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sofoulandfairaday · 4 years

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The ultimate How I Met Your Mother Finale rant

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

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

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

It completely invalidates the entirety of season 9

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

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

Marshall and Lily

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

Barney

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

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

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

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

Ted

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

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

Robin

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

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

What a load of crap.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The mother

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

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

The kids' reactions (ugh)

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

The reason the show ended this way

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

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

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

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

#himym #how i met your mother #how i met your mother spoilers #how i met your mother finale #09x23 #09x24 #robin sherbatsky #ted mosby #tracy mcconnell #barney stinson #marshall eriksen #lily aldrin #swarkles #ted x robin #ted x tracy #barney x robin #a rant #the blue french hor #the yellow umbrella

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rawstfish · 2 years

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can u dooo gaz headcanons :)c

Hehehehehehe of course I can, he's my favorite baby >:)

Warnings: Talks of mental health/divorce

One of the few CoD men to have a decent childhood

Only major problem was his parent’s divorce; they had fallen out of love with each other but tried to stay together for Gaz’s sake. However, this didn’t work as the two would fight and argue about the littlest thing which led to his mom always breaking down crying. (He’s also a mama’s boy and he didn’t like seeing his mom crying so he would try to comfort her)

Eventually enough was enough and his parents divorce when he was 8. His mom won full custody because his parents decided he would be better off with his mom (He’s too attached too his mom and also she has the better job)

For a while it was just Gaz and his mom…until he was 13

At first he didn’t mind and even supported her going out in the dating world again, that is until he met the guy. He immediately hated him just from how he carried himself, and then his hate got worse just by having to be around him. (he constantly tells corny jokes and tries to hard to be friends with Gaz)

But he sucked it up because he could tell his mom really liked him.

However, that pent up hatred come out and they all had a big fight at dinner one day (This was around when he was 16)

But no worries everything was solved…no nothing happened at all and everything is fine with his step-dad…totally

Anyways…he played soccer through middle and high school. He was really good at it too, he won lots of medals and companionship's. His position was defender, sometimes he would play attacker too

He still likes soccer and will binge watch it when on leave

Gay

he came out when he was like 14, and both his parents support him (this includes his step-dad)

He was and still is open about his sexuality

Joined the military between 18-21, because sadly he got propagandized. He generally wants to help people and thought the military would be one the best ways possible to achieve that (then he got put on Price’s team, poor baby)

He does have moments where the war/everything gets too much for him, and he deals with it by silently crying and mentally beating himself up about it

His eagerness to be out on the field causes a lot of this. He doesn’t like sitting around and waiting, he wants to do something about it right now.

no one really fucks with him because he can and will fuck you up, and don’t even try to talk behind his back because can and will always find out and confront you

He’s in a polyamorous relationship with Price, that being he only likes Price but Price keeps getting more boys (example: Soap)

They do have fights about it because Gaz is horribly possessive but they always make up (Like when Price first brought polyamorous up Gaz fucking exploded on him…and he definitely didn’t cry)

Gaz is always picking on and teasing Soap, it’s the funniest thing in the world to him. He also does this to make seem like he hates Soap, and at first he did, but he’s used to him now (he has an image to keep up)

Gaz is fussy like 24/7, it’s his short temperament that causes this (It gets worse when he’s sleepy or sick…You don’t wanna take care of him when he’s sick)

Not only is he always fussy, he also always has a pouty face. (It’s the way his lips are built)

Not the biggest fan of soda, he doesn’t like all the sugar. He prefers water/tea/plain milk. He also doesn’t eat a lot of junk food, he’s crazy/weird about his health. He's always worried about it. However, he does try to have something a lil sweet here and there. (He makes the best pasta salad/roasted vegetables, he knows his way around seasoning and sauces…also surprisingly very good at grilling)

A huge nerd for film analysis/literature

He also likes to look at any and all discourse (He has a secret account where he actually joins in on it

He’s also really good at video games despite not playing them 24/7

#:)#there's sooo much more I can say but we be here all day #call of duty #kyle gaz garrick #my post #headcanons #call of duty headc #anons

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issaxcharlie · 4 years

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Owen hosts Couple tag

Pairing: Charlie Gillespie x Artist Fem Reader

Summary: We play pretend world guys✨ (I missed them, I’m SoRryyyy.) So, Charlie wants some reassurance after starting to prepare his proposal to Y/N and makes this “genius” plan with Owen to find her answers without being suspicious. (She totally knows tho) also a lot of friendship fighting between Owen and Y/N because I had to, I made myself laugh a lot so I’ll hope at least makes you smile🤧🤣Anyways, have fun!

This is also my weird and nonsense way of doing sweet @marvel-ousnesss request of the we play pretend couple to do a couple buzzfeed quiz 💖

The blonde takes a deep breath before picking up his phone and heading to the living room, where his couple of friends and roommates are on the couch. Charlie is lying down watching television and Y/N is lying on top of him with her face snuggled into his neck, he hugging her around the waist while gently running his fingers down her skin.

The plan was simple, to help Charlie plan the perfect proposal and give him an idea of what she expects from her wedding, they were doing a “Couple tag” video. That way the questions wouldn’t be as suspicious. Of course, there are easier ways but we are talking about Charlie. They convinced Kenny to call her and tell her that it was to promote the second season that is currently being filmed, and she agreed.

Charlie mentioned many times that someone else had to ask her the questions because she reads her boyfriend like an open book, so his improvisation had to be perfect to keep his best friend’s clever girlfriend out of the hook.

He decided to start the live from his room so as not to give the singer the opportunity to think much about it, so he sits in the living room and focuses the image on his friends who are not affected in the least by their positions. After all, everyone already knows that they are a couple and that they live together.

“Hello, I’m Y/N Y/L! And yes, that sexy, beautiful, adorable and talented man is my boyfriend, Charlie Gillespie.” He blushes as the memory of their first night back as a couple invades the mind of the Canadian, who had his girlfriend in exactly this position when she was, as she said, 'practicing' her introduction. Sadly, this time it will not end like that night because his best friend and about 500,000 people are watching.

“Welcome to my first edition of the Couple tag everyone! Here's my first guest couple, I know it’s not much, but I promise to find someone worthwhile next time, this is just for practice." Charlie laughs but looks nervous. Instead, his girlfriend sits down and rolls her eyes.

"I can't believe you chose him over a puppy or a hamster." The girl says to her boyfriend while laughing at her friend's offended reaction.

“I'm going to write that down in my long enemies list, but for now I have a live to lead. Okay guys, so basically I will ask them questions and I will also choose who answers them because I’m the only one hot enough to call the shots here."

She laughs and sticks out her tongue. Charlie sits down too and she takes his hand to fiddle with it. She keeps arguing for a few minutes with Owen but shows no signs of not wanting to play the game so he starts before she regrets it.

“Okay, first one is for Charlie. How did you guys met? This is actually a good one because a lot of the fans think you met on set and are like this really intense couple who started to date the very first week without even knowing each other’s last names.”

They both start laughing at the comment. The truth is that they have seen multiple posts and comments online from people judging their relationship and how fast they were going, especially when they did that last interview together and Y/N said that Charlie was taking his sweet time to ask for marriage, since for the fans they only have one year and months of knowing each other.

“We have known each other since forever. Our moms were best friends and we were born only a few weeks apart so we've always been together. We grew up as best friends and were dating before Y/N moved to New York to play Daniela on Stardust." Charlie tries to shake off the memory of the last tearful kiss before Y/N got on the plane. Hopefully he’ll never have to part from her for so long again. Sometimes he can't even understand how he managed to get through those 5 years.

"So no, we don't know each other for just one year, but 22." She adds, kissing his nose.

"Y/N, honey. I didn't ask you, don't be rude and wait for your turn." Owen says teasingly, the girl laughs and throws a pillow at him.

“Okay, rude again. Y/N, What is the first thing that he ever gave you?”

“Oh my, this beautiful valentines card! We were like eight I think. The paper is red, and it is filled with gold and silver glitter stars. Inside is a big star that has written in the middle, “My bright star, happy valentine’s day. I love you. And a lot of doodles of my favorite things, like my guitar, a microphone, chocolate, and a little Charlie. Just adorable, I still have it and to date it is one of my favorite gifts.”

The emotion with which she responds makes Charlie's heart melt. That was the first time he called her bright star, and he kept saying it to her during every audition, every performance, every practice. The exact reason not even she knows, but maybe one of these days he'll tell her.

“Rude and a liar. The 22-year-old Charlie's handwriting is horrible, the 8-year-old Charlie handwriting could only be close to a squiggle, nothing more. Oh, and probably only you had the ability to read it. I very much doubt that was beautiful."

She opens her mouth in surprise and wrinkles her nose, feigning annoyance. “I liked you more when you had a crush on me. You were nicer.”

Owen's eyes widen and he turns to see Charlie looking for help but he just starts laughing. “Wh- What are you talking about, mean girl?”

“Oh c’mon, you totally did, Ohio.” She smiles at the camara while showing a superiority face.

“Really? I already told you a thousand times, I'm from Oklahoma. But hey, how funny, forget about Stardust and audition for Funny Girl!”

“Jokes on you, I would nail Fanny Brice.”

“Man, defend my honor!”

“Bro, I can’t. You totally did, I even got worried for a second there.” It is incredible to think about how their friendship has grown and matured over time. They went from Owen fangirling every time he saw her to being really good friends. All these fights are more of a show than anything else, the truth is that when nobody is recording they tend to be very cool around each other and the three of them have quite a pleasant dynamic now that they are living together for the show.

“I won, Idaho. Now, please continue.”

“Well, my friends embarrassed me on my own live. I can already imagine the headlines tomorrow. Anyways, Charlie, Would you let yourself in danger to save her?”

Charlie starts laughing as he drops his head on the girl's shoulder. "I think she's not going to let me lie, I always have and will continue to do so. For me it's always her safety first."

"Which has given me more than a scare but he's so freakin stubborn." She adds while looking stressed and Owen can't help but imagine all the situations Charlie must have put himself in before.

“I prefer you scared than in danger, beautiful.” He grins and kiss her lips, her facial expresions relaxing at his touch.

“Gross. Y/N, do you prefer a small wedding or a big wedding?” She can feel Charlie tense at the question, so she leans her body back to support it against him and give him a lowkey reassurance.

“I hadn't really thought about it, but I know that my almost mother-in-law has been planning it all her life so you should check with her.”

His mom. Y/N is right, as always. His mom is their biggest shipper and the wedding is probably something she’ll want to be an importart part of, maybe way more than with his brothers since she adores the girl as much as her own kids, and the fact that his girlfriend is even more aware of that fact than him makes him smile.

“Do you love it when someone refers you as ‘her boyfriend’?”

“Always. Especially if it's her. She has that little knack of saying it whenever she can and it’s the most adorable thing in the world.”

“Oh I thought she was just showing it off to me because she was intimidated by our chemistry. I don't feel so special anymore.” Charlie chuckles and sends a secret air kiss to his friend, who just smirks and fakes to blush.

“How would you handle it if you thought another man was hitting on her?” Owen asks the guitarist raising an eyebrow.

“She usually takes care of that situations, her method is to take me by the shirt and kiss me hard on the lips. I’m never going to complain about that.” Charlie says smirking and blushing.

“We are a celebrity couple, for better or for worse. I’m not having him in a fight when I can just kiss that beautiful lips and solve the problem.” Charlie smiles as he wraps his girlfriend in his arms, so she can't see his face with the next question.

“What do you dream of your marriage? Mmm, let’s go with Y/N.”

“Anything will be perfect if I spend it with the man of my life. My Char is my everything and my biggest dream is to live my whole life laughing by his side.” Owen pretends to vomit as Charlie fills her with kisses under the ear, clearly moved by her answer.

“Let’s get to someting less cheesy because I really can’t with you both anymore. Has anyone ever tried to break your relationship?”

Charlie rolls his eyes and thinks for a moment. “Yes. We were like seventeen, and this guy from hockey had this big crush on her, so he tried to flirt with her many times even though everyone knew she was my girlfriend, until one day that he made her too uncomfortable and things escalated between him and me. Luckily my brothers intervened before something else happened because he was much bigger than me. I would have totally lost.” He chuckles while his girlfriend turns to see his face and gives him another sweet kiss on the corner of his lips.

“Yes guys, they are this annoying all the time. How do I survive? A lot of yoga. Next question, If three guys are standing, and you have been blindfolded, then how would you recognize him? Guys we actually did this like three days ago on set.”

“It was awesome! We put my bandana on her eyes and since it had my smell she couldn't be guided by that to choose.” Charlie explains excited.

“We got the three of us, first Jeremy then Charlie and then me in front of her, then she began to lightly touch Jer's hand. Then she went to Charlie's, it didn't take her a minute to recognize him and she took him from the hair and draw him to her lips, it was actually a pretty smooth and risky move, I’ll give you a point for that, prodigy brat.”

“Char's body inadvertently reacts to mine. It was pretty easy to tell the difference, especially after touching Jeremy's hand.” She turns her head to give Charlie a soft kiss on the lips and then Owen starts laughing like crazy and telling her to come see a specific comment.

She gets up and goes to sit next to him, Owen changes the camera so that now they are the ones in the image and she begins to read aloud. “Charlie I could give you my... Oh my god!” Owen continues laughing, resting his head on his friend who simply watches the screen in shock.

“Thank god Charlie doesn’t know how to read.” Owen, who was just recovering from his giggling fit, laughs again as Charlie giggles and sticks his tongue out at his girlfriend.

"Who needs to read when you look this hot with sleeveless shirts." He jokes while winking at his partner, which seems to melt in front of the camera that is still pointing directly at her.

“The man has a point. Okay, Y/N move your ass back there I’m still in charge of this show. Would you prefer a silver or gold ring?”

She makes sure to move off the screen and sticks her middlefinger at Owen before heading back to her place with her boyfriend. “Good and really random question.” She smirks, not making contact with her boyfriend. “I don't have a preference, but I would love Char to design it. Obviously with the correct guidance, but yeah he choosing every detail and then explaining to me why he choose it would be the dream.”

Charlie smiles. He was already imagining something like this after so many years of gifting and has already been visiting the jewelry store several times to make sure he designed the perfect ring for his girl, a slight feeling of pride filling him.

“Which series does she thinks resembles your relationship?”

“She loves Boy Meets World and see a lot of us in Cory and Topanga. I can totally see it too, after all they too have known each other their whole lives and have a bond as strong as ours.”

“Well that explains why she’s always telling me ‘Life is though, get a helmet’ instead of actually help me.” She grins at the memory of Charlie’s last prank on Owen a couple of days ago, it was really good since she secretly helped him plan it.

“Man, It wasn’t personal. I do the same with Char. I’m not going to be known for being the one ruining prank war. Take it to the end of the road, if you need me to take you idiots out of jail I totally will... eventually.”

“My girl, everyone. Isn’t she awesome?” He watches her adoringly and she blushes in response, buring her head on his neck.

“She always has this enormous energy and personality but all it takes is for you to see her for her to melt, that’s... kind of cute actually. Okay next question Stardust, What about If Charlie tells you to marry him tomorrow?”

For the thousandth time that night Y/N can feel Charlie stressing out. The fact that he planned together with Owen and Kenny all of this just to make sure he was on the same page with her is the most adorable thing in the world.

“I’m pretty sure he knows I would always say yes. He could have gotten on a plane when we were 18 and told me ‘I don't want to be without you, let's get married.’ And I would have said yes. He’s my person, I have nothing to think about, I have always known it’s him."

Now it's Charlie's turn to melt, and Owen himself can't help but smile.

Charlie's confidence in what he has planned is higher than ever, and the day when he can finally make it official is near. He has been dreaming of this day with his Y/N for years and he will finally get it.

“Well guys, that was it, give it up to my favorite couple of dumbasses and please stop asking obvious questions. Will I be Y/N’s maid of honor? Of course I will. Oh, and tune in next week to see me becoming Kenny’s new favorite after I challenge Y/N in a dance duel with I got the music. Golden star is GOING DOWN."

Thank you for reading✨

NEXT PART HERE

Taglist: @writerinlearning, @ghostofmgg @strangerthanfanfiction713, @thebloodthirstyvampress @kinda-really-lost, @kcd15, @magnet-girl, @aliandthephantoms, @stxrkspidey, @pinkrockstar19, @s0uz4s, @shycupcakealissa @cookiebuba, @fangirlangioma, @sageellsworth05, @twist3dtinkerbell, @sunsetcurvenotsunsetswerve, @caitsymichelle13 , @ifilwtmfc, @luckylouiebug, @bibliophilewednesday, @totomoshi, @siennanoelle01, @lunashadow6955, @bookfrog247, @morganayennefertyrell, @kiss-themoongoodbye, @rachelle3musicals, @imsydneywalker, @really-dont-forget-it @agentstarkid @talksoprettyjjx @kaitieskidmore1 @lukeys-giggle @katie-navarro @crybabyddl @cocopuffs0211 @marvel-ousnesss @blackhood5sos @dpaccione @tuttigunner

#charlie gillespie fic #charlie gillespie imagines #charlie gillespie x y/n #charlie gillespie x reader #charlie gillespie imagine #charlie gillespie fanfiction #charlie gillespie fanfic #charlie gillespie one shot #jatp one shot #jatp fanfic #jatp luke #luke patterson imagine #luke patterson x reader #luke patterson x y/n #luke patterson fanfiction

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i-love-hobbies · 3 years

Text

Eda's reckless behaviour and overall mental health

Summary

Eda is a genius, but is very emotional when making decisions (not anger, but fear, stress ect.)

Her reckless behaviour and apple blood problem in my opinion are her ways of running from reality.

In season 1 she made a bit of progress on this issue. Then the finale happened. Then she made again progress and s2ep7 did a complete reset. And she is making progress now again.

Eda's intelligence

She's been a criminal for thirty years. She has been in the shady business for an extremely long time. Yes magic definitely helps but you also have to find a way to be on top of the game, so you can survive.

Remember Tibbles' shrinking potion. She can't really use a lot of magic if she is shrinked or poisoned and dead, can she? Not to talk about her enemies which you'd think would attack her now that she is magicless.

They haven't on screen, yet. The only ones that tried are Adegast and Tibbles and they both died without her using any magic (or close to nothing).

Now we know that she doesn't make plans a lot on screen. In s2ep3 especially she just let's Luz make the plan but that's because she is her mentor.

In s2ep6 Luz used sleeping needles which is wild magic so no, it's not knowledge coming from Hexside. Also the pickpocketing Luz mentioned.

Teachers don't do the tests instead of students.

She teaches her everything that isn't glyphs. I wouldn't be surprised if she has told stories to Luz about her best "outsmarting everyone in the room" moments.

Now we have seen some of her problem solving on screen. One of which was in ep.18 fight only using her channelled magic trough the staff (im not taking credit for noticing this, have no idea who did though) and used the bridge.

Also if she can telepathically talk to her staff. Owlbert saving Luz was probably her idea.

She had her impact on Raine's rebellion as well, without having magic or turning into a harpy.

"You are not our mom!"

"Wow, we actually helped people this time!"

"Bye, mommy Eda!"

In the back of her head she knows exactly what to do, everytime something happens.

Eda's mental health

Eda's curse and the nightmares it causes. The father incident. The fact that she probably thought Lilith was scared of her.

Lilith's hidden guilt and her taking her father's eye out don't mix well together. I wouldn't be surprised if they barely spoke even if they lived in a house together.

Her losing Raine.

Her faith in the emporer being broken.

She has seen a lot of death, that does impact people.

Season 1

At the beginning of the series she was making a lot of bad choices which don't aline with her experience.

The series starts with her getting caught by Warden Wrath. Instead of just sneaking, they were just walking comfortably in the corridors.

They are kids, one from another dimension, but her... She doesn't know better? And for a paper crown that she can replace by stealing from someone else.

Next episode we are introduced to her morning drink later on confirmed to be for adults only. And that drink didn't get a mention for the rest of the season. In that episode she is also not the most clear-headed. She didn't try to sneak, she didn't use potions. Didn't try to plan.

A list about her being impatient can go on and on.

So when does she think. When she realises it's dangerous (aka when it's right in her face). Literally in the first episode the moment she started doing stuff is when she got caught and spat on the warden's face.

In episode 2 she didn't do that because she didn't know if Luz was alive and had a hard time bottling her feelings. Like if Luz proved to him to be hard to keep tight up he could have killed her, the girl that came back for her and her son yesterday. And she proved to Eda that she is a little dangerous the previous episode with her fireworks.

Eda was rational again, after she was with both King and Luz.

As the series went on though she started to calm down a bit.

Firstly, the fact that she was so focused on fixing her card problem, after Tibbles scammed her, that she trew them away in another dimension.

I was wondering how she overcame it so quickly.

It also shows her knowledge of how to handle this type of problems which brings up a question. How did she learn it?

Secondly let's compare the first half of the season to the second.

1. Everything I already pointed out and was hiding the curse. The stuff that happened in ep.5. Her refusal to be parental in ep.7. Body swapped.

2. She gets scammed again (this time though, how do you expect that someone was digging their own grave). Didn't use a sleeping spell on the slitherbeast immediately instead was just standing there. Got caught by the fun police. Worsened King's stage fright.

In ep.15 because of her ignorance Luz and Amity almost die. Except that is not the full story. She had at this point a lot of faith in Luz and this was her friend's mind.

For Amity it's not that she hated her. Amity actually saved her in ep.12. It's because she wasn't that important for her to realise. "Omg Willow is at the very least extremely mad at her."

It's again a refusal to think, but for a stranger and not really on purpose. It was just a habit of hers.

Episode 18 and 19

At the beginning of the episode. Eda hid the curse, again.

When she learned that Lilith had kidnapped Luz. She didn't try to make a plan. She just revealed herself in all her glory while her magic was disappearing.

Shot the staff in a wall while she was having no idea, what that was supposed to accomplish.

Luz showed up and she finally started thinking.

Afterwards Lilith said we all know what and for the first time Eda's anger was the leader of her choices and Luz almost fell on to the spikes.

So then, for the very least a night, she was stuck in her mind with something, that was chasing her. She woke up to Emporer Baby the B*tch, who was telling her, he was about to go after Luz.

And no she didn't believe in Lilith, but was so overwhelmed. It was insane. So she begged. After some more running, she woke up to Luz in the Comformatoriam.

Next, she was about to get petrified and for awhile this was the calmest things have been since she got caught. Then Lilith shows up (ah yes she existed).

King jumped "She was trying to help!". Wait King was there.

Petrification beam go.

PURE PAIN!

Then she got the idea for all of them to fly away. Lilith shared the curse making the confusion even bigger. Then her magic is gone (that was a thing). She learned that the portal is destroyed. Now she was living with Lilith and might have starved to death with everyone else in the house.

After all of this she not only tried but HAD TO pretend that she was mentally stable, so they could survive this mess.

Season 2A

In episode 1 she told Luz not to go after big bounties and then tried to steal from a coven's ship.

At this point her emotions are the only thing that made decisions while they were also getting hidden. Don't get me wrong she did help and should, especially Luz but it's ALL feelings. She didn't think about consequences, which sometimes are good.

She didn't attack Lilith cause it's just not the time, she's scared from her own anger. Plus she can't really stand being with the roller coaster of emotions, that came with being in one room with her.

This didn't mean she didn't work with her and hadn't listened to the backstory, though.

The episode ends with her and everyone else not being close to dieing. Finally!

So now what? She tried to think about Lilith? Yeah, she probably preferred not to.

Then her glyph almost kills King, but Lilith showed up and helped. This is probably a familiarity she missed. So again she decided not to process it, but it definitely sticks.

She also didn't notice Luz being hurt.

Next episode, we saw Eda taking a shower which means she has healthy coping mechanisms, at least one, self-care and is not yet a workaholic.

Luz's apple blood joke is concerning.

After the events of episode 3. Luz probably told her that Lilith stayed with her and King, instead of just leaving them, get killed by Jean-Luc.

Then Eda still isn't certain where she stands about everything and Lilith just left, with her final act being, giving King mental issues.

Throughout this whole thing her mom was there with her cures/annual accidental attempt to kill her favourite daughter.

In this episode, Eda fell for apple blood signs. Rationality is out of the window.

In ep.6 she decided to help, with students getting palisman. Again not thinking about all the trauma, but finally doing something against her first instinct.

In ep.7 she heard King's "Le-" and refused to fully process, where the heck is he gonna go.

She also punched someone, cause this is gonna work?

Now she has reconnected with Raine having no idea should she even think of a romantic relationship again? And decided to be useful at least for something since she "can't raise kids".

She was helping and being very good at it, but it came from fear of loneliness.

Then she heard that Belos has a plan and just is overwhelmed. What if the kids get hurt, is she powerless?

Oh, look! Raine might be dead!

Next episode she overworked herself.

In between ep.8 and 9 she was trying to scare the beast into transforming. (She is losing her sanity. Literally the previous episode told her not to do that.)

In episode 9 again it's all emotional. She wants to feel better and be stronger, so she told King to blast her (almost blasting Amity), hit fool's blood even though Amity said the lake is further ahead.

Luckily she showed progress too.

She ate voles, which was against how she was feeling.

In ep.10 she was scared of letting Luz in the portal. I'm not saying she wouldn't have before, but I don't think it was easy.

Right now, after s2ep10, I think she isn't the most mentally stable. But she is definitely working on it.

#toh #the owl house #eda clawthorne #toh eda #eda the owl lady #edalyn clawthorne #the owl lady #toh lilith

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zeppelin-and-unicorns · 3 years

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Do you think some of the gang of t70s had character growth or stayed the same/regressed during the later seasons (like 6+)? I at least believe Kelso did have some growth at the end of the show

I believe that some of the characters grew on season 6, some of them stayed the same (Fez), and some of them regressed (Donna).

About Donna and Fez: I'm not going to talk a lot about how the writers fucked their characters up because that would be a really long answer. From what I can tell, the writers stopped caring about their growth on season 5. Donna completely forgot why she and Eric broke up, she literally became the person she said she didn't want to be by accepting Eric's marriage proposal. Fez became a creep on s5 and I don't know how the gang managed to stay friends with him.

If Donna regressed on s5, then she just went downhill on s6. I still can't believe that she gave up her education to stay with Eric, I'm pretty sure they could've handled the whole distance thing, Madison's not that far away and Eric has a car. I get that they couldn't just write Donna off the show, but I'm pretty sure the writers could've figured something out if they tried hard enough. In my opinion, there was a point where Donna was barely a character of her own, she was Eric's girlfriend and that's it.

And Fez was the same pervert he was on s5, nothing changed.

About character development (on season 6)... Kelso was clearly the one that grew the most, I think the storyline with Brooke was brilliant and I'll never forgive the writers for breaking these two apart.

Kelso's growth (for me), starts when he finally realizes that Jackie and Hyde actually love and care about each other, and he "lets her go". Season 5 Kelso was an asshole to both Jackie and Hyde, he did absolutely everything he could to break them up, so I think that making Kelso bring Jackie and Hyde back together on season 6 was pretty cool.

When he impregnates Brooke, he panics and tries to run away from the responsibility, but he comes to his senses eventually and tries to do the right thing. When Brooke tells him she doesn't want him to be a part of their child's life, he's genuinely heartbroken, and that's what motivates him to change and be a better person.

It's the first time we actually see Kelso pursuing someone for un-selfish reasons. He's determined to change and he tries his best to prove to Brooke that he can and will be a good father. He gets a job at the hotel, he enters the police academy, and he falls in love with Brooke.

That's a controversial opinion, by the way. There are some people who think that Kelso wasn't in love with Brooke, but I genuinely think he was. She was the only girl he's been with that he didn't constantly pester to "do it" with him, he prioritized her and the baby over his own interests and he showed little to no interest in other girls when they were together. They were really cute together and had lots of potential.

Jackie and Hyde grew a lot together on season 6, their relationship was great and they seemed happy together. The only problem they had (I'm not counting the first two episodes) was Jackie's brief marriage obsession, but that was solved on s6ep18 "Do You Think It's Alright".

Most of Jackie's character development happened on s5. She had just started dating Hyde (someone who actually cared about her and taught her useful things), and her father was sent to jail. She had to fend for herself and that is not an easy thing for a teenager to go through, and it changed her.

Her character on s6 grew too, just not as much as it did on s5. She and Hyde were in a stable (and almost domestic) relationship, I really like how the writers began to make parallels between them and Kitty and Red. Honestly, Jackie and Kitty could've been such a powerful duo, I wish they had more screen time together.

Season 6 Hyde's behavior was consistent to his behavior on s5 (except for a few episodes), he helped the Forman's out money-wise after Red had his heart attack, he and Jackie were in a really nice place, he had just graduated from high school and he had a steady job. The only thing I would change about Hyde in s6 is his behavior towards Pam. Hyde was abandoned by his mother too, and I find it really hard to believe that instead of being pissed at Pam, he ogled over her. Real Hyde would've prioritized Jackie over Kelso going to the police academy, he would've been there for her, and I think he would have probably yelled at Pam at some point.

But overall, Hyde's character grew too.

Eric made a huge sacrifice by postponing college to work and help his family. I mean, HUGE. Eric and Donna always dreamt of leaving Point Place, and I can assure you that it wasn't easy for Eric to postpone that dream for a while.

Eric's growth might not have been as big as Kelso's, or Hyde and Jackie's, but it's still growth.

Now, season 7... I don't hate season 7, there are many episodes of season 7 that I like and the jokes are most of the time hillarious, but the writers really messed up character-wise.

All the characters, I mean ALL of them, regressed on s7.

All that character development Kelso had on season 6 was thrown in the garbage. Sure, he was still determined to be a good father, but at some point he became a man-whore again, and pairing him up with Angie had to be one of the most stupid things the writers did on s7.

Hyde suddenly became afraid of commitment (which doesn't really make sense to me) and began to slowly pull away from Jackie, who became insecure about their relationship and started to demand things from him again.

Jackie's marriage obsession ended in season 6, and I have no idea why the writers brought it back on season 7. I'm sure they could've created conflict between Jackie and Hyde in a better way.

Jackie was always a materialistic girl, but being with Hyde changed her and taught her that there are more important things in life than money and presents. Apparently, the Jackie from s7 forgot all about that.

About the other characters...

Fez continued to be the perv from the earlier seasons.

Eric became a lazy person with absolutely no aspirations in life.

Some of Donna's attitudes were... questionable, to say the least. I'll never get over how she trash-talked Red's muffler shop on the radio, and how she got that girl fired from the radio station. She also seemed to forget all about her life aspirations and goals, that's why I think she was so pissed when Eric told her that he was going to Africa.

And I am not going to talk about season 8 because it managed to ruin every single character in every possible way and it makes me sad to talk about it.

So, yeah, some characters grew and some characters regressed on season 6, but everyone regressed on season 7. It's honestly pretty sad, but we have fanfiction for a reason!

#ask #character study #season 7 #season 6 #eric forman #donna pinciotti #steven hyde #jackie burkhart #michael kelso #fez #jackie x hyde #jackie and hyde #zenmasters #that 70's show #essay

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evilwickedme · 3 years

Text

ok so to sum up my feelings for leverage: redemption, season 1(a): (long post warning, there’s a tl;dr at the end)

I knew that Hardison wouldn’t be in most of the season due to Aldis Hodge being a busy bee nowadays, but I didn’t realize that meant he’d only be around for the first two episodes. He was sorely missed, not only because of my attachment to him, but also because he’s usually the grounding factor in the group dynamic, and his role as info guy and tech guy was split evenly between two characters who had their own issues.

That said, Hardison is absolutely a highlight of the two episodes he’s in. his speech about redemption was everything I could’ve hoped for (plus, more evidence for the Jewish!Hardison pile...). I wish we’d gotten to see more of his dynamic with Breanna because what we saw was funny and sweet and we don’t generally get to see Hardison taking care of somebody who so desperately needs taking care of. I hope that Aldis Hodge is around for more episodes in 1(b), because what we’re left with feels a little hollow.

Sticking to original leverage characters for now, for the most part the leverage crew still felt true to the original series as characters, even if the show itself was a little bit confused at times. The actors understand their characters and embody them so well that I think one could give them the trashiest script ever and they’d still sell it. Sophie is a particular focus in 1(a) because of Nate’s death, and she’s particularly well written as a result.

That said, I’m super bitter that we saw little to no mastermind!Parker. Parker’s character being given the mastermind role was a big deal and it feels like they’re walking it back because they feel uncomfortable with it. It is eventually given an in-text excuse, but literally in the last episode, and it was not a particularly convincing reason, and in fact contradicted moments from previous episodes (Sophie leaving for a client meeting and ignoring Parker in ep3 comes to mind). It’s frustrating, it makes the end of the original leverage feel pointless, and letting Parker make a decision once in a while is not the same thing at all. The original series repeatedly showed us that while everyone in the team had their strengths, Parker works problems and solves them in unique, interesting ways, and other characters’ days in the limelight tended to be comedic or even failures. It’s a broken promise, and a pretty major broken promise at that.

On a more positive note, Parker’s dynamic with literally everyone was fantastic. She’s possibly the best written character this season. They’ve taken the autism out of the subtext and into the text (although obviously still undiagnosed), and given her coping mechanisms that were taken seriously in the text even when they were played for laughs, which I appreciated. Her attempts to mentor Breanna were sweet, her friendship with Sophie was electric and at times (CRIMES) hilarious, and as usual, she has a fantastic dynamic with Eliot that makes my heart burst. If you don’t think they’re romantically involved, at least acknowledge there’s a life partnership here. They’ve spent the last decade together.

(We’ll get to Harry.)

Eliot isn’t given much arc-wise, which is frustrating since he’s my favorite. He’s being presented as the goal at the end of a redemption arc, ie to keep working at it every day until your soul heals or whatever, and it doesn’t reflect the message they’re trying to convey via Hardison’s speech and our two new characters. He’s got his moments, but I think they under utilized his potential.

Breanna!!! Breanna’s my new favorite, except for Eliot. She’s hilarious, she’s insecure, she’s nerdy and excited in a way that’s similar to Hardison but still distinct in its inherent teenage-girl-ness and I LOVE IT. Unlike the previous series, where Hardison’s “age of the geek” was often a joke played on Hardison, we’re at the point where Eliot and Parker are both right there with him, and so they accept and even appreciate Breanna’s nerdiness. Also, canon gay character? In YOUR Leverage? It’s more likely than you think.

(No, I never thought they’d make ot3 canon on screen. I hoped, but I didn’t think it would actually happen.)

I think Breanna’s the character that will be the most interesting to see grow. She’s got a lot of potential and a list of crimes a mile long (or more). I adore her with all my heart. I want to see her tiktok account.

Harry. Oh, Harry.

It took me a while, but I do like Harry. It took a while, because the narrative positioned him at the same level as Nate back in episode 1 of original Leverage. But in episode 1 we didn’t know the other characters. We had Nate as the POV character, and so we cared about him because we were seeing the world through his eyes. (This is TV Studies 101. I know this, because I took TV Studies 101 in 2019.) In Leverage: Redemption, we no longer have a POV character, for several reasons:

Nate, previously the POV character, is dead.

As it is, by mid-season 3 of leverage Nate was no longer a POV character. This is, coincidentally, the point where the leverage writers realized they had four other characters in the main cast they could do something with, and in-universe, Nate accepted that he was a thief, not a special Good Man.

Sophie is sort of a POV character for the first episode of the revival, but only for the first few minutes. Afterwards, the series settles into the groove of seasons 3-5, i.e., the entire crew is our POV. We know our crew, and we love them as is.

Narratively, however, Redemption insists on positing Harry as the POV character, because it is his redemption we are pursuing most vehemently. And I think they really relied on us already knowing the actor - I’ve never seen him in anything before, so to me he was a completely fresh face and they put almost no effort into selling him to me. Beyond being competent and consistently mildly baffled by the antics of the leverage crew, I honestly don’t know who this man is by the end of EIGHT episodes with him. I have a much better handle on Breanna by the end of 1(a), and I can tell you I knew all five of the original leverage crew better by the end of the first episode of the original series than I do Harry. What’s the name of his daughter, John Rogers. Is he still married. How old is the daughter. Why is none of this worth mentioning. Give him a sense of humor that isn’t reacting to other people’s shenanigans. I’m so frustrated. It’s bad writing.

I did manage to grow to like Harry by the end, but I’m pretty sure this is down to Noah Wyle’s charismatic portrayal of an under-developed character, at least partially. And I never stopped being frustrated at not knowing who this man is at all.

The two highlights of the season are undoubtedly episodes five and six. Episode five was the first time I felt like the episode was more than a collection of good moments between the main cast and mediocre moments between the main cast and also the main plot. The issues with pacing and tone that I suffered through for most of the season were mostly non-existent in ep5 and 6, and at least in episode 5 I attribute that to the pared down cast. They had time to focus not only on our actual characters - Sophie, Parker, Breanna - but also on the case. This is the only client from 1(a) I am going to remember next week without googling it first, mark my words.

Episode six worked for the exact opposite reason - it completely disregarded the client and plot and immersed itself in the characters. Breanna gets a moment to shine, but everybody else gets their bits and I wouldn’t be surprised if that was the script that was most fun to write. The characters felt natural, real, and captured the found-family dynamic that’s been missing all season for the first time.

While episode 2 is the weakest episode, I don’t actually have much to say about it. I am disappointed in episode 8. For a mid-season finale, I really expected them to do something. Instead, it was an episode about Nate Ford that copped out of being about Nate Ford (both with fake-Nate and with the new version of him being relayed to us). I would have told the writers to give that energy back to episode 1 and write an episode that’s about anybody who isn’t Harry, oh my God. I know I said I grew to like him but so many episodes were about Harry. He’s the newbie! Why didn’t Hardison get an episode that was actually about him, considering he was only around for two episodes? Why does Eliot have to be the butt of the joke when the theme of the series should directly tie back to him in a much more meaningful way? The last episode parodies their own tagline by saying Eliot isn’t just a hitter, but it deftly avoids noticing that they’ve turned him into nothing more than very muscly comic relief, including in that very episode!

Also, I hated the Marshal. Eliot actively looked uncomfortable around her.

tl;dr

The season took a while, that’s definitely true. But it did find its footing eventually, and by the halfway mark of 1(a) it finally felt cohesive again. The characters were played fantastically even when they weren’t well-written, and if nothing else, the humor landed every time. It still has its kinks and problems to work out, but if you look at it as a brand new show rather than a continuation of one that went off the air over eight years ago, it’s actually doing rather well. I’m choosing to judge it in both lights - according to its own standards, it establishes its identity in episode five; according to Leverage standards, it establishes its connection to its roots in episode six. Either way, I thoroughly enjoyed 1(a), and continue to have high hopes for 1(b).

fic writing will commence in three, two, one...

#leverage #leverage meta #leverage redemption #leverage ot3 #parker leverage #alec hardison #sophie devereaux #eliot spencer #breanna casey #harry wilson #mine

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firemanwhenthefloodsrollback · 3 years

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Who Saved The Day? Season Two

time for instalment 2 of my eight part series Who saved the day? where I will be counting up who saves the day in each buffy episode. we all know who's gonna come in first but I am genuinely unsure who'll place after that in the final leaderboard.

at the end of season 1 the totals were:

Buffy: 10

Angel: 1

Sid: 1

season two is longer, more complex and more emotional than season 1 though I don't think anyone is coming for Buffy's top spot. while I don't think anyone is likely to argue with me about my calls for season 1, season 2 might get more controversial. let's see!

1. When She Was Bad: Buffy

A strong argument could be made for Buffy causing all of the problems in this episode, but she also solves them, and no one else arrives with a sledgehammer to kill the master's minions and grind his bones, so she gets the point.

2. Some Assembly Required: Chris

Another supporting character getting a point, which I'm finding quite exciting whenever it happens. Chris stops Daryl killing Buffy, and Daryl follows up by destroying himself for her.

3. School Hard: Buffy

I would love, love, love, love to the moon and back to give the point to Spike for killing the anointed one. I would love it more than you will ever understand but alas I have rules to follow. Buffy for saving Joyce and the other parents at the school I suppose.

4. Inca Mummy Girl: Buffy

A big part of me wanted to give the point to Xander, because I feel like Ampata getting so weak she turned back into a mummy only really happened because she hesitated over killing Xander and he put himself in her way knowing that was what could happen, but Buffy actually fought her, so I can't give Xander the point.

5. Reptile Boy: Buffy

Nice and straightforward. Awesome work killing the frat lizard.

6. Halloween: Giles

Yes Buffy fights Spike and wins the fight there but the real issue in the episode was the curse on the town and Giles solves that in an immensely stylish way. Giles' first point!

7. Lie To Me: Buffy

Holding my darling Drusilla hostage and letting the cult weirdos get away.

8. The Dark Age: Angel

Another point for Angel. Letting Eyghon into his body so that the two demons could fight was an unexpected and clever ending to a dark and excellent episode.

9. What's My Line 1: Giles (?)

The day is literally not saved here. This episode makes me regret my commitment to needing to pick someone for each episode because it... just doesn't work here. I'm giving it to Giles for working out what was going on? I suppose? I thought about giving it to Buffy for fighting Kendra but she didn't save or win anything so I didn't think it counted. Idk. Comment or message to change my mind and I'm fully ready to change it.

10. What's My Line 2: Buffy

I'd have preferred to give Kendra the point because I think my gorgeous, wonderful, underserved by the plot girl deserves one, but Buffy gets Angel out so it's got to be her.

11. Ted: Buffy

You go girl, end that dodgy episode by whacking the monster with a saucepan.

12. Bad Eggs: Buffy

Using a pick axe to hack the mother creature to death from the inside out: ingenious and also icky.

13. Surprise: Buffy (?)

Man I don't know. She gets the arm in the box and escapes the vampires at the dock and... no one else gets the point. This just wasn't a day-saving episode.

14. Innocence: Buffy

Nothing ever has or ever will make me feel as happy as Buffy kicking Angel in the balls here. Never.

15. Phases: Willow

First point for my heart's darling! Shooting wolf Oz with the tranquilliser gun is a big victory for my brave girl. Buffy bends the werewolf hunter's gun and sends him packing, but Willow saves everyone from the wolf demon and earns the point.

16. Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered: Giles

Giles and Amy both lift the spell, but it was Giles' idea, he had to force Amy to take part and only one person can have the point.

17. Passion: Buffy

I spent a good twenty seconds staring into the space above my laptop feeling my pain when I remembered this episode. I go to a world of pain when I think about Passion, Willow's crying and Buffy's face through the window at the end. Buffy rescues Giles from being tortured but it's a hollow point for this one.

18. Killed By Death: Buffy

A straightforward monster-killing of a straightforward monster of the week.

19. I Only Have Eyes For You: Angel

Angel breaks the cycle and makes the speech that Grace needed to hear. Everyone learns a lesson about forgiveness and is saved from demonic ghost bees (I interpreted the buzzing cloud as ghost bees?).

20. Go Fish: Xander

Xander's first point! I wasn't really sure here as Xander and Buffy fight the coach together, but Xander knocks him on the head when stuff isn't looking good for Buffy so I think he gets a point for that.

21. Becoming 1: Kendra

Feels a bit ghoulish giving Kendra her only point in the episode where she dies, but there wasn't a lot of competition in this episode where everything that can go wrong does go wrong and she does arrive with new knowledge and a magic sword.

22. Becoming 2: Buffy

I would have loved to give Willow the point because she was awe-inspiring doing magic from the hospital bed in this episode. But Buffy closes the portal to the hell dimension and I can't argue with that.

Totals

So at the end of season 2 the cumulative totals stand at

Buffy: 23

Angel: 3

Giles: 3

Chris: 1

Kendra: 1

Sid: 1

Willow: 1

Xander: 1

All the scoobies and angel have at least one point now, and we have a few more for non-regulars as well. I'm imagining that as the seasons go on we'll get more points for characters who aren't Buffy but I imagine she'll end up with more than a hundred episodes by the end, unless something very major that I've forgotten about changes.

We had a few 'no one really won here' episodes which I think we'll get more of with time, and a few 'dramatic speech' savings of the day which I think will increase with time too.

in season 3 I anticipate things only getting more complex and weirder. I'm excited to get there soon!

Read the rest of the series: my intro post, Season 1, Season 3, Season 4, Season 5, Season 6, Season 7

#who saved the day series #buffy #btvs #buffy the vampire slayer #buffy meta #season two

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starlit-dreaming · 4 years

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[wip tidbit] it was only one night 9

Fandom: WMMAP Rating: E Ship: Lucathy Goal: 15K Words (Oneshot) TL;DR: Modern Setting + Lawyer Athy + IT Expert Lucas + Unplanned Pregnancy from a ONS

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | x | [9] | 10 | 11

WC Progress: ~14k / 15k words

Note: in the next few days i will most likely have an emotional breakdown because the new season dropped for a series that ive been following since 2012 in a few days, and it will make me weep so much that it’ll most likely k.o me for a while (or at least, cause me to shuffle through all my favorite series again)

anyways, all the tidbits i wrote featured here are on the relationship between athy and claude (with some sweet, sweet, self-indulgent lucathy, of course) that i’m hoping to explore more of in the future when i get to properly writing for these scenes. everything in this post are posted in chronological order btw and i’m putting this under read more cause of how much i wrote

when i was working on what to post at 12k, i ended up writing more as i went along so. surprise? this monster’s now a little over 14k words??? we’re almost at my personal goal of 15k even though the recent 5k overall are comprised of mostly notes and scenes that haven’t been worked into the story yet, so as a bonus for you and me i’m gonna make this extra long compared to the other wip i’ve posted uydkfsiyuj

for those who are actually curious about how it’s going, i’ve only written out (roughly) 1/4 of the overall story that i want for [it was only one night], 1/4 are notes, concepts, and some misc tidbits/scenes i hope to include (which is part of what i’m posting), and the remaining 2/4 are unaccounted for -- ideas and concepts that i haven’t written down because i either don’t want to or just didn’t think about it yet (i.e. lucas introducing his grandma to athy, the jennette arc of the story where i lovingly await for the screeching comments that feed my gremlin soul, both the marriage registration and the lucathy wedding, the baby shenanigans, etc)

bonus: baby reveal

“Athy, do you know where your husband is?” Helena called out, poking her head into Athanasia’s office, unaware of the immediate attention from their fellow coworkers. “There’s a problem with the computer in my office that Cabel can’t solve, so I was hoping you could send him down for me.”

“What? Doesn’t he have his phone on him?” Athanasia frowned, reaching over to pick up her phone from her back pocket.

“Well… after the valentines day incident, Lucas refuses to respond to Cabel’s phone,” she sheepishly grinned. “Besides, I think you’d be surprised…”

“I can give him a call, but I really don’t think he’ll answer me,” Athanasia said, calling Lucas.

“Athena,” Lucas seemed to immediately pick up the call. “You rarely call me at work.”

“That’s cause Helena needs your help in her office,” Athanasia states.

“Fine,” Lucas grumbled, shuffling around as if he was getting out of his seat. “See you later.”

“See you later,” her lips twitched up in a smile as he hangs up. “I guess you were right. I really didn’t think he would answer his phone.”

“Of course he would answer his wife,” Helena brightly stated.

Athanasia paused, narrowing her eyes at Helena in suspicion as she nervously smiled and averted her eyes. She notices the attention of everyone else in the room, watching the way they jolt and look away and pretending that nothing had happened.

“Helena.”

“Yes, Athy?”

“You did this on purpose, didn’t you.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she states with a look of feigned innocence. “And Lucas certainly had nothing to do with me showing up to your department or him getting jealous of the fact that you’re still getting a ton of gifts from your admirers even though they know that you’re both together.”

“I highly doubt that Lucas would get jealous,” Athanasia dryly stated.

“You haven’t seen him rant to Cabel.”

“If you don’t want to see him now, then we don’t have to. You don’t owe him anything, you know.”

“I know,” she sighed. “I just… you know me — always overthinking,” she shrugged. “Growing up, he was never really there for me. So, I just keep on wondering why now of all times — he’s never really bothered to contact me and I haven’t even spoken to him since I left home.”

“No kidding?” Lucas raised a brow, seeming almost thoughtful.

“Sure, I’d text him ‘Happy Birthday’ or text him my holiday greetings and stuff like that, but he’s never responded back to me.”

“Then who’s that Robin guy who always drops by the office?” he blinked, frowning.

“Robin?”

“Redhead, wears a blue suit, always looking kinda panicked if he thinks that you’re not taking care of yourself? Everyone thinks that he’s your older brother, some think he’s an admirer, but with how much you talk about Lily as if she’s your mom, I figured that he’s like a dad to you. Unless, y’know, you’re actually into the older guys.”

“Not funny,” she shot him a flat look. “But yeah, that’s Felix, Felix Robane. He’s my dad's secretary, I’m pretty sure, and he’s getting married to Lily in June — they haven’t decided on the date yet.”

“If he’s just your dad’s secretary, then why the hell is he always bringing you an absurd amount of gifts on your birthday?” Lucas asks, giving her an incredulous look. “Seriously, a bouquet of pink roses and, what, seventeen boxes are overkill.”

“Some of them are from Hannah and Ces who still works for my father, Lillian because she’s been busy with the flower shop to visit, and a couple of other people,” she huffed. “It’s easier to have Felix deliver it since all my father ever seems to do is make Felix run errands.”

“Yeah? I hope you know that the law firm’s a mess when your birthday rolls around. I think you broke the record for having the most admirers that left you presents. And gave the janitors a reason to hate you by the time you leave.”

“I know,” Athanasia grimaced. “I kept my birthday a secret for a good reason, but Cabel and a bunch of other guys asked Helena and she sometimes gets pretty weak when she meets a pretty boy,” she stated, pointedly staring at Lucas after saying that.

“Guess she’s regretting that now.”

“Yeah, but now that you’re my husband, you’ll be the one that has to help me out. Maybe it’ll even lessen the number of presents that'll flood my office!” she beamed.

“Fuck. Is it too late to get that divorce?”

“Yup! You’re stuck with me, Luke.”

Being in the Obelia Estate was nostalgic — everything appeared to be unchanged. Outside of social gatherings and meetings regarding Obelia Enterprises, she rarely left the estate. Her father was often busy with work, often shutting himself away in his office for hours on end. There were a lot of instances where her father would have dinner with her on the days where he wasn’t busy.

She remembers it all quite clearly. The dining table was long, with her seated on one end and him sitting on the other — Jennette was the only one who seemed to go out of her way to sit down at her father’s side. And wasn’t that just an odd thought, now? Athanasia used to envy Jennette, who was able to smile at her father with a bright smile and make bold declarations and insinuations, and be at his side for all these years.

This time was different. This time, she has Lucas at her side.

When she and Lucas enter the dining room, the table seemed… smaller in comparison to when she was younger. There was always four empty chairs on each side of the table, she knows, but it seemed smaller now. Was it always like this?

In hindsight, everything changes in the slightest way with just enough time.

She sides down on the opposite end of her father. And she feels… conflicted. And Lucas says nothing, but he notices, he sits in the chair beside her and he discreetly places a hand over hers on her lap. A warm comfort that he’s here with her, that she isn’t alone.

It calms her nerves, but not too much.

“How… have you been?” Claude eventually asks, and she raises her head to look at him.

She blinks.

A glance to Lucas confirms that he, too, didn’t expect that question.

There was a large picture of the three of them on the page she was staring at -- of Claude, with his face more relaxed than she had ever seen him in the entirety of her life, standing beside Diana who smiled wide and bright with love and warmth, where a child stood tall between the both of them with a toothy smile, a perfect image of her parents with her mother’s wavy blonde hair and her father’s jeweled blue eyes.

“Sometimes I wanted to get rid of that album, get rid of my memories of her, to just live as I did before I ever met her.”

“But you couldn’t do it because it was hers,” Athanasia whispers, tears rushing down her cheeks as she stared at the photo album. “Because you still love her.”

Claude says nothing, but they know that it’s true.

(It doesn’t excuse the years of loneliness from her heart, nor does it make her yearn so desperately for her father’s love back when she was younger.

But she now has closure, the answer to why.)

“I’m just… a little worried about all of this,” Athanasia admits, resting a hand on her growing stomach.

“Well… I think you turned out alright,” Lucas shrugged, watching her as she weakly laughed at the statement.

“Lucas, I literally cut myself out of my father’s life because I gave up and thought that it was hopeless—”

“Which was for a good reason,” he interrupts. “It was a toxic environment for your mental health, especially when you factor in your cousin into the situation. He even told you that the blame lies with him and his neglect by not being there for you.”

“—and now I’m dragging you into this whole situation because I got pregnant and—”

“You didn’t drag me into this situation. I’m not the kind of guy who would stick around when I don’t want to, I’m not the type of person who would do this kind of thing because I’m just a friend,” he flatly states, pulling her in close to be face to face. “I’m doing this because I…” he abruptly halts.

“Huh…? Because what?” Athanasia blinked, cheeks pink as she stared at him, somewhat bewildered at their close proximity.

Lucas frowns, “I want to say that I’m doing this because I love you, but in context with the situation, doesn’t that just sound really creepy?”

“Wha—?!” Athanasia’s face turned red as she stared at him with utter disbelief. “How is that creepy?! Don’t you mean romantic?”

“Athy, we literally slept together when we were both tipsy, I was the one to suggest that we head back to my place, and when you got pregnant, I immediately stepped up to be your partner, and we ended up getting married because it was both convenient for us and would be for the benefit of our unborn child,” Lucas flatly stated. “You’re even taking on my family name, and I was about to imply that I’m doing all of this because I love you. That sounds manipulative.”

“When you put it like that, then yeah, I see your point,” Athanasia grimaced.

“I think it’s enough to say that I’m doing all this cause I wanted to,” he flicks her forehead.

“It’s just…! Isn’t it pretty stupid to do all of this just because you wanted to?” Athanasia frowned, rubbing her forehead.

“And isn’t it stupid to keep going round and round in circles when the answer’s simple and laid out?” Lucas dryly asked, raising a brow. “Yeah, I’m definitely sure I’m in love with you, but it’s honestly not that difficult, babe. If I didn’t want to be here for you and help you raise a kid, then I wouldn’t be here, idiot.”

“What did you just call me?” Athanasia squeaked.

“Uh, an idiot?” he blinked.

“No, before that.”

“What are you even talking about?” Lucas frowned, thinking it over for a moment before a shit-eating grin pops up. “Wait… you actually like those dumb couple’s names?”

“Oh! How exciting, Mr and Mrs Hwang,” her ob-gyn gasps in delight as she looks at the ultrasound. “It looks like you’ll be having fraternal twins! It’s possible that you’ll be having a boy and a girl, but the position is a bit difficult to see — yeah, that’s definitely a boy and a girl.”

“What.”

“I thought I was only having one baby?” Athanasia blinked, staring at the ultrasound with wide eyes.

“Ah, well, it’s possible for a mistake like that to happen. Depending on how unclear the ultrasound is, it might appear to be one, but this scan definitely shows two placentas.”

“Maybe. If they’re anything like you…”

“What about me?”

“…I’d probably fall in love with them like how I fell in love with you.”

When she opens her eyes, she sees Lucas laying at her side, staring at her as he runs his fingers through her hair. She hums, closing her eyes as she curls up closer to him — it’s because he’s warm, she rationalizes.

“What, going back to sleep?” Lucas asked, sounding somewhat amused.

“I can’t hear you, I’m not awake,” she mumbled, burying her face into his chest.

“What are you, sleeping beauty? Need a kiss to wake up?” he teases, poking her cheek.

“If you ditch the morning breath, I’ll reconsider,” she impishly grinned, placing a kiss on his collarbone.

Instead of listening to her about his breath, he presses a kiss to her neck, causing her to shiver at the touch. She can feel the curve of his lips in what felt like a smug smile.

Unfortunately, this warm feeling of hers wouldn’t last for long, nor was this going to go in the direction that she was vaguely hoping for when Lucas started blowing raspberries against her neck, causing her to squeal and immediately try to shove him away from her as the jerk outright laughed.

Tagging: @ilyusha-hwang @lithium-15 @bloodredruby

#lucathy #wip tidbit #wynter writes #fic: it was only one night

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jadelotusflower · 3 years

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Robin Hood Rewatch: 1x13 A Clue: No

“Previously on” recaps can be annoying, but there is an art to it and I love a good one. This is a very, very good one, summarising the last episode with ramping tension as the music builds, then cuts to a different take of the last scene as the theme song starts, and we’re into the opening credits.

This is a long one, so it’s going under the cut:

Guy estimates that the “inner circle” of Robin’s gang is “a dozen at the most” and I find it very funny that neither he nor Vaisey have twigged that it’s always the same five people around him. What’s more annoying than funny is that they don’t know how many are in the “outer circle” because that really should have been A Thing in the show (Forrest and Hanton should have come back to guest star! I will never let this go!) After all, we see Little John with more men in the first episode, there are other outlaws in the forest/across the shire that are either working with Robin, or pose a risk to them, and I wish this had been explored.

Djaq manhandling and holding her sword to Pitts’s throat - I love Djaq.

The first arrow Robin shoots is intended for Vaisey, but one of the guards inconveniently walks in front and gets it in the chest. The second arrow is intended for Vaisey as well but he ducks (”my tooth!”) so we can’t fault the writing for a credible attempt at Why Doesn’t Robin Just Kill The Sheriff, because in this scene at least, he tries.

Bye Pitts. You certainly were.

I actually really love this scene (which probably seemed odd given the high body count), but Robin drawing his sword and charging, with Much, Djaq, and John backing him up to avenge Marian’s apparent death/make a final stand, as the music shifts from the jaunty Rescue Theme to Marian’s Theme, just gets me every time.

Although thanks to the cast commentary, I can’t unsee Djaq flipping that guy over her head twice, but hey, it’s a badass move. Clearly they didn’t shoot enough coverage of this fight, because we get the same action from several different angles.

Other than the flashback in episode 8, I think this is the only time we see Robin in Crusader mode, and just how lethal he (and the gang) can be when unleashed and with nothing to lose. Even when the enemy retreats Robin remains kind of wild-eyed with rage unsated, and it takes a beat for him to snap out of it. It’s symbolism time - he sticks his sword in the ground and leaves it there, and we don’t see it again this episode (or much in season 2).

There’s some nice acting going on from everyone in this scene - just utter exhaustion, Allan and Will oblivious to why the rest are so distraught, Much taking it upon himself to tell them but can’t say the words, and Robin with the finality of “she’s dead.” Their faces!

Djaq is still holding two swords as she enters the cave, which is a nice character beat - no doubt the fight also brought back unpleasant memories/triggers for her, and she remains on edge, for the moment unwilling to give up her defences even when the threat is gone.

I really love this scene too (the gang mourning Marian) and I think it’s quite deftly written - Djaq’s immediate reaction being the importance of a quick burial (as per Islamic tradition), Robin trying to keep it together, attempting to ask John/Will to build a coffin but unable to, so deflecting to ask Djaq to prepare Marian’s body, before trying twice again; John soothing him and taking charge. Will’s single tear and speaking of Marian’s goodness. Much responding with “Good? Oh, she was... She was...” looking to Robin because of course his thoughts are for Robin’s grief before his own, and also that his own relationship with Marian was complex. Allan: “She was alright...yeah” that says so much, and of course John’s “Her, we liked.” Again, some fine acting, kudos everyone.

“I loved her and I never told her” is ironic because Robin still won’t tell her until halfway through the next season, and if he had in the aftermath of her apparent death he could have spared himself a lot of the angst of the rest of the episode. But of course he doesn’t tell her, doesn’t learn from this moment, because emotions are hard, and sometimes we make the same mistakes over and over again.

I really love that it’s Allan that notices that Marian is alive, and his little “told ya” flourish.

Score note: while Marian is “dead” her Theme is strings, when she opens her eyes, it’s back to the guitar.

Guy’s guilt in finding out his impending marriage to Marian is based on false pretenses - would he still have forced the marriage if he’d known that from the start?

Djaq still has her two swords as they take Marian back to Knighton.

Guy, if your first instinct when told Marian is not at home is that she’s run away rather than marry you...maybe take a hint? “She cannot run from me” is a big yikes, and this confuses me as to Guy’s motivation in this scene. Did he intend to tell Marian the truth, but then convince himself otherwise (because “the excitement of the wedding” =/= “the wedding excites her”), but then why so angry when he thinks shes run? The difference between getting someone go/being left, I suppose.

Illness is a perfectly plausible explanation for delaying the wedding that no one seems to think of.

Edward is actually pretty bang on in this scene with Robin from a father’s perspective, telling him to let Marian go if he cannot stop it, and do the right thing. On the other hand...

“I am sick of doing the right thing” is why Robin is such a compelling character for me - because it is hard to always be good, to be held to that higher standard, and make the unselfish choice. I enjoy narratives that explore that, and this show is surprisingly unflinching about it, exemplified by:

The next scene, which is one of the most emotionally brutal/hard to watch of the entire show, in which Robin lashes out and does everything to drive Much away, including calling him “a pox” and a “small man” until Much’s heart visibly breaks.

Now I don’t want to excuse Robin here, because he is objectively awful to someone who doesn’t deserve it, who is trying to give him support but also telling him some much needed hard truths (even if it is slightly self-serving, which is what what seems to set Robin off). But at the end of the day, if he loves Marian he needs to accept that it is her choice to marry Guy, to “do the right thing” to (she thinks) protect her father - and later of he does just that. For now Edward and Much are both right, it is more important for him to try and protect the king from Vaisey, because if he is ousted and Richard back on the throne so many lives would be improved, including the people of Locksley. But Robin has been pushed to breaking point all season, and has now snapped and can’t see reason, but is stuck in his own grief/rage.

But unlike previously, when Robin said regrettable things in the heat of the moment and then immediately took them back, this is a calculated attack designed to hurt Much the most, because he loves Robin so much that it takes A Lot to push him away. It’s a bold move to make your hero so unlikable in such a moment, because Robin really is unforgivably cruel here, and trust the audience to understand why. I mean, I don’t want to bang on about the PTSD, but it’s (partly) the PTSD, based on a triggering, precipitating event causing a self-destructive spiral. Robin needs some Ye Olde Therapy.

For all the talk about Robin getting his title and lands back, nothing is said about what happens to Gisborne once he does, other than that they can’t prove he was the one who tried to assassinate Richard. Because really, Richard probably would believe Robin even though the tattoo was burned away, and Guy’s certainly committed other crimes that could be testified to just like they’re intending for Vaisey - and let’s be real, it’s not like a king needs evidence to order someone’s death (hello, season 2 finale). Boom - Guy executed, marriage to Marian annulled, problem solved!

So, the scene between Marian and Guy, in which Marian is more concerned with whether or not Guy tried to kill the king than the fact that he stabbed her. But its understandable, because Marian thinks there’s no way out that doesn’t risk her father’s life, and it’s easier to convince herself that maybe Guy didn’t do it to make the best of things. I think she does have some kind of feelings for him, or is at least moved by his feelings for her, and believes if nothing else she can influence him/continue working from the inside; giving up the mantle of the Nightwatchman but doing the same work (in a different way) as Lady Gisborne.

And then it’s Robin/Marian angst, round 3, and it’s a far cry from their interaction in the cave milliseconds away from “I love yous” - in both tone and body language they’re back in defensive positions talking past one another. The tension, it be thick.

Marian is making her best rationalisation with “deprived of love” and Robin not at all buying the Woobification 101. Once she tells him her decision to marry Guy, he accepts it, but it’s Marian’s reaction that’s telling, she’s surprised that he doesn’t argue, deep down she wants him to fight for her, to say that the real reason she shouldn’t marry Guy is because he loves her. It’s quite a contrast from the previous scene where Guy was very open about how he feels about her, while Robin deflects, but while she was conflicted about Guy trying to kiss her, she’s frustrated, disappointed, and angry when Robin leaves.

But really, this is rather unfair of Marian, because Robin did already declare himself in the cave (”we should be together”) without her reciprocation, so expecting him to take the first step again without any encouragement is a bit much.

Would a depressed person sit slumped against a tree all night?

“But by taking Marian in holy wedlock, I will wash away those crimes. Her pure heart will cleanse mine.” Yeah...not going to touch that one. I appreciate that there’s a lot going on with Guy and many, many people find it compelling, but I’m afraid it’s not really a narrative that interests me.

Speaking of pure hearts: Much. Faced with the same choice he was counseling Robin on, but with the additional wrinkle of knowing the king’s an imposter, he still decides to stop the wedding. “Her heart belongs to another” is A Moment and I don’t know exactly why but I find his very soft pleas following this and calling her “my lady” very affecting.

She’s beauty and she’s grace, she punched Guy in the face.

“A trap. I knew it.” I haaaaate this line. NO YOU DIDN’T KNOW IT ROBIN YOU KNEW NOTHING OF THE KIND IF YOU HAD KNOWN YOU WOULD BE EVEN MORE OF A DICK FOR LEAVING UGGGHHHH.

“We can’t be seen together” Right in front of my salad two guards on front gate duty, who get front row tickets to the kiss. Look at them! They’re right there! This show drives me absolutely bonkers sometimes.

I do love this dress though.

“An audience with the king has been suspended!” Going out on one last pun.

Regardless, I really love this episode. Despite the lack of fallout from the emotional wringer they all went through, I can’t help but smile when the gang does their silly little jump for joy at the end.

#robin hood bbc #robin hood rewatch #1x13 a clue: no #long post

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sokayisaidiot · 3 years

Text

Main Character and who is it really

Writing a story is something we all did one time. Either for a hobby or out of school reasons. You have the storyline and the characters. And now, to move a story forward, you have a character that mostly follows its journey to tell.

Called a Main Character

In the Dream SMP, it’s a running joke between the characters Ranboo and Tommyinnit for who is it. While also other creators make jokes for having a main character scene.

Common Misconception is, to call it automatically “Protagonist”. Why? Well the Protagonist follows always the side with its good morals or the side which gets told it has the right morals. It often was the Protagonist since old times had the “good guys” always win.

Main street media today changed a bit of it and in stories or movies like Joker (2019) and The Shining (1980) we have the Antagonists leading the plot and storyline.

Its seen with the main book series like Harry Potter or Percy Jackson, where the main character follows the side of no killing and peaceful ways of continuing the journey.

Protagonist

Harry Potter, Book; 1 – 7 – Movies; 1 - 8

Percy Jackson, Book; 1 – 5 – No, the movies do not exist

Luke Skywalker, Movies; 4 - 6

Antagonist

Voldemord, Book; 1 – 7 – Movies; 1 - 8

Luke Castellan, Book; 1 -5

Darth Vader, Movies; 4 – 6 – (Only in the 4th he went to become Darth Vader)

Deuteragonist (= secondary Main Character);

Ron Weasley, Book; 1 – 7 – Movies; 1 - 8

Grover Underwood, Book; 1 - 5

Han Solo, Movies; 4 - 6

Tertiary (= forgettable Character/not often there);

Percy Weasley, Books; 1 – 4, Movies; 1 -8

Will Solace, Books; 5

Stormtrooper, Movies; 4 - 6

Confidante (= Friend, Mentor or authority character)

Dumbledore, Books; 1 – 7 – Movies; 1 - 8

Chiron, Books; 1 - 5

Chewbacca, Movies; 4 - 6

Love interest (Not always needed but big importance often)

Ginny Weasley, Books; 6 – 7 – Movies; 6 -8

Annabeth Chase, Books; 1 - 5

Leia Skywalker, Movies; 5 - 6

Foil (= Rival to the Main Character)

Draco Malfoy, Books; 1 – 7 - Movies; 1 – 8

Jason Grace, Books; 1 – 5

Ben Solo, Movies; 7 - 9

First of all, what is a main character really.

Simply putting it like that. A story is nothing without a character. The character forms a story to the point of view

Also a important throw in, a character has their personality and type throughout the plot

Dynamic/changing

Static/unchanging

Stock

Symbolic

Round

What has the Main Character for points for us to fill out:

Having a purpose

Flawed

Going through change

Now with the Dream SMP. What do we have there? Simple. Everybody but nobody really. Now wait before you click of! It’s not that kind of answer. The SMP is put into a big story with every character portraying their life and plot.

The story builds the characters around it. And with it many open plays, each character has their own purpose in this specific story. And that still didn’t fully answer the question. Why is everybody somewhat a main character? Well, next to each other’s own plot, we have the main plot which started the story of the Dream SMP:

L’Manburg and its Revolution

It was the only plot that was going on back then and from that nation, other nations really came into the play like the kingdom of the SMP, which was put into the story after L’Manburg but from a story point existed before L’Manburg. The Badlands, El Rapids Boomerville came from the plots of having rival nations or factions against L’Manburg.

From that point, Wilbur mostly wrote the script until season 1 end, when the rest took it up and made smaller plot points to evolve their own characters. The main story which started the rivalry and the importance throughout the 2 first seasons are the discs. It started as Tommy, the guy with no real growth beat Dream at a fight, later got his first character growth in trading his disc for independence. Later Tommy had to learn that not always everything works without a plan and life will get shitty, by getting thrown out of your own country. With the main goal of getting his disc, the reason of why so many things happened, he ended season 2. The disc were often a plot point with Tommy being a main character in the main storyline.

Season 3 completely opened up for the others, now having the main story like egg and prison.

Thesis: The people creating a plot point and having the most changing ways are the main characters.

So most often, in the main stories, Tommyinnit is a main character for having the most changing plots and being involved with the most main plots. He is in a category of main characters a Protagonist changing to a Anti-Hero due to questioning his morals often and going to violent ways. Because Tommy was from the start in the roleplay, he became a main character, not only due to being involved for the main plots with important roles, but also due to us, the viewers, seeing him like that since the beginning

Ranboo is a new Protagonist, due to his morals he hangs on and helpful ways. Adding to the new lore, he became a part of the main lore. Therefore being also a main character.

Badboyhalo is also a Main character. An Antagonist. But just not for the storyline where Tommy and Ranboo are. He plays a part of the Egg lore as the bad guy.

Puffy and Awesamdude are the protagonists of the egg storyline.

Quackity is an Anti-Hero, going for revenge and freedom. He changed from the course to now, going for communism.

Technoblade and Philza are Anti-Heroes with the mindset of helping everybody but not in a “morally right way” like not threatening to blow your nation into the oblivion. Their storyline is the syndicate.

Dream is the plain Villain. With himself describing Tommy as a Hero and Tubbo as a pawn or person to fire on Tommy’s Hero arc. His motivations and actions line up to one of the bad guys, like taking important things of others, manipulating and kidnapping also fighting against others who are for freedom on their own. In the start, he wasn’t, but with the thought of making a story, he made himself one. He is a main Villain and character in the main storyline.

Tubbo is a funny case, but from a standpoint out, he is the second protagonist behind Tommy himself. He was the second player for the discs and part of every story Tommy was. So, yeah, he technically is one. But the role he plays in some of the stories make him on a writing point a Deuteragonist. The friend but second most important. The thing is, he went from a Deuteragonist to a protagonist after more involvement.

Tommy is the oldest main Character

Tubbo is the most important main Character due to his role

Side characters exist, but they’re the main characters of their own plot

Every Plot is a part of the main

Ranboo is the newest Main Character

THEY ARE JUST A MAIN CHARACTER GROUP; BAM; PROBLEM SOLVED

ITS LIKE HEROES OF OLYMP

It’s probably shit written but who cares, have this weird thing please.

#Dream Smp #Tommyinnit #Ranboo #Wanted a piece of that cake #bros being dudes #Im so tired #ya don't believe me #its shitten written #mcyt #tubbo #yay #have some of my shit #even if I think you guys don't like it #:)#have it #pls

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ortizobsessed · 4 years

Text

Family Recipe

This one was requested by @xx--day-dreamer--xx.

I just want to preface this by saying that I have not read over this one as many times as I usually do before I share a story, so if there are spelling mistakes (or more than usual I should say 😂) that’s why!

Reader x Juice where you have seasonal depression and Juice does everything he can to help and comfort you.

Warnings: Mention of depression.

Word Count: 3325

Masterlist

This wasn’t the first time this had happened. Every year around the same time, when the weather started to change, you felt something shift inside you as well. Some years were worse than others, but you always did your best to prepare yourself for the worst.

You already knew this year was going to be a little different, you just hoped it would be for the better. You’d been Juice’s Old Lady for 8 months now, and things were going really well, but you couldn’t help but dwell on the past. None of the relationships you’d be in in the past had worked out. Most times it ended because the person you were with felt they couldn’t take on the “burden” of helping you through your low points. The negative perceptions of Seasonal Affective Disorder always seemed to win out, and no one stuck around to help you through it.

It always left you feeling even more alone. As if it wasn’t already difficult enough to navigate your way through this seemingly uncontrollable depression every year, that just made it worse. You felt a stronger connection to Juice than you had with any of your past boyfriends, but you couldn’t help but wonder when he would hit his limit. When was he going to get fed up and leave, too?

You were sitting on your couch going over and over all these thoughts when your phone buzzed. Pulling it out of your sweater pocket, you saw that it was Juice. Opening the message, it read, “Hey sweetheart! Excited for tonight?”

Your heart sank in your chest. You had spent the entire day on the couch, mindlessly flipping through channels, and you had forgot that there was a party at the clubhouse tonight. Typing a reply, you hesitated before pressing send, “Oh right. Might just stay in tonight.”

You knew Juice would figure out that something was wrong, but you didn’t have the energy to do anything tonight. It was only a matter of seconds before your phone started buzzing again; this time he was calling you. Taking a deep breath, you answered the call and held the phone up to your ear, but you couldn’t even muster a hello.

The line was silent for a second, then you heard Juice’s voice, clearly concerned, on the other side of the line. “What’s wrong, my girl?”

You sighed deep, as you felt the lump in your throat grow, and tears started to well in your eyes. Choking back sobs, you answered, “I’m just not in the mood tonight, Juan.”

Now he really knew something was wrong. You only called him by his real name when you were being serious. It was always “Juice” or “Juicy”, so hearing you say “Juan” made it clear that something was off.

Without hesitation, he asked where you were.

“Home.” Again, you felt unable to speak. One word was hard enough.

“I’ll be there soon.”

Before you could answer, you heard the line click. You wanted so badly to tell him not to come over, to just stay away. You were afraid that seeing you in this state would turn him away, the same way it made everyone else in the past leave. Who would ever want to be around someone who was sad, and angry, and tired all the time? Who could ever love someone like that?

As you felt your anxiety building, not knowing when he was going to show up, and unsure of what he was going to do or say when he got there, you felt even heavier. Your motivation to get up and put on real clothes was non-existent, so you stayed there on the couch, in the same sweatpants and baggy sweater you’d been wearing for the past two days, and just waited.

It felt like forever, but you had no idea how much time had actually passed. All you had done up until this moment was lay on your back and stare at the ceiling, when all of a sudden you heard the roar of a motorcycle down the street. It took every ounce of energy to pull yourself off the couch, as you dragged your feet across the living room to the front door.

Turning the lock and pulling the door open, you were just in time to see Juice walking up the pathway with a grocery bag in his hand. A confused look found a home on your face, and Juice laughed lightly as he made his was up your front steps. Stopping in front of you, he smiled that goofy smile of his, “May I?”

Nodding softly, you took a step to the side so he could walk past you. Locking the door behind you, you turned to face him, and he was already in the kitchen pulling things out of the bag. “What have you eaten today?”

“I’m fine-”

He just looked at you, not accepting your answer.

“A granola bar,” you confessed.

“You need to eat!”

“Oh yeah, like that’s going to solve all my problems.” Nothing he’d done had warranted that response, but thankfully your snarky comment didn’t phase him one bit.

“Chicken or Beef?” He stopped what he was doing and looked up at you again.

“Chicken,” you answered sheepishly, and Juice smiled lightly.

You weren’t sure how to react. It was clear what he was trying to do, but you’d never had anyone in your life that wanted to take care of you before.

“You can go ahead and relax, I’ll be in here for a while.”

Again, you didn’t know what to say, and you weren’t sure you’d be able to change his mind anyway, so you did as he said. Making your way to the couch again you sat down and flipped on the TV once more.

Neither of you said much the next half hour, but there was no denying that whatever he was making smelled amazing. Juice finally broke the silence, “Food is ready!”

Turning off the TV, you made your way to the small table you had in the dining area of your kitchen, and sat down. Juice brought over two plates and set them down on the table across from each other. A scoop of white rice was topped with chicken and mixed vegetables, all in a sauce that smelled heavenly.

Smiling softly at Juice, you felt yourself begin to relax for the first time this week. You hadn’t had the energy to cook, so you’d been eating a lot of take-out and small things like granola bars and cereal. Looking at this steaming food on the plate in front of you, you felt your stomach growl. Your body desperately needed sustenance, but you’d been too exhausted to notice or care until now.

Picking up your fork, you took a bite of the food Juice had prepared for you, and you couldn’t help but exhale deep. It was delicious, and you could feel your body thanking you.

“So, what do you think?” Juice asked curiously.

“It’s amazing, Juan.” You saw that smile of his flash across his face again, and you couldn’t help but smile back.

“The sauce, it’s uh- it’s a family recipe. One of the few things I have to remember my mother by. She used to make it all the time when I was a kid.” You could tell the subject was a touchy one for him, and you had a feeling that maybe that’s exactly why he chose this meal. He continued softly, “It always comforts me. It’s something familiar. Reminds me of where I came from, and how far I’ve come. Reminds me of everything that lead me to you.”

That was one of the most thoughtful things anyone had ever said to you. You felt those tears begin to well in your eyes again, only this time they were tears of joy. You felt such relief, as a wave of realization that Juice wasn’t like any of the other guys you’d dated before, washed over you.

A few tears escaped and rolled down your cheeks, and before you could do anything, Juice was up from his chair and squatting down beside you. Turning your head to face him, he looked you in the eyes and joked, “Is my cooking really that bad?”

You let out a deep and airy laugh, as a true smile spread across your face. Juice smiled to himself; mission accomplished. He knew you needed to smile, that was going to be the first step in breaking through these short responses from you and getting you to open up and tell him what was going on.

Reaching up, he cupped your face in his hands and brushed your tears away. “Let’s finish eating, and then you can pick a movie to watch?”

You nodded softly as he stood up and made his way back to his chair. Sitting down once more, Juice was still trying to play it cool. He knew from his own experience that prying too much could make you clam up even more. He knew that showing you he cared and simply being there for you was enough for now. You would talk when you were ready.

Not much was said between you two while you finished eating, partially because you didn’t know what to say, but mainly due to the fact that you’d hardly eaten anything this past week. Once your plate was empty, Juice smiled, clearly pleased that he was able to help. “I’ll clear the plates if you want to pick that movie?”

You smiled softly again, “Sounds good.”

He nodded as he stood up from his chair and reached for your plate. Before he had a chance to grab it, you reached your hand out and placed it on the back of his. “Thank you, Juan. I really appreciate this.”

Smiling back at you, he turned his hand over so he could hold yours, giving it a light squeeze. “I just want you to be happy.” His words were sincere and you could feel those tears tickling the back of your eyes once more, but you were able to blink them away this time.

Once the plates were cleared, and you were in your favourite spot on your couch, Juice came to join you. He didn’t sit too close at first, not wanting to overstep any boundaries, and in all honesty that made your heart flutter. He was such a respectful person, and it’s what you loved most about him.

About 10 minutes into the movie, you reached for the remote and pressed pause. Looking over at Juice, you could tell he was slightly confused, but the glimmer of hope in his eyes told you that he wanted nothing more than for you to open up to him.

“Thank you for coming over tonight. Truly, thank you. And for making me dinner- it was delicious. It just- it means a lot to me.”

There was no hiding the smile on his face. All he ever wanted was to be needed, and to feel like he was making a difference in someone’s life. “You’re welcome, Y/N. I could tell you were having a rough day and I wanted to help out.”

Nodding thankfully, you turned your whole body to face him. “If I’m being honest- It’s uh- It’s been a pretty tough week. And umm- It’s going to be a while until I feel like myself again.”

Juice furrowed his brows as he tried to decipher exactly what you meant by that. Taking a deep breath to calm any thoughts of how he might react, you continued softly, “I- umm- I have Seasonal Affective Disorder. I was diagnosed a few years ago, and uh- this time of year is really hard for me.”

As Juice began to understand why you’d been dodging his calls the past few days, and why you didn’t want to go to the party at the clubhouse (something you always loved doing), his face dropped. He didn’t know much about this disorder, but he knew enough to understand that this wasn’t your “typical” depression. This was cause by something completely out of anyone’s control.

Juice still hadn’t said anything, so you kept talking, unsure of what was going on inside his head. “I have certain things that I do, things that have helped me in the past, but I just- this week hasn’t been easy. Nothing seems to be working, and I just can’t push past it.”

Looking down at your lap, you began to fidget with the string on your sweatpants. A few short seconds later, you felt him slide close as he enveloped your hands in his. Rubbing the back of your hands with his thumbs, he spoke softly, “I- I don’t know much- not about this specifically- but I have experience with anxiety and depression. I know how hopeless it can feel. I’m here for you, Y/N. I want to help. What can I do to help?”

You were completely caught off guard by his reaction. You had been preparing yourself for the worst; preparing for him to walk out and say this was going to be too much to handle. Instead, you were greeted with kindness, compassion, and an open heart. In one night, Juice had already put in more effort than any of your past boyfriends had over the course of months.

When you didn’t respond right away, Juice continued, “I knew something was wrong when you didn’t want to go to the clubhouse tonight. You’re always asking when the next party is going to be. This made both of you laugh, and you felt some of the tension disappear.

“Honestly? I don’t really know.” You truly weren’t sure what to tell him, because you didn’t even know what to do to help yourself this time around. “You just being here tonight, spending time with me, showing me how much you care-” your voice cracked. Swallowing hard you spoke quietly, “I think for now that’s all I need.”

Wrapping one of his arms around your shoulders, he leaned forward and gave you a loving kiss on the forehead. As he pulled away, you gave him a warm smile before reaching for the remote. Juice had nuzzled his way into the corner of the couch, and patted his chest, motioning for you to lay down. Pulling the blanket off the back of the couch, you tucked your feet up on the couch, and rested your head against his chest.

The crazy thing about this was, laying on the couch watching a movie was no different than what you’d already been doing this week, but you felt better. The combination of eating a real meal for the first time in too long, combined with the knowledge that Juice wasn’t going anywhere, made this night so different from the last few. Sleep hadn’t come easy either, but a few short minutes after curling up beside Juice, with his arm around your shoulder and your head on his chest, you were out cold.

You woke up the next morning to find yourself in your bed, cozy under the covers, with a warm cup of coffee sitting on your bedside table; Juice had carried you to bed and tucked you in once the movie was over. Looking around the room, you noticed that Juice had also done some tidying up. You weren’t normally a messy person, but cleaning hadn’t been at the top of your list of priorities lately. You smiled softly to yourself.

Flipping the covers off, you slid your legs over the side of the bed and reached for the cup of coffee. Taking a sip, you instantly felt your body relax. This was the most rested you’d felt in a long time, and it was all thanks to Juice.

A few seconds later, you heard the handle on your door turn ever so slowly. Juice was clearly trying his best to not make any noise. Once the handle was turned all the way, he pushed open the door with his foot, and a huge smile spread across his face when he noticed you sitting up.

He was carrying a tray with a glass of orange juice, and a plate full of scrambled eggs, and avocado toast. You weren’t usually a fan of avocado toast, but you knew from the reading you’d done in the past that it was one of the better options for breakfast food if you struggled with S.A.D. It was clear Juice had done some reading up on the disorder after you fell asleep last night; he truly wanted to do anything he could to help you get through this.

“You’ve cooked me two meals in less than 12 hours? What did I ever do to get so lucky?” Your words were sincere. Not a single one of the scenarios you’d gone over and over in your head had been this one.

“Anything for my girl!” Juice said as he set the tray down on the bed gently.

“Did you make enough for yourself as well?”

He nodded, “I did, it’s out there waiting for me. I just wanted to make sure you got yours first.”

Without a word, you leaned forward and placed a hand on the side of his face, then pulled his lips to yours lightly. This wasn’t the first time you two had kissed, but this was a special one. This was the first time you were kissing him while feeling that you could truly be yourself with him. You were falling hard for him, and it was becoming increasingly more difficult to ignore that.

Pulling away from his lips, you whispered softly, “I love you, Juan.”

There was that smile of his, spreading wide from ear to ear. Blinking a couple times, as if making sure he heard you right, he responded with an equally sincere, “I love you, too, Y/N.”

He leaned forward and gave you a kiss on the forehead. “Want to join me out there?”

“I would love to,” you replied, as Juice reached for the tray of food and carried it out to the table for you.

As you both enjoyed a delicious breakfast together, Juice suggested politely, “I think we should go for a walk today- if you’re feeling up to it. I think the fresh air would be good.”

Nodding in agreeance, you took one last sip of orange juice and set the cup down. “I’ll go change into something new- something I haven’t been wearing for three days straight.” This made both of you laugh, and you stood up.

You changed your clothes, and man did it ever feel good. For the first time in a long time, you felt like things were starting to look up.

Going for a walk that day, hand in hand with Juice, was exactly what you needed. Although the air was cool, the sun was actually shining through the clouds, and the fresh air helped lift your spirits.

Over the course of the next few months, Juice did everything he could to help you make it through the hardest time of the year for you. Going for walks together became something you did every second day. He did all the “small stuff” for you, like grocery shopping and laundry (yes even your delicates). Not having to stress about the every day chores gave you the energy you needed to do the things you loved, and the things that brought you joy. Every once in a while Juice would even surprise you by bringing over some of his favourite books for you to read.

It started out slow, things like going to your favourite coffee shop, or repaying Juice by making a meal for him, and before you knew it, you were starting to feel like yourself again. Within a few months, you found yourself back at the clubhouse visiting with the rest of the guys. Juice and his beautiful heart made you feel loved again. You knew that no matter what you two faced in life, if you did it together you could make it through.

#family recipe #juice imagine #juice ortiz imagine #juan carlos ortiz imagine #sons of anarchy imagine #soa imagine #juice ortiz #juan carlos ortiz #theo rossi #sons of anarchy #soa #samcro #redwood original #men of mayhem #fan fiction

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realmadridfamily · 4 years

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“I want everyone to know how brave a woman she is”

“It's true, we feel privileged - we have a good financial situation and I play for the most famous football club in the world and everyone knows me - but this doesn't change the most important thing: we are ordinary people. Like everyone else, we have better and worse days, difficult and beautiful moments, cares and joys. We are strong but also vulnerable. The fact that today we have three wonderful children is largely due to my wife Vanja. I want everyone to know how brave a woman she is. When I think about the situations she had to face, my field worries are meaningless.”

Ivano

"... before my second season in Tottenham Hotspur Vanja and I started talking about getting married. We've been together for almost five years - over four years of which we've lived together. We both wanted to get married and legalize our relationship. During such discussions, we also established one important thing - we both wanted to have a child, or at least three children! One day Vanja was waiting for me at our favorite Italian restaurant in London. I didn't even wonder why she wanted so badly to go there. When I got inside, I noticed that she was nervous, which was unusual for her. I took my seat and Vanja said why she invited me here: "You're going to be a daddy!" It's hard to describe this moment with words. It was one of the best messages I have ever received! My beloved Vanja wanted to convey this to me in a special way. Even though she was tired of morning sickness, she tried to make this moment special. At home, I didn't even notice what was happening to her! She hid everything from me to make sure she was really pregnant. We really wanted our children to be born in Croatia ..." "... we returned to Zagreb on May 9, right after the Premier League ended. Vanja was resting, and I still had to fulfill two obligations with the Croatia NT. From May 24, I was free again and was able to be with my wife. These days were very warm, so I had the idea to go to Zadar and visit my family. Unfortunately, the doctor didn't want her to travel before the birth, so after the conversation we decided that I would go to my parents and sister alone. On the second night in Zadar, I heard my father. It was after five in the morning. Vanja called me but I didn't hear the phone! "Son, wake up! Vanja is going to the hospital!" In one second I woke up and was on my way to Zagreb! I felt bad about not accompanying her that night. Fortunately, her mother lived nearby ..." "... when I spoke to her on the phone I was very close to the hospital. "Vanja, I'll be right there! Please, wait if you can!" But she couldn't. Our first baby was born at 8:10 am and changed our lives forever. The moment when I saw my son for the first time and took him in my arms was one of the happiest in my life. I hugged Vanja and we promised each other that when she got pregnant again, we would definitely be together during the birth - and we kept our word! But then it was our first time, and we had no idea what was waiting for us - besides, Vanja was going to have a caesarean section. We couldn't have anticipated that it would all start three weeks earlier. Vanja and the baby had to stay a few more days at the clinic. I wanted to be part of everything that happened from then on, so I spent a couple of nights with them. For the first four days, the nurses would come to me every morning and ask : "Do we already have a name?" We couldn't make up our minds. Vanja was most concerned with the name Ivano. So I agreed. "Ivano! My little boy and great love ..." "... after two weeks, we were able to go home. Our families were very happy and I was enjoying the days when everything in my life was beautiful and had its place. One day Vanja said that something was wrong, she didn't feel well. At first I thought it was nothing serious and advised her to rest in the bedroom. After a while we heard the sound of a fall. I quickly ran to the second floor. I was shocked to realize that my wife couldn't breathe! We quickly took her to the hospital. Vanja felt a pain in her chest. The doctor admitted that he suspected a blood clot in the lungs and took care of it immediately. I calmed down a bit, but none of us could sleep that night. The blood clot was caused by the body's reaction to pregnancy. The situation was serious, but luckily everything ended well. How badly Vanja was, was evidenced by the fact that the next morning she forgot that she had a son! For the next month, I took her to the hospital every day, and she continued to take anticoagulants for another year and a half. Unfortunately, it wasn't over ..." "... a year has passed since the birth of Ivano. Vanja had migraines, and sometimes she had the feeling that the left side of her face was going numb. But she thought it would pass. One day in 2011, she told me concerned that she had stopped hearing in her left ear. She went for an MRI and there she was diagnosed with a tumor in her ear. At first, we were terrified, but the doctors explained that this was a problem to be solved. In the end, it was decided that gamma knife treatment would be the best option - but it turned out to wait ..."

Ema

"... we packed our own things that had to be taken to Madrid. Vanja took care of this in her second pregnancy. All the problems during the transfer negotiations, moving, adapting to work at Real Madrid and living in Madrid - all of these things we faced during her second pregnancy. I'm not sure Vanja wanted me to carry all these things myself. She didn't feel comfortable with being felt for her health problems ..." "... as you know, after Ivano was born, Vanja suffered a pulmonary embolism, so we were all very worried about her when she was in her second pregnancy. We moved to Madrid, where she was under constant medical supervision and took regular anticoagulant medicine ..." "... the day before the due date of delivery, we played in Dortmund. Coach Mourinho gave me a day off so I flew to Zagreb right after the match. The birth of our daughter was the second of our most beautiful experiences. Everything was fine and we dealt with the name quickly. We both liked short names, so Vanja made her decision - Ema! After a wonderful son, a beautiful daughter was born. The next day I had to go back to Madrid. I had my phone with me all the time! I was able to look at Ema every day until they joined me in the Spanish capital ..." "... in early 2014, my wife decided to fly to London for surgery. She was accompanied by her mother and cousin, because unfortunately I couldn't. It was terribly hard for me to concentrate on football, but I didn't want to talk about my problems. Our fight was our private fight. I didn't want to tell my wife anything because I knew that it’s difficult for her and she tries to hide her fear from me. I had to be strong for her and the kids. We faced everything with a positive attitude ..." "... after returning from London, Vanja had to stick to a special order of the day. I helped her in everything I could. The symptoms went away, which was a good sign. After six months of waiting, she went for her first checkup. The study showed that the tumor began to shrink - today it is four times smaller than it was when it was discovered. Vanja visits the doctor regularly and she feels very well ..."

Sofia

"... after several years of full stabilization, we enjoyed our happiness with Ivano and Ema and the successful stage of my career. And then Vanja, in a moment of weakness, told me something that I believe had been on her mind for a long time: "Luka, I wish we had a third child!" She was fine and after Ema was born she had no complaints, but I didn't even want to hear about it at first. She always said she wanted three children. I had a similar dream: three or four children in a big and happy family. This, however, was before the new circumstances emerged. Vanja had risked her life twice already, and I didn't want this to happen again. She consulted doctors in London about the possible awakening of the tumor as a reaction to the pregnancy. They told her the chances were half and half. She also spoke to doctors in Zagreb, asked them how high the risk of a new blood clot was, but they only told her that despite the appropriate treatment, the risk was always there and only she could make the right decision. So in the end we heard what we already knew - that it could be okay, but it could also end very badly ..." "... but Vanja was determined, and I realized it when she confessed : "You know what, you give it the best in football and I'll give it the maximum for the family!" And so on October 2, 2017 Sofia was born! I came to the hospital in Zagreb from Rijeka, I was present at her birth and everything went well - both Vanja and our second princess felt great ..." "... but a year later, a new nerve arose in Madrid. Vanja was at home and at one point she noticed that her hand went numb and turned a dark blue color. She already knew it was a clot effect because she had learned to recognize the symptoms. She kept a cool head and called the doctor who lived in the neighborhood with whom she had a very good relations. The doctor confirmed her suspicions and immediately took her to the hospital. After all possible tests and studies, they concluded that Vanja should take adequate injections throughout her life ...” "... my wife's resolve in fighting for dreams of three children, despite the risks involved, showed her strength. She recently told me that her gynecologist, after Sofia was born, said: "Vanja, such courage is rare today. If I were you, I would not have decided to have a third child. You are really amazing!" The mother's gust of heart was stronger than anything else. I faced all these crisis situations and nerves, but I was not allowed to show weakness when she was so strong and brave. Thanks to her, today we feel happy and blessed with a wonderful family ..."

(source of quotes - Book “Luka Modric - My Game”)

#Sofia Modric #Ema Modric #Ivano Modric #Vanja Bosnic #Luka Modric #Real Madrid #Luka Modric My Game

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alj4890 · 3 years

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And Then I Left You

(Thomas Hunt x oc*Amanda) in a “what if” version to the RCD/TRR fan fic And Then I Met You Series

A/N Sorry for the delay. Life has just been off these last few weeks. This chapter is loooonnnggg, LOL. It was actually going to be longer, but I knew I couldn’t do that to everyone. Anyway, lets allow these two some time alone.

@krsnlove @my-heart-beats-for-ya @aworldoffandoms @flyawayboo @trappedinfanfiction @everythingmarvelsherlockspn @sophxwithers @kate-mckenzie @twinkleallnight

Masterlist

Chapter 8 Alone At Last

After all the uncertainty followed by being unable to find consistent moments alone, Amanda and Thomas were at last set free of worry.

Well, mostly.

They had to behave as friends when out amongst the small towns they stopped along their way to different historical sights. Though those moments forced them to keep their distance, neither tempered their soft spoken words.

Thomas had worried that first day how they would handle the hotel situations he believed they were bound to encounter. He had gotten used to Olivia's secret passageways allowing him to see Amanda whenever he wanted.

He should have known that the intelligent lady he adored had already solved that problem.

Pulling onto a gravel road, she drove him toward a cottage that sat alone in a rolling meadow dotted here and there with trees. The two-story, thatched roof building sat amidst large Cordonian oak trees. Roses twined around a drain pipe while wisteria grew in wild abandon adding even more beauty to the rough stone walls.

"I know we could stay somewhere different with each place we visit," Amanda explained. "But then I thought we could stay our entire time somewhere in the middle of it all. It will mean more driving each day, but we will have nothing but privacy here."

Thomas stepped out and followed her inside. The cottage was just as charming on the inside as it was on the outside. Much of the furniture was designed strictly for comfort and a few for whimsy. The wooden floors creaked with each step as he explored the different rooms.

Upstairs, there were two bedrooms directly across from one another with a bathroom dividing them.

His lips curved at knowing he wouldn't have to find a way to sneak around and see her whenever they weren't out in public.

"What do you think?" She asked, a bit nervous from his silence.

"It's charming." He set his arms around her waist. "And perfect for our needs."

She relaxed and wound her arms around his neck. "I hoped you would like it. We will stay here for most of the week before going to St Orella. Then we'll have a few days to ourselves there before I have to travel to Applewood."

"Before we travel to Applewood." He pressed a kiss to her lips. "I've decided to postpone filming until after Liam's Coronation."

"You have?" Her eyes widened. "Why?"

"By the time everyone gets here and settled, it will be just a couple of weeks before the end of the social season." Thomas explained. "I went ahead and told Holly to tell the others. Chris has already expressed his thanks since he and Sharon are still getting used to taking care of an infant. Ryan is still completing the last leg of his publicity tour of his last film and is grateful for not being rushed from one side of the world to another. Everyone else had nothing they needed to do that would rush the production."

"Oh." She smiled softly. "Just how long are you intending on being in Cordonia, Mr. Hunt?"

"As long as I can." He murmured, kissing her again. "If that meets with your approval."

"It does." She smiled against his lips before pulling away. "We should go get our things and unpack."

Thomas followed her downstairs as she told him that she had called ahead and had groceries delivered. She had thought of everything to make their time free of anything tedious they didn't want to have to worry about.

That evening, she pulled a map out during dinner and spread it between them.

"Over here is where the old abbey is that Arthur and Reginald had their duel. Then to the south, is..."

Thomas relaxed back in his chair as she continued to point out the places of interest to him. His attention remained on her face animated in excitement to show him these different pieces of her family history. His mind though focused on things other than the film.

Knowing this time alone would be his only chance at truly romancing her without the need of her pretending to want Liam, he wanted to make every moment memorable for her. Something was needed that would remain on her mind during the tedious dinners, balls, and teas she would have to take part in.

He also hoped this time together settled some personal decisions of his own concerning her.

"Am I boring you?"

"No. Not at all." He took her hand in his. "Forgive me, I was lost in thought."

She squeezed his hand then folded the map up. "Tomorrow we can drive to the Abbey and have a picnic. The weather should be pleasant and--"

A startled laugh escaped her lips when he yanked her into his lap. One hand slipped around her waist while the other tangled in her hair, urging her into a heated kiss.

Their eyes met when they slowly pulled apart.

"Why don't we take this-"

His phone began to ring.

Amanda eased out of his lap. "While you see who that is, I'll clear the table."

Groaning in resignation, he left to find his phone and see who would call him at such a moment.

"Hey!" Addison's cheery voice made him cringe. "I was wondering if it's okay that I come in a couple of weeks to compare my sketches and finished costumes to those paintings in Amanda's gallery."

"It's fine." He grumbled. "Now good--"

"How is everything going?" Holly spoke up before he could end the cal.

His eyes narrowed at being on speakerphone. "Is anyone else there?"

"Just me." Shannon said in a please don't be irritated tone. "I brought the baby by for a visit."

"I see." He bit out. "Everything is fine."

"Is it?" Addison persisted. "You haven't told us how things are going with Amanda."

"Did she ever speak to you again?" Shannon sheepishly asked.

"I can't tell if he's angry for us calling or angry because things aren't going like he wants." Holly complained to them.

"The former." He bit out.

Addison squealed softly. "So you and Amanda are together?"

"In a way." He glanced down the hall where he could hear water running and dishes clattering. "Her being a suitor has forced us to keep our relationship a secret."

"Oh thank goodness!" He could hear Addison dramatically dropping on a sofa. "After seeing all the pictures with her and Liam, I was afraid she had refused to even speak to you."

He hesitated and decided not to explain how difficult that truly had been. "If that is all, I will hang up now."

"Why?" Holly asked. "Are you on a date?"

"As a matter of fact, I am and will be this week as well. With Liam's help we were able to escape the court for some location scouting." He cleared his throat when he heard the water shut off. "Goodbye ladies."

"Wait!” Addison yelled out. “We need details!”

“How much longer until you guys can be out in the open?” Shannon added.

“Are you--”

Thomas jerked the phone away from his ear when Shannon’s infant let out an irritated cry. While the three were distracted with trying to calm the tiny girl, he ended the call.

He set his phone on silent. He didn't trust Addison or Holly and now he found that Shannon belonged in that same group. He had no doubt their curiosity would get the best of them or they would feel the need to offer unwanted advice and call within the next hour. He was determined that these few days he had with Amanda be focused solely on romance.

He knew she had it in her head that they needed to tour every single place. He had not had the heart to tell her that just by looking at her photos that he knew he would have an easy time filming at each location. He merely used seeing them in person as an excuse to spend time with her away from court.

He thought it was endearingly her that she was so ready to help him.

Thomas looked up when he heard her footsteps.

Amanda smiled at him as she set a tray down on a small table. "I thought you might like a cup of coffee."

His eyebrow raised when he saw the bottle of whiskey.

"Just in case you would like a cup of Irish coffee." She explained while preparing her teacup.

Her smile grew when he ignored the coffee pot and instead wrapped his arms around her. His lips skated down her neck causing her to have to fight back a shiver.

"Would you like me to fix you a cup?" She asked, biting down on her lip when he kissed up to her ear.

"Yes, please." He stepped back. "Just black coffee."

Amanda glanced back at him. "Are you planning on staying up late?"

His eyes drifted down her body before lifting once more to hers. "Yes, I am."

The heat rising up her neck and cheeks brought a smile to his face.

She cleared her throat and handed him his cup. Her own smile was warm when he motioned for her to sit next to him.

Thomas lifted his arm so she could settle closer. With little encouragement, she turned somewhat away from him so that she could rest her head back against him while curling her legs under her. The two relaxed and enjoyed the peaceful solitude similar to the ones they used to enjoy in California.

Thomas let his arm drape down to settle across her waist while pressing a kiss to the top of her head. He couldn't help but think that this was one of the things that he himself had been guilty daydreaming about. There were so many nights when he and Amanda would watch a movie or simply relax with a drink of some sort, yet had kept their distance from one another.

He had feared losing her if he stepped beyond the friendship line. To now know that she had felt the same made him wonder what would have happened if he had pulled her close one of those nights.

Their peace was interrupted by a sound of rolling thunder followed by the skies opening up.

Amanda eased out of his arms and peeked out from behind one of the curtains.

"There goes our picnic plans for the abbey." She mumbled. Turning back to Thomas, she grimaced. "I'm sorry. Many of the roads that lead there sometimes flood. We--"

"Then we'll go another day." He reassured her with a slight shrug. "I'm in no hurry as I explained earlier."

"About that," Amanda returned back to her spot beside him. "What made you decide to postpone? I know we've had to wait on Ryan, but you could have shot some scenes that he isn't in. Was it your idea or did the others talk you into it?"

Thomas took a sip of his coffee. "It was my idea."

Amanda propped her elbow on the back of the sofa and set her chin on her fist while studying him. "Yes, but what made you think of it?"

His expression was one of humored exasperation as he met her eyes. "Why do you think?"

She lowered her lashes. "Surely you didn't because of me."

"I did." He corrected.

Her brow furrowed as she looked up once more. "Thomas, you didn't have to change your plans simply because I would have to leave and travel with the court." She set her teacup down and reached for his hand. "I can always do a rewrite wherever I am if you need it and find a way to get it to you."

"You think I postponed the film for rewrites?" He couldn't believe this was her first thought. He clearly had more work to do than he originally thought to alter her view of how he viewed her.

"Didn't you?" Her brow furrowed when she noticed his brief flash of irritation. "I know it isn't because you're afraid that I'll end up falling for Liam or anything like that."

"No. I do not fear you will fall for a handsome, truly kind prince who could give you everything." He grumbled.

Her eyes widened at his tone. "Thomas?"

He turned toward her, mimicking her posture by resting his head against his hand. His dark eyes settled on meeting her slightly narrowed in concern stare with one of his own.

"I know if you felt anything for Liam," he began, "that you wouldn't have made any attempt to have a relationship with me."

He glanced down when she laced her fingers with his, giving a gentle squeeze of encouragement.

His lips curved slightly as spoke. "I want to be with you."

She smiled at him. "I want to be with you too."

He lifted their clasped hands to brush a kiss to her knuckles. "You don't understand. I don't want to be apart from you anymore than I have to."

She stilled. "What are you saying?"

He scooted a bit closer. His free hand lifted to her cheek. His thumb brushed the corner of her mouth

"What I'm trying to say is that I will wait however long for whatever amount of time you can give me each day." He explained.

Amanda merely stared at him as the full meaning struck her.

He loves me that much to ignore his passion for filmmaking in the hopes of having a few minutes here and there in secret with me while I am forced to pursue another man.

Of all the gestures or words he could have spoken, this particular one took her breath away. She had lived with him, seen his ever growing excitement, witnessed his work ethic, and had listened to more stories of his life as a director to realize that this was not only a huge sacrifice on his part, but also one that he had made without hesitation.

She had thought she didn't have anymore of her heart left to lose, yet he had found a way to steal it all completely once again.

"You don't mind that I wish to attend the rest of the court events and coronation, do you?"

Amanda could detect the worry in what was usually his confident tone.

Unable to find the appropriate words, she shook her head while leaning forward to kiss him.

His hands cupped her face, holding her steady as he returned her passionate response with his own.

She broke away. Her breathing a touch accelerated from the rush of feelings his touch caused.

He lifted his eyes to hers. "I love you, Amanda." He gently pulled her over to straddle his lap when she said she loved him too. "I don't want to say goodnight to you tonight."

She could feel her heart thudding in her ears. Swallowing, she briefly lowered her eyes. "I...neither do I."

Biting her bottom lip, she forced herself to see how he took her confession.

The look in his eyes caused her heart to triple in beat.

A surprised laugh burst from her lips as he quickly ushered her upstairs. The two stumbled into one of the bedrooms, shutting the door behind them. Thomas had left a small lamp on earlier, casting the room in a warm glow.

A soft smile graced his face when he tugged her back in his arms.

"What are you thinking about?" She asked when he simply held her.

"How happy I am whenever I'm with you." Thomas admitted. "Even before we crossed over into romantic territory, just being near you was enough to improve my mood."

"I've felt the same way for a long time." She cupped his cheek, feeling the sparks down to her toes when he placed a lingering kiss to her palm.

Each kiss and caress that followed grew more passionate as they tumbled to the bed. Thomas gazed down at her at one point. The intensity of the emotions he felt with being with her in a way he had only dreamed of had taken him by surprise.

Noticing his movements had stilled, Amanda breathlessly asked him what was wrong.

"Nothing at all." He simply knew in that moment that she was all he wanted, all he would ever want. "I--" he closed his eyes briefly when she instinctively shifted against him.

Her fingers trailed up and down his back while she waited, trying to be patient with this unexpected break.

His mouth claimed hers when he noticed she seemed to be ready to question him once more. He wasn't able to think how to adequately tell her all the feelings she caused. He hoped he could simply show her what his heart was trying to say.

"Thomas?" She bit her lip when he removed her shirt. "There's something I should tell you."

He trailed kisses down her neck. "Hmm?"

"I've never, that is to say..." Amanda stared up at the ceiling. "I mean, why would I? Ladies of the court are expected to behave a certain way and my family has a tradition of love matches and..." She knew she was making a complete mess out of her explanation. "I never..."

Thomas lifted his head. "Never what?"

Her eyes met his heated gaze. She gestured weakly between them. "Done this before."

There was no possible way he could have concealed his shock. "You haven't?" He didn't know how it was possible.

"Well, like I said..." She sighed as she felt the blush rise up her neck and cheeks. "I was taught that my reputation should be maintained and I knew that only love could tempt me into this."

Thomas propped himself up on his side while listening to her.

His undivided attention was making this seem so much more awkward.

Amanda swallowed and felt pressed to explain. "I had crushes, dates, and all. And there were a couple of times I thought it might be love...but not enough to make me engage in...sex."

"We don't have to do anything you aren't comfortable with." Thomas managed to say. He reached for the shirt he had just removed. "I don't want you to feel any pressure to--"

She slid her body on top of his, causing his breath to catch at the feeling of her skin against him.

"I'm in love with you." She muttered against his lips. "Knowing you feel the same way makes me want to get as close to you as I can."

He could see the vulnerability in her eyes.

"The only reason I thought I should tell you was in case I'm not," she averted her gaze, "in case I'm not very good at it."

"You will be perfect." He wrapped his arms around her. "You don't have to worry about any of that."

He rolled them over and captured her lips in another heated kiss. Within moments they lost once more in the other. Every touch, every sensation seemed so much more perfect since they knew they had the other's heart for their own. There was no shyness, no hesitation, as they held tight to one another with every wave of pleasure that washed over them.

*****************

Thomas couldn't turn his mind off that night. He held Amanda close as she slept, allowing his hand to drift up and down her bare back in lazy caresses.

Something had happened when they made love.

His original plans for when she was done with this suitor mess had become obsolete.

And all because of his heart.

He hadn't expected to lose it completely. He had known his feelings for her were more intense than they had been over anyone else, but this...this was new. So different. So absolutely certain.

He didn't merely want a relationship with her anymore. He wanted her for the rest of his life. He needed her and her love to be his. There was only one situation where that could happen given their lifestyles and location of their residences.

I am going to have to marry her.

*****************

The next few days were spent with the two taking long drives to some of the smaller towns of Cordonia. Thomas listened to the stories she sprinkled in involving herself and either her family or friends. He found himself enjoying seeing this new side to her.

Gone was the stiff and proper duchess that had been present during every court event. She had been relaxed to a certain extent in California, so seeing her in Cordonia as a noble had been a bit of a shock for Thomas. Now that they had a chance to be a real couple, she seemed even more content and at ease around him when they were alone. Her laid back demeanor and humor that continuously brought a smile or chuckle from him had enchanted him.

There were even more surprises in store for the two. Amanda had let all her barriers down. Thomas realized during that he had done the same thing. It hadn't been a conscious decision. Something about her continued to drive him to being whatever was needed to win her over.

The sites they visited were deemed perfect for their film, yet if asked what he would remember most from their travels he would have to say that it was his time alone with her either in the car or in their cottage. They were able to talk about anything or simply sit in silence while reading or watching a movie. The rest of their time was enjoying the closeness that continued to evolve between them. It was something neither ever wanted to lose.

*****************

A few days later...

"Pick up." Olivia muttered when she heard the third ring go unanswered.

"Hello?" Amanda's sleepy voice croaked.

"Turn on your television." Olivia ordered.

"What?" Amanda sat up and blinked. "Why?"

"Do it." Olivia muttered as she hung up.

"What's wrong?" Thomas muttered into his pillow.

"I'm not sure." Amanda reached over him for the remote control.

She turned it on one of Cordonia's news station.

"...for those just tuning in, King Constantine has announced that he will be stepping down at the end of next month." A reporter said while rushing over to where Liam stood.

"Your highness?" He yelled out, "How does it feel knowing that at the end of your social season, you will be crowned king?"

"Which of the ladies do you think is most prepared to be queen?" Another yelled out.

Liam held his hands up to quiet all the questions being thrown at him. Riley stood beside him, blinking at the flashes of lights from photographers.

"Oh no." Amanda mumbled. "Poor Liam."

"What does this mean?" Thomas asked.

"It means that Liam has more stress than before." Amanda explained. "He has barely had a moment to come to terms to being our next king. Now he's pressured to choose a wife who will have to immediately step into the role of queen."

She slumped back against her pillows. "This announcement might make him hesitate in picking Riley."

"Why do you think that?" Thomas pulled her into his embrace.

"Leo's abdication has made the royal family appear weak, at least in some people's opinion. Liam has never had to be tested before since he was only the spare to the heir." She explained. "Now he isn't able to show what he is capable of, leadership wise, before taking the crown since he has to participate in this ridiculous queen choosing tradition." She huffed in irritation. "Now he'll stress over choosing a woman who can easily slip into the role of queen without a chance to learn what all that entails."

Thomas frowned somewhat. "And you don't think Riley can do that?"

"She probably could. With Regina there to help train her, I don't see why she wouldn't be a good queen." Amanda's brow furrowed. "The question is this: is Liam willing to put her through that." She snuggled closer into his embrace as she tried to think what Liam would do. "If they had more time alone together, then he would be able to discuss this with Riley and see how she feels about that aspect of marrying him."

Thomas pressed a kiss to the top of her head. After coming to his own decision about marriage, he too hoped that Liam wouldn't base his choice on anything other than his heart.

"Is there anything we can do?"

Amanda looked up at him, a teasing smile on her lips. "Why Mr. Hunt, are you planning on playing matchmaker?"

"No." He pressed a kiss to her lips. "But given everything Liam has done for us, I would like to find a way to repay him."

***********************

Back at the marina...

"Come with me." Olivia whispered.

Drake barely had a chance to catch his balance as she dragged him toward the docks.

"What are we doing?" He asked once they were out of earshot of the crowd.

"We are going to make certain that Riley impresses Constantine." She stopped him between her catamaran and the Beaumont's monohulled craft.

"We?" He folded his arms. "How are we to do this?"

"By Riley winning the race." She mimicked his stance with a slight irritated tilt to her lips. "You know how impressed the king is with anyone that can sail a boat."

"Yeah, but how are we doing that?" He repeated.

"Bertrand somehow lost his crew." Olivia checked over her shoulder to make certain no one was coming their way. "You will help Maxwell, Riley, and I assume Nadia can at least remain upright long enough to not be in the way, to win this race."

"You expect me and Maxwell to beat out not only your crew but everyone else with a full staff?" His eyes widened. "Liv, your vessel defeats everyone it has gone up against."

"I know." Her smug smirk briefly flashed. "That's why I too will be short a few crew members to help even the odds somewhat." Her eyes narrowed in thought. "We have to make it look like I'm winning until the last second."

She refocused on Drake. "After Constantine's announcement, he will be critically studying all the ladies he doesn't know well."

Drake's stance eased. "Brooks needs every chance to impress him before the Coronation."

"Exactly." Olivia gestured toward the schooner named, Squidsters' Paradise. "Quickly, get on board and be waiting on them."

Drake grinned at her. "I can't believe you're willing to throw the race for Riley."

She rolled her eyes. "I'm not doing it for her, I'm doing it for Liam." She huffed while boarding her own, Knife's Edge. "She's what he wants."

"I still think you are developing a soft spot for her." Drake called out.

"Whatever." She grumbled.

He chuckled at the insults she would occasionally say loud enough for him to hear while checking the rigging.

********************

Back at the cottage...

"The American won! A thrilled Lady Riley Brooks proved once again why she is a favorite among Prince Liam's suitors. She with only the assistance of Sir Drake Walker and Lord and Lady Beaumont, surprised everyone when she passed Duchess Olivia's boat. Prince Liam was witnessed beaming as he and King Constantine hurried over to congratulate her. After the break, we will hear from our panel about the number of Regatta winners who have then gone on to be the chosen spouse by the crown's heir."

Amanda looked up from packing to catch a few shots of Liam and Riley.

Thomas paused in his when he noticed her still. He then saw what she did.

Liam couldn't hide at all how much he adored Riley.

"At least when the court comes to St Orella, I can put them in rooms close to each other's." Amanda said. "If they are placed in my family wing then they won't have to worry about any other suitors interrupting them."

"How many rooms are in this family wing of yours?" Thomas asked.

"There's my chambers," she counted on her fingers. "Then the gray room, which is held for the king and queen. The blue room. That is usually Liam's." Her brow furrowed. "Maxwell and Nadia will need the green one I think for more space. Olivia usually takes the cream and gold one for the views from the balcony. Drake claimed the teal one years ago." She glanced up at Thomas. "I had planned on placing you in the burgundy room next to mine, if you would like."

"I would."

"Good." Her smile was warm. "I'll put Riley in between Maxwell and Drake's rooms." Her brow furrowed again. "I hope she doesn't mind the color lavender. That was my mother's favorite and reason she decorated the room that way."

"How long will it take to drive to St Orella from here?"

"About six and a half hours."

********************

St Orella...

After a lengthy tour of the massive estate, Thomas knew that there was no other place he needed to see to film. Part of the castle was used as a museum of sorts with many rooms remaining as they were centuries ago. The ballroom held him spellbound as he took in the beauty of the honey colored floors, gleaming in the light from the crystal chandeliers.

While he took in the gilded aesthetics, Amanda finalized decisions with her butler and housekeeper for when the court would arrive.

"We will be at Applewood for about eleven days." She explained. "I'll return as early as I can to help finish up preparations." She handed over her lists for menus for each day along with room assignments and seating charts. "If there is anything either of you notice that needs to be done, please don't hesitate to remedy it or to call me." A bright smile graced her lips. "I trust both of you to handle whatever happens."

Thomas watched the two servants puff up with pride as they reassured their mistress that all would be made perfect for her.

Once they were alone, Amanda turned toward him and held her hand out.

"Where are we going?" He asked as he allowed her to pull him along.

"To one of my favorite rooms." She winked at him. "I think you'll approve."

He chuckled at her trying to be cryptic. "I've seen your library." He lowered his voice as they passed by where some servants were working. "And your bedroom."

Amanda couldn't suppress her laughter. "This is something else entirely."

She led him back into one of the drawing rooms filled with antiques and priceless works of art. Her fingers felt along the engravings of flowers and leaves along the fireplace mantle then pressed on a nearby wall.

A doorway was created.

Thomas quirked an eyebrow in silent question.

Taking his hand again, Amanda led him into a dark hidden room. With a flip of a switch, he saw that it was a large theater room decorated in the style of the early 1930's.

"I read that one of my ancestors fell in love with a producer from Hollywood. They used to hold private screenings and wild parties during the beginning of talking pictures."

Thomas took in the large screen, blood red curtains, and decorations that seemed to have been left over from that bygone era.

Amanda wound her arms wound his neck while a smile played about her lips. "Would you like to have a movie date in here, Mr. Hunt?" Her fingers slipped into his hair when he kissed her. "I know it isn't quite like a movie theater, but we--"

"It's better than one." He interrupted. "Because here I can have you all to myself."

"Does this mean you will go out with me?" She teased.

"Yes." He managed to say before they heard a throat clear.

Her butler kept his eyes averted. "Dinner is ready, your grace."

"Thank you, Hudson." Amanda eased out of Thomas's arms. "Shall we, Mr. Hunt?"

He offered his arm as the two walked towards her dining room.

*********************

The next morning, Thomas left Amanda sleeping and headed into the small nearby town.

He walked past numerous charming shops and eateries that had yet to open until he came to the one that Hudson promised would both meet his needs and be discreet. Knocking on the door with the sign still saying that they were closed, he tried to be patient as he waited on the proprietor he had spoken with earlier.

"Mr. Hunt?" A middle aged woman greeted him. "Welcome. Please do come in."

"Thank you." He looked about at the many glass cases showcasing various pieces of jewelry.

It wasn't quite the quality of selection he was hoping to find.

"If you'll just come this way," the woman gestured toward a back door. "I think you'll find this to be more what you described.

Another room of similar size was hidden with displays of larger, more glittering gemstones. A standing safe sat against one wall, which was soon opened by the woman's balding husband.

Necklaces, rings, bracelets, and earrings sat upon velvet padded trays.

Thomas nodded in approval as he searched for just the right engagement ring.

Each one was carefully studied while the couple explained the carat and type.

And then Thomas found it. He knew as soon as he saw it that it was the one meant for his duchess. The six carat cushion diamond ring was perfect. The gold band had an old fashioned sense to it and had diamonds all along it.

The irony of the princess cut diamond was not lost on him and knew it would make her laugh.

After all, she was willing to give up a chance with a prince for him.

He returned to St Orella before Amanda had awakened. With a plan forming, Thomas decided to leave the ring hidden in his guest room. With Hudson's assistance, he hid it in a small dresser drawer that could be locked. Though he wanted to ask her right away, he thought he should at least discuss it with Liam and see how they should go about this.

Thomas then decided he would ask Amanda to marry him the night of her ball.

********************

Applewood...

"I'll see you at dinner." Amanda mumbled as she was separated from Thomas at the top of the stairs.

He nodded with a slight frown forming as he was led in the opposite direction from her. He knew once they were back with the court that they would have to revert to their friendship status. He hadn't expected it to affect him so severely. He knew these next few weeks would be difficult to endure.

It seemed that either the king or queen had decided to assign rooms according to rank.

Amanda's brow furrowed when she was taken down a vaguely familiar hallway, one she hadn't been placed in since she was a young teenager. Often when she would visit Liam here, he allowed her to pick the room she wanted. She usually chose one that lay to the north and had views of the apple orchards that dotted Applewood's rolling hills.

This time she was placed in one on the far side of the estate with a view of the hedge maze. Her luggage was brought in while a maid gave her an update on the evening's dinner plans.

Amanda left her door open once she dismissed the maid in the hopes of seeing just who her neighbors would be.

Her eyes widened somewhat when the king paused in her doorway on the way to his own chambers which were a few doors down from hers.

"Ah, your grace." He smiled at her. "You were greatly missed these last few weeks."

She curtsied. "You are too kind, your majesty." Her answering smile couldn't hide her excitement. "But the absence was well worth it. Mr. Hunt is convinced he can successfully film everything here."

"Good." He beamed at her. "I look forward to hearing his ideas." He left her doorway and knocked on the one next to hers.

"I have a surprise for you." She could hear him say.

The next moment she saw a slightly bemused Liam peek inside her room.

Instead of their normal way of greeting one another, they both fell back to their formal manners as Constantine observed them.

"Welcome back, my lady." Liam flashed a brief grin at her. "I hope your trip around Cordonia was successful."

"It was, thank you."

Constantine chuckled. "I'll leave you two alone to talk."

Once they heard his door close, the two relaxed.

Liam came inside and shut her door. "Now, how did it really go?"

"Perfect." Amanda sighed. "I loved every moment we had alone together."

He hugged her. "That was what I hoped for the two of you."

"What about you and a certain American?" She teased. "Any special time alone?"

"A few." He admitted before grimacing. "I assume you heard the news." He slumped back onto a small sofa. "What a mess this has turned into."

"I saw it on the news." She sat down next to him. "Don't let your father's decision affect your choice."

"Amanda, you and I both know that it will affect it whether I wish it to or not." He rubbed his hands over his face. "Father has spent more time than usual in pointing out which ladies should be on my final list."

"Oh." A slight frown firmed on her lips. "Is Riley on the list?"

"Yes, but only because I pointed out to him how much the people adore her like they did my mother." He turned toward her. "What am I to do? She has never experienced any of the pressures of ruling, but I..."

"You...?" She prompted after a few beats of silence.

"I believe she would be an amazing queen." He said softly. "Her compassion and loyalty would be what the people of Cordonia could always depend on."

"Not to mention keeping their king happy." Amanda pointed out.

Liam snorted in his laughter. "Yes, they would definitely have a more pleasant ruler if I was free to choose her."

"As I recall, you are the one who will be given ultimate power here." She reminded him. "I think that goes along with choosing the lady you care for the most."

"It's more than caring." Heat slowly went up the back of his neck and ears. "I think I'm in love with Riley."

"Then your choice is made." Amanda relaxed back against the cushions and nudged him with her elbow. "I know you have to wait until the end of this social season to tell the world, but I don't see any harm in you enjoying the fact that you have found your queen."

"I wish I had more opportunities to speak with her alone and make certain this is a life she can live happily." His eyes narrowed as he stared off in the distance. "I don't want her to feel pressured into accepting my proposal."

"No chance of finding time here?" She asked.

"Not with Father and Regina inviting senior members of the court to speak to me about their views and such."

Amanda looked about her room. "Where is Riley's room?"

"On the far side, where Drake's room is." He grimaced. "I overheard Father say to Regina that I needed to be reminded of the other suitors vying for my hand."

"Oh." A thought occurred to Amanda. She got up and walked over to a bookcase. She felt around along the top of the third shelf.

"What are you doing?" Liam asked.

"Seeing if I remember this room correctly. If I'm not mistaken, we used to--" she heard a click. "Aha!"

Stepping back, she swung the bookcase toward her room, revealing another door.

"Remember how Drake never could figure out how you and I always managed to win hide and seek together when stuck indoors?" She asked.

Liam's dawning smile was her answer.

"Wait here." He ordered on his way out of the room.

The second door opened, revealing his chambers.

"This is perfect." Amanda whispered, motioning him back into her room. "I'll simply switch rooms with Riley each night once everyone's asleep. Then, we can switch again before everyone wakes up that way your father won't be insulted that we rearranged our rooms."

Liam's eyes widened. "You would give up sleep?"

She laughed with a nod. "I would for you." She took his hand. "You were the one to not only convince Thomas to come here for me, but in finding us ways to be alone." She squeezed his hand. "The least I can do is give you and Riley a chance to be alone in here so that you can decide on your future together."

Liam hugged her tight. "Thank you." He shook his head. "I don't have the words of how much this means to me."

"You don't need them." She patted his back. "Now then. I'm going to go find her and share our plan." She opened up her door and peeped out. "We'll keep this a secret from everyone."

Once she saw that the hallways were busy with members of the court being placed in their rooms, she managed to disappear in the mad shuffle on her way to fix this situation.

#and then I left you #thomas hunt x amanda #Thomas Hunt #and then I met you #thomas hunt x oc #liam x riley #olivia x drake #olivia nevrakis #maxwell x nadia #choices RCD #choices red carpet diaries #choices the royal romance #choices crossover fanfic #perfect match nadia #pm nadia park

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libralita · 4 years

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Fate: The Winx Saga Unedited Ramble

Alright so I finished the first season of Fate: The Winx Saga and it was pretty fucking dreadful if I’m being honest. Let’s get into it.

First, let’s talk about the production quality because it was lacking in some weird areas. The audio mixing was surprisingly bad in a few places. Most notability when characters were talking over the phone. Every time Bloom speaks to her parents over the phone the voices on the other end are so loud. And most of the time when a character is talking to someone over the phone, their voice over comes in a bit softer with a filter to make it sound poorer quality. The audio was crisp and loud. There was one funny scene where Bloom is on the phone with her parents and she’s outside and there’s a bunch of background noise and her parents are in a quiet house. When it cuts to Bloom’s parents with Bloom on the phone you can’t hear the background noise but when you cut to her you can hear the general outdoor sounds in everything. Also whenever pop songs could come they were so loud. I would always have to turn down my volume because they would be louder than the normal speaking voice. Now for the sets. They were fine? I guess. Generic castle. Generic house. Generic forest. Fine. The costumes were uh…really awful. Mostly because you have the cartoon to compare it to where you had fashion designers design the outfits and you could tell, all the girls were so fashionable. A lot of the outfits were crimes. Terra’s and Stella’s were especially god awful.

And now, I guess I’ll go through the episodes and point out the problems as I see them. Episode one, I have a lot to say because the problems of the show become evident very quickly. So, first the dialogue. The original show had lame slang, especially with Musa, but my god some of this shit was painful. The first instance is when Bloom accuses Sky of mansplaining, so first of all it’s really great to see my childhood icon being sexist. Great. I love it. Second, she isn’t even using the term correct because by definition it is a man must explain to a woman a concept that she already knows in a rude way. Bloom states before this that she doesn’t know what a Specialist is so it’s not something she already knows. The only line that got a snort out of me is when Bloom says “Gryffindor. Explains the judgement.” Now the roommate situation. They totally moved Terra and Aisha because they wanted more drama. Terra is a ball of anxiety and wants to be friends with Musa, Musa’s an empath and can’t deal. Bloom is naturally gifted and a bit of an…well the show wants us to think she’s a free spirt and a rebel but she’s an idiot. Aisha is smart but has to work for ever bit of magic she gets. (despite that one line where she saws she flooded her school because of a math test but whatever) Another thing is that they say guns don’t work on the Burned Ones but if swords do then guns do. It’s stupid.

A great theme of this show is that everyone needs to calm down. As someone who’s lived in a suite like with this with four/five other girls, you’re not going to be best friends with your roommates the first day. Calm down Terra. Back to bad lines. Speaking of calming down, Bloom’s mom takes away her door (Sidenote: Whoever wrote “Don’t you feminist with me. This basic bitch’ll break out her bullhorn and her dissertation and take your ass to school.” Needs a good slap) and so Bloom is so enraged by this that she…nearly kills her parents by burning the house down. Fucking brilliant. That is the thing that enrages her. That. Fucking moronic. Also Bloom’s parents are on the floor but there’s a clear pathway that they can just walk through that Bloom walks through. This could have been solved if you had Bloom walk through the flames because fire fairy Speaking of people needing to calm down Terra is just absolutely insufferable. Riven calls her fat and she her response is to choke him and when he calls her out on this she smiles at him saying “nice to see you again” or something. Fuck off Terra. Attempted murder not acceptable when someone insults you.

Alright, now to talk about Stella (and yes, we’re still on Episode 1) while I think Bloom and Flora were done the dirtiest, they massacred my girl. While I don’t think Stella is the most complex character, I discovered while watching this that I really like her in the original. I especially love the episode she gets her Enchantix and the episode she saves her father from Valtore’s spell. Both episodes are so beautiful and her character shines. She’s a bitch in this show. It explains why and I actually do feel bad for this Stella but my god, my Stella would never. Which might as well be the title of this show, Fate: The Winx Would Never Saga.

Few final problems for the first episode: First they call Bloom a changeling and that’s not what changeling’s are and it’s very distracting. Find a different word. Second, Bloom’s house does not look Californian and probably isn’t. Also if Bloom didn’t want to lose Stella’s ring, then she should have worn it on her fucking finger. Now onto episode 2.

So, another problem with this show is Beatrix, while she’s one of the most interesting characters on the show, the fact she barely interacts with the girls is stupid. They should have just put her and Bloom in the same room together. Then Beatrix could interact with all the girls. Problem solved. But no. However, I actually kind of dig Beatrix’s relationship with Riven, I remember liking it in the original as well when it was with Darcy. Maybe I just like evil couples. Oh and magic has changed. So now there’s five elements Water, Earth, Fire, Air, and Mind. And you use emotions. And seeing Stella tell Bloom to think of negative emotions hurts my soul because I remember the episode where the girls go to Cloud Tower in season 2 and STELLA WOULD NEVER. Onto episode 3 and 4.

Okay so it’s revealed that Bloom was born in 2004 so that means these girls are 16, 17 in Stella’s case. To which I say bullshit. Now, onto Queen Luna. I don’t think she had any lines in the original series, however I will say QUEEN LUNA WOULD NEVER. I hate that Stella has a shit relationship with her mom. I hate that Queen Luna is queen of Solaria. I hate that she’s the Queen of Light despite her name being Luna because she should the Queen of the Moon because that’s how it worked in the original but no. It’s dumb and I hate it. Though, I will say that her treatment of Stella did make my heart hurt. New appreciation for this imposter Stella. One other thing is that Beatrix’s story is the most interesting. Aster Del was cool.

Episode 5 is when I realized that there were only 6 episodes of this series instead of 8 so…this is the penultimate episode and where shit gets real bad. I don’t like seeing Musa having sex, I think I was on my phone when Stella was having sex but seeing Musa with her bra just made my childhood weep a little. Also, how the fuck did Musa not know Stella was there? Also, I kind of like the scene were Stella opens up to Musa but I would have liked to see Musa say “I’m an empath, dummy, I know these girls aren’t judging you.” Speaking of stupid, Bloom. While Farah not telling you the truth about stuff was dumb, you breaking Beatrix out is massively moronic. And then the show decides to make my childhood weep again by having Bloom drug Sky. Thanks sho w, seeing this happen to my childhood OTPs is fucking great. And you know what? I try to hate this show but then it has a soldier facetiming Marco saying that the Batallion is dead and that she has a broken leg. Then she starts running away from the Burned Ones while hobbling with her “broken” leg and the camera stays on her. It’s…it’s a special show.

The show briefly mentions magical convergence and don’t fucking dare. And then…the characters brains magically go bye-bye. First Bloom is a ding dong for leaving the drugged Sky face down. Then Terra, Musa, and Stella are absolute ding dongs for giving Bloom back the key to break Beatrix out. At first I thought they were fine with allowing Beatrix to murder Dane and then Stella just fucking pushes her into the trap and it made it worse. You don’t fucking know that won’t kill her, you ding dongs.

Onto the finale. Aisha gets shit for being the only one who isn’t a ding dong. “Hope the brownie points will keep you company when you have no friends.” My soul. Bloom becomes really fucking confusing because she doesn’t trust Farah or the other staff but then she just randomly trusts Rosalind. And then she points this out that it’s weird that Rosalind wants her to trust her. And then Bloom goes to save her friends. Funny moment: Stella loses signal, she clearly needs to switch over to the plan that one soldier had where she could face time in the middle of a fucking forest with perfect quality. Then back to Bloom where she confronts Farah and says “What if Rosalind isn’t crazy? What if she had a reason to lie?” And she’s just…an idiot because she doesn’t see how that logic can be thrown right back at her with Farah.

Terra continues to be an ass to Musa. Like she just demands that Musa take away his pain and I understand the Musa needs to open up and get past her baggage. However, Terra does it in such a bitchy way that I would have probably slapped her. Also the show pretends that Terra was helping Sam when she did nothing but hold his hand while he writhed in pain. Also, also you clearly have sedatives in this world, fucking use them.

So Saul “killed” Andreas which is stupid on two fronts. Number one, Saul says to at least Sky that he died in a battle but no one ever questions which one. You’d think they’d find his body on the battle field. Number two where the fuck did Andreas’ body go? Did Saul not care? Fucking stupid. Also Andreas raised Beatrix. Interesting. A little…Mortal Instruments but I’ll allow it. Cool reveal.

Then…the things. Uh, while I’m glad that this show about fairies actually has fucking wings for one scene and they’re pretty cool looking with the fire and almost scale like. However…there’s no magical costume which is bullshit.

Finally, Farah’s neck is snapped and that just kind of the final blow to my childhood. So…overall. This was pretty shit as both an adaptation and just as a story. There were a lot of plotholes and stupid things.

#Fate: The Winx Saga #Winx Club #Netflix #bitter

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