#yes i am that predictable sadly

[omppupiiras]

the mortifying ordeal of being known etc but today i was talking about trains with my coworker (they're not currently running from my city so they're being replaced by buses), and i mentioned that luckily the next time i'm gonna need to take a train is in may so it should be fine by then

her immediate response was "where are you seeing käärijä?" 😭 khkkhk am i that predictable huh

[endless-ineffabilities]

eclipsed (Aemond Targaryen x f!reader)

You loved him. He didn't feel the same. Until everything changed – but is it too late?

main masterlist ▪︎ word count: 1.7k

a/n: I envisioned modern Aemond as I was writing this. Also, the usual taglist is sadly not included for this spontaneous oneshot. I trust that the angst will find you if it's meant to be!

Aemond Targaryen was once everything to you. 

Your guiding light. Your sun and your stars. You knew you had a heart, you knew it was beating true, because it worshipped him with such a ferocity that would put a devotee to shame. Nothing and no else compared. You would have been content to simply exist in his orbit, to watch as he lived and loved.

He loved you too. You knew that. But as a brother loved a sister, as a friend loved a friend. 

And all kinds of love were meant to appear dim and pale in comparison to what he felt for Alys.

He doted on her. She was everything to him. She was his guiding light, his sun and stars. You could never compare. 

It was an unbearable truth, one you had tried for too long to ignore, but there came a time when you reached your breaking point. One evening, you asked to meet him. You knew you were about to ask for so much more – you were asking for something he could never offer.

You were asking to be seen. 

You could no longer sit idly by, watching the sun shine on the world while the moon was left in the shadows.

When you confessed, his reaction was as callous as it was predictable. Aemond laughed in disbelief, as though your words were at the end of some punchline. “Okay,” he said dismissively, “I love you too.”

“No.” You shook your head, looking away. You had to bite your lip to keep the tears from falling. “I love you, Aemond.”

“Yes, I know,” he smiled, taking a step closer, grimacing when you put your hands up to stop him from reaching out for you.

“I’m in love with you.” You had to take a deep breath before you continued. “I love you. Maybe you knew all along. Maybe you didn’t. But you have to know that.”

There it was, suspended in the atmosphere between the two of you, before the inevitable crash and crumble. 

“I don’t get it, darling.” He exhaled roughly, as if he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “You love me?”

“What don’t you get?” Your voice came out sharper than intended, but you couldn’t be anything but honest. 

“I… this is… but you’re like a sister to me!” 

“Oh, fuck off, Aemond.” You waved his words away, trying to dampen just how brutal they stung. Just how much they cut deep. 

“Well, then,” he sneered, his eyes darkening with a defensive anger. “Thanks for that.”

“Is that…” You met his eyes once more, that heart-wrenching shade of blue. “Do you have anything else to say?”

His gaze hardened. “I’m with Alys.”

“I know that.”

“I love Alys.” He spat the words out like they were meant to be a scolding. Didn’t you know this? What exactly were you expecting from him? That he would cry and take you in his arms? I love you too… I love you too… I always have…

“I know that too.” The first bitter tear fell down your cheek. You inhaled sharply, wiping at your face with the back of your sleeve. You began pacing in an attempt to get a hold of your nerves. You did not want to have a complete breakdown in front of him. But then again, the worst has already happened. How much more humiliation could there possibly be?

“I’m sorry, darling.” His voice softened as he reached for you again, and this time, when you resisted, he simply caught your arms gently and pulled you against him. “Truly, I am. You have no idea.”

He held you, however long you needed to be held. He was good like that, he always has been. But it felt like a cruel comfort – mere scraps of affection when you wanted the entire feast. 

“I do love you, you know,” he murmured into your hair, his voice soothing as it broke your heart anew. “Always, I promise.”

And he did. 

But it was never going to be enough.

You were the moon to his sun, forever watching from a distance, knowing you would never truly share the same sky.

Aemond rarely saw you after that night. A week passed, then two, then a month. The silence between you stretched longer than he had expected, but still he thought nothing of it. Perhaps you were simply giving each other space, allowing the awkwardness to settle.

But then, when he tried seeking you out, there were no responses. He found out from a mutual friend that you had moved to another region. There was a promising work opportunity, apparently, one that had been too good to pass up.

You just conveniently failed to mention this to him. 

You drifted from his life without warning, and Aemond was not prepared for how deeply it would hurt. How lost he would feel. He was out of orbit, reeling, mourning the ghost of someone who still lived, but seemingly no longer wanted anything to do with him.

Alys was not blind to it. But there was nothing she could do. She could only watch as Aemond’s light began to dim, gradually fading until it barely reached her. She had no choice but to stand by as he became a hollow version of the man whom she thought loved her so fiercely.

An entire year passed before Aemond saw you again. 

It happened by chance, or perhaps some cruel twist of fate. You were there, with your adorable flushed cheeks and smile as bright as the sun. He did not know what to expect, but there you were, hugging him like the long lost friend he had become.

You looked better than ever, while he was barely getting by. 

“You look like you could use some sun, Aem,” you remarked lightheartedly, noticing how pale he got. “I can’t believe it’s been so long.”

You appeared carefree, but all Aemond could feel was the weight of the past year pressing down on him. 

“You left me,” he spat out before he could help himself. It sounded like an accusation, like a wound that never healed. How could you?

“I did leave, yes,” you say tentatively, confused by the venom in his tone. “But I don’t think I left you.”

“What would you call it then?” His tone was bitter, bordering on desperate. 

“I moved away,” you shrugged. “It happens. Friends move away, they move on.”

“You weren’t supposed to,” he muttered. His hands clenched at his sides when what he truly wanted was to reach for you.  

“I had to,” you replied, your voice quieter. “It was the only way.” 

Aemond frowned, his gaze fixed on your face, searching for something he couldn’t quite name. "The only way for what?"

You spoke again, slower, “It was the only way to get over you.”

He was hanging by a thread, and right then, he became untethered.

“I loved you, Aemond,” you continued. “And I couldn’t just stay there and watch you be in love with someone else. I’m sorry, but I had to leave. It was the only thing I could do to save myself.”

Your words hit him like a blow. He stared at you, the one who had been everything to him once – his anchor, his confidante, the one constant in his life. If only he hadn’t been too goddamn stupid to realise it then.

You reached over and squeezed his hand. He looked down and without thinking, he interlaced his fingers with yours. He felt you hesitate for a moment – a brief second where you considered pulling away – before you gave in.

The old you wouldn’t have given it a second thought. The old you would have held onto Aemond with everything you had, believing that if you just stayed close enough, he’d realise what was right in front of him.

But you were different now. Everything was different – no sunshine, just grey – because you said that you loved him.

Loved. Not anymore.

The roles were reversed, and maybe he deserved it. The bitter irony wasn’t lost on him as you pulled your hand away, offering him a soft, understanding smile. 

“And Alys?” you asked suddenly, your voice gentle but curious. "How is she?”

He stiffened. A part of him thought that staying with Alys was his path forward, the thing that would make sense of the chaos in his life. But it hadn’t. Not really. 

“We’re not together anymore,” Aemond finally admitted.

You blinked, visibly surprised. “Oh. I’m… I’m so sorry, Aemond. I didn’t know.”

He let out a bitter chuckle, shaking his head. “There’s nothing to be sorry about. It wasn’t… meant to be.”

You studied him, your brows furrowing in concern. “Even so, I know it’s hard,” you said softly, your voice full of empathy. “Breakups are… They’re never easy. But there’s someone out there for everyone. I truly believe that. I mean… I found someone, didn’t I?”

His entire body tensed, his breath hitching as his mind tried to process the full weight of your statement. You had found someone. You had moved on. There was the proof, hitting him right in the face. 

He had lost you. For good.

“You… found someone,” he repeated, his voice barely above a whisper, as if saying it out loud would somehow make it more real.

“Yes. I did.” There was a tenderness in your voice, but it only twisted the knife deeper. “He’s wonderful, Aemond. He’s kind, supportive. I didn’t think I’d find something like this after – ” you paused, glancing away for a moment before meeting his gaze again, “after everything.”

“Are you in love?” The words came out before he could stop them, his voice tight with something like despair. He hated himself for asking, for needing to know, but the question was out there now, and he couldn’t take it back.

“Aemond.”

“Can you tell me this, at least? Do you… love him?”

There was a long pause, as if you were choosing your words carefully, and when you finally spoke, the answer was clear. “More than anything.”

You had become someone else’s sun. Someone else’s guiding light.

And he was the moon, forced to watch and drift in shadow. 

For the first time in his life, Aemond Targaryen understood what it meant to lose everything.

[agatharkn3ss]

Lilia Calderu is extremely important (Spoilers)

Lilia says in ep.5 that she "reads people" and she "reads time". But she is much more than that, she just doesn't know it yet.

I believe Lilia Calderu is Fate itself - or Fate of this coven at least.

You can see the background of Patti's end credit is the tarot table. This is going to be her air trial in episode 7. But do you also see the word "Fate"? Circled in red?

Now... Doesn't that remind you of something? Like maybe... "Circle sewn with Fate"?

Oh and what else does Lilia do? That's right, her side hustle "Lilia's Leggings"! The motif of sewing around Lilia is repeated throughout episode 2 - she has a sewing machine in her kitchen/bedroom and when she starts singing the ballad, there are big thread spools in her background. Could they be any more obvious?

Without Lilia, there would be no coven. She is the one who sends the list of names to her past self so that they can form their circle.

I am convinced she will do this as part of her trial. She will be doing a tarot reading and sending messages to the past events, trying to find the right time - just as she uncovers her tarot cards - and yes, that's including the broken line "Alice don't try to save Agatha".

If you want to know more about how I think those messages will be send, I have described the detail in this post.

The tarot cards that have been used so far give us insights into the story - not just because of their tarot meanings, but also because the images on those cards correspond exactly to the moments when Lilia said their names out loud.

These are the scenes as seen through Fate's eyes.

Three of Pentacles has the coven singing the Ballad. Three of Swords is the moment before Teen is healed - they are in the woods, on the purple Road and Lilia sees Agatha's heart being broken three-fold (because of Rio, Nicky and now Teen). High Priestess is exactly how Lilia first met Jen - with the rays coming out of the painting behind her. And finally, the Knight of Wands is standing in exactly the same stance as Alice was when she saved Agatha.

The rest of the cards, although not named in the show yet, will likely make appearance in her trial. Queen of Cups bears striking resemblance to young Lilia. Death is holding a dagger and a black heart, and is surrounded by flowers... And finally, there is the Tower card. Which is going to be about the her tarot (Air) trial.

You can read more about my predictions on how her episode 7 trial will go in this post.

But essentially, the members of the coven will be dressed up as the evil witches from the pop culture, while Lilia will be in white - like Glinda the Good Witch. So it looks like Lilia will need to confront those negative stereotypes yet again. She will also understand, that although she predicted tragedies in the past, she actually has the power to predict something good, even control it.

There will be swords sticking out of the ceiling and falling down to the floor - probably serving as a time reminder. You can see those swords in the poster above too. There is another poster - that resembling the cover of "The Crucible" - a play about the Salem witch trials. Again, we see the "thread" elements clearly here.

Unfortunately, we know that Salem Seven manage to get inside the trial too. I think once Lilia completes her task to finish the tarot reading and deliver the list to the past, she will then flip the sand timer - another reminder that she can, in fact, control time. Unfortunately, flipping the timer will also mean that the whole tower room they are in, will also flip upside down. We see Lilia and Salem Seven floating up. Sadly, I think that means that they will end up impaled on those swords? We can't see anyone else from the coven.

The Tower card seems to suggest people floating, but there is also a blue crown being toppled off the top. I wonder what that means for Billy.

That last shot breaks my heart!

But to finish on a different note, there is even more to Lilia Calderu.

You see, every tarot card has this little squiggle in the corner. Looks familiar?

I believe, after all this, that it is Lilia who puts the sigil on Teen - again, this maybe done in retrospect, when she sends her messages from the future. She knows that Teen's identity must be hidden or Agatha never becomes interested in what he has to say. And maybe others' decisions would change too if they knew. Maybe he needs protecting from the Salem Seven, because he is the son of the Scarlet Witch (that Salem witches call the Harbinger of Chaos and wanted to attack Wanda). Or even protection from Lady Death herself - because if she found out he was literally a ghost, reincarnated, she would want the body to restore the order?

So, in her true style, she literally SEWS the sigil onto Billy's mouth.

Lilia Calderu, what a legend. She is FATE.

[sandyseagullsip]

The Floor.

Summary: The tiktok trend where you ask your partner a question. whilst laying on the floor. preferably out of sight. 141 style. (Possibly OOC, but spare me as i’m writing this at approx 3:50 AM.)

Price

You decided to lay in front of the couch, for the main reason that John had already told you that he was going to nap there.

“Hey John honey-“

That’s all it took to make the man jump. He doesn’t jump in a little kid way, but he flinches enough to spill a little bit of the tea in the mug he was carrying.

“Love- god- fucks sake. I love you, yeah? Just- Get off the floor. Coulda stepped on ya or somethin’.”

Ghost

Maybe in the kitchen? There’s a bunch of places you could lay, but he’s not predictable by any means.

“Hey Simon?”

He didn’t jump, he didn’t flinch, but you could tell we was slightly startled to say the least.

“Yeah, lovie?” He sighed, loudly mind you.

“Did i startle you?”

“Nope.”

“Liar.”

He chuckles slightly, and looks down at you.

“Get up, come on now.”

Soap

“Hey Johnny, can we go to-“

And he nearly falls over. The man is in grey sweatpants, some old tee shirt, and a pair of ‘inconspicuous’ (his words) cat socks.

“Bonnie!”

“John love.” You chuckle

“Ye made me drop my pretzels.” He says, sadly staring at his styrofoam bowl.

“I’m sorry-“

“They were th’ good ones too!” He complains.

Gaz

“Kyle, darling.”

“FUCKING, shit.” He manages to get out, only yelling half of it. “Y/N”

“Yes honey?”

He’s just staring at you at this point. The silence feels like it’s lasted a bit too long as he looked over the way you’ve laid; uncomfortably in the doorframe leading to the hallway he was in. He sighed again before saying,

“Why.”

“Dunno.” You giggled at the military man who, in his words, can’t be scared because he’s always alert.

“Didn’t like that. Please get up.”

A/N: I’m pretty aware this is shit, i’m just trying to gain back momentum (even if it is at 4 am). I hope this was somewhat enjoyable and I most likely will redo this when i’m not sleep deprived. Love you all!!!!

[mykoreanlove]

Unraveling fate

It is said that humans live a blissful life as souls up in the sky before they decide to incarnate onto the earthly realms. 

Up there everything is effortless and sweet, so perfect that we couldn’t ever imagine it properly. Yet, they decide to give up their eden perfection to come down to earth. Why you may ask?

Because they get bored. Too much of anything is deadly, even if it’s something as precious as blissful love. 

Hence, they make plans to come down to earth in order to play. Some souls are rather boring, whereas other souls are quite dramatic - making up a full play for them to enjoy. They look for other souls to play their part - mothers, fathers, villains or lovers. 

„You’re gonna do this to me and I’m gonna do that to you and we may hate each other for a while but in the end it will be all so sweet“, they giggle while making plots. What they don’t know though is that once their souls incarnate back to earth, they will forget everything they once knew - scheming plans included. 

The states of feeling mighty and powerful get replaced with vulnerability and insecurity, divinity in exchange for humanity.

A deep sigh escaped Eun Woo’s lips as he watched you cry into your pillows for the fifth time this week. 

„What’s wrong?“, his friend asked concerned.

„It’s y/n.“, he answered flatly.

„What about her?“

Eun Woo turned around and mustered his friend, thinking of the right words to predict his dilemma.

„Do you remember when she used to be with us up here?“

His friend nodded silently.

„Back then we made the perfect plan. We created our own drama, so to say.“

„What was it about?“

Flashbacks of those times entered his mind, filling his heart with a deep longing.

„Are you really sure, y/n?“, Eun Woo whispered while placing delicate kisses on your neck.

„Yes. I want to do it like that this time.“, you nodded enthusiastically.

„My love. Let’s go through the plan once more, then.“

„I will incarnate onto earth and live a miserable life. I will fail in love over and over until I can’t take it anymore. I want to discover love as a fragile, little human. I want to understand their pain and their agony. I want to be miserable, utterly miserable. I want to build my own hell and I want to understand how I’m doing it… And then, once I’m ready, then you show up, BOOM, the love of my life - in heaven and on earth and you rescue me from my deep despair and then we can be..“

„Happy.“, he interrupted. 

A big smile formed on your face. 

„Yes. Happy.“

„So, why are you so sad then? The plan seems solid.“, Eun Woo’s friend remarked.

„Somehow it’s not. She did fail in love. A lot of times. But somehow she can’t get past that stage..“, Eun Woo explained.

„How can that happen? Isn’t it written in the stars, like destiny?“

„It should be, yes.“

Both stayed silent for a while and thought about ways to resolve this. 

„Can’t you just swoop in and rescue her?“

He shook his head sadly. 

„Why not?“

„Because she wouldn’t let me.“

„Let you? Aren’t you like… her soulmate?“, his friend asked confused.

„I am. And because of that I will always find my way back to her, heaven or earth, doesn’t really matter. But she’s not ready for me, yet.“

„How can you tell?“

Eun Woo walked over to the shelf where he was keeping his collection of your play. Each act carefully documented, each act waiting for its grand finale. He came back with a heavy book, searching for the right pages.

„Do you know when souls finally find each other?“, Eun Woo asked.

„No idea.“, his friend remarked.

„It’s when they’re ready for one another. Now tell me - do you think this sounds ready?“, he asked as he pushed the book over to his friend.

It’s official - I am unlovable. Seems like everybody and their mother can find the love of their lives but not me. I’m not meant for love. I’m meant for heartbreak. Because that’s what men do - break your heart. First, they use me for sex and then they dispose me like a tissue. Reject me. Abandon me. Block me.

Relationships suck. Love sucks. This is too hard and it always ends in pain. Fuck this shit, I’m going to die alone. Because apparently nobody wants to be with me. Or get to know me. I’m just not someone you fall in love with.

„Yikes“, Eun Woo’s friend flinched. „Gotta give it to her - she does sound like a real human though.“, he drily remarked.

Eun Woo rolled his eyes in frustration. This shit was eating him up.

Even if he descended onto earth now and forgot about all your pain, he would never be able to get through to you. 

„Men really did a number on her, huh?“, his friend asked. 

„It’s what she wanted. Some drama to enjoy our love more. And drama she got…“, he explained sadly.

„So what are you going to do?“

Eun Woo averted his gaze back onto you, watching you from above as you cried and cried and cried. 

„Waiting for a miracle, I guess.“

„Aren’t you tired of waiting?“

„What else am I supposed to do?“, he snapped.

„The plan is already rigged, you said so yourself. Can’t you use that to your advantage and rig it further?“, his friend proposed.

Eun Woo thought for a second - could he really do that? Go against fate like that? 

Your sobs made his stomach churn once again, he had to act, no matter the consequences.

„Come with me“, he demanded as he left the room.

„Where are we going?“, his friend called after him.

„Rigging the fucking plan.“ 

[leennaan]

Alessia Russo// Take on the world pt.3

It’s the third and final part of this story. I hope you enjoyed it☺️ as always happy about feedback.

Special thanks to @babsisbakery who helped me with some ideas 😁

The song mentioned in this little series is “Take on the world” by You me at six. If you don’t know it go check it out😊

Warnings: Big time jump, Flashbacks, mentions of eating disorder. If this triggers you in any way please do not read, your health is more important than this story.

January 2024

Playing with the Ring on your finger you were nervously standing outside of a meeting room in London Colony. You still couldn’t believe that you were actually here. Standing in the Arsenal training gear, waiting that you were allowed to go into the room where all your new teammates were sitting.

It was the first team bonding night with all the new signings you included. Only difference being that no one besides Kim, Leah and Lotte knew that you had signed. Besides the fact that it was a last minute signing you also wanted to surprise Lessi. You still couldn’t believe that you had actually made it this long. Your relationship was stronger than ever eventho still no one besides your old College-Teammates, family and best friends knew of your relationship let alone about your engagement last summer.

After being knocked out of the tournament in the round of sixteen you where incredible frustrated and blamed yourself endlessly, being one of the penalty takers who missed there shot resulting in Sweden advancing to the quarterfinal. But you decided to be there for Alessia whose journey with her national team wasn’t even close to over. You supported her from the stands until the final step. Reaching the Final wa a dream come true for your girlfriend that sadly ended in tears. Under the cover of being close friends to both Alessia and Lotte you were allowed on to the pitch where your Girlfriend collapsed into your arms. “I am so endlessly proud of you, Baby.” You had whispered into her heat holding her close. “It hurts so bad. I should have done more. I am the striker I should score the goals.” “I know it hurts right now and that you want nothing more than blame yourself but I can tell you tomorrow you are going to be so proud of what you achieved. You did something special.”

Over the curse of the night the mood changed in all the England players like you predicted. After the party and the rush back to England where Alessia had to train with her new team for the Champions League qualifications you decided that you both needed a rest. So after the Qualifiers that siding went like plan for Arsenal, you went on holiday together. Italy to be precise. Alessia showed you all her favorite spots and took you to dinner in the best Italian restaurants you ever visited. After one late night date you both strolled down an empty beach until you reached a little area where candles were set up. With a questioning glance you turned around only to find Alessia kneeling before you. Gasping you looked at her tears already streaming down your face. “You know I promised you that one day I would go down on one knee. We went through so much together. And I know with the long distance it’s not always easy but you are the most beautiful, special and loving person that I know. I can’t imagine life without you and I don’t think I would even be standing here right know without you. You are my missing part, my best friend, my love. Like we always said. Together we take one the world. Would you take on the next big adventure with me and do me the honor of becoming my wife?” While Alessia spoke a few tears also escaped her eyes and you could clearly see all the love you felt for her reflected in her eyes.

“Yes. A thousand times yes. I love you so much.”

You were pulled from your thoughts when the door opened and Lotte stepped out of the room and in front of you. While pulling you into a hug the brunet expressed her excitement. “I still can’t believe you are actually here. Alessia is going to be so happy and excited once she realizes.”

Your transfer happened really quickly with Arsenal already being interested in you last summer but with your contract still up with FC Courage and your belief in winning the NWSL with your team which you to the surprise of a lot of people did, you and your old club declined. It was a really hard decision because you knew that Alessia was signing with the London Club and after now almost four years of long distance you were tired of it. And when the end of the winter transfers window neared and no WSL Club showed interest in you, you started to regret your earlier decision. Just before you put pen to paper at Gotham once more Arsenal resurfaced. With that the decision was made and here you were.

“UNC Girls back together right?!” You laughed. With Emily also signing there were now four former UNC Players at the Club.

You noticed Lotte spotting your guitar that was still in its bag. “What’s your initiation song going to be?” She asked.

“Not telling you. It’s another surprise for Less.”

“You two are still disgustingly cute you now that? I thought after four years it would subdue but I guess not.” Lotte laughed. “Come one I think it’s time. Everyone else has already done their initiation. I’ll go in first and give Leah the signal. You just come in behind me. There is another sliding door that’s not completely closed you can see into the room, but Less won’t see you.”

You nodded and followed Lotte to the sliding door. You could see the girls sitting on different round tables chatting and snacking on sweets.

When you saw the blonde locks of your girlfriend you couldn’t help the smile. It was still so good to see her eating carefree.

The first few months after Alessia went back to England worked surprisingly good. You once again called at least once a day. Talking and just being together. But soon you noticed that something changed in Alessia. Her eyes lacked that twinkle and her smile didn’t feel real. You noticed her loosing weight and skipping meals. Where you once had cooked meals together she would say that she had already eaten. When she completely ruptured her hamstring only month after coming to Man U it all got ten times worse.

Her hair got dull, you could start to see her cheekbones and collarbones.

You tried to talk to her but with no result. She always told you that everything was fine and that she was feeling great besides her hamstring Ofcourse. So you decided to take matters into your own hands. Talking to your teachers and Coaching stuff you were allowed to leave for winter break a week earlier and booked a ticket to Manchester. You asked Lotte for Ella’s number who helped you surprise your girlfriend.

And it was the best decision you could have made. Alessia was so happy to see you and within two days she broke down in your arms.

“I think I need help.” She had sobbed. “I… I am so scared to eat. At first I just counted my calories but I know what I do is not healthy anymore. I thought I looked better but then my hamstring happend. I know my body isn’t strong enough but I don’t want to gain weight.” You had tried to console her the whole night. You told her that she looked beautiful, that you loved her and that she wasn’t alone.

The next daythe two of you talked to her team psychologist. You were there for her the whole time. And slowly over the next two weeks you watched her smile return. She started to cook for the two of you. Healthy foods without measuring the calories. Sometimes it was harder for her sometimes it was easier.

Sadly you had to go back to the US shortly after New Year but you still cooked together over FaceTime and eating together afterwards. Sometime Alessia would fall back to old habits and trying to skip a meal but you were always there to help her through it.

“Guys! I need your attention once more. I know you all thought that Emily and Sarah were the only signings but we’ve got one more surprise. She plays for the US national team. Has just won the NWSL with courage and is another addition to our UNC Squad.” While Leah introduced you, your eyes were solely on Alessia. You could see how she slowly figured it out and when it finally dropped she gasped. Hand flying to her mouth and tears starting to appear in her eyes.

“Y/n it’s your stage.” Leah waved you in. It was planned that you would right away start to play your song.

You came in playing the accords on your guitar. As it was an original that only Alessia knew a few pieces of there was no back up music playing.

“Hey guys. This song is an original piece that is really special to me. I wrote it about my relationship to a very special person. I hope you like it.”

Alessia was already in tears. Lotte had sat herself next to her pulling her into her arms. Emily as well was sitting next to your girl. She grinned at you. Smiling you started to sing.

“Just say the word

We'll take on the world

Just say you're hurt

We'll face the worst, oh

I can see, see the pain in your eyes

Oh, believe, believe me, and I have tried

No, I won't, I won't pretend to know what you've been through

You should know, I wish it was me, not you”

You would never forget the pain in Alessias eyes when she told you about her grandfather. How you had wished to be the one in pain. You never had lost someone so close to you before but you desperately wished you could take the pain from Alessia.

“And just say the word

We'll take on the world

And just say you're hurt

We'll face the worst

Nobody knows you the way that I know you

Look in my eyes, I will never desert you

And just say the word

We'll take on the world”

From the beginning of your relationship the both of you sticked together. No matter how hard the way was. You trusted each other. Now for years later you only needed to look at her to see what she needed. Yes you both knew each other better than anyone.

“And it's the fight

The fight of our lives

You and I, we were made to thrive

Oh, yeah

And I am your future

And I am your past

Never forget, we were built to last

Step out of the shadows and into my life

Silence the voices that haunt you inside”

Long distance was hard. But you always made time for each other. Both leaving everything behind to sea the other in person if needed. Never once thinking that you weren’t meant to be.

And just say the word

We'll take on the world

And just say you're hurt

We'll face the worst

Nobody knows you the way that I know you

Look in my eyes, I will never desert you

And just say the word

We'll take on the world

We'll take on the world

Oh, oh, oh, oh

And nobody knows you

The way that I know you

And nobody knows you

The way that I know you

“We'll fight, we'll crawl, into the night

I won't let go, with you by my side

The calm, the storm, we'll face it all”

Of course there were fights but never for long. You promised each other to never go to bed angry. You were just better together.

And just say the word

We'll take on the world

And nobody knows you

The way that I know you

Look in my eyes, I will never desert you

And just say the word (just say the, just say the word)

We'll take on the world

Take on the world”

Slowly you let the sound die out. Alessia had stood up once you were finished and you put down your guitar. Opening your arms she run to you. Catching her in your arms. “Is this for real?” She whispered in your ear. “Yes Baby. I signed my contract last week.” She laughed and pulled you even closer. “Can I kiss you? I don’t care if anyone knows. We are finally together and I want everybody to know who my beautiful fiancée is.” Instead of answering you, she kissed you, hard.

Wolf whistling sounded around you but the both of you didn’t care. “How I missed this, how I missed you.” The blonde whispered before pulling away from you but still touching you.

“Care to explain Russo?” Asked McCabe and your girlfriend laughed. You already knew a lot about your new teammates due to Alessia and also Lotte, so you weren’t surprised by the women’s comment.

“So guys this is Y/n she played together with Lotte, Em and myself at UNC. And she is my fiancée, we have been together for four years now.”

A lot of questions came your way but you didn’t care not a bit. You were just happy to finally be with your girl.

Y/n Y/l/n and Alessia posted to their instagram

Four years with you! From College to The Arsenal. “Together we take on the world.” From strangers to friends to lovers to fiancés. “You are my future. You are my past.” Love you endlessly ❤️

[lycheedr3ams]

Death's Angel

Part 7: Sacrifice

royal!fem!reader x executioner!konig

Summary: It's 1554. You're one of the eight daughters of the Austrian royal family, and your parents do everything they can to ensure their kingdom is prosperous and peaceful. No royal court is complete without their hand-picked executioner, one who stands out against the sea of black, faceless bodies that make up the profession. It just so happens that your family's new executioner, one who has made a name for himself far and wide for his skill with the axe, has caught your eye and ruined you for good.

Warnings: MDNI! smut, mutual pining, forbidden love, death (konig is an executioner duh), mean sisters, mentions of medieval-type violence, overbearing parents, konig is brooding and a perv, some predator/prey dynamics, possessive!konig, maybe dark themes bc reader likes seeing him kill people and bc he's a perv?

Part 6 | Part 8

I know it's been a while since I've updated this series. My life has been super busy, and I even moved. Thank you all for your patience and I hope you enjoy! One more chapter to go. as a reminder, the taglist is closed

.......

series inspired by the art below!

It was evening when the horse Konig had chosen collapsed from exhaustion. You were stranded in the middle of the dark forest, hours away from any landmark you recognized. Your horse lay panting on the mossy forest floor, and you held your head in your hands.

"what are we going to do? we have no money! we're lost! they're going to come looking for us!" you mumbled furiously as you began to pace. konig came over immediately and put his large, solid hands on your shoulders.

"Engel, i told you i would take care of you, didn't i?" he asked as he lifted your chin to look up at him. he gently wiped away your warm tears with his axe-calloused thumbs. "i will figure this out. we will be okay."

"but..but how! and all the gifts you gave me, they're back at the castle, and --" you nearly shrieked. you had never had a panic attack before, had never felt such fear and confusion. your life, unlike konig's, had always been planned out, set in stone, predictable, cushy. every hour of every day was always set with lessons and meals and events. but now your dress was torn, and your broken heals lost during the escape. the cold, damp earth almost stung underneath your soft feet. konig squeezed your shoulders and shook you.

"Engel!" he said, a bit louder this time. you looked up at him with wide eyes. "we are going to be okay. i told you i would take care of you, and that is exactly what i shall do. do not worry about the things i gave you. i will give you that and tenfold again."

he pulled you into a tight hug, grounding yourself in his body rather than your racing, chaotic mind. his arms were almost rock solid, but his body was so, so warm as he embraced you. for a moment, the entire world faded away, and it was just the exiled princess and her forbidden love.

the furious panting of your exhausted horse also brought you back to reality. you gently turned your head against konig's chest and looked at the poor creature laying on the ground.

"will he be okay?"

konig gently rubbed your head. "yes, we just exhausted him. we're not going to be able to go anywhere else for the night. we should not be discovered out here."

you look up at konig. "but what if we are discovered?"

his eyes were soft as he looked down at you. "then i will protect you."

you looked at him sadly. "i hope it doesn't come to that."

"as do i, Engel," he soothed as he cradled your head. "for now, we need to rest. we cannot risk a fire, the smoke will draw the soldiers. we will have to lay close for warmth."

you smile softly at him and can't help the heat that surges to your cheeks. "i'm not complaining."

konig chuckles quietly. "and neither am i."

konig removes his overcoat and wraps it around you before gesturing for you to lay on the mossy ground.

"i..." you look at the moss, feeling a little disgusted.

"ah," he said as he shook his head. "you've never slept on the ground. i almost forgot."

you look uneasily down at the damp, green moss, and take a deep breath. "it's fine." you offer konig an uneasy smile as you hesitantly lay down on the moss. the only surface you had ever slept on was silken sheets on a down bed. never once had you imagined you would be sleeping on cold, damp moss with the one whom you were never permitted to speak to.

konig laid down behind you and wrapped his arm around you, spooning you. "when i build us a house, Engel, you will have the finest sheets and silk like you once did."

you rub his arm. "konig, i don't need any of that. all i want is you."

he gently squeezes your shoulder. "yes, yes, but i still want you to have the finest sheets."

you turn around slightly and lift his hood up to reveal his surprisingly soft lips. you look into his eyes, silently asking for permission, before you closed the gap between you and gently kissed him. you had never felt your humanity so intensely as you did in this moment: laying on the damp earth, kissing your forbidden love under a canopy of leaves and stars.

you snuggle into konig's chest and wrapp yourself tightly around him.

"sleep well, Engel," he whispers. "all will be well."

...

"send out all our troops to find the executioner! he has kidnapped my daughter!" your father screeched to the army commander the moment he saw you and konig disappear beyond the castle grounds. the army commander bowed and swiftly went to assemble his soldiers. your mother broke down on the ground, crying hysterically. your sisters stared in disbelief and disgust.

"you have your orders," the army commander said to his hastily formed troops. "you are to find the princess, and kill the executioner on sight."

the mail-clad soldiers nodded, and set off on horseback to every last corner of Austria.

...

the next morning, you and konig began to wander the wilderness on horseback. with no sense of direction other than the sun, all you knew was that you were heading far, far away from Austria. your heart nearly leapt out of your chest whenever a stray bird rustled in the leaves, or when a deer leaped through the forest. konig sat behind you on the horse with his arms around you as he held the reins. his eyes were sharp from beneath his hood as he constantly scanned the forest for threats.

by midday, you could see a break in the forest. and beyond the meadow that lie past the forest, a silhouette of a mountain could be seen.

"once we reach the mountains, they will surely never find us," konig assured you as he kicked the horse to a trot.

you nodded and held onto the horse's mane.

"HALT!" a voice sounded from behind you.

you froze completely, and all the blood drained from your face. konig stopped the horse instantly.

"turn the horse around," the voice commanded. konig obeyed.

you came face-to-face with a small band of soldiers from your kingdom's army, ones sent by your father. they drew their swords and bows on their horses.

"by decree of the king, executioner, you are to be killed for your crime of kidnapping the princess," the leading knight said in a stern voice.

your eyes widened and your breath almost died in your throat.

"no! i wasn't kidnapped! I went willingly!" you yelled, startling your horse a little. konig whispered something in your ear.

"princess, there is no need to worry. you will be okay from here on out. we will save you," another soldier said.

"no! i mean it! i went with him on my own!" you shook your head as tears began to fall down your face as you panicked. konig did not take his eyes off any of the soldiers for an instant.

"you have been brainwashed, princess, by this devil," the leading solider said. "please, your highness, dismount the horse."

you began to hyperventilate, the air suddenly feeling quite thin in your lungs. your vision on the periphery began to blur, and you could barely hear your voice as you screamed.

"i haven't been brainwashed! I went willingly! i wanted to escape!"

before you could say anything else, your horse was suddenly struck with an arrow right in its skull. the beast toppled over and sent you and konig tumbling to the ground. konig gently grabbed your head and lessened the blow of your skull against the earth.

"step away from the princess!" one knight yelled as they dismounted with weapons drawn.

you and konig still lay on the ground as the soldiers came closer with their swords and bows. you stood up in front of konig and wiped your tears. konig stared up at you in shock as the roles were suddenly switched as you protected him. A princess protecting an executioner; such a thing had never been seen before.

"i won't let you hurt him! he's done nothing wrong! i wanted to leave! can't you see?!" you yelled.

the soldiers quickly surrounded you and konig in a circle. konig hastily stood up but did not dare to touch you.

a knight held out his free hand to you. "princess, you will be safe now."

"NO!" you yelled as you backed into konig and bumped into him. the knights were getting closer to you and him. there was nowhere to run.

"Engel, do not do this," konig whispered to you. you turned and looked up at him in panic.

"do what?! i'm not going with them! I'm going with you!"

suddenly, a knight grabbed you by the arm and yanked you away from konig and out of the circle. konig now stood alone in the center of the circle, not even daring to defend himself against the armed group of knights. there was nothing he could do.

your heart pumped loudly and your blood rang in your ears as you saw a knight behind konig raise his sword.

you couldn't hear your bone-chilling scream as you pushed through the circle with inhuman strength and cast konig aside right as the sword swung.

a cold feeling tore through your chest.

all were frozen.

you looked down at your blood-soaked dress. you felt a pair of strong arms grab you and hold you tight, and the knights threw down their weapons.

your forbidden lover held you as your vision faded black.

taglist: @kneelingshadowsalome, @plumdreadful, @dumb-dumb-idiot-girl, @elichisstuff, @konig-breedme, @tr4psta, @cutiecusp, @konigsleftkidney, @local-vampire-s1ut, @ihaveaproblematicbrain, @twice360noscope, @madzeesstuff, @crazy-phan-girl13, @babygirl-panda19, @warrior-of-justice, @eluffi, @mooniesthings, @elowynnlane, @zaxlrza, @red-bed-bug, @alexdoesntlikeyou, @helmipss, @11aplacesange11, @rouge-swears, @pasta-m1lk, @ghostinvenus

[cbrownjc]

The sad thing is? I predicted this.

Yeah, so I've been gone from Tumblr for a while, I know. I had my major surgery back in the second week of October and have been home recuperating for two weeks now.

But I wanted to come on here tonight to vent a little about the presidential election.

Because even though there was a part of me that dared to hope even just a little, I KNEW this was going to happen. And I called it the minute Joe Biden was forced to drop out of the race, back in July.

This is the text message exchange I had with my sister the day he announced he was dropping out:

And let me make this clear: I'm a born and raised California native. I voted for Kamala Harris for both DA and Senate. I voted for her and very much wanted her to win.

But I know this damn country. I saw how Obama was treated and the freakout and build-up of white supremacy after he won twice. That's why 45 got in in the first place.

And as I said in the text to my sister? Never in the 4 other times that Democrats have replaced a candidate this late in the process has that candidate won. Ever. Only those who've never studied political history thought doing such a thing would actually work.

Anyone who called for Biden to drop out? Congrats, you fell for the most obvious Chaos OP EVER.

I don't usually talk politics on Tumblr. I save that for Twitter. But now that Apartied Clyde has taken it over and this mess has happened, I plan to delete my Twitter account by the end of the week. The only reason I'm not doing it sooner is so that those who only follow me there can catch me before I delete it.

Anyway, I can't even cry or be sad about this. I already went through that stuff when Biden dropped out. I'm just kinda numb. And tired. And disgusted. But, at least thanks to my dad, I feel like I very much saw this coming thanks to his lessons on this country and race/racism. He and my mother both lived through Jim Crow and so yeah, they knew.

"This is not who we are" some are saying.

Yes, it damn well IS who we are. And it's who we've always been. I can give you a history lesson, and I'm not just talking about slavery, civil rights, and the 19th Amendment. I'm talking about Lee Atwater, Nixon, and the Southern Strategy. All that has happened between 2016 and now is a full culmination of that.

A majority of white Americans would rather destroy the American Republic than share equal power with black people. (With misogyny and misogyny thrown in there as well.) I wish I could be surprised by that, but I sadly am not.

And this tweet pretty much sums up my feelings regarding what's next:

I'm still healing from my surgery. Once that's done and I am 100%, it's about me and my loved ones now, protecting the few remaining ones I have left. (I am SO thankful that none of my close family or still-close friends voted for that man . . . but then, the majority of them are black women too, so . . .)

Because this country has pretty much shown black people that we are hated -- and always will be on our own.

Everything my parents and grandparents fought for regarding Civil Rights will be gone now. The only thing I can be thankful for is that none of them are alive anymore to see this.

I NEVER thought I'd live to see the end of the republic but here we are. And done by people willfully voting to give it up because, as I said back in July, a majority of white people in this country would rather destroy the country than share power with black people.

[nistley]

An Isekai anime that doesn't use only stereotyping is refreshing!

(as a woman it’s nice to not roll my eyes or sigh for every panty shot or normalized sexual harassment behavior from the male hero)

Suzune and Ryusen relantionship

One of my favorite : Yes, Woman and man can spend time together and being friends. It is nice to enjoy time with a colleague.

(well, we don’t know for sure if their relantionship will evolve. Ship them if you want. For now my ace heart was pleased).

Multidimensional characters are what I crave !

Within 5 minutes of the episode we have three stereotypes :

- Genious student council president : smart, team leadar, sportive … : Suzune

- Smart, capable and composed student council vice-president : Ryusen

- normal guy : Usato

Don't get me wrong, clichés and stereotypes are useful. They give you a sense of knowledge and help you get into the story more easily.

Although when someone is only the "funny guy/girl" who is a cute and silly cinnamon roll for 10 episodes. Then, say an inspirational quote for the last episode, it is a frustrating and quite boring experience.

That’s why, when the magic circle appeared I was happily surprised.

Ryusen is freaking out. Usato is surprised but almost chill and Suzune is really excited about the event

That’s the moment, I said to myself, it might be interesting.

Usato has empathy and is attentive to his surrondings (I link it to the bird scene). Before saying Ryusen as to calm down, Usato acknowlegdes his anger and makes him understand that it is not a good option for them.

Like in real life, only shooting to someone to stop is often not effective, but if you add emotion (by example : « you seem hurt let’s discuss about it » or « you are right to be angry but it’s not my fault » …) you create a space for both your emotion to connect (at least in my real life experience maybe their is an on/off bouton I haven’t discovered yet).

THIS, THIS !

Am I too old ? Is the world a better place now for teenagers ? (calm down. I am not your mom, I am only in my late-twenties) ,or I have watched too many crappy or clichéd anime.

Simply, two guys checking how they are feeling. « Like, are you alright dude ? I am pretty angry to be here. How about you ? ».

No stupid joke, nothing pervy about the magician « nun outfit » (I don’t mak judgmenys, she is rocking this outfit).It feels realistic. Amazing.

To sum up, I enjoyed being surprised. I have watched countless anime for years and more often than not you can predict what will happen or what characters will say. I know I am not the only one. Sadly we are not super human, it is the source material which is poor.

Suzune is not the « Damsel in distress » or the nurse / the one caring for the guys . In fact she is the main character in spirit. Usato and Ryusen are bonding over their insecurities about being

thrown out into another world (in opposition to Suzune who is living her best life).

Additionally, I am sick and tired of genre stereotypes. . Woman as to be gentle, elegant, weak … Man have to be strong, fearless, insensitve …

It doesn’t seem like it in this anime, I have hope 

[bucksboobs]

Sadly no. Doom is gonna be played by RDJ, despite Doom being explicitly Romani in the comics (yes I have a lot of thoughts about that)

There are SO many things to be said about the most prominent mutants in Marvel having their Jewish and/or Rromani heritage stripped away as if there isn’t a reason four of the most recognizable mutants in Marvel history (Magneto, the Maximoff twins, Nightcrawler) are all either Jewish or Romani and each have explicit ties to ethnic discrimination and religious oppression in their backstories, but bringing back RDJ to do the whitewashing this time seems especially heinous because you just know it’s going to be Tony Stark Again.

Hilariously though I am just now remembering someone kind of predicting this why they made a Hunchback of Notre Dame AU where Tony was Esmeralda.

[srbachchan]

DAY 5647

Jalsa, Mumbai                Aug 3/4,  2023                  Thu/Fri  1:37 AM

There is bereavement in the Ef family .. Ef Kashmira, sadly lost here husband today , Sant ji , this morning ..

We all are sending our prayers and condolences .. 🙏 ..

Ef Kashmira , has been one our earliest and most consistent family and her loss is filled with grief for her .. from us all at the Ef family  .. 

🪔.. August 04 .. birthday of Ef Satinder .. and .. Ef Suad LZ Desouza aka Ef Anna D'Souza from Kuwait 🇰🇼 .. 🙏🏻🚩

🪔 .. August 02 .. birthday of Ef Md Rehan Ahmad from West Bengal .. 🙏🏻🚩

🪔 .. August 01 .. birthday of Ef Shital Patel from California .. 🙏🏻🚩

There is denomination of the work that needs attention and when the bell rings it brings with it the circumstances of defeat and suspicion .. we are stumbling upon times that are and shall be as unpredictable as never before ..

It has become impossible to predict what lies in store ahead .. so as the saying goes .. just be , and let the behind be be .. 

we sat we tried .. nothing came of it so decided to lie  .. 

anxiety ever builds in the ones when we do not know where and how and when they shall appear  .. its a strange world they say .. yes it is .. but today you can be traced anywhere .. anyhow .. 

and can be found to be doing what with whom ..

love before I get traced to this ..

Amitabh Bachchan

[castielsbees]

my 2023 spotify wrapped (and my thoughts)! (i've been looking forward to this for so long)

Top 5 songs:

Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy (thanks good omens/ineffable husbands brainrot!)

Ramble On (thanks dean winchester)

Carry On Wayward Son (...the spn brainrot is terminal, what can i say)

Twist and Shout (i don't even know what to say for myself.)

Bohemian Rhapsody (always impeccable)

Top 5 artists:

Hozier (unreal unearth my beloved. also so many fandom scenarios oh god oh my)

Queen (forever one of my all time favs)

Led Zeppelin (yes i am a dean-coded deangirl what can i say)

Elvis Presley (i can dig-)

David Arnold (...good omens and sherlock soundtrack.. yeah.)

-apparently i'm in the top 0.5% of hozier listeners, i think that's pretty impressive :D

...aaand the manacled podfics are my top podcasts i can't say i'm surprised

if only i'd started getting into the marauders fandom earlier this year bc i've listened to an UNGODLY amount of Bowie these past 2 months but it didn't count towards my wrapped sadly. i'm predicting next year he'll be in my top 5 artists for sure.

[mindibindi]

The Failure of Ted Lasso's Unconventional Politics

SOCIAL CONDITIONING:

According to Brendan Hunt, shippers interested in a second chance, mature-age romance between Ted and Rebecca were being blindly, un-self-reflexively led about by their “social conditioning”. Presumably, however, the writers who wrote Ted returning to his heteronormative family unit – as well as all the viewers who enjoyed this ending and have defended it since – are completely free of social conditioning? No social conditioning is involved in reifying the white heterosexual family unit? No social conditioning is involved in deifying parenthood, fatherhood and patriarchy at the cost of all else? There is no social conditioning involved in a conclusion that values good ole working class Americana while rejecting the big, queer, complicated, multicultural world?

KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid):

If the creators wanted to gesture to “Cheers” as a classic American sitcom, then at least learn from its example. This show worked best when it worked with familiar, beloved characters in a familiar, beloved, but confined setting. "Ted Lasso" had a near-perfect first act, doing a simple thing well. But from s2 onward, the show started straying out of bounds. The cast of characters kept expanding and contracting: people were in, people were out, characters were coming and going and changing (what was the point of that whole Zava plotline?). We had multiple workplaces and workplace dramas (grew to like Barbara tho). Episodes got long and unwieldy. Themes got convoluted as the show took a long trip, imo, up its own arse. The folksy wisdom of s1 became grating self-indulgence and cliched “moment” manufacturing.  

SUPERFICIAL UNCONVENTIONALITY:

TL employed a familiar 3-part structure but ultimately its supposedly radical, unconventional politics was not reflected in the show’s structure. Since the first act started with Ted's arrival, you could see his departure coming from a mile off. Some folks are acting like returning Ted home constitutes some super brave move by the writers that we've never seen before. But if you want to talk social conditioning expressed through narrative expectation then you really couldn't get anything more conventional than this ending.

We've seen it all before:

Act I: Fish-out-of-Water character arrives and begins winning over a dubious, dysfunctional community Act II: Bonding, hijinks, missteps, complications and development Act III: Revelations of growth. Community sadly waves goodbye to teacher they love but no longer need. Cue credits with moving song choice.

It's as cliche, conventional and predictable as it gets. And I could condescendingly accuse every viewer who enjoyed this ending as being blindly and un-self-reflexively led around by their social conditioning. But even if I'm not one of the showrunners who also played a beloved character and who is speaking on a public forum, that would be a pretty fucking shitty move. What I am saying is that the disagreement over this ending speaks to some core ideological differences currently playing out across the globe around patriarchy, feminism, queerness and privilege. There is an opportunity here to examine what we socioculturally view as “good’ and “right” and “happy”. These ideas of good, right and happy are not necessarily benign and will be inevitably reflected in and reproduced by our art.

PATRIARCHY:

In the end, “Ted Lasso” literally chose patriarchy (but what kind is the question). Just because this show was working with a familiar 3-part structure, that doesn't mean it didn't need to justify Ted's inevitable departure. For many people, his son is enough. That's it. End of conversation. Henry trumps all. And yes, this was always going to be the justification used by the series. But I think this disagreement highlights changing attitudes to modern parenting. Everyone agrees that parenting requires sacrifice: large and small, everyday and lifelong. But how much sacrifice is too much?

For some people, this was too much sacrifice. Others seem to think it was Ted's duty to sacrifice for his son his own sense of family and community, his continued health and growth, his professional fulfilment. Imo, he could have shared all of this with him but chose old-school parental sacrifice instead. I consider this kind of sacrifice to be something that culturally we’re coming to recognise as unhealthy, for both parent and child. In reality, parents are more than one thing. Parents have jobs, interests, relationships, needs, limitations and struggles. Parents are people.

In the series, Ted was established as a person: a person with a sad past, a tortured inner world, a strong desire to connect with others and, potentially, a brighter future than his past. From the beginning, his relationship with Michelle was established (and often reinforced) as over, dead, absolutely no route back in. But his relationship with his son was loving and important to him. Of course it was. He’d be a bad man and unlikeable character if it wasn’t. Even so, Henry isn’t a major or fully realised character in this show. We care about him, relate to him through Ted. He matters to us because he matters to Ted. But frankly, we are far more attached to Ted’s other adopted “children”, the relationships we have watched him develop over 3 years, than the relationship we only saw glimpses of. That’s just narrative reality. In reality, yes, Henry would and should be Ted’s first priority. This is only right. In fiction, the team at Richmond should have been the first priority of Jason and the rest of the writing team. They are the ones we want to see and want to see happy and settled.

As many frustrated viewers have stated, it's not Ted's departure that is so disheartening but how it was done. If the TL team wanted to make this choice seem like a healthy one for Ted then they needed to establish other things waiting for him in Kansas: friends, community, employment, fulfillment. As it was, literally nothing tipped the scales in favour of Kansas. There were no romantic, community or larger familial relationships to get back to. Far too much was just left to inference or imagination. Yes, we can assume that Ted has community in Kansas, that he will probably get a great job after his success in Richmond. But all the people and opportunities we would like to infer/imagine will never tip the balance towards Kansas when we consider all we KNOW is already established for him in Richmond. The homeworld and beloved characters of a show will always hold more emotional weight than anything undefined and hypothetical. If viewers were to be happy with Ted’s exit then the writers needed to take the time to lovingly define his future away from the club.

Instead, it seems like a deliberate choice to shut Ted down and perform (and I do mean “perform”) this marvelous sacrifice for his son that so many think is admirable. It’s this shutdown that is so inconsistent and confusing. Because at any time in the hour, Ted could have said to Rebecca, the Diamond Dogs and/or his team:

“Look y'all this ain't the end. We’re family now. I'll be back. I'll show y'all round Kansas anytime you wanna visit. My mom will cook a dinner that will clog your arteries. And every so often, what say we do a long-distance movie night, huh? I'll miss you all but I’ll be watching every game and I can't wait to come back and see you win the whole fucking thing!!”

Ted could have been a model of honest, expressive, emotionally forthcoming, relationship-maintaining masculinity. But nope. Not a word. Just brave male sacrifice. It's straight up patriarchal propaganda. And truth is, fathers sacrifice way less than mothers do in heterosexual parenting relationships. Mothers are generally the ones making those small, everyday sacrifices that our society rarely acknowledges or admires. But I bet this ending makes all those lazy husbands and boyfriends feel real good about themselves. I bet it makes many female partners feel all warm and fuzzy to know that even though their kids’ father won't share half the labour that goes into raising a child, when it comes time for him to perform a massive manly sacrifice for his family, he toootttaaally will. I'm sorry, what were you saying about social conditioning Mr. Hunt?

FATHER GOD or WHITE SAVIOUR?:

Patriarchy needs its Father Gods and its Mother Gods to play certain roles (tho, to paraphrase Angela Carter, both are as silly as each other.) These magical figures materialise at pivotal times then dematerialise when the narrative is over, the pivotal lessons learned. They never themselves learn or alter. Think Mary Poppins or Nanny McPhee. These figures are not entirely human, they possess an element of the supernatural. They serve others, serve a higher purpose. Nanny McPhee's appearance changes only as a reflection of her charges’ growth. Mary Poppins – the figure to whom Ted is most likened – learns to care about her kids but she doesn't engage in any self-introspection. Her duty and trajectory remains unchanged. When she arrives at her next job, she will do so exactly the same as she was.

These otherworldly mother deities are not unproblematic feminist figures themselves. But creating a male, fatherhood deity becomes even more problematic when he is white, cis-het and pretty able. Ted arrives to teach all the black and brown lost boys, to unite the disconnected women, liberate the closeted gays and to update the bumbling English gentlemen (there is, I feel, a special relish in these American bros educating their former colonisers on modern manhood). Here, we start to stray into white saviour territory. Frighteningly, this kind of patriarchal demi-god implies that white men are the most progressive figures in a society, they are in the political vanguard, championing the needs of the disconnected and downtrodden. White men are the ultimate source of wisdom, kindness and progress. It represents them as a group as progressive, when in reality the attitudes and politics of this group represent conservative politics and regressive values that impede the progress of every other marginalised group. If we buy this myth about white men, then we are more likely to accept what they say to us from their positions of power and privilege as right, wise, kind and progressive, even when it is the opposite.

So, if you are going to put forward a white man as a model of progressive politics, then you need to embrace unconventionality, not just superficially but down to your bones. “Ted Lasso” tried to structure s2 and s3 differently but just ended up making a mess of allusions and ideologies that did not connect, cohere, develop or conclude. In fact, sometimes they straight-up contradicted.  Employing a magical 3-part structure and making a bunch of meaningless allusions to well-known classics does not another classic make. They did not engage with any of these classics (“Cheers”, “Mary Poppins”, “The Wizard of Oz”) in any deep or critical way. Classics may be loved but they are not faultless. If you simply repeat what has already been done, even in celebrated classics, you may just end up repeating mistakes someone already made for you to learn from. TL repeats the central feminist problem of parental deities in “Mary Poppins”, just as it repeats the irreconcilable ending of “The Wizard of Oz”.

LIMINALITY:

Both “The Wizard of Oz” and “Mary Poppins” take us into strange liminal worlds. “Ted Lasso” could be read similarly, except that Ted doesn't take any magic home with him. In fact, he seems to actively forget it, reverting to the Ted he was before leaving. No queerness or feminism follows him home, no traces of the various cultures he's come into contact with. The liminal remain liminal with no indication that these two worlds will communicate or can integrate. The non-white, female, queer and otherwise bizarre are left outside of Ted’s squeaky clean hometown heteronormativity. And I really don’t think I have to explain why that is so deeply irresponsible. Because again, this is a writing choice.

That epilogue at the end was brief but imagine if it included more detail: Ted texting with Rebecca, or facetiming with Roy, Jamie giving Henry advice. They didn't take the time to honour and continue these relationships or integrate these two worlds. They didn't suggest that responsible fatherhood could entail many things, could look different. “Sacrifice,” they said profoundly. “Fatherhood,” they murmured mistily. “Patriarchy” was their final word to which this feminist says, “Bullshit.”

PRIVILEGE:  

I only did one film unit at uni but it really doesn't take much to deconstruct the absurdly inconsistent ending of “The Wizard of Oz”. It was 1939, the end of the Great Depression and the start of another devastating world war. People needed to be convinced that their small ramshackle b/w lives surrounded by loved ones were stable, noble even. They already had everything they needed. They didn't need Oz. They didn't need bright futures, big adventures or exciting opportunities. Monochrome Kansas was all a good American should ever hope for. There was danger in difference, safety at home.

Well, here we are in late-stage capitalistic hell, having come through (???) a pandemic and it takes a special sort of privilege to say to an audience: you don't need money or opportunity or community, they won't make your life any better than before. Be happy with the muddy and mundane. Be happy with what you've got. Turn away from larger community, greater knowledge, continued stability, and isolate yourself in a bubble of you and yours. Look, it's not a sweet or familiar narrative conclusion but the truth is, Ted’s, Henry’s and Michelle’s lives would have all been better if they'd relocated to London. Do these dolts have any idea what teachers (in the USA esp) are currently going through? How overworked and underpaid and undervalued these people are? The burnout rates?? Ted didn't have to take the highest salary Rebecca offered but, had the writers been willing to put in the effort, a more unconventional, more modern ending to this series could have been crafted.

Not that I'm surprised they took the easy road to glory. All indications from the beginning of s3 suggested that this would be the rather predictable conclusion. Indications do not, however, constitute development. This team had the opportunity to write a new ending to an old story, one that incorporated queer, feminist and anti-capitalist values. One that defined a different, new version of patriarchy. They didn't even think to. In their white boi hubris, they just assumed that they and tradition knew best. Considering how many viewers would be struggling right now for food, housing, employment and opportunity, an ending in which Ted turns down an opportunity like this hits a false, rather virtue-signally note. Literally, nobody would have come out worse. Everybody would have benefitted from Ted staying in Richmond. Which means this decision was made purely to manufacture a “moment” that celebrates patriarchy.

ANTICAPITALISM: There’s a reason they had Rebecca offer Ted the biggest salary in his industry. They wanted to make it NotAboutTheMoney! Ted doesn’t say so (doesn’t say anything) but, because this narrative idea is so fucking familiar, we can assume the thoughts behind his oh-so-sage expression are: “Well, shucks now, boss, I rightly do appreciate the kindly offer but that there kid o’ mine is more important to me than any cash you could put in my silly lil handy-hands.” Good Lord. The cringe is real. I really, really can’t with this mighty, manly silence and sacrifice. My problem isn’t that Ted values his son over money (not that it has to be a choice because that money could benefit Henry and his mother, who is owed a heck of a lot of child support esp since she’s been raising their son solo for 3 years). Again, that is how it should be. My problem is that the show actively established Richmond as an anticapitalist landscape, then suddenly at the eleventh hour, tried to walk that back and imply it was actually a capitalistic landscape (in contrast to homey ole Kansas).  

Capitalism teaches us to sniff at money. We've been told by the monied and privileged that it won't buy happiness. (This is of course, utter bullshit because money can buy you a hell of a lot of wellbeing, security and opportunity). At the beginning of the series, Rebecca Welton stands for this principle. And by the end, she has found a way to use her extreme wealth and privilege in an ethical way. She gives it away. She supports others. She lets Sam out of a promotional contract, she funds Keeley’s business, she sells half the club to fans. The most obvious example of Rebecca’s anticapitalist politics is her confrontation with all the richy riches who want to take soccer away from the people. Here, she becomes an anticapitalist leader, one who has been positively influenced by the anticapitalistic politics of The Lasso Way.

The Lasso Way is anticapitalistic in that it stresses that winning isn’t everything. You try but you try together. You play hard, not in order to beat the other guy, but to be the best (player, teammate, man) you can be. There are no individual stars, only collaborative team players. You give due credit to others, the team, the support staff. The club functions well when it functions as a unit. Over the course of the series, it becomes a commune that protects and nurtures its citizens. A socialist haven that values people over profits, prizes and meaningless acquisition. The Greyhounds don’t want to win the league for the money or the top spot. Winning the whole fucking thing is an expression of their regard for each other, the game and the new, kinder ethos they all now live by.

Because they spent 3 years establishing all of this (during a time when we really needed to hear it), there is something v disingenuous about them then having Rebecca offer to go to extremes to pay Ted more money than any man should have. It is not consistent with the show’s themes, the ethos of the club, Rebecca’s attitude or what she knows of Ted. She knows it’s not about the money for Ted. It never was. It’s an act of desperation on her part, but why did they need to make her ridiculous, desperate, so inept in this moment? Hannah plays it beautifully but I can’t help but feel this is part of them diminishing Richmond, (re)casting it as excessively capitalistic in relation to Kansas so that they can turn Ted’s decision into a simple Money < Son choice. Because if it is a Money < Son choice then he has no dilemma. There is no other choice. He goes home to his son. The problem is, they’ve just spent 3 years proving that it is not a simple Money < Son dilemma. Money was never actually part of this equation. Ted left to give Michelle space, to find himself, to find a new life and community, to extend himself beyond what he knew as normal. As such, there is now far more than just money for Ted in Richmond (which tbf, Rebecca also points out, but I still think this point stands).  

The other major problem is that, here in the real world, middle-class America (which btw does not exist) is far from being a haven of peace and prosperity comparable to nowhere in the world. This is a lazy cliché than any amount of travel should quickly disabuse you of. And yet in Kansas, we are supposed to believe, despite everything happening in America (referenced by Henry in ep 3.01), Ted will find community, opportunity and stability. To pull off this ending, they needed to establish a Kansas unlike the one currently in existence. This is what they did with Richmond. The UK is no better than the US currently, but they nevertheless established an ideal society, one with values very contrary to the world we now live in. Is it any wonder that people saw the desertion of this world as a rejection of feminist, queer and anticapitalist values? Right now, more than ever, people want to believe in a society that isn't all about triumph, success, competition, acquisition, individualism and aggression. They want to believe in a society that emphasises community, values people, shares wealth, offers opportunity, encourages difference, improves lives and moves onward, forward, in circumspect but ethical steps. These themes were all there in the series. They just weren't utilised when it came time to shape its conclusion.

[incognit0slut]

Hi, Lou. First of all, I'd like to say that I love your stories and edits, you are a very valuable member of this fandom and I'm so, so sorry for all those negative comments about your kinktober. It's just that, like you said, nothing similar to this happened during last year's Kinktober and you're right. It was very enjoyable. (Tina was so right when she predicted this fr she must be a prescient witch lol) But I feel like someone or some people, idk if it started with one person randomly spreading this "canon-compliant-character-writing-obligation- and bullying any writer who does otherwise" or if it was a group of people, but I'm so disappoint to see it. Like, think about it, writers take their time out of their very busy lives and create something for you, for free, and then having to face negativity for it? Everyone is responsible for the content they consume and I'm pretty sure everyone is also capable of shaping their dash according to it. Do you add necessary content warnings? Yes. Do they not like it? They should very calmly scroll away or block. Like if you were a farmer, this blog would be your garden, and it is no one's business what you plant in it. Corroborating an idea without thinking about the meaning behind it is getting more and more common and it's not alright. In the word "understand", there is a "stand" in the end, meaning "stop and process, digest" what has been said to you, or what you read, and some people simply don't do it. (There is also a similar example in German but my German is terrible so I'll avoid illustrating.) People sadly don't think about the potential outcomes of their words. There are, unfortunately, writers who cannot handle the negativity and deactivate. I hope you will not be one of them because, like I said, you are important and needed here. Take care 💗

“Like if you were a farmer, this blog would be your garden, and it is no one's business what you plant in it.” That is the sweetest thing I’m now going think of my works as flowers now🌹🌸🌷🌼💐

You have a beautiful mind sweet girl and you took the time to write all of that to cheer me up? ME? How lucky am I? Thank you so so much I really appreciate it and you’re of course 100% right with everything you mentioned. And honestly people like you outweighs all the hateful energy so don’t worry, I’m doing absolutely wonderful!!

[vibratingskull]

"Can I have a Thrawn with a reader that treats him or any injuries? And maybe tease him a little while they do it?" -@obbicrystaleo

Thrawn x GN!reader

You shake your head before the display in front of you. How did we come to that? you wonder. The man sitting in the armchair in front of you remains silent and calm despite squeezing his lips in a thin line.

You jab a needle in Thrawn’s arm, he winces at your lack of gentleness.

-Come on now, a big guy like you should be able to take that, you tease.

He turns his head to you.

-Do not forget who you are talking to, Lieutenant commander, he speaks softly but firmly.

-Oh, I’m so sorry Grand Admiral Thrawn, I will try not to forget it next time you have another brilliant idea like that! You grin. 

-My idea was perfect, he chides, the execution however, was lacking. I will have a talk with the responsibles officers.

You raise an eyebrow.

-You call that lacking? I call that a fiasco…

-You are harsh, lieutenant commander. We did not suffer any casualties and we got the intel we were looking for. This mission was a success.

You scoff. Getting stabbed by a war javelin in the chest is not a fiasco for him? 

-If you say so…

You apply bandage over where you jabbed him and retrieve the bacta for his chest wound.

-Nevertheless it is the first time I see you wounded, you reluctantly admit, I wish I never did. You spread the healing jelly on his chest, a chance the wound is no more profound than that. A chance he was wearing his armor too.

-Are you saying you are worrying for me Lieutenant Commander? He teases back.

You shot him daggers.

- Yes, Grand Admiral. I do. It was reckless of you to go in the field with the Stormtroopers.

- I already told you: I share my warrior's battles, I will not remain hidden in the Chimaera while they fight for our cause, it is my duty of Grand Admiral.

-Your duty of a Grand Admiral is to stay alive and prepare tactics and battles, not to die on some stupid backward planet, you lose your temper. What would we have done if you really died back there?

-The rear admiral would have simply taken over, he placidly explains.

-Thrawn, I don’t find it funny, you berate him.

-Neither do I, he smiles sadly, but I am well and alive. Everything is fine… 

He grazes your cheek and caresses it with his thumb. You press it against his palm, sighing.

- Promise me you will be more careful next time…

- I am always careful, but I cannot predict jeopardy in advance.

You stare into your lover’s shiny eyes.

What would you do if you lost this man? 

You will surely retire from your military career, letting all those battles behind you and settle somewhere in a farm, away from all that.

-Well I order you to do it from now on, you decide.

-Alright, Lieutenant commander. He grins

You squeeze his chest bandage more than necessary to pinch the skin.

-What is that for? He exhales a painful laugh.

-That, is for making fun of me and my worries, mister Grand Admiral.

-I would never do that, he protests.

You tuts, dubious.

-I know you well, mister. You are not above that.

-Well loosen it a bit, it is hard to breathe.

-No! It is for your own good, Grand Admiral, you cheekily smile at him.

@bluechiss @thrawnalani @justanothersadperson93 @al-astakbar @thrawnspetgoose @readinglistfics @elise2174 @debonaire-princess @twilekchiss @pencil-urchin @ineedazeezee @mssbridgerton

[avida-heidia-5]

Wheeeeeeeeee thanks for the tag @magdacimy!!!!! 🥰🥰🥰🥰

Who is your favourite driver?

Cute. Sexy. Mischievous. Clever. Kind-hearted. Generous. Selfless. Babygirliest of all babygirls. He’s the loveliest human being on the planet, really.

Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you, thee one and only…

*drum roll*

Karun Chandhok!

Wait, no. Hang on. That can’t be right. Where have all my notes gone?

Ah, here they are! *ahem*

Ladies and gentlemen, my favourite F1 driver of all time isssssss…

*drum roll*

✨ Sebastian Vettel! ✨

Wooo, big surprise! Who could’ve seen that coming? I’m so predictable! 😂

Do you have other favourite drivers?

Why, yes I do! In no order in particular, I love Kimi Räikkönen, Charles Leclerc, Fernando Alonso, Jenson Button, Mark Webber, Mika Häkkinen, Alex Albon, Ollie Bearman, Daniel Ricciardo, Oscar Piastri, Esteban Ocon, Giancarlo Fisichella, Esteban Gutiérrez, and Carlos Sainz Jr..

I haven’t watched any races from the classic era yet (By that, I mean the 50’s all the way up to the mid-90’s), so I can’t list any classic F1 drivers. There will be one out very soon though when I get around to it. 😉

Who is your least favourite driver?

Max V, Checo Pérez, Pierre Gasly, Felipe Massa, and Nelson Piquet are ones that spring to mind. Put simply, they’re all horrid people. Except Gasly (as far as I know), who I ultimately don’t care that much about.

Do you pull for drivers or do you like teams as well?

My heart will always go towards the drivers I love or drivers I want to see do well, no matter which team they drive for.

If you like teams which teams do you pull for?

We’re primarily a McLaren household, but we’re happy to support any team that happens to be at the top of the standings. The odd Ferrari. The odd Aston Martin. You know how it is.

How long have you been into F1?

Oooooh since around 2004-2005, I think. I don’t know the exact moment when it all started, but I vividly remember my interest in the sport reaching its peak when I watched the 2005 season live on the telly, specifically the Japanese GP when my boy Kimi Räikkönen started from dead last on the grid to overtaking Giancarlo Fisichella on the final lap to take 1st place. What a race that was! 😍😍😍 To this day, my love for F1 has never waned, even when there were some bad or tedious races here and there.

What got you into F1?

My parents! They introduced it to me when I was 4 or 5 years old.

Do you enjoy fic/rpf?

Uuuuhhhh…

*rapidly closes numerous AO3 tabs*

Noooooooo don’t be silly! As if I would ever read that stuff. Mm mmm. Not me. Heh heh.

How do you view new fans?

I’m a bit mixed. I’m torn between excitement and annoyance depending on where their interest in the sport stems from.

If you could take over as team principal for any team, who would it be and why?

I’d steal the Williams spreadsheet and make that team great again like it’s the 1990’s! I feel really bad for James Vowles and some of the drivers.

Are your friends and family into F1?

My parents, obviously! My sister has recently started watching it too. (She’s a huge Lando Norris fan and a McLaren supporter!) My grandparents on my dad’s side don’t watch it as much but they are known to watch it from time to time when nothing’s on. My grandpa on my mum’s side watches it on occasion but he would rather watch the rugby instead. 😂

My friends in real life don’t watch F1 sadly, so I can’t have any conversations about it. 😢 However, I have some lovely friends on Discord who watch and ramble on about F1. I love being around those people as I can talk freely and comfortably about things related to it with hardly any problems. I would really love to meet those people in real life too. 🥰🥰🥰

Are you open to talking to other fans/making friends?

HELL YEAH, I AM!!!! I’m always looking forward to making some friends with F1 fans.

Tagging @racingliners, @vroomjohnwatson, @kaossbells, @lottie1824, @zoomguanyu, @pumpkinnning, @wanderingblindly, @miss-malheur, @msmirrorball21, and whoever sees this that hasn’t been tagged but wants to do this. Feel free to ignore this post if you’ve done this already, that’s completely fine. 💙