#s: violet chemistry

[cthulhubert]

Alright, so bear with me.

Humans have three cone cells in our eyes that are how we perceive color in the world. I often think red, green, and blue, but apparently people studying them use Long, Medium, and Short to be unambiguous (just for one example, if you activate M really strongly and not L or S, the color people report seeing is yellow-green). Each type activates at different strengths to different wavelengths of light. Here's a lovely graphic from Wikipedia showing response levels of each cone type to different wavelengths:

So you can see that if some light activates L some, but not M, we'll perceive deep red, activates them both a bit, we see orange or yellow, depending on the specific amount.

It's interesting that some effect (a specific mix of pigments, or some structural coloration) could be producing some mostly 495nm light, or a blend of some slightly higher and slightly lower wavelengths, and either way we see cyan. (And a good thing, too, otherwise our display technology would be extremely unconvincing.)

Of course, then there's what happens when we get activation of L and S at once, but not M, our eye-brain systems don't infer "yellow-green", because green is specifically what's missing from there: we generate magenta, a non-spectral color. (And when all three activate we get white, of course.)

I found myself thinking about birds, with their four cones.

They're more evenly spaced too, the bastards. (These bastards are specifically finches but I'm under the impression that most birds are similar.)

(Of course, "violet" actually means ultra-violet here. Look at the graphic, their UV cone stops responding where our S cone starts. I would edit this, but spent like half an hour discovering that tumblr doesn't support table under html or code/"preserve formatting" under markdown anymore; so you get a screencap of what I sent on discord.)

Birds could see "vio-green" (accepting name suggestions) as a color region as distinct from blue/indigo as green is from purple/magenta.

Look at that. Two whole ass independent spectral color divisions we don't have, and six non-spectral inferences. Eight whole categories of visual perception more than us. Decadent.

The heart quails to imagine what the 16 color receptors of a mantis shrimp would create. I mean, okay, it doesn't because we've studied their eyes and brains and they don't blend colors the way we do, smooshing them down to a much simpler set of perceptions.

But imagine if we rebuilt our eyes and brains for it! Color indicates chemistry, with that level of subtle blending of characteristics, would vision become like tasting everything we look at?

Please pet the bear that is with me on your way out.

[suebswrites]

20 Questions for Writers Game

Thank you for tagging me, @yanny-77 and @caeli0306!

1. How many works do you have on AO3? 14! Plus a bunch on fanfiction.net from back in the day...*checks* 23. 23 works on FF.net that I will not share with you unless you are my friend, lol.

2. What’s your total AO3 word count? 114,162 words

3. What fandoms do you write for? The Empyrean (Fourth Wing) is the only fandom I currently write for, including one crossover with Bridgerton. All of my back-in-the-day fanfiction was for Harry Potter, but I don't write for anything other than the Empyrean anymore.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos? Just Ask - 1,087 Xaden POV: At Samara - 350 Throne Scene: Xaden POV Microfiction - 170 Dear Brennan - 117 Bridgegiath - 110

5. Do you respond to comments? Yes! At least, I try to. Though when I get an influx of a lot of comments at a time, I get overwhelmed and a little anxious about wanting to respond to them all, and then I get avoidant, heh. So it may not be right away, but I try to respond to as many comments as I can, and often will go back weeks later and then respond to them once I'm less anxious. As any writer will tell you, comments absolutely make my day and I read them over and over again, even going back and reading them days or weeks (or months) later.

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? Probably Happy Birthday, Violet, which is a drabble I wrote for the "birthday" prompt from the RQ War Games events in June. It's not necessarily angsty so much as sad. (I was hurting again about Liam at the time, lol.) It's tiny and short, you'll be fine.

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? I have no idea how to answer this. Almost all of them are happy! I think. Uh. Okay @yanny-77 tells me that the answer is Ridoc Talks To The Dragon, and I believe her.

8. Do you get hate on fics? Nope! Well, never on AO3 or Reddit. I got, like...three negative comments on my biggest HP fic on FF.net years ago, but they were only three comments among over 400, so whatever, lol.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind? Yes! I have written M/F and M/F/M. I only want to write sex if there are feelings involved, though, so I don't write any pwp. I don't know that I could, to be honest. The only fic I've written that had smut, outside of Just Ask, is canon-compliant TO Just Ask, and leans on the context built in the main longfic, heh. So...therrrrrre you have it!

10. Do you write crossovers? Yes! But only one. Bridgegiath is a Bridgerton-Empyrean crossover fic where all the characters from Fourth Wing are in a Bridgerton-world, more or less following the plot from Bridgerton Season 1. The most common comment type I've gotten on it is "the crossover I didn't know I needed AND I NEED IT SO MUCH", lol. It's hilarious and delightful and I plan to get back to it once the summer is over and I have more time to write again!

Bridgegiath - a Riorgail, Bodoc, Immrick, Jesiam fic, featuring (among all the others), Lady Durranbury as Lady Danbury. It's a blast.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen? No

12. Have you ever had a fic translated? I will steal @yanny-77's answer and say that I am not cool enough for that. Lmao

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before? Hell yes. Co-writing has become my love language. I've co-written with @yanny-77 and @sarahydeart and all four times were fucking awesome.

Dear Brennan The Book Cat Garrick's Snorkel Ridoc Talks To The Dragon

14. What is your all-time favorite ship? My favourite ship is Liam/Violet/Xaden, for many reasons, which I will list now lol.

I adore each of the dynamics in this triad: the obvious friends-to-lovers, protect-you-with-my-life, slow burn fall of Violet and Liam; the explosive chemistry between Violet and Xaden; and the love that would grow between Xaden and Liam, born of being fostered together after the trauma of losing their parents, being separated for two years when Xaden went to Basgiath, and then meeting again once Liam gets there--and then they both fall for the same person.

I think Liam balances out a lot of Xaden's dark-and-broody energy, and could bring out a more relaxed version of him. And I think Xaden could bring out a harder edge to Liam that would be incredibly sexy. Liam and Violet's dynamic I obviously adore, and I think the way they take care of each other is fucking delightful and healthy and sweet. I think there's such an easy likelihood that both Xaden and Liam would fall for Violet.

I genuinely don't consider either Liam or Xaden to be bisexual, but I think they could fall for each other in this specific scenario, because of the unique dynamic of trust they have with each other.

All of this to say...Liam/Violet/Xaden is my One True Polypairing, heh, and one day I might write it. But that is a very distant, very pipe-dreamy one day.

Shoutout to Harry/Hermione, though. I'll die on that hill to this day.

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will? Oof. I absolutely intend to continue Bridgegiath once I'm less busy, this summer has been absolutely bananas, and I'm REALLY hoping I'll be able to take it to a satisfying conclusion eventually.

16. What are your writing strengths? I have been told, and I think I agree and hope that it's true, that I'm able to wring quite a wide range of emotions out of my readers. I have it on good authority that I can bring you from thrilling tension to desperately turned on to heart-stopping angst without missing a beat, and have a decent eye for knowing when to insert a funny little exchange to ease tension before diving back in.

17. What are your writing weaknesses? I hope I won't lose my fanbase if I honestly say "finishing", heh. Though looking back at my history, I actually did finish both longfics that I wrote for Harry Potter, and I'm on track to finish Just Ask in a timely manner. I'm not too worried about Bridgegiath, because I know I'm much more likely to be invested in it again once I'm done Just Ask. It's just my original stuff that I struggle with I guess...

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic? I would rely entirely on Google translate if I ever did this, and thus would probably butcher any attempt.

19. First fandom you wrote for? Harry Potter, waaaaay back in 2007, two days after Deathly Hallows came out. I couldn't accept that Harry and Hermione didn't get together. (And I still can't.)

20. Favorite fic you’ve written?

Just Ask. It's probably the best thing I've ever written. I started writing it to deal with my intense book hangover after Iron Flame, I'm still writing it, and it will be finished before the release of Onyx Storm. I am fiercely proud of it.

---

Tagging: @taumoebaa and @ubiquitouslyme and @copperfirebird

[hopepaigeturner]

Hope's Review of S3 : Kanthony & Francesca

Note: These are my opinions, that does not make them right, nor am I posturing that they are the only opinion. Very up for discussion with y’all as long as it’s respectful.

Note: I do not stand for hate against any actors/actresses or writers. Please, please, do not send hate to them.

As I said in my past posts:

I loved moments, far more than the writing.

Kanthony:

And this couple is the personification of the above sentence.

I adored every single scene with Kanthony. Anthony my-wife Bridgerton stole my heart. The kiss during the dance. Announcing the baby. Competitive couple goals. My heart melted with how they looked at each other, how intimate they were with one another. Whenever they came on my screen I squealed.

However…I really didn’t rate their arc this season. Do we remember the interview where Simone talked about how this season we were going to get Kate settling into her role as Viscountess? Where did that go?

They bopped in and out without much coherency. I feel as if the writers wanted them for that one scene with Colin re: marital advice in the middle of the season but didn’t have a clear idea for what other scenes they could do. And I do think it was more than just Johnny and Simone’s schedules.

Yes, it was nice for them to take a little extended honeymoon for themselves to have a child when last season was so full of tension and sacrifice. And it is heart swooning that Anthony wants to have the baby in India—but two different excuses to get them off screen? Why not just the one? The key with Kanthony is that they both know they cannot fully shirk their responsibilities—nor if they’re being honest would the pair wish to—but their love story was about finding someone else to share the burdens with. Having them pop off to leave Benedict with it all not once, but twice, seems a bit of a disservice to their characters.

Francesca & John:

I LOVED John and Francesca’s storyline. I loved their courtship; I liked their chemistry and their interactions. The song he got rewritten for her? Swoon.

I liked that Francesca taught Violet some lessons in love, I thought this was one of the more interesting and meatier storylines. I like that Bridgerton is showing us how valid different types of romances are.

I liked that both had to go out of their comfort zones for their love, they needed to be bold. John in asking Francesca to dance at the wedding breakfast, and Francesca standing up to the Queen.

However…the ending got things a bit muddled, especially in the last episode. Francesca and other characters kept pushing the idea that her marriage was her ‘getting it over and done with’, or that her marriage was a way to “escape the family” or have time to find herself. Combined with her reaction at the wedding, it made me doubt Francesca’s intentions with the romance. Was it really because she loved him?

A mina contribution around this is that I still don’t know who Francesca is. Unlike other characters, Francesca has not been built up for the last two seasons, tf it was so important that from the get-go we got a clear idea of Francesca’s motivations, her views, her personality. And we got some of it, but I felt like it got a bit muddled because they immediately got her together with John. I would have loved this season to be a season of us finding out who Francesca is before she is linked with another person.

However, I'm not really peeved or worried about all of this. Whether Francesca is a lesbian, or whether her marriage with John is one that does not have much sexual desire—does not negate her deep love for him. It's just in the next season/s the writers need to show the deep love. I would also find it refreshing to have a couple that deeply love each other without the need for sex. Especially in our very sex-driven culture.

On the topic of Francesca and John…

Franchaela

I was gobsmacked when I saw Michaela come in. I literally paused the show and had to take a moment. Afterwards, (while it did take me a minute to put aside my love for Michael Stirling and sigh a little mournfully for some of the storylines we won’t see), my brain then did a 180 and has now gone down a rabbit hole around this new dynamic/story. I just hope that the writers can do it justice.

Also, I think I saw a comment in an interview about how its really cool they’re going to show a ‘happy queer love story’ on Bridgerton. And all I was thinking is how When He Was Wicked is the most angstiest book in the entire season--but at least we’ll still get a HEA.

Also, I know a lot of people are annoyed about Francesca’s reaction to Michaela, and I think that can be taken multiple ways. I saw a post (apologies I can’t find it otherwise I would credit you) that pointed out that for non-book readers, they would have no idea the purpose/significance of Michaela without some obvious moment like we saw. They might have just assumed she would be a friend for Eloise. Personally, at the first watching I was a little disappointed because it piled on top of other moments in the episode that seemed to undermine Francesca and John’s relationship. But again, it will be very easy for the writers to show the love between John and Francesca in future season so I’m not too worried about this.

But do you know what we do get now…

We get the BPSC=, otherwise known as the Bridgerton Pining Society. Est. 1817.

President: Sophie Beckett.

Vic President: Michaela Stirling.

Honorary member: Benedict Bridgerton

I mean, did you see how fast Michaela's smile dropped upon learning that Francesca is a Kilmartin?

[49-ibr]

Writeblr Ask Game

This ask game is inspired by A Claw through the Heart, each question being based on a character or scene, though no knowledge or context is needed to play. Have fun!

1. PIRATE - Do you like writing fight scenes?

2. SECRET - How many unnamed OCs do you have?

3. ABANDONED - Have you ever recreated a setting of your book: either as a drawing or in minecraft, etc?

4. SCALES - Have you ever written about a dragon?

5. SEW - Which of your OCs have the best chemistry?

6. CHASE - Would you survive in the shoes of your main character(s)?

7. TRAP - What was the last plot hole you found in your WIP?

8. HEAL - Have you ever regretted killing off a character, and did you undo it?

9. SAFE - What's the best thing to ever happen to your main character?

10. BATTLE - Who is your most evil OC?

11. LEAVE - Do you regret any part of your last finished story's ending?

12. YELLOW - Which OC do you like the appearance of most?

13. VIOLET - Would you kiss your main character's love interest?

14. BREATH - Do you like your writing?

15. HEART - What is the last book you cried over?

16. CLAW - What is your favourite title?

[autisticempathydaemon]

(I’m re-typing this because I forgot some key information and I apologize in advance for any typos or confusion, I’m bad at typing)

Hi, idk if you still answer these but it looked fun to try! I hope you’ve had a good day/night, may your dreams be pleasant and your crops watered for the ✨harvest✨

* What song are you fixated on at the moment? What lyric or verse, and why?

I don’t currently have one favorite but “Never Coming Back” from Violet Evergarden, “The Road Not Taken” by Hoyo-Mix, “Smooth Operator” by Sade and “Control” by Loveless are currently the top 4 for the day (honorable mention to “Kapp’n Song” from ACNH) I don’t really have a reason and it’s kinda just what my brain chemistry currently likes

* What is your Enneagram type?

9?? I think, I’m not entirely sure sense I got confused trying to figure it out X~X

* Do you love gargantuan Youtube video essays, and if so, which is your favorite and why?

ABSOLUTELY!! I’m not sure if I have a reason? Maybe it’s because I can just sit and listen to something I’m interested in for a long time and just relax and focus on one thing?? I also like to listen to livestreams and other long videos, I tend to watch/listen to “AthenaP”, “EIsSocial” and a Persona 4 analysis from “Hiding in Private”.

* Tell me about your childhood imaginary friend.

My brain didn’t cook one up

* What is your go-to way to fall asleep?

Rotating like a rotisserie chicken, Comforter/Blanket on, Hugging a Plushie (usually this Peep I’ve had sense 2018 or my Wolf Build-A-Bear) and one earbud in either playing music, a rp audio (currently redacted) or an analysis video ive heard about 20 times

* If you had to change your name, what would it be, and why? (In tandem, if you have changed your name, why did you pick that one?)

I’ve been through a lot of names online due to my indecisive-ness but currently I was thinking KC/Kayce. I have a lot of memories associated with the name and I like how it sounds <3

* What is your favorite of Redacted’s audios, and why?

The Smash Tournament with the Shaw Pack, Sam Healing you after the Fight with the Two Vampires (or honestly any Sam Audio), and the Gameboi’s Anthology. I think it’s the comforting/close/intimate (in a way?not sussy intimate tho) nature of the audios

* What Redacted boy holds no appeal to you, and why? Like, not the one you hate but the one who you don’t get the hype for. (I won’t judge, I promise.)

I haven’t listened to most of the boys/stories and I tend to cater my listening to what I know I already like with little to no experimentation; so I don’t really have a boy(s) in mind that doesn’t appeal to me as of right now

* Tell me about that one book/movie/tv show you know all the words to.

either “Yuri! On Ice” or “My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic”. I watched both of these shows WAYY to many times to the point it’s concerning!! YOI which reminded me of my love of figure skating (watching and ice skating in general) and then I got into MLPFIM when the Season 2 final (Canterlot Wedding) aired and was obsessed after that for like 6yrs and still have moments of fixation for a couple days.

* Which Redacted boy are you platonically attracted to? Like- forget dating, which dude do you want to be your best friend?

Probably Huxley, Lasko and/or Caelum.. and like all of the Shaw Pack (I’m indecisive)

* Do you have a go-to thing you ramble about when you’re tired, and if so, what is it? (For example, my boyfriend knows I’m ready to sleep when I start talking about space.)

If I still have energy to talk/think, Pokémon. Tired, Half-Asleep, My Own Funeral or Given the Opportunity, I will become the Yap King for about 3hrs!! Once I get my Communication Skills under wraps it’s over for Everyone! >:D

* Tell me your go-to gas station and drink combo.

I don’t go to the gas station more than like 3 times a year, but probably a carbonated drink.. or lemonade if available. I’m a self-proclaimed slut for lemonade 24/7, 365.

* Tell me about your favorite playlist at the moment.

If you mean the Redactedverse, then Sam, Porter (I made my own sense there isn’t an official one as of typing this) and Gamboi’s. But if you Music, then a playlist I made called “more tunes” and it has all my Emotion-Filled, Loud and Auditor-ally Stimulating Songs like “Enter Sandman” by Metallica, “Control” by Loveless and like 1/4 of 6arleyhumans Discography to listen to when I’m Under-stimulated or just Bored

* What’s your guilty pleasure media, and why?

Idk if I have a “Guilty Pleasure” but I have a “Angry Pleasure” and that’s Miraculous Ladybug. I waited 8yrs real time for some of the stuff that goes down and in their time it’s been like 9 months. I’m gonna cut myself off before I rant but damn do I have a love-hate relationship with this show

* And whatever else you think tells me about who you are!

I’m an INFP, I’m the Middle Child of 3, I have Psychological Parental Problems, I love the Stars and Anything Outer-Space themed/related, My favorite color is Blue, I’m more of a Listener then a Talker, I tend to think about my Past, I’m probably Mentally Ill (specifically, I think I have Depression, Anxiety, Autism and MAYBE BPD/Borderline Personality Disorder. gotta love multi-wielding these issues), Love the Mystery Genre and specifically I’m always down for a Murder Mystery at a Mansion, People Pleaser™, I like the Rain and Cold Weather, I prefer to binge rather than one at a time otherwise I’m probably never finishing the media in question, I own 2/3 cats (it’s complicated, their names are Lucifer, Hazel and Marbles <3), My favorite food is Ice Cream (yes it’s a food, fight me.) I’m pretty sure I gave up my dream to be a professional figure skater and go to the Olympics but I hope to ice skate more when I get the opportunity, and finally “It’s not the Heat, it’s the Humidity”.

Thank you for your time <3 (platonic heart for existing)

This was a hard one for me because I have an inkling that the boy I’m picking for you, you haven’t listened to. Ollie isn’t the most narratively interesting playlist on the channel, but I do think he’d be the most perfect for you.

First and foremost, Ollie is an openly communicative, affectionate, and supportive partner; these are really good traits when dating a Type Nine who are characterized by a desire for peace and harmony, the people pleasers of the Enneagram. When his Baby signs up for too much work or has family issues, he’s right there helping you however he can, uplifting you. Next, Ollie is definitely also an introvert, and I love that for y’all, that the home you made together is where you go to recharge. It’s a good home and a good life- no Inversion, no covert, just comfort and safety and fun.

Like, Ollie’s no werewolf, vampire, or daemon obvs. He’s just a guy, but he’s a guy who’d love your cats and introduce you to his own. He’d buy you a telescope and put it in his office so you could look at the stars together. He’d watch Yuri on Ice and Miraculous Ladybug for the first time with you because he wants to engage with your interests and is curious about what the person he loves loves. I don’t think he can figure skate for shit, but he goes with you all the time anyway no matter how many times he falls on his butt. What he is good at is games, and he hosts a murder mystery party for your birthday every year.

Song:

Hey, hey, hey, lover (hey-hey)/ You don't have to be a star/ Hey, hey, hey, lover (hey-hey)/ I love you just the way you are/ For love is just the same/ Without fortune or fame/ Just give me/ True love and understanding

This, to me, is the quintessential Ollie song, I think of him whenever I hear it. It’s cute, and the backing tracks are layered in a way I find so satisfying and I hope you find auditorily stimulating. I can imagine this playing through a shared set of earbuds or a little Bluetooth speaker while you hold his hands and help him stay upright on ice skates.

Runner-ups:

Camelopardalis is a really cute runner-up for you, because he’d be such a supportive presence for someone who identifies as a people pleaser. I also like pairing d(a)emons with people who love space, because it’s so cute to imagine them pointing out their constellation to you. Your other runner-up is, of course, Xavier who could make you an ice skating rink whenever he wants and happily would.

Note: I think you modified and submitted your entry a couple of times, so I picked the one that I felt gave me the most information to work with.

Read this post and send me an ask if you’d like a match-up of your own! 💌

[elminx]

What I've Been Up To

In a word, super busy. (shhh...that's two words...I know...I KNOW!)

It's the busy season here in Southern New England; by that, I mean harvest season. My first real harvest of the year was sour cherries, which my partner and I picked last weekend.

These are from my friend's (now wild) cherry trees. I think that they are some cultivar of Prunus virginiana, though one can never be sure. S has been living in the house for about 8 years and has always "meant" to pick the cherries growing in his backyard. Now, we make it happen every year. I've been working with Wild Cherry Bark as part of my bitters projects, but I hadn't realized until now that this is the same plant. So neat!

My first project was to add some cherry to the ongoing lemonade experiments I have conducted weekly all summer. I added the cherries directly to the lemon peel phase (you can read more about lemonade making here), and it turned my lemonade into the most beautiful shades of orange and pink. I also made a wonderful cherry cake in a cast iron skillet and am in the process of experimenting with cherry syrup, cherry whipped cream, and a stone fruit vodka infusion - stay tuned for more on those as it evolves!

This cherry journey has been a pretty deep dive into herbalism (a long-time favorite), Chemistry, Ethnobotany, and even a little bit of Phytotoxilogy since the seeds of cherries (and other stone fruits) contain Amygdalin, which is poisonous to humans in high doses. I wanted to study medicine (I ended up with a minor in Biology because I legit qualified for it without having to do a thing), so this kind of shit is pretty up my alley.

I'm also deeply into continuing to work with these cherry pits because it is using all of the fruit which is something that I strongly believe in as a part of my craft.

I also picked (and froze) about 8 lbs. of blueberries yesterday afternoon. The time was right. My partner had the day off, and we don't celebrate Fireworks Day. I found the cutest local farm that does blueberries and raspberries that's only about 15 minutes from my house. Plus, picking under a giant bird netting made me feel like I was in Jurassic Park, so 10/10 on the place's vibes.

I'm not done with Cherry yet, though. I joked yesterday that I can't cross the streams, but it is so true. One of my more well-used preservation books has a whole section on cherries - both sweet and sour - and I want to make every single recipe. She even has a recipe for using your brandied cherries to make cornish hens and I am dying to try that (though probably with chicken). I don't think I can get any more sour cherries from S, but most of my local farms have pick-your-own or it for sale at their stands currently.

On the docket for today: set up my dehydrator for the summer season. (honestly, it is slightly past time)

I'm also still chugging away at my astrology commissions. I'm almost entirely caught up - I have an unusual transit report to write and one more natal birth chart to do, and things will return to normal.

I'm also looking at Mercury, who is going to retrograde on 8/5. I should have a transit report for the retrograde out soon and will offer a handful of commissions ($12 each) for anyone who wants a more personalized read on how the retrograde will interact with your chart. (Message me if you are interested or tip me $12 to save a spot if there's not already a commission offering for this when you read this).

I am still working my way through writing about violets and rose syrup. Watch for those—they are coming!

[ginalover]

Interview: Gina Gershon on the Love Story and Legacy of the Wachowskis’ ‘Bound’

Gershon discusses what makes the film such an enduring and endearing queer cinema classic.

by Marshall Shaffer

June 25, 2024

 

Gina Gershon’s body of work boasts a murderer’s row of formidable directors. Following her debut in John Hughes’s Pretty in Pink, she went on to appear in films by John Sayles, Robert Altman, John Woo, Michael Mann, Olivier Assayas, William Friedkin, and Woody Allen. Yet it’s two fateful collaborations in consecutive years—Paul Verhoeven on 1995’s Showgirls and the Wachowskis on 1996’s Bound—that loom largest over her filmography.

As Corky in Bound, Gershon displays a fierce commitment to the physical and emotional realism of a lesbian ex-con trying to restart her life, seamlessly transmuting the brooding of a classic noir protagonist into the body of a contemporary butch plumber. This makes it all the easier to understand how she’d fall for a traditional femme fatale like Jennifer Tilly’s Violet.

The erotic and ecstatic chemistry between the two escalates into an elaborate heist plot to get out from under Violet’s mafia money-laundering husband, Joe Pantoliano’s Caesar. And at every turn, the Wachowskis match the excitement of their story with equally mesmerizing direction.

In a less forgiving era for female stars as sexual beings on screen, Gershon refused to bow to expectations for how and who her characters could love. Her commitment to the stories she wanted to tell came with costs at the time, but she’s been validated by the long arc of film history. Showgirls and Bound are now remembered as signature cinematic achievements of the 1990s, with the former film a mainstay of often cheeky repertory theater programming and the latter recently receiving a new home video release through the Criterion Collection.

I spoke with Gershon shortly after Bound’s new 4K digital restoration was released by Criterion. Our conversation covered how she developed the character of Corky, where the Wachowskis guided her to see the full picture of Bound’s construction on set, and what makes the film such an enduring and endearing queer cinema classic.

Before we start, I should say that I actually studied Bound in a college film class.

It’s a good one for film class because there’s so much to discuss, just technically, the way it was shot, and the meaning of it. That would be fun. Good for that teacher!

You’ve teased writing a more traditional memoir than your 2012 book In Search of Cleo. How would you tell the story of Bound in your book? What’s the enduring memory that lingers on decades later?

I actually am writing another book, and I talk about Bound. My enduring memory of it always was how shocked I was my agents didn’t want me to do it. Everyone literally was saying, “You’re gonna ruin your career.” It was a moment of like, “What are you talking about?” And I realized how homophobic the business was. I just saw an incredible script and a great opportunity. And they’re like, “Oh, it’s a lesbian movie!” You know, people weren’t doing that then. Which, in retrospect, is just insane. It was a good lesson in just standing up for what you believe. And I was like, “This is my career, I’m doing this. I think the Wachowskis are exceptional filmmakers. I want to play Corky. I think this will be cool.” I’m glad I did.

What guides your instincts in picking films and seeing beyond the immediate concerns of agents and publicists?

You worked with many visionary directors well into their careers. Could you tell the signs were there for the Wachowskis even though it was their first film?

I get this thing in my stomach: If I meet a really good director—or in this case, directors—I just get giddy. I don’t know why or how I know. But if it’s a really talented person, and the Wachowskis are just geniuses with what they did, I know. Certainly, my agents were like [does a nervous voice], “First-time directors…” And I’m like, “Yeah.” The second I started talking to them about certain shots and how they saw the film, I knew they were very special. And I thought, “I’m in.” It’s exciting to be with first-timers where you say, “I believe in these people doing this.” Sometimes I guess you’re wrong, but I wasn’t surprised how well it turned out.

Were you clocking the Wachowskis’ unconventional filming style with so many close-ups and overhead shots? Does that play into your performance?

No, it’s still the same. You’re still trying to be in the moment and truthful. Instead of just wildly going, “I’m just going to do this,” with certain scenes, they’re like, “No, we need you to look to the left because then we’re going to cut it with the Benjamin Franklin dollar bill looking over to the left.” At first, I’m like, “It feels doesn’t feel right looking this way!” And then they would tell me what they were going to cut it to, and I’d be like, “Ahh, super cool! Okay.” Sometimes directors make the mistake of not clueing in their actors, but that only helped me. I’m a visual person. You can tell me a zillion things, and if you show me something, I’m like, “Oh, yeah, cool!” You want to be part of the team and make that cool image happen. It gave you boundaries of how and where you’re going to be looking. Hopefully, if you do your work, it doesn’t matter.

How did the Wachowskis direct you beyond just getting you to hit your marks? How were they helping you find the character?

Oh, that’s interesting, I don’t really remember them ever doing that! [laughs]

Was it just a matter of them trusting you that much?

When I read for Corky, they liked my reading. To me, Corky was very still like those noir guys or actor men who I always projected everything onto. You can’t help but fall in love with [them]. It was a different, and very still, sort of performance for me. You try not to give away too much. Corky is coming out of jail. She doesn’t trust anyone, so she’s clocking everything. In a lot of those scenes, the audience is learning stuff through Corky’s eyes. I think we were just in cahoots with how that was going on. Maybe [they said], “Amp this or that up,” but it was also a while ago, so I don’t recall. It was more of a physical thing: “You’ve got to look this way.”

Your preparation for the film included looking at swaggering icons like Marlon Brando, Montgomery Clift, and Robert Mitchum. How do those inspirations manifest inside Corky? Is it a matter of incorporating masculinity into the character or blurring the gender binary altogether?

I know, as a woman, what I thought was really sexy when I would look at a man. The way he would hold a beer, certain things as a female looking at a male, I’m like, “Oh, that’s so cool. That’s so sexy.” It was just very quintessential male, like the way they would hold a steering wheel. Those are just like my own little quirks that I love!

It was more of an emotional thing. I started boxing to learn stillness. Instead of being like a [Marvin] Hagler, I wanted to be more like a Sugar Ray [Leonard]. He just moved when he needed to. He was very calm, and I think it was that energy I was tapping into more than anything else. That comes out of you [not wanting] to get hit. It’s a trust issue, who are these people? I didn’t look at it as male or female. I just looked at it as an energy of why they are being that way. It was always very alluring to project onto someone who’s doing…not that you’re doing nothing, but Corky was an interesting character to let people project onto.

It also feels like these characters are consciously playing a part based on what they’ve seen in the culture. Listening to the archival commentary track on the Criterion release, I heard that the Wachowskis gave The Treasure of the Sierra Madre to Joe Pantoliano as a direct influence within a scene.

Interesting, I don’t remember them telling me [to go in that direction]. I go interior-exterior. I just think if you’re someone who’s gauging what is going on and clocking the room and reading the room, it’s not out of insecurity. You don’t give anything away. You don’t make yourself vulnerable in a situation. You just have to figure out: Is this safe? That’s where I think her stillness comes from. Listen, I remember falling in love younger, like, “Oh, he’s so tall, dark, handsome, and quiet.” And then later on, you’re like, “Oh, he’s quiet because he has literally nothing to say!” But you don’t know that at first. And I think there’s something alluring about projecting onto someone and making them much more than they are.

There was some back-and-forth between you and Jennifer on who should play which character in the film. Was each of you having that insight into both Violet and Corky something that helped the production?

I never saw Jennifer [playing Corky]. I think I was playing her [from the start], and then we went to go see Jennifer because they obviously had to see our chemistry. We went to visit her—I want to say Las Vegas, but I could be completely making that up. Jennifer is so animated, so girly, and so like [impersonating Tilly], “Alright, well, you know…” It was so fun to watch! I just thought, “Oh my god, I could do this with her.” As a dude trying to get that energy of just watching some girl, I could watch Jennifer forever and be entertained. And I think there was that element of like, “Who is this creature in front of me?” She’s very alluring, and you could see why Corky would fall in love with Violet even against her better judgment.

How do you feel when the tide starts to shift on a film like Showgirls or Bound? When does the initial reception fade into the background and you can tell it’s been reclaimed as something like a cult classic?

That’s interesting, isn’t it? As soon as Bound came out and people started seeing it, everyone was into it. It was just a matter of the NC-17 from the rating boards. As soon as actors, directors, and regular people started watching the movie, it became a classic instantly.

Showgirls has got its own trajectory. I went to a screening the other night of the film at the Paris Theater. A friend of mine was like, “You have to come and see this,” because I always think I just get PTSD when I watch it. I hadn’t seen it in so long, but seeing it now was so interesting. It’s got a totally different meaning, and maybe people unconsciously were tapping into that. But I find it more interesting that the critics, people who absolutely hated this movie [and said] “this is the worst movie”…to this day, everyone asks me about it. What does that tell you? It’s interesting.

Has the meaning or experience of Bound changed at all for you, especially now knowing it was the project of two transgender women who might not have necessarily had the language or the knowledge to express themselves directly?

I remember asking them, “What do you know about being a woman? How are you going to direct this?” Which feels kind of foolish in retrospect! It certainly had a different meaning to them that I wasn’t aware of. But I think, in general, everyone in that movie is in a box. They’re all bound in some way, and everyone’s trying to become free to be able to be who they are. Of course, we could read so much more into it. I’m sure there’s a reason why they wrote it, but I didn’t know that at the time. I think it’s pretty cool! [laughs]

When you think about the imagery of the closet or even something like the thin walls between the apartments, those feel ripe for symbolic analysis. As you mentioned at the start, it’s a rich text in that way.

I mean, the pipes are all throughout the movie. There’s water, sweat, and wetness. It’s very, very clever. It’s a good thing to have in film school, right? There are a zillion essays [to write] on it.

Have you been involved or consulted on the upcoming stage adaptation of Bound?

I heard about that, but I wasn’t really that aware of it. I mean, it’d be fun to see! Listen, I always felt we were basically doing it in one or maybe two rooms, and I used to say, “God, this could literally be done as a play!” The writing is good enough, although I think so much of the fun of this is the way it looks, the way it’s shot, and the nods to film noir but turning it on its head.

Do you think a version of Corky in 2024 would be played similarly to the way that you played it?

Hopefully, every actress is going to play something differently, but I think the ultimate essence is still the same. To me, it was always a love story. It was about trust. How do you trust someone to give yourself over to them? For me, as Corky, that was the bigger [story]. I never really looked at it like, “Oh, it’s a lesbian, it’s a guy, it’s a girl…” I just thought, “Will I trust this person enough to go all the way in and risk my life?” I’ll be very curious to see what they do with the adaptation. I bet it’ll be cool. I hope it’s cool!

[astridhoff03]

Fourth Wing - the prelude to the empyrean Series

I‘m finish with Fourth Wing and OMG is this book Worth the Hype. The ending for the first book was way to good. I nearly cried at same time I was in Awe. Holy Shit is This Book Well written was the only thing I thought. I can’t wait to Start with Iron Flame.

I just have a few Issues. The Releationship between Violet and Xaden is to much in the Focus and honestly very uninteresting. Xaden himself is also not very interesting. There are moments were you think you should feel something for him, but you don’t. He’s just Rhysand and Darkling but without any of the character, he is pretty two dimensional and actually not that impressive. The tension between him and Violet is kept to a minimum, they have in my opinion just one good conversation were there is little chemistry and one good moment on the parapet but the others. They are just horny for one another, nothing else. He doesn’t try to kill her, it would be more interesting and would help the chemistry if he just try to kill her as revenge on her mom. We actually don’t know why they are attracted to each other, other than Violet saying he is so hot and that’s it. Also about Violet, everyone is saying she’s similar to Hiccup from httyd, and yeah she is but in the Tom-Way from T9R similar, I would say either. I was actually really disappointed that the Releationship between Violet and her dragon(s) and the political stuff is not the Focus of the Story. But it’s not a bad book, it’s just not the best. Don’t expect ACTOR Level of Storytelling and Action.

I can highly recommend it, for people who are new to the Fantasy Genre!

[spicykaraage]

Tenipuri Complete Character Profile - Seiichi Yukimura

[PROFILE]

Birthday: March 5th (Pisces)

Blood Type: A

Relatives: Grandmother, Father, Mother, Younger Sister

Father’s Occupation: Company Employee (advertising company)

Elementary School: South Shonan Elementary School

Middle School: Rikkai University Junior High School

Grade & Class: Third Year | Class 3-C | Seat 21

Club: Tennis Club (Captain)

Committee: Beautification Committee

Strong Subjects: English, Math, Art

Weak Subjects: Chemistry (the smell of chemicals reminds him of the hospital…)

Frequently Visited Spot at School: The campus flowerbeds, the rooftop garden

World Cup Team: U-17 World Cup Japanese Representatives

Favorite Motto: “If you have not experienced the cold of winter, you will never know the warmth of spring.”

Daily Routines: Watering his potted plants, scenario training

Hobbies: Gardening

Favorite Color: Light Blue

Favorite Music: Brahms’ Symphony No. 4

Favorite Movie: Films by Jean-Luc Godard

Favorite Book: Poetry books (especially French) ➜ Night Flight by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry [23.5]

Favorite Food: Grilled fish (mostly white meat [23.5]), tea [23.5]

Favorite Anniversary: July 1st (the day his first flower bloomed)

Preferred Type: A healthy person ➜ A person who pursues their dreams [23.5]

Ideal Date Spot: Art museum “They’re holding an impressionism exhibit right now.” ➜ An art museum or a library “I want to know more about French history.” [23.5]

His Gift for a Special Person: Candied violets

Where He Wants to Travel: Kunsthaus Zürich

Thing He Wants Most Right Now: A book of Pierre-Auguste Renoir’s paintings ➜ An outdoor easel stand [23.5]

Dislikes: Talking about people behind their backs

Skills Outside of Tennis: Watercolor painting, identifying plants and animals

Spends Allowance On: Gardening supplies, books

Routine During the World Cup: Sketching

[DATA]

Height: 175cm ➜ 176cm [23.5]

Weight: 61kg ➜ 63kg [23.5]

Shoe Size: 26.5cm

Dominant Arm: Right

Vision: 1.5 Left & Right

Play Style: All Rounder

Signature Moves: Selfless State, Yips (not a technique), Howling, Sixth Sense

Time He Wakes Up: 6:30am

Time He Goes to Sleep: 10:45pm

Number of Times He’s Been Hit By Sanada as Punishment: 1 time

Favorite Brands:

Racquet: WING HEART (FORJE Z 115)

Shoes: YONEX (POWER CUSHION 190)

Overall Rating: Speed: 4 / Power: 3.5 / Stamina: 3.5 / Mental: 6 / Technique: 6 / Total: 23

Kurobe Memo: “It is quite surprising that at his age he can play a style of tennis that makes use of the slightest movements to the greatest effects. Once he fully recovers from his illness, I would like to see him play more aggressively.” [RB]

[POSSESSIONS]

What’s in His Bag:

Supplements and Chinese herbal medicines // He occasionally gives them to his classmates

Patient registration card and telephone card

Book of Paul Verlaine’s poems // He got into French literature while he was in the hospital

Reference books // He’s been doing a few make up exams when there’s no after school practice

Club notebook

Sanada’s calligraphy: “I pray you live a long and healthy life.”

What’s in His Locker [C&S]:

Homemade potpourri // Potpourri made from dried flowers that he grew himself. He brought it to share with Yagyuu

A nostalgic music box // A cute music box, he will not give any details regarding it though

Dumbbells Shiraishi gave to him

[fullstcp]

"Endless Summer Vacation" by Miley Cyrus Sentence Starters

FLOWERS

"We were good, we were gold."

"We were right 'til we weren't."

"Built a home and watched it burn."

"I didn't wanna leave you."

"I didn't wanna lie."

"I can buy myself flowers."

"I can take myself dancing. And I can hold my own hand."

"I can love me better than you can."

"No remorse, no regret."

"I forgive every word you said."

JADED

"I don't wanna call and talk too long."

"I know it was wrong, but never said I was sorry."

"Now I've had time to think it over."

"Isn't it a shame that it ended like that?"

"We went to Hell, but we never came back."

"I'm sorry that you're jaded."

"I could've taken you places."

"You're lonely now and I hate it."

"You're not even willing to look at your part."

"Don't know when to stop, so you take it too far."

"It's a fucking shame that it ended like that."

"You broke your own heart, but you'd never say that."

"I won't lie, it won't be easy."

ROSE COLORED LENSES

"Sunrise got us up early."

"Never wanna leave this room."

"We could stay like this forever."

"Let's just play pretend."

"Pretend we'll never end."

"Make it last 'til we die."

"My baby got looks that kill."

"Let's stay like this forever."

"Let's just keep pretending."

USED TO BE YOUNG

"The truth is bulletproof, there's no fooling you."

"I don't dress the same."

"Me and who you say I was yesterday have gone our separate ways."

"Left my living fast somewhere in the past cause that's for chasing cars."

"Turns out open bars lead to broken hearts and going way too far."

"I know I used to be crazy."

"I know I used to be fun."

"You tell me time has done changed me, that's fine, I've had a good run."

"That's cause I used to be young."

"Turns out crowded rooms empty as soon as there's somewhere else to go."

"Messed up, but, God, was it fun."

"Those wasted nights are not wasted. I remember every one."

THOUSAND MILES

"You think I'm crazy, you might be right."

"When he/she/they smile(s), I don't care about the past."

"I told myself I closed that door, but I'm right back here again."

"I know half of what I'm saying don't make no sense."

"Don't ask me where I've been."

"I'm not always right, but still, I ain't got time for what went wrong."

"Where I end up, I don't really care."

"I was talking to you before I realized it's madness."

YOU

"I got some baggage."

"Let's do some damage."

"I want that late-night sweet magic, that forever-lasting love. But only if it's with you."

"Let's crash a wedding tonight."

"I'm kinda crazy 'cause that's how you made me."

"I don't need Jesus, 'cause baby, you saved me, I'm done."

"Only with you."

HANDSTAND

"We danced until there was nothing left."

"You're questioning the science, 'cause you don't understand."

"I wish I could crawl inside your heart."

"I wish I could know that it's forever."

RIVER

"I got a new dress just to meet you downtown."

"Heart beats so loud that it's drowning me out."

"You're just like a river."

"I can't stop from thinking lately."

"You could be the one, have the honor of my babies."

"Was a desert before I met you, I was in a drought."

"I feel you everywhere."

VIOLET CHEMISTRY

"Tonight, we'll just be wrong."

"Ain't done this in so long."

"Stay awhile with me."

"Stay awhile, put your arms around me."

"Can I bum a cigarette?"

"There's something between us that's too major to ignore."

"May not be eternal but nocturnal, nothing more."

MUDDY FEET

"I don't know who the hell you think you're messing with."

"Get the fuck out of my house with that shit."

"You smell like perfume that I didn't purchase."

"Now I know why you've been closing the curtains."

"I'm about to do something about it."

"Always questioning my questioning."

"Get the fuck out of my head with that shit."

"Get the fuck out of my bed with that shit."

"Worthy arrives when the other door closes."

WILDCARD

"Do you wanna play house? I could be your wife/husband."

"Maybe I could stay and not break your heart."

"But don't forget, baby, I'm a wildcard."

"I love when you hold me."

"But loving you is never enough."

"Don't wait for me, cause forever may never come."

"I want all in. I want all or nothing."

ISLAND

"I'm still wishing for the love that I don't have."

"I won't lie, it sure gets lonely here at night."

"No one here needs anything from me, and it's kind of nice."

"I hear your voice like a song on the radio."

WONDER WOMAN

"She's a wonder woman."

"She knows what she likes."

"She's a million moments. Lived a thousand lives."

"She makes sure that no one's around to see her fall apart."

"She's a won't-stop woman."

"All her pain is polished. All her tears are planned."

[thelensofyashunews]

Chief Keef & Mike WiLL Made-It Feed The Streets with 'Dirty Nachos' Mixtape

Working their magic from different corners of the map, Chief Keef and Mike WiLL Made-It have each shaped the sound of contemporary hip-hop to an immeasurable degree. Today, the two street rap titans share Dirty Nachos, their first collaborative mixtape, out now via 43B / Ear Drummer Records / RBC Records. 

Over the course of 18 tracks, Sosa and Mike deliver a diverse platter of hard-hitting street slappers, with each distinct element enhancing the other like jalapeños, chili, and cheese on a dish of fully-loaded nachos. The two legends make a perfect pair, the rapper switching up his flows to seamlessly fit the producer's symphonic soundscapes. The scraping pizzicato strings of "RIDICULOUSNESS" inspire Sosa to sink his teeth into the instrumental and not let go, whipping quick cadences between the booming 808s. Recent single "DIRTY NACHOS" is a chaotic confection of screeching synths and subsonic 808s, leaving space for Sosa's sly smack talk. On songs like "WHY YOU MAD" and "PROMENADE," Mike applies a lighter touch, and Sosa responds with the taffy-like pitch-shifted melodies that only he can conjure. 

Hosted by the Trap-A-Holics, Dirty Nachos welcomes two guests, one from the Midwest and one from the South to complement the two main artist. Mike WiLL's frequent collaborator 2 Chainz graces "PULL UP GHOST CLAN" with his inimitable presence, while Sosa continues his streak of searing Sexyy Red collaborations with "DAMN SHORTY." The tape ends with “LOVE DON’T LIVE HERE,”  "HARLEY QUINN," "STATUS," and "BANG BANG," four previously-released Chief Keef-Mike WiLL collaborations that showed fans what to expect from the full mixtape. 

Dirty Nachos is the opening salvo in what is shaping up to be a busy year for Chief Keef. The 28-year-old rapper is currently hard at work putting the finishing touches on Almighty So 2. The follow-up to one of Sosa's most mind-bending projects (2013's Almighty So, home to hits like "Blew My High") Almighty So 2 follows in the wake of 2022 singles like "Racks Stuffed Inna Couch," "Chief So," and "Tony Montana Flow." The hotly-anticipated Almighty So 2 drops later this year via 43B, Chief Keef's record label, formed in a joint venture with BMG. Recently, Sosa collaborated with Sexyy Red on two singles from her Hood Hottest Princess (Deluxe)–"Ghetto Princess," and "Bow Bow Bow (F My Baby Mama)," and teamed up with Lil Yachty for "Say Ya Grace," a highlight from All Is Yellow, the first album by Lyrical Lemonade. The song's Cole Bennett-directed video has already gone viral: the song reached the top 5 of YouTube's Trending chart, and racked up over 3 million views in its first week of release.

Mike WiLL Made-It has been on a momentous streak with recent successes, including notable releases such as  "Wanna Come Thru" ft. Coi Leray, the remix of U2’s “Atomic City”, Gucci Mane's latest single, “Cold,” featuring B.G., and collaborations like “Blood Moon” with Lil Uzi Vert and “There I Go” with J. Cole and Gucci Mane. In a pioneering move, Mike WiLL Made-It was announced as the first-ever lead producer for the 2023-2024 NBA season on ESPN, with his track  “Now or Neva” featuring MoneyBagg Yo, showcased in ESPN’s NBA In-Season Tournament official commercial. This came as a follow up to the initial single, "Different Breed," featuring the incomparable Swae Lee and Latto. At this year’s Grammy Awards Mike WiLL received an Album of The Year nomination for his work on Endless Summer, alongside longtime collaborator Miley Cyrus, holding a producer credit on “Thousand Miles” (Ft. Brandi Carlile), “Violet Chemistry,” and “Muddy Feet” (Ft. Sia)”. Showing no signs of slowing down, 2024 promises to be an impactful and buzzy year for Mike WiLL with more new music on the horizon.

[somekindofsentience]

Tell me about yourself! :D

what do you wanna know that isn't already on the me post?? jsjsjhshjshj

i'm really not that interesting. my motivation for writing is purely "i can't draw, but must express my batshit insane levels of creativity".

i like biology and chemistry! i'm particularly interested in therapeutic gene editing, but i can speak on a lot of biology and chemistry topics because i have godlike high school notes. if i can't speak on something, i'll research it until i can. i am interested in psychology, but find the levels of uncertainty in the space unstable.

i'm currently doing a research project on S. aureus bacteria and its high salt tolerance, that's been fun. got to pour nutrient agar recently, waiting for bacteria shipment so i can swab it.

i'm australian, which is a jumpscare for some people. i say 'bah-sil'.

i have OCD, at least speculated OCD. i like to refer to my intrusive thoughts as twitch chat (stole that from a twitter meme) because it makes things even slightly more bearable, but otherwise it's a nightmare. i try my best to talk about my real experiences with OCD, because there's a lot of misinformation and public stigma about the condition. i experienced a lot of "non-stereotypical" symptoms (mental compulsions and avoidance behaviours, for example) as i was growing up, and it really felt like i was going insane a lot of the time, so if i can talk about my experiences and maybe help someone even a little, then maybe things will be a bit better. i dunno.

i was a natural at english (the subject) as a kid, which is probably why i can do analyses well. i used to be quite a bit better at being creative, because i could actually write down my little ocs and such, these days i daydream about them doing things to songs and make the very occasional picrew. (maybe i'll introduce them sometime)

i have an anatomically correct model of a heart? it's from my late grandmother.

i play a lot of switch games, so i've got zelda (botw and totk), splatoon 3, omori, pokemon violet, other stuff. i've played all the etherane games, as well. big gamer. i used to be an anime person, but i kinda ran out of steam to watch anime? i occasionally read manga - i'm trying to keep up with oshi no ko and liar satsuki can see death. i also like yoarashi ni warau. i get all my obscure lesbian psychological thriller from a close friend of mine who is very cool.

[whats-in-a-sentence]

Figure 13.38 shows a UV/visible spectrum of the red-violet [Ti(OH2)6]³+ ion, and we can see that this displays a single peak, with a maximum absorbance at 514 nm.

"Chemistry" 2e - Blackman, A., Bottle, S., Schmid, S., Mocerino, M., Wille, U.

[dreamyfanfix]

Chapter 3: Unsettling

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

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

Just remember dears, Lady Whistledown will be watching.

--

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

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

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

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

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

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

"What about me?"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Hi," she said softly.

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

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

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

Anthony sighed and nodded "Thanks Kate,"

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

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

--

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

--

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

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

--

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

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

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

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

"Will do sweetie. I love you,"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Sure,"

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

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

"That's surprising,"

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

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

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

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

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

Anthony quirked his brow "Is that so?"

"It is," she said.

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

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

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

[viscountessevie]

queen charlotte’s first meeting scene is as rip off from magnificent century kösem. i hope this will become bigger news when show starts

https://twitter.com/aofaglover/status/1573758456737124352?s=46&t=Cj8-wxU3Iw5Sa0s-i59iAw

Just wanna put this disclaimer out before anyone starts reading under the cut: Despite this ask & post and my own feelings about the show, it has been really heartwarming to see BIPOC fans delight in this show and my fandom friends gushing to me about this :D That is something no one can take away from them and I'm very glad they enjoyed it!

[This is also my first and last post on QC so my overall thoughts on the show and everything surrounding it will be there at the end!]

Hello again yall!! I actually started writing this a month ago when I was in Bali with my fam but could never find a good pic comparing George and Julian lmaooo so I gave up on it for a while. Also I've been hella busy at work but I'm back for a bit!

Heya anon! I'm not sure if I blogged about it but the moment the first teaser of their meet cute dropped, every one who has seen Turkish drama kicked up a fuss on Twitter. As they should!!

This is the original clip in question:

Alot of people did talk about it at the time - especially on Twitter and Reddit and I know a few of my mutuals on here talked about it briefly.

The ripping off was not a great start to the QC promo on top of "Love cures racism". All my friends have given their input on the "realistic" aspect of the show, I agree with their points and don't have much to add on tbh so I'll link the posts here:

Tbh yall can just go through Triv’s QC tag

Honorable Post Mentions: 

On top of this rip off meet cute; I picked this ask cos ever since the first few promo stills dropped my friends and I - particularly Zaira, Triv and Belle - noticed another rip off from our childhoods.

Can yall guess what it is?

Yall he's SO Julian coded please - I love him (this is me saying before the show aired and I won't be watching but the vibes are thereee)

Then the video of QC and LD came out recently (a month ago when I wrote this reply hahah):

Down to the dresses, it's giving:

Shoutout to @hptriviachamp for pointing it out lmao

Sidebar: while I'm not interested in QC's premise, I do love how well India and Arsema are playing their chars (from what I've seen so far) and I WOULD LOVE to see a version of Barbie's Princess and Pauper with these two!! Speaking of them, look at their chemistry in this pic!!

Also me seeing the end of the vid:

All in all to say the Kosem copying was bad and it should be called out but the Barbie references are all in good fun!

Since this is the main ask I've gotten about the show, I'm also going to put my main thoughts here and I don't think I'll be answering any follow up asks because every take has kind of been said and done. I really don't have much to add on since I'm not ever going to watch the show either.

Outside of the show, I adoree that India and Arsema are getting their flowers and the couple is being promoted how they should be! It's all well deserved. A small part of me does feel sad because if this is the PR team going all out, where was all this fanfare for S2, Jimone and Kathony?

However, based on what I've been told:

- I'm glad the chemistry between QC and George was good and everyone enjoyed their romance

- Who on the team hates LD?? Because COME ON martial rape AND giving her a not-hot older man IN VIOLET'S DAD OF ALL PEOPLE?? They did her so dirty. Idc if Lord Ledger gave her the first orgasm of her life, I see that man and no thank you. My girl deserved someone as hot as Adolphus!

- These two things is a HUGE reason why I can't watch the show cos of my triggers: I hate hate how gratuitous they were with the torture porn - both with LD's scenes with her husband (FOURRRR MARTIAL RAPE SCENES THAT'S LAUGHED OFF AS A GAG???) and George getting waterboarded for his mental illness. As someone who experienced SA and has a mental illness, these are very sore subjects for me so no thank you QC, but I will not be tuning in.

Anyway to close this out, congrats to the cast for doing a great job and whoever enjoyed the show, I'm glad you did! Those who read this and agree with me, just know you aren't alone in your critiques of the show. As long as you're being respectful and mindful of the language used, your criticism and enjoyment of the show are both valid!