#she delivered some of the best lines in season 2

[chvoswxtch]

i'm on my second rewatch of daredevil & I just finished season 2 and i have a LOT of thots about elektra so i'm going to rant under the cut so here's your warning or psa if you haven't seen the show or are in the process of watching it i am mentioning spoilers so beware !!!

first things first i feel like i need to preface with the fact that i was OBSESSED with the 2003 daredevil movie like i rented it so many times at the video store the guy working there fucking gave it to me LMAO and i remember thinking jennifer garner in that movie was THE baddest bitch and I wanted to be her so bad

that being said i fucking LOVE elektra natchios and i was so fucking beyond excited the first time i watched the show and she showed up and i especially love elodie yung's version i thought she was absolutely perfect

here's what annoyed the shit out of me though: they set her up for failure; let's get into it

i feel like a lot of people don't like her for whatever reason and i feel like a lot of that has to do with her history with matt so let me just say i think her and matt were super toxic and did not belong together because they were constantly trying to change one another and yes she did a lot of shitty things to him but she was literally "hired" by stick to ruin matt's life so that matt would come back to stick and in the end she left because she realized matt was way too good and didn't belong around her OR more importantly around stick because he would never be like either of them

from the second they introduced her in the show, they are trying to make you not like her by making her seem like this selfish entitled person who goes around ruining lives for fun. i've also seen a lot of people blame her as the reason that matt & karen never worked out but like that is straight up matt's fault in my opinion ok homeboy did that to himself

as far as morality goes, i think a lot of people gloss over the fact that elektra was literally trained to be a killer since she was a child. she was a young girl that was taken from her family, essentially thrown into a cult that brainwashed her and filled her head with horror stories about a war that was coming she needed to be ready to fight at all costs

we all know stick was an emotionally & physically abusive piece of shit (we saw the way he treated them both) but i think everyone forgets he was way worse with elektra and way harder on her and i don't know if what happened with her is what made him approach training matt differently but he was undeniably easier on matt (matt was getting pushed down in a basement, elektra was getting the shit beat out of her by grown ass men)

elektra was trained and taught to be what she was and constantly had people like stick and the hand telling her who and what she was and making her feel like she was some kind of evil monster over something that was totally out of her control

i think the only good thing that came from her and matt's relationship is that he made her believe in herself and that she could be good because he saw it in her and helped her decide who she wanted to be instead of what she was told to be

i truly think more people would like her more if she were a male character because she has a lot of the same characteristics as matt (tragic backstory, sarcastic witty drama queen, charming & overconfident, anger & daddy issues, total badass, hot) and even frank (has no problem killing when they think it's justifiable, will do whatever necessary despite the moral consequences, looks good covered in blood) which is bullshit in my humble opinion

let women go feral!!! let them be messy!! let them deal with things humanly & realistically!!!

i personally love characters like elektra natchios and jessica jones because i can relate to them like i can feel their anger and their internal conflict of being who you want vs who everyone expects you to be and drinking in excess to cope instead of dealing with your problems and having a short fuse (especially with annoying ass men who think they know better than you) and just being tragic fucking human beings trying their goddamn best

this is also why i love karen page so much because she is deeply flawed and has a dark past and acts impulsively (literally taunted fisk about killing wesley because she knew he would emotionally react like what a bad bitch) and refuses to take anyone's shit and calls everyone out when it's needed and tries so hard to do the right thing hoping it'll heal her from her mistakes

like every single one of these characters has been through so much shit and SO MUCH trauma and i just don't think it's fair to praise and accept one group for how they handle it and demonize another for doing the literal exact same thing

there was a very interesting foil in season 2 with frank & elektra that doesn't get talked about enough like frank castle owned what he was and admitted to being a loose cannon that would never stop until he got his revenge and everyone ate that shit up but elektra struggles with what she's being told she is and fights against all odds to control something inside of her that can't really be controlled and people trash her and it annoys the fucking hell out of me because it all goes back to her relationship with matt

women can be their own characters, they don't need to be plot devices used for a man's character development

in conclusion, elektra natchios is that bitch and i adore her and would absolutely love to see her (& elodie <3) come back in a future marvel project but not if they're just going to waste her incredible storyline and potential as being matt's throwaway love interest again because she is so fucking much more than that and deserves so much more than that

if you've made it this far, thanks for coming to my ted talk <3

we stan elektra natchios in this household, and I will hear no slander

these are all my opinions & if you don't like/agree with them, that's totally fine but no need to be a dick about it :)

[ittsybittsybunny]

ATLA Live Action Series Review:

The Good

Aesthetically this show felt right. Sure sometimes the outfits didn't quite feel lived in, but I always felt like I was watching a fantasy world with decent effects and interesting design. Also, I really enjoyed the sets!

Bending: Yes some of the fights feel very quick, but the bending looks cool. It is certainly better than 10 benders lifting one big rock. I can honestly say the opening bending fight scene gave me so much hope for this show.

Kyoshi Warriors: I loved seeing them in live action, and I thought Suki's performance was great!

Omashu: I think the mashup of the mechanist made sense since that is an important character overall and I would hate to see him cut. However, both Jet & the secret tunnels felt sloppily thrown in.

Northern Water Tribe: I really loved the way it looked, and appreciated the two episodes we spent here. I think Yue gained more agency in this interpretation, and why shouldn't the moon spirit be a waterbender. Also, episode seven felt the most in tune with the original show's spirit.

Zuko: I think he was one of the most fleshed-out and best parts of the show! Dallas Liu really captured Zuko's spirit, and the scene between him and Aang in episode 6 was wonderful!

Soundtrack: Hearing the original soundtrack bits is always great, and when I first heard the ending music I was so excited.

Is the show perfect, no - but I wouldn't mind a season 2.

The Bad

Pacing: Turning 20 episodes into 8 was bound to lead to some cuts...but oftentimes times things felt too quick or disjointed. I think there were editing problems contributing to this for sure, but sometimes things skipped around too much without a clear purpose as to why. Also, why bring in plots from later seasons when you barely have enough time already?

Writing: This show definitely suffered from exposition dumping, though it did get better as time went on. I think the biggest example of this is actually opening in the past rather than the present. We do not get to learn along with Aang that the world has changed, instead, we get to learn that 100 years have passed....which doesn't hold the same tension or worldbuilding.

Clunky Dialogue: Along with exposition, clunky dialogue is another example of bad writing. I think sometimes I felt like the acting was kind of meh in the beginning, but then over time I began to realize it had far more to do with the lines characters were trying to deliver. The actors themselves are not bad, just cursed with awkward writing and lines that feel out of touch with the setting they're in.

Main Trio: I don't entirely know that I believe Katara, Sokka, and Aang are friends as opposed to 3 people stuck together to save the world. Aang feels a little too somber for a young kid running away from his responsibilities, Sokka is protective, but not exactly the heart of the team, and Katara is sort of just there until the last two episodes. Where is her struggle, her desire to learn so strong she steals from pirates? Also, while Gordon Cormier did a great job, Aang does zero waterbending on his own, is overly serious, and tells Katara not to fight. Where is his desperation to protect his friends? It feels like they all lost emotional depth.

Tension: Bringing Ozai, Azula, and Zhao out in the beginning immediately causes us to lose the realization there is an even bigger bad. Part of why Ozai is so terrifying is he is a primarily silent villain until the third season when we finally see the face of the "big bad evil guy" behind it all. Yes, they add to Zuko's backstory, but again, they are revealing the villains too early. Azula is the antagonist of season 2 and one of my favorite characters, so I hope they do more with her in the future. Finally, Zhao is supposed to be an example of the uncontrollable nature of fire unrestrained, instead, he comes off as vaguely threatening with the supposed true power being Azula.

Characterization: While all characters are bound to lose something in a shorter show, it still felt like certain characters were more mutilated than others. I am sure there are 100 different opinions on who, but I think the biggest victim was Katara.

Katara: Katara manages to go from a complete novice to a bending master in what feels like a matter of days. The journey feels short, and that makes the results feel largely unearned. Katara is one of the strongest personalities in the show, determined, kind, and fiery. In many ways, she is the unpredictability of water - equally dangerous as it is necessary to live. She is the child of a war who lost her mother, forced to grow up too soon, and even raised her older brother. Yes, Katara often gets stereotyped as the mom friend, but overall she feels underutilized in this show. We really don't see enough of her journey until the very end.

Iroh: Iroh was always comedic but most importantly wise. Even when Zuko is trying to give himself advice, he mimics Iroh. Instead, he seems to be used more as comedic relief without the underlying experience. He just doesn't feel right. Also, he kills Zhao instead of Zhao getting himself killed - which is less about Iroh and more about the writing than anything.

Ozai is weirdly a little too nice. Yes, he burned Zuko and pits his kids against each other, but he feels toned down in a show claiming to be more mature than the original cartoon.

Azula is perhaps more realistically worried about losing her status as the golden child, but she is also missing the cruelty she and her father share. I understand worrying about making your character cartoonishly evil, but the Fire Nation is currently a deeply nationalistic empire trying to control the world. Where is the deep-seated belief that they are better than other people, not just trying to bring balance to the world? There is a line between creating complexity and toning down the very real evil inherent in this plan.

Roku: I can only say what the fuck was that. He was barely there, and not the serious master to Aang's youthful exuberance.

The Ugly

Show, Don't Tell: The show's single biggest issue seems to be speeding through story parts by simply stating things. Instead of allowing the audience to discover, trusting that we are smart enough to understand, let's just blatantly say things like Zuko is the only reason the 41st division is alive to their faces. Even though in the context of the story Ozai literally already said that.... it's the division, the division for Zuko, Zuko's division.

Thematic Misunderstandings: I think this show makes several minor changes with major implications, such as airbenders actively fighting the firebenders, when airbenders are known for their pacifist nature and the lie of an Airbender fighting force is actively propaganda. Similarly, Aang very quickly accepts his role as the avatar and doesn't even run away in the beginning. Without this conflict between his desire to be a carefree child and the fact that the world needs him - the show loses a key aspect of Aang's character. Also, the obsession with downplaying the avatar state as something dangerous feels like a disservice to the tradition, connection, and strength of the avatar, which can be permanently destroyed as the trade-off for that kind of power. It's dangerous for the balance of the entire world, not just because it's powerful!

The Agni Kai: Zuko's fight against his father is one of the defining moments of Ozai's cruelty, not just because he is willing to fight his child, but because Zuko tried to do everything right. Zuko shows deference to his father, apologizes, and most importantly refuses to fight! The determination not to upset his father and still be grievously injured and banished is a hugely important theme for the fire nation and Zuko's life as a whole. He tries to do everything he is supposed to and only regains his father's acceptance after he "kills" Aang. Zuko's struggle between moral vs. social right and wrong in contrast to his family is hugely important to his character.

-----

TLDR: ATLA was a fantastical animated television show that was never afraid to show character development and flaws. When you turn 20 episodes into 8, you are bound to lose something. You hollowed out the middle, leaving the shell of important moments and events without ever wondering if all the times in between formed the true spirit of the show.

Rating: 6.5/10 It's perfectly fine and worth a watch. Not a disaster, but certainly falls flat of the original.

[straydog733]

I just need to share with you one of the stupidest writing choices I've seen in a long time.

(Spoilers for The Gilded Age S2 Premiere)

-/-

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So The Gilded Age is not a good show, but it's a not-good show that I'm going to watch every second of. It's by the guy who made Downton Abbey, leaning into all his worst habits, and it's trash in incredibly tacky outfits. But anyway, in Season 1, they have this character named Peggy. She's a young woman, from a Black Elite family in New York, ambitions to be a journalist, but also some mysterious secret that she's keeping all season. It's eventually dribbled out that she had a baby who died at birth, but when someone tries to blackmail her for her scandalous past, turns out she was married at the time (to a lower class man her father didn't approve of, but married nonetheless), so she can be pitied, not scorned. After the baby died, her father paid her husband to fuck off and annul the marriage. This was a few years ago, and Peggy has been trying to find the midwife who delivered her stillborn, to talk to her and get a bit of closure.

PSYCH, BABY'S ALIVE! Her father paid the midwife (what must have been an absurd amount of money) to kidnap his grandson, foist him off to another family, and tell Peggy her baby died. The first season ends with her and her mother heading off on an adventure to find and reunite with her boy.

So this plot was very unpopular and got the show a lot of criticism. It was boring, it was a scandal with all the scandal removed, it was a retread of a Downton plot, and it took Peggy away from the actually interesting stuff about New York black high society and black journalism at the turn of the century. So how best to respond to these criticisms in the premiere of Season 2?

PSYCH, BABY'S DEAD AGAIN! We start the season after a time skip, in which time Peggy has managed to track down her three year old son, gotten in contact with his family, and almost reunited with him...only to learn he died of scarlet fever six months ago. The season starts with them having learned this a bit ago and already in mourning, because the show creator refuses to put anything interesting on screen, and by the end of the episode she is determined to leave her parents' home again and basically return to her non-baby Season 1 plot. 

And I just can't get over the fact that they double-killed her baby. I get wanting to write out this stupid plot, but there are ways to do it that don't feel like a shaggy dog story and bury a vibrant character in mourning for the season premiere! 

Andrea and I have been plotting alternatives, and it would have been SO easy: have her meet the kid, realize he's a happy toddler with a loving family, and that she doesn't want to tear him away from that to be a single mother (which a character on Downton did twice with the same baby, so you'd even be attoning for a previous sin!). "Oh my darling son, I am glad to know you, and I will make you proud of your mother's accomplishments as I take the publishing world by storm!" Then you never have to show the kid again, can throw in a line every now and then about her visiting, and she can still do her fun plotline! Boom, fixed it!

It is all just brain-bendingly stupid and I needed to ramble and share the joy. And as a reward for getting to the end, have a ridiculous costume photo of an unrelated character:

[shiro-s2e2-erukinzu]

Anime only watchers and people who aren't caught up with the Manga, BEWARE... Cuz I'm about to discuss Spy X Family Mission 88... You have been warned...! 👌

[SPOILERS AHEAD FROM THIS POINT ON]

OMG...!! 😍 THIS WAS SUCH AN ADORABLE CHAPTER FOR THE MANGA TO RETURN WITH...!!! 💗😆💗

We had to wait a month and a half for this chapter, and I think that it DELIVERED!! 😁 So let's talk about it, shall we...? 😊

This chapter begins with a plot line that's been brewing since Mission 61...

THAT'S RIGHT!! 😆 DAMIAN IS FINALLY GONNA GIVE ANYA THE CAKES THAT HE PROMISED HER!! 😁

And it only took 27 chapters for Damian to accomplish this...!! 😌 I honestly just love how Endo does stuff like this, where he brings something back up a bunch of chapters later (even if it's the smallest detail imaginable...!! 😊)

But moving on, we get something that I did not expect to see...:

ANYA DRAWN IN THE FREAKING SHOJO ART STYLE!! I JUST-- I JUST CAN'T...!! 🤣🤣🤣

This is one of the best and funniest things I've ever seen in Spy X Family, and I honestly can't wait until THIS gets animated...!! 😆

After spotting his dream girl from afar, Damian tries to give her the cakes that he promised, but...

There is just too many people around for him to give Anya the goods...! And with Anya overhearing his thoughts about giving her the cakes (but not fully understanding why Damian wants to give them to her in secret), she devises a plan to meet with Damian in the courtyard...!

And after receiving a seemingly bloody message from Anya, Damian agrees to head to the courtyard with her...

But as you can see, Becky, Emile and Ewen decided to follow them...!! 😅 So Damian and Anya decide to BOOK IT, while the others follow suit!!! 😆

After getting chased around for awhile, Damian determines that he's done with this shit and ultimately decides to just throw away the cakes (which Anya hears), and then...:

ANYA, ARE TRYING TO KILL DAMIAN...!? 🤣 HIS LITTLE HEART CAN'T TAKE IT...!! 🤭

Honestly though, this whole page is just so adorable (even if Anya is only doing this for the cakes...!! 💗😄💗)

Anyway, because they were so wrapped up this cake situation, Damian and Anya didn't realize that a wild Henderson has appeared to scold them for missing the the bell...!

Now the two of them have to stay after school, but it isn't all bad...:

After finishing writing their apologies, THE G.O.A.T., Mr. Henderson, offers to have some tea and cakes with Damian and Anya...!! 😁

Then, Mr. Henderson asks Damian about the cakes, and get this little flashback...:

HMMMMMMM..... 🤔

This flashback just makes me continue to be suspicious of Melinda... 😤

But, anyway... To end things off, Damian questions why Anya wanted to meet with him in the first place, and well...:

THESE TWO I SWEAR!!👏🤣👏🤣👏🤣👏🤣

And that was Mission 88, a really fun chapter to get us back into the swing of things...!! 😆

I'm pretty sure a lot of us were expecting something big to happen this chapter (like how I was hoping for Yor's full backstory because season 2 of the anime started), but it didn't, and I'm okay with that...! I'm just glad that we finally got another chapter of this amazing series to talk about...!! 😊 And though that month and a half long break was killing me (I mean, I had Undead Unluck to read in meantime), I just hope that Endo got some well deserved rest!! 💗🤗💗

Also, that flashback with Melinda is just giving me red flags all over the place...!! 😵 I don't know if Donovan is the one telling her to do these things or if she's doing this to get to Anya herself, but everything that Melinda has done thus far has made me feel constantly uneasy... I just hope that she didn't do anything to those cakes that will harm Anya or her powers in any way...!! 😡

Well, that's pretty much all that I wanted say about this chapter, and like always, I can't wait for the next one!! 😆 So, until the next Mission... Take care, be safe out there and be kind to one another...!! LATER!! 👋😄

[uniquexusposts]

Her || Charles Leclerc

Main characters: Charles Leclerc x OC Genre: fan fiction, fluff  Story type: novel  Part: 2/? Word count: 1310 Co writer: @mistrose23

Summary: This was Matilde Jørgensen, the newly appointed team principal of Scuderia Ferrari, about to face one of the most nerve-wracking challenges of her life. She tried to save the team from more disappointing results and put everything on the line to make them world champion again. There will be a big challenge to lead a historic team as 'newbie' and keeping her work and personal opinions apart from each other. The big question everybody will be asking: is she capable to do so?

Intro

As Matilde Jørgensen arrived at the track of Bahrain, the excitement in the air was palpable. It was the first race of the year, the season's opening, and now, Matilde was about to experience it from a whole new perspective.

She had just arrived at the track, holding her pass in front of the scanner. It made the familiar sound, and she entered the paddock. People were waiting for her, eager to capture the first glances of the woman entrusted with leading one of the most illustrious teams in Formula 1 history. Cameras were held up, and photos were taken. A casual smile curved on her lips, and she passed everyone, making her way to the Ferrari hospitality. She tightened her grip on the handles of her purse; she couldn't help but feel a rush of nerves. The weight of her new role, the team's expectations, and the media's scrutiny all bore down on her shoulders. Her heart raced as she took a deep breath, determined to face the challenges head-on. Never had she felt more nervous to enter the track than today. It was the first time she had appeared in the red outfit.

As she was told, the first stop was at the press conference. As she stepped inside the room, she was surrounded by a sea of journalists, cameras and microphones. Matilde looked at the couch, already seeing Toto Wolff and Christian Horner waiting for her. Swallowing her anxiety, she walked towards the couch and sat between her old boss and opponent.

As the press conference began, all eyes were focused on the woman in the middle. The barrage of questions began, and while Matilde had always been a composed strategist in the confines of the team's strategy room, facing the press was an entirely different ballgame.

"Matilde Jørgensen! How does it feel to be leading Ferrari, one of the most iconic teams in Formula 1 history?" Reporter 1 asked.

Matilde took a deep breath, trying to steady her nerves before she responded. "It's an incredible honour to be a part of this legendary team, and I'm truly excited about the opportunity to work with such talented individuals. But, of course, it's also nerve-wracking; the expectations are high, and I want to deliver the best results for Ferrari."

"What can we expect from you as Team Principal? How do you plan to lead Ferrari to success?" Reporter 2 asked.

Matilde's eyes sparkled with determination as she answered. "My focus will be on fostering a collaborative and innovative environment within the team. I firmly believe that success comes from teamwork and open communication. We'll work hard to improve our strategies and maximise the potential of our drivers and cars."

As the questions continued, Matilde felt the weight of the responsibility she now carried. The legacy of Ferrari's racing history rested on her shoulders, and she knew that the spotlight would be on her every move.

"But some critics question whether you have enough experience for such a role. How do you respond to that?"

She felt a pang of insecurity, but she knew she had to address this head-on. "I understand the doubts, but I've been in motorsport for years, and I believe in my abilities. I have seen how Christian leads Red Bull, and I have already learned a lot from him. I obviously will approach leading the team differently and in my own way. My focus is on bringing Ferrari back to the top, and I have the support of a fantastic team behind me."

"How do you plan to handle the pressure, especially in a fiercely competitive sport like Formula 1?"

A hint of a smile crossed her face as she replied. "Pressure is a part of this sport, and I welcome the challenge. I have the utmost confidence in our team's abilities, and we're all driven by the same goal—to win. We'll take each race as it comes, learn from our experiences, and keep pushing forward."

This was an important moment for her and the team. She understood the importance of this moment and the need to establish her presence as the new leader of Scuderia Ferrari. Gathering her composure, Matilde responded to each question with grace, displaying her extensive knowledge of the sport and her vision for the team's future. The press conference continued for some time, with Matilde eloquently addressing each question thrown her way. Her excitement and passion for the sport were evident, but beneath it all, she couldn't entirely shake off a layer of nervousness. It was weird to be at the conference, to hear answers from Christian and Toto. Usually, she would hear it in the briefing. The transition from strategist to team principal was a significant one, and she knew it would come with its own set of challenges. It was also weird that she wasn't an employee of Christian anymore, she was now his opponent. Or, well, he was her opponent.

As the last question was about to be asked, Matilde felt a wave of relief wash over her. She listened carefully to the journalist. "Why did you choose Ferrari?"

"I like a challenge," was her answer, and she smiled. She had made it through her first media interaction as Scuderia Ferrari's team principal. She knew this was just the beginning of a challenging and rewarding journey.

After the press conference, as the journalists dispersed, Toto Wolff and Christian Horner exited the conference room. Toto, the Mercedes team principal, walked away to attend to his team's preparations for the race. Christian lingered for a moment, giving Matilde a warm smile and a nod of approval when she followed him back to the paddock.

Christian smiled, "Well done, Matilde. You handled that like a true team principal."

Matilde blushed slightly at the compliment. "Thank you, Christian."

"You've always been a top strategist, Matilde. I have no doubt you'll excel as the team principal at Ferrari. It's a big step, but I have faith in you."

Matilde's nervousness began to ebb away, replaced by a sense of camaraderie with her former boss. The years spent working side by side at Red Bull Racing had forged a special bond between them, and now, they found themselves on opposite sides of the competitive spectrum.

"I must admit, Matilde, I am still perplexed by the fact that you made the move. Are you sure you had enough of a challenge at Red Bull?" Christian asked.

She laughed and nodded. "Yes, more than a challenge, but I was curious to see how it would go at Ferrari. It is a historic team, and as you said before, something has to change."

"I hope they won't make it too difficult for you."

A chuckle left her mouth. "Me neither."

"But it is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I wish you all the best. And if you want to come back, I am just one phone call away," he playfully said and stepped away.

"Don't worry, we will fight on the track," she replied with a playful glint in her eyes.

Christian laughed, "Oh, I do not doubt that. But Red Bull won't back down easily!" With a final grin on his face, Christian headed off to join his team, leaving Matilde standing there, the nerves now replaced with a newfound sense of purpose and excitement.

As the day went on, Matilde could feel the energy of the team building around her. The drivers, engineers, and mechanics all looked to her for guidance, and she was ready to lead them with the same passion and dedication she had displayed in the press conference.

This was just the beginning of her journey as team principal, and she knew there would be ups and downs along the way. But as she looked out at the Bahrain circuit, she couldn't help but feel a sense of pride and excitement.

This was Matilde Jørgensen, Scuderia Ferrari's newly appointed team principal, about to face one of the most nerve-wracking challenges of her life.

[cieloclercs]

𝐬𝐚𝐮𝐝𝐚𝐝𝐞 | chapter three

pairings: charles leclerc x senna!oc part: 3/? warnings: swearing i think? charles is a bit of a dick, they finally meet again so angstttt, seb and kimi the best boyfriends!! word count: 6.8k

SAUDADE. in which childhood rivals turned best friends realise they were always meant to be something more

03. wishful thinking

author’s note: sooo they’re meeting this chapter 🫣 sorry guys it’s gonna be pretty tense from here, the slow burn starts now!! 🥳🥳

read it on wattpad!

previous: chapter 2 next: chapter 4

20 January 2021 Rolex Monte Carlo Sponsor’s Gala                                                            Monte Carlo, Monaco                                                                                       

EMERALD GREEN IS becoming more familiar to Noa as the days pass, and she nears making her debut in Formula 1. It’s the colour of her evening gown, the one Raffaella had delivered to her Monte Carlo hotel room earlier that evening inside a sleek Chanel gift bag. She has to admit, if they’re trying to convince her to sign that contract, they’re certainly doing a good job, because this dress is one of the most beautiful she’s ever worn. It feels like a second skin, like ribbons of water flowing through her fingers when she hitches up the skirt a little, walking slowly up the steps to the venue. Camera lenses click and flash all around her. Even if her confidence is shredded by anxiety, dressed like this, Noa feels like a million dollars.

Just like the rest of Monaco, the Salle Belle Epoque is ludicrously expensive, lavish beyond anything she’s seen before. This is the playground of the rich, after all. Its ceilings are high, marble pillars framed with gold stretching far upwards, where they meet the ceiling, like a work of art painted across the sky. It reminds her of Versailles, Noa thinks, the image and embodiment of wealth. It’s intimidating to stand amongst it all, harsh golden lights from chandeliers glaring down upon her. But she keeps her head up high, and clutches at Sebastian’s arm a little tighter. He smiles over reassuringly. He must have done quite a few of these galas in his time. Noa trusts he won’t let her flounder.

The itinerary for the night is planned out to a tee and expected to be followed. First, the press have their fill of pictures outside the venue, something which she is, thankfully, already accustomed to. She’s the showstopper of the night in her emerald dress, and it seems the cameras can’t get enough of her. Noa has to bite back her laughter at Sebastian’s forlorn expression as he’s momentarily pushed to the side. Though he may be a four-time World Champion, he doesn’t exactly try to carry himself with much glamour anymore; much more comfortable with his unruly, one-with-nature kind of look (meaning that Britta almost had to fight him to get him to drag a comb through his hair for the night). “I’ve had my heyday in Monaco.” he tells Noa later, in the car on their way to the venue, “Those years were enough to last me a lifetime.”

Second comes the cocktail reception, in which they await the arrival of all the guests. She has half a mind to call Sebastian out on his earlier statement, as the way he’s going through already his third glass of the night is strikingly similar to his days of partying with Red Bull. Noa holds her tongue though, when they are approached by some of the other guests in attendance. She’ll remind him later, when he’s inevitably struggling to walk in a straight line.

Rolex has branched out further into Formula 1 to mark the beginning of the new season. Looking around, Noa can already spot a lot of familiar faces. There’s Lewis Hamilton, of course, over near the bar talking to the ever-smiling Daniel Ricciardo. As an old family friend, she makes a note to pull the seven-time World Champion aside to catch up before the end of the night – she hasn’t seen him in almost six months, after all. Noa has spotted Seb shooting looks at Kimi Räikkönen from across the room who, like his former teammate, is indulging perhaps a little too much on the complimentary cocktails. Then there’s Max Verstappen, who is standing stoic as ever in a corner with a familiar looking blonde woman. Noa hasn’t seen much of him since her karting days, but she thinks – looking at the slightly uncomfortable expression he wears – he might appreciate seeing a familiar face. She certainly would: well, depending on how familiar, that is.

The one person she really doesn’t want to see appears not to have arrived yet. She isn’t naïve enough to believe he won’t show up; considering he practically rules Monaco, it would be unheard of for him to not be here. Noa can’t see his new teammate, Carlos Sainz, amongst the crowd either, so she assumes the Ferrari representatives simply haven’t arrived yet. She makes a mental note to keep an eye out for the Spanish driver – that way she’ll know roughly when she needs to take herself to the bar to prepare for the undoubtedly awkward few hours ahead.

“Hey, do you mind if I leave you for a bit?” Sebastian turns to ask, eyebrows arched questioningly. Noa smiles, shaking her head. She isn’t blind – her teammate has clearly been dying to go and see Kimi, who is stood, serene as ever, by himself. He tries to play it off, assuring her that he’s more than willing to stay if it makes her feel more comfortable, but once again she shakes her head.

“It’s fine, Seb.” Noa chuckles, “Go see your boyfriend.”

He merely grins at her teasing, leaving her with a wink before making a beeline towards the Finnish driver. She watches with a smirk as they greet each other enthusiastically, a rare smile, which is mostly only reserved for Seb, taking over Kimi’s face. Then she’s at a loose end. She could go and mingle with some of the other guests, put herself out there a little bit, but with the prospect of what is about to come, Noa isn’t sure she has the energy. Maybe she needs a drink to build up her confidence first.

The bar it is, she thinks. Slowly, she begins to make her way through the crowd, stopping to say brief hello’s to those she recognises and to those who greet her first. Their faces only seem to blur together, even though she tries to hold on to them – anything to distract her from her growing anxiety. The bar is almost in sight when Noa is stopped for the final time by a very familiar voice, which brings a surprised, yet grateful smile to her face. She turns to face Max Verstappen, and for a moment all her worries seem to be forgotten about.

“Hi!” she says brightly in response to his equally enthusiastic greeting, wasting no time in wrapping him up into a friendly hug, “Long time no see.”

“Yeah, you don’t say.” Max chuckles dryly. In fact, the last time they saw each other was also the last time Noa stepped foot in the Formula 1 paddock. It feels like an age ago, but at the same time, she knows once she’s back again it’ll feel like she never left.

Hovering to Max’s left is that same familiar-looking blonde woman, smiling hesitantly as Noa pulls away to study her with curiosity. Now, close up, she realises exactly who this is. It takes a moment for the name to click with the face, but as soon as it does, her face lights up into the widest grin of the night.

Max watches this moment pass, deciding now is the time for re-introductions, “Obviously, you already know my –“

“Annie?” Noa cuts him off. His mouth snaps shut with a faint huff, “Annie Beaumont?”

The blonde woman beams ecstatically, “Hi! Oh my God, you remember!” she laughs, hands flying up to cradle her face briefly.

“Of course I do!” Noa cries. In unison, they both surge forwards at the same time, falling into a tight, familiar hug. The Brazilian squeezes her eyes shut briefly, taking in the moment, trying to commit it perfectly to memory. It was strange how she hadn’t even realised how much she missed her paddock best friend until now, when she finally got to hug her again.

“I can’t believe it.” Noa laughs incredulously as they both pull away, “It’s been years!”

Anneliese Beamount had been a near-constant presence at her side around the paddock, when they were both in their pre-teens. Noa would often go to watch Charles’ races, which more and more tended to take place separately from her own as he moved up the age groups, leaving her behind. Annie’s older brother, Luc Beaumont, was a kart racer in the same category, so many of her weekends were spent trailing along after him and their devoted parents. At the same time, Noa was often left at a loose end when Charles raced and she didn’t. So when she bumped into Annie one day at the International Circuit of Zuera in Spain, they immediately hit it off. From then on, at every race they would meet up in the paddock, tormenting Luc, Charles and their other driver friends at every opportunity they got. Noa misses those days now. It was a time where she didn’t have to worry about anything except her next race. A simple time.

“How have you been?” she asks. Annie steps back, glancing up at Max. It clicks in Noa’s head, as the Dutch driver takes her hand in his and gazes back down at her lovingly. She can’t help but let her mouth drop open ever so slightly.

“I’ve been great.” Annie grins, “I am great. We both are. Right, babe?”

Max says something in reply, but she doesn’t hear it. She’s too focussed on the way he leans down to press a kiss to Annie’s cheek, and the way his eyes light up brighter than she’s ever seen them as he looks at her. Slowly, a massive grin spreads across Noa’s face.

“This is so surreal.” She breathes, “I’m so used to you two biting each other’s heads off all the time.” the couple laugh softly, shaking their heads at the remembrance of their former, much more oblivious selves, “This is…it’s different. But I love it.”

One of her prevailing memories from all those years in the paddock is the large amount of time that teenaged Annie Beaumont and Max Verstappen spent getting on each other’s nerves. As one of Luc’s main rivals, she always tried her best to derail the Dutch driver in any way possible. It had led to more than a few very public arguments, and scolding from their parents (as well as a few paddock officials when things really got out of hand). Though, with the benefit of hindsight, Noa begins to remember things a little differently – the way that Annie somehow always managed to bring Max up in conversation, whether positive or negative; the way Max would search for her gaze across the paddock, just to give her a dirty look. Noa isn’t sure how she never saw it before. Thinking back, it was all so obvious. They never hated each other. They were just too proud and scared to admit their feelings.

“I guess you’ll have a lot of questions.” Annie giggles, noticing the still present look of dazed bewilderment on Noa’s face. The Brazilian woman nods her agreement almost instantaneously.

“You have no idea.” She chuckles.

“We should meet up some time.” Annie then suggests, her tone quietening with her slight nerves, “I can give you all the details then?” Noa’s gaze softens. It’s been far too long since they last saw each other. After the nightmare that was 2018, she all but cut everyone off; not just Charles, but everyone who had ever been connected to or associated with him. She just didn’t want to be faced with the reminder of seven years of friendship, poured straight down the drain in one night. It hits her now that in doing that, she also lost the one friendship that may have been able to lift her out of the hole she dug herself into. Noa is ashamed to say that she’s hardly thought of Annie since that day. It’s selfish, she knows, but she needed to wallow in her own grief for a little while, to let it sink in, so she could finally begin to accept it. Well, there’ll be no more wallowing from now on, Noa tells herself. She’s done letting Charles Leclerc ruin her life.

“Sounds perfect.” she grins back at the woman, another former best friend, and Annie’s face lights up like the pitch black sky in a fireworks display, “There’s a lot we need to catch up on.”

“You don’t say.” she smirks. It’s familiar, a memory from the past when they were close enough to tell each other their darkest secrets. Noa has missed it desperately, “You’ve got some explaining to do.” Annie raises an eyebrow. It doesn’t take a genius to interpret what exactly she means. The Brazilian driver grimaces; but really, an explanation is the least she can offer to Annie after everything. She owes her that, if nothing else.

Noa is about to speak again, to ask her what she’s been doing all these years that they’ve been apart, but Max suddenly calling to someone across the other side of the room makes her freeze. He moves slightly away from the pair, as if he’s giving them the option to keep talking, and waves both of his hands over his head. He’s trying to summon whoever it is. Noa’s blood runs cold. Somehow, she knows exactly who Max Verstappen is calling. It’s as if she can sense him.

“Charles! Carlos! Over here!” he yells, seemingly indifferent to the disapproving looks he gains from some of the other guests. She watches as his arms drop, and a bright smile overcomes his face. That means they’ve seen him. It means they’re walking over. Noa’s head drops for a moment to rest her chin on her chest, as she sucks in a deep breath.

“Shit.” She hisses to no one but herself. Annie hears it, and flashes her a sympathetic look. She is the only one of the three faced away from where the two Ferrari drivers are now surely fast approaching. No doubt, Annie can see them. Maybe she can see Charles, and how reluctant he is to walk over while she’s there. Maybe Carlos is all but dragging him. Or maybe he hasn’t even noticed she’s there. That might hurt her more than anything, if she’s still so torn up about the death of their friendship, and he no longer cares.

“You want a drink?” Annie whispers to her. Noa feels a sudden, overwhelming sense of gratitude. She’s quick to nod, the corners of her lips tugging upwards gratefully.

Annie calls over one of the waiting staff in an instant, who are milling around the guests with trays of cocktails balanced precariously in their arms. She takes a glass with gracious thanks, and hands it to over. As soon as the cold neck of the glass in her hands, Noa downs its contents in a single gulp. She lets the liquid burn her throat with a satisfied hum, before dropping her arm and turning to stand beside Annie, who is staring at her in shock. She knows if she looks up now, she’ll see him, probably now standing all but five metres away. But something is stopping her. So Noa instead focusses her attention on her friend – not one of the former nature. At least not any longer.

“That bad, huh?” Annie whispers again. She grimaces.

“You have no idea.”

It’s clear there can be no backing out or running away from this when Max steps forwards to embrace the two drivers, beginning first with Charles before moving onto Carlos. Though Noa still doesn’t look up, she can hear his voice. It sounds exactly the same as the last time she heard it over two years ago; just as smooth and soft, but all she can hear are the harsh words he spoke to her on that night. They’ve tainted every memory she has of him now. It’s all overshadowed by the betrayal.

Noa is snapped out of her thoughts when Carlos approaches, moving away from Max to where she and Annie are stood side by side. He greets the Belgian woman first with a familiar, friendly hug, before turning to her. He smiles, even though she can already tell he knows everything. Noa can somehow always tell. There’s something knowing glinting in his eye, not anything obvious, but just enough to be recognised. It’s the feeling of knowing something about a person that you maybe should not necessarily know. He’s not trying to show it, and he’s probably not even aware of it either – but Noa always has been. Perhaps because her paranoia searches for it.

She pushes the thoughts from her mind, stepping forward with as bright a smile as she can muster to meet the Ferrari driver in the middle. “Hi, I’m Noa.” she introduces.

Carlos’ eyebrows arch, “Oh, I know.” He chuckles, “It’s wonderful to finally meet you.” She doesn’t have time to think about the many possible implications of his words before he’s stepping forwards to wrap her into a hug. Noa accepts it, and it doesn’t feel strange or forced as she may have feared. The exchange is as normal as any other, like there is no tension hanging in the air at all. When she pulls away, she even manages to smile at him, properly this time.

All that evaporates in an instant when she turns, her gaze locking onto those green eyes she’s both been dreading and longing to see for over two years. Charles Leclerc is watching her intensely, his lips ever so slightly parted. For a moment, all Noa can think to do is stare. Though it seems he’s suffering from the same dilemma.

He looks older than when she last saw him, which isn’t a massive surprise, considering it’s now been well over a year since the 2019 season ended. He’s lost most of the soft, childish curves to his face, replaced by sharp, high cheekbones and an angular jawline. The navy blue suit framing his body only adds to this newfound maturity he seems to have gained. It’s fitted to barely within an inch of the limit, tight in all the places it should be, accentuating the muscles in his arms, legs and chest which hide beneath the fabric. Charles has always been attractive – it’s simply a fact she learned to accept as a teenager – but now that seems to have been multiplied tenfold beyond anything she remembers. He looks impossibly good: annoyingly. She’s supposed to be upset with him, yet all she can focus on in those first few seconds are the depth of his eyes and his cupid’s bow lips.

Then she spots the Ferrari logo emblazoned on the breast pocket of his suit. Like someone clicking their fingers in front of her face to snap her out of her daydream, any tenderness or familiarity she may have been feeling towards him in her moment of weakness suddenly fades. All that remains are the familiar flames of anger, licking at her belly. Noa’s eyes narrow. Charles notices the change immediately.

“Uh, we’re going to get drinks from the bar.” Max says, clearing his throat awkwardly in the tense silence. He takes hold of Annie’s arm gently, ready to pull her away with him to give the two some space, “Carlos, do you want anything?”

“Actually, mate, I think I’ll come with you.” the Spanish driver announces hastily, hurrying away from Charles’ side before his teammate can attempt to drag him back. He shoots him a look over his shoulder. Noa can’t quite read it.

“We’ll see you in a bit!” Max calls brightly. The other two cringe at his forced enthusiasm, but follow him towards the bar anyway. As she leaves, Annie looks back at Noa, offering her an apologetic smile. She grimaces, her heart sinking low into her stomach. Now she has no line of defence, no one to fall back on if this conversation – or whatever it is Charles is trying to do by being here – becomes too much. Noa stares down at the empty bottom of her glass until she’s sure they are gone. Only then does she look up, finding a pair of green eyes already watching her.

She doesn’t know it, but Charles’ head is spinning. Everything he’d done to hype himself up before walking over here, and even before, to prepare himself to see her again, quite frankly, goes to absolute shit. He’s completely forgotten how he planned to start this conversation. The words are lost to the uncomfortable silence.

Noa Senna looks almost nothing like the young girl he last saw at the end of 2019, and even less like the one crushed on that awful day the year prior – one of the worst days of his entire life. He supposes it’s to be expected. She is twenty one now, a fully fledged adult now living an adult life. But it’s not just the face that she’s grown up that hits him hard. It’s how much she’s matured; how beautiful she’s become. Charles had always thought she was beautiful, even when they were kids, but nothing quite like this. Noa, stubborn, headstrong, fierce Noa, is now almost nowhere to be seen. A young woman stands in her place, stripped of all her childlike innocence. On the one hand, Charles is in awe of her. But on the other, she’s almost unrecognisable as the Noa he knows – or used to know. Undoubtedly breath taking, yet somehow less full of life. At least as he remembers her. Then again, it has been over two years since he truly saw her, and people can change a lot in that time.

Either way, the combination of shock and awe inside him is killer. His eyes are caught on the way her dress dips with every natural curve of her body. It fits her like a glove. Charles curses himself. He’s making this much harder for himself than he wanted it to be, because suddenly his mouth is dry and he’s too wracked by nerves to formulate any kind of situation-appropriate greeting in his head. He is, to put it simply, lost for words.

“Hi.” He speaks eventually. The moment the words leave his mouth, he cringes. Noa stares back at him in disbelief.

“Hi?” she returns. It comes out as more of a scoff than anything else. For the moment, Charles chooses to ignore it, pushing forwards with a strained smile.

“You – uh – you look beautiful.” He says, gulping when Noa’s expression remains perfectly impassive. He’s not sure what’s worse: gaining no reaction, or gaining the reaction he initially feared when he blurted the words out. Disgust. At least then he’d know what she is thinking.

Noa simply doesn’t quite know what to say. She’s too angry, too wracked with disbelief to find herself flattered by his compliment as she may have been a few years ago, or if she was thinking straight. How does he have the nerve to approach her, after two years of absolutely zero contact, and say something like that? It simply doesn’t make sense to her. The only think she can make sense of is the anger it sends coursing through her veins.

“What do you want, Charles?” Noa asks, a tired sigh slipping past her lips. Her mind flickers back briefly to the promise she made to her father, but in the moment, engulfed by flames, she is blind to it; wanting nothing more than to get as far away as possible from this man and his piercing green eyes. Charles feels his heart sink.

He’s pushing back all the questions he wants to ask her, trying to respect her wishes – to get straight to the point. But oh how he longs to simply sit down and talk to her again: to ask her about her day, to catch up on everything he’s missed in his absence. Instead, Charles focusses on the pressing matter, the one he originally intended to discuss with her, but seemed to forget all about as soon as he caught sight of her once again.

“I take it you know about the Chanel contract?” he asks after a moment of internal debate. Something heavy settles over his heart.

“Yes.” Noa replies. She ignores the flash of disappointment that flares up in her chest at his seeming indifference. But it’s not like she expected him to strike up a friendly conversation – that’s not how things work between them anymore.

Charles nods. He’s fighting for his concentration, mind racing as he tries to remember the rough script he came up with in his head on the car journey here. Yet no matter how hard he tries, the words just don’t seem to want to come to him.

“Do you want to go somewhere a bit quieter?” he speaks up again finally, ignoring the strange look Noa is giving him after his prolonged silence, “So we can talk.”

The Brazilian woman sighs. There are people all around her whom she either knows well or has at least been acquainted with before. Some are even strangers, and at this moment, she’d rather throw herself into a conversation with them than do this. She can see Daniel Ricciardo has joined Seb and Kimi now, not that far away from her, and Lewis is just across the room, talking to newly arrived Mark Webber. Of course, Max and Annie are only at the bar too. She could easily blow Charles off to join them. It would certainly be a much more comfortable situation for her.

But then she’s reminded of her father. Noa makes a point of keeping his trust in her as secure as a lockbox at all times, because he’s done so much for her over the years, she can’t even imagine lying to him. Besides, she knows for a fact that he would never lie to her. Noa has made a promise. As much as she wishes she could go back on it now, she needs to do this. Both for the sake of her potential contract with Chanel, and more importantly, for her father. She’ll just have to grin and bear this one.

“Alright, fine.” She concedes. Charles tries to hide the relief that flashes across his face. Luckily, she’s too preoccupied looking around the room for a quiet place to sit down to notice it, “There are some empty seats over there?” she suggests. He follows her gaze to a small, two-person booth in the corner of the room. It’s both far enough away from the majority of guests for them to be able to have a conversation in private, while also being close enough so they won’t look too out of place. Convenient. Silently, he nods, and they both make their way across the room to the booth.

Charles grabs a drink each for the both of them on the way. He hands one to Noa as she takes the seat opposite him. She doesn’t thank him, but he’s not surprised.

“This is a big opportunity for me.” the Brazilian woman speaks first. He’s a little relieved at that, but only because it means he has to struggle again to find the right words, “I don’t have to tell you how important a sponsorship like this is. I want it to work.” Noa pauses, sucking in a deep breath, “But I don’t know how it’s going to with you there.”

Charles’ eyes narrows. He feels the pain of her words like a dagger, but he feels the accusation stronger.

“They want us both, Noa.” he shoots back. She tries to ignore the way her stomach flips to hear her name spoken from his mouth. “Not just you. This is a package deal. Do you not think I need this as much as you do?”

Her heart drops. A scowl overcomes her face. Those all-too-familiar flames of anger seem to be making a reappearance, despite her desperate efforts to tame them.

“No, actually. I don’t.” she all but spits in reply, “You’re Ferrari’s golden boy. You can do no wrong.” Her voice drops dangerously low, eyes darkening until they’re almost black, “But I’m the first woman to drive in Formula 1 in almost thirty years. I need the safety net.”

Exposure like this is the best thing she can gain at the moment. That way, she builds a loyal fanbase before the season starts – a fanbase that will stand by her, even if things don’t always run smoothly. Noa knows how delicate this whole situation is. She knows that the second her performances start to dip, Chanel and any of her other sponsors could drop her in a heartbeat. That’s why she needs their backing now. Charles on the other hand, is already one of the most popular drivers on the grid. In the eyes of the Tifosi, he really can do no wrong. Sure, he may benefit from the money a deal like this will bring to both him and his team, but he doesn’t need the security like she does. Without it, he’ll still go on to keep his seat without a struggle. Noa might not.

“Are you serious?” Charles hisses under his breath, “Are you really going to make this all about you again?”

His words send her reeling. Her mouth falls open in shock and outrage, but for a good few seconds, no sound comes out. This reminds her so much of the night their friendship ended. The way he’s looking at her now, eyes blazing with anger and frustration, lips pursed as if to hold back the torrent of hurtful words he no doubt wishes to say to her. Noa won’t let it affect her anymore. She refuses to let her eyes prickle and flow with tears as they did then, even if Charles is making the same mistake that cost them seven whole years of friendship.

“Do you really want to start this argument again?” she says, as calmly as she possibly can. The softness of her voice snaps Charles out of whatever spell he is under. Immediately, the anger and frustration, remnants from two years prior, flows straight out of him. All it leaves behind is regret. But he’s past the point of being able to apologise, he knows that. After everything he’s done, no matter how many times he says I’m sorry, Charles doubts there is anything he can do to make it up to her. If the look in her eyes isn’t testament to that fact, then he doesn’t know what else is.

“No” he sighs, running a hand through his hair, “I don’t.”

“Good.” Noa shoots back. Her voice is as cold as ice, “That’s not why I agreed to talk to you. I’m doing it because I care about my career, and I don’t want our past getting in the way of it.”

Charles nods. He can barely even bring himself to meet her eyes now. The fear of what he will see in them overwhelms him.

He wonders how they managed to get themselves into this situation. Besides the obvious, of course (his own stupid pride). Once – not so long ago in the grand scheme of things – Noa had been everything to him. She was his best friend, his confidant, his biggest supporter, and most of all, the one person he always believed would stay by his side. But, like so many others who came before, he lost her. It may be different, because she’s still alive and well, sitting before him now, so close he can see her rosy cheeks where her blood flows steadily beneath her skin. Noa is still with him on earth, but she’s never felt so distant. It’s a different kind of loss. In a way, it hurts just as much.

The tense silence between them feels so wrong. For two people who had once been the most important presence in the other’s life, this fall from grace is the most dramatic of all. The most heart-breaking.

Someone is calling them before they have the chance to speak again. It’s Sebastian, with a half-full glass balanced precariously in his hand, looking both apologetic and curious. Noa stares at him. She’s torn between feeling grateful that he’s cut this excruciating exchange short, and feeling irritated that he’s interrupting just as she feels they’re finally about to get somewhere.

“We’re going through for dinner now.” he tells them. They both nod in reply, but make no move to stand. Sebastian turns on his heel after that, marching back towards where Kimi is waiting for him. Noa catches her teammate grimace at the Finnish driver, shaking his head. She sighs.

“We should probably go.” Charles speaks up first. A hum is all he receives in reply, yet still, neither of them make the move to stand. This conversation is still very much unfinished. They’ve got a lot to work through if they’re ever going to be able to work together comfortably. One night simply isn’t going to be enough, they realise that now.

Noa watches with raised eyebrows as Charles reaches to pull his phone out of his pocket. He punches the passcode in quickly, tapping a few more buttons before he places it face up on the table and spins the screen around to face her. It’s open on the contacts app. Her gaze snaps up to watch him with an expression he can’t quite interpret.

“If you give me your number, we can arrange another time to meet up.” he explains, “I’ve got some testing to do in Maranello next week, so maybe after that?”

Noa doesn’t reply. She simply continues to stare down at his phone, her eyebrows knitted together ever so slightly.

“You deleted my number?” she asks quietly.

Charles’ lips part, but no sound comes out. His mind stutters for a moment, trying to come up with an explanation. He’d deleted her number almost immediately after their fight, too overcome with fury to pause and think about the potential consequences of his actions. But once he’d done it, there was no going back. In the moment, he’d wanted every trace of Noa out of his life. If only he’d known then how much he would later come to regret that decision.

“It’s fine.” Noa waves him away as he begins to stammer out some kind of excuse, “I deleted yours too.”

Only after she’d tried to call him about a hundred times, but she’s sure he doesn’t need to know that part. It perhaps explains why she never received any answer, but for some reason, that only makes her feel worse. The anger is gone, replaced by the sadness and regret she’s been trying to ignore for months. Noa just hopes Charles can’t sense the change in her demeanour. Though, if he’s still the same Charles she remembers deep down, he’ll be just as in-tune with her emotions now as he was back then.

Silently, she types in her number into the new contact on his phone. It feels strange to simultaneously add her full name into the empty space, rather than one of her many childhood nicknames he’d given her when they were young. It’s so formal – so unlike them, as they used to be, anyway. Noa’s heart is heavy when she slides the phone back across the table towards him, and he takes it, fitting it back into his pocket.

This time they do stand up. The other guests are beginning to file into the dining hall by now, a low hum of chatter settled amongst them which gradually grows softer as each person moves out of the room one by one. Noa notices that Sebastian is waiting for her by the bar. She smiles over at him gratefully. At least she knows he’ll have her back this season, whatever happens.

Just before she can walk over to her expectant teammate, a gentle hand on her arm halts her in position. She freezes, turning slowly at the sound of Charles murmuring her name in a tone so soft she can barely hear it. He hasn’t touched her in over two years, she realises. Not since that night has she felt the warmth of his hand on her skin. Noa hates that it still manages to send sparks coursing through her body, a pleasant shiver shooting up her spine. After all this time, all the heartbreak, and she’s still as weak as ever.

“Noa.” Charles repeats, just as softly as before, snapping her out of her trance. She looks away from where his hand rests on her arm, gaze lifting to meet his eyes. They’re wide, shining with something she thinks is…hope? He takes a small step away from her, clearing his throat nervously. There’s a lot he wishes to say to her right now; some bad, some good, but all of them honest. One thought pushes his way to the front of his mind. I’ve missed you, he thinks. But he can’t say something like that to her, not now. So he settles for another truth; one not quite so risky as the admittance that he’s spent every single day of her two year absence wishing she was there by his side.

“It’s good to see you.” Charles says finally. Even if she’s changed almost beyond recognition, even if it seems as though she’d rather be anywhere but here with him right now, he’s glad she is. It’s been far too long.

Noa can do nothing but stare. She’s not angry anymore, but she’s not sad either. She just feels empty. Charles Leclerc has lost his power over her, just as he lost her friendship over two years ago. Maybe it is a good thing she’s seeing him now. Maybe this will begin the process of gaining closure: of letting him, and whatever they used to be go. Without a word, Noa turns away, striding across the room to where Sebastian waits for her, not even sparing Charles a second glance. He watches the emerald of her dress slide along the floor, and closes his eyes. When he opens them again, she’s gone. Too late to see the regret he wears, his heart out on his sleeve.

“How did it go?” Sebastian asks as they walk side by side into the dining hall. He glances back towards the door, from which Charles has still not emerged.

“It was ok.” Noa murmurs in reply, “All things considered, it could have gone a lot worse.” She lets her eyes wander the room, searching briefly for their assigned table. When she finds it, she taps Sebastian on the arm, and they make their way quickly over, weaving between the other tables so as to cause as little disturbance as possible, “I think we’ll be meeting again to talk in more detail about what we’re going to do, though.” She admits. Sebastian looks to her with raised eyebrows.

“And how do you feel about that?” he asks. He’s not stupid – he can sense the lingering animosity between the two former friends (or at least, Noa’s animosity towards Charles) as clearly as anything. As much as she’s fierce and headstrong, Sebastian has also come to learn that his teammate does not enjoy confrontation. No doubt, they’ll be quite a lot of that in the time it takes for them to figure out how they’re going to move forward.

“It needs to be done.” Noa says with a resigned shrug, “The contract is pretty clear – either we’re both in, or neither of us are. As much as I wish I never have to speak to him again, I care about making this work more.”

Sebastian hums. They’re nearing their assigned table now, where most of the other Formula 1 drivers in attendance are also sat. Just as they approach, he steals a glance at Noa, trying to read her expression in the few moments he has before she catches him. It’s impassive to the untrained eye, but Sebastian has always figured himself to be someone who’s very good at reading other people’s emotions. Despite her callous words, he can see she’s hurting. Noa believes she means it when she says she never wants to see him again. Sebastian knows she doesn’t really. She’s simply telling herself she does.

They take their seats around the table where their name places are set out. Luckily, they are next to each other. Noa is pleasantly surprised to find Max Verstappen seated on her left, with Annie on his other side shooting her a look that says, ‘As soon as this is over, you’re telling me everything.’ Sebastian looks like he’s just won the lottery when he sits down next to Kimi Räikkönen, whose blank expression lifts for only a split second when he sees his former teammate. For a moment, Noa doesn’t even spot the empty seat in front of her on the other side of the table. She’s perfectly oblivious, wrapped up in the distraction of conversation with her fellow drivers.

Then another round of greetings ripple across the table, and she looks up. Charles makes his way towards the seat in front of her, next to his teammate who waits to pat him on the back and shoot him an encouraging look. Noa sighs. Her eyes find Sebastian’s.

It’s going to be a long night.

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noasenna_updates Noa at the Rolex Monte Carlo Sponsor’s gala tonight! She’s wearing a custom made emerald Chanel formal dress, which was apparently especially designed for the occasion! 😍

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[thekimspoblog]

Some clarification on the FotD series.

A fan complained that the plot of my "Fantasy of the Day" series for the BCS/McWexler fandom was really hard to follow. And that's... not their fault at all; the plot is hard to follow because there really isn't one singular plot.

The Premise: The first thing that you need to understand, is that the FotDs are just fluff-n-angst snippets I pull out of a proverbial hat. Usually, I come up with the idea for a scene which would look cool, and fill out the details of the backstory later. So if one of the stories in my posts comes across as vague or self-contradictory, that's why; I'm making it up as I go. And usually instead of better explaining a premise, I'll just move onto another one.

The Setting: Season 1 of my "Slippin' Kimmy" fanfic has a more set-in-stone story arc: In a single sentence, Kim joins a cult. Season 1 is set in rural Wyoming between the fall of 2016 and the spring of 2017, but most of the FotDs are set anytime between 2017 and Kim's eventual death. I have no strong opinions yet for what should happen in Season 2, and so the FotDs are all just spitball ideas for plots which might happen. It's a running gag how frequently Kim is forced to uproot her life and move to a new city, so an FotD might be set anywhere in the world.

The Main Character: Kim has been promoted to the occupation of "fixer" in the Breaking Bad universe. Her updated business card reads "Wexler-McGill: Image Consulting", but her services run the gauntlet of: off-the-record legal advice, schmoozing politicians and business people, orchestrating media circuses and publicity stunts, hiring hacktivists, delivering mysterious packages, laundering money, bookkeeping for philanthropic organizations, bodyguard work, P.I. work, sabotaging weapons manufacturing facilities, organizing protests, smuggling Mifepristone and Estradiol into red states, renovating and flipping failing shopping malls and entertainment venues, and much more miscellaneous espionage. Assassinations are a line which Kim will never cross willfully, but she is frequently caught in the crossfire when white-collar criminals try to take eachother out.

The Romantic Lead: Jimmy's story is over, but he's not willing to ever leave her, so he has no choice but to come along for the ride. He's finally living the dream of going into business with his wife, and he joins her on roughly half her adventures, but at this point excitement is something he could take or leave. He takes pride in playing the role of the homemaker, and his love for his children often motivates him to be the voice of caution. He supports and agrees with Kim's so-called "Revolution" - the subversion of unjust laws, the redistribution of wealth, the sabotaging of hate-groups - but whenever the heat gets too hot, he will make the tough but pragmatic decision for one or both of them to go into hiding again. Kim is wearing some golden plot-armor in this story, but Jimmy's mortality looms over almost every FotD. Not only does Jimmy simply want to make the most of how ever much time he has left, but there is a palpable threat that sooner or later he will be stuffed into a freezer for the sake of creating drama for Kim. If they could have it their way, they'd explore the cosmos forever as a pair of ageless trickster gods, but the spouses both know that in all likelihood she will outlive him.

The Prodigy: In this spin-off, Jimmy and Kim have two children; Iris and Fille. The oldest child, Iris, is barely even my OC; they are the most obvious answer to the question "What would the McWexler baby be like?". All their best and worst qualities in one precocious brunette imp. Quick-witted and silver-tongued, a born performer with sticky fingers, both figuratively and literally. Iris comes out as non-binary in their preteens and is accepted pretty immediately, but for the record any FotD which refers to Iris as "she/her" is canonically an example of their parents misgendering them because they didn't know any better. While Kim is out doing her adult career of... being the protagonist in an AMC series, Jimmy and Iris spend most days doing their best impressions of Moses Pray and Addie Loggins. Admittedly, Jimmy could be doing more to teach Iris respect for the rules as well, but there's something more sinister going on with the dynamic between Kim and Iris. Kim wants Iris to be prepared for whatever life throws at them, and to a certain extent she wants to see Iris continue her work, and because of that Iris shoulders a heavy burden. Kim is for the most part vindicated; Iris grows up to be a survivor and a forager, even as a drought deals a killing blow to American democracy, and they do follow in their mother's footsteps as best they can, but it's still bitter-sweet.

The Black Sheep in a Family of Wolves: Like I said, the FotDs are just random snippets pulled anywhere from a broad-strokes timeline, and because of that the ages of the children vary wildly. However Fille (pronounced "Philly") is consistently written as being two years younger than Iris, and in many fantasies, the children are between six and four. Even at an early age, not much is known about Fille because she is an introverted child, but as she gets older, this evolves into being a clear foil to Iris. Where Iris will talk your ear off, Fille listens patiently and only speaks up when something is truly wrong. Where Iris will bend the truth just for fun, Fille's silence should never be interpreted as a love for secrets. Iris's moral code is flexible so long as altruism and self-interest overlap; Fille's morality is rigid to the point of being childish, but at least it keeps her out of trouble. Iris loves meat, whereas Fille... honestly, Kim respects Fille's conviction to vegetarianism... but it was a phase Kim went through once upon a time too, and she grew out of it.

The Villain: This is probably where most of the confusion is stemming from. In Season 1 of SK, Caleb Dawson and the Riverton Unitarian Interfaith Church are the antagonists, but by the end of the season, Dawson is dead, his henchwoman Mary is at large, and Kim has taken control of the Church's resources. I haven't quite decided what will become of the loose thread with Mary, but the Church's money and credibility will only last until shorty after Fille is born (2 years). Beyond that point, I don't have any specific Big Bads lined up. Kim will follow the trajectory of getting into bed with shady characters (this time to push an agenda), enjoying working with/for this client for a stint, then eventually having to defeat them in a battle of wits when the alliance goes sour but the villain won't let Kim back out of her contract because she knows too much. Let's face it; this was always Breaking Bad's formula. When it comes to the FotDs, sometimes I'll just steal villains-of-the-week wholecloth from other similar tv shows.

The Vibe: The villains all blur together after a while for Kim. As do the schemes she does, both for and against them. Just like the places she visits: one night she might be seeing opera in Tokyo, the next she and her family have had their assets frozen and are sleeping in their car. One night, they're caretakers of a too-trusting hippy's goat farm, the next she's alone sleeping on the cold cement of some kingpin's dungeon. The point of the FotDs is to juxtapose the opulent world of murder and intrigue with the peace and quiet of the domestic life Kim is trying to defend against all external threats. In her most caricatured form, Kim Wexler is a 90's pantsuit archetype who, by some cosmic mistake, lived to see the 2020's. She's a pragmatist; she knows what she values and she keeps her attention on those things. In "Better Call Saul", she never quite figured out a good work-life balance, but last time around, she had put her faith in institutions which didn't value her time or share her priorities; this time she's only trusting herself to manage the resources. The American Dream may be crumbling, but she is still determined to "have it all".

@somethin-stupid-67 @joshgoodman @slippinximi @richeeduvie

[essie007]

Wheel of Time Season 2 Thoughts

Now that the season is over and I’ve had a few days to process I thought I’d put some of my thoughts about the season. No major book spoilers but I do make mention to some of the changes they’ve made while adapting the first two books. I might make a more book spoilery post later.

-Overall I really enjoyed the season. I think it was well written, tight and delivered both storywise and character wise. The costuming, special effects and art direction continues to be top tier and I found the season highly watchable and compelling. I did not love absolutely every moment and decision and definitely have a few nitpicks but as a whole I really liked it. I will say that I think a lot of the issues I did have with the season can be boiled down to the limited amount of time they had to tell the story they needed to tell. I really think this show would benefit from at least 10 episodes and season if not more, and I know that’s an opinion many have echoed.

- I loved all the White Tower stuff in the first half of the season. It was a good set-up for tower politics, different factions, how The One Power works and it introduced us to a lot of important characters.

-Hi Elayne! I love you and you are perfect girl!

-Nyneave’s Tower story and block was A+

-I personally didn’t mind Siuan’s book scenes being given to Liandrin. I think it was necessary to tell the story they needed to tell in the time they needed to tell it. And I thought Liandrin’s whole story, the explanation of why she turned to the Black Ajah was interesting both to make her a more compelling villain and to set up the stakes of the universe. We need to be worried that our heroes will choose the dark at some point, and for that to be a real threat we need good reasons why other have. All of her scenes were great. Loved her scenes with Nyneave, Egwene and Lanfear. And her petty fighting with Suroth. *chef’s kiss*

-I’m just gonna say it ok? Are you ready? I LOVE show!Alanna. Book fans can give me the stink eye if they want, but as she’s been portrayed on screen so far she rocks. The actress is incredible and the writing has done an excellent job as setting her up as a genuine, moral, strong and honestly necessary pillar of light in the dark. You really feel she is fighting on the side of good with everything she has, no matter what it costs her. She’s also a genuinely good teacher in the Tower! The way she fights for the girls, and for Moiraine, and later for Rand. We love to see it. Her story in many ways mirrors Moraine’s. The show has done a very good job of making her a character that you are strongly empathizing with and rooting for. And honestly book knowledge has only made me feel that more strongly. Knowing how many darkfriends she is holding the line against, you FEEL how necessary and important the work she does is. And I am starting to understand how she, like Moiraine and Siuan this season, and Rand in the story to come, might start feeling weighed down by that. My girl fits right in with the themes of the story. Sorry not sorry. I am weak for MILFs.

-Egwene’s entire storyline this season kicked ass. I think she had, hands down, the best story arc from beginning to end. I have very little to say about it because it was all perfectly done. And when she killed Rena, instead of sparing her like you’re expecting, oh boy did I cheer.

-Rand’s storyline, if you knew who Lanfear was from the outset was fun all the way through. Though I have it on good authority from @steel-wings that if you went in blind, it was quite slow in the beginning. I do have to say that the introduction to Rand this season being “he’s sleeping with an innkeeper for room and board” was the funniest and best thing I have ever seen. Dana The Darkfired from last season continues to give. No honestly, this is genuine foreshadowing (Selene is also *gasp* a Darkfriend) and character work. They decided to show Rand’s declining mental state and self esteem by contrasting how willing he was to sugarbaby this season with how against it he was last season. 10/10 no notes.

-Rand is a Mental Health Worker! I’m going to cry! Yes I know he has reasons for doing this but watching Rand with that old man, knowing he’s been doing this job for almost a year. Excuse me I need a moment.

-The Lanfear reveal kicked ass. She is so crazy and so evil and so manipulative. Love to see it in a villain. The scene where she “learns” Rand can channel was honestly hilarious. Although this was the moment that @steel-wings lost her patience with the storyline.

Steelwings: Ugh. This is so boring. She’s just there for his manpain. I can’t watch any more of this. It would have been better if she was evil.

Me knowing my wife is at the end of her patience and is about to abandon this show I love but not knowing how long they’re planning to draw the reveal out, pausing the tv: Do you want me to spoil you?

Steelwings: Yes! Spoil me! PLEASE tell me she’s evil.

Me: She’s evil :D She’s the most evil bitch whose ever lived. She’s so evil and so crazy and so manipulative. She’s Oppenheimer if he worshipped the devil and *horrifying spoilers*

Steelwings settling back in to watch: Love that for her. 🙂

-Perrin’s storyline was the least ineteresting and slowest of the mains but with the rest of the show so jam packed it felt like a nice break in some ways to have some breathing room with Perrin. We’ve got Egwene being tortured by the Seanchan and Mat being tortured by the Forsaken and Rand being imprisoned by the Amyrlin. Meanwhile, Perrin has met a cute girl and a dog. Good for him.

-MAAAAT. MAT! My baby boy Mat Cauthon. You are having a no good very bad life huh? And it’s only season 2 *cries* I did love the way he turned the dagger into a spear there at the end and also…HE’S A HERO OF THE HORN! I thought that was a perfect choice. Really made sense with his storyline and character arc. It also gives them a really good plot excuse for him to suddenly know how to fight with his big stick. Mat’s “I remember” and his Old Tongue and his immediate military Glow Up. So good. So fun. I will be screaming forever.

-Speaking of screaming forever the Cauthor reunion had me screaming and crying and dying. I will never be the same. It was giving big stars fading (but i linger on) by @butterflydm vibes. If you haven’t read it, it’s a fic that also adapts The Great Hunt as season 2 by saying “what if Rand just hung around Carhein playing Sugar Baby and getting dicked down while everyone else hunted for the horn?” (It’s really good and you should read it.) Hey @butterflydm how does it feel to be so smart and correct all the time?

-I was expecting the Mat stabs Rand moment to be caused by Compulsion, not friendly fire. It would have given him a really good reason to go searching for something to protect him from the OP in the future. But I’m not mad. We got some top tier cradling out of it. Although this is the second time Ishy has pulled that move (the first was with Rand at the Eye). Boy is not an original thinker.

-I know a lot of people were sad that Rand did not get cool sword battles this season. And look, I get it, the books lean hard in to the cool power fantasy moments with Rand, so if that’s your thing and what you came for, this show probably is letting you down. But I gotta say, as someone who has always been here for the characters and themes and narrative, I LOVE what they did with the battle here. AND with Rand’s learning curve.

-I love that Rand knows exactly one weave at this point, and that that weave is “make knife.” I LOVE that Lan is the one who taught it to him. (Miss me with your Lan hate.) I love that the first thing he did with it wasn’t fight an enemy but free Moiraine from her bonds, heal her, even though he’s not a healer. A knife is a tool and you can use it to heal or to fight. Just as Ryma used her healing weaves to rip Damane bodies apart, Rand uses his knife weaves to “heal.” I love that the second thing he uses that weave for IS to destroy Turak’s fighting force. I did not at all feel I had been robbed of a sword fight. I cheered! Excellent little Indiana Jones moment, right there. Rand WAS badass. And most of all I love that he wasn’t able to to defeat Ishmael on his own, that he needed Egwene and Perrin and Mat and Moiraine and Elayne and Nyneave. Like that’s the point! Lanfear is running around the city trying to dump the other Forsaken in the ocean. Ishmael is standing on that tower alone and betrayed with no allies. But Rand has friends! He has people who come to help him! And that is why he wins. That’s whole point. Hello theme of friendship and connection, I love you, never go anywhere.

-Also Moiraine being like I would kill thousands of people to help Rand made me snort and go “Ok Mom.” Yeah yeah scorched earth morality. Ruthlessness. She is on a mission to save the world even if she has to destroy the world in the process. But also Moiraine IS that meme from Parks and Rec. She has only had Rand Al’Thor for a year but if anything happens to him she will kill everyone in this room and then herself. Now fly the Dragon Banner.

-All that being said, there was one storyline this season that really did not hit for me, and I am sorry to say it was the Siuan Sanche of it all. I have spent a lot of time turning that episode over in my head and I still haven’t put all my thoughts together but ultimately I will say this. Yes, if you were expecting Siuan from the books her actions were definitely character assassination. She makes the exact opposite choices in the show. However, I understand why, both narratively and time wise those changes were made so I’m going to do my best to react to the story they told and the character they wrote, not the one I was expecting. The real problem I think with the story they told is that they didn’t give us enough time in Siuan’s POV and with Siuan’s story to really truly empathize with the decisions she’s making. We spend the episode in Rand and Moiraine’s POVs and honestly I think that’s a big mistake, because we don’t learn any new information about either of them. But in order for that moment at the end with Moiraine to truly be heartbreaking, in order for us to really understand why she’s imprisoning Rand at all we need to see her struggles and her fears and her beliefs. I talked earlier about how they do a good job showing what Alanna and Moiraine are up against but they needed to give us that with Siuan. We’re told she has enemies in the tower, we’re told she’s been depending on Moiraine and Rand to be the ace up her sleeve in the last battle, but we don’t see the emotional toll of that. And at the end there I think the writing needed to make it perfectly crystal clear that Siuan believes that Moiraine is black ajah. A casual viewer should understand and feel for Siuan who is doing this terrible thing because she believes she is saving the world, saving Rand, from a Forsaken and a darkfriend who has lied to her and betrayed her. But it's just not there. I understand that this plot point and this story serves a narrative purpose. It sets up Rand's relationship with the White Tower and the Aes Sedai as a whole. It draws a thematic parallel between the three Oaths and the Seanchan oaths and damane system. It brings up the theme of how power corrupts, how even good people who are doing their best to help the many, can use their power to do horrifying things when they believe it is necessary. But I think it still needed more set up and more character development and more room to breathe. I have…a lot more to say on the subject but I might need to make it it’s own post. I definitely think the writers have set themselves up for a headache when it comes to next season but that’s spoilers so I’ll end this here.

[authortobenamedlater]

E5 deep dive! This will be fun because Mr and I have VERY different opinions on certain parts of this episode.

The good:

This might be Pablo Schreiber’s best performance yet, and that’s saying something.

Everyone delivers in this one. Soren and Laera have some great moments, separately and together. Riz’s final lines with John (and that hug!), Halsey’s and John’s speeches at Vannak’s funeral, Kwan’s vision and her shamelessly calling John on his BS. This episode does a great job of showing the fallout from Reach on a small scale. Not what it did to humanity as a whole, but what it did to these individual humans.

The exit from Reach and Riz’s last run for Vannak are epic.

Vannak gets a great send-off, and can we talk about how well-preserved he was after being dead for a week?

Makee continues to be one of the most intriguing characters for many reasons, not the least of which is she’s inexplicably (literally inexplicably; they haven’t explained it) alive. She cries as she watches Reach fall, then says she cares nothing for “the Demon” (who she ordered ‘Gatanai not to kill a few hours ago). She and Cortana appear to be hatching some kind of plan.

Speaking of Cortana…EVERYTHING I thought about that opening scene in the first episode got flipped on its head. Did Cortana sell her soul (operating system?) to Parangosky in exchange for John or something?

Also speaking of Cortana, John is so not OK without her it hurts to watch. “If I’d had my armor, if I’d had her with me” 😭 “There’s a space where there used to be a voice and a feeling someone knew me” 😭😭 Just get these two back together already.

Kai’s little strut when she meets the S-IIIs 😍

The bad:

Reach didn’t quite go out with the bang it deserved, unless there’s a heck of a surprise in store. I’m not sure what would have been the bang it deserved, but this wasn’t it.

Admiral Keyes is not around. Yes, I knew he wasn’t going to be, but I love him darn it.

Vannak was all dead, not only mostly dead as I had hoped and will continue to imagine.

Still no Miranda, not that I expected her. Does she know her dad is dead?

Observations/predictions/wishful thinking:

Riz’s exit. One part where that @mrtobenamedlater and I do not agree. I saw this coming from the start of the season. Riz was already hurting and increasingly disillusioned with Spartan life. Now she’s even more beaten up. She was never really going to be a Spartan again. She can barely even walk when she tells John she’s done. Her departure made a good contrast to John’s response. His way to honor Vannak’s sacrifice is to hunt down his killers; Riz’s way is to live the life his sacrifice spared.

I don’t think this is the last of Riz, however. We’ll run into her again.

Makee seems to be filling the Sesa ‘Refumee role from Halo 2, with her line about the Prophets being liars. She is on no one’s side because no one is on her side.

Given that Makee describes ‘Gatanai to Cortana as the fleet master and calls him “the Arbiter,” I guess he’s the Silver Timeline’s Thel ‘Vadam? And his line to Makee about how she lives only by his grace? Did he personally revive her or something?

Also I’m going to assume Makee never touched the artifact in E2, probably just as well since that would have taken John out, and that she and ‘Gatanai took it off Reach. Why didn’t she touch it though?

Did Kessler get kidnapped for a new Spartan program? I’m all about Uncle Master Chief going to rescue his surrogate nephew by the way.

Where did Perez and that transport go? I was sort of expecting to find them on Aleria.

This episode will get derided as “filler” but it sets up a lot for the rest of the season: The Arbiter, the ring, Kwan’s and Madrigal’s place in all this, the Spartan-IIIs.

[ealvara7]

Beetlejuice the Cartoon Series - My Thoughts! (Seasons 1 and 2) ✨️

I decided to write my thoughts about the cartoon as notes in my drafts so I could continue adding on to it as I was watching the series. These are my thoughts for Seasons 1 and 2!

Since I have a lot that I want to say, I will be adding a "read-more" link so you can continue scrolling. Either way, thank you for reading this! ✨️

-

I've seen both intros briefly before jumping into the series, and they are absolutely amazing! However, this part from the first intro to just has to be my favorite... 💚 🖤

I like to think that all versions of Beetlejuice are capable of adding whatever they'd like to their outfit in this manner! ✨️

-

"Well here I am at the Neitherworld Shocking Mall, with grossness wall to wall... but am I shopping for myself? No... I have to buy something for her [Lydia]." (Critter Sitters, Season 1)

Okay... I get the appeal of Toonjuice now.

I mean, I technically have for a little while (watching short YouTube compilations of the show has helped), but there's something about the way Stephen Ouimette plays Beetlejuice that really drives home to me how charming, albeit manipulative, Beetlejuice can be. The way he delivers this line in the show is a good example of that.

I'm also starting to understand how Toonjuice has influenced Musicaljuice's characterization. Both of them begin their respective shows in the same fashion - speaking to the audience. It's something that has honestly become a bit of a comfort for me. Like yeah, this is Beetlejuice.

-

I. Love. Lydia's. Outfits! 💖

I've loved toon Lydia's design since the moment I saw it, but seeing her other outfits truly cements how much I adore her design.

-

"Yeeuck! A cutesy woodland creature!" (Skeletons in the Closet, Season 1)

In some Broadway performances of the musical (based on multiple clips of bootlegs I have found), Alex Brightman, as Beetlejuice, will place a lot more emphasis on his disgust over Lydia's affection towards her mom:

"Why would anyone wanna spend more time with their mother?! YEEUCK!"

The cadence on how he says "yuck" feels reminiscent of Ouimette's version (specifically in the line I had highlighted earlier). I wouldn't be surprised if Alex was inspired by the cartoon for this line.

-

I've talked a bit about Ouimette's voice acting earlier, so I'd like to hand the spotlight over to Alyson Court for a moment-

I really like her take on Lydia! She's makes her feel a lot more lively and enthusiastic in this version! I personally love characterizing Lydia as a little more of an upbeat goth girl in the musical, thanks in part to the cartoon.

-

Before I even jumped into the cartoon series, I was already interested to see how they would depict Lydia's school life. While watching, I was coming up with ideas as to what I would like to see in a potential musical cartoon for Beetlejuice.

Personally, I love the idea of Lydia having best friends who may not understand her strangeness, but still appreciate her for who she is. It's a concept that I could personally connect with. I can also see Claire being in the cartoon reboot, but rewritten to be more inspired by Regina George from the Mean Girls musical instead.

-

I like the dynamic Beetlejuice and Lydia have in the cartoon! Beetlejuice is a chaotic entity, which will occasionally butt heads with Lydia's down-to-earth attitude. Sometimes it can be hard for her to trust Beetlejuice for help, because of the way he approaches things, but it's nice to see the moments where she can appreciate what he has done for her.

He may not be good person, but he will still do whatever it takes to see his best friend happy.

-

I'm in love with Toonjuice's cowboy outfit... 💖

I'm a huge fan of big ascots, and the usage of plain white for the pants, gloves, and hat is a very nice touch! It helps to balance out the stripes on his shirt!

He's my inspiration for Musicaljuice's cowboy design! I just really like the silhouette that this outfit gives!

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I forgot to mention this earlier, but I now understand Delia's reference to having a cat in the musical! His name is Percy in the cartoon, and I've seen some artists acknowledge him in fanart!

Personally, I believe he passed away long ago... hence why you don't see him in the musical. It was one of Delia's lowest moments in her life, but it was the one that finally pushed her to look at the bright side of things. She believes it's what Percy would've wanted.

I haven't had a chance to draw Delia yet, but if I do, I want her to have a locket with a bunch of crystals around it that holds Percy's picture. 💗 🐈‍⬛️

-

That concludes my thoughts for Seasons 1 and 2! ✨️

I initially planned to take notes for the entire series in this post, but truth be told... it's been taking me some time to go through the whole show, due to my job and whatnot. With Season 4 being the longest of the series, I will have to come back to this some other time.

That being said... I'm beginning to understand better why a plethora of fans for the musical, especially those who are also fans of the cartoon, express such a great interest in a cartoon reboot.

I joined the fandom with my main interest being the YouTube animatic side of musicals. I've always enjoyed hearing others discuss the process of animation, and I enjoy seeing how it influences character design. Watching this cartoon has made me realize how much of an impact it has made to how we perceive Beetlejuice as a character.

Toonjuice is not only the first instance of a demon-based Beetlejuice, he is also the first instance of a morally grey one. He helped to create the foundation for Musicaljuice, who I believe has shown massive potential for a cartoon series of his own.

The possibility of Beetlejuice the Musical getting its own cartoon series seems to be highly unlikely, but one can only dream...

[muslimintp-1999-girl]

Do you think we have any hope for Jelly being endgame for season 3? I'm guessing it's the final season if it's I need them to be endgame they're the main relationship of the series to me If it's not endgame why would I invest my time on season 3? Even if the cheating plot doesn't happen that still won't make the season good. You expect me to see Belly end up with this toxic jerk again and have Jere hurt again? Imagine watching the love of your life getting married to your brother ugh that would be the worst ending for Jeremiah Conrad doesn't really have anything with Belly all he does is same some corny ass line and it never lands the jelly relationship is more developed imo Conrad never wants her unless she' interested in someone else it's annoying didn't like him in the books don't in the show team Jelly forever.

I have no plans of watching s3 personally. And I'll wait for the season to finish before checking out who they ended up making the endgame. And apparently (due to the strikes I guess?) s3 will be out like after 2 years. Anyways as much as I hope Jenny has realised how bad of a look bonrad endgame is, Conrad is still hella romanticised and I don't trust her for delivering jelly endgame.

Exactly my point, there's no reason for making Belly end up with a toxic guy and romanticising it.

I feel that in a way, Jere did the right thing walking away knowing he'll never be appreciated but ugh does it break my heart to know that he's never appreciated enough 💔

Exactly, jelly has EVERY single thing under the sun going on for them, like every cute trope, best lines. Best friends to lovers, angst, mutual pining, telepathy, deep conversations, attraction, care, love, not to mention the chemistry & acting of Gavin and Lola. And like Jere has boundaries but still lets her bejeweled. Like how am I supposed to resist this ship!?! Jenny really did give them the best of everything (and then took it away and made them tragic lol)

While all bonrad has is infinity necklace (and Taylor songs in the bg in the show) lol

THIS!!! EVEN S1 Belly realised and acknowledged and admitted this that Conrad doesn't like her but likes that she is into him and chasing him. Plus every meaningful conversation esp to be clear on where they stand was initiated by Belly. Imo if tsitp was a one season show, it would make so much sense and provide a great plot twist and ending to make jelly the endgame and have it ended there. Like season 1 was amazing, it had Belly call out Conrad's bs and we finally had jelly only for the last scene to fuck it up.

I HATE HATE HATE that they erased all character development of Belly for a weak and toxic male character & romanticised a man who breadcrumbs her, is never emotionally available, hurts her and dare I say only sees her as a competition (coz I'm sick of twitter bonrad stans accusing Jere of this competition bs when if it's any brother who does this, it's clearly Conrad. Like all their accusations on Jere are literally a bunch of projections).

[bonnielass23]

Writer WIP Poll Game

Rules: make a 24-hour poll with the names of your wip's, let it run, then write one sentence for every vote the winner got.

I was tagged by the lovely @astarkey and @alwaysupatnight. Thank you for allowing to open the floodgates of just how many WIPS I have.

Since I was tagged by a fellow Dusk fan I'm gonna list my fdtd wips all of which are sethkate. Some serious. Some complete crack. Most of these do not have titles yet

Outside of my fdtd friends who have already posted, I'm gonna tag everyone else across multiple fandoms : @lilmissuncreative @saltyunderscored @kelkat9 @fortysevenswrites @psilocybinlemon @elialys @milkshakemicrowave @kelkat9 and anyone else I missed or wants to do it!

Some of these have an official summary, some is just me throwing out the info. It should be obvious which is which lol

If anyone has any questions about these feel free to hit me up!

Raccoon Amaru - Canon divergent post season 2. With Kate surviving the blood well and Seth bringing her back to Jeds from the hospital to recover, Amaru finds herself in a different vessel.

La Jefe - Canon divergent post season 2 episode 9. At the blood well Kate stays up on the hill with Richie. It’s only after he’s gone down to try to take the blood for himself, in a move that is peak dumbass, that Kate has to intervene. With Richie wounded by a Xiblaban weapon and lying useless in the backseat of the car it’s up to Kate to deliver the blood and unwittingly become the new La Jefe, the head of Malvado’s empire. Seth lives his best life as a sugar baby and Richie is crying in a corner because he's supposed to be the boss.

Wild West AU - Wild West likely with supernatural elements. Kate frees Seth from the jail in Bethel the night before he's set to hang in exchange for him helping her track down her brother who disappeared with Carlos six months earlier. (Also the memorial piece for my mare, Bandit, who passed away almost a year ago and will be written in as Seth's horse.)

SethKate Wedding Date AU - Modern Day. No culebras. Kate is invited to her cousin's wedding and decides to ask Seth to be her date

“He’s not just my date, Scott.” A maniacal grin spreads over Kate’s face. “He’s my weapon. You really think I’m gonna walk in there with all their passive aggressive, pretending to be concerned comments? No, Scott. I’m going to fight fire with fire.” “That’s not fighting fire with fire Kate. That’s fighting fire with a nuclear warhead!”

Shangri-La - Canon divergent post season 2. With Eddie in critical condition and his chances of survival slim, the Geckos chose to go through with the plan to rob Malvado, even managing to save Kate’s life in the process. After coming back from their meeting with the lords, their relief at the news of Eddie’s survival is soon eclipsed by the sheer panic of realizing they now have to explain to him that not only did they pull his Shangri-La, swan song job without him, but they also lost the money.

Hero Twins AU - Canon divergent post season 2 episode 2. Kate reveals to Seth that she's pregnant during their fight in the car. After Sonja gets Seth clean, and with Eddie's help they hide away from the culebra world. 7 years later Richie and Kisa come crashing in with the news that their daughters are the next set of Hero Twins, destined to shake up the culebra and Xibalban hierarchy.

This leans very heavily into Mayan mythology, including a bibliography of academic sources, that will be included. It could be considered an exploration of the hero twin archetype told through Seth and Kate's fictional twins.

Witch AU - Modern day with supernatural elements. No culebras. Kate comes from a line of witches cursed to die when they begin to manifest their magical abilities. When she starts to have visions of her own death she goes to a professor of the occult Richard Gecko to try to figure out why her family keeps dying young. A witch himself, he tries to help her figure out the curse along with Seth who has turned his back on his supernatural abilities. It's a race against the clock to see if they can save Kate before her visions of her death come true.

Selkie AU - Coming home from college to attend her mother's funeral, Kate finds a package Jenny had left her. Kate's seal skin and an explanation of what she is. After going out to learn more about who she is her skin is stolen and she has to rely on the owner of a nearby bar, Seth Gecko, and his friends to steal back her skin.

[enchantedchocolatebars]

My Troubled Horsie

(A fic based on this Au)

Warning: This story contains silly self-indulgent fun that's NOT meant to be taken seriously AT ALL.

Philip's face was filled with interest as he sat alone on the couch, watching the TV attentively.

A show about animated horses going on adventures called 'My Troubled Horsie' was currently playing.

While in search for the history channel, he stumbled upon the series by accident and instantly became hooked after the first episode.

It had everything - angst, drama, and, most importantly, a good story as well as good morals.

He couldn't get enough of the show.

He was addicted.

At the moment, he was watching the season 1 finale where Penelope Pony had to inform Steve The Stallion of some bad news.

As Philip continues to watch, Caleb enters the living room.

A smile spread across his face at the sight of his baby brother.

It was evident that the brunette was captivated by the content on the screen.

"I see someone's grown fond of the TV," Caleb lightly teases, only for Philip to deliver a sharp shush, not giving him a single glance.

Taking a seat beside his brother, Caleb whispers, "What are you watching?" as he turns his head toward the TV.

In the show, two horses were having a face-to-face conversation in a meadow.

The mare had a pale violet coat, pale blue eyes, and a ruffled balloon-shaped mane along with a tidy tail. On her head, she wore a pink bow.

Her expression was dull as she looked at the mustached stallion wearing a black top hat in front of her with half-lidded eyes.

"Oh, Steve," Penelope began, her voice flat and monotonous. "I'm sorry, but I won't be able to make it to your party."

"Why not?" Steve wondered, worried.

Penelope sighed before revealing the reason to her friend. "Today, they're sending me to the glue factory."

That line broke Philip's heart. How could they do that to Penelope? She should have been spared. The mare was not deserving of such injustice. Meanwhile, Caleb was confused by the cartoon. He had no idea what a glue factory even was.

In the next scene, a yellow stallion with an orange mane and tail, blue eyes, and an eyepatch was clinging to a helicopter, having just caught Penelope from falling into an active volcano.

Both petrified ponies hung for dear life.

"Hold on, Marco Polo Pony!" Penelope cried out to the stallion.

"I can't!" Marco Polo Pony would confess as he continued to cling to the landing skid.

"I don't have any--"

Penelope's hoof suddenly slips out of his.

The stallion's eyes widen with shock as he watches the love of his life plummet to her death.

"HANDS!" He shouts, reaching a hoof out, but it was too late.

"AAAAAA!!!" Penelope screamed, flailing her limbs around.

This was it.

The end.

She soon shuts her eyes, accepting her fate.

Just as the purple pony was about to hit the lava, the screen cuts to black.

The show's end credits then play, accompanied by happy music and lyrics about love and friendship.

'That was... certainly something...' Caleb thought to himself, still confused about what he had just watched.

Suddenly, he feels something hit his shoulder.

Looking to his left, he sees Philip resting his head on his shoulder, exaggerated tears welling in his eyes.

He starts to sniffle like a wet cat.

The blonde proceeds to awkwardly pat his head.

"Uh, there, there, Philip. I'm sure she'll be... fine..."

Truthfully, Caleb had no clue of the pony's fate, but his baby brother was clearly saddened by that scene, so, being the older one, he tried to comfort him the best he could.

"Maybe they'll make a season 2."

[lavastories]

Okay, been a while since my last post BUT I came bringing more Goodreads from Romance Club. Alright, so it’s no secret that it’s been release after release with this app and I’ve just recently stepped into the world of “Garden of Eden,” now when I say this is a good read. It’s a good read! I’ve been a fan of Kpop for as long as I can remember and to have a book that showcase the world of Kpop is just heart touching. And mind you, Anastasia.G who wrote “On Thin Ice” and “Seduce by the Rhythm” never fails to deliver. I expected no less. So, let’s get into my thoughts about everything I read so far and the LIs.

Garden of Eden

Alrighty, when first reading this book. It’s started off with a big bang and by that I mean, I was IMMEDIATELY transported into the world. Not a single moment went by without a beat. Now, I don’t want to go into too much since that’d be spilling spoilers and that’s never the points of my posts, so I’ll do my best to keep to general knowledge and information known by the book description. The book will start off in the limelight of a kpop girl group and a tragedy that makes the MC leaves for 6 months to come back and have herself put back together to lead her group back into idol stardom again. AKA their comeback. (There may be some Kpop terminology that may be unfamiliar to some but I’ll have a Kpop Terminology glossary index at your disposal at the end of this post.) MC coming back—still in her mourning is now the new leader of her group, the visual and the face/center. So, basically MC is under a lot of pressure to be the shining example of an idol in her group even after the tragedy of losing a twin sister as well as a member.

The first 3 episodes of season 1, there is already drama, pressure, and a love brewing under the surface. And so far, there has only been 3 Kpop groups, 2 soloist, and an actor that has been introduced in all, within the 3 episodes. And of course, we know the manager and producer. So, let’s start with the members of the group the MC is in.

SIRENS

Aria - Lead Dancer, responsible for the choreography and she manages their social media accounts. What I can say about her personality is that she is very blunt, honest, free spirited, the rebel type, and loves the gossip. But she cares overall. She’s a hard worker and she cares a lot about the group. 

Yeon-ah - I’d say, she is the Maknae of the group and she is heavily involved in the song writing for the group. Personality wise, she is on the timid side, she’s sweet, kind, and very caring. I’d say the only thing that might be off putting about her is that she doesn’t speak her mind when she is going through something or she is facing some inner turmoil.

YOU - You are the leader, the visual, and the face/center. Your twin sister was the leader but after she died. You are the one to take over. A lot of pressure is riding on you to keep it together and keep your head down until your comeback album is released to the masses. Personality wise, you have all the callings to be a great leader and member (as long as you are able to make the choices lol) but if you are anything like you sister. You are a fighter deserving your fire.

Next Group…

X-EVO

Seong-hwa - He is the leader, lead vocalist, and manages their social media accounts. Personality wise, he is driven and very confident. Quite the gentleman I may add. However, very very private. And I’m not sure if that’s something to fear or be suspicious about. Also, Love Interest.

Woo-jin - Groups lead dancer but I can’t speak a lot on his personality.🤔 What I’ve gotten so far that he likes a good laugh and good company. Nothing big doesn’t stick out about him. But that could be because MC hasn’t gotten to know him yet.

Dean - Rapper in the group and visual. Same thing about personality. Not a lot to say BUT he is a woot of fun and out spoken. (I lowkey hope he becomes a LI down the line for MC. I’d like to explore that route.)

Next Group…

RK3

Castiel - Lead dancer of the group. Personality wise, he has a temper and no matter the trouble he gets in he always seems to come out on top. However, you notice pretty quickly that he cares. He is also an amazing cook it seems. (But you’ll find that out through the choices you make) However, he is also a bit mysterious and was also close with MC sister. So, it is someone to keep eyes on. Also, Love Interest.

Kai - He is the rapper of the group. Personality wise, not a lot about him so far. He seems genuinely kind and sweet. I can almost tell he is adored. But considering MC never got to spend a lot of time with him just like with the other members of the group.

Lin - Is the leader and lead vocalist. Personality wise, he is calm and well mannered. But there is not a lot about him yet.

Next Up…

Soloist!

So far, there is Lia and Mi-yeon.

Lia - She has been really supportive of MC. She is a singer plus songwriter. Personality wise, she is kind and caring. She seems to look out for MC. But there is a lot to uncover about her generally. Also Love Interest.

Mi-yeon - Is a singer and got her big break after the tragic incident. SIREN had to take a break and next thing she was on top. She was close with MCs sister. But wants to keep that unknown. She has secrets for sure. But what they could be is what bothers MC.

Actor

Jin Doo-yeong - He is an actor. Very popular and known. He seems to like art but he is very mysterious. Not a lot to say about his personality but he is very much the gentleman. Also, Love Interest.

Alright!

The new update is already out with some new episodes in season one. So, later down the line we can get more into it.

[shortpplfedup]

If you came to Young Royals for a ship, I suggest perhaps you walk on by. But if you came here for a story bayBEE are you in the right place. My favourite misfits, loners and outcasts are back with a vengeance in season 2 and wreaking the kind of havoc you can only get from people whose frontal lobes haven't finished developing. There's poor decision making! Ill-advised sexual escapades! Crushing anxiety! Threats and intimidation! Offers of procurement! Snitching! On-the-nose literature assignments! Unexpected coming out! Literal horse-trading! 18th century fashion! Romantic lesbian poetry! FIRE! At one point somebody pulls a gun! It's a rollercoaster ride of a season and I for one had a fabulous time riding it. My favourite bits:

Felice

Having decided to be a bad bitch for a living, Felice spends the entire season just doing that. Not one single solitary fuck was given by our girl in 6 entire episodes, as she snatched wigs and came for people's entire careers left and right. She started the season by telling her mother to kick rocks whilst getting a sickening sew-in, admitted to both sluttery and petty theft in the midst of selling a priceless racehorse, called both of her besties on their shitty behaviour towards her, and was the best looking, vibesiest person at that unbaked costume party (and for that matter in every scene she was in). She remains my absolute favourite character in this entire show.

Nils

Nils spent the entire season trying desperately and unsuccessfully to interest Wille in his high -mileage-but-at-least-it's-rich peen, to the point of offering to procure sexual partners on his behalf for what I assume would be some kind of Eyes-Wide-Shut action at a ski chalet somewhere? Idk, he got real weird real fast this season.

Marcus

A perfect cinnamon roll who did everything right including telling Simon to get over his victim complex.

Sara

Listen, say what you will but I HOWLED with laughter when she humped August's leg and then went 'yeah ok, I get it now, let's bone'. Poor fucked-up Sara, striving for a social status she hasn't a chance of achieving, or in the infinitesimal chance that she achieves it, maintaining. On the one hand I felt bad for her that it all collapsed around her, but on the other hand the moment she literally got into bed with August there was only one way this was going to go. Speaking of...

August

What a sweaty, cringey, desperate, pathetic mess of a human being. I enjoyed Wille taking away everything that mattered to him brick by brick while he cowered in fear that the men in grey suits were coming to put him down like Old Yeller at any moment. I REALLY enjoyed Wille menacing him with a loaded shotgun while Simon just watched in silence. August falling immediately for the first person who was nice to him, August getting an attitude the second Kristina put him in the line of succession, August convincing Alexander to take the fall for the video, August, August, August...what would this show be without the most pathetic villain alive?

Simon and Wille

Man this was Edvin Ryding's season, he put on a fucking CLINIC. 'I got a haircut' you awkward GOD. Wille was wound so tight this season I wondered when he would finally snap and of course he held it for when it would really count. Omar sold me on Simon's abject misery and righteous anger, but Edvin...Edvin was something otherworldly this season. I almost couldn't breathe watching him go THROUGH it.

All in all, Young Royals absolutely delivered on Season 2 and they had better announce Season 3 ASAP!

[canonicallyobserving911]

In some instances, 6x11 was not CANONICALLY accurate

Please note this post has nothing to do with the actors and actresses playing the characters but it has everything to do with the characters’ characterizations. All of 9-1-1’s actors and actresses are great and every one of them have the ability to deliver stellar performances.  They did the best they could with the scripts they were given so this isn’t about them.  It’s also not about the writers because they don’t have final approval of the storylines and arcs that make it into the final episodes.

I posted my initial thoughts about the lack of Eddie last night and let me be clear, in real life, not Fanfiction, I never expected for Eddie to appear in Buck’s dream sequence at any point and here’s why.

In CANON if Buck wasn’t a firefighter, then Bobby would have lost his job in season 1 because Buck wouldn’t have been there with Hen to help him after the plane crash when he fell off the wagon.  Bobby being gone from the 118 means Eddie would not have been hired to work there because Bobby wouldn’t have been there to recruit him and Eddie would have probably ended up at station 6. I never expected for Eddie to have died in The Well or The Shooting in Buck’s dream because if the firehouse he ended up working for wasn’t dispatched to those scenes, then he wouldn’t have been involved in those incidents. The whole dynamic would have been different but of course the narrative was changed in 6x11 to fit this new and improved characterization of Buck.

Before addressing two things that were GLARINGLY wrong with Buck’s dream and his actions after he woke up in 6x11, it appears one of Buck’s dream memories was not CANONICALLY accurate.  Buck not being a firefighter wasn’t the thing that pushed Bobby over the edge and it wasn’t the reason why Bobby fought to live.  Bobby had been planning to commit suicide in season 1 and he had already talked to his priest about it but Chimney was the person who helped Bobby realize he mattered after Bobby donated blood during the 118’s blood drive.  Someone from the hospital tested his blood and learned it has the potential to save a lot of babies lives after they’re born.  It was Chimney who found parents with a baby who was saved by Bobby’s blood and he invited Bobby to the hospital and introduced them to each other.  This happened after Bobby told Chimney he was planning to commit suicide but just like always, everything had to be adjusted to fit the narrative the showrunner wanted to tell about Buck.

Two parts of Buck’s storyline in 6x11 that also weren’t CANONICALLY accurate have been included below.

The Buckley Parents

First, redemption for the Buckley parents was nonsensical because nothing happened on-screen to justify them being redeemed.  The dynamic between Buck and his parents has always been based on the way Buck hurt himself and in 6x11 things were exactly the same. His parents went to the hospital because he was hurt but Margaret said in 4x4 “9-1-1 What’s Your Grievance?” she wasn’t good with seeing her children in the hospital so the question is how did she magically become good with it now? Did they discuss it in the two therapy sessions Buck said they agreed to have with him in 4x6 “Jinx”?  If so then it would have made narrative sense if it had been addressed with one line in 6x10 “In a Flash” when they first showed up but even their demeanors in that episode were completely off.  Buck admitted it later on while riding in the firetruck when he said they thought him being a sperm donor was an idiotic decision which proved they haven’t changed one bit.  His parents were still keeping up appearances but no real growth with them has happened.  The other two times Buck was in the hospital in seasons 2 and 3, they didn’t visit him and it seems like they wouldn’t have visited him in 6x11 either if they hadn’t already been in L.A.

Second, Buck’s mother wanting to redecorate his loft and him just letting her do it was ridiculous for several reasons.  Margaret wasn’t shown being in his loft before 6x11 and for her to tell him they were going to buy him a couch when he said he didn’t want one was weird.  She took over the same way TK did in 5x13 “Fear-O-Phobia” when she moved in.  This leads to the next point because the question now becomes did Buck learn anything about his parents from his dream?  NO because his parents were the same in both his dream and his reality and he was never shown making a definitive decision about his relationship with them. They were redeemed without him having a serious discussion and him sitting in his armchair at the end of the episode looking all happy like they’re some kind of perfect family when they aren’t was even weirder.  Bobby told Buck in his dream he couldn’t fix everything but Buck said he fixed him (he didn’t see paragraph above about Chimney) and now it seems like Buck’s still trying to fix his parents the same way he believes he fixed Bobby.

He’s still repeating the same mistakes expecting for them to change when they obviously haven’t but he wants a family so bad he’s willing to hold onto whatever resemblances of a family he sees and just roll with it.  The main issue is Buck is still not dealing with his problems that stemmed from his relationship or lack thereof with his mother.  In all of Buck’s romantic relationships, he just went along for the ride and let the women in his life control everything and now he’s doing it again. But this time, it’s happening with his mother the woman who’s the source of all his emotional trauma.  Will he ever talk to her to let her know how much she hurt him?  Probably not but her offering to decorate his loft was another way she’s using to control him and it was VERY LOUD but he still doesn’t see it.  So, what exactly has Buck learned from this whole lightning strike debacle?  Whether he learned something or not is difficult to say but it appears he’s still going in circles since he won’t ADMIT what and who he wants in his life because he’s still trying to make people see him the way he wants them too instead of him being who he is.  In Buck’s dream, Bobby told him, “If what matters to you most is the way other people see you then… you haven’t learned a damn thing”.  The episode ended and it seemed like Buck still hasn’t learned anything since he wants to please his parents and try to have a better relationship with them without talking about any of the issues he’s had with them. Bobby told him in 5x9 “Past is Prologue” he doesn’t talk to the women he dates but that statement can also be applied to his mother since he won’t talk to her about the way she treated him.  He's still trying to please his parents when they’re showing him a mirage, it’s the life they know he wants to see and now since they won’t even be involved for the rest of the season, another big hole has been left in Buck’s storyline.  It’s unlikely the hole will be addressed anytime soon because as usual it’s wash, rinse and repeat with Buck’s characterization so it’s unclear if he’ll ever address the issues he’s had with his parents in the future.

Eddie’s characterization

Eddie is a great dad and he was one before he met Buck.  Buck said it himself in 2x4 “Stuck” that Eddie’s a great dad so how did Eddie go from being a great dad in reality to him being an “angry guy” in Buck’s dream who let his parents take his son away from him?  This was another forced narrative that didn’t make any sense because Eddie would have quit being a firefighter before he would have relinquished custody of Chris to his parents.  Proof of this statement happened in 5x10 “Wrapped in Red” when Eddie quit the 118 because he was worried about Chris thinking he was going to die.  Also, Eddie left El Paso, TX to get AWAY from his parents and even though he’s reconciled with Ramon, he has yet to deal with his own mother and the way she treated him while he was growing up and after he was discharged from the Army.  She was the driving force behind trying to take Chris away from him and he still hasn’t dealt with it. Eddie sacrifices everything for Chris including, giving up the job he loved in 5x10 to work in a job he disliked, he tried to reconcile with Shannon in 2x10 “Merry Ex-Mas” for Chris’ sake but it didn’t work, he planned to stick it out with Ana in 5x2 “Desperate Times” even though his heart wasn’t in it since he was only doing it for Chris’ sake again and he does everything he can to make sure Chris has what he needs. The assassination of his character was unnecessary because he's not some “angry guy” who would have lost his kid in a custody battle with his parents just because Buck wasn’t a firefighter.  Buck did introduce Eddie to Carla but if Buck hadn’t been at the 118 and Eddie ended up at station 6, then Eddie would have quit firefighting and found another job in L.A. that would have allowed him to support both of them instead of allowing his parents to sue him for custody.

The show has practically removed the support system Eddie already had in L.A. before he met Buck. They moved his abuela Isabel back to TX and the audience didn’t learn about it until 5x17 “Hero Complex” when Eddie, Chris and Pepa traveled there for Ramon’s retirement party.  Pepa hasn’t been in an episode since 5x17 but they keep putting Carla in the episodes so Eddie will have someone to talk to other than Buck.  It’s clear from the scenes with Chimney and Karen that Eddie has other friends but the show won’t let those friendships be shown on-screen.  Since Eddie arrived, the show has made him completely dependent on Buck and the 118 but they haven’t made Buck completely dependent on Eddie.  This is a problem because the GA still doesn’t understand the nature of Buck and Eddie’s relationship.

In 6x10 and 6x11 it was clear from Eddie’s reaction to Buck being hurt how much Buck means to him but it’s still unclear how much Eddie means to Buck. Reminder The Shooting happened almost two years ago, they still haven’t talked about it and a lot of things have happened since then.  Buck being the one to talk to Chris after Eddie was shot was LOUD and so was Eddie’s will reveal but they still haven’t discussed the meaning behind those two instances. Also, Buck broke down Eddie’s bedroom door to get to him in 5x13 after Eddie’s breakdown but since the show said the underlying cause was Eddie’s PTSD, the GA didn’t understand there was more to Eddie’s statement about the way he wanted to feel normal again. It’s been a year since his breakdown and now that Buck was hurt, to the GA, the feelings Eddie has for him kind of seem like they’re one-sided even though the fandom understands and knows they aren’t.

After Buck woke up, why wasn’t he allowed to tell Eddie that him being struck by lightning wasn’t Eddie’s fault?  Eddie internalizes EVERYTHING and he’s blaming himself for Buck being hurt but the show isn’t addressing it.  He’s torturing himself and instead of allowing them to talk about it, the showrunner has mentioned multiple times the way Eddie’s going to start dating again and she thinks it’s going to be fun for him (it won’t be). Apparently, Eddie’s storylines are going in circles just like Buck’s are since he already tried dating again in 4x6. It seems like this is another delay tactic being setup so he can finally realize who he wants to be with and it’s ridiculous because he already knows he wants to be with Buck.  He reached for Buck after the shooting, he can’t keep his eyes off him, he made Buck the legal guardian to his son and now his character is being assassinated and Buck was made to look like the best dad ever at the expense of Eddie.

The GA still sees Buck and Eddie as platonic friends who have a deep brotherly type of love for one another and that’s after they watched the kitchen scene and all the googly eyes they keep making at each other.  Until one of them makes a love confession or at least an implication is made that they are definitely going to be more than just friends and work partners, then it’s likely the showrunner will keep doing the same things she’s been doing for the past few seasons of keeping Buck and Eddie occupied by having them date other people instead of putting them together.  Additionally, the GA doesn’t write 10K word Metas and Theories which means they don’t understand the symbolism of Eddie not being able to look at Buck while he was in his hospital room or the absence of Eddie in Buck’s dream.  Eddie’s absence didn’t translate to the GA the way it translated to the fandom because they don’t understand there could be a bigger plan associated with Buck and Eddie ending up in a romantic relationship. Furthermore, the majority of the GA doesn’t read post-mortem interviews and they shouldn’t have to in order to understand what is happening on the show. No one should have to read an interview with OS or the showrunner to learn about things that should have been included in the episode.

Buck’s dream presented the show with the perfect opportunity for him to demonstrate the way he has real romantic feelings for Eddie and to demonstrate the way Eddie reciprocates those feelings but as usual they separated them and now the GA is posting again about not watching the rest of the season. They’re also posting about how Buck and Eddie don’t even seem to be friends anymore just like they did in 6A.

It’s unclear where Buck and Eddie’s relationship is headed but if the show doesn’t do something definitive soon to alert the GA of an impending romantic relationship, then they’re going to lose even more viewers than they lost after season 5 ended.  As of March 14, 2023, 6x11 “In Another Life” had a 6.5 out of a 10-star rating on IMDB and it’s the lowest rating of any episode in season 6 so far.   Ratings haven’t been this low since season 5 so it appears the audience is not happy and they’re losing interest in the storylines again.  It seems like every time the show takes one step forward, the showrunner drags it back 30,000 steps in the opposite direction. Will things get better before the end of the season and the show loses more viewers?  Only the showrunner(s), writers and producers know the answer to that question.