editors made actually play out was just so amazing. And getting to see Dev’s reaction for all 12 hours of it was just so pure. And the fact that Mark Davenport just rolled with the punches with his hosting and was essentially a huge fan of them finally just coming together was adorable! Because when Dev burst out on stage to apologize and also profess his love to Charlie, it honestly almost made me tear up. I wish it was real so that I could’ve watched it live.

- Dev’s boundless energy (when he’s not depressed) is so adorable. When he was happy and running through first-class on the airplane, when he was talking about falling in love in a boat, when he wanted to take photos of his version of Charlie to keep for himself, when he was arguing with producers for Charlie’s sake, I can absolutely see why Charlie fell in love. And when Charlie was drunk and talking about how Dev is the most beautiful man in the world and deflecting every gay man’s advance because he wanted them to know that Dev deserved to be loved far more than him, it just meant so much to me as someone with self-confidence issues too.

- Angie and Daphne are just so cool honestly. I love the girl power friendships on the show. And Angie is just a delight in general.

Dislikes:

- The only reason why this does not get a perfect score is due to a personal issue. I have beef with Dev. His reaction being to leave the show and ghosting all of his friends was just wrong. He could have just looked at any of their texts and realized he should’ve watched the show earlier. But no, he isolated himself. And for a guy trying to focus on his mental health, I just want to say pushing all of your fucking loved ones to the curb is not the way to do it. I am glad they all confronted him about it because fucking hell, I’d be so mad at him. And I’m glad he apologized to Charlie. But yeah, if Jules and Parisa beat the hell out of him, I would not have blamed them for that. He really ditched them all and his lovesick mentally ill lover too. Fuck. And his parents were watching Ever After and they just didn’t think to encourage him to watch too? I get they (and his therapist, Alex) were all trying to respect his boundaries but FUCK. Three whole months of radio silence and Charlie sent him a whole ass voicemail basically pouring his whole heart out and I just hated him for a solid four pages.

- Fuck Maureen Scott. She was the showrunner and she was just a monster. She really said, “I can’t be queerphobic, I hired all these queer employees.” And in that same breath, demonized Angie, a black bi woman. She said their next princess couldn’t be bisexual and that’s just so wrong. I’m glad she got fired and I’m glad the next princess ended up being lesbian. Let’s fucking go Daphne! I am actually less mad at Maureen than I am at Dev and the rest of the crew for never even trying to stand up to her in the past. Granted, they didn’t have the privilege and power that Charlie did as a cis white man with money but still. Well, at least Skylar admitted that they’d been complicit for too long. Charlie really pulled a power move at the end though when he got them to reedit and overhaul everything.

- I don’t know how I feel about Ryan. I do get why he broke up with Dev but damn, he really did act like a dick in the beginning. He didn’t even own up to it. He just let Dev be depressed and made no real effort to care about him. He claims he cares about Dev and didn’t want Dev to be in the closet for Charlie but he does not know how to be even a little empathetic toward people. He’s insensitive and abrasive and I wish we saw more of his caring side earlier.

- Fuck Megan too. And Delilah as well. And Maureen for sending them into Charlie’s room for that altercation. And also sending in that one boyfriend to just deck Charlie in the face. But I do love that we saw Charlie grow over the course of the show through that. He couldn’t speak up for that girl when her boyfriend was calling her slut but he spoke up against Delilah calling Megan “crazy.” And he later stood up to Maureen when literally no one else did. He had severe anxiety and he did that. He stuck to his morals and stuck to the love he had for Dev and I respect that so fucking much. Especially after all that Ryan said about him. I think that was the point Ryan realized that Charlie really was good for Dev.

- I’m still mad at Dev.

- Also a bit at Charlie and Dev for not getting together sooner. Like, I get why they couldn’t but the fact that they wouldn’t admit it wasn’t just practice sooner is just so mind-numbingly stupid to me. You’re telling me everyone else around them realized they were in love and they were out here just fervently making out and then going, “He doesn’t feel the same.” Then again, both of them somehow grew up thinking that they didn’t deserve love. Charlie I get after everything he’d gone through with his bigoted brothers and close-minded father and smug dudebro co-worker Josh Han. Dev, I get a lot less. So I am once again mildly mad at Dev. I just wish he would’ve reached out to Charlie or watched the damn show! I mean, I get why he refused to watch but his parents could’ve at least told him about the edit he was getting!

- I’m still mad at Dev for icing out Charlie like that. Charlie was just the sweetest  person and Dev just… UGH. But they were back together in the end and I am glad they are. I just wish the road to getting there hadn’t been so stupid.

[anotherkindofmindpod]

I wanted to listen to your Get Back episodes but I've read here that all you do is defend Paul and trash George. Do you think Paul is blameless?

Hello anon! Thanks for the ask. Predictably enough, not everyone who listens will agree with all of our takes. The Beatles fandom is large and diverse (which is definitely a plus!) and we are ALL entitled to our opinions. If you are interested in our analysis, we recommend that you listen for yourself and make up your own mind. More about our Get Back episodes under the cut!

Our goal in those episodes was to look at George and Paul in context. To that end, we discussed stresses George was facing at home and the understandable frustrations he was contending with as someone who felt he had outgrown his junior partner role. When we said things like “George wanted to be in another band,” we weren’t suggesting that he was finished with the Beatles but were commenting on how he wished the band dynamics could change to more closely resemble his experiences working with others. That he seemed to desire a change in dynamics is another good indication that he was open to remaining a Beatle. However, as we discussed, changing dynamics that have been entrenched since the early teen years takes time even under the best of circumstances, and these weren’t the best of circumstances.

We also addressed how annoying it probably was for George to have to deal with John and Paul and Whatever Was Between Them at that stage. All of which is to say, we wanted to move away from the decades-long narrative that the only problem George had was named Paul (though we did discuss how Paul’s statements/attitudes contributed to tensions in the years before Get Back as well as during the sessions themselves). We also wanted to challenge the idea that Paul was always the only or most significant “problem” in the group as well as the idea that Paul couldn’t have been dealing with legitimate stress caused by his bandmates (including George).

Our show was a conversation between people who have different but overlapping views on Paul and George. We did point out the moments where Paul and George were supportive of one another or excited about one another’s work. If you listen to the episode, you’ll see that we were having a dialogue about how to interpret certain moments, not necessarily presenting a unified thesis. We also had a (scripted) dialogue about Paul’s “Hey Jude” comments as well as Norman Smith’s comments about Paul’s attitude to George. This was framed and edited as a constructive example of how to politely challenge and fact-check one another, wherein Daphne presents Phoebe with a quote that changes her opinion in “real time.” Not to ruin the illusion of ‘showbiz,’ but Phoebe produces and edits the podcasts and in that instance volunteered to be challenged “live” for the sake of enriching the conversation. Being unafraid to change one’s mind when presented with concrete, relevant information is a good demonstration of how Beatles discourse can be improved across the board.

Sometimes people may conflate “arguing Paul’s POV” with “excusing/endorsing Paul’s bad behavior,” but they are not the same thing. One of our goals has always been to give Paul’s position and perspective equal consideration in the Beatles story, including in the final years. This is not to absolve Paul of any wrongdoing, but to challenge listeners to look at situations from all sides- including ones that may feel uncomfortable. No one is required to agree with all of our opinions, we merely wish to discuss old topics from a fresh angle. We said plenty of things that were critical of Paul in both episodes. In episode two we acknowledged Paul’s “high maintenance” quality of being “rejection sensitive” and needing “special handling.” We also took him to task for: -Being overly critical of George’s guitar work (from Norman Smith’s POV) -Not being receptive to others’ input or criticisms -being “insensitive” (to stepping on other peoples’ toes or egos) -Being “annoying” (for, amongst other things, shushing the Beatles on rehearsal tapes)

In episode three we called Paul out for: -Being stubborn and having to always get his way -Being an "impatient dick" to George -Speaking for the entire band against their wishes -Exploding at Ringo -Being a "moron" to/with Ringo - Neglecting John's needs

Any claim that we aren’t critical of Paul is simply unsubstantiated. However, we don’t believe any Beatle is solely responsible for the demise of the band. After the Beatles’ breakup, John and George (sometimes via Allen Klein) did a good job of advocating for their own positions and publicly criticizing Paul’s behavior, both in the press and in court. Those comments have been canonized and subsequently repeated and rehashed for 50 years. Get Back appears to challenge some of these assumptions in many peoples’ minds, and It Was All Paul’s Fault may no longer be a foregone conclusion that neatly and satisfactorily explains every problem in the Beatles history. We argued that George could have been “cranky” due to the situation with Pattie and included lots of other reasons he may have been feeling frustrated. However, we felt it was also important to point out that even so, some of his actions and attitudes may have made him difficult to communicate or work with at times too.

We also see George as a decent but flawed human person, capable of judging others unfairly and acting out of anger or self-interest. Just like the other Beatles—and everyone else in the world!  If it’s not acceptable to say those things, then in what manner or under what circumstances is it acceptable to point out where George’s actions or flaws may have had a negative impact on a working atmosphere or on those he loved? People who loved George also attest to his dark side. Even Ringo and Ravi Shankar, who adore George with their whole hearts, have this to say:  “George had two incredible separate personalities. He had the love bag-of-beads personality. And the bag of anger.” - Ringo Starr    “He also has his black moods, as we all do - and God help anyone who at that time incites his wrath!”- Ravi Shankar So, since we accept George has flaws (just like anyone!), we don’t buy that any George/Paul conflict must be Paul’s fault and Paul’s alone. In essence, we believe there is room for ALL points of view, that no Beatle is above criticism, and that each Beatle deserves the best defense from a sympathetic POV.

Thanks for the ASK and for showing interest in Another Kind of Mind!

[antiloreolympus]

11 Anti LO Asks

1. I feel like RS shits on Artemis when I feel like she isn’t bad as everyone makes to be. When she meets persphone, her look on the pink goddess was she’s never had a chance to bend the rules or even live a little. She takes her to a party, let’s her meet her brother and their friend, normal stuff. She didn’t have mind powers to know what Apollo did, and she did try to apologize for upsetting persphone with a cake. I wouldn’t say the two are besties but she did try to help persphone best she could. And now Artemis is used to excuse Persphones genocide crime. 

2. Took them long enough to make Artemis' body like every other woman in the latest free episode wow such diversity 🙄

3. Hear me out, Apollo takes Daphnes hibernation to frame persphone as more of a nymph turning people into plants. We now have the whole cast know that’s what she’s capable of and unable to fix. Idk I just feel like persphone isn’t gonna face any consequence “oh community service gee golly sounds like fun” really deflated me since ya know persphone not only kill mortals but turned a nymph into a plant.

Hades said this was his domain to deal with yet he’s not gonna help out his ex gf who he witnessed turned into a plant after he wasted her time using her as a place holder. RS is afraid to give persphone any form of growth. 

4. i mean, i wouldnt pay upwards to nearly 50 dollars for a book version of something i could read for free on my phone in the format it was made for either.

5. what i dont get is if rachel wants the endgame to be kids then why is adoption not an option? its not even brought up, there is only focus on biological kids. more so, and i HATE the fandom does this bc rachel is so easily swayed by them, but its always boys too? the only kids hades seems to have in myth (excluding the orphic ones) is either the furies (which cant happen in LO) or makaria, so daughters, but it seems the fandom and rachel care more to follow the male heir trope for some reason :/

6. im just sad she had such a unique style but now its just gone. even her sketches on twitter, so we know its her doing it instead of a team, just lack that charm and style it once had. i just dont get how she lost that unique edge so fast. the majority of LO is in this current style too while her original one, which is what made it popular, was only in the first 20ish episodes.

7. It doesn't make sense that Artemis n Apollo got to morder a buncha people without a pass and didn't get send to court but the only reason it doesn't make sense is because RS decided 'lol scene's looking like shit for perse, time to pull out another greek myth that makes everyone else look bad lololol' (also why isn't perse defending Artemis if she lovse all her frieinds so much? Like PLEASE RS STICK TO SMTH)

8. Where can we go to read the bonus chapter?

From OP: Currently, there’s not a way to read it online from what I’ve seen.

9. I don;t get how when the villagers murder perse's friends, they get killed, but when perse kills, she gets community service???

From OP: That’s because nymphs are more valued than humans. It’s kind of weird because in LO, nymphs are lower class and aren’t really treated with respect either. They’re like slightly above mortals in terms of importance.

10. if we reach episode 200 of LO and they're still not a couple i might actually lose it. true beauty and lets play are both dragged out too but even they both have more romance going on than dragging it out this much.

-----FP Spoilers/Mention-----

11. FP TALK: So i had to catch myself up with the past episode of this and… my god i just remembered why the HELL I dropped it. So basically Hades found out from eavesdropping and then Persephone was technically FORCED to talk about it while Hades kept PUSHING IT!!! Only for him to become that pissed off and for Persephone to stop him from that form!? Bitch I would’ve told him that he’s overstepping boundaries. And for him to say “what doesn’t kill you make you stronger” to her??? B r u h, that turama doesn’t make you stronger, it hurts and it stays with you no matter what. Yes you can heal from it but yet Persephone is still healing, only for her to keep. Wing forced to talk about it??? That’s horrible and not what she would need to hear. Also why the hell do I sense a Apollo redemption?? I hate where this is going. Why did I pick this up again??😓

[rappaccini]

bridgerton s2 thoughts:

man this is like every great tropey regency au fanfic i've ever read and it's still like crack to me.

i love how popular this show is. i said it before but i'll do it again: it's so nice to see something so fem gaze succeed.

i'm really noticing the artistic liberties with the time period this time around. i feel like people get so finicky about ~the costuming~ and ~the string covers of pop songs~ but the goal of this drama isn't to accurately nail the time period, it's to show us a fantasy of it. the bright colors, glittery costumes and huge setpieces are the point.

same for the tropier romance aspects of it all. i get that regency romance, given its dependence on certain ideas about gender, romance, and uh, 'breeding' aren't for everyone, but that's just what the subgenre is. the show knows what it is and is proud of it and i'm glad they're not pulling a tua2 and scraping the show's tropier aspects out to beg the antis to love it.

the narrative this season, though always planned and therefore not a reaction to the audience's take on s1, works great in that context: we saw a rake fall for a good soft gentle girl, and one of the criticisms was that said girl just wasn't as compelling as the rake. which is true, but, that's the point--

--honestly phoebe dynevor needs more credit for her performance. it's not easy playing the character who's meant to be the audience surrogate and she played that role very well in s1, like kristen stewart delivering bella swan or dakota johnson delivering anastasia steele. we're not supposed to fall in love with daphne, we're supposed to fall in love with simon, and she understood how to compliment page's performance in a way that ensured we would; it takes real generosity and humility on the part of an actor to understand when the story isn't meant to be About Them, and she deserves commending for that.

the downside to this is that without simon, daphne drifts, because her character isn't designed to function without him, and dynevor can't salvage that because that's not what her performance is designed to do. she doesn't have the right material to make daphne a stronger character (which she wasn't hired to do in the first place) so it simply can't be done.

speaking of page, it's... weird, him not being here. i'm happy he's on to better and brighter things, god knows he deserves it, and i'm fine with simon being mostly absent from s2, but i really feel like both the show and he would have benefited from him dropping in for an episode or two, say at the family croquet match; we get to see simon and daphne having their happy ending, and page gets 1) free money and an easy day at work in an environment he's comfortable in, 2) to reaffirm his relationship with the fandom that launched his career, 3) to maintain his breakout role so he has a safety net in case all those new projects he's in (none of which have been released and could go any which way, including very badly) flop. it's a misfire on both his and the show's part to not have him pop in at all.

-- back to the dynamic shift. self-insert romances will always be weaker because said self-insert has to be less interesting so you can fill in that space with yourself. romances are best when both parties are equally matched in terms of narrative weight and strength of personality. this romance, being essentially about anthony meeting his equal, is less about you being able to imagine yourself in the place of his future wife, and more about the story itself.

as such, simone ashley had a much bigger challenge than dynevor did, as someone who has to play a much more defined character, and one who's meant to be anthony's equal at that. she does this very well. she's witty, headstrong, compelling and loveable. hoping ashley gets to take off into superstardom the way rege-jean page did.

and the relationship she has with anthony-- at least imo, since i'm not the biggest fan of self-insert intended romances-- is stronger for it. the chemistry is impeccable, the banter is spicy, and most of all it's so fun to watch anthony meet the female version of himself.

[side note: jonathan bailey is a fantastic anthony and no, him being gay irl doesn't hamper his intense chemistry with ashley at all. and since this sure is a hot topic right now, surprise surprise, when you give a gay actor a role that doesn't match their irl sexuality, and give them the writing, direction and costar support needed to deliver their performance (and an audience who don't obsess over their sexuality), they can deliver. because they are actors, and the job of an actor is to play a person they themselves are not. stares at tua's production crew and audience. queer actors can play straight characters. all you have to do is let them.]

that being said, the hamfisted feminism is.... while well-intentioned and definitely in the vein of the fantasy regency than the reality, i don't love how it's kind of consumed eloise as a character and thrown daphne under the bus. it's okay to be something more traditional in terms of personality, appearance and one's goals for their life. wanting to be happily married with a child, or being soft-spoken, accomodating and emotionally attentive doesn't make you less intelligent or less valuable than wanting to be independent or being headstrong and dominant. it's really weird that a regency show of all things seems to have forgotten that, but i think it needs saying.

lady danbury is so much damn fun as always.

neat seeing the whistledown plot evolve. waiting to see it was for a second season in a row would've been tired, it's a fun change and it makes some neat wrinkles in the story to watch penelope both be lady whistledown and cover it up.

glad bridgerton took notes re the diversity problem and not only added major asian characters, but chose to make the love interest dark-skinned. that definitely wouldn't have happened if there hadn't been public discourse over it, and this is a rare instance of a show taking the right notes from their audience.

also nice to see the sharmas incorporating their culture into their characterisation, though man those hot takes about how bridgerton handles race are gonna be even messier now. all they had to do was just not mention it in s1, but here we go. i guess there's no avoiding it.

that being said.... hey bridgerton. where are the queer people. if this is regency romance for Everyone, where are they. come on now. cast some trans love interests. give two of the bridgerton kids queer romances.

[binas-idea-vault]

Hear Me Out (this one is gonna sound dumb) : Dream SMP Scooby-Doo AU

JUST TRUST ME ON THIS ONE-

picture it with me at least for a second alright because i have many things to say (Scooby-Doo was and still is my favorite show to binge ever because there’s not really a storyline that spans throughout episodes so you can just watch any random episode. therefore tis the best show to turn into an AU that is comprised of oneshots that can be read in any order)

so without further ado let’s get started. 

Micheal as Scooby-Doo because yk, Micheal supremacy. i don’t really think much else needs to be said for this.

i think Ranboo would be Shaggy because of obviously Shaggy’s connection to Scooby-Doo, they’re both tall and also because arguably Shaggy has the most protag powers out of everyone else in the cast. most of the places the team go to is because of a contest Shaggy and Scooby won. and out of the characters in the Dream SMP who is the most portrayed by the fandom as the protagonist? Ranboo. a case could be made for Tommy being Shaggy and whilst i do see it, i think that Ranboo is more Shaggy (in this au anyway).

i feel as though the closest fit for Tubbo in this au would be as Daphne, since Tubbo is really intelligent but his intelligence is sometimes downplayed with the way the fandom portrays him and his commentary can be hilarious much like Daphne’s one-liners in the show. also they’re both kinda danger-prone, with Tubbo getting his life constantly threatened by people on the SMP and being put into positions that can endanger him (like when he was appointed president of L’Manburg) and how Daphne is trapped somewhere by the bad guy/fake monster in almost every single episode (and always manages to escape like the absolute queen she is). so whilst both characters have some differences i think overall they’re the best fit.

hear me out on this one, Foolish as Fred. both are categorized as himbos and make things more complicated than they need to be (Fred’s elaborate traps to catch the bad guy/fake monster and Foolish building the mansion as he himself said he made it way bigger than it needed to be, i’m pretty sure it’s like the same size as the prison or taller than the prison i forget which. just, Foolish’s multiple insanity arcs during the mansion building process). also Foolish gets along with Ranboo and Tubbo so them being a group just makes sense. 

which leaves Reader as Velma (random side note but i searched up characteristics of Velma to make sure i was getting the description correct and i almost wrote a description for Velma the villager from animal crossing until i double checked and was like “this doesn’t sound like Velma-”) who is the ‘brains’ of the group. really the logical thinker who has an extensive on obscure topics (like Norse writing from that one episode in season 3 i think) and who always has the spiel about the bad guy/fake monster after the group figures out who it is. also some random one-liners and the obligatory person with glasses joke (ignore if unlike me you don’t have terrible eyesight-).

Dream would be a bad guy that keeps showing up again and again in different fake monster costumes who wears a mask under the fake monster mask (like the overdramatic and meta person he is) who originally had help from Sapnap and George until they decided to quit (redemption arc) and help the team catch Dream every once in awhile.

Tommy would be a character that shows up a lot/is referenced a lot but technically isn’t part of the main cast since he is close with Tubbo (and begrudgingly close with Ranboo/getting closer with Ranboo in the canon).

the Eggpire is an organization of people who use fake monsters to try and scare away people from certain areas so businesses go bankrupt and the Eggpire can take over for profit (most of the motives in the episodes are for business reasons and this is the best i could come up with-). also a recurring bad guy that isn’t too central for the plot of any other episode and their past antics are referenced so you don’t have to watch the other episodes they’re in. most of the Pro-Omlette crew are also in those episodes with the main team helping them stop the Eggpire’s most recent scheme (by the Pro-Omlette crew i mean Captain Puffy, Eret, and the Syndicate minus Ranboo since they’ve all expressed a distaste towards the egg)  . (this is making me want to make a Carmen Sandiego inspired AU my brain needs to stop-)

the other characters not mentioned are random bad guys/fake monsters or they are the people who notify the main team about a fake monster/are being affected by the presence of the aforementioned fake monster. 

uhhh that’s about it, i was at first thinking SBI Scooby-Doo but then i was like “well there’s 4 members of the cast + Scooby-Doo which we could put as Steve so there wouldn’t be room for a Reader character if we’re staying true to the source material” so then i thought of the Syndicate as Scooby-Doo characters but technically speaking there’s 5 members (Niki, Ranboo, Technoblade, Philza and the unknown member with the code name Harpocrates) and also i dont know who i’d put as Scooby-Doo and of course no space for a Reader character. 

(i have no idea how to end these things so yeah-)

[phantoms-lair]

The Two Werewolves of Scooby Doo Part 1

Base on This by @cirilee And the 13 Ghosts episode “To all the Ghouls I’ve loved before”, which that clip is from

“-for at night, all the townsfolk turn into werewolves.”

“W-werewolves?” Even as his voice reflexively spoke in fear, Shaggy felt himself relax. Werewolves weren’t too terrible.

“And to think, I wasn’t hoping this would be the one full moon you wouldn’t be hiding from werewolves.” Daphne elbowed him playfully in the ribs.

“Oh, is that tonight?” Shaggy asked weakly. Traveling between time zones and over the International Date line threw off his sense of time enough he hadn’t realized it. Crud.

How to handle this? If it weren’t for the curse on the town, he’d suggest they get rooms and stay the night. But if this Vincent guy was right, and everyone was going to turn into werewolves, well camouflage as it might be, Daphne was going to come out the other end with questions and he’d just as soon avoid that.

But heading to the plane meant going to the temple with the *gulp* evil spirits. And there were less places to hide on the plane. Like, it wasn’t impossible, but neither situation was good.

Caught in his turmoil, Shaggy barely noticed as the mayor sat them down and offered them a mug with something that smelled so foul it snapped Shaggy right out of his stupor. “Eyurgh, like, what is this?”

Daphne smiled as she took a sip. “Shaggy Rogers, did we actually find something edible that I like and you don’t?”

“Like, apparently.” Shaggy slid his mug her way, wanting it as far away from him as possible. “We should take a picture to commemorate the occasion” Daphne joked. “What is this anyway?” “Our town specialty.” The mayor answered. “With just a hint of boiled Wolfsbane.”

“Wolfsbane?” Flimflam said in surprise. “Isn’t that the stuff that turns people into werewolves.” Scrappy asked.

Before anyone could answer, the stage lit up. In the center was a coffin with a small bat emblem in the middle. The performer stepped out “To all the ghouls I’ve loved before!”

But Shaggy wasn’t listening to him. He was looking at the little details, like the slicked back black hair, the suit with cape. The slight greenish tinge to his skin. The small fangs.

Vampire

“Nope.” Shaggy stood up and grabbed Daphne’s hand and tucked Flimflam under his arm. He would take evil spirits, he would take Daphne’s questions. But he was NOT staying in the same place as a vampire. Scooby, on the same wavelength, picked up Scrappy so he wouldn’t have any leverage to fight back. Scrappy and Daphne both protested as the ran for the door.

The vampire-looking man tried to shut the door on them, but Shaggy yanked it open with almost superhuman strength.

”Shaggy I think this is a bit of an over reaction.” Daphne protested.

Shaggy ignored her. “Like, one way trip out of town, man.”

The stagecoach driver gave a wicked grin. “Sorry, no more trips, today. Best get back to the tavern for some drinks.”

But Shaggy was going anywhere but back to the tavern. “Like we’ll walk.” He managed to get about a block or two before Daphne squeezed her hand out of his grasp.

“Shaggy, what’s wrong with you? There’s no such thing as werewolves.” “Werewolve’s nothing, did you see that vampire on stage?” Shaggy felt his heart pounding. He wasn’t sure if it was fear, the full moon rising, or just the effort of dragging Daphne and carrying Flimflam, but his adrenaline level was definitely going up.

“Shaggy, that was a performer. He was probably doing a bit.” Daphne argued back. “This isn’t even your normal fear, you’re going completely overboard. Shaggy, what’s wrong?”

He opened his mouth, but no words came out. How could he explain? Especially in the time allotted him.

Time that hand run out. The sun dipped below the surface and Shaggy felt a now familiar feeling run through him. “Daph.” He kept his voice steady, but looked at the ground. “I know what’s about to happen is going to look really weird. But it’s going to be okay, and I would never hurt any of you. Ever.”

Shaggy braced himself for a response, but he wasn’t expecting it in the form of a growl. He raised his eyes and saw Daphne twitching in the moonlight. “Daph?”

For the first time Shaggy was completely unaware of his own transformation as he saw Daphne shift into her own. His heart dropped, this was something he never wanted for any of his friends. “Daph, listen to me. It’s going to be okay. I know this is scary, but you’ll get through it.”

But Daphne didn’t respond to his words, just snarling and growling until the transformation completed. Then she lunged at Flimflam.

“Daphne! What is wrong with you?” Shaggy grabbed her a struggled to hold her back.

“Th-They’re both werewolves!” Flimflam exclaimed, scurrying back.

“I thought you fixed that?” Scrappy said, crossing his arms.

“Like, it didn’t take.” Shaggy grunted, still struggling. “Seriously Daph?”

But Daphne seemed beyond words are reason, more like a wild animal than a person. Maybe...?

Shaggy adjusted his grip so he had one hand around her torso and used his free hand to scratch behind her ears. She immediately relaxed, leaning into the scratching. Shaggy breathed a sigh of relief, but his ears perked up as he heard the townsfolk coming. But again the sounds were growling and snarling, as if they were all feral.

“Hide,” he hissed to Flimflam and the Doos as he straightened up. Daphne let out a small whine as the scratching stopped, but Shaggy hoped she could keep from going hostile at least until the crowd had past.

Sure enough a large pack of werewolves turned the bend. Shaggy did his best to imitate their snarling and growling, while pointing in the opposite direction of his friends. Thankfully they took the bait, and ran off. Shaggy sighed. “Okay guys, coast is clear.”

Scooby came out first and tentatively got close to Daphne. She snarled a bit when she saw Flim Flam, but calmed down when Shaggy started petting her again.

Flim Flam looked at Shaggy suspiciously. “So how come you aren’t trying to go after me?” “Because, unlike the other, Shaggy is a true werewolf.” Vincent’s voice came from somewhere inside Flim Flam’s hoodie. He reached into the pocket and pulled out a crystal ball, in which Vincent’s face floated in the middle.

“Like, what do you mean?” Shaggy asked, still trying to keep Daphne calm.

“Unlike a true werewolf, the people of this town are reduced to a mindless state whenever night falls. They can recall their actions, but have no control over them. And they are driven to attack humans.”

“So just me and you,” Flim Flam said, a bit upset. “Actually just you, I have my ways of protecting myself.”

“We need to get out of here. Mr. Van Ghoul, you’re sure our plane is in the temple?”

“It is, though it is still out of fuel.”

“Not a problem.” Flimflam reached for one of his omnipresent bottles. “Jet fuel is one of many uses for Flim Flam’s Lot’s O’ Luck Joy Juice.”

“Re’re roing ro re remple?” Scooby asked with his head down.

“We gotta. I don’t know how long we’ve got the villagers distracted, and we need to figure out how to fix Daphne.” Shaggy felt his panic bubble, but forced it down. Right now he was the only one who could keep Daphne from doing something she’d never forgive herself for in her right mind. He had to look out for her, and the rest of them.

~~~~

Figured if we’re going post Reluctant Werewolf  Shaggy would be a lot more nervous about someone who looks like a version of Dracula. Also would be a lot less forgiving about people who would willingly turn others into werewolves.

It’s amazing what you can draw the line at. Werewolves I’m fine with. I balked so much at the drink being ‘Fresh Squeezed Wolfsbane’ because that stuff is extremely toxic. Like, everyone in the town should be dead levels toxic. Boiling reduces it toxicity, so I threw that in with the change that it was just a little added to the drink. Still not exactly comfortable with it...