#and it was silly things that she thought were integral to a romantic relationship

[lakesbian]

To be honest, as someone who have actual siblings, the Cosay siblings headcanon it's kinda odd to me.

There's other potential sibling relationships like Lake and Tulip (that's why there's so much Twins Aus) and Jesse and Nate, but that one is more obvious... even if the blushes are because both of them are embarrassed, I don't think all of them are for that reason, the blushes can be by making a lot of strength (Book 1 Lake for example when they tried to escape to the door, also Tulip blushes too because of Lake's weight), a sign of attraction, joy, excitement, ect.

also, they hold hands soooo yeah :T

this is so funny. your analysis is bad, sorry. the only thing it has going for it is that it's the meat pumpkin in my tiger enclosure, by which i mean i will have fun tearing it apart.

"there's other potential sibling relationships, like lake and the girl she spends an entire season violently insisting her life doesn't revolve around!" like in what world LMAOOO she literally goes "i spent my whole life reflecting you, i'm going my own way now" to tulip to explain that because her life has been based entirely around tulip she doesn't want to have any connection to her, and you think there's good grounds for a sibling headcanon? deranged. i love that you started off with this because it really established the tone for how (in)coherent the rest of your thoughts were going to be perfectly.

as for the blush commentary, i. can't figure out what you're trying to say here? like, sure, sometimes characters in the show blush because they're being physically exerted, but that's irrelevant to bring up as an argument because it doesn't contradict my statement that the blushes in s2 aren't romantic. what does lake being exhausted from her failed attempt to escape the chrome car have to do with that?

the blushes in s2 do have varying emotional nuances behind them but they can generally all be tied back to embarrassment, shyness, or other similar feelings. lake blushing in the lucky cat car because she's flustered that jesse is expressing care for her is certainly happier than jesse blushing in the map car because he's admitting his state-qualified swim stroke lake is teasing him about isn't his favorite, but the core emotion motivating both is still feelings of vulnerability, and subsequently, self-consciousness. it's kind of a nothing-statement to say that 'not all of them are because of embarrassment' because yeah no shit, i never claimed the reasons for them were solely one-dimensional. this is The Train Nuance Blog, it's a given that there's nuance.

the "it's a sign of attraction" regarding s2 blushes is just like. Comically stupid. go read my post with the multiple screenshots of one of the show's writers explicitly confirming that the blushes aren't because of a crush & they're Platonic Friends, dippie. https://lakesbian.tumblr.com/post/714630299618770944/okay-umm-listen-i-have-a-silly-a-very-silly

and "they hold hands" ...,,,,..,,,rip to you i guess but some people have physical affection with their non-romantic loved ones? we got a fucking time traveler from the goddamn victorian era out here in my inbox talking about the Intrinsic Romance of [checks notes] "touching your friends." WAIT until you find out that i'd kiss mine on the cheeks LMAO. i'm gonna have to get ms lindsay katai on the phone to inform her that despite the crew's best attempts they did unfortunately accidentally write a romance by depicting a lonely traumatized child sharing occasional physical affection with her first-ever friend to comfort her during the most upsetting moments of her life :/

cosay siblings is rlly not that odd of a projected life outcome for them--they're best friends, lake living with jesse is a fairly common assumption people make, and a best friend you live with who's slowly becoming integrated into your family as a whole is...kind of just going to become an adopted sibling! there are many people who describe their best friend as being "like a brother/like a sister," there's no reason jesse and lake couldn't start feeling similar in the future & then turn it into "just literally actually brother/sister because he IS her family so it's not Like a sister, it's Is a sister"

[mimble-sparklepudding]

How does Mimble feel about each of the scions? Who does he hang out with the most? Is there anyone that seems to bother him? if so, how does he handle that? Does he do anything outside of work with any of them?

(You are such a beacon of light to this community!!!! Keep on being you, you are loved by many, many people!)

Awww thank you @healersadjust and so sorry it's taken so long to get this answered! Some information repeated from previous posts.

[Various Spoilers for Heavensward, Stormblood, Shadowbringers and Endwalker]

Alphinaud - Initially Mimble thought Alphinaud was somewhat condescending and rather too self-satisfied to be entirely likeable, although he was content to be tolerant for the sake of the Scion's aims and the good of the realm. As he spent more time with Alphinaud, especially after they sought refuge in Ishgard, he became increasingly proud of the man he was becoming and particularly admired both Alphinaud's integrity and his newfound humilty.

These days he tends to defer to Alphinaud in matters of strategy, or at least values his advice. This, however, does not prevent him from affectionately teasing the young lord on a regular basis.

Alisaie - Sometimes Minble winces at Alisaie's sharpness and lack of social graces (Mimble is very big on manners), but he appreciates her determination to do the right thing for those in need. He is also aware of the degree to which her snappiness can mask her internal struggles, so tends to be quite forbearing when it's aimed in his direction.

He does tease Alisaie occasionally, but she is happy to tease him in return. They often work together on curing the remaining Tempered. She also often brings food, which is always going to make Mimble happy.

Y'shtola - Mimble finds Y'shtola slightly intimidating, as she is usually the person most like to boss him around when he is avoiding tasks he doesn't want to do. However, he does rather appreciate having someone to chivvy him along and quite enjoys their tongue-in-cheek interactions. He is also appreciative of her academic learning, as his tends to be somewhat more organic, so he sometimes asks her to explain some of the more esoteric and technical issues he encounters.

Thancred - Mimble was close to Thancred and was saddened by (what he saw as) his despondency after Minfilia was called to serve Hydaelyn in The First. Despite his best efforts, it was hard for him to even raise a smile from Thancred until he had finally grieved for her and accepted Ryne as her own person. These days their relationship is much more how it was before, although Mimble spends less time playing wingman for Thancred's romantic misadventures than he did in the early days.

Yda/Lyse - "Yda" was the first Scion to whom Mimble became close, after they first met in Gridania. They were both somewhat daft and Mimble appreciated having someone he could be silly with (much to Papalymo's annoyance) - and who was equally prone to getting distracted and mildly confused. Later he found it cathartic to support Lyse with her grief over Papalymo's death, as a way of processing his own. Although Lyse is no longer an official Scion, Mimble remains close to her and is happy to assist with the rebuilding of Ala Mhigo as best he can.

Papalymo - Mimble definitely formed a close connection with Papalymo, despite (or perhaps because of) the fact that he was brought up to abhor the machinations of thaumaturges.

Initially they seemed to have little in common - and Papalymo already having his hands full with one quirky companion in Yda - but over time Mimble’s kind nature, and determination to help others regardless of personal cost, won a grudging respect, which eventually became a somewhat exasperated affection.

As to whether their friendship ever evolved into anything more - or if it ever held the possibility of doing so - is something that even Lyse is unsure about. Papalymo was always taciturn and Mimble, whilst usually anything but, is uncharacteristically reticent on the matter. It is apparent, however, that the loss of Papalymo affected him deeply and continues to do so.

Urianger - Mimble wasn't at all sure about Urianger on first meeting him, mostly because he couldn't work out if he just didn't have a sense of humour - or if he had one so sophisticated that he was play-acting the role of an eccentric scholar full-time. However they did develop a friendship over time, although Mimble did struggle somewhat with the occasions Urianger had been forced to deceive him, even though he was sensible enough to understand the reasons.

Currently they are much closer and Mimble is constantly making helpful suggestions on things Urianger might like to pass onto the Loporrits, especially Puddingway.

Tataru - Tataru is probably Mimble's closest friend and the person over whom he feels the most protective. In turn she strives to keep him organised and helps him manage things like finances, which he isn't terribly good at. They are both very good at networking and building relationships, albeit to different ends and often have tea and biscuits together and catch up on the gossip.

G'raha Tia - Mimble thought the original young G'raha Tia was a bit over-competitive and slightly bothersome when they first met, but he gets on extremely well with the newly young version, even though he doesn't always recognise himself in G'raha's lionizations.

Mimble enjoys spending time with G'raha and taking time out for adventures and excursions together, especially in Ishgard and Doma (he recently introduced him to the joys of floating around The Churning Mists on an oversized Cloud Mallow whilst shouting "Kupo!" at passing Moogles).

Estinien - Estinien is definitely the Scion who is most different from Mimble. It wasn’t a particularly foreseeable friendship, especially given the difference in their respective temperaments, but rather one that was established through their shared goals for Ishgard and later the rest of The Star. Estinien came to recognise that underneath his lighthearted exterior, Mimble was actually a man of great courage and principle and, for his part, Mimble came to accept that Estinien was not quite as dour as his stony-faced presentation might sometimes suggest.

Mimble does join in the time-honoured tradition of Lalafell Scions, by regularly teasing Estinien, but they have also had plenty of more serious discussions along the way - especially about working with Vtra to establish an orphanage for children left without their families in the wake of The Final Days.

Mimble has tried to teach Estinien some jokes, but Estinien is not terribly keen and his delivery leaves something to be desired in terms of pacing. Equally Estinien has tried to teach Mimble the skills of a Dragoon, but found it very distracting when Mimble would shout “weeee!” when doing the jumps…

Krile - Probably Mimble's closest friend after Tataru and certainly the one who understands him the best, due to their shared possession of the Echo. Krile is probably the only person who grasps how difficult Mimble found the loss of Hydaelyn and she has been supportive in helping him retain his sense of purpose without the Mothercrystal's guidance. Mimble also values Krile's academic knowledge and her bravery and compasssion for others.

Minfilia - Mimble misses Minfilia desperately, both as a friend and as leader of the Scions - in her gentleness and determination he saw an echo of Hydaelyn herself. He learned a great deal from her during the time they were together about balancing different personalities and factions. He has been alone to the edge of Amh Araeng and left Moon Daisies amongst the ruins in her memory.

[tifaria]

Good Omen fan fic recommendations?

This has been unanswered in my notes for far too long! 

Whoo boy, where do I start?? Let me just pull up my AO3 bookmarks… okay. This is gonna be a long post because I have a Lot of Thoughts about fic in this fandom. I’ll separate by types of fic. 

Series/stories with a plot: 

 Demonology and the Tri-Phasic Model of Trauma: An Integrative Approach by Nnm

As soon as Aubrey Thyme, psychotherapist, had opened her office door and seen her new client, Anthony J. Crowley, sitting in her waiting area, she was observing and assessing him. At first glance, she paid attention to the following:

–His clothing was expensive and stylish;–He wore very strange but noticeable cologne;–His relationship to the seat he occupied could only, very loosely, be described as “sitting;”–He looked angry;–He was wearing sunglasses.

What Aubrey Thyme, a professional, thought, upon first seeing her new client was: you’re going to be a fun one, aren’t you?

Okay, so some warnings: discussion of suicide, PTSD, implied alcohol abuse and implied child abuse. That said…. this is an excellent fic and I was thinking about it for days after it ended. It’s about Crowley dealing with trauma from the bookshop fire, and it has an outsider POV that I ended up caring deeply about, and the ending had me in (happy) tears. Just. It’s a miracle that this fic exists. 

A Curious Case of Miracles on Marlborough Street by @nihilnovisubsole

After stopping the apocalypse, Crowley and Aziraphale finally take the next step in their six-thousand-year friendship. But when a spate of miracles sweeps across Soho and Mayfair, they realize their amorous escapades may have an unintended side effect. As they scramble to restore balance and an archangel arrives to investigate, Heaven and Hell’s messengers learn that you can never have too much of a good thing.

At the very least, you need to go look at the art on this fic, because it is magnificent. But you should really read the story, because it’s absurd and weird but in a way that makes it feel like it could plausibly take place in the TV-verse. Implied sexual content, nothing explicit. Plenty of humor. It’s crackfic that’s taken seriously, but it works and I love it.

The Sandford Flower Show by Musimm

Crowley had waited six thousand years, kept it all in check. But this was the slipperiest slope he’d ever set foot on and as soon as he’d indulged in a few discretionary acts of kindness he was falling face first into pining, tumbling into flirting, about to dislocate his knees on the sharp rocks of intimacy.

Was this really it? What he had waited six thousand years for? A stupid flower show? Aziraphale wasn’t pulling away from him. Maybe… maybe this time he wouldn’t? Maybe they’d hold hands again. Maybe tonight with a bottle of merlot in them he’d finally work up the courage and just kiss him and he wouldn’t pull away.

The very moment he’d thought it he spotted the problem at the flower show.

Chapter 7 is explicit, so if that’s not your jam, skip to the next chapter after they go to bed. I really enjoyed this one! There’s angst, pining, miscommunication, idiots acting like idiots, but with a happy ending. The plot is interesting and the original characters were engaging and felt like they’d fit right into the TV-verse. I re-read this immediately after finishing it, that’s how much I liked it.

I Will Get Up Now and Go About the City by @drawlight

This is the story of six-thousand years and a borrowed jacket. (A tale told in vignettes.)

Look, if you haven’t gone and read every single thing that @drawlight has written by now, I don’t know what to tell you. This is my favorite fic of his. It is, quite simply, poetry. I’m due for a re-read, in fact.

Fluff/Sweetness:

 Divine Intervention (AKA God Ships It) by @theladyzephyr

There’s a battle strategy devised by humans many millennia ago that’s designed to overcome an adversary who is particularly well entrenched. Some walls are too tall and thick for a frontal assault, and must instead be bested through sheer dogged stubbornness.

Crowley and Aziraphale didn’t know it, but they were about to be put under siege.

Fed up with an angel and a demon who are still avoiding any talk of Feelings, God starts to interfere. When it comes to the ineffable plan, sometimes things need a bit of a push.

Listen. This is my favorite fluffy Good Omens fic ever. It’s silly, it’s romantic, it’s completely heartfelt, and it’s joyous and happy. I grinned so hard while reading it, and re-reading it, and re-reading it again. I go to this fic when I’ve had a bad day. I go to this fic when I’ve had a good day. It’s wonderful and sweet and it fills my heart with warmth.

Sunny Picnic with the Southern Pansy by @almaasi

As the one-year mark of the Unpocalypse approaches, Aziraphale pointedly mentions to Crowley that he’d like to spend the anniversary doing “something lovely” with “somebody special”. Thus, Crowley secretly plans a surprise picnic in Tadfield with Anathema and the Them. Of course, this comes served with a plateful of misunderstandings, a side of moping, and a seasoning of mischief… eventually followed by a deliciously pleasant afternoon.

I love when authors can work in the ensemble cast in a way that works. This fic is fluffy, warm, and fuzzy. I loved every time The Them were in a scene because the author wrote them so well. 

Saturday (Wouldn’t It Be Nice) by Sir_Bedevere

It’s a Saturday in the little cottage on the South Downs, where a demon and an angel are spending their retirement, and there’s nothing - nothing - that they can’t face together.

It’s a Saturday, and this is how Saturdays tend to go.

This is a gentle and soft fic that soothes my soul when I read it. There’s plenty of cuddling, sweetness, and fluff. This fic is like a comforting, warm blanket when you’ve had a hard day.

Love Like Fools by @animeangelriku

One minute, Aziraphale is cataloguing some of his first editions, and the next one, he’s leaning against the bookshelf with one hand because he feels like the breath he doesn’t necessarily need (but is nonetheless used to taking) has just been knocked out of him.

He does not need to hold back his feelings for Crowley anymore. He does not need to hide his feelings for Crowley anymore. They’re on their own side now.

Soft romance with hand-holding and plenty of kissing? Sign me up. I live for Aziraphale showering Crowley with affection, and Crowley being overwhelmed by it.

An Honest Surrender by @kedreeva

“For six thousand years,” Crowley said, voice cracking, “I have wanted something I couldn’t have, because I asked the wrong questions. But I’m asking the right one now. The only one that matters.”

In which Aziraphale follows Crowley home after the nonpocalypse.

I never get tired of what-happened-at-Crowley’s-flat-that-night fics. Never. Give me all of them. This one depicts the boys as asexual and includes some intense soul-bonding that I find really lovely and that I think is achingly beautiful.

It’s Getting Hard, This Holding Back by ZehWulf

6,000-odd years is a long time to evolve a romantic relationship, but as a near-immortal being, Crowley had patience. True, they had lost momentum right around reaching the Speaking Looks and Meaningful Gestures stage, but at the time Crowley had been more or less content to let things idle.

Now, he was determined to shift things back into gear, and that gear was Explicitly Romantic Physical Expressions of Affection.

Crowley comes up with a plot for easing into physical affection with Aziraphale, and it goes about like you’d expect. Cute, sweet, and fluffy asexual relationship. 

Smut/Explicit:

Lie Back And Think Of Dinner by jessthereckless

“Crowley, this is a disaster. This is everything I ever wanted. We’re in love. And there’s a picnic. And we don’t seem to be able to get…amorous without causing earthquakes.”

Aziraphale attempts subterfuge. Crowley sees right through him.

This fic is so cute, with just a bit of smut. I don’t always enjoy smut, because sometimes I feel it strays too much from their characterization, but this fic gets it right. It’s funny and charming and the dialogue is spot on. When you’re finished, read the sequel, which has more explicit smut but still manages to be believable for me while also being very sweet. 

The First Week of the Rest of their Lives by @deputychairman

“Port gives the worst hangovers in the world, did you know that?” Crowley slurred when the bottle was all gone. “Don’t know who got credit for that one. Nice drink, lovely drink, shame it makes you want to die in the morning.”

“Such a shame,” Aziraphale agreed sadly, watching Crowley stretch out on his sofa. He did like port. He liked Crowley stretched out on his sofa, too.

After a week of lunch dates, Aziraphale is finally ready to face his feelings. This is sexy and just smutty enough and the banter between them in the bedroom is cute but also hot.

Overboard by Laura Shapiro

Asking Crowley to move here with him is, Aziraphale thinks, the bravest thing he has ever done.

Aziraphale tries and fails to deal with his anxiety, and eventually the pining and angst lead to an understanding. I enjoyed the depiction of Aziraphale’s anxiety over he and Crowley’s relationship, and the sex is very well done and you can sense the love in it. 

Alternate Universe (AU):

Here’s the thing about AUs: I don’t usually enjoy them. I find that often the characters don’t resemble the ones I know at all, and it prevents me from getting interested in the story. However, I have come across some that I’ve loved, and while the characterizations aren’t necessary recognizable as Aziraphale and Crowley, the stories are compelling and well-written. I tend to think of it as the actors from the TV series playing other parts, and it works for me. 

Acts of Service by seekwill

After receiving direct instruction from God, village reverend Aziraphale leaves his countryside congregation to serve the underserved and in-need at an urban church in London, a transition made all the more complicated by the mysterious and handsome Crowley, who always seems to appear when Aziraphale least expects him.

I was thinking about this fic for a while after I finished it. Is it a bit soap operatic? Yes. Is it also compelling and romantic and sexy? Hell yes. Just go read it and decide for yourself. The only reason I didn’t finish the entire fic in one evening is because I read until 1am and then had to wake up four hours later. Otherwise I’d have binged it all in one go.

Only Love (Can Bring the Rain) by soft_october

There were all these little hopes and musings Crowley buried so deep in his heart it ached to bring them out into the light to catalogue their faults and flaws, and each time Aziraphale sought him out, or asked his opinion on some weighty manner that was hanging on him, or even just smiled, those little wishings grew bigger and bigger, pressing in on him until he felt as if he was being crushed.

“Princes do not fall in love with gardener boys,” he told himself one night, staring into the shard of looking glass he kept on a shelf, hoping it would help, hoping that hearing it out loud would make him believe it, would help him put all these ridiculous notions behind him.

It didn’t work.

Crowley and Aziraphale, the gardener’s boy and the prince, meet as children and develop an unlikely friendship.

By the time they’re twenty, everything has changed.

Crowley is a gardener, Aziraphale is a prince, and this reads like a gentle fairy tale. I adore everything about it.

With All Your Delights by @weatheredlaw 

Crowley laughed. “I thought you’d have realized by now. I am no ordinary king.”

“No,” Aziraphale said. “You certainly are not.”

or: aziraphale is sent as a gift to the southern king to smooth over trade negotiations. they both find themselves in over their heads.

Good Lord, this fic. This fic is so sexy, so romantic, so immersive. The world-building is vague, but somehow that worked for me because I was able to imagine and fill in the gaps as I pleased. Do they 100% resemble any Crowley and Aziraphale that we know? No. But is it a well-written romance that checks off a lot of boxes I enjoy? Yes. There’s angst, but with a happy ending. I think I’ve read this one 3 or 4 times now, which is unheard of for me with an AU.

Slow Show by @mia-ugly

Listen. This. This fic. It’s done something to me. I live for updates on this fic. 

Crowley and Aziraphale are co-stars on a Game of Thrones-esque TV show. There’s pining, angst, explicit sex, mentions of past addiction, and somehow, it all comes together in a beautiful story that has me rushing to me computer on Mondays to check and see if it’s been updated. It has wrecked me. The last chapter was a wham and I am desperate for more. I have the utmost admiration for the author because it’s a beautiful, sexy, romantic story and I have never been so eager to read an AU before. 

[popculturebuffet]

House of Mouse: Mickey and the Culture Clash (Commission by WeirdKev27) or “What the Hell, Clarabelle?”

Hello, hello, hello... I wish I could say I was in good spirits but i’m tired, have covid induced chills running down my spine.. and oh yeah there was an armed insurrection i the captial last night that showed just how broken this country was. And while Monster Bash would still be relevant... I couldn’t do it. I admit to being unable to do an episode where the millitant racist nutjob who harms people runs off into the night, and does much worse in later episodes, while the people she harassed are arrested the night after a bunch of millitant, racist, sociopathic, selfish nightmares sieged the captial, killed a woman, raised the fucking maga flag over the buildling and took pictures like they were goddamn heroes.  We got a stark reminder, not a wake up call, not an opening a REMINDER of just how badly broken our country is last night, and it wasn’t till this morning I found out just how BAD it was. The deaths, the flag, the fact josh fucking hawley, MY STAT’ES SENATOR and registered piece of shit, raised  A FUCKING FIST IN SOLIDARITY, which gives me the crippling fear his stupidity and unabashed racisim and support of a cou could mean riots at best and attempted uprisings at worst and who knows what kind of hate crimes against those of color and those in my own queer community. I am afraid, tired, and I am pissed and I feel we could ALL use something wholesome, warm and far removed from the shit going on. And in my hour of need to figure out something like that to put on the schedule.. Kev brought up a wonderfufl idea.  Every month this month till the end of it Kev is going to comission one episode of a show near and dear to both our hearts that has it’s 20th birthday this month. House of Mouse. He was intitally going to request Pete’s One Man Show, which is one of my faviorites, but was ironcially one I already planned to cover next month to celebrate both the show’s anniversary and Pete’s Birthday. But since he was happy to wait till then to comission it, he instead asked for another classic and one with easily my faviorite character on the show: Moritmer Mouse. 

One of the best things House of Mouse did was bring back Mortimer Mouse. Introduced in Mickey’s Rival, Mortimer was an ex of minnies who showed up for one short to be a dick to mickey before running off and leaving Minnie at the mercy of a bull he pissed off. He also weirdly kept electrodes and a car battery in his pants. The short itself is.. not great mostly because Minnie dimissies Mickey rightfully being pissed someone is hitting on his girlfriend in front of him, making jokes at his expense, and generally being a pillock as being jealous... which yeah, yeah he is. Most of the time jealousy and supscison of your partner is ugly, gross and damaging to a relationship.  You should trust them unless you’ve been given good reason not to, and if your paranoidly jealous about every friend she has she could be attracted to.. get some fucking help. Seriously, I need to, not for this for various other problems, but get some therapy to help with your trust issues or if your just being the kind of dick who naturally assumes men and women or men and men or women and women or men and nonibinary persons, or women and nonbinary peeps and so on and so on cannot be friends if they could possibly be togehter romantically... grow up.  I say all of that because those are serious underlying issues and I didn’t want it to seem like for a moment I was supporting them... and because sometimes i’ts OKAY to be jealous, to either just feel a little jealous of someone, or to you know be irate because your girlfriend’s ex is hitting on her in front of you and she’s being entirely receptive to it. 

So yeah i’ts really hard to feel bad for minnie’s bull attack or find the ending sweet after Minnie was you know, what ramona said for an entire short. However my point for this rant, besides giving out about the short again because I clearly didn’t enough in my Mickey Birthday Special, is that Mortimer is still pretty great. He’s a frat bro in the 40′s sense sure, but the idea of a local douche hoping to swoop in and woo minnie away, who has an oddly specific sense of humor and a bizzare, memorable and wonderful walk, seriously the short is worth watching for mortimier’s “I got two car batteris in my pants’ walk, is a good one. While he’d naturally show up in comics and what have you Mortimer just sort of vanished. But clearly someone on the House of Mouse staff, and Mousewerks before it, agreed because Morty was made easily one of the best and most recurring characters in the HOM, and often more prominent than Horace or Gus. While he still tried his old “I’m gonna do your common law wife act” a few times he was mostly there to be an annoying douche when the ep needed one and to be taken down a peg by everyone in the house. And that VERY MUCH includes Mickey. That’s also part of why I love this show bringing him back: It gives Mickey someone besides pete to give out too on a regular basis. He’s still his charming self about it but it’s lovelyt os ee Mickey sarcastically roast someone. And I honestly attribute the main factor of his sucess on the show to VA Maurice LaMarche. While his original VA, Sonny Dawson, was fantastic.. it’s Maurice who very clearly made the character his. While others like Jeff Bennet have taken over since i’ts Maurice who gave him his signature “ha-cha-cha” catchphrase, swagger and signiture voice. And no i’ts not lost on me that one of Maurice’s OTHER best roles is another cartoon mouse.. and I now very badly want him to meet Pinky and the Brain. But yeah, Maurice just oozes the smarm that defines mortimer for me, oozes condescinon and assholery and he, is., glorious. He was a faviorite as a kid, he’s a faviorite now, and Disney needs to use him more.. and also have Maurice voice him for wonderufl world of mickey mouse, though Jeff Bennett is not bad at all I just prefer the master at the role. 

So obviously, after the nightmare of an evening america had yesterday, an episode not only about how wholesome mickey and minnie are but about Mickey teaming up with Mortimer was EXACTLY what i needed. So pitter patter, this is Mickey and the Culture clash. As always for house of mouse i’ll be chonking it up and since this one starts right with the wraparound, and sicnce you know I spent a godo few pagraphs going over mortimer and he’s only IN the wraparound this episode... let’s start there

Mickey and the Culture Clash: Don’t Go Changin, To Try and Please Me So we open the episode and the review proper with Mickey performing a banjo sernade for Minnie, their song in fact. It’s a really sweet scene.. that’s quickly ruined by Clarabelle being an asshole, who says i’ts a bit crude. Minnie counters that while “It’s not mozart”, it’s nice and she clearly likes it and the gesture. Instead of you know leaving it there like a good friend, like she’s SUPPOSED to be to Minnie in most continuities, Clarabelle.. takes the things she said and her having to run out to wrangle pluto out of context, painting it as her thinking he’s not sophisticated and then running out because of it. Oh and she tops it by pointing to a classified add from a MM looking for sophisticated companionship. 

It just paints Clarabelle not as Minnie’s friend or a chatty gossip, but as a heartless bitch who has no trouble implying one of her best friends would cheat on her boyfriend TO HIS FACE, and is fine wrecking a perfectly lovely relationship just to have more to talk about. Seriously she starts gossiping to everybody on top of it just in case you thought Clarabelle was a decent person in any shape this episode. She’s the one thing about this episode that dosen’t work despite being integral to it.. well two but hte other thing is a small, end of episode gag we’ll get to. This.. this is an integral part of the plot. It also relies on Daisy and Donald being absent for the episode for what I can only assume is their annual sex decathalon because otherwise the second she heard about her friend doing this, before reassuring Minnie, Donald would be holdiing her while Daisy beat the absolute shit out of her for hurting thier closest friend and not bothering to take a look into anything when leveling such a rough accusation at Minnie. In a really stellar, really well paced episode, Clarabelle being so heartless stands out. It’s also, might as well get this out of the way, teh final episode not inlcuding the two holiday specials.. and it’s a good note to go out on otherwise, I just can’t ignore the obnoxious cow in the room.. in both senses of the word. 

So yeah Mickey’s trying to be fancy, and Mortimer gets a good dig in about him reading “You having trouble sounding out the words”, but once he hears what’s going on, or rather once he realizes mickey things Mortimer’s personal add is in fact his girlfriend cheating on him, he decides to help Mickey. And to his credit for this con.. Mortimer actually thought things out on how to trick his rival, and his plan here is douchey as hell but incredibly genius: he offers to help mickey and while that’d normally be suspcious he offers a genuine, and very mortimer explination for helping him become a bit more sophisticated to win minnie back: if Minnie finds a handsome, sophisticated guy to date, what chance does MORTIMER have against that? At least with Mickey, in his deluded egocentric view of things anyway, he has a shot at beating him. 

So Mickey classes it up a bit, taking some sopshitcated stances when announcing and trying to woo minnie by talking in ye olde english. When that fails, she just finds it silly but charming, Mickey finds Jose.. hitting on her.

Just.. I expect better from you man. Woo ladies all you like as long as your respectful but I expect better than to hit on someone else’s girlfriend.. which granted he has but given the last time we saw him do that, he nearly got stabbed a bunch and the last time he agressively hit on a woman he got punched in the beak as he should, you’d THINK he’d of learned something. Seriously once again Donald is only missing because this time Daisy would be holding Jose down while Donald hit him. Or possibly they’d take turns. Point is Jose REALLY shoudln’t be doing this and knows better.. marginally. But.. it is in character enough so ti’s not as bad as Clarabelle the homewrecker. 

So Mickey tries being fancy and goes on to do poetry instead of letting O’Malley and the Alley Cats play.. which is a nice running gag the series does as they NEVER get to play.. which while funny is a shame since I love the Aristocats. So then we finally get what Mortimer’s been playing at, he swoops in, claims MICKEY dosen’t need HER, and uses the same personal add to trick her. See, while what Mortimer’s doing is vile.. unlike clarabelle I can repsect it at least. I don’t condone it and i’m glad he gets foiled.. but as a bad guy plan it’s pretty clever and for someone like Mortimer whose usually pretty incompitent.. it’s pretty suprising he could pull this off. It’s still pretty damn low and scummy, no question, but props to being able to outwit and nearly outplay two people who deal with your crap on a regular basis and still convincingly conning both.  Thankfully while he tries to take Minnie out Mickey, in a great visual gag, puts two and two together, and busts out their song, with Mickey and Minnie heartwearmingly reuniting on stage as seen above. Then we get that gag I mentioned not liking: Mickey gets Morty back by planting a false marriage proposal from Moritmer to Clarabelle, again under MM and he gets carried off.. HAHA HE’S BEING FORCED INTO A MARRIAGE HE DOSEN’T. LAUGH. LAUGH AT IT. The gag just really hasn’t aged well, as otherwise it’s clever Mickey used Mortimer’s own trick against both him and the person who caused all of this but really.. Clarabelle gets no real compuance. At worse sshe finds out she was tricked.. but she again you know tried to break up her close friends relationship for shits and giggles. But .. it’s at the very end of the episode and very easy to ignore, so it dosen’t really bother me too bad, and compared to some gags of the type i’ve seen, it could be MUCH worse.  Overall this wraparound is one of the series best and a good one to go out on. it has a simple premise, a brilliant antagonist plot, some great bits from all involved, and even a great Belle and Beast cameo. All in all a really good wraparound only hampered by a sexist and dated ending and Clarabelle being portrayed as ...

She’s the worst, in the world. Okay onto the shorts.

Mickey’s Piano Lesson: That was a Fun One

It really was. It’s a simple premise: Minnie wants MIckey to do a piano recital and he decides “I don’t need practice i’m mickey mouse. “ And it’s REALLY nice to have a short that has, rather than aw shucks mickey, shenanigans mickey. While thanks to the new shorts we’ve had tons, it’s still nice to get one in the House of Mouse era, and it’s just fun to see Mickey take the usual donald roll of letting his overconfidence punch him in the face> It fits both though: Both are everyman and while I lean towards the duck, to no one’s shock, Mickey is just as capable, and his lack of practice comes off less like the angry and hostile way donald would dismiss it and mroe just loveable procastination. And as someone who REALLY struggles with procastination I related to this short, as Mickey does everything else he’d rather do from bathing the dog to skydiving till Minnie, in a great bit informs him everyone from the president, to several dignitaries from other countries, to a televised audience will see. We then get two really great and really beatuifully animated bits as MIckey wrestles with the notes on thep age then fights with his piano as he performs, still pulling it off but destroying the thing and rightfully earning a glare form his girlfriend. Just a fun, slapstick short with a great premise. 

Dance of the Goofys: Scary Children Set to classical music, this one has a bunch of goofys as Fairy’s, who are making the flowers go and the one who sleeps in ends up saving the king from a horrifing looking little brat. He reminds me of Montanna Max a bit.. speaking of which Creer Summer recnetly announced Elmyra won’t be in the reboot. And while this does make me fear actually good characters like Fifi, Montana Max, and more will be cut like the animanics reboot and I do feel for Cree not getting to be involved and hope they find another roll for her as, given her status in the industry she deserves better.. THANK FUCKING GOD. I’ll go into this in another review I have planned for the future but unlike the cuts made to animaniacs this was a REALLY good decision i’m really greatful for. Thank you crew thank you. 

Back on topic, it’s just a fun, really beautifully animated short about the goofies and hteir shenanigans with a really great high concept. 

Maestro Minnie: Brahm’s Lullabye: Simply Irresitable Another simple but clever and lovely to watch one, and one I like quite a bit more. Minnie is conducting some living violins to Brahm’s Lullabye to get a baby Violin to sleep, and we get some really beautiful shots of her as she does so.. only to get comically interuppted by other insteruments turning up the noise. Not much to say on this one as it’s short and simple.. but sometimes short and simple is just what you need and the fun premise nad really beautiful especially for tv animation at the time visuals really sell this one.  ONce again, good stuff. 

Overall: This was a REALLY good note to go out on. While as I said the Clarabelle stuff can eat my entire ass, everything else is really damn good and I highly recommend checking this one out. Next time, in about a month, we’ll be looking at Pete’s spotlight episode for his birfday. While you wait tommorow we have my first look at legend of the three cabs. But for now, goodbye, goodbye, goodbye. 

[synthmusic91]

10 - 15 >:)

10. what do you wish you hated, but actually like?

pretty men with mental issues

11. vague about your crush(es)

no one right now currently...free from the shackles thank GOD but in a similar vein i have been very worried about the dichotomy of people i'm attracted to vs. people that i think it would be a good idea to date, or would be good in a relationship...doesn't help that i literally have not left the house for a whole year -_-

12. is there someone you have mixed feelings towards?

(serious) my parents and my ex friends and also (joke) @goldium when she posts weird shit <3

13. talk about an au or story you came up with

i read a lot of interactive fiction and i reeeallly want to write my own (preferably shorter because the full-length ones take years to finish if ever) one but it's so hard to plan tbh especially since i don't....write...aha. i want it to be a story for myself first and foremost so i was considering writing about themes of (im cringing so hard typing this bcs i'm repressed) alienation and possibly transformation, and of course with magic and with a relationship that blurs the lines between platonic and romantic. it was going to be like, there's this town on the other side of a rain shadow (basically it just rains a lot and this huge mysterious mountain looms over you all the time). and people who disappear into the mountains come back...changed...so people tend to avoid it, and there are magic people(?) who live in the mountains...for the most part. you could say fae except they can like. transform into animals am i a furry? so then you could say fox spirit but it's not always foxes like one of them can transform into a bird. anyway

you'd play as someone living in this town who lost their memory, and your (self identified) "partner"(?) sort of helps you get back on your feet, and you can choose to research your past, or not, etc etc. the "twist" is that both you and your partner are actually those magic people from the mountain (meaning you can transform into animals). the "twist" actually happens like midway and the rest of the story is spent dealing with the repercussions. like the community on the mountain is super toxic (which is why your partner, who didn't lose their memory, left), and you basically have to choose between going back to your community and dealing with that or not doing that and possibly losing connection with your culture, or [redacted other thing]. it's all very much me projecting my cultural disconnect and of course there is an option to give ur partner a little kiss kiss.

in terms of the magic system well i could literally talk about this all day and it isn't even really related to the story but i wanted there to be like a pattern to it. and maybe there would be some different styles to it, from very intentional, almost mathematical (literally like based on undecidability proofs and maybe number theory), to more immediate and vague. i want it to be truly integrated with the world and the culture too, not just used as a silly battle mechanic. actually, i think magic would NOT be great for fighting! i think magic would be much more likely be used for culture, art, and communication before it would be used for war. if my characters get into fights they will use fists and knives. sometimes simple is best.

this took me forever to write and still i wish i could go more in depth. the picture is incomplete...help this is so embarrassing

14. do you like makeup?

yes but also no i'm sure you can imagine. i'm not very good at it (or maybe my face is just weird) but i want to do other ppls makeup at a sleepover SAUR bad. i wish people were more into creating things that might be ugly but having FUN!!! except i'm a hypocrite bcs the minute i think someone would be like "she looks a lil funny" i'd wash it all off. like i hate beauty standards but i also dont wanna be made fun of. also my mom always yelled at me for doing makeup or liking cute clothes bcs she thought it would distract me from my studies or whatever. so i'm into it now, like tasting the forbidden fruit.

15. do you prefer space or the ocean?

when i was a kid i was definitely VERY into space. but idk if that's me being into space or just what science books i had available. maybe if i had an ocean book i'd be into the ocean? but i mightve also been so repressed i didn't want to read about things with higher mental functions than a sponge. the book i read the most went into space, rocks and minerals, and the human body (no brain function since it's not the whole human), and there was another book that went into dinosaurs, earthquakes and volcanoes, and insects and spiders, that i didn't read as much...so it's possible! if i really was that repressed, it would make sense for me to be into space and not the ocean.

[eyreguide]

Comparing Villette and Jane Eyre

Charlotte Bronte’s Villette, the last novel she published in her lifetime, is often cited by critics as being her best work.  Of course, it’s not my favorite of Charlotte’s works, but Villette is a powerful story and has, I feel, an interesting parallel to Jane Eyre with some similarities in plot and characters.  I read Villette when I was in college many years ago, and I have always remembered it as Jane Eyre “through a glass darkly.”  I’m revisiting that idea by re-reading the novel and seeing exactly how it compares.

Before I go into comparisons, I do want to talk about how the novel strikes me so many years later.  I was surprised to see how much of Charlotte’s personal past is fictionalized for Lucy Snowe - of course, Charlotte also did this for Jane, but it seems like there were more specific experiences that Charlotte drew on for Lucy than she did for Jane.  Charlotte’s experience in Brussels, her romantic feelings for a certain brooding professor at the Pensionnat and recreating his personality, the affably suspicious nature of Madame Beck, seeing a famous actress, confessing to a Catholic priest, and of course being a teacher are all used for Lucy.  And in Lucy’s opinions and descriptions of the people around her, I felt like there was something more of Charlotte in Lucy than in Jane.  With the fact that at this point in Charlotte’s life she has lost all of her siblings, I do find the vivid passages about Lucy’s loneliness and poor mental health to be especially sad.  It seems like Charlotte is writing as much to purge her feelings on the subject, as she is to embody the reticent and passive Lucy Snowe.

My thoughts on Villette as a novel is a little less effusive than I remember from my first time reading it.  The story meanders quite a bit - with long passages of Lucy judging her fellow teachers and her students pretty harshly.  As well as looking down on the tastes and habits of the people of Labassecour.  I was surprised by how much bitterness was in the character, but I wonder how much this reflected Charlotte herself.

The plot feels episodic - things happen to Lucy and she relates them to the reader.  There doesn’t seem to be much of interest in what happens in Lucy’s life - just in how she characterizes the people around her.  Even with the romance, the ultimate sharing of feelings is long delayed.  And a large part of the story is devoted to Lucy barely acknowledging that she might have feelings for the handsome and charismatic Dr. John.  But that goes nowhere for Lucy - especially since she does not act on any of her feelings.  The same goes for her antipathy of Ginerva Fanshawe, whose company she bears with barely disguised hostility.  I again find it funny to think of how Charlotte might also have acted that way in the presence of people she disliked.

Comparisons to Jane Eyre

- Characters:

Dr. John Graham Bretton reminded me somewhat of St. John Rivers.  Both are very handsome and romantic possibilities for the protagonist.  Of course with St. John, he was cold and did not love Jane, but Graham also did not love Lucy, even though he regarded her in a friendly way.  And Graham and St. John are very moral and sincere individuals.

Ginerva Fanshawe seemed like an amalgamation of the beautiful but insipid women that Jane Eyre does not admire - Blanche Ingram and Georgiana Reed.  They are all beautiful, graceful, vain and selfish.  They can be false and coquettish, without much depth to their personalities.  Interesting that Charlotte would return to this character composition.

Paulina Home de Bassompierre could stand as her own more well-rounded character, but she did remind me at times of Rosamond Oliver - even down to Dr. John being the one to fall in love with her.  Polly is sweet, graceful, pretty and intelligent.  She seems a bit silly but she has a good heart. All things that bring to mind Rosamond who is a positive but insipid character in Jane Eyre.

Paul Emmanuel, of course, has the distinction of being a more sarcastic and more religious version of Mr. Rochester.  Both men have morose, fiery tempers, and they are intelligent and like to talk.  They are also both dark-featured, although Paul has blue eyes.  

Both men have troubled pasts that involve a relationship that has gone awry.  For Mr. Rochester there is no love lost between him and Bertha, but Paul loved Justine Marie and is forever tied to her family - obligated to take care of them even when they don’t show appreciation.  Paul is ruder, more cantankerous and vain than Rochester, but his kindness towards Lucy is almost equaled to the love and romance Rochester showers on Jane.

And they both like bonbons! (which I find such a fun parallel):

“- he was fond of bonbons, by the way - and as he always liked to share with others what pleased himself, he would give his “drageées” as freely as he lent his books.”

“I liked bonbons too in those days, Miss Eyre, and I was croquant—(overlook the barbarism)—croquant chocolate comfits”

Lucy Snowe as the protagonist and narrator is quite different from Jane Eyre.  The only similarities between the two are that they both had childhoods without parents, and worked as teachers.  As a narrator, Jane is confiding, natural and honest and Lucy hides her feelings, makes harsh judgments, and often dismisses her own importance.  Lucy is a character that comes off as excessively passive - just letting things happen to her, while also being afraid of trying something new.  There is a chance in Villette for Lucy to become governess/companion to Polly and she declines - declaring that there is less freedom in being a governess than a teacher. (A curious change from Jane’s experience.)  That puzzles me since Lucy likes Polly and would enjoy her company and clearly, Lucy is suffering from loneliness. She would also be paid well for the job. There are many moments in the novel, where I don’t quite understand Lucy.

However, there is a poignant aspect of Lucy’s story that is easy to understand - and that is her loneliness.  It causes her to have depression and a break down that affects her for the majority of the novel.  She can’t eat or sleep, and in a memorable scene, she visits a Catholic priest, despite being Protestant, just for the opportunity to talk to someone.  This honest depiction of her mental health made me feel for Lucy, and also for Charlotte who must have felt at least some of this to have described it so well.  

“But I got over that pain also.  Life is still life, whatever its pangs: our eyes and ears and their use remain with us, through the prospect of what pleases be wholly withdrawn, and the sound of what consoles be quite silenced.”

- Romance

When comparing Lucy/Paul to Jane/Rochester, I see that Villette champions a more honest relationship.  Lucy quotes “Prove yourself true ere I cherish you” as Paul’s ordinance before he gives affection, and how interesting that he demands honesty as much as Lucy does.  Honesty is an integral part of any relationship and a huge obstacle in Jane and Rochester’s connection.  Lucy and Paul also comprehend all of each other’s faults before realizing that they are in love.  Paul sometimes made Lucy cry with his harsh, acerbic comments, and Lucy seems to have annoyed Paul more than once with her quiet, unflappable nature.  Lucy says “I was full of faults; he took them and me all home.”

With such an unromantic beginning, the relationship between Lucy and Paul becomes very much like Jane and Rochester.  The nature of the couples’ connection seems so strong and based on fully understanding each other.

Paul says, “Lucy, take my love.  One day share my life.  Be my dearest, first on earth.”

Mr. Rochester says, “I ask you to pass through life at my side—to be my second self, and best earthly companion.”

While Jane Eyre shows a more idealistic courtship, Villette seemed to have focused more on showcasing the romance of two people with faults and issues finding their way to each other.  (Their weaknesses do make me wonder if they will sometimes have spectacular fights!)

Conclusion

It’s probably not entirely fair to think of Villette as a darker version of Jane Eyre since Villette has a solid plot and complex, nuanced characters.  Yet, I do find the broad similarities in personality types and plot points to be intriguing.  

Villette’s characters do feel sharper, more vivid, and less pleasant.  I feel less empathy somehow for everyone and less investment in their lives.  There is an interest in Lucy’s observations, but the story takes a while to unfold, and it’s disconcerting how much Lucy as the narrator holds back from the reader.  To understand her emotions the reader needs to tease out the clues from the way she observes the people around her.  While the story has its faults I think the main brilliance of the novel is in it’s uniquely flawed, complex, and human protagonist.

“I like to see flowers growing, but when they are gathered, they cease to please.  I look on them as things rootless and perishable; their likeness to life makes me sad.”

[i-write-shakespeare-not-disney]

Director’s Commentary- Lovesick Addiction, Keith joins Lance in church as he mourns

My commentary is in bold italics- I hope it’s okay I focused on the shoebox because the whole church scene was like... 6 pages and half of it was crying....

Keith chewed on his lower lip for a second before nodding. “I want to be here with you.” I’m gonna be honest. I know I’ve gotten feedback on the realism of Lance’s mourning, but I have no idea how realistic I made Keith as a partner who is also becoming part of it. I don’t actually know how hard it may have been for Keith to sit there and open the shoe box with Lance, but I like to think that although it is a bit uncomfortable, the jealousy is gone and it’s something Keith does want to actively be part of with Lance out of love for him. Which is why I made him stay even in the midst of Lance’s mourning period and after so long without hearing from Lance.

Lance turned toward him and put the box between them. He took a breath and stared at it for a minute. Keith kept his eyes on him while he prepared himself. Then Lance reached out and pulled the lid of the shoebox away. 

There were several papers, photos, and even pieces of jewelry. Lance let out a shaky breath and he let his fingers skim over the photos. They had a grainy sort of appearance, like they were photos taken with phones then printed at a Walgreens. A couple were those new, small polaroids. 

Lance looked at them and took a deep breath that left him in a shaky exhale. It kind of killed me not getting a chance to write this section in Lance’s POV because this is huge for him. He’s allowing and inviting both worlds to merge here in a place of faith which he had been lacking. He’s inviting this acknowledgement of both Allura and Keith as romantic partners and it’s HUGE, especially after so long keeping them separate and grieving her separately. “This was the first Christmas we spent as a couple. She gave me the cologne you saw in my bathroom that day.” 

He looked at the photo in Lance’s hands. The two of them bundled up with scarves and beanies and thick jackets so all you could really see was her hair spilling around her shoulders and their faces as they laughed in the middle of a kiss. 

It felt jarring to see Lance kissing someone else. The bitterness Keith used to have to stuff down wasn’t there, just… discomfort. I also really wanted this scene to show the growth and security Keith feels in the relationship. He would NOT have been ready for this if they’d opened the box all those chapter ago when Lance first mentioned the box. Lance put the photo back inside and looked at the others. There was a silly selfie of the two of them where Allura’s hair covered both their faces because the wind was blowing it. Keith could still see their laughing smiles between the strands, the scrunch of their eyes as they winced. There was one someone had taken of them while they sat, each with a book in their hands. Lance seemed to be looking up as if whoever was snapping the photo had called his name suddenly. Allura was leaning against him, focused on her book. They were both dressed up. 

“Where’d you guys go?” I know it seems like Keith asking stuff is just a given, but.... Honestly he could’ve stayed quiet the whole time and just let Lance talk when he needed/wanted. But I had this question from Keith’s end because I wanted to show that Keith is welcoming this information, this conversation. It’s not one sided. It’s a conversation and Keith wants to be part of it. He wants Lance to trust him with this, wants him to feel safe and comfortable talking about it. So he asks and he’s curious and it’s him opening that space for Lance. Reassuring him that he means it when he says he wants to be there. 

Lance smiled sadly. “That was after Ash Wednesday. See the smear on our foreheads?” He sighed. “We actually weren’t dating yet in that one. I also wanted to make sure people recognized that his relationship with Allura wasn’t always romantic. There was friendship there, a bond that went back to childhood. A closeness that grew before the romance. It’s mentioned either before or shortly after this excerpt but I needed to drive home the fact that Lance is not only mourning a lover, he’s mourning a friend. Even when he’s been with Keith for 30 years, he will still mourn Allura because she was still his friend of several years. But my dad kept telling me to buck up and be a man and ask her out already.” Keith hummed and nodded. He looked into the box and skimmed the other contents. “Are you sure this is okay?” Lance asked.

He met Lance’s eyes and smiled sheepishly. “It’s a little strange. But I’m okay.” He pointed inside the box. “What’s with the index card covered in algebra equations?” The index card, I just really wanted a mundane object that would show how easy and natural their relationship was but also didn’t want it to be a sticky note because of that Valentine’s day headcannon I have for them. 

Lance set the photos down and lifted the index card. There were a bunch of sticky notes attached to the other side of it, stacked sloppily over each other. 

“This is from one of the classes we shared for gen ed. She left me a note on it when I wasn’t looking, and I just found it between my study guides.” He peeled the sticky notes off and Keith saw some loopy, round handwriting scrawled across the other side in black marker. 

I like the look on your face when you get confused. It’s cute. -Ax

Keith knew exactly what she was talking about. That scrunch of his eyebrows, the way he pressed his lips together in a slight pout, the way his eyes would squint suspiciously, all topped with a slight tilt of his head. It was fucking adorable. So. I really liked the idea of creating a sense of similarity between Keith and Allura through Lance. The two people who love(d) him in this romantic way both knew him well enough to know what his confused face was and to find it endearing. They’re similar in their love for Lance, and it also shows that there’s parts that are integral to Lance that didn’t disappear after Allura’s death. Even if it’s as small as a facial expression. 

“The professor was trying to explain logarithms. I never understood those,” Lance said.  He flipped the edges of the sticky notes. “She used to leave me notes in my stuff. In my backpack. Between the pages of my books. In my wallet. Telling me to listen for the birds that day. Things that reminded her of me. Or just to remind me that… she loved me.” I want to expand on this in the prequels, but the idea was that Allura liked to mention things Lance could make poetry out of. While also letting him experience the present. As someone who knew she was on limited time, Allura was often the one reigning Lance back to just be present and enjoy the moment (something else Keith and Allura have in common) when Lance wanted to rush forward and plan the future. So she mentioned little things that could help him be present like bird songs.  He traced the loops of her writing and pressed his other hand to his eyes. 

He took a moment to pull himself together, placing the stack of notes back inside the box. While Lance breathed, Keith noticed the glint of a chain and a bracelet. The cross on the chain and the little infinity sign on the bracelet were the same as the ones Allura had been wearing in the photos. He could see them clearly on a small polaroid of Allura laying out in the sun- the very same cross and bracelet. I wanted the jewelry to stand out because they didn’t go to Coran and they weren’t buried with her. They were given to Lance. 

“She really loved you,” Keith said softly. 

Lance looked over at him and managed a nearly imperceptible nod. “I miss her. And it just sucks that… this isn’t the kind of missing someone where you know you can drive a few hours to see them or just wait a few months to be with them. It’s permanent. There’s no possibility at all and I can’t do anything about it.” Depending on how long you’ve followed me, you may or may not know I’m thanatophobic. So I basically put the fears I have of death into this. It’s kind of surreal trying to get into your head when someone is gone in a permanent way that has no chance of changing and I tried to phrase it in a way that would carry that weight of pain and finality. As he spoke, his voice broke more and more between whispers, some words barely distinguishable. “And when that reality hits me I just feel… so powerless and small.” 

Seeing Lance break down further, Keith got up and moved to the other side of Lance so he could wrap his arms around him. Lance pressed his hands to Keith’s chest. 

At first, Keith thought Lance was trying to push him back. That he might need space. But when Keith started to let him go, Lance’s body curled further into him. His palm pressed against his chest, seeking something. Seeking Keith’s heartbeat. Lance’s face tucked into the curve of his neck. Lance’s way to be present. The last time he did this was after a nightmare of Keith dying, so for Lance, the heartbeat is a way of comforting himself with the knowledge that the person he loves is alive. 

They stayed that way for a long time. Keith let his finger twirl an unruly lock of hair by his ear, his other arm wrapped around Lance and gently skimming his fingers over him back. Lance kept his hand at Keith’s chest, occasionally pressing harder, occasionally letting his hand slip before settling back in place. 

Eventually, Lance lifted his head. “I’m gonna pray a little,” he said with a tired, raspy voice. “Then we can go back. If you’d rather wait in the car, you can.” 

Keith hummed and looked around at whoever was left still praying. “Can you show me how? Teach me one of the prayers you like so I can do it with you?” 

I’ve mentioned why this last bit matters so much to me. I mean for one, it’s a big step that Lance made the step on his own to voluntarily go to church and another that he’s sitting to have his conversation with God. But there’s also so much in the fact that Keith is also offering to join him in this because he knows what it means to Lance. Anyway this is one of my favorite parts especially with the part the follows this where Lance gives him a simple little kiss and Keith is very confused and wondering if it’s allowed. That part, I think shows another merging of worlds for Lance. A merge of his faith with his identity as someone who loves a boy. 

[fortunatelylori]

Thoughts on Otis Molyneux

I hesitated somewhat before making this post because the fandom seems to have settled on Otis being “a good man who made one terrible mistake” and who am I to rain on anyone’s parade?

Inner goddess: A very opinionated woman … that’s who … No one keeps baby down!

Well … since you put it that way …

My very first meta on Sanditon revolved around the idea that this show is Andrew Davies’ homage to Austen’s entire body of work. And since I discovered a very interesting link between Otis and one of the more misinterpreted Austen characters, I couldn’t resist. Particularly since every time I read a remark on Otis, I end up going:

He is a most fortunate man! Everything turns out for his own good! He meets a young woman at a watering place, gains her affections, she consents to an engagement! He treats her abominably, she bares it like a saint! His aunt is in the way, his aunt dies! He has used everybody ill and they are all delighted to forgive him! He is a most fortunate man indeed!

Emma is perhaps Jane Austen’s most transgressive novel and, while it is not my favorite (that’s Persuasion in case anyone was wandering), I think it’s the clearest indication of her genius. In Emma, Austen not only spoofs herself, as the old maid Miss Bates, but also pulls off a master stroke in concealing her villain, Frank Churchill, not only from the characters but also from the audience.

Austen villains are usually charming, fun and attractive, most of the time far more so than the hero that will eventually win the heroine’s heart. What Austen does with the likes of Wickham and Willoughby is show that superficial charm and a pretty face are poor substitutes for substance, integrity and a value system.

In order to drive that point home, her villains usually suffer a fall from grace: Wickham gets exiled to Newcastle (the degradation!) and is stuck with Lydia for the rest of his life; Willoughby gets ousted by his aunt, told off by Eleanor and publically canceled by Mrs. Jenkins.

Whatever it may be, all of her villains suffer some consequences (even if it’s just not getting the girl as is the case for William Elliot in Persuasion). All except one: Frank Churchill. As Mr. Knightley’s frustrated speech above shows, Frank is so fortunate that by the end of Emma, he gets everything he’s ever wanted and everyone continues to love and cherish him as if nothing had happened (with the exception of Emma and Knightley).

And because the characters move on from his betrayal so quickly you can barely get a glimpse into their POVs, so does the audience. By the end of the book, most of the readers are as pleased with Frank as the people of Highbury.

I can just imagine Jane Austen cackling with joy at our silliness.

Just because there are no consequences for Frank and because all ends well despite his efforts to the contrary, it doesn’t follow that he should be absolved of responsibility. For all his professed love for Jane, Frank involves her in an imaginary extramarital affair, flirts with Emma in front of her and ultimately humiliates her at the picnic. For all his friendliness and affability, he is less than generous to his father, uses Emma for his own motives and is secretly chopping at the bit to see his aunt, the woman who raised him, dead so he can inherit her fortune. Despite what his endgame would suggest, Frank Churchill is an immature, selfish man who is used to getting his own way with little thought or care about how that might hurt other people.

Which brings us to Otis “I fell in love with your soul” Molyneux.

But, but … I hear you say … Fortunatelylori, he did suffer consequences. He lost Georgiana!

To which I say don’t bring out the pity parade just yet. Because in losing Georgiana, Otis’ actions are reduced to an unfortunate youthful indiscretion by the characters (Georgiana and Charlotte) as well as by the people watching. Because he shed some resigned tears and spoke prettily about how much he loved Georgiana’s soul, everyone is “delighted to forgive him”.

But just as with Frank, is his love for Georgiana enough to absolve him of his wrongdoings? Should we cheer for their potential reunion or think she deserves better, the way Mr. Knightley thinks about Jane? And while we’re on the subject, what are Otis’ crimes? He clearly never meant to cause Georgiana’s kidnapping so what’s the big deal?

What gets lost in Charlotte’s “you are insensible of feeling” rebuke of Sidney is that Otis isn’t a victim of circumstances nor is him honestly being in love with Georgiana a get out of jail free card. Otis is a gambling addict who has amassed debts so vast that the man who is trying to collect them resorts to kidnapping a teenager to get his money back. And that’s just one guy he owes money to.

Does he love Georgiana? Yes, in his own way he loves her just about as much as he loves losing money at cards. What do you think would have happened if they married? Because me thinks Otis would run through that 100.000 real quick while simultaneously loving the hell out of Georgiana’s soul.

Which brings me to Otis’s less than agreeable character traits: lying and manipulation. He lies to Georgiana from the first moment he meets her. Worst yet, he takes advantage of her vulnerability and he encourages her to rely solely on him for emotional support:

Georgiana: I was uprooted. Lost. In despair. Otis restored me to life. Those 3 months were the happiest I’ve known.

That sounds great and all but what happens after he’s gone from her life is that Georgiana feels like she suddenly has no one and nothing. Because her entire sense of self was tied to Otis.

He also allows Georgiana to believe that her guardian is a racist monster who is keeping them apart because of the color of his skin when he knows full well that’s not the case and also that Georgiana needs to have a good relationship with Sidney for the foreseeable future at least.

In order to keep up the charade, he takes active part in poisoning Charlotte against Sidney and very much enjoys playing the wronged party in this whole scenario:

Otis: But then your friend, Mr. Parker, took it upon himself to rip us apart.

Charlotte: However painful that might have been, Mr. Parker must surely have had Georgiana’s best interest at heart.

Otis: Then you clearly don’t know Mr. Parker as well as you think.

 Lying is so ingrained in Otis’ modus operandi that he can’t help himself from doing it even when there’s not even the slightest chance that he can get away with it:

Beecroft: Oh, yes! The famous Miss Lambe! Mr. Molyneux speaks of little else. Miss Lambe this, Miss Lambe that.

Otis: That is a lie! If I mentioned her it was only in passing …

Beecroft: I’m not the liar here. You told me a wedding was imminent. That her fortune was as good as yours. I never would have let him run such a debt otherwise.

Otis: All I wanted was to buy a little time … If I had known even for one moment …

What was that about Sidney not having good reason to keep you away from Georgiana, Otis?!?

Also look at him running the eluding responsibility obstacle course like a pro:

Otis: He’s sold her! The villain has sold her!

Charlotte: What?

Sidney: In return for a promise to buy his debt, she’s been handed to some dissolute named Howard. Even now he’ll be dragging her to an altar.

Charlotte: An altar? But that cannot be allowed without your permission.

Sidney:  No. They have no such laws across the border. There they will marry you with impunity.

Otis: Had you only allowed us to marry!

Otis has gambled himself silly, bragged about Georgiana’s money to the worst possible people, disappeared from public view (he hasn’t picked up his mail in weeks because he’s in hiding from the debt collectors) and his reaction is to put all the blame on Sidney. That is not the behavior of a well-balanced adult. This is the behavior of a gambler who thinks he can talk his way out of anything because he has “game”.

This brings us to his last scene with Georgiana when everything comes into focus. If you really think about it, there is not a single moment during their relationship where Otis isn’t lying to her, including the romantic separation that hit everyone in the feels:

Otis: I’ve gambled. That is true. But whatever they tell you, I never gambled with your name.

Notice how the first thing out of his mouth is manipulative. “Whatever they tell you” i.e. turst no one but me. I’m the only one who is telling the truth so listen to me as I lie my ass off right now.

Otis: I never boasted of your wealth. I boasted of you.

Two lines in and he’s already lied twice. You can actually do a play by play of what he says here and what he says in the Beecroft scene.

And then comes the coup de grace!

Otis: It was pride. That is all! And Lord knows, I have paid for it!

As consequence of his gambling, hiding from his creditors and running his mouth about Georgiana’s fortune, the woman he loves was kidnapped, Charlotte almost got raped and Sidney is however many thousands of pounds lighter for paying off his debts. So bring out the waterworks for Otis, guys! Let’s not forget who the real victim in all of this is!  

Alexa, play Despacito.

Otis lies so much he has ended up internalizing his lies to such an extent that he has turned himself into a victim. His narrative is ultimately rejected by Georgiana, leaving him pained but that shouldn’t fool you into thinking he’s a good guy. Neither he nor Frank are moustache twirling villains but their flaws and the way they allow those flaws to affect the people they supposedly love speaks volumes about their character.

Maybe, eventually, they both grow up. Maybe Frank becomes more selfless and starts treating others with respect. Maybe Otis never gambles again and becomes the responsible civil rights leader he wants others to see him as.

But as things stand at the end of their story line, I, for one, am not willing to give them the benefit of the doubt. It’s sadly too late for Jane to pick herself another husband. But I haven’t given up hope that Georgiana will shake Otis off like a spot of English rain.

[brightbeautifulthings]

Waiting for Tom Hanks by Kerry Winfrey

"'It doesn't matter how someone in a romantic comedy affords their absurdly nice house, or whether or not their profession makes sense, or if technically they're sort of stalking someone they heard on a call-in radio show. What matters is that they have hope. Sure, they find love, but it's not even about love. It's the hope that you deserve happiness, and that you won't be sad forever, and that things will get better. It's hope that life doesn't always have to be a miserable slog, that you can find someone to love who understands you and accepts you just as you are.'"

Year Read: 2020

Rating: 3/5

Context: Here's something you probably didn't know about me based on the kinds of books I read: I adore rom-coms. They're the comfort movies I watch with my mom, the background noise to our lives, and half the language we speak to each other. Tom Hanks is our number one leading man, so I bought her this book for Christmas based on the title alone. Now, I rave about books on a weekly if not daily basis, but I have never heard my mom rave about a book like she did this one. Apparently, it is the absolute PERFECT book for her and exactly like watching one of our movies, so of course I had to read it. Trigger warnings: parent death, severe illness, grief.

About: Annie Cassidy is an aspiring screen writer and a devoted fan of romantic comedies. She watched them with her mother before she died and listened to stories of her parents' perfect romance, and Annie is sure her own Tom Hanks is out there somewhere waiting for her. She's also sure that man isn't Drew Danforth, the cocky leading man of a rom-com filming in Annie's town. When she lands a job on set, she learns that Drew isn't exactly the irreverent prankster portrayed by the media. Could her Tom Hanks really be a handsome movie star who's leaving town in a matter of days?

Thoughts: While this isn't the book for me, I can see why it's the perfect book for my mom. It's true that the experience is a lot like watching one of our movies, though for some reason romance always works better for me on the screen than on the page. It's chock full of references to all our favorites, You've Got Mail, Sleepless in Seattle, and While You Were Sleeping in the forefront (all top ten, if not top five). If nothing else, it's a joy to read about someone else who loves something that we love, and I actually teared up a little when Annie tries to express how much they mean to her, how integral they are to her relationship with her mom. I wouldn't be a book blogger if media didn't profoundly affect and shape my life and my relationships. It's the same feeling I get when Sapphire in Almost Famous says, "They don't even know what it is to be a fan, you know? To truly love some silly little piece of music or some band so much that it hurts." Annie knows what it is to be a fan, and it's the major pull of this book for me.

There's also a kind of wholesome quality to it that works for me. Often, the protagonists of romances, either film or fiction, are unreachably beautiful with awesome jobs and too much money (see: almost any Cameron Diaz movie), and I can't relate. That's what's so wonderful about a Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan movie. They might have super cool jobs or a houseboat, but they're down to earth, and they have problems like any normal people. Annie is a content writer and aspiring screen writer who lives in the house she grew up in, and her problems are a lot more on my level than Cameron Diaz's. She a regular person who's awkward with men and doesn't date a lot, and she's easy to relate to, if not always easy to understand. Her commitment to rom-coms is excessive (movies are just not real life, doll), and she sometimes lacks an appropriate amount of introspection, but flawed characters make for better stories. Love interest Drew could actually use some more flaws, but... however Annie feels about him, he's no Tom Hanks.

The romance isn't bad, but since I'm not a fan of romance novels, I may not be the best person to judge that. It's enemies to lovers, but without a lot of punch. Annie doesn't have any real reasons to not like Drew, and it's easy to see that she's misunderstanding him all over the place. The problem and solution came a little fast for me. Annie kind of ricochets through a couple of heavy realizations, and I feel like development like that needs more page-time. However, the side characters are wonderful, from Annie's relationship with her Uncle Don who loves nothing more than playing D&D to her best friend Chloe and Chloe's boss at the coffee shop, Nick. They're basically Lorelai and Luke from Gilmore Girls, and I'm stoked that the next book is about them (because Lorelai and Luke forever). Also, babe, if you don't want Carter, feel free to send him my way. He's a Patrick-Dempsey-in-Sweet-Home-Alabama-level gentleman about being rejected. I recommend it for fans of the genre or of Tom Hanks.

[virtchandmoir]

Tessa Virtue, Scott Moir pushed ice dance boundaries throughout exemplary career

September 25, 2019

The announcement was hardly unexpected, so much so that it created little buzz even on figure skating news groups.

After all, no one thought Canadians Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir would be extending their extraordinary competitive career after taking another post-Olympic leave from the sport with yet another Olympic ice dance medal (this one a second gold) on their résumé.

And retirement is what they in fact confirmed last week.

Yet there was part of me that hoped they would come back again, especially with this season’s world championships not only in their own country but also in the same city, Montreal, as their training base before the PyeongChang Olympics.

Whether they won another world medal or not in Montreal – and a recommitted Virtue and Moir were very likely to be on the podium, if not atop it – the couple would have been awash in deserved acclaim from the home crowd, as they were in winning their first Olympic title in Vancouver in 2010 with a free dance that left me spellbound then and does the same in every re-viewing.

There will undoubtedly be some celebration of Virtue and Moir’s career as they perform on the Rock the Rink tour that begins Oct. 5 in British Columbia and meanders across Canada (with one stop in Cleveland) for nearly two months, playing mainly smaller arenas in smaller cities.

It would be more fitting if they could play the big stage, the 2020 world meet at the Bell Centre in Montreal. Maybe add them to the lineup for the gala? Skate Canada would say only they will have a role at this season’s worlds.

I had done interviews last year in PyeongChang to write an appreciation for Virtue and Moir after they won two more gold medals, team and individual, but that idea hit the digital dead letter file when the women’s singles event generated an avalanche of storylines.

Now, with the confirmation of their retirement, it’s time to use some of those interviews and the history-making achievements on their record to convey and appreciate their singular excellence.

*By the numbers: Virtue and Moir are one of two teams to win two Olympic ice dance golds, one of two to win three medals (gold-silver-gold; the other team, Marina Klimova and Sergei Ponomarenko of the Soviet Union, won bronze-silver-gold.) With two team event medals, silver and gold, Virtue and Moir have a record five Olympic figure skating medals.

In 2010, they were the youngest to win Olympic ice dance gold and the first Olympic dance champions from outside Europe. In 2018, he was the fourth-oldest man, she the third-oldest woman to win ice dance gold. They had competed against their final coaches, Marie-France Dubreuil and Patrice Lauzon, at Skate Canada in … 2006.

*British ice dance team Penny Coomes and Nicholas Buckland used their 2018 Olympic short dance as homage to their compatriots, Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean, who dazzled the world with their innovative, thematic programs en route to the 1984 Olympic gold medal. Coomes and Buckland see Virtue and Moir’s skating as an extension of what Torvill and Dean had done.

“Torvill and Dean reinvigorated ice dance and took it to a place nobody had ever seen,” Coomes said. “Tessa and Scott have picked up that ball and carried it a little further.”

In the mid-1980s, there were few written rules governing ice dance, so Torvill and Dean revised the unwritten rules about programs that had left the discipline in predictable stasis.

By the time Virtue and Moir began senior international competition in fall 2006, the International Skating Union had implemented a scoring and judging system that codified everything, including ice dance.

Then a big piece of the new rules changed after 2010, with the compulsory dances eliminated. Virtue and Moir simply adapted.

“When the new judging system was introduced, you saw a lot of couples do the same things on the ice,” Coomes said. “Tessa and Scott took the rules and expanded them. Rather than stick in the box, they reached outside the box and grabbed new and innovative ideas.”

Some were in lifts created by Igor Shpilband, one of the coaches who helped them win the 2010 Olympic gold. Others came from their ability to use their surpassing skating skills to create corporeal unison that allowed two bodies to assume the moving shape of one. They were artists and technicians.

Their relationship in performance was so close and complete, especially in romantic programs, that many assumed, incorrectly, they were a couple off the ice as well.

As my colleague Lynn Rutherford wrote during her valedictory to Virtue and Moir: “Skating to the tender music from ‘The Umbrellas of Cherbourg’ or Gustav Mahler’s haunting ‘Adagietto,’ Virtue and Moir could break your heart as easily as they could spin off perfect twizzles.”

The Mahler-based free dance at the 2010 Olympics, to a piece of his Fifth Symphony, is Virtue and Moir’s transcendent masterpiece. As I wrote that night in the Chicago Tribune, they had an “exquisite interpretation … subtly underscoring the emotional power of the music and still managing eye-catching lifts and pirouettes and a striking final position worthy of ballet.”

As a whole, it was a magnificent exercise in understatement, the brilliance of simplicity, down to the costumes – she in a gossamer, white dress with some sequins from waist to shoulders, he in a white tuxedo shirt and black pants. Even in their most powerful moments of that program, what you remember is not the difficulty of the moves but the positions of their arms and bodies, of two people expressing themselves as one.

Then there was the Latin-themed short dance in 2018, an apparently incompatible mash up of “Sympathy for the Devil,” “Hotel California,” and “Oye Como Va.” Virtue and Moir made it a stunningly seamless integration of the very different music by the Rolling Stones, the Eagles and Santana, performing with so much emotional and physical energy, such sassy body heat and such finesse that their scores would allow them to take gold despite losing the free dance.

“I think Tessa and Scott have such a vast range of body of work, it’s possible for every fan and every skating person to find some program they love,” said Carol Lane, a longtime ice dance coach and Canadian TV commentator. “My favorite thing is a short dance to ‘Tears on My Pillow.’”

Virtue and Moir did that in 2004, when she was 14 years old and he 16, when they were still rising through juniors after seven years skating together.

They would compete together over a span of 21 years, so long that they would have two sets of formidable major rivals at the senior level – Meryl Davis and Charlie White of the United States until 2014; Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron after that. Coincidentally, Virtue and Moir trained in the same rink under the same coaches with first the U.S. team and then the French team while they were competing against each for Olympic and world titles.

The Canadians beat Davis and White for gold in 2010, lost to them in 2014, then beat Papadakis and Cizeron for gold in 2018. The three couples won nine of the past 10 world titles – three by Virtue and Moir, who skated in just five of those 10.

“Think back to Vancouver, the acrobatics they brought, the level of technical difficulty they brought … it was unheard of,” NBC Sports analyst and 2006 Olympic ice dance silver medalist Tanith White said. “Now [the 2018 Olympics] to see them incorporate back in the element of dance – it sounds silly, to put dance in ice dance – to bring in that musicality, that flexibility in their movement. That truly set it apart from anything anyone else is doing.”

*It only seems that Virtue and Moir rolled easily from one triumph to another during their careers.

Their move from Canada and Canadian coaches to suburban Detroit to train with demanding Russian émigrés Shpilband and Marina Zoueva in summer 2004 was fraught with teenage angst (she was 15, he 17) in an atmosphere Moir would describe as cold in a 2015 TED talk. From 2008 through 2010, Virtue battled compartment syndrome that would require surgery in each of those years and severely curtained her training immediately before their first Olympics.

And then there was the comeback after a two-year hiatus following the 2014 Olympics.

“We would be lying if we said we were just coming back to be part of the pack,” Moir said when they announced the return. “That’s definitely not the goal.”

The goal was to challenge Papadakis and Cizeron, who had used the Canadians’ absence to establish themselves as the world’s dominant ice dance team with world titles in 2015 and 2016. Despite losing the free dance, they beat the French for the 2017 World title, but just three months before the 2018 Olympics, the French beat Virtue and Moir in both programs at the Grand Prix Final.

It was just another challenge for them to overcome, even if it involved near complete revision before the Olympics of their free dance program to “Moulin Rouge.” The improvements were enough to cut the free dance point gap with the French in half from the Grand Prix Final to the Olympics. That was the difference between silver and gold.

“They are a team that has always gone for it,” said U.S. Olympic ice dancer Madison Hubbell, who trained with Virtue and Moir from 2016 to 2018. “They never seem to play it safe with their elements, with how difficult they make their programs. They always want to be better and they don’t compare themselves with other teams.”

The record books tell us Virtue and Moir had unsurpassed success. They slipped away quietly from the sport in which they are among the greatest ever. Their incomparable skating already has passed the test of time.

—NBC Sports

[tcthestarswhclisten-saved]

[ DOMINIQUE WEASLEY ] has arrived in Ardere! Under the bonfire light, this [ TWENTY-TWO ] year old [ FEMALE ] is sometimes mistaken for [ FLORENCE PUGH ]. Since graduating from [ HOGWARTS ], they have been working as a [ WRITER ]. The battle is brewing and they must pick sides but who will they choose? In the upcoming election, they will be voting for [ HERMIONE GRANGER-WEASLEY ].

Basic information

FULL NAME: Dominique Gabrielle Weasley

NICKNAME(S) OR ALIAS: Dom

GENDER: Female

SPECIES: Part Veela, witch

AGE: 22

BIRTHDAY: August 28th

ZODIAC SIGN: Virgo

HOUSE: Ravenclaw

SEXUALITY: Assumed straight, but she doesn’t truly know.

NATIONALITY: English

CURRENTLY LIVES: London, England

LANGUAGES SPOKEN: English, French

NATIVE LANGUAGE: English

RELATIONSHIP STATUS: single

WAND: Fir wood with a unicorn hair core, 10 ¾" and reasonably supple flexibility

+ Passionate, noetic, reliable

- Impatient, Opinionated

Health

SMOKER?: No

DRINKER?:  Sometimes, Socially

RECREATIONAL DRUG USER? WHICH?: -

SOCIABILITY: introvert

Biography (subject to change for a reason or two)

Dominique Weasley was born the second daughter, middle child, of Fleur Delacour and Bill Weasley. As a child, Dom was more reserved than her siblings. She loved to play with them, making a mess in the garden or playing sport to pass the time, but she also adored downtime spent on gentler things. She enjoyed reading with her father, learning how to play instruments and figuring out which colors looked best together in her art projects. She could be silly and messy and playful, especially under the influence of her siblings, so felt most like herself when in her own world.

Dominique's beginnings at Hogwarts went exactly as expected. Although she wasn’t particularly outgoing, she integrated well and settled right into the Ravenclaw house. Ultimately she cared more about absorbing every nook and cranny of the castle’s offerings into her being, every history and hidden secret, than she did about making friends. She was friendly and opened her heart to those around her, but it was by no means a priority. As she grew, so did her voice. There came a time, starting sometime in her third year, when Dominique was best described as loud. Her words always teemed with passion for that day’s most interesting debate, at least as she saw it. Dominique had opinions and she didn’t know how to really keep them to herself. Of course, she saw no reason to; why keep quiet when change could be made? There was a boisterousness to her; she stood up for what she believed in and for the rights of others. Dominique managed to keep herself out of trouble with others, but not out of trouble entirely. Her passion for her works, when put into action, occasionally fell outside of the rules. Although getting in trouble terrified her, she couldn’t quite shake her ideals.

Dom’s first love was books. They lined her life like insulation. She craved adventure and knowledge and was as much of a hopeless romantic as the next one. What better source for that than stories? As a child, when she grew tired of the fairytales and the folk stories, she started creating her own. Eventually, they found their way to paper, and overtime poetry followed, as well as the essays and think pieces, the rushed scribblings of fleeting ideas and carefully crafted proclamations of her adolescent ideas. Dom’s main goal was to share them. What good were these thoughts if she couldn’t give them to others? At heart, Dominique wasn’t a writer. Not for the love of writing, anyway. The words were never about the words. Her journals and stories were never for the sake of their own. They were simply the vessel for these messages and ideas that were larger than herself. Maybe that made her a writer, but she didn’t see herself as one. Just a thinker with a pen.

While her relationships with her siblings are solid, and she would lay down her life for them if need be, sometimes their rebellions bothered her. Maybe it made her a prude, but she never understood acting out terribly for the sake of it. More than that, growing up, she hated what it meant for her. It meant that all the expectations went entirely onto Dominique, and they were heavier than she ever thought possible. This, although she has repressed it as much as possible as she knows there are more productive thoughts to focus on, still sits deep within her.

When Dom finished her time at Hogwarts, she began submitting stories and think pieces and poetry to any publication she could find. Some of her efforts were fruitful, but she became intimately familiar with the sting of rejection. All the while, her mother was expressing her disappointment in her lack of a real and stable job. She was supposed to be the successful one, by whatever strict standard of success was placed upon them, and she was failing. Things started to look up when a few of her longer works were picked up by a publisher, and she even was able to obtain a few contracts, including one as an occasional writer for the daily profit. But it wasn’t a stable job, especially not to her mother.

Misc.

She's not necessarily a FUCK THE SYSTEM kinda gal but she's like "this system is broken and if dismantling it is the only option then so be it. But is it?" 

She loves music and she’s always listening to a wide array of genres, but she also makes a lot of it as well. She plays the piano and the guitar, mostly classical, but she’s also into some folky stuff.

more stuff idk i’ll add more

please plot with me

[beneaththetangles]

Otaku Reader’s Corner: Smile Down the Runway, Bibliophile Princess, and Oregairu

Tearmoon Empire (Vol. 1)

As Tearmoon Empire vol. 1 opens, protagonist Princess Mia (clearly inspired by Marie Antoinette) dies on the guillotine…only to wake up as a twelve-year-old! Now Mia strives to avert the coming revolution. The story challenges readers by offering divergent interpretations of Mia’s character. The people around Mia are often impressed by what they perceive as her kindness & insight, while the snarky narrator mocks them as delusional fools, insisting anything Mia does that appears good actually comes from entirely selfish, petty motives. I loved this book. I loved the history-inspired premise, Mia, supporting characters like Anne & Abel, & the thought-provoking unreliable narrator. This is a fantastic light novel and I strongly recommend it. – Jeskai Angel

Tearmoon Empire (Vol. 1) is available through Amazon.

My Youth Romantic Comedy is Wrong, as I Expected (Vol. 7.5)

I’ve read most of the Oregairu volumes already (admitedly fan translations before they were licensed), but it’s been some time, and with the final anime season to cover the remaining light novels and about to start airing, I thought it would be a wonderful opportunity to revisit my favorite series. Volume 7.5 was one I didn’t remember well. A collection of “side stories” and “special acts,” it’s a lovely addition to the franchise. The picture of Miura on the cover gives you insight to what it’s all about—a chance for supporting characters to shine and for Watari to take us down some routes not entirely fitting with the main storyline. But as always, the writing is excellent, and further you get some nice illustrative pieces, like Yui’s calendar and a beautiful full-color foldout with Yukinon and Hikki on one side and Hiratsuka in a wedding dress on the other. This is must-own for any fan of the franchise! – Twwk

My Youth Romantic Comedy is Wrong, as I Expected (Vol. 7.5) is variable through Amazon.

My Father is a Unicorn

This one volume manga is a concept that was just too ridiculous to not read. Our main character comes home from school one day to find out that his mother re-married…a unicorn. The unicorn Dad can go back and forth between human and unicorn form. I saw Morgana Santilli‘s review of it for Comic Beats and had to check it out. Ended up really enjoying it. If you enjoy silly stories about what defines us as family (which I do) and find yourself needing more horse jokes/puns in your life (which, of course I do), then this may be for you. – MDMRN

My Father is a Unicorn is available through Amazon.

Bibliophile Princess (Vol. 1)

There’s no such thing as too many light novels with bookworm protagonists. Bibliophile Princess is a more of a shoujo romance take on the story, with protagonist Elianna not only trying to get a hold of rare books, but also trying to figure out what to make of her relationship with the prince that she’s somehow betrothed to. The first volume consists of two major arcs, and each one feels like a full story in and of itself, albeit told in a somewhat strange fashion as events play out without explanation until the end. The highlight of this volume is definitely Elianna herself, who is the main narrator and provides plenty of amusing commentary on everything going on; plus, her bookworm tendencies gets put to good use as she helps the people of the kingdom out with the knowledge from those books. Fans of shoujo or of bookworm protagonists should definitely give it a shot. – stardf29

Bibliophile Princess (Vol. 1) is available through Amazon.

Smile Down the Runway (Vol. 6)

I’ll be real here, while I still think the anime was a good adaptation for the story, that doesn’t change the fact that it had to cram around 75 chapters’ worth of content into 12 episodes. Unfortunately, for that to be feasible, a lot of minor plot points and relationship details had to be either changed or omitted altogether so that the bigger ones took more focus. Right now, Kodansha’s released the midpoint of the Geika arc, so if you’re up for reliving the series again during this time, I’d strongly recommend reading the manga from the very beginning. – thathilomgirl

Smile Down the Runway (Vol. 6) is available through Amazon.

Your Lie in April (Vol. 3)

Our readers (and me) all seem to be huge fans of the Your Lie in April . I have watched it twice at this point and am working on a third watch-through now. Only recently did I discover that my library network has all of Your Lie in April. I started on volume 1 and it is gorgeous. The art is just breathtakingly well done and the story…well, I’ve seen the anime so I know what’s happening. Yet, the manga presents everything so incredibly well that I can’t put each new volume down. I’m 3 volumes in, but if you liked the anime a little bit—I would absolutely recommend the manga. I mean, it’s the manga series Eiichiro Oda (the creator of One Piece) wishes he could have created, so…that’s high praise. – MDMRN

Your Lie in April (Vol. 3) is available through Amazon.

I Refuse to Be Your Enemy! (Vol. 1)

I Refuse to Be Your Enemy! vol. 1, is a new entry in the reincarnated-into-a-video-game subgenre of isekai tales, this time using the premise for serious fantasy adventure, plus some shoujo elements. When protagonist Kiara realizes her strange dreams are memories of a past life, & she’s living in a tactical RPG where she’ll become a villain & die by hero’s hand, she immediately takes flight. Naturally, she gets entangled with the game’s protagonist & his associates. The integration of Kiara’s tragic background with her character is outstanding. The story quickly reveals that Kiara has had an abusive childhood, & at first I found it off-putting how well adjusted she seemed to be. But as I kept reading, I realized Kiara’s sad backstory isn’t just a pile of tropes used for cheap drama: the abuse she endured profoundly shapes her character is realistic, subtle ways. I heartily recommend this one. – Jeskai Angel

I Refuse to Be Your Enemy! (Vol. 1) is available through Amazon.

[flying-elliska]

Hii Ellie. This is kind of a personal question and it’s totally okay if you don’t answer it. How did you come to terms with your sexuality? How or when did you know you were bi? I know that it’s not about putting tags on people or anything like that, it’s just that I’ve kind of been struggling with it and it’d be nice to read your experience if you want to share it

Ooooh anon do you have three hours ? lol. Of course I want to talk about it if it can help anyone even a little. 

The tl;dr is : in stages, I struggled a lot, and bi characters were super important to me. 

So I think as a kid/teen I always had this vague notion that ladies were very pretty, but I was not a lesbian bc I liked boys too much, and besides I had these horrible ideas in my mind about queerness being immature and yucky, it was bad. I think I pretty much did have crushes on several of my girl friends but I just didn’t understand that’s what it was, just super intense friendship and being jealous when they got boyfriends hmmmm. Also my ‘fashion folder’ was full of pics of Keira Knightley in a tank top, cause that’s the height of fashion, am I right. I also wrote a letter to a girl I met at camp telling her her voice was so soft and eyes were beautiful and full of stars...do you wanna be friends ? Lol I was so obvious I swear, but it’s funnier in hindsight. 

Then when I was 18 I met this older girl in my circle of friends who was bisexual and I thought it was really cool, but I didn’t really connect the dots. I am ashamed to say, I thought she was saying that to give herself a vibe. 

Then when I was 19 i bingewatched the series Torchwood  ( a Doctor Who spinoff) and it felt like an absolute revelation. Jack Harkness, the MC, is this incredible badass rogue time travelling adventurer from the future who charms women and men left and right without any issue about it. (I think he’s...omnisexual or something ?) But this is the first time I saw the possibility of being attracted to multiple genders as something that’s actually valid. Seems silly now but this was almost 10 yrs ago, lol. It was the dark ages in terms of queer rep back then. And it’s such an integral part of Jack’s character, and he’s just so cool and it really struck a chord with me, this idea that in the future anyone can love whoever they want. There was the idea of a society that is founded on those principles, and well, I am very political in nature I guess, and i was like. yes. i can see it now. but it remained theorethical. 

Then the year after that, Erasmus exchange and I meet this girl. Like, it was bam! in your face, I fell head over heels. Now, tbh, I don’t get attracted to people all that often, but when it came to her it was absolutely indeniable. Now, she was already with someone else, so we remained just friends and it did suck a little, but I’m not sad, because it taught me a lot about myself (and she was just such a cool person in general I’m glad I met her). I just couldn’t get past it, yeah she was cool and stuff but I didn’t just want to be her friend, I was attracted to her, I daydreamed about being in a couple with her, doing romantic stuff, etc. And it was super validating to learn she was also bi a little later down the line (she was such goals in general, god.) So then after that I was like...um am I a lesbian ? Like I do have a lot of issues with men. And so I spent a lot of time having this wishy washy thing in my head.  Also that year, I was in Amsterdam taking all those gender studies classes. And it opened up my mind in a radical way - learning about queer history, the fact that sexualities are socially constructed, feminism, activism, etc etc....it allowed me to let go of a lot of my crappy internalized prejudices. I also wrote an essay on burlesque with in field research because i ‘liked the costumes’ yeahhhh right okay. The levels of denial oh my god. ANyway. 

Then i got really, really into Supernatural for a while (sigh...it was better back then, I have to say). This was s8 and the high moment of the ‘let’s prove Dean Winchester is bi’ meta palooza on tumblr. And spending so much time hunting for clues and reading so much about people explaining their own experiences of being bisexual and not realizing it until later I was like....wait a minute....That’s just so me. Dean probs will never come out of the closet, because they’re cowards, but I certainly did, so yay, I guess. I looked over my past and I was finally able to understand. I wrote the meta of my own life. Lmao. And I was able to come out to one of my friends on the phone. I felt so fucking powerful afterwards. Then to a few other friends. And it felt good. 

Then I came back to Amsterdam and I was like, alright, time to stop being a coward and actually get involved in some real life LGBT stuff. So I joined a student association and man. It was so fucking scary. I remember, they had this meet up at a bar every month, and I actually went twice, and every time I just was too nervous to actually go inside, i stood in front of it, and I went home. So in the end I actually signed up to be a member and for the integration day, so I just forced myself to show up. And I did. It was so incredibly nervewracking. I met up with a group of students holding up a rainbow flag in front of the central station and we had these series of challenges to do - take a pic with a rainbow flag in front of one of those bible thumpers, stage a harry potter duel in public, order a starbucks drink with the name ‘Vagina Jensens’, mimick the titanic scene where they’re on the edge of the boat...it was so silly and fun and everyone was so nervous in the end, it was awesome. I ended up on the newsletter committee of that association and I had a blast, interviewing people, writing book reviews, etc...I did have complexes though, that everyone was more cool and gay aware than me lol. But it still did a lot for me and helped me come out to my family. (at a restaurant for my 25th birthday because i am a drama queen lol.). At the same time it was very...mainstream gay frat house lol. Focused on partying and drinking and being sociable in a way that can be exhausting to me, and a little light on the politics, which has always been important to me. After that I volunteered for the Eurobicon as I spoke about earlier and it was so important to me, that being bisexual is such a worthy identity to have in itself and important to me beyond being just queer, it was really cool. 

I’m not totally there yet I guess, because I find relationships in general difficult, it’s been a while, I often feel like i don’t have enough experience to call myself bi, I’m nerdy and awkward, I don’t fit the cliché of the seductive bisexual, etc etc. i sometimes think that i’m a little bit on the ace spectrum too or at least demisexual because i don’t seem to be into people as often as most of my friends, and even then it’s very emotionally-focused. I also feel very weird about gender in general so that’s also a whole other thing. And my brain is wonky and i feel it interacts with all that.  I still have moments of ‘oh what if i’m actually a lesbian ! straight ! ace !’ looool.

But less now. I’m learning to let myself just...Be. ahahahahaah. And also I have more and more bi friends and that helps a lot, to just randomly swoon over multigendered celebrities and learn to be very casual about it. 

Anyway my point is. I included all those messy (kinda embarassing) details because : getting to terms with your sexuality is fucking hard. The wow i figured it out young and then came out and it was great thing ? still not for everyone. I think a key part is, we grow up with these ideals of the perfect life, of what it means to be the protagonist of your life - and most of the time still it involves hetero couple, marriage, babies - and to look beyond that, for a while, it feels like you’re going off track, disqualifying yourself. So it’s hard. Sometimes you actually need several moments of revelation, of it sinking in. It’s fine, it’s all fine. You’ll get there. No pressure. Don’t try to fit your story into a certain pattern. It’s yours, so it’s valid. 

[i-am-adlocked]

[soulmate au] Everything is Grey

The world is black and white until one meets the other half. FRIENDSHIP, FLUFF, TRAGEDY By CA Hawkins WORD COUNT: 5701

AN: Here it is, an original story by moi. Idea came from Tumblr tho.

I’ve always found it so amusing when the coloured-eyed describe colours to the greyed-eyed. You meet and go with people who complain and look around for clothes to match their shoes, their eyes, their shirt... and you understand why: because they can see colours—because they’ve met their soulmates.

I had always envied them.

Not everyone has met their soulmates but had still ended up with the people they love. Some met their soulmates with their best friends. Some romantic soulmate relationships end due to the fact that they are destined to be together platonically.

The universe may say who your soulmate is—but you can never be sure what your fate together will be.

Speaking of fate, I have four best friends whom I love with all my heart. I don’t think they’ve met their soulmates yet either.

Two girls and two boys.

We all met about six years ago when we were all chosen from our university for some government research I cannot talk about in public... but even though we had finished the research after two quick months (much to the surprise of our superiors), the five of us had kept in touch and we had always spent some time together—mostly drinking in a pub.

Eventually, we all moved to the same city since we all love it here—in London. None of us have close relatives anyway and so we consider ourselves as a family.

Lawrence is a quiet kind of bloke, but he always keeps everyone smiling. He drives us everywhere and he seems to know every pub in the city—which is great! He is a bit shy with the ladies, though. I don’t know why he’s so insecure... He’s the most knowledgeable one in the group and he’s also incredibly sweet.

Sweeney is a rather sarcastic snob and a bit of an arsehole (maybe not a bit) but we keep him in our little family—only because he is extremely loyal and he will, apparently, die in our name. Of course, we also love him... unfortunately.

Felicity is loud. She loves cracking jokes and she loves playing guitar. She’s a heavy drinker but never gets a hangover—flirty but has great integrity—rather brilliant in her own explicable way, and a bit self-centred at times, but would also sit beside you all night if you need it.

Scarlett, my best friend, isn’t very talkative. She most likely has a lot of secrets and is definitely the most mysterious of us all. Oh she’s the most brilliant person I had ever met, and I don’t think there’s anything she can’t do... Oh, wait, she was a bloody horrible flatmate (but she moved in with Lawrence four years ago because his flat is closer to her work than mine)... and a bit of a lazy git at times, but that’s her in a nutshell. 

Still, despite their differences, I’m glad that they were all rather happy for me when I told them that I can finally see colours.

They ask me what it was like, and how it feels like.

“Well... it’s hard to explain,” I answer. Ironically, that’s the answer I hated the most when I asked colleagues before, back when I was greyed-eyed. Well, it is hard to describe.

“How did it happen?” Lawrence asks, interrupting. He always knows what’s the right thing to say or ask. That’s why he’s our group’s leader so to speak.

I tell them the day I first met my boyfriend. 

The first colour I saw was his beautiful brown eyes. I knew then what my favourite colour is: Brown... like the colour of chocolate (I’m still giddy that I can finally understand people when they associate colour with descriptions).

I tell them that Scarlett and I were heading to the pub—just the two of us to hang out—and we decided to go through the park for a shortcut. When I got distracted by a really good violinist who was performing in the middle of the park, Scarlett decided to be a bitch and ditched me... again.

I decided to ask the man nearest to me if he had seen a woman wearing a scarf. When he turned around and looked at me, that’s when the colours exploded in front of me.

I bet we both looked liked two idiot boys, standing in the middle of the park, mouths agape, looking at the world for the first time. Well, to be honest, we kind of did look at the world for the first time—in colour.

“So, this is what the sky looks like,” he whispered to himself, looking up at the blue colour of the sky everyone talked about.

“And this is what green looks like,” I whispered back, looking down at the grass, or is it green? There are so many colours.

I tell my friends that I almost cried that day—that i was so overwhelmed with the plethora of colours and the emotion that I’m seeing the world for the first time. I thought I was going to hyperventilate with happiness.

“God, this is so beautiful,” I whispered to the stranger.

“Howard Ainsley.” He smiled at me, offering his hand.

“Winter Elingston,” I replied, breathing out.

I was talking to my soulmate, for goodness’ sake! I never knew this would happen in such a boring frustrated day. To think that I was merely going to ask a stranger for directions, then boom fucking colours everywhere.

I will never forget that look of surprise on his face.

“Nice to finally meet you,” he told me with a sweet foolish grin.

“Likewise,” I replied, smiling sweetly. 

The universe... the colours are so... beautiful...

“You’re lucky,” Felicity comments after the silence when i’m done telling them the story.

“I know,” I reply honestly.

I look around the pub—the flashing lights on the dance floor that used to be only bright lights—the number of glasses on the shelves in different shades of the window—the plethora of different shirts in different colours... I might never get used to seeing them...

The world is beautiful—fucked up, of course, but still beautiful.

O N E   Y E A R   L A T E R

I’ve been with Howard for a long long time and I had been asked on what my favourite colour is. For a long time, I’ve always wanted to be asked about this. now, I can never stop feeling the happiness of the realisation that I am so used to this question.

To the colour-eyed, this question becomes a part of their normalcy and it can be easy to forget that not all people are coloured-eyed.

That is my mistake.

“What’s your favourite colour?” I accidentally ask Scarlett, who is spending a week in my flat because I insisted her to.

As much as I love Howard visiting me in my lonely flat, I still miss my best friend making her own mess everywhere. It’s boring not to clean up blood (borrowed from the hospital) on the floor and other internal organs cluttered around the kitchen (borrowed from somewhere Scarlett won’t tell me about).

My thoughts about my best friend dissipate at the glare she is giving me. Realising what I had just asked, I shrink in embarrassment.

“Oh God, sorry,” I say, blushing.

“It’s quite alright,” she says in her usual cool tone, but I notice a slight edge in it. “You’re already coloured-eyed. It’s your version of normal, of course. Alas, for me, still, everything is grey,” Scarlett continues, gesturing around in a theatrical manner, “and it probably will for a long long time—forever even.” She shrugs.

Pity. It’s a shame she can’t exactly see how beautifully blue her eyes are. Before, I’ve always thought they were so pale—almost white... but no, they’re startlingly blue. As for me, I just found out I’ve always had dark sea-green eyes.

“I’m sorry,” I mutter again.

“Elingston, stop apologising,” she says sternly. I chuckle to myself because she always loves calling us by our first names—something about not being too close to us, but obviously failing.

In our group of scientists (whom I know consider as family), Scarlett is the most analytically creative between the five of us. Sure, I may be the one who always questions everything; Sweeney may be the one who conjures up the suggestions; Felicity may be the one who never gives up; and Lawrence may be the one who always finds the answer...

...but Scarlett is all of us rolled into one, but instead of everything being a matter of hopeful possibility, it becomes a matter of definite probability—and that’s one of the reason why she’s my best and most trusted friend...

...and inside that façade of hers, I know she is also the most emotional and caring person in the planet—which is probably why she hides her emotions well—too well... No one knows her like we do. The four of us can see through all those clever lies. She’s the most human of us all—probably a side-effect of being nearly all-knowing...

...since emotion and humanity are a part of that brain of hers... but she never shows it. Still, we all assume she’s both aromantic and asexual. Come to think of it, she never says anything about herself much.

I wonder what else she hides in that metaphorically huge head of hers.

Looking at her right now, lying down on the ground, relaxing with her arms being used as her own pillow, it made me think. I just realised why I would ask such a question—her favourite colour.

It was a niggling sensation at the back of my head—something we have all seen but never really observed enough... and I want to smack my head silly because it is something so drastically obvious:

Scarlett can always match her clothes.

“Scar, may I ask you something?” I start again.

She hums in reply, closing her eyes. “Sure, what is it?” she asks me in the usual bored and sleepy tone of hers.

I observe her once more—on the ground as we listen to some Chopin—wearing her usual beige dressing gown which matches the colour of her brown silk pyjamas. The fact that I can always see her in one of two colours ever since I became coloured-eyed just surprises me.

There was not a day Scarlett wore anything mismatched. I had seen the others wear mismatched shirts, coats, waistcoats, trousers, shoes, and even socks—kinda embarrassing really—and it’s all because they’re all greyed-eyed.

Oh my God. Has she already met her soulmate but never told us?

“How do you match your clothes?” I ask.

“Pardon?” she asks, opening her eyes to look at me confusedly. “I don’t think I heard you correctly.”

“I asked you how you matched your clothes.”

She sits up almost immediately at that. “I don’t... Winter, you know, I feel like you’re starting to offend me by rubbing the fact that you’re coloured-eyed to my face. I don’t care about colours or the fact that I’m greyed-eyed. Are we clear on that? When is the attempt to brag ever going to end?”

“I’m not trying to brag!” I exclaim.

“Then, pray tell, what are you doing if not insulting me? Because we both know I will always have greyed-eyed.”

“I’m just trying to ask how—”

“Yes?” she interrupts.

“—how in the world do you manage to always have your clothes matched?” I ask her calmly.

She lies back down on the floor with a sigh, returning to her previous position. “That’s it?”

“Yes.”

“I buy everything in one set of colour every time I shop for clothes. The lady in the shop always guides me with the colours and I trust her judgment. Their matching colours are all in a certain order in my wardrobe so they are all in track to match their colours,” she explains. “Simple, really.”

“In what order are they organised?” I ask sceptically.

“Their chronology,” she answers, “of when I bought them. I even had the colours labelled, thanks to the lady there. With the help of society and information from the internet, I always know which colour to match together, and which colour never to match with.”

I nod to myself. “You do wear red almost all the time though.”

“As people had told me,” she answers plainly. “It is the first set of clothes in the wardrobe that I am able to reach easily. It’s not a surprise I always wear them. Plus, the texture of the clothing is better, and people compliment me on how it looks good on me, and how the colour makes me stand out more. I figured it best to wear them the most.”

Seems fair to me and I actually agree with what she said... but...

“Well... why the effort? Why would you go through all that? Why do you have to match the colours of your clothes? I mean, what’s the point? You can’t even see it...” I regret my words immediately after I said them.

Before I could apologise, however, Scarlett answers, “I may not see it but those who see colours do and I do not want to look moronic in front of them, to be quite honest. Imagine if you would see me in such atrocious colours... People say mismatched clothes could be unappealing,” she continues. “I don’t want people to see me as anything less than I want to exhibit.”

“So, you’re saying... you went through all that trouble for the sake of fashion?”

“Yes,” she answers plainly, “are we done now? I want to nap.”

Right... Maybe I’m wrong.

T W O   Y E A R S   L A T E R

Scarlett has already been told about my new announcement but she still insists on pretending not to know as we gather everyone in our favourite pub.

“So, why are we here?” Sweeney asks. “What’s the occasion?”

“Why would you all think there’s an occasion?” I ask.

“Come on, Winter... You were practically screaming on the phone,” Felicity observes, smiling amusedly.

“And we never come here on a Tuesday,” Lawrence points out. “So what’s the big news that can’t wait until Friday?”

“God, there’s absolutely no secret that can pass by here, is there?” I sigh, laughing. “Guess there’s no point in delaying anything—I’m moving in with Howard,” I announce.

Howard had spent a lot of time with these idiots. They seem to get on pretty well and thankfully, the others love him—which is actually a huge relief to me. Then again, Howard is my soulmate—my other half. Of course, if my friends love me, it’s only natural that my friends would love my other half, too.

Felicity starts shaking in happiness. Lawrence congratulates me with a pat on the shoulder. Sweeney gets the first round. Scarlett just sits there, looking out the window, wearing her signature blood red shirt and blood red scarf—but she said she doesn’t see colours so maybe it’s just her usual clothes and not her signature colour. For me, I’d say it still is.

“God, when’s he proposing?” Lawrence asks. “I think it’s about time, don’t you?” he asks me.

“Really, Law? Marriage? You may be a romantic but I’m not. Let’s focus on moving with him first before all that.” I laugh as they do.

He playfully punches me in the arm. “Come on! You’re moving in with your soulmate! And you’ve been together for about—what?—two years already? Of course, that’s going to lead to a proposal! That’s worth twenty rounds of drinks!”

“I suppose so.” I laugh.

“God, I’d kill for that opportunity. You’re so lucky. What does it look like again? The world in colour?” Felicity asks for the nth time.

“You know that I find it hard to explain. You feel colours. We can’t explain it... You can’t explain the unexplainable,” I say. “Even Science can’t explain this.”

“Fuck Science,” Felicity mocks.

“Feli, you’re a genius architects,” Lawrence points out.

“Fuck Science,” she repeats, laughing. “Speaking of which... Hey, Scar!”

Scarlett hums in answer, turning away from the window. What is she looking at out there anyway?

Oh...

Fireworks...

Colourful fireworks...

“Did you ever wonder what colours look like?” Felicity asks the others.

Just then, Sweeney arrives with the drinks and after being told by Felicity of what we are talking about, starts spewing stories about who he tried to imagine what they look like and ended up with a large headache.

“No,” Scarlett answers simply, dismissing us all by looking out the window again. With Scarlett, you never know what personality she has. She can be sweet, loud, or never talk at all. Her personality is all jumbled.

We all look at Lawrence who shifts uncomfortably on his seat. “I never really thought about it.”

“It must be beautiful,” Felicity moans. “Come on, colours! When will I ever see ya?!” she groans.

“You’ll meet your soulmate, Feli,” Sweeney says. “Too bad it isn’t me.” He winks at her. Felicity laughingly hits Sweeney on the back of his head.

Lawrence clears his throat, looking down at the table as if he is in some sort of trance. “Colours are amazing.” Everyone stares at him and he finally looks up, clearing his throat. “Theoretically, for us greyed-eyed, of course.” He whispers, “They say colours are so beautiful.” He smiles at the table once more.

Then I finally notice that Lawrence is wearing a blood red tie that matches with his brown three-piece suit.

M O M E N T S   L A T E R

"Law, can I ask you something?” I ask Lawrence who had volunteered to drive me back home to Howard.

“Sure, anything.” He smiles briefly before turning his eyes back on the road.

“The colours of your clothes match,” I blurt out before I stop myself.

“That’s... not really a question, Winter,” he points out.

He didn’t deny nor confirm it—which means it’s worth investigating.

“I know... but what I’m asking is: who’s your soulmate? and why didn’t you tell us that you’re already coloured-eyed? and how long?” I ask him.

Lawrence looks at me briefly before sighing. “Swear on your life you won’t tell anyone.”

I nod. “Yes, I promise.”

“Not even Scar,” he points out because I always tell her everything.

“Yes, of course, I promise.”

He nods absentmindedly before smiling. “Well, she doesn’t want to be known. To be honest, I don’t want to expose anything about her either but... obviously, we’ve met. We’re both well aware about us being soulmates and we, er, always meet in secret and that’s when the fun usually begins.” He smiles.

“Do you love each other?”

“Well, if we didn’t, we wouldn’t be married now, would we?”

“WHAT?!” I yell out. “Married? What do you mean married? We haven’t even met her and you’re saying that you’re bloody married?! MARRIED?!”

“In secret, yeah. It was her idea to keep the marriage a secret, and I agree. No one knows about it and we love it that way... but it was my idea to get married. I proposed the usual way—fancy dinner, and with a ring, of course. Still, we always go to fancy restaurants so I didn’t look suspicious... Completely took her by surprise—which is saying something because she doesn’t get surprised easily.” Lawrence laughs.

"How long have you seen colours?" I ask.

"Eight? Nine years?" Lawrence shrugs.

"And how long have you been married?" I ask again.

He smiles. "Seven years."

"Jesus. That long?" I ask and Lawrence nods.

“Honestly, the moment I saw colours, neither of us said anything. I actually thought—no—feared that I was the only one who saw the colours but that was logically impossible... Soulmates are shared bonds so—of course—it had to be her... I remember she was wearing good but mismatched clothes—the look on her face...” He laughs. “I think that was the only time I ever saw her be horrified with herself... but coincidentally, we were wearing the same shirt colour.”

“Does she live with you?”

“No,” he laughs. “That would be hard since Scar lives with me. I’m just glad my soulmate is not the jealous type and she completely trusts me. Scar doesn’t know about her, of course, but our relationship works. My wife and I may be an odd couple but we work—beautifully.”

“You won’t stop talking.” I point out since Lawrence is usually quiet.

“You have no idea how long I’ve always wanted to talk about her. Obviously, I can’t say her name because she’ll kill me if she finds out but, at least, I could say things about her. Granted, I agreed with the secrecy and I love it but... I love her so much, you know? It’s hard not to say anything.” His voice dies down before he whispers, “She humbles me. I’ve always thought I was the smartest person in the room all the time... but then there’s her. I was so different. She made me a better man.”

“You've known your soulmate for a long time; you’re lucky.” I smile.

“Not always—I see you, Felicity, and Sweeney wear hideously coloured clothes all the time. Now, that’s unlucky... although... Scar always wear matched clothes, right? Did you notice that?” he asks me.

“Yeah... yeah, I did.”

“Do you think she met her soulmate? Did she tell you something about it?” he asks me. “She wouldn’t tell me.”

“Well, she told me she didn’t.”

“That’s a load of bull,” he exclaims.

“She says she buys everything in a colour set,” I explain and Lawrence nods, thinking deeply.

“Shame. I was kind of hoping there was something more to that. Imagine Scarlett finding her soulmate? She’d be furious—considering she's not interested about those kinds of things.”

“I don’t know... I still think she’s hiding something,” I add.

“Whatever it is, she will tell us eventually... I hope...” He laughs and I join him because it’s Scarlett. She won’t say shit.

T H R E E   Y E A R S   L A T E R

Tonight, Howard and I cuddle on the sofa as we watch telly when a banging on the door breaks our little Saturday ritual.

My husband stands up to go greet the person on the door. I close the telly and hear some mumbling before a pair of footsteps echoes through the corridor, making its way to the living room.

To my surprise, Scarlett enters. Her clothes are dripping wet from the rain outside—making her body shiver... but that’s not what surprised me.

Scarlett looks lost—scared beyond relief—and she has tears as well as scratches on her eyes.

“I’ll go make a cuppa,” Howard whispers, leaving us.

Scarlett’s legs folds under her and she sits down on the floor before bawling like a child. I don’t know what to do. I’ve never comforted Scarlett before because she never cried in front of me before.

"Scar, what is it?" I try to ask, crouching down in front of her and putting a tentative hand on her shoulder.

Her only answer was a mere moan of pain. My eyes tear up at the sight of our most calculated analytical mind suffering under the maddening curse of being human.

I quickly text everyone to meet up at our house. Howard quietly places the tray with the tea on the table and stands on the side, giving both of us some space.

My attention goes back to Scarlett who whispers one thing, “Can’t...” and she cries out in pain once more.

I try my best to comfort her and Howard actually replaces me for the moment because I’m not really doing a good job with comforting her.

"Oh God, what happened?" Felicity asks when she barges in after being greeted by Howard, crouching down beside me. Sweeney quickly sits beside Scarlett and pulls her into a crushing hug, unlocking more of her emotions and making her cry harder, clutching Sweeney’s jacket tight.

I stand up, pulling Felicity with me, and whisper as to not be heard by Scarlett. "How'd you get here?" I ask Felicity first.

"Sweeney and I were both in the pub when you called," she answers. "God, what do we do?"

"Where's Law?" I ask Felicity. "If anyone knows Scar's limits, it's Lawrence."

"I've been trying to call him; no answer," Felicity whispers, shaking at the sight of a bawling Scarlett. "God, it's hard to see Scar this way. Did she tell you what happened?"

"I don't know." I panic. "She never cries in front of anyone—not to my knowledge, anyway," I say. "One of the two greatest minds in the generation—crying senseless. Fuck, I don’t know what to do. I’m terrible with these kind of things."

We both turn back around when Scarlett suddenly yells out. The three of us are at a dead end. We don't know what to do. Seeing Scarlett cry is new for all of us. We may be the chosen ones for the government's research due to our combined intelligence but we are still at a lost with dealing with human emotions.

"Gone!" Scarlett yells.

"What's gone?" Felicity asks her gently, sitting down on Scarlett's other side..

"Gone," Scarlett whispers, leaning on Sweeney as he cradles her quietly.

"What's gone, Scar?" I ask.

Scarlett whimpers in reply and more tears fall from her eyes.

"It's okay. We've got you," Sweeney whispers, his hand going through Scarlett's hair to comfort her.

We all keep quiet.

Too bad I didn't observe enough. I would have seen Scarlett wearing a black left shoe and a brown right shoe.

M U C H   L A T E R

Lawrence's funeral was held quietly.

Car accident.

"Lawrence Alcott was a good man—the best man," Sweeney says, his voice trembling. "He's my best mate. I still don't—I don't know why this has to happen. I'm an arsehole and I had some words at him too but he stuck by me. He's a really good man and I don't know why this has to—I'm just—I'm really angry at him for—for leaving." Sweeney wipes his tears angrily and doesn't bother to finish his speech and walks away. He and Sweeney were inseparable—except to death, apparently.

Felicity walks in front, "Lawrence is... was a kind man—the most generous person you could ever hope for. With him, I could see colours. I may still be greyed-eyed, but Law here—Law gives out his own colours." Felicity laughs. "He may be the smartest man on Earth but he is also an idiot—our idiot. We love him so much and this is really unfair. Law keeps us all together. He's our glue. We could easily fall apart without him. This is—this is just so hard."

I walk in front, trembling. Felicity and Sweeney smile at me despite both having tears in their eyes. Howard gives me a small encouraging smile—my rock. Scarlett is still stone-faced. She has been quiet all day—all of us, really, but her quietness is too loud, even for me. She had been screaming inside that head of hers and every one of us can hear it.

"Lawrence saved my life countless of times, in many different ways. He's our leader. Now, we're afraid we'd be lost without him. He has been more like a brother to me than a friend, to be honest... and I love him like one would treat family. Bit of a reckless idiot, yes, but he was young—too young and I can't believe I am standing here right now." My voice breaks and I pause. Sniffing, I say what I always tell Lawrence, "Law, you idiot," probably for the last time.

I go back to my seat before I drop there and then and start screaming.

Scarlett walks slowly in front—not a tear or emotion in her eye. Facing Lawrence's coffin, she sighs and turns to stare at everyone. The three of us have been waiting for her speech since she had not said a word since this morning and we all wish to know what she's about to say.

"Of all the ways Lawrence could have died, it had to be a car accident." She laughs humourlessly. "The two of us had talked about it once. He said he wanted to die a tragic but unforgettable death. I knew he was talking about dying in a theatrical manner from a gun shot or something heroic like that—something worth writing in our history books... but who knew that even with something as ordinary as a car crash, he still died tragically in an unforgettable way—guess he still got what he wanted, then."

Scarlett breathes in as she looks at Lawrence's direction again.

"Lawrence is someone I hold very dear to me... and I never say that plainly. He is my first friend—the first person to talk to me. The first thing he told me was, 'If you ever take my job from me, I'll cut you in half.'" Everyone manages to laugh at that. "The last thing he ever told me is something I cannot say for I wish to cherish it for as long as I am living. He's the best person I have ever met and I will always keep him in my heart—and yes, I do have one."

We all look at her, and she smiles at us.

"As you can see from my friends' faces, my words aren't usual. I would never say things like this about anyone, but there is always one exception with every rule. Lawrence will always be my one exception. You'd expect that from me, but I will always think of him as he once said he'd do for me if I ever died before him: Perfectly impossible to exist."

Scarlett insists on digging Lawrence's grave herself.

She doesn't let anyone help her. She practically growled at Sweeney when he tried taking the shovel away from her... but it doesn't matter. Scarlett is a strong woman. She can do this. It is an intimate act—to bury your loved one, and Lawrence was her best friend.

Sweeney, Felicity, and I stand behind Scarlett, looking down at Lawrence's grave as everyone else goes home after the funeral service.

"Everything is grey," she whispers, tears on her cheeks.

"Grey?" Sweeney asks.

Scarlett nods. "Grey," she whispers, gesturing around.

The three of us look at each other, surprised with the revelation.

"He's your soulmate, then?" Felicity asks.

"And husband," Scarlett answers.

"You're married?!" The two shrieks. I give them pointed looks to let Mrs. Scarlett Alcott grieve. I mouth to them that I'll tell the whole story later.

She laughs for a moment. When she stops, she adds, "I'm pregnant, too," with a shaking voice. She whimpers with her words, opening her large coat and placing her hand on a bump where a child is brewing.

"He was so happy..." she cries.

This is all new for us but we don't speak.

She continues almost hysterically with her voice unusually high-pitched, "W-we were going to... to... finally tell you all—about us... about this," she says, gesturing at her eyes. "We were going to surprise you all by... by going to the pub t-together with... with a b-baby in my arms and our wedding bands on. The plan was so perfect."

Her voice breaks at the end and she starts crying again, bending down as if she was punched in the gut as she finally lets go of her bottled up emotions. Sweeney and Felicity are beside her almost immediately, helping her stand up.

She takes something out from her pocket. A gold band wedding ring and a gold ring with a ruby (probably the engagement ring) and places them on her left ring finger.

"At least we finally wore the wedding rings outside the comforts of our isolation at the same time," she whispers weakly. "He's wearing it right now—his own wedding band... My dead husband is wearing his wedding ring."

Scarlett suddenly falls down on her knees and screams out.

Felicity, Sweeney, and I all kneel down with her and hug her.

"Winter..." Scarlett whispers.

"Yes?" I ask.

"Did I bring the right scarf?" she asks me. I look and see her raise her signature blood red scarf. "Is it our... colour?" she asks me.

"Is your colour blood red?" I ask. She winces but nods. "Yes, you—you have the right colour..."

She removes herself from us and moves closer to Lawrence's grave. "Warm up, my love," she whispers, putting the scarf around the grave as if it was Lawrence's neck. "I don't want you to get cold." Scarlett's voice cracks on the last part.

When we all leave, Sweeney decides to drive Scarlett to her and Lawrence's secret family home. Felicity is still shaking as we leave.

Howard has been waiting for me outside the cemetery patiently. I quickly hug my husband, not wanting to let go.

I don't want to see the world in black and white.

Not ever.

To read more: https://www.wattpad.com/story/43551432-soulmate-au

A U T H O R ‘ S   N O T E

Here it is, the first story out of many more I am willing to write. Just tell me what you think and whether I should continue posting my other works...

Oh, and FUN FACT!

“Warm up, my love, I don’t want you to get cold,” are the last words Scarlett heard Lawrence say.

What happened is that: 

Lawrence drove Scarlett to her office because it was raining. She was going to go there to finish some work she needed done by Monday (remember, this is a Saturday). Before Scarlett leaves the car, Lawrence tells her the scarf thing... He died while he was driving back home because it was rainy and some idiot driver decided to be an idiot and crashed him.

...Okay, maybe not a fun fact.

im sorry

[intestineself-blog]

A 19-year-old girl who has no definite idea of how boy-girl dating works so decides that maybe, relationships are not her thing. Well that girl is me. Looking at my friends who's had a couple of successful relationships, I became hopeful that one day, I could have what they have. But then, while there are those who are ecstatic on their relationship, there are also those who had miserably failed theirs, and I was not always an optimistic person so these failure stories took a deeper toll on me and I grew afraid of engaging in relationships. As the years go by, I became nonchalant whenever people around me talk about attraction to others or that they are interested in someone. I calmly avoid having those kinds of talks because it doesn't spark my interest. They usually ask me, "Oh, don't you think that blahblah is cute?", "I think bagay kayo ni balhblah", and I usually reply, "Ah, I'm not interested in boys". I may not be interested in dating guys, but I have always had guy friends. These guy friends of mine made me realize that a guy and a girl may be JUST friends for a long time. Some thought that maybe after spending much time with them, I would eventually develop feelings but I proved them wrong. I did not develop anything romantic with any of them because these guys were silly enough and I cannot even imagine being tied in a relationship with any of them. If anything, these guys had me thinking that I was right on being disinterested on guys. They make me feel like I should really not expect much on guys because at the end of the day, boys will be boys, or what I meant was they really tend to be jerks at times. But surprisingly, as much as they disappoint me with their antics, there are also notable times when they unexpectedly make me raise my standards on guys. I think that they continuously show me how I should be treated if ever I decide on entering the dating zone. For that, I am very grateful that I have met these sons of mine who cares for me as much as I care for them. Just as how my guy friends treated me with adequate care, my high school best friend served my pillar of support especially when I was down nursing a heartache and she encouraged me to be strong even though she was down herself. My best friend, who is a lesbian, treats me as well as our other friends a lot better than how the boys in our school treat me which is why she was also an integral part on how I made my standards for the guy that I would date in the future.