#but it could be from ted or beard's pov too/instead

[providing-leverage]

I've had a fic idea kicking around in the back of my mind for a while where Ted and Beard give the team a safe sex talk.

Because these two came not just from coaching a whole different sport, but a whole different demographic college-age young men who grew up in the US, probably in red/conservative states. And in the US, especially red states, we don't get sex ed in high school. Abstinence-only is the norm.

The first time I got any kind of sex ed that wasn't preaching abstinence was in a college course where my professor had realized that this gap in our education, while sucking for us, also impeded our ability to understand some of the later material. She developed a sex ed course taught over two weeks or so.

In this vein, Ted and Beard realized while working with college students that their teams were lacking some vital info about things like STDs and consent. So they threw together a power point which they normally present at the beginning of a season, which is part of their getting settled ritual.

The original premise of this fic was something fun, comedic and fluff filled. Pure crack. I have done zero research on sex education in the K and other countries where the AFC Richmond players are from but I'm sure it's better than the United States because the bar is on the floor. Plus these guys are older and more experienced so the talk would be a refresher kinda thing. I was going to throw in a few paragraphs about how Ted and Beard made an effort to include talk about non straight sex too, for that to resonate with Colin. Maybe make this happen when Trent was shadowing Ted, or have Trent hear rumors and grill Ted about it like he did about Sam's birthday party.

But then, just now, it occurred to me that depending on the timeline, Jamie might still be there. So it's early season 1. Maybe just after the gala. And when Ted starts talking about how consent matters so so much, not just for the girl but the guy too, that brings up some...stuff.

Because they're talking about informed, enthusiastic consent. What counts as consent. Relationship dynamics. How you do it because you want to, not because you've been told by a partner or society that you should. Honestly might segway into asexual spectrum Jamie because my own asexuality colors my writing and interpretation of characters (Jamie being ace in sex-positive, likes to make his partners feel good vein, similar to how @zehwulf talked about evidence towards Ted being asexual) and also because I enjoy ace-ifying characters.

Anyway, the TLDR of it: I had a fun idea and now I'm thinking about Jamie Tartt's trauma. A normal occasion, in this fandom, I think.

[jamiesfootball]

What are your thoughts on Ted? Is it good he went home?

These are two separate answers but I'm gonna try to combine them into one thought bubble (bear with me).

My short answer regarding Ted's ending is that you can't create a fully fleshed out character for 2-3 seasons and then in the final hour decide he was Mary Poppins all along. The Mary Poppins is meant to be strange, not-quite of normal ilk. She's the static character who leads the change in others, the one who inspires. You don't usually see the inner thoughts and workings of a static character.

From the very first time the audience meets Ted, we understand that this is not a static character because he is literally one of our starting POVs. We see his uncertainty about flying across the globe to go teach a sport he doesn't understand. We see him turning to Beard for reassurance. We see him stick his hand out where it isn't wanted while he tries to find common ground with people in a new country. We see the beginnings of a panic attack at the press conference.

That is is episode one. He is not a static character. He is not a strange and unusual person impossible to understand. He is inspiring, yes, but that is because of his humanity- his kindness.

He is not a Mary Poppins.

Ted is at his most interesting when he is a complicated, struggling, but ultimately kind man who tries his best to show genuine empathy and compassion towards others. The fact that this same trait doubles as a flaw is equally intriguing.

Ted can reassure Sam that Jamie won't be coming back, or Ted can reach out to Jamie when he's struggling and ask him to come back. Both are acts of kindness. He can not do both.

Ted can show Rebecca empathy and understanding for her trying to sabotage Richmond, but it ties his hands on being honest to Jamie about why he was sent away in the first place.

In trying to balance kindness, Ted struggles to be direct. He struggles to come right out and tell people how he's feeling about situations. Despite encouraging other people to talk about their feelings, he dances around his own and avoids awkward confrontations. I think that is the flaw that Ted most needed to explore. At the same time, I hesitate to say he could have learned too much given how he was struggling to process his own trauma with his dad and how it effected his relationships with those around him. (Put a pin here, I'll be back for it in a later.)

Pivoting back to Ted's purpose in the narrative, unfortunately as the show ran through season three, it became too near-sighted on The Message and in turn lost sight of making sure the characters had fulfilling interactions with each other. This especially becomes apparent when it comes to Ted, whose motto in season one is 'be curious not judgemental.' I maintain that season three was a low point for Ted emotionally, and if I were to assign a reason in-universe as to why Ted seemed so off from his usual self, it would be that in his depression, he no longer had the energy to realize he wasn't being curious. One indication of this would be how many times Ted casts assumptions on people in season three, compared to his hey-do-you-think conversational openers from earlier seasons. Some examples would include:

-never trying to figure out what makes Zava tick (this is a big one to me. I think season one Ted would have been all over trying to crack Zava like a nut)

-assuming he already knows why Jamie is upset about Zava joining the team and brushing it off

-assuming that Dr Jacob would propose + assuming that Michelle would say yes instead of trying to ferret out whether

-his assumptions about Henry being bullied (the knee-jerk reaction as a parent to protect your kid is understandable, the lack of delving into the situation and why it happened are more what I mean here)

-his whole conversation with Jamie about his dad. Other people in more succinct words have pointed out how it feels like he fully projected what he needed to hear onto Jamie's situation, and I think that's fairly accurate. This was not a 'talk to me and tell me what's going on so I can better understand how i need to help you' conversation. This was a 'oh that's whats going on? how about you do this? that work? alright then' talk.

So the finale struts back around and Ted has made a decision. He's going home. And it's meant to feel like closure. They play the Cat Stevens song and it's supposed to feel like Ted has finally made a step in the right direction (which is certainly one take on those lyrics but I digress). He's going back home. He's going to be with his son. He's letting go of the damage his father leaving did to him. He's giving up on something and he's finally okay with that. He left Richmond better than he found it and that's what matters.

Everyone else can cry but he's not crying. He's finally with Henry again.

So here's my two cents. And this is definitely just my opinion but-

THAT'S FUCKING STUPID.

Because the only way that Henry OR Richmond exists is in a false dichotomy wherein the two cannot possibly coincide, despite the fact that there are MANY KIDS' SHOWS ABOUT CHILDREN MOVING TO NEW LOCATIONS EVEN NEW COUNTRIES because that is a NORMAL THING THAT HAPPENS IN THE NORMAL WORLD ALL THE TIME.

Like holy shit that is. That is just the plot of a Disney channel show. 'My dad the football coach moved to england to coach the other football.' That is just the plot of a Disney channel original movie with a $300 budget that magically gets a sequel. Is that what I'm supposed to say 'oh no, that could never happen' over? Because I"m already watching a TV show. You can put a show in another show- I'm fine with that.

Remember that pin above? Time to pull it out. Because you know what would have been a more narratively satisfying conclusion?

If Ted had actually asked Henry and Michelle if they'd liked to move to London to be closer to him. If he had actually expressed his fucking need to have both his Kansas family and his Richmond family close to him. Maybe they would have said no, maybe they would have said yes, but you know what? It would have at least opened the door to the discussion about what Ted might need as a person moving forward, whichever way the chips fell. At least he would have done the one thing we didn't see him do all show:

Ask for something for himself. Because he wants it. Not for the good of his family, or the team, or anyone else. Just for Ted.

I am not saying his son isn't the most important thing in his life. I am saying as a goddamn adult person, you can NOT mold your life around your kids. You can't. Full stop. It is not healthy. You put your kid's needs above your own, but as a parent your needs have to come second. You have to take care of your own emotional health so that you have the bandwidth to give them support. You have to set the example of what healthy boundaries and taking care of yourself looks like.

Could Ted make new social connections back in Kansas? Well that's the thing isn't it- season one Ted could have. Easily. Season three Ted? The one who's checked out and looks tired all the time and isn't even following his own motto anymore and didn't even cry like he'd miss his friends when he was leaving? I'm not sure about that Ted. I'm worried about that Ted. I'm worried he's going to put himself in a situation where for the next 9 years of his life his only priority is going to be keeping Henry happy by giving Henry the attention he never got from his own father. And after that? Henry's an adult. Henry has to go live his own life.

And Henry's going to be able to tell, by the way, if his dad is struggling. Whatever Ted's emotional health is like, Henry is going to pick up on it. This isn't a one way road. Kids notice.

Ted untangled himself enough to admit that what he wants is to be close to Henry. I commend that. But then he decided that there was only one way to do that, and he didn't look any further than that. The narrative didn't look any further than that. For a show that itself raises the topic of mental health, it feels tone-deaf to pretend that Ted moving away from his entire support group is a happy ending. He doesn't even have Beard!

So to summarize: what do I think about Ted? I think he's a fascinating character. I think he has a genuine kindness to him that is rare. I think he is flawed, and a little bent up on the inside, and he's got a lot of issues to work through. And I think the show did him a disservice by painting him going back to Kansas as a sign that everything was going to be okay.

[belmottetower]

fic rec fun

So wanted to get some hiatus rec lists going and encourage some self promo in my friends so how about sharing your top fics no matter how big or small - give us the links to your wonderful words with the Most hits/Most kudos/Most comments/Most bookmarks /Most words/Least words Tagged by @valonia47 Most hits:

and i'm known for giving love away The first fic in my main ot3 series, and probably the fic of mine that has been most popular since season 3. I'm not surprised really, if you left that season a fan of ot3 this might be the one for you. 26,302 hits. Summary:

Apparently this isn’t some fantasy scenario Keeley has dreamed up, and Roy is on board with the whole threesome thing. Jamie doesn’t need any more encouragement before saying yes to sex with two of the hottest people he knows. How the fuck do you cope with the beard. It’s so scratchy. Hate to think how raw you are down there. Keeley doesn’t take long to reply to his text. Shut up! Heard the second conversation went better than the first? 😏👨❤️💋👨 ------- In the first week back of pre-season training, Jamie’s misstep at the funeral finally comes back to bite him. Or does it? When Keeley and Roy approach him with a very unexpected offer — an invite into their bed — Jamie isn't one to look a gift horse in the mouth, even if he wishes it was more than just sex.

Most kudos

This is the same as above and has 1,649 kudos so I'm going to cheat and plug my second most kudosed fic too.

I Get By With A Little Help

This is the first in a Roy/Jamie, canon divergent season 2 AU that follows the events of the season fairly closely, but with one change at the start affecting Jamie's relationships and actions. 1,030 kudos. Summary:

He can’t hang out with the boys, but he hates going home too. He hates being alone in his new flat, terrified that his dad will find out where he lives now and send them after him again. He’s taken to hanging round the club after training. He’ll find a quiet place to sit, pull out his book, and settle in for as long as he can before the stadium locks up for the night and he's forced to leave. He’s onto the 34th book to read before you die — Emma — and is surprised by how much he likes it. In comparison to his own drama, gentle scandals and gossip are a nice escape. Today’s reading location is the boot room. The new kitman has some magic way of making it smell of lavender instead of sweaty feet, and if Jamie puts a couple of towels on the bench, it makes a nice pillow to sit on. Mr Knightley is in the middle of yet another stern lecture — in his head, Knightley looks a lot like Roy, but he's not sure Keeley quite fits as Emma — when the door bangs open. Jamie jumps and is surprised to see Keeley standing there instead of Will, a guilty look on her face. — After a traumatic event Jamie falls apart, then puts himself back together again. He does the hard work, but he has a little help. Most comments

Most bookmarks

Okay the first here was and i'm known for giving love away with 564 bookmarks. The second was I Get By With A Little Help with 387 bookmarks. I won't do a full summary of number three, but I'll cheat again and link to it. It's in a language that you can't read just yet, another ot3 fic with 229 bookmarks.

Most words

A Little Better, All The Time The Roy POV sequel to I Get By With A Little Help, so you'd probably want to read that first! 46,825 words. I'll be honest I think a couple of my other WIPs either are already longer, or will definitely end up longer, but not in terms of published words. Summary:

He’d known Tartt could do it, but knowing it and fucking watching that masterpiece of a goal happen with his own eyes are two very different things. And best of all, he got to feel responsible for it. He had gotten to set that in motion for Richmond, for his player. Ted grabs him in celebration, and Roy’s still roaring and oh, fuck. Careful what you wish for, Kent. Jamie’s seeking out his gaze, flipping him off from the middle of the pitch and smirking before accepting praise and hugs from the rest of the team, and Roy had wanted Jamie to spark some emotion in him, but this? This is electric, this is overwhelming. Roy wants to fucking run out there, grab him in a bear hug of his own, and not let go. This might become a new problem. ___ Roy wasn't about to admit it, but he'd been sort of excited to see Tartt again. Except when he returns to Richmond, Jamie is... different. On the pitch and off it, he’s quieter, more reserved, a shadow of the person Roy remembers from last season. He’s determined to get to the bottom of the change.

Least words

funnier than step brothers

Okay this is one of my AUgust fills, for a prompt where I was otherwise I bit stuck as to what I wanted to write. A rogue pairing for me - Colin/Isaac and very silly, but I will stick to the rules and link to it anyway. Word count 374. Summary:

“This is your fucking fault,” Isaac hisses at Colin from their place on the front pew. Colin’s not paying him any attention though, too busy wiping away his tears as he watches his dad marry Isaac’s mum. — Ted Lasso AU-gust Challenge Prompt #8: Adoptive Family

This was a lot of fun! I tag @goldiegaytime and @liesmyth to do it should you fancy it, no pressure though!

[ao3feed-tedlasso]

remember how i found you there

https://ift.tt/3oFtMb5 by achillesheel The main focus should be Hughes’ speed and technical finesse when it comes to dribbling, but Roy can’t push that play style out of his mind. Whatever cocktail of emotions exists there, it doesn’t impact his playing, and therefore could never become Roy’s problem; but it’s too close to a feeling that sits in the center of Roy’s sternum for him to ignore, even as he watches Hughes cross the ball right towards Cardiff’s striker.   Roy doesn’t watch the end of the clip. He doesn’t care if another player scores or not; he’s only interested in Hughes. Instead, he eyes Ted.   “Bring him in. Let’s see him in person.”   Or: After being let go from Cardiff’s Academy, Colin Hughes is looking for any way to keep his football career alive. Luckily for him, a newly-relegated AFC Richmond is looking for young, cheap talent to add to the roster, and gives Colin a chance to show his skills. Little does Colin know, one Roy Kent is almost as invested in this tryout going well as he is — not that he’d ever admit it. Words: 4842, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English Series: Part 1 of teen colin au Fandoms: Ted Lasso (TV) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Categories: Gen Characters: Colin Hughes, Roy Kent, Ted Lasso, Coach Beard (Ted Lasso), Nathan Shelley, AFC Richmond Players (Ted Lasso), jamie sam dani and issac are here too it just feels like a lie to tag them Relationships: AFC Richmond Players & Colin Hughes, Roy Kent & Ted Lasso, Coach Beard & Ted Lasso, Ted Lasso & Nathan Shelley, Colin Hughes & Roy Kent Additional Tags: Sports Inaccuracies, soooo many sports inaccuracies im leading with that for a reason, Colin Hughes-centric, Roy Kent Needs a Hug, he does not get it but he is certainly hiding a need for one deep deep down this entire fic, Roy Kent Swears, POV Roy Kent, Teenage Colin Hughes, Colin Hughes Needs a Hug, and he’s going to get one! later in the series but he’ll get one!, tbr i have no idea how to tag this im just winging it., Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence source https://archiveofourown.org/works/50656198 October 08, 2023 at 06:37AM

[teresaelectro]

CBR9 Review #4 - Secret origins of fiendish pony villains

Last month, I attended a lovely library talk about women in comics. Christina Rice, a local Los Angeles librarian and comics writer, talked about her work on My Little Pony comics. I’ve always been a fan of My Little Pony, but hadn’t really watched the new show. To sate my curiosity, I picked up the My Fiendship is Magic mini-comic collection. These five comics explore the secret origins of five pony villains. It was interesting to see kingdoms outside Equestria, the main pony land, told from the various POVs.

Beware, spoilers will be found below!

Sombra by Jeremy Whitley (writer), Brenda Hickey (artist)

The first story is about Sombra, an orphan pony found outside city and adopted by the ponies. His coat is green and he looks different than all the other ponies. Needless to say, he gets picked on and doesn’t understand why. Poor Sombra. Luckily, he becomes bff with Radiant Hope. Her pony mark hasn’t come in, so she also gets shunned by the other ponies. They play together and make up stories and games. All Sombra wants in the world is to visit the Crystal Faire. But every year the crystal heart is displayed, he’s too sick to get out of bed. Radiant stays by his side every year. In the last year of the tale, the heart begins to tear Sombra apart, a darkness is leaking from him. Radiant attains her healing magic in the last second and saves him. She is a rare healing pony! With her mark, Sombra feels abandoned. Now he’s truly, the only freak in the city. He uncovers his dark secret heritage and embraces his villainy. He rejects Radiant Hope and runs away to become her biggest foe.

Tirek by Christina Rice (writer), Tony Fleecs (artist)

Tirek is an angsty centaur prince. He’s gifted with magic that his parents don’t understand. With his little brother, Scorpan, they visit a shunned elder named Sendak in the netherlands. Even though it’s forbidden, Sendak has kidnapped a unicorn from Equestria! He wants to experiment on the pony and harness the unicorn magic for himself. He tells Tirek to come back and observe his progress as his apprentice. Of course, Tirek is impatient and sneaks back in to take the unicorn magic on his own. He attempts to use his new magic to take her power with fire. Instead, the unicorn escapes, nearly bringing Sendak’s cave down on top of them. Tirek ends up grounded by his father and more determined than ever to secure unicorn magic for himself one day.

Sirens by Ted Anderson (writer), Agnes Garbowska (artist)

Adagio Dazzle, Aria Blaze and Sonata Dusk decide to take over Canterlot with their magic singing powers. They enter a singing competition, but are booed off the stage. Apparently, their old songs won’t cut it in this hip village. Sonata chewing gum inspires, Adagio to write a brand new genre of music: pop! The entire coliseum becomes hypnotized by the sirens, sending their energy to the sirens stones.  All are fooled except Starswirl the bearded, a local wizard pony. He must fight fire with fire and challenges them to a music battle. Each side invents new genres to outdo the other. In the end, he is unable to defeat them, only banishing them to a dimension without magic (i.e. our human world).

The Dream Team by Heather Nuhfer (writer), Tony Fleecs (artist)

Nightmare Moon is banished to the moon by Princess Celestia. Moon comes across a castle full nyx creatures. The nyx are in charge of making all the wonderful dreams for the ponies of Equestria. Moon attempts to befriend the nyx, batting her eyelashes and innocently asking them to teach her how to make the dreams. Naiman, the head nyx, says it’s forbidden. But of course, Moon finds a way to convince, Doran, a nyx obsesses with Moon’s mane hair. If Nightmare Moon promises to let her braid it, they could be best friends who make dreams together. It doesn’t take long for Moon to reveal her evil intentions to create nightmares for all of Equestria. Princess Celestia must find the courage to battle Nightmare Moon in her dreams.

The Many Tales of Queen Chrysalis by Katie Cook (writer), Andy Price (artist)

For her many wicked deeds, Queen Chrysalis has been sentenced to 1,000 years in prison. In this final tale, Twilight and the gang visit the villainess. Some of the younger ponies don’t know all the evil Chrysalis has wreaked upon the kingdoms. The ponies tell stories of her past attacks to update the very thick binder file.  Chrysalis destroyed the cloud kingdom of Pegasus ruled by King Orion in the first mini-story. In the second, she hides her minions inside a trojan pony gift for Emperor Incitatus. The arrogant ruler foolishly lets the gift inside full of changelings. Luckily, Princess Celestia arrives and saves the kingdom just in time. In the last tale, Chrysalis and her changelings are trapped inside a volcano.They must outwit a dragon before he decides to eat them all. These mini-stories prove that she might be the most crafty villain of all.

The story art in this mini-comic series was super fun, more fantastical than I expected. My favorite villain was Queen Chrysalis, but my favorite story art was the dream land of the fourth comic. I’d recommend these comics for fans of the My Little Pony cartoon universe. The plots kept my attention even as an adult.  Chrysalis loves sucking the life out of ponies, so I would probably recommend these comics for older elementary age kids and above. At least for this volume in particular. Personally, I will probably read another Pony comic in the future. Comics are great reading material to cleanse my palette after serious longer novels.

This is my fourth review for Cannonball Read 9. An annual, memorial book challenge to read and review 52 books in a year. Or 26. Or 13. Choose your level and read to meet your goal all while fundraising for the American Cancer Society in the memory of AlabamaPink.