#Barney and Robin are still pretty much the same people

[winnie-the-monster]

What do you think barney and robin be as a couple reunited after the divorce in the alternate ending?

In my AU, I like to think Barney still ended up having his daughter. And one night Barney called Robin in a panic because she wouldn’t stop crying. After they had got Ellie to go sleep, they ended up talking about how much they missed each other, and realized they still wanted to be together. But they stilled had to work through their problems that lead to their divorce in the first place. And their was also Barney’s kid they had to think about as well.

So they spent months just talking and thinking. They figured out a way to communicate and compromise better than they did the first time around. They started dating again, but decided not to get married again or tell Ellie until they were sure that it was truly going to work out this time. They got married again when Ellie was in the second grade with her as the flower girl. She made a speech saying it took them long enough. And that was glad to have a second mom.

[no-where-new-hero]

Time for another Lantern Hill Book club catchup post! I wish I didn't have time to read and gather my thoughts only once a week at this point, but oh well ;(

CH. 9: (I'm pretty sure this is where I left off?)

LMM gets so much mileage out of personifying 60 Gay Street in this chapter, fully appraising us of its unfriendliness and hostility. Absolutely the most vicious house of her canon, I think--a pure extension of Grandmother's personality.

Jane felt that it might help the ache a little if she could only have a talk with mother, but when she tried mother's door it was locked. Jane felt that mother didn't want to talk to her about this and that hurt worse than anything else.

I've already bitched about this paragraph, but I'm going to bitch again. Robin's inability to put herself in her daughter's shoes for 10 seconds and at least TRY not to make this sudden summons seem so scary or overwhelming is so frustrating. If Jane has told her mother how much she likes their frivolous little chats and things and it causes Robin enough pain for Jane to stop confessing this kind of thing to her, Robin SHOULD have the awareness to realize what Jane needs most is an emotional connection with her. Earlier on, Jane is prevented from talking to Robin by Grandmother, but this paragraph kind of explicitly lays out how it isn't just Grandmother's heavy-handedness preventing Robin from being a good mother but Robin's own short-sightedness. Even comforting lies would have been better for Jane at this point.

CH. 10:

Love how LMM has so many jokes about PEI being too small to live on so that people must live in perpetual danger of falling into the sea.

CH. 11:

I don't think we'll actually lose Jody to the orphanage before the end of the book but goodness LMM knows how to pile on the tragedies.

...they drove along over the elfish underground city that comes into view under the black street on a rainy night.

A rare case of LMM being an urban writer. Of course she makes it as magical as she makes her natural landscapes.

She thought Jane quite the dumbest child she had ever encountered.

This constant harping on Jane's purported idiocy feels like such an implicit Maud judgment to me. Like. I feel like the average adult wouldn't be so immediately blunt about an 11-year-old's intellect or lack thereof? Unless it's just different mores since I feel like nowadays an adult would take silence as shyness. But Maud's own ferocious intelligence gives me the impression that she would be very capable of cataloguing people as dumb. (Okay I also just realized that during this time, "dumb" might have been used for people without speech but both Phyllis and Grandmother freely mock Jane for not being very bright which still reinforces my point a bit).

CH. 12:

Getting a lot of echoes of other LMM books in here:

She drew herself away and took in the lady with one of her straight, deliberate glances. (such an Emily Starr gesture) …but that dreadful old car of his broke down half-way." (Andrew appears to have bought his car from the same place as Barney Snaith) Perhaps the "Janie" was the last straw. Jane was not going to be "Janied." (Aunt Irene is giving a weird combination of Aunt Laura and Aunt Ruth.)

Aunt Irene is intensely creepy in a way I can't quite put a finger on. Well, I can--she's as possessive and judgmental as Grandmother, just more sugary. But their appraising and judging qualities are the same. Also the obsession with love meaning jealousy is really coming through as a motif here: Grandmother's jealous posessiveness of Robin, Robin thinking Andrew was jealous of Jane, Irene thinking Robin was jealous of her and Andrew's closeness, Irene's unnecessary attachment to Andrew. She seems to be twisting everyone's emotions around and then blaming them for things that don't seem to be there.

And I was always so fond of your mother…but…well, I don't quite think she ever really liked me.

This is the first sign of sense in Robin that I've seen so far.

CH. 13:

...in which Jane continues to have traumatic mealtimes with gaslighting adults.

More parallels to other LMM media! First we have Andrew "Kenneth Howard" Stuart to rival Barney "John Foster" Snaith, because beloved writers being your very close kin abound in the LMMverse as much as forgotten heirs to wealthy corporations being your neighbors abound in kdramas, apparently. Second, we have familial phrenology to catalogue the features inherited a la Emily Starr, as well as a lot of bald-faced commentary on appearances, and the Douglas Starr energy in Andrew is intensifying. I have to say Jane's acceptance and love of him feels a bit sudden--and I'm not entirely sure how much I approve of this bit:

Would he be disappointed because she was not pretty? Would he think her mouth too big?

immediately after her resolution not to be "bright and fresh for anybody." Will need to keep mulling over this.

CH. 14:

Aunt Irene made a fuss over dad. She purred over him...actually purred. And dad liked her purring and her honey-sweet phrases just as well as he had liked her cake. Jane saw that clearly.

For all that LMM adores and elevates cats, she manages to infuse untold amounts of disgust into describing people as purring in a way I find fascinating. I will never move on from how she describes Teddy "purring and scintillating" for Ilse, and here she's using it to illustrate Irene's corrosive sucking-up to Andrew. Jane again knows her onions about human psychology.

"She's got a secretive strain in her, Andrew, that I confess I don't like." "Knows how to keep her own counsel, eh?" said dad. "It's more than that, Andrew. She's deep...take my word for it, she's deep. Old Lady Kennedy will never be dead while she is alive.

More Aunt Ruth and Aunt Elizabeth type lines: "sly and deep" and "your grandfather Archibald won't be dead as long as you're live" make a comeback here.

And the rest of the chapter feels so much like Barney and Valancy heading to Mistawis: the way Andrew talks about his life (their tones are very similar), Jane's feeling of peace and freedom at Brookview. A small spotted dog in place of Good Luck and Banjo.

I also now have a strong craving to try wild-strawberry jam.

CH. 15:

This happens to be one of the days when I like myself reasonably well.

What a mood? This line suddenly made me like Andrew way more.

Once I took you down and dipped you in it, to the horror of…of several people. You were properly baptized before that in the Anglican church in Charlottetown…but that was your real baptism. You are the sea's child and you have come home."

Okay, I REALLY like Andrew in this chapter. I think in a paragraph like this I can kind of catch the glimpse of why he seems similar to Dean Priest. This is such a Dean thing to do and a Dean thing to talk about. Ditto with finding a magic house. Andrew lacks the cynicism of the Barney/Dean type, but he has their whimsy--possibly closer to Dean with it than Barney.

It's also very peculiar because Barney/Valancy, Emily/Dean, and Jane/Andrew all feel like they work around similar conversations and emotional connections despite being different relationships. One is romantic, one is romantic/platonic but also slightly familial, one is entirely familial, and yet they all cling to similar themes. Emily and Jane talk about who they resemble to Dean and Andrew. Setting up a domestic space becomes a plot point. Valancy and Jane are entirely happy with their author beloveds, yet feel a little insecure about how much that happiness and love is reciprocated. They travel by car to escape the peering judgments of society.

I will do my best to keep up with the book club from here, since things have gotten very interesting very quickly.

[sofoulandfairaday]

The ultimate How I Met Your Mother Finale rant

I know this has been done before, and I know I'm several years late to the party, but I don't care, so IN THIS ESSAY I WILL tell you about why this finale takes the spot as the second-worst finale in TV show history (because Game of Thrones is still, to this day, unbeatable, and it will probably stay like that forever). 

But first, a little context: I've just finished binge-watching HIMYM. This binge has been going on for three days straight (my final exam of the semester is in a week and I should be studying, so the fact that the last few days were a partial waste of time makes me so mad). Second thing: I already knew how it would end, and yes, kids, it does ruin the show for you. It ruins the show so much it makes your blood boil when you rewatch certain scenes, but I will get to that. 

You might want to make yourself a drink because this is a complete list of all the reasons why HIMYM's finale sucks - I'm warning you, it's gonna be looong.

It completely invalidates the entirety of season 9

This is one of the complaints people most often have with this series, and I have to agree. It would have been so much better if the last two episodes never existed, and they just showed Barney and Robin dancing at the reception after walking out of the chapel, Ted noticing Tracy and then the platform scene. "And that, kids, is the story of how I met your mother". Cut scene. Honestly, I don't get the hate people give to season 9, barring the last 2/3 episodes, especially since season 8 was so much worse (except for a few honourable mentions, like The Robin). S8 was slower, less funny, and less deep, and while the authors took a risk by making s9 happen in the span of a weekend it paid off: they took their time introducing the character of the Mother to the gang and fleshing her out. They make sure to highlight all the little ways in which Ted and Tracy are perfect for each other, and even tie up loose ends, like with the Slapsgiving episode, that was a filler but it wasn't boring to watch (although it may be problematic for different reasons, I'm not Chinese, so I can't say for sure if it's cultural appropriation or just the authors making fun of a particular movie genre). 

Some episodes were arguably great: "Daisy" was amazing, and that whole fight between Marshall and Lily was so realistic and well thought out, "Sunrise" was extremely important for Ted's character development, same goes for Tracy and "How Your Mother Met Me", "Bedtime stories" was impressive, "Rally" was incredibly funny and proved once again what a beautiful character Barney Stinson is, so much so that even Robin never has doubts that he (the guy with the biggest commitment issues on the planet) will bail on her before the wedding, and says to Ted that "he always comes back". Daphne's character is super funny and the right amount of annoying, the shenanigans of the gang are well thought out and all of the characters (not just Barney) complete their arc in this season. The last two/three episodes butcher that.

Marshall and Lily

Marshall and Lily, arguably the world's most solid couple, are the only thing this God-awful finale gets right, especially Marshall, who is my second-favourite character, that finally gets everything he deserves. But what about Lily? They never mention her career after Italy, and I refuse to believe she goes back to being a kindergarten teacher as if her year in Rome meant nothing. I also refuse to think she becomes nothing but a political wife, the equivalent of Zoey, but without saving the world. We know she has three kids, but her postpartum depression is never really talked about much and they definitely had the screentime to delve into it. 

Barney

 Where do I even begin? Barney Stinson is, without a doubt, the best character in this series, the glue of the whole gang. I think the message they were trying to give is that, since his trauma stemmed from the absence of a father figure in his life, he could only truly heal by becoming a father as well. People also say that n°31 had to stay just a number, because who could match up with Barney Stinson? First of all, I call BULSHIT on that last point, because Robin wasn't the only girl Barney could have ended up marrying. I used to think that too, but it's just not true: that is the equivalent of saying that Barney was incapable to truly love a woman and commit to her, even after all the development he got, and that he only got one shot at love in life, and that's it. This goes against the point the showrunners try to make by having Ted and Robin end up together AND by having Tracy get with Ted in the first place: "it's never too late, you always have another chance at love, etc." And, let's face it, Barney and Robin are legendary, but Barney and Nora (hell, even Barney and Quinn!) were pretty good together too. 

Second of all, if they wanted to give Barney a kid, they could have easily done that, before Barney married Robin. Barney's "redemption" starts when he gets with Robin the first time, hell maybe even when we meet James for the first time: Nora, Quinn, finding out who his father is, the episode dedicated to the lies his mum told him/finding James' father, him getting to know his own dad, etc... those are all steps along the way. The s9 episode where Barney accepts the relationship between Loretta and the reverend proves how far he's come. So why not give him a daughter BEFORE he proposes to Robin? Have him cheat on Nora/Quinn with n°31, giving him a relapse, and having him get closer to Robin while struggling to be a dad to Ellie. That would have been great. 

Or, you know, don't give him children. What's the point of burning the Playbook if you're going to have him write the second edition? What's the point of having him do a complete 180 in the last few scenes and acting like having a kid is the only thing that makes him change? What's the point of doing that when the show spends entire episodes berating Marshall and Lily for "changing too much" when they have a kid?

Also, Barney is the "challenge accepted" guy. He loves his wife so much, he spent years wanting her, and then he gives up because there is no WiFi in his hotel. How does that make any sense at all? This is Barney Stinson, the "I will fly out to San Francisco and buy Lily a plane ticket", the "I will steal every girl from my best friend just to save him for Lily", the guy that wrote the Playbook (it takes effort to pull those plays off), the guy that planned for weeks his proposal, the guy that waited years to get back at the man who stole his first girlfriend, the guy that makes every night legendary... are you telling me that that guy becomes the equivalent of a bored housewife instead of living his best life while travelling the world? Come on. They don't even try to make it believable.

Ted

While watching seasons 7 and 8, I felt that Ted was becoming the worst character on the show: he was boring, depressed, basically had no good storylines, the whole thing with Victoria was pointless and inconclusive (and the whole "stop being in love with Robin" was completely out of character for her), but whatever, we could have accepted that because it passed the message that two people could be good together, without being soulmates - which, by the way, renders the TedxRobin ship pointless, because they were right for each other, but Ted and Tracy were soulmates. Him being hung up on Robin in the latter seasons is almost pathetic, and the thing he does with the locket is insane, not romantic - BUT I will say this: it can be seen in two ways, depending on who's watching. I personally like the two as friends, so I see the whole thing as a "Dahmer" situation, but I get the people who see it as a "Dobler" one and see what he did as a grand romantic gesture. 

The problem, though, is that the whole TedxRobin ship gets pretty old, pretty fast: it's an annoying on-and-off thing, that should have ended with the locket. Because, yes, Ted was in a dark moment, yes, he was probably depressed, yes, he thought Robin was his only shot at happiness, but he changes during season nine! He spends entire episodes letting go of Robin, including the one where she transforms into a balloon and flies away. Ted is the good guy, ultimately. He is the guy that is genuinely happy for his best friends. In one of the deleted scenes from the finale, he meets Robin years later and says that he's so happy with Tracy he never thought about Robin in that way anymore. All of that gets thrown in the trash. Why do that? To use a Harry Potter metaphor, Ted is Severus Snape, while Barney is James Potter: the former loved the girl of his dreams with all his heart, even to the point of creepiness, but they weren't meant to be together. 

Robin

This, along with the next point, is the worst of all: Robin is the worst character of the entire finale. Her relationship with Ted in season 2 is wonderful, and I say that as a full-on Barney/Robin shipper. There was never a problem in their relationship, apparently, but they then break up because they have an "expiration date" and ultimately want different things in life. Except that Ted is not her soulmate. The only times when Robin wants Ted are the times where (1) she can't have him because he's either trying to move on or (2) the times where it's convenient, for example when they become roommates again and they solve their disputes again. Around that time, we see perfectly that Ted had moved on and that the person getting hurt was Barney. It's one thing to see Ted and Robin in the finale as two people picking up where they had left off after they dated. But this is not the case. 

In season 7, we have the exchange that should have put an end to any and all TedxRobin drama, and that completely invalidates whatever the writers wrote after that about the two of them: Ted declares his love - "I think you know how you feel about me now. I don't think time's gonna change that. Just tell me: do you love me?" To which she answers "No". And Ted also says later to Marshall, that he's "happy because he can finally move on". 

What a load of crap. 

Getting over someone is hard, believe me, I would know. And, oftentimes, it doesn't happen until we find someone else to love (and from the moment he meets Tracy, there is no one else for Ted). But by giving Ted feelings for Robin after this moment, it takes away from the beauty of it- because it's one of the most heartbreaking feelings in the world when you declare your love to someone and they don't love you back. Ted and Robin were both honest at that moment, and it was the last genuinely good exchange between them. After that, during season 8 they try to show us Ted trying to get over her (and failing) and in season 9 Ted getting over her completely. This is also weirdly paced because at the beginning of s8 both are in happy relationships with other people and there's no jealousy (which is good, because at least they weren't toxic) and they seem just friends (when Robin leaves Nick to go see him in the middle of the night, she implies that she would do it for any of her friends), but after Ted breaks up with Veronica because of Robin everything is weirdly coated in this sort of tension between the two: first Ted loves her, but she doesn't, so when he helps her by taking her to Barney's proposal ("which means my best bro in the world has given me his blessing"). 

And, by the way, every time they try to paint Ted as the guy that comes through for Robin after this moment, they dumb down Barney's character. And still fail to make Ted a better guy than him (see: the carousel in Central Park). 

Yes, Robin and Ted have some chemistry, but it is nothing compared to what Robin and Barney have. Every time Robin is jealous of Barney, it doesn't seem like a stupid whim, just because some other child is playing with her toys (except, perhaps, during The Robin). Robin and Barney's relationship would need a whole other post, and the next time I rewatch the series I will write down all the things that make them perfect for each other, but, to me, the biggest difference between the two relationships is this: in season 6, when she's not dating either one of them, Ted accuses Robin of never making him feel needed while they were together, whereas Barney praises her for it. Those are elective affinities: that's what Barney and Robin have, and what Tracy and Ted have. 

Barney and Robin have more or less the same arc: they both get over their fear of commitment and they do that with each other. Time and time again, we are told that if they're ever going to settle down, it would only be with the other. The first time they break up is honestly so stupid, and even when they are broken up, they are the best of friends, which also makes Robin's behaviour in the finale look so stupid. The way the two of them fit together is unparalleled, both in a romantic and a platonic way. 

Think about it: Robin makes Barney a better man, while she makes Ted a worse one. 

Also, the whole point that there are different seasons in life for everything gets thrown out the window: apparently, Ted and Robin (that were a couple that ultimately worked in their young twenties) are the same people in their forties.

But that's not even the worst part. The worst part is that the two final episodes butcher Robin's arc as well: episode 23 starts with Lily saying "I want this girl to be in our lives" and we know Robin never made other friends outside of the gang, because she didn't need to, and now she walks away from everything because of fucking Ted?? This is saying "hey, Robin was only in the group for Ted, who brought her in, and now she leaves because he's not her puppy anymore". Robin was the one that was eternally indecisive between Ted and Barney and you're telling me that three years and many many life experiences later, she's still not sure? 

The point of her story is learning how to get over her fear of commitment, learning how to be there for her friends (there's an entire episode dedicated to that, and it's the one where Lily's pregnant and we meet Robin's ex-best friend in Canada), and how to balance her job and her life. Also, the way her character is treated is un-feminist and un-progressive: she becomes Ted's consolation prize. She is passive throughout s9. She cannot, ultimately, win the modern-day struggle most women have and balance out career and love life, so her true life, her "happy chapter" begins after she has already accomplished everything she wanted to and she's free for Ted. She doesn't even go back to him, she just the prize the main character wanted for all his life and only got in the end because his wife died (ONE SCENE, people, ONE SCENE!). Also, this makes Tracy the "broodmare" that gives him the kids he wanted, and his "happy family" experience before he goes to be with his one true love. 

The mother

This. This makes me so mad. One whole season spent on building up Tracy's character, just for it to go to waste. It would have been so easy to screw her up, but she is hands down the best thing about s9. She's the perfect woman for Ted and the episode shot through her perspective is the sweetest. By the end, I liked her more than Robin and Lily. She was the perfect addition to their group, she fit together with them in a perfect way, and they show us the biggest moment of her and Ted's life... for what? To have her die in a few sentences? And I don't care if they shot a funeral scene, I don't care if the finale was supposed to be 40 minutes long, because, in the end, it wasn't. The scene where Ted meets her is the second most beautiful one (after Barney's proposal to Robin) and the climax of the whole show, but they ruin her... and for what? The chemistry Ted has with her, he has with no one. The joy she brings him, the way she understands him, is unlike any other. I am sure that one of the reasons they killed her off was the shock value and I hate it. 

I cannot stress this enough: Tracy makes Ted a better person. When he's with Robin, Ted is "the nice guy" in the most selfish and narcissistic version of the trope. When he's with Tracy, love comes easy to Ted. Also, the scenes between the two of them are arguably the best Ted scenes of the show.

The kids' reactions (ugh)

It's not really what they say- it's the way they say it. The end of HIMYM was not supposed to be funny, even though the show is a sitcom. It was supposed to be bittersweet and beautiful, because it's the end of an era, and the writers must have known that. So, Ted finishes telling his story, reveals to the audience that their now-beloved Tracy is dead, and the reaction is: "No, ahah, you totally have the hots for Aunt Robin" (their words, not mine). Like, what the actual fuck? I cringed when Penny said that. It's tasteless and not fun at all. Even if it has been six years... It's still your fucking mum, show a little bit of sadness at the thought of her. 

The reason the show ended this way

What makes me especially mad is that I know for a fact that the reason they went with this ending is that it was the original one, always intended for the show, from season 2 onwards. And, if you watch it right after s2, it makes sense. But if you consider the eight years that passed and the massive character development, then no, it's not the best possible one. So many things hadn't been decided yet back in s2, especially about Barney, Ted, and Robin, and I hate that they didn't dare to scrap their work. This ending probably had sentimental meaning to the writers, but authors have to do what's best for their characters, not themselves. It's like with GoT, in a way: I think that the authors were all too aware of the impact of HIMYM and didn't believe that their finale would live up to the expectations... which compelled them to make the worst decision possible?? Every single character is OOC during the episode. Oh, and Marshall and Lily moving in the last episode is a ripoff from Friends (or maybe a tribute? Idk). Anyway, I believe that the authors were too attached to their sentimental version of "what should have been" and didn't give the characters the endings they truly deserved.

"Life works this way" // "Life only moves forward"

Some people say that the show is realistic because that's how life works. But I call super-BS on that. That might be true, and yes, people do get sick and die (Max, Marshall's dad...) and life does go on. But then, you don't frame it the way they did. It's just bad storytelling if you do it like that. And the problem is not the structure of season 9, because the characters develop in that season. The problem isn't even the mother's death. The problem is Ted ending up with Robin because that's not life moving forward for him, that's him, doing the same thing he did in 2005, 25 (twenty-fucking-five) years before! 

In conclusion, this finale is incoherent and inconclusive, and not satisfying at all. The only character that gets a good ending is Marshall: why is that? What makes his ending great? It's the fact that his character arc is respected and he finally gets what he's been working towards for more than ten years.

[tellmeourstoryy]

Not that anyone cares to know but here is a list of my favorite ships from the shows I watch

Chuck: Chuck and Sarah. My absolute favorite ship ever!! The most pure and genuine couple ever. I love them with my whole heart

Pretty Little Liars: Spencer and Toby. Love them to death. The first ship I ever cared about and they’ll always hold a special place in my heart

Friends: Ross and Rachel. Obviously there could be some better writing between the two but I’m a sucker for this will they won’t they

Gilmore Girls: Rory and Dean... I know I know but hear me out I like Rory and Dean before he got married. I wish that he would have never got married and that they found each other again later down the line and ended up together. I realize they don’t work with the actual storyline they went with

How I Met Your Mother: Ted and Robin...I know but hear me out again I also wish the storyline would have been different. I thought Robin and Barney made no sense and were absolutely toxic. I wish Barney and Robin never got married and Ted and Robin both grew and found their way back together. But I do think it was terrible for him to have a wife and then kill her off basically just to put him and Robin together but that’s just bad writing.

One Tree Hill: Lucas and Peyton. I love them a lot and did in fact stop watching the show once they left because it wasn’t the same without them.

Revenge: Daniel and Emily!!! I don’t even care if you don’t agree cause they were absolutely adorable. I think she genuinely fell in love with Daniel and should have just been friends with Jack.

The Vampire Diaries: Stefan and Elena. Again Damon and Elena were toxic. Stefan ALWAYS put Elena first and they deserved so much better.

Prison Break: Sara and Michael. I don’t even remember any other significant ships from that show but they were adorable.

Hart of Dixie: Zoe and Wade. I really love them together and loveee to see both of their character development.

White Collar: Sara and Neal. I thought they were so cute together.

Baby Daddy: Ben and Riley. Don’t get me wrong I love Danny but I think Riley goes better with Ben. I loved Ben’s character development and seeing how much he changed for the better after Riley. I really did love them and am still upset they didn’t end up together.

Parks and Recreation: Leslie and Ben. Honestly this was hard cause I like several of the ships on that show but the absolute sweetness of Leslie and Ben makes them take the cake.

Dawson’s Creek: Joey and Dawson. I know that this is probably my most unpopular opinion but oh well. I do think there should have been some better writing leading up to it and things made better with that better writing though. Honestly I was absolutely so confused and shocked when she ended up with Pacey. Might have been the most upset I’ve been about people ending up together. I mean even if she would have ended up with no one or even Eddie but I was just really upset she ended up with Pacey. Sorry not sorry.

Once Upon A Time: Hook and Emma. Absolutely adore them. They are so pure and adorable and have character development and ugh I love them so much.

The Night Shift: TC and Jordan. I really liked them so much and am upset the show was cancelled before we got to see them get back together.

New Girl: Schmidt and Cece. Also hard because I also love Nick and Jess but if I have to choose it’s Schmidt and CeCe.

Bones: Booth and Brennan. Absolutely LOVE them.

Blacklist: Ressler and Liz. Honestly conflicted about this rn cause I don’t know if she deserves him but I have always liked them together.

Stranger Things: Steve and Nancy. I loveeee Steve and could not believe she got together with Jonathan. Like did everyone forget about him taking photos of her????

The Good Place: Eleanor and Chidi. Literally so adorable love them both sooo much. They deserve the world.

Psych: Shawn and Juliet. Seriously how cute are they?? I’ll go ahead and tell you... the CUTEST.

Grey’s Anatomy: Derek and Meredith. You already know I’m team MerDer because honestly who isn’t?

Arrow: Oliver and Felicity. So prefect together love them

The Flash: Barry and Caitlin. I saw Barry and Iris as siblings especially since Barry called him dad which is why I don’t ship that also I feel like she didn’t actually start to really like him until she figured out he was the flash. And I think Barry and Caitlin are super cute and honestly thought they were gonna date way back in season 1. But I’m content with them just being friends I just wish we could see some more of that friendship because they’re adorable.

The Walking Dead: Glenn and Maggie!!!!!! Love love love love them! What’s better than falling in love during a zombie apocalypse? One of the bests ugh my heart. That ending was too sad and definitely made me quit watching the show.

A Million Little Things: Honestly I don’t know rn. I still like Katherine and Eddie but that might just be because Katherine is my fav. I just wish he would have told her about the pills right away and how he was struggling or something. I just have a hard time rooting for him because he’s put Katherine through so much. And then Rome and Regina are so adorable. And I adore Gary and like him with Maggie and Darcy and like Maggie with Gary and Jamie. So yeah I’m all over the place with this one. Honestly can’t pick a fav but felt like sharing those thoughts.

Well this has been fun and there’s more shows and couples but that’s all for now

[loving-barnes]

TED MOSBY – THE ONE (1)

(A/N): I needed a change and I have decided to write a HIMYM fanfic. This might have two or three parts. I have been watching the whole show again and honesly, I am obsessed with Ted. So... if you like or love  HIMYM, this one is for you. Also, this is around season 5 mixed with an AU. 

Pairing: Ted Mosby x reader

Warnings: none

Words: 2013

TED MOSBY – THE ONE

After all the break-ups and girls, he was ready to settle down. Usually, when he found a girl and started dating her, he would tell his friends that someone new came into his life. Maybe because of that his relationships didn’t work out. Maybe… This time, he decided to keep it as private as possible and not tell them about the new woman in his life until they were ready. It was a mutual decision. She was glad that he proposed the idea because she was only in one relationship before Ted and so, she wanted to take things a bit slow.

They would hang out together when Ted’s roommate was away or they would stay at her place because she lived alone.

“My friends come and go into our apartment, so it’s better we are mostly crashing at your place. And besides, I love it here,” said Ted to Y/N when they spend their three-month anniversary at her place. It was a simple Chinese takeout night with Star Wars. Ted wanted to watch it, just to be sure she loved the movies as much as he did.

“This is my favourite part,” she squealed excitedly.

Ted’s eyes widened and he looked at her. He stopped breathing for a moment and just stared at her face, noticing how her eyes were sparkling and he just knew that she was the one, at least the one worth saying those three powerful words.

Y/N turned to him with a smile. “What’s up?” she asked.

“I love you,” he said – simple, short and powerful.

Her hand reached for the remote control and she paused the movie. After that, she put down her plate with food and again turned to him. “Really?”

Ted nodded, still smiling. It was a genuine smile that she loved so much. “I mean it. I love you.”

And then she was on him, kissing him deeply. Then she realised one unpleasant thing. She pulled away from him. “I’m so sorry, my breath after the spicy chicken…”

“That’s alright,” he leaned to her again, capturing her lips with his.

After the kiss, she curled to his side with a plastered smile on her face. “I love you too, Ted.”

In the end, it was a good thing they decided to keep it low-key. This way, they could enjoy their time together and cherish their moments without being interrupted by Ted’s friends, mostly Barney.

Even though Barney had a thing for Robin, he would hit on Y/N a lot – Ted was sure of it. Deep down, he was scared to introduce his new girlfriend to Barney.

“Ted?” Y/N asked him the next morning when they were having a very early breakfast before work. “If you agree and if you want, I would like to meet your friends. I think I am ready,” she said.

As much as it made him happy that she wanted to meet the people he considered as family, his gut was telling him to wait a little more. “Uhm-“ he started slowly, carefully considering his next words. “About that,” he took a deep breath. “I am so glad you want to meet my friends, but could we wait a bit more, please?”

She put down her mug with coffee. “Sure,” she didn’t know what to think. “No rush. Can I at least know why? Should I be worried or scared?” she kinked a brow.

Ted took a deep breath. She needed to know some information about his friends. “They mean well, I know that, but sometimes they can be either overprotective or make everything to make fun of me. I don’t mind the second one it’s just… it might scare you off.”

She laughed a little and bit her lower lip. “Go on,” she goaded him.

“I will come clean with you. There is this girl in our group – Robin – and we used to date for a year. I don’t have any feelings for her. She is just a friend and a family, nothing more. Lily, she still thinks I might have feelings for her. I don’t. The only feelings I have are that I love you.”

“Alright,” she nodded.

“Doesn’t that bother you?”

Y/N shook her head. “Honestly, maybe a little but overall, no. I would be more worried if you met someone after me. That I would be more worried about,” she admitted. “Anything else I should know?”

Ted was pleasantly surprised that she was fine with it. “Uh, Barney, he is a womanizer and a sociopath. In the end, he is a very good friend of mine. I just want to warn you that he might hit on you, a lot.”

“And the one named Lily?”

“Right, Lily is married to Marshall. We studied at the same university. Marshall is my best friend. Lily occasionally wants to meddle in someone’s business or relationship. Usually, it is not a bad thing.”

Y/N laughed. “Seems like you are trying to say all the negative things about your friends so I wouldn’t be too shocked.”

“Pretty much,” he nodded. “So, would you still like to meet them?”

She stood up from the chair and went to him. Without a word, she sat on his lap and gave his lips a peck. “They are your friends. I want to meet them. If they don’t like me, there is nothing I can do about it.”

“God, you are amazing,” he kissed her one more time. “How about Friday night? I will come for you and we will go to McLaren’s where we hang out most of the time.”

“Sounds like a deal,” she accepted his idea.

…

He hadn’t seen the gang for over a week. When he was done teaching architecture, he went straight to the pub where his friends would already be. And he was right. They were all sitting in their usual booth, drinking beer.

“Well, look who decided to show up,” said Lily when she noticed him coming towards them. “Where have you been most of the time? We barely have seen you this century.”

Ted took a chair and sat at the head of the table. “Sorry guys, I had a lot to do at work,” he said it as if it was true. “Sometimes, it is not easy to be a teacher.”

“Seriously Ted, what is going on?” Marshall asked him.

“Nothing, really.”

“Where’s the poop, Ted?” Lily questioned.

“There is no poop, Lily. I had to create several tests for my students, prepare the lectures and had a meeting with the school council.” He said it while directly staring into her eyes.

They were quiet for a moment until Barney decided to open his mouth. “Alright, since you are here, we shall play our favourite game to get you laid.”

“Barney, no.”

“Come on, Ted. We haven’t played it for months. FOR MONTHS, Ted,” he stood up from his seat with his scotch in a hand.

While he was babbling about it, Ted’s phone vibrated in his pocket. He received a text from Y/N.

Hi, I am passing by your street and I was wondering if you would like to hang out or something?

As much as he tried not to smile, he failed, and Robin was the one that noticed it. “Ted Mosby smiling at his phone? Something is definitely going on.”

I’m inside McLaren’s with the gang. Come here and meet everyone, if you like.

“There definitely is a poop. Spill it out, Mosby,” Robin mocked him.

He kept his mouth shut, not telling them anything. “Oh man, what did you do?” Marshall was concerned. “Ted, tell us. You have never been this silent. What happened?”

“Wait a minute,” Barney sat down and pointed at Ted’s face. “I know this face.”

And before he could say that he might meet a girl, a young woman approached the table carefully. “Ted,” said Y/N softly.

He turned his head and smiled at her. He stood up, helped her with her jacket and offer her his chair. Afterwards, he grabbed himself a new one.

“Y/N, this is everyone. Everyone, this is Y/N, my girlfriend.”

Barney almost choked on his drink and thus sprayed it on Marshall and Lily who were sitting opposite them. “What? No, no! You are supposed to be my wingman. You are not supposed to date anyone for at least five years.” He left the booth and went somewhere else to cry.

“So, I guess that is Barney,” said Y/N while looking into Ted’s eyes.

“Exactly,” he nodded.

Lily was the next one to finally speak. “Hi, this is a surprise,” she stuttered. “Honestly a big surprise. I’m Lily and this is my husband, Marshall,” she pointed at the tall man next to her. “H-how long have you been together?”

“For over three months,” they said simultaneously.

“You kept it a secret for over three months? How? How did you manage to keep your mouth shut for that long?” Marshall couldn’t believe it.

Y/N was glad for a second that she was not the centre of the attention. They were bombarding Ted for trying to keep this relationship a secret. In the meantime, she ordered herself a beer.

“So, Y/N, tell us something about you? Or better, how did you two meet?” Lily turned her attention to her.

Y/N shrugged. “Honestly, there is nothing special about how we met. We simply bumped into each other on the street when suddenly, everything was on the ground and Ted was apologizing,” she smiled at the memory. “I was running to an important meeting and Ted was late for class.”

“After that, we met like a week later when I happened to be at the right time in the right place,” he looked into her eyes. “Some of my students told me that there was a reading in the library after class. I was not interested in going at all,” he admitted. “Then, they showed me the leaflet and there she was.”

“There I was,” she repeated almost inaudibly.

Barney came back to the booth with another scotch in his hand. “Traitor,” he said it out loud. “Marshall, you are my new and only wingman.”

“In your dreams,” he declined.

“Just wait, Mosby. This thing,” he pointed between Y/N and Ted, “will end soon and then you will be begging to be my wingman.”

“So, what do you do for a living?” Robin tried to turn the conversation where it was before Barney interrupted them.

“I am a writer. I wrote the Noble Blood trilogy and am currently working on another fantasy book.”

“I love the Noble Blood series,” Marshall almost scream from the sudden excitement. “You are Y/N Y/L/N. Holy crap, I can’t believe you were able to get her, Ted. Finally, someone normal.”

“I’m glad you like the books,” she smiled at him.

“I love them,” Marshall continued. “They are written for both boy and girls. What inspired you to write something like that?”

“Star Wars,” she said simply.

“She loves Star Wars?”

“She loves Star Wars,” said Ted.

“She loves Star Wars!” Barney exclaimed. “You just went from a 7 to solid 11.”

“Thanks?” Y/N was a bit offended and confused.

Robin joined the conversation. “Hey, I work for Channel 12 and I would like to make an interview with you.”

“You work for the news channel? That is so cool. I would love to. We should arrange something,” Y/N happily accepted. “One question, though: Is Sandy Rivers still there and being such a pig?”

Robin nodded, immediately annoyed by that man. “Sandy Rivers is a pig, but he is not working with me.”

“S-so, you’ve seen my show: Come on, Get up New York!?”

“Surprisingly yes. When I had to leave for Europe to promote the book, I would watch it while packing or getting ready for the flight.”

“My girlfriend is just awesome,” said Ted triumphantly and he quickly kissed her cheek.

“Alright, next round is on me. I am so happy to meet you. Really,” she gave them an honest smile and went to the bar.  

[zalrb]

Why do you think it’s more common to hate characters like dean, Ted, Ross, and Dawson, Dan rather than Jess, Barney, Damon, chuck? Like people will claim the latter are toxic “nice guys” and twist them into the worst characters ever. And fair enough I see they are annoying but then why Stan characters that are as abusive and horrible as chuck and Damon? I don’t get it. That’s why I appreciate ppl like you that see the flaws in all these characters in a more thoughtful way!

It’s a few reasons.

For something like Dean vs. Jess, I think there’s a willful misinterpretation of the text (like everyone mentions him yelling that he doesn’t care about Harvard but not about the fact that by the end of the episode he apologizes and says he was an idiot for being jealous of Harvard and doesn’t want to be someone who stops her from going) and a double standard -- like it’s OK for Rory to be stringing him along and flirting with another guy right in front of his face and not being brave enough to break up with him but Dean breaks up with her in public because he’s tired of it and that’s inexcusable; Dean is super jealous of Rory and Jess and that’s seen as a fault but not the fact that Rory is growing distant from Dean but won’t break up with him.

But I also think Jess is individually a more compelling character because he was built to be a character unto himself, Dean was built to be Rory’s first boyfriend so Jess has more personality, I mean I think he’s a little shit, but he is textually more dynamic than Dean, he just is, and people respond to that more.

With Chuck vs. Dan, lmao, one of these days I’m going to rewatch Gossip Girl and post my unpopular opinions about it because apparently Derena is abusive but somehow Chair isn’t even considered toxic but anyway, one criticism I’ve read is that Chuck knows that he can be a shitty person but Dan pretends that he’s morally superior when he really isn’t and barring the fact that I think it’s funny that knowing you’re a shitty person and doing nothing to change that is considered more acceptable, Dan being judgemental is actually supposed to be a character flaw, which I wonder if people realize, like it’s in the text,

Dan having a sense of superiority is also supposed to be a blind spot

People also use Chuck’s upbringing to excuse his behaviour (he grew up wealthy but unloved) whereas Dan grew up in a supportive household so he has no reason to do morally dubious things (I mean, I guess). And I didn’t really watch the latter seasons so Dan’s descent into being a total dick isn’t something I’ve seen but I’ve also heard the criticism that Chuck gets a redemptive arc while Dan goes through a descent and it ends with him being Gossip Girl so he’s just a ruined character.

I also think a part of it is people just want to enjoy the fun and the crazy antics of the Non-Judging Breakfast Club (who do judge each other constantly, which is hilarious, Dan is not the only judgemental person in the show) and Dan is kind of a wet blanket making commentary on how ridiculous they all are so people find him annoying. It’s the same with Vanessa.

Dawson is insufferable, like he actually just is, and he’s framed as not being insufferable so I can see why that annoys people and Pacey is an infinitely more likeable character than he is. I don’t mind him being self-involved much in the first few seasons because I think it’s very adolescent, but what I will say when it comes to the triangle, when I think of the criticisms I’ve seen about how he views Joey, I realize that people don’t take into account that Joey acted the exact same way with Jen, like there’s all this rhetoric around how Dawson saw Joey as his

and he did but Joey also saw Dawson as hers

but Dawson’s Creek pre-season 3 doesn’t exist to people.

I already have posts about Damon, I won’t get into that.

Before I get into Ted, I will say that in general, I found HIMYM incredibly sexist, racist, and generally unfunny, which is why I didn’t watch it for the longest time.

So as someone who does not like Ted and could not stand Ted, it’s pretty much the same reason people hate Dawson, in fact I said Dawson was Ted Mosby before Ted Mosby. For me, anyway, I just didn’t care to listen to a man drone on about how he tried to find the one through his exploits where he’s framed as idealistic and romantic but he’s actually just sexist, like it was obnoxious and Ted was obnoxious but you’re supposed to root for him and I was like, why tho?

Neil Patrick Harris as Barney is just a more charismatic character and he’s given quips and sayings (I remember my guy friends in university ‘suited up’ because of him) and humour is powerful because it makes certain things that are deplorable more palatable and a “oh that’s just how he is” and I also think his relationship with Robin helped because it was compelling relationship, I mean it was literally the only thing about the show I liked.

The Friends thing is just ... it’s probably because Ross and Rachel were framed as, like, THE romantic pairing of the show and people are harder on him because of that although Rachel’s toxic behaviour and complicity in that relationship is never spoken about but I also think it’s because of the conscious and unconscious desire to defend/protect/victimize white women because Rachel did some shit too. People also conveniently forget that many of Ross’ shitty decisions in that relationship were influenced by Joey and Chandler, I don’t know the Friends one still has me like

[thattimdrakeguy]

I just read Tim’s Robin miniseries (the one with King Snake) and I really think it’s one of my favourite comic stories. You really get the sense that Tim’s still a kid, pretty sheltered, who just wants to help wherever he can. He’s pretty heroic and even though he does have a bit of a temper/vengeful side (eg that part with Lynx at the end), ultimately tries to do his best to stick to his morals. He’s a boy who wants to do what‘s right. I liked his skill with the sling, wish it was used more. 1/

Also the flute-staff was pretty cool. I liked Clyde and I wish he wasn’t killed cause he could have been developed as a stronger foil to Bruce. The seeds are there, with his emphasis on vengeance for his deceased loved ones and his and Tim’s first meeting beginning with Tim trying to protect him. The parts where Tim tries to act as Clyde’s doctor was pretty cute. While hacking into Clyde’s files was an invasion of privacy, I get the feeling Bruce would have done the same, with less regrets. 2/

I liked the dynamic between Clyde, Tim and Shiva, with Clyde as the reluctant but protective dad, Tim as the tiny eager hacker child and Shiva as... the no-nonsense, scary aunt? (Idk really) Anyways I wish we could’ve had more. I think this is one of Tim’s stronger stories because it defines him as a character: clever, brave, persevering and taking the initiative to save others. He’s young, but he holds himself to a very high standard of responsibility and that’s what I love about him. 3/

Thanks for listening to me rant about Tim! I hope you feel better soon and things improve. You’re one of the few blogs I follow and trust. I understand if you need to take some time off tumblr. Please treat yourself well and remember that you are important and people care about you <3 Stay safe! 4/4

I honestly think it’s a near perfect miniseries. Because Tim just feels like the perfect protagonist when you can understand him. He has understandable motives, strengths and flaws that you can admire, relate too, or at the least understand. They make him someone you wanna follow on the journey because they made him such an interesting perspective for the story.

Like it’s the story that helped made Tim a solo star because it was able to make him such a good character on his own that he didn’t always need Batman always right beside him to be interesting.

Something about Tim just elevates the story so much compared if they just had Dick interact with the same characters or Batman himself. Like it’s a Tim story, that had to have Tim in it for it to be a good story. It’s his character, as himself, that makes it great.

The part were Tim looks like he’s about to smack Lynx to me I think kind of solifides Tim, because he ends up just having this moment of a click, where he just realizes being like that is no good. Like his first adventure stressed him out so much during the whole thing, doing his best to be Mister Mature, when he’s just this small, insecure, kid, but in the end he still chooses to do the right thing.

Cause Tim always had good morals, but I don’t know, it’s that moment specifically that cements Tim in his lessons he learned about the story. Vengeance won’t solve anything. Which goes alongside the Clyde story being the same thing. Which is a nice, surprisingly mature moral for a story about a small kid.

Everything just comes together in the end for that moral, and it’s unexpected for what it starts as, but it works really well, and I think it’s the perfect one for Tim’s first story.

Clyde, as much as he wants to protect the kid, is still wanting vengeance.

Tim’s still so young and naïve, has no street smarts like he openly admits, he’s very sheltered, he still thinks in this black and white good and bad way.

Lady Shiva wants Tim to go dark and join her in her ways, but Tim says no, and even when he gets close he still backs away because it all sets in what he learned.

It’s a story that feels like he has so much more weight then most stories, because they all put together in a natural way. It isn’t forced together. It’s the natural result of the characters coming together with the plot at hand. Which is how great stories happen. And it just came together.

Tim’s a full character in the story. Like it builds the base for a lot of great stuff to come. I think his current writers need to remember how Tim is wired, or else he’s never going to have a great story again. People act like their ship coming true will change everything, but it will fucking not. It’s Tim as a character, and writers not understanding him causing the problems.

The best stories come from an actually good understanding of the character.

The reason why Tynion’s stories failed so much to me, is because it seemed like he did know a lot about the character, could tell you a lot about his past, but he just couldn’t actually replicate for himself what worked for Tim. He just put stickers on him that resembled the past, but wasn’t actually Tim himself.

And it causes all the difference in the world with his stories.

Tim’s first solo story, is light hearted for the most part, but also so mature despite it’s young, immature, sheltered main character. The side characters also just make it so much more. Every part of the machine makes the story better and better. Nothing feels lacking besides King Snake being pretty cheesy and not very complex. But besides that. it just stands very tall to me.

I can reread it all the time and still really love it.

The final issue was heart wrenchingly grim. There’s no sweet ending for Tim. There’s no happy happy. It doesn’t even end on a happy final page. They could’ve made Tim a total joke like so many other child or teen super heroes. So many lack any real complexities and have to stand on tropes done so many times before. But they made Tim’s first story so mature. Which I think really helped him. He could go from taking down Barney the Dinosaur knock-off robbers, or going to Ninja Camp, to carrying the dead bodies of his latest friends on his back despite his own busted rib, or dealing with the sorrow of having a kid die on him before he could get him treated.

He’s complex enough to make both work without a blink. And it’s another thing that makes him wonderful. It doesn’t break his character to do both. Both work without having to suddenly change him.

It makes Tim great. And I think this story is a lot to thank for it. It solidified that for him.

It made him a success, before they stopped knowing what made him work.

The sling was really cool to me too.

[theskyequakess]

oh hey y’all, welcome to that moment in the day where I wished i was completely fluent in english, otherwise known as my rant about HIMYM finale.

Please take a seat.

ohhhh where do i start? because i got too much to say, but i won’t probably said it all because i’m way too biased with Robin that i can’t really put on an objectively rant

but yeah, i’m really pissed. maaaaan, what was that??? were we a joke to them??? I CAN’T BELIEVE IT

First of all, i can’t believe they broke Robin and Barney that way.

After this:

“I love everything about her, and I'm not a guy who says that lightly, I'm a guy who has faked love his entire life, I'm a guy who thought love was just something idiots felt, but this woman has a hold on my heart that I could not break if I wanted to. And there have been times when I wanted to. It has been overwhelming and humbling, and even painful at times, but I could not stop loving her any more than I could stop breathing. I'm hopelessly, irretrievably in love with her. More than she knows.” 

they really want me to believe that Barney was going to give up and let go Robin that easily??? REALLY???

THAT MAN WAS SO WHIPPED FOR ROBIN.

He wanted to change for Robin, and he did it. And even though he changed, he never lost his spirit and his true self. Because Barney wasn’t only a womanizer nor a “sociopath”. He was one of the most loyal and sweetest person ever, he proved it so many times. And the way he loved Robin... there was never a doubt about his love for her.

And although i loved “The Robin” so much, there was a big detail for me that kinda bother me so much. The last step: “hope she says yes”. Again, I LOVED The Robin, but that was so precipitate. Again, i didn’t doubt they love, but asking her for marriage, in that point was to much. Barney didn’t need to ask her to marry him just to prove his love (or commitment) to Robin. THEY NEEDED MORE TIME. THEY NEEDED MORE TIME DATING, HANGING OUT, RECONECTING, etc. Although they did good after that (even with fights and disagreements), but i would’ve liked for them to have more time just being them without rush everything for the wedding. So i really think they did dirty on them in that aspect.

And for Robin...  she estranging from the gang... that shit is what hurts me the most. It truly breaks my heart, because as we knew, she didn’t have other people outside of them, as she was also estranged from her family. It breaks my heart to think that she forced herself to leave the group because it was too much for her having Barney and Ted there. When she tells Lily that all she sees is two happily married couples and her ex-husband banging other girls (i’m sorry i don’t remember the exact words and i refuse to watch it again), it’s so painful to hear that, to know that she needed to leave them for herself...

Also, I do not entirely agree with what they did with Robin and her work. Yes, she loved her work, her dream... but i’m pretty sure she would’ve found a way to make it work with her relationship and Barney. I refuse to believe that they would give up without a fight. (and by that i mean, without trying, not literally... well literally too?)

I don’t want to say more about Ted-Robin’s relationship, because towards the end i was really done with that. For me, Ted was an important person for Robin, but not in a romantically way. She stated that numerous times. She said no to Ted multiple times. She made it clear. While Ted... well.

For me it’s hard to believe that after all this time, Ted is just going to ask Robin out just like nothing happened and this time it will work… it’s been so long, people change, circumstances change, they’re not the same people, they’ve changed…it feels so unreal to me.

Next.

I have to go back with Barney again, after the divorce, they threw away all his development and that pissed me too. But i truly love him having Ellie. And i hate that we didn’t get to see him being a dad, even for a little moment.

In a very unperfect and selfish dream(?) for me, Robin would’ve returned with Barney and Ellie.

I still can’t believe that they killed Tracy, and still can’t believe that in that super short time i loved her. She was delightful.

Almost done with this, but i would’ve liked to see more of Lily and Marshall’s family by the end. To see Marvin, Daisy and the newest -and unnamed- baby all together. And learned more about what happened to them, because yes, we knew that Marshall became a judge and eventually in a judge for the Supreme Court. But what about Lily? 

Well, at least i’m thankful that they didn’t ruin them.

 Anyways, i think the part that most hurt me was to know that eventually they were gonna grow apart because that’s how life works, and that sucks, and that’s real, BUT MY EMOTIONAL UNESTABLE SELF WASN’T PREPARE FOR THAT.

(oh how i want to have a friendship like this)

Anywayssss, how to unsee the last to episodes? for me it all should’ve ended in 9x22. 

Conclusion:

Robin and Barney were endgame. We were robbed.

I need to improve my english.

[flying-elliska]

Omg so I was gonna ask if you’d watched parks and Rec because honestly? It’s my fav show and fav ending of all time. Will watch superstore tho for all the good you’ve talked about it. But now a rant 😂 when you had your lil list of shit endings and saw how I met your mother I was like YES. That personally hurt me to my core to watch the finale. It used to be my fav show and idk if the finale just ruined it so intrinsically but I’ve watched eps and it doesn’t hold the same humor for me? It’s not as funny but I also know I used to love this show so maybe it did fuck it up for me on a molecular level lol. There was one thing that always irritated me and it was how Robin and Ted stayed friends ? I should’ve known it would’ve been the down fall for this show in particular but I was always so mad at that aspect and honestly attributed to why it seemed like Ted could never fully get over Robin. they never really got any true distance! It drove me so nuts that I’m actually writing a story based on that sort of concept but it’s more about the people affected by that kind of situation rather than the people in that situation lol

Omg yes I love Parks and Recs, it's one of my fave shows too ! I watched it the summer I was waiting for my back surgery hopped up on painkillers so I have kind of an unforgettable memory of it, it got me through some dark times ^^ the ending is a bit indulgent but so satisfying I am not complaining 😂😂 much better than a shitty downer twist ending 😂 if you love it you absolutely have to watch Superstore, it is pretty much its spiritual successor - just set in a store, the humor is very similar, some characters have similar vibes, and the main couple does have Ben/Leslie vibes - they start with a rivalry, lots of banter and shenanigans, and they grow into sth super wholesome and supportive. (Also I just want more people to talk about it with haha)

And yes god I loved HIMYM (a long time ago) but I wouldn't rewatch it ; I think some of the humor has aged really badly (the main offender being Barney constantly bragging about having sex with drunk women which is basically sexual assault) and yeah that ending was so terrible. The whole show basically demonstrates why Ted and Robin don't fit together, and they never show them growing in ways that would make them a good couple. I liked Robin/Barney and of course, there was so much build up around the mother, she seemed really cute and sweet when she arrived, and she also symbolized Ted growing up so her dying felt so anticlimactic : and Ted getting back with Robin felt very regressive and like you said, he didn't get over her in ways that felt healthy. It just felt like a stupid twist for the sake of it. But I mean it's still a cool concept so I totally feel you could do something cool with it.

[rachel-bloom]

Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist and the Zimon drama

 I don’t want to start anything and in no way do I condone cheating in fictional or real life. This is just me pointing out the hypocrisy in the fandom. Don’t take this list too seriously.   Neither does this post mean that I’m forcing you to like Zimon or that I can’t accept the fact that you don’t, but most people name the cheating thing as a thing to why they don’t like them and I find that weird considering a lot of popular mainstream ships happened in a morally questionable way. I’m pretty certain that the majority of you will like at least one of these ships. And if you don’t, good for you I guess.   Like, it’s okay for you to like not perfectly pure ships, it’s okay to like complex characters who’ve gone through trauma and definitely need a therapist. It’s also okay for you to admit that Max isn’t the perfect best friend/love interest, you all claim him to be. All of these characters are majorly flawed, in any of these shows really. So are we, in real life. We make stupid decisions, we learn from them and try to grow into a better person.

Also I realize not every scenario on this list might exactly be applicable to Zoey/Simon’s situation and that you can’t exactly apply a Vampire show to a Musical Dramedy, but it’s just about difficult situations, about (emotional) cheating, about being in love with someone else’s girlfriend, about fandom rooting for a non-canon couple and completely disregarding the main character’s girlfriend or boyfriend. etc, etc. This list might be slightly off, because my memory is not as good for each show.

Also do not be offended if one of your favourite ships is on here, I legit ship a lot of these, so. All cool.

1. Leyton (OTH) - They had feelings for each other before Lucas and Brooke ever got together but when they did got together he cheated on her with Peyton (twice, if my memory isn’t too off.) And they ended up together.

2.Jim/Pam (The office) - Pam was engaged to Roy when Jim kissed her 

3. Meredith/Derek (Grey’s Anatomy) - Derek was married to Addison when MerDer started in Season 1

4. Swarkles (HIMYM) - Robin cheated on her boyfriend Kevin with Barney 

5. Jafael (JTV) - Jane caught feelings for him while she was still engaged to Michael (and might have kissed him before ending her engagement but I don’t quite remember that one).

6. Literati / Rogan (Gilmore Girls) - I believe she was still with Dean when her and Jess kissed. She also had an on going affair with Logan in the revival, when he had a fiance and she had a “boyfriend”.

7. Stef/Lena (The Fosters) They met when Stef was married

8. Brio (Good Girls) - Bathroom sex with Rio anyone? I mean she and Dean are barely a couple anyways, but they’re still married and as much as I don’t care for Dean, it’s still cheating in my eyes. 

9. Haleb (PLL) - Caleb cheated with Hanna on Spencer 

10. Stydia (TW) - Stiles was in love with her when she was dating Jackson

11. Mike/Rachel (Suits) - They flirted and kissed when he was with Jenny 

12. Basically everything on Scandal 

13. Ty/Tandy (Cloak and Dagger) - People wanted them together when he was with Evita (His girlfriend)

14.Caroline/Tyler (TVD)- They happened while she was still with Matt

14.Caroline/Klaus (TVD)- He posessed Tyler’s body to trick her and they also had sex in the forest (lol), I mean I guess you could argue it wasn’t known if Tyler/Caroline were still together, but it was questionable at least.

15. Dawsey (Chicago Fire) - Casey was in an on again off again relationship with his fiance but Dawson had feelings for him and kept talking to her friend about wishing they'd break up and people wanted them to get together

16. Addison/Sloan (Grey’s Anatomy)- Addison cheated with him on Derek I believe.

17. Calzona (Grey’s Anatomy) Arizona cheated on Callie and didn’t feel guilty about it

As you can see, situations are different for each ship. Some of these haven’t actually cheated, but the fandom still rooted for them to be together, even though they were in serious relationships.

If people are so easy to forgive other characters for acting immorally during their relationships, Zoey and Simon at least deserve the same consideration from this fandom.

[scoobydoominuscoobydoo]

why do you ship shaphne? (not hate im just curious)

Excellent question anon.

Now a couple years ago I had actually made a longer essay post exploring all of the different reasons I shipped them based on the several different shows. You can go ahead and read that right here. However, that post is more or less focusing on how my shipping Shaphne is related to my taste for Fraphne in the most respectful way I could put it.

It doesn’t help that the Fraphne fandom is pretty toxic from what I’ve seen and experienced (seriously I never wanted to block anyone because I hate silencing an opposing opinion but it just became borderline harassment and either I blocked them or tried to fight them).

Not to mention I definitely over-complicate the various reasons why I actually ship them.

I am a writer and sometimes I see two characters and I like the way their personalities mesh, I can imagine in my head what their relationship is like. I’ve pretty much always got romance on the brain as a hopeless romantic so me exploring relationship dynamics in my head isn’t entirely out of place. I do a lot of rewriting in my head and that’s just something I like to do because I have a passion for exploring different stories.

Now don’t get me wrong, canon couples that don’t leave anything to the imagination are just fantastic and I love them and pretty much wish that fate onto all of my ships. However, imagining in my head what their first kiss or first confession would be like is also something I love.

Shaphne is the latter of those two.

We started the blog back in November of 2017 I believe and I have mentioned that we started it after watch Music of the Vampire together and seeing something. I’ll tell you I was just struck with so many stories in my head and the inspiration gave me no choice but to start a Scooby-Doo sideblog. (Let me also say the reason we were watching that movie was because I had a dream about it and woke up and thought, “Shaggy and Daphne is kinda cool.”).

I have always lived for the unexpected that makes sense. When I was 13 I wrote a whole freakin book for NANOWRIMO and the central focus of that book was the girl falling in love with someone previously expected. Bridget Jones’ Diary is one of my favorite movies because it does this same thing in a way that I could buy. These are the types of plot twists that bring me in every time but only if it’s done right and they don’t just mess it up (Seriously the HIMYM finale is not real and Robin and Barney are still together thanks).

Am I just admitting I have an opposites attract kink? Yes and no. Because you do need to have some level of common ground in order to have a healthy relationship and while a lot of my ships are very different people they do have similarities that unite them. Stiles and Lydia for example, their characters are portrayed as very different people (spastic whacko who can barely remember to brush his teeth + plus the local queen bee) but their united in the story because they’re shown to be the most intelligent characters. And they both constantly remind each other of that.

The stoner and the rich girl just jumped out to me immediately.

That’s just fantastic. Think of all the banter you could get because one will freak out if she breaks a nail and the other probably spent most of his life without shoes because they were too constricting. I mean. That is just brilliant. 

Sure the key traits that unify them are great and all but what’s really exciting (you’re gonna love this) is that everything else about them brings forth-

The Bants™ 

And the bants are the greatest tool in a shipper’s arsenal.

If snarky or playful banter is not your bread and butter than sure Fraphne is perfect for you. But if you’re like me and just adore the psychological mindgames a ship can play with each other than let me present Overly Cautious Norville Rogers and Pretty Kung Fu Princess Daphne Blake.   

[jasonsutekh]

How I Met Your Mother (2005-2014)

A father tells his children of his adventures with his group of friends that slowly builds up to the way in which he met their mother.

 The attraction to this series is that the characters are interesting enough to entertain while emotional enough to feel like they could be real enough to relate to. They each have quirks and engage in repeated gags which are fun because it allows the audience to be in on their jokes since they eventually become familiar, as well as having adventures.

 The characters each have flaws which make them realistic but some of them are fairly major, for example if Barney wasn’t played by a gay person then he’d be considered an example of toxic masculinity, but there is also the way that the characters constantly lie and manipulate each other and are then portrayed as happy, regular people. When a character affect is introduced in the series it’s inconsistent because it hasn’t been mentioned before and from then onwards they will constantly do the thing.

 There are some basic resolutions and a limited amount of closure, usually in the more self-contained episodes, which provide messages and help the characters to rough conclusions which feel nice for the audience. The drama that is thrown in also helps us to invest in the realities for the characters and makes the lessons all the more effective.

 The final episode has been heavily criticised and it’s no different here. For the finale to a comedy series they went on a pretty depressing route where only Marshal and Lily really get the happy ending, but that’s barely focused on. The whole series has been fairly exhausting when it comes to the characters’ personal relationships, it spend 2 seasons working up to Barney and Robin’s ending, and 9 for Ted and his future wife, and then it’s broken down in a few short scenes. There is far too much left unanswered by it, like how Barney and Ted are going to stay friends when the former is clearly unhappy, but the most significant is that if impulsive and unattached Barney couldn’t be happy with Robin while she was travelling the world for her job, then how is quiet suburban Ted with 2 kids going to manage it when her wanting to travel is the whole reason they couldn’t be together to begin with.

 6/10 -Just a cut above average-

 -Despite several seasons leading up to the new GNB building being built, which eventually happens in season 8, Barney is still shown in later episodes in the same office of the original building.

-The actors who play both Lily and Robin were pregnant during the filming of the fourth season so both got to wear loose clothing and frequently had objects to hide their stomachs.

-For the first 2 seasons there is a room next to the storm trooper in Barney’s apartment but after that it disappears to be replaced by a wall, this is never explained.

[dahrcat]

TV through the Ages (GISH 2022 fanfic)

Phoebe had a lunch date with a man her friends had set her up with. After David left, she admitted she had been having a hard time. She was told he was creative, passionate, and friendly. He worked in television. Not much for TV, Phoebe wouldn’t have known if he was or wasn’t an actor. Her friends had been so excited for her. Rachael and Monica were filled with advice and stories of their less than stellar dating records. Ross was all about ‘unagi’ and safety meeting this stranger. Her psychic said this meeting would be life changing.

Maybe it was the special brownies she made, maybe she unagi’d too hard, but when she woke up in the morning no one was around. Not one to dwell on things, she made herself some tea and got ready to go head up town.

- + + + -

Barney runs into the McLaren’s and quickly slides into the seat next to Ted. “Guys, I just found out about the Mecca of all things Barney.” Everyone stares at him as their conversation had just been interrupted.

Lily pipes up, “Ted was just…” but Barney continues as though she hadn’t said anything.

“There’s a show called ‘The Girly Show’ and I’m going to find it. It should be fun. Aspiring actresses with daddy problems, television, aspiring actresses… Ted, suit up. It’s going to be legendary!”

Ted looks not at all sorry when he says, “Sorry, can’t. need to work overtime to get this project done. Actually, I need to…”

Barney again cuts him off, “Robin! Be my wingman? It’s at NBC, maybe you can find a job that regular people watch.”

Robing looks surprised, “Metro News 1 is a respected news net… Oh, forget it. Everyone knows it’s not.

As the conversation switches to Robin’s work, Barney says he doesn’t want to waste time and he’s off to find the “Girly Show” girls!

- + + + -

Phoebe’s cab pulls up and she looks up at the tall building. Here goes nothing. She enters the revolving door into the building. The corner of her skirt gets stuck. She bends down to free the fabric as someone else tries to enter. The door pushes against her, and she loses her balance and falls forward. “No! No! she yells as her skirt is pulled further into revolving door. She rolls over as the door continues to push her and hears the fabric begin to tear. As she pulls further, more people try to enter the door. She continues to roll and try to get upright as the top layer of skirt is ripped off. The rush of people ended, and she was finally able to get back to her feet. She stuffed the remnants of her skirt in her bag. The relatively see-through layer bottom layer of her skirt was still attached. And she went inside.

Meanwhile, Barney’s cab pulls up outside of 30 Rockefeller place. “Ranjit, no need to wait, I may be out late!” He sees a big sign that says “The Girly Show” with a pretty, big eyed blond woman. So far so good; on the right side of the hot/crazy scale. He joins a group of people entering the building. Must be an old building as the door is slow and gets backed up with people easy. Unfortunately, once inside, there is front desk that people are required to check in with.

Barney confidently walks up, adjusts his sleeves, and tries the direct approach, “Yes, Barney Stinson for the Girly Show.”

The women looked up over the edge of her glasses. She looks on the computer. “I don’t see your name. Are you expected? Did you get a badge?”

Barney asks where to get a badge and the women says all visitors and employees have badges that should give given out before coming to the building. People with appointments are put on the list. During this conversation, Barney sees some other people walk by and distractedly hold up a white badge on a lanyard and have no problem walking through to the elevators. Barney thanks the women and walks back out the door.

At the same time, a disheveled woman comes up to the desk and plops a large bag overflowing with fabric on the counter. “Hi, Phoebe Buffay for Kenneth Parcell”. The woman holds up a finger to signal she should wait a second and picks up the phone. A security guard comes out of the room next to the desk and leads away a man in a suit and a baseball hat holding a subway pass on a lanyard. The woman apologizes and points to a tour about to head up. “They are heading up there if you want to follow them. “She looks up and down for the first time at Phoebe, “Or there are bathrooms around the corner if you need to freshen up first”. Phoebe thanks the woman and looks at the remnants of her skirt and decides it’s hopeless and joins the group.

Barney overhears the tour information and slips into the crown before the woman at the desk is less distracted. He looks over the disheveled, but attractive woman and quickly calculates some ratios in his head. He nods to himself as if nothing is ruled out…

- + + + -

As the elevator brings them up, Phoebe tries to nervously make herself look somewhat presentable as her nerves began spike. Barney on the other hand began to get more excited. As the elevator opened and the group exited, they saw the NBC set of a television show, but the “Girly Show” signs were actively being taken down and new ones put up featuring “TGS with Tracy Jordan” and someone much less girly than the original sign. He calls out to a guy walking towards them, “Hey, what happened to the Girls… the Girlie Show?”

The man is also dressed in a suit although of questionable quality. “Well, welcome everyone. I’m Kenneth, I work here at TGS, which used to be called the Girlie Show. But we’ve added some new... actors… that better reflect the direction our show is going. If there’s one thing, I like more than everyone, it’s television!”

Phoebe looks momentarily concerned at this “straightlaced” person in a suit. Probably not her type at all. He looks very corporate. She’s not sure if she wants to speak up yet. Meanwhile, Barney is looking around trying to hide his disappointment. This is not what he was expecting. He tells himself not to give up, this day could still be legendary.

Around the corner comes the blond woman from the poster in such a rush. “Kenneth! Kenneth! Where is Liz? This costume does not make my boobs look big enough. I don’t know what I’m going to do!”

Kenneth perks up as he looks to the group, “I’m very important around here.” “Don’t worry Jenna, I have duct tape in my van!”

Phoebe’s eyes go wide but not because she finds that strange. She throws some stuff from her bag on the floor and produces a roll of the silvery grey tape. Barney’s not sure if he should be concerned and turned on as he tries to figure out the updated hot/crazy ratio yet again. Jenna looks relieved. “Come with me,” she squeaks, “You can help tape me up!” and she grabs Phoebe’s hand and begins to lead her away.

Barney speaks up, “I’m with her. Her… my love… we’re together!” He grabs Phoebe’s other hand and whispers in her ear, “Fifty dollars if you let me go with you. One hundred dollars. One thousand dollars!”

Phoebes turns her wrist and offers it to Barney as though he’s going to kiss her hand, “Enchanté,” and she bats her eyes flirtatiously.

“What’s your name doll?” asks Jenna as she leads them backstage of the show.

“Phoebe Buffay”

“Stinson!” says Barney a little too excitedly. “Buffay-Stinson; it’s hyphenated. We’re newlyweds,” he quickly adds.

Neither one is sure what is going on entirely or why Kenneth keeps duct tape in his van. Or why Phoebe’s skirt is missing. But they each knew two things: Phoebe’s psychic was right that her life was changed. And this story would be legen-wait-for-it-dary.

- + + + -

[imjustthemechanic]

Natalie Jones and the Golden Ship

Part 1/? - A Meeting at the Palace Part 2/? - Curry Talk Part 3/? - Princess Sitamun Part 4/? - Not At Rest Part 5/? - Dead Men Tell no Tales Part 6/? - Sitamun Rises Again Part 7/? - The Curse of Madame Desrosiers Part 8/? - Sabotage at Guedelon Part 9/? - A Miracle Part 10/? - Desrosiers’ Elixir Part 11/? - Athens in October Part 12/? - The Man in Black Part 13/? - Mr. Neustadt Part 14/? - The Other Side of the Story Part 15/? - A Favour Part 16/? - A Knock on the Window Part 17/? - Sir Stephen and Buckeye Part 18/? - Books of Alchemy Part 19/? - The Answers Part 20/? - A Gift Left Behind Part 21/? - Santorini Part 22/? - What the Doves Found Part 23/? - A Thief in the Night Part 24/? - Healing Part 25/? - Newton’s Code

Newton’s journals are hard to read, but contain some intriguing clues.

Natasha passed her book to Sir Stephen.  “Let me see yours,” she said.

They traded, and his was both different and similar – it seemed to contain what might have been mathematical equations or chemical formulae set aside on their own lines, but written in a combination of letters, numbers, and zodiacal symbols that meant very little.

“Okay,” said Nat.  “The good news is, it’s not the Voynich manuscript.”  That was a start.          

“That’s… something, I guess,” said Sam, not sounding particularly impressed.  “Why would he write it in code?”

“Because alchemists were witches and heretics and he didn’t want to be burned at the stake,” said Nat.  “Now, the most likely solution is that it’s a simple letter substitution code.  In English the easiest way to crack one of those is to assume that the most frequent letter is E and then work from there. It’s possible he just moved the whole alphabet some number of letters, so we’ll start by…”

“It’s not English,” said Jim, looking over Sir Stephen’s shoulder. “It’s Greek.”

Nat looked up sharply, and found that Jim himself looked as surprised by this pronouncement as she was.  “How do you know?”

“I… just know,” he said, his mouth full.  Nat did wonder if the food did him any good, or if he only ate because his cells were mimicking hunger.  If the cells could use food to replenish themselves, wouldn’t they do so instead of quickly dying off?

Jim pointed at something on the page Sir Stephen was looking at.  “Look how many of the words end in E-L,” he said. “Like there.  You think that means anything?”

Nat took the book back.  The place where Jim’s finger had come to rest said tiseltidikwel… if Nat assumed the EL’s were the ends of the words… she turned over a napkin and began to write on it.  “Assume it’s Greek.  A lot of Greek nouns end in O-S.  If you swap O with E and A with I…”  She played with the consonants for a moment, and then had a revelation.  It was a simple letter substitution cipher, but it was based on phonology!  “Exchange nonvoiced stops with nonvoiced,” she said, “voiced with voiced, and glides with glides… and you get kalos k’agathos, beautiful and good!”  That was a fairly common phrase in classical Greek, which had often conflated goodness with beauty – as, for that matter, had alchemy.

She smiled at Jim.  “How did you know?” she repeated.

He looked uncomfortable now.  “I don’t know.  It’s like when I knew where he’d been living, or knew about Star Trek.  It’s just kind of there, in the background of my brain.”

It seemed that Neustadt had definitely imparted more knowledge to his creations than he thought – and it seemed to be almost unconscious knowledge, imparted unconsciously.  Interesting. “All right,” said Nat.  “So we write out the cipher, and then we’ll just have to translate it.  If somebody else wants to work out the letters, I can read the Greek.”

The notebooks were slim, but since all the work had to be done by hand – deciphering the looping hand, then matching each of the letters with its cipher, and then translating – it was a very slow process.  The group finished their breakfast, paid, and then moved on from café to café, ordering water and weak wines, or stopping in souvenir places for notebooks and pens to use.  Slowly, they began to work out the first few pages.

The book Sir Stephen had first taken remained utterly indecipherable – the symbols used in the formulae were not in the same cipher as the other two.  The one Nat had started with was full of cryptic statements, not unlike the one from the published writings about the balance of libra and the venom of scorpio.  The smoke of the burning Tower blots out the Sun, hiding it from the Fool’s sight, said one line.  Another read only by gold can gold be made, but purity is essential, said another – compared to the rest, that was downright lucid.  Nat assumed it meant that the reactor needed a sample of gold to start with, like the elixir needed a sample of DNA, and that any contamination would affect the final result.

Yet a third noted that The Holy Dove is the principle, in Brother Aleksio’s keeping.  Nat frowned, tapping her pen on top of her notebook.

“The Holy Dove,” she said.  “That’s the monastery in Montenegro he told us about.  I’m gonna guess the item Brother Aleksio was holding onto for him was a sample of the purest gold Newton knew about, to use as a template for the Philosopher’s Stone.”  She looked up at Sharon.  “Did Fury get back to you about that address in Australia?”

“Yeah,” said Sharon.  “It’s a sheep ranch the size of Cornwall and one of the most sparsely-populated places on Earth outside of Antarctica.”

“That would make it a perfect place to build something like the Philosopher’s Stone,” Nat observed.  “Someplace where if it goes wrong, not many people are around to get hurt.”  Much like Rasputin working in Siberia.  Certainly better than Daedalus starting the thing up in the middle of Atlantis.  “Where’s that card he gave us?  We were supposed to ask for Brother Luka?”

Sharon pulled it out and looked at it.  “Yeah, Brother Luka.”

“What are you thinking?” asked Allen, as Nat tilted her head and stared at the bottomless Adriatic sky.

“I’m thinking…” she said, “that we should probably go to Kotor after all. At the very least, we can poke the bear trap and see if it closes.  Brother Luka might be able to tell us what Newton wants with the Philosopher’s stone.”

“What would he seek, if not to make gold?” asked Sir Stephen.

“I don’t know,” said Nat.  “Which is what worries me.”  If you didn’t know what something was, it could be anything.  “It would be good to know that all he wants is gold, because that means none of the worse possibilities are true.”

“What kind of possibilities?” Sharon asked warily.

“I don’t know,” Nat repeated.  “That’s why they’re worse.”

Fury wasn’t able to get them a flight to Montenegro – there was no airline that flew from Santorini to Tivat.  There were ferries, but those went to Athens or Crete.  After a couple of hours of research, Sharon found a cargo boat that was willing to let them ride along to Budva, as long as they stayed out of the way of the crew and didn’t complain too much.  To get to Fira’s harbor, they took a rather hair-raising ride down the incredibly steep – and sometimes very close to the cliffside – Santorini cable cars to get there.

“Look, they’ve got donkeys,” said Clint, pointing to a winding path below them. A train of the animals were taking people and goods down to the docks.

“That must be how they got stuff up and down before the cable cars,” Sharon observed.

“So why are we risking our necks on this thing when we could be riding donkeys?” asked Clint.  The car bumped over one of the cable towers.

“I thought you said horses were bastards,” said Sam.

“I didn’t say that, Robin Hood said that,” Clint told him.  “And horses are bastards, but donkeys are nice little beasts.  We’ve got one on the farm.  He’s a pet.  His name is Barney, after my brother.”

“I bet your brother was flattered,” Sharon said with a smile.

Jim was leaning on the window, staring down at the scrubby cliffs.  Nat touched his shoulder again.  “How do you feel?” she asked.  He’d been pretty quiet since the moment he’d given him the key to Newton’s cipher, as if lost in thought.

“Who’s the guy who had the sword dangling over his head?” asked Jim.

“Damocles,” Nat replied.  She remembered it less from the myth and more from the Rocky Horror Picture Show.

“Like that,” he said.

Over breakfast in the ship’s little mess hall the next morning, Jim contemplated his three flasks.  They’d marked the open one with an elastic band so he would know it wasn’t quite full. The other two still had complete doses in them.

“It’s been five days,” he said.  “That means I ought to take the first one, right?”

“That’s what she said,” Allen agreed.

“I wonder what would happen if I waited a day,” Jim said.  “Would that help me last longer, or would I just start falling apart too fast for it to help me?  And what happens with the one we used some of on Dr. Wilson’s bird?” He didn’t sound as if he begrudged this anymore, just resigned to his uncertain future.  If they ever saw Desrosiers again, Nat thought, she would have an even harder time getting away.

Jim unscrewed the flask lid and sniffed the contents, as he might a bottle of brandy.  There didn’t seem to be any smell to them, so he took a swig and promptly gagged.

“Oh, god, that’s foul!” he wheezed, as Allen whacked him on the back.  “It’s like having a warm slug crawling down your throat!”

The unasked question hung in the air.  Jim thought about it for a few moments, then took a deep breath and downed the rest of the flask, as fast as he could, without stopping to breathe. There were tears in the corners of his eyes by the time he was done, more from effort than from emotion.

“What’s it taste like?” asked Sam, curious.

“Like mud mixed with tobacco juice.”  Jim wiped at his eyes, then grabbed the nearest cup – it happened to be Allen’s coffee – and downed that, too, followed by a bottle of sparkling water Nat handed to him.  “I can still taste it,” he whimpered.

“Do you feel any better?” asked Nat.

“I can’t tell yet,” he said.

She didn’t bother to ask him if it were worth it.  People went through much worse things in the name of staying alive: dialysis and surgery, amputations and chemotherapy.  Compared to such medical procedures, swallowing slimy stuff that tasted bad was probably nothing at all.

“If it is any comfort,” said Sir Stephen, “Buckeye and myself dared each other to eat worse things than slugs.”

Jim eyed him with distaste.  “Like what?” he asked, then held up a hand.  “No, don’t.  Don’t answer. The middle ages were disgusting and I don’t want to hear about it.”

“It was not so very bad,” Sir Stephen protested.

“Yes, it was,” said Nat.  “People kept pigs in their dining rooms and threw the contents of their chamber pots into the street.  Then there’s black death, smallpox, tuberculosis…”

“If Newton has made many of you,” Sir Stephen said, “then versions of yourself will have seen all these things change over the past several centuries. I envy you that.”  He’d been thrown into the modern world with no preparation whatsoever.

“Yeah, I’m fine with not having seen it,” said Jim.

“Buckeye’s father always said that what did not kill a man made him stronger,” Sir Stephen told him.

“I don’t have a father,” Jim replied, giving a very clear signal that he wanted to end the conversation.  However interested he might have been in the man earlier, he had clearly decided that he was not Sir James Buckeye, and didn’t want to try to be.

[alphawolfice1989]

Barney and Robin are like Ross and Rachel

I can’t believe there are still people comparing B/R to Joey and Rachel. 2 completely different shows and 2 completely different pairings! The dynamic of the gang in HIMYM is not even close to a replica of the one of Friends. Do these people even watch the show?

I know. That comparison always annoys me too. The only thing those two pairings have in common is the guy is a womanizer who later falls for one of his best friends. But the thing is, Barney/Robin have a lot more romantic chemistry than what Joey/Rachel had. I think part of what made Joey/Rachel so weird was the fact that the romantic storyline of them started happening in S8, after there was already 7 years of an established friendship between them. Most of the audience saw Rachel as Ross’ “girl” by that point (she had Ross’ baby) and were heavily rooting for them since the beginning of the series (me included). Whereas with Barney/Robin, one could argue their possible romantic relationship started way back in S1’s “Zip, Zip, Zip,” and that it was hinted at all the way up to S3’s “Sandcastles in the Sand” when finally something actually happened between them. Also, I hate when people compare Ted/Robin to Ross/Rachel. That comparison doesn’t hold up b/c Ted/Robin isn’t a “will they or won’t they” pairing like Ross/Rachel were. We know Ted/Robin can never end up together so they are not the Ross/Rachel of this show. I think Barney/Robin are actually the Ross/Rachel of this show b/c they are the pairing that we don’t know if they end up together or not, and a lot of fans are rooting for them to get back together. It could be argued that Ted/Robin, not Barney/Robin, are the Joey/Rachel of this show b/c like Rachel who moved into Joey’s apartment, Robin moved in with Ted for a few seasons, and both guys ended up getting feelings for the girls they were living with at the time. Also, in both cases, neither guy ended up with the girl in the end. It’s actually pretty funny b/c Barney/Robin can actually be compared to all three couples on Friends: Ross/Rachel, Joey/Rachel, and Chandler/Monica. Both Chandler/Monica and Barney/Robin were friends first, and it wasn’t until a few seasons into both shows when the writers decided to shock the audience with having these pairings hook-up. The hook-up is what led to something more between both pairings; they started getting feelings for each other. If Barney/Robin get married on this show, we will see their wedding day, just like we saw Chandler/Monica’s wedding on “Friends.” Also, we found out Robin is unable to have kids, just like Chandler/Monica couldn’t. Maybe like Chandler, Barney will also find out his sperm doesn’t work? It would explain why after sleeping with about 300 women, Barney has never gotten one of them pregnant. 

Well, this was really long. Sorry about that. It just irritates me that people compare Barney/Robin to Joey/Rachel when I think they aren’t really that similar to one another.

Yeah. I agree with the various comparisons you make and think that they confirm the differences between the dynamic of the gang in HIMYM and the one in Friends.

Yeah, I always find that weird. I mean, I guess if you’re looking at this show in a very shallow way, both Barney and Joey are the womanizers of their respective groups who both dated a female friend of theirs who had already had a serious relationship with one of their best friends. But like you said, the dynamic of the gang in HIMYM is not the same as the one on Friends. Barney/Robin was hinted at since the first season, and we knew Ted and Robin weren’t going to last, so it’s pretty much a totally different kind of setup to the one on Friends where, like most traditional sitcoms, we didn’t know if Ross and Rachel would end up together or not, and Rachel and Joey happened much later in the series. Or maybe they hinted at Rachel and Joey earlier in the series, I can’t remember now. All I know is by the end of Friends, I was sick of Rachel/Joey and Rachel/Ross, and the only couple I cared about anymore was Monica/Chandler, even though I didn’t like them as much as I originally did. I’m hoping HIMYM doesn’t drag Barney and Robin out so long that I don’t even care anymore. Hopefully not.

P.S This is not an article from live journal but comments from one user 

http://barneyrobin.livejournal.com/778504.html

[trashmel]

Ask time :D what is your absolute favorite ship? what ship do you hate most? what was your first ship, and what fandom is it from? how did you start shipping Monica x Chandler? is there a ship that you used to ship, but don’t anymore?

Yayyy thank you! That was long but fun :D

ship asks

what is your absolute favorite ship? 

I’d have to say either Jack Harkness/Ianto Jones (Torchwood) or Chandler Bing/Monica Geller (Friends) because they’re not the same at all, so I can’t really choose. But Monica and Chandler are just this perfect, adorable and happy couple, I purely love them. Janto is just... complex, and still adorable if you dig enough. So, yeah, those two ships. Can’t say which one is the ‘absolute’

what ship do you hate most? 

Purely hate: Gwen/Jack(/Ianto) from Torchwood because EW NO????? (sorry if any of my followers ship them, but that’s a big, big no for me.) Not only does it stand in the way of Janto (or... add a third part.) but I hate it because Gwack (even the name is awful) was a possibility in the show because ugh, writers who clearly did not do their job well...

But it’s not that popular, so for a popular ship I keep seeing, to the point I blocked the tag (first time I did that): Jon/Daenerys from Game of Thrones. And the people shipping them are even worse than the ship (yeah, i’m not gonna make any friends here) The “I know it’s wrong (or incest) but I can’t help shipping it” part are.... okay. But the ones trying to justify why they’re shipping incest and how it’s not that much of an incest (It fucking is. If you fuck your nephew, it’s incest.) are the worst. I hate this ship more and more, ugh.

(And basically any incest, like Wincest (Supernatural) or whatever. And I really don’t like seeing fics about Chandler/Rachel (Friends) but same, it’s not that popular so that’s fine)

what was your first ship, and what fandom is it from? 

I have no idea. Did I ship someone in Code Lyoko? If so, that would have been my first, probably. The first I remember is Naruto x Hinata in Naruto because Hinata was the cutest child and I wanted her to have Naruto ;) And I wanted Naruto to be with someone that actually cared about him, even before he became this hero to everyone. She liked him when he was alone and trying to draw attention on him by doing stupid stuff to make people laugh. So, yeah, I love them. (I pretty much ship obvious things. Like I shipped Naruto/Hinata because Hinata had this huge crush on Naruto. I rarely have a ship out of nowhere. So probably some obvious ship from my childhood? I know I shipped Robin/Barney (How I Met Your Mother) pretty hard but I can’t tell if it was the first)

how did you start shipping Monica x Chandler? 

I think somewhere along Season 1. I really liked their dynamic, I loved that they sat so close to each other and seemed to just be so close, and there for the other. I strongly believe in friendship between men and women, but this time, I gotta say, I shipped them pretty quickly because I thought they would be the cutest together. And they are ;D

For a detailed moment, I think it was in the hospital when Ben was born. It’s when Chandler offers to get together and have a kid if neither of them are married when they’re 40, and I was like “aw that’s sweet. Oh... Oh! Oh okay, I actually shipped them apparently.” And he was just trying so hard to be there for her, so... yep, I started shipping them around this moment.

is there a ship that you used to ship, but don’t anymore?

I used to ship Jonhlock (in Sherlock BBC) but quickly stopped because of TJLC (I’m not gonna say it again, I’ve already explained why they just yirked me about this ship) but that was a minor ship. I also used to ship Destiel (Supernatural) pretty hard, but the writers are shitty for that, so bye-bye. It was just getting annoying and I stopped the show anyway. That’s all I can think about right now!