#and treats Izzy like he’s the insignificant one

[nicnacsnonsense]

So there’s a post going around about how Izzy and Stede are a case of hatred at first sight, and I love that post, would not disparage that post, but I did notice a small hole in the “at first sight” part of the theory. At the end of their confrontation in episode 2, Stede does try to be polite to Izzy, introducing himself and offering to shake Izzy’s hand. It’s only when Izzy shows up again in episode 3 that Stede starts being bitchy to him. The short and most likely explanation is Izzy’s refusal to shake hands, instead threatening Stede with a “this isn’t over,” put Stede off the man and made him conclude Izzy was just an asshole. Definitely the most likely explanation, buuuuuut *gets out corkboard and string*

Okay, so right off the bat I can’t help but notice that Stede’s initial response to Izzy’s threat seems kind of positive? When he says “good, because I kind of enjoyed it,” it sounds genuinely anticipatory to me. Which makes sense; this confrontation is the exact type of thing that would appeal to Stede’s romanticized view of pirates. I bet he was even excited that he had a nemesis now. But when Izzy shows up again, Stede doesn’t treat him like a nemesis. You have a certain amount of respect for your nemesis, and Stede does not respect Izzy. The original post mentions Stede treating Izzy like he wished he could treat the people who bullied him, and I think that’s exactly it. You know how sometimes a person who is/was bullied will have these imaginary confrontations with their bully where they are the cool, confident one now and their bully is the pathetic one? Stede treats Izzy like he’s having one of those confrontations in real life and Izzy is the pathetic version of his bully.

Which brings the question of what caused this shift. I think a crucial part of it is that in episode 2, Stede knows nothing about what Izzy is like as a person; he only knows that Izzy’s pretty good with a sword and that he bought the hostages off the natives, but presumably does not know anything about the context of how that happened. That latter point is relevant because it seems likely that at the time Stede is assuming Izzy did not know about Stede and his crew’s involvement in taking Officers Hornberry and Wellington hostage and is under the impression that they became prisoners of the natives in similar way to how Stede and Pete did. Now, no one else on Stede’s crew seems to have had any interactions with Izzy that Stede wasn’t present for that would offer him further insight into the man’s personality. Buttons did have the conversation with Izzy that could have revealed to Stede that Izzy was aware that they had taken the hostages first, but that would require Buttons to actually tell Stede about the conversation and in such a way that Stede was able to parse together what actually happened rather than assuming Buttons was discussing real or imagined ghosts.

But you know who did spend some time with Izzy and very likely could know that Izzy knew about Stede and crew when he bought the hostages? Officer Hornberry. We can be fairly confident that Hornberry formed a negative impression of Izzy in even the brief time he spent with him; hilariously, when Stede initially jumps out of the bushes and claims dibs on the hostages you can see Hornberry nodding in agreement in the background, which he quickly turns into a head shake and a glare when Izzy looks back at him. And we know for certain that Stede and Hornberry have a good rapport; we both see it and hear Stede directly call it out in episode 3.

So my crazy theory is that directly after Stede first met Izzy, he was excited to have a nemesis now, bless his dramatic bitch pirate fanboy heart. But then as they were heading back to the ship, Hornberry started telling him about how mean Izzy was. Stede and Hornberry started gossiping about it, and you just know comparisons to Nigel and how awful he was came up. By the end of the conversation Stede had concluded that Izzy was not his super cool nemesis, but a bully and an asshole. But not just any bully and asshole, no Izzy is a bully and an asshole that Stede didn’t have to feel afraid of because he had already stood up to and bested him. And now Stede finally has an outlet to say all the things he ever wanted to say, but was too scared to. Love that for him 💖

#ofmd #stede bonnet #izzy hands #officer hornberry #Izzy’s side is a little more straight forward I think #even before meeting Stede he’d decided that Stede was a pathetic idiotic weakling #and everything he sees of Stede confirms that according to Izzy’s narrow-minded worldview #and yet in spite of that Stede *keeps beating him* #and treats Izzy like he’s the insignificant one #and you just know that sticks in Izzy’s craw; absolutely unbearable

[slakedbyiron]

I'm drunk again but we'll take a crack at it. I couldn't find the post so here's the page again lets analyse

Okay no 1 Francisco and the dojo:

Izzy feels so bad that she can't do what seems to be a really tough spectral move (on the previous page only Spender who is described as Francisco's strongest student can do it properly) at only 6 YEARS OLD she starts crying - and Izzy isn't actually a part of this training session so it implies that even Francisco thinks this is too hard for her to do, and yet she still holds herself to the standard of an adult spectral because that's what Francisco has taught her

He holds her to an unattainably high standard and the one thing she is properly skilled at and proud of (her exceptional connection with spirits and her skills with tools) is belittled by him as weak and cheating. Francisco doesn't accept anything less than an automatic reaction to physical pain as a reason to cry - and even then he still ridicules her, saying "is that all?" as if a child wouldn't cry at being hurt.

He also calls her mother over to deal with her, even though she's a nurse she's incredibly busy and just about to leave for work he feels like it's her issue - presumably Amy feels secure working as much as she does because she believes that Izzy has a strong support system at the dojo, knowing how much she looks up to Francisco and how many people are around to protect her. on the next page he implies it should be her job to look after Izzy at the expense of her career because he's housing them both - despite the fact that her father still lives in town. similar to the way Isabel is treated by him, he holds Amy to a higher standard because Ángel has disappointed him, as if it has anything to do with her.

Despite the fact that Spender is the only person on this page who doesn't actually live in the dojo he's the only one who goes to see if Izzy is alright - the rest spend way more time with Izzy yet seem awkward to borderline disinterested in her pain in the 4th panel - I know she's a young kid but they should have a stronger connection with her. This could be related to how she's literally pitted against adults in the present, whereas in the past it's slightly more theoretical/in her head

That leads us to no 2 Spender and Izzy's relationship:

The penultimate panel I feel shows how close she and Spender are. It implies that he picks her up a lot because she instinctively knows what he's doing even though he turns around without saying anything. In addition the fact that he picks her up presumably also because she says she hurt her foot, so she doesn't have to walk on it - even though banging your foot wouldn't really impede your walking

Also, Spender doesn't even notice how Francisco is treating Izzy this whole page, because he's too wrapped up in seeing if she's okay (the final panel shows he still has his hero worship of Francisco which I'd hope he wouldn't if he realised how terrible he treats her) this is something he still does in the present day but it hinders Izzy because he focuses on "keeping the kids safe" rather than emotionally secure and regulated. It also very literally happens again in chapter 4 when he's worrying with Lucifer about whether he kept the kids safe properly and misses Izzy asking for his help dealing with Francisco.

finally no 3 more on Isabel:

She's too young to have as strong a handle on her emotions as present-day Isabel (read: emotional repression) but she still thinks that this is a weakness to have a completely normal reaction that all kids that young would have to frustration. Isabel is only 6 years old and she's already internalised that emotional pain is insignificant and weak, and that the only 'valid' pain is physical, as shown by her lie. despite this she's still invalidated because the pain wasn't bad enough. Also her kneejerk lying about pain is a trait commonly seen in abused children.

This can be seen to have both the aforementioned emotional implications in current Izzy, as well as physical - she attempts to use plasters to cover a wound that actually needs stitches because she doesn't want her grandfather to know and be disappointed, risking an infection.

I realise half of these are just statements w no conclusions but I hope you can infer what I mean. anyway concluding statement no one looks out for Izzy like they should and also her and Spender's relationship and all of its shortcomings is one of my fav things abt pnat both bc there's so much meat there and bc they're my 2 fav characters

#paranatural #going to drunk bingo I don't normally start drinking at 6pm

[cloeb917]

An open letter to my mother, may it be lost with time or eventually read aloud doest matter. Mom, it has become obvious to everyone around us that we don't understand each other and you clearly want to make no effort to even try. I guess I’ve come to terms with your decision though it does hurt. Despite our differences, I am still your child merely an offspring of a fertilized egg, everything after that is up to you to make an effort. I appreciate the things you have done for me such as feeding me thus far and making sure I always had somewhere to stay but it seems a lot like you just don’t care for me anymore. You call me things like selfish, disgusting and lazy. I don't know if these things make you feel better for not understanding me or what or if you honestly believe them. Either way, you say them. I don’t know what makes me your favorite target among the three of us but for some reason, I seem to be the cause of every problem and conflict. Maybe its because I am clearly different. Alexis is smart and charming and has accomplished the world. Izzy is athletic and quite and artsy. And me? I am bold and emotional and I question things that don't make sense to me, along with this I am also apparently selfish. For a moment I thought maybe you didn't like me because I tend to keep to myself in my room and I hang out with friends a lot, but then I remembered why I started doing that and it’s because of you. I hide away to avoid your under the breath comments and remarks about my attitude. The past four years have been bad for our relationship, I remember when I was twelve at one of Izzy's soccer tournaments we had been arguing the whole weekend and for a while before it about various insignificant things. You said to me something I think about a lot. You told me that you would be fine if we never spoke again as long as it meant the bickering would end. I was twelve years old and you told me you would be totally fine if it benefited you and your feelings. For as long as I can remember you have used your power over me to make me feel worse about who I am as a person and I am so tired of it. Walking on eggshells is exhausting, I can never make you happy. You called me selfish today and you’ve been saying it for a good chunk of my life. I don't think it's possible to recount every circumstance of why I’m selfish in your book. Maybe I was upset about a hairbrush of mine being used by someone else when I needed it, maybe I didn't grab my sister a spoon while I was in the kitchen, maybe I asked Isabel to watch a baby while I showered for 15 minutes. I’ve heard the same thing from dad once in my life. When I messed up the times for that stupid play and he sat in the parking lot for like 30 minutes waiting for me. He yelled at me and told me I didn't care about anyone but myself. The difference I can think of between you and him aside from the large advantage you have over him number wise was that the next day dad apologized to me. I can't recall a single time you have ever said you were sorry and maybe its because you aren't. I think it's important you know now that your words hurt me, you say them so quickly and easily and they hurt. That being said I don't care about them in the slightest. Nobody else has ever told me I was a selfish person, I can even say that people have told me I’m not selfish while I complain to them about you saying it yet again. So I don't know if its all in your head and you're simply looking for something to be wrong with me because you don't understand me or if you just bring out the worst in me. I honestly don’t know. It could easily be a mixture of the two. But for the past 14 years, I have been an outsider in this family, or at least to you. It's blatantly clear to everyone around us too. Izzy, Alexis and I may joke about it in a “Haha Cloe is the least favorite” Kind of way. But I honestly believe it’s true and it hurts. I think that there's not a single human alive that hasn't been selfish at least once. You’re selfish all the time. I think it’s selfish of you to shut yourself off from me. I think it's selfish to not let me make mistakes when your whole life has been filled with them. I think it's selfish to compare me to my sisters. I think it's selfish to treat me like a joke when I open up about things that scare me. Even though these things are very real to me and I notice them every day I don't see you and think you're selfish. I see you and it makes me sad. It makes me sad because I hear all about these girls who’s mom is their best friend. Who tell their mom everything. Girls who have conversations with their moms and its an even playing field. They don't feel lower than their mom. They are equals. Maybe someday that could be us, but at the current road we are heading down I don't plan on holding my breath. There is so much about me I wish you would know, so many things I want you to notice about me. There have been so many times where I have cried out for help and my calls were ignored or I was simply told to calm down. There were times in my life I wanted to die, or I had no clue how to handle a situation and with Alexis gone I had nobody to talk to because I don't feel comfortable telling my mom anything. Because I’m “different” from my sisters or because as I’m once again being reminded, I am selfish. I just want you to care about me or like me or show you love me. Just once. But these things don't define me. Though it would be nice, I’m a good person even if you don't think I am. You could ask everyone who knows me, all of my friends and teachers and classmates their opinions on me. You’re the only person who’s first thought is selfish. I have so many friends who love and care about me. I’m sorry you don't understand me and I’m sorry you find my presence in your life annoying and lazy. But I refuse to apologize for being me and I think it’s important I tell you that I’m not a selfish person.

[marierosejosephtascher]

Shadowhunters 3x13 Review

Okay, I didn't write one of these because it was a total meh and I hoped this one would be better, but, boy, was I wrong. Here we go

First thought: Jordan looks like a homeless person. Please, brush your hair, dude!

Ugh, this Heidi person is soooo annoying. Does she have a plan or does she just like stirring shit up? Also, does becoming a vampire give you skills in acrobatics?

Am I supposed to believe this phyco has been at large for a while, has been killing mundanes and werewolves and the Clave doesn't give a fuck? Like, I know in the Institute they're busy with Clary and her return, but is no one worried about this stuff happening right in front of their faces? If Izzy is so concerned with helping Downworlders, she can start by helping catch this girl.

"You would have done the same for me" Izzy, you've known him for like 3 months.....

Why are these reunions so underwhelming? Given the way he was grieving, I would have thought he would be the happiest person in the world when he saw her again. Instead we got a meh hug.

Again the show is trying to make me dislike Clary just because they're treating her like the most special girl out there when she's mediocre at best and just has the protagonist's pass.

Wow! Izzy changed her clothes and did her hair really quickly, which makes me wonder like....is this all happening in the same day?

Why would Izzy tell Magnus about her returning addiction if she's trying to hide it from Alec when there's a 99.9% chance Magnus would tell Alec everything. Especially considering how things ended up when he hid it from Magnus? Is there really no other Warlock she could ask? Jace and Luke can take a portal for an unsolicited mission, but God forbid Magnus uses it to help one of his friends.

There were a lot of scenes in this episode that felt like they were put in just so they could pass the 42 minute mark. Most of said scenes were between Clary and Jace. Sorry, I don't really care about this Lucifer/Archangel Michael stuff, because all the fluffy bullshit makes it boring.

The Clace sex scene was cringe. Like, cringe AF. It looked like they were doing it separately and someone taped it, cut it and put the two videos together.

Man, Maryse really did a full 180°. It seems like along with her runes, from the Clave they had taken her personality too.

Let me get this straight, Luke has been in love with Jocelyn for 20+ years. She's the reason he "betrayed" his parabatai. He waited for her all this time and when she's dead he gets over her in like 2 weeks (how much time passed since Jocelyn died?) goes to make out with a woman he knows shared Val's ideology for real. Okay.....

I have to say, the most interesting part for me was the werewolf/vampire conflict, which is a huge surprise. Alisha's acting was steller.

There was a severe lack of Magnus and Alec in this episode. Which on one hand is great, because I don't have to watch them make out awkwardly, but on the other, it just shows how insignificant they are to the story. Alec also acted extremely OOC in my opinion, especially when he was trying to hide the fact that he knew about Izzy's 'accident'.

I actually liked the cliffhanger! It was very well done and it definitely has my curiosity. Like, I'm actually wondering if Jordan will survive. I mean, he probably will, but if I didn't know, I would be tuning in next week for sure.

This is imo one of SH's weakest episodes. It was a total filler in terms of the main storyline aka the one we're supposed to care the most about, the acting was subpar and the scenes that were supposed to be the most emotional turned out to be stale and forced. Soooo, let's hope for the best next week!

#Shadowhunters #SH spoilers #anti Clace #reviews

[sunshine--temptress]

Clizzy prompt: "With a body like that, everything is your color"

Sooo, it's done and I hope you like it. Sorry it took forever.🎄🎄🎄Alec had spent weeks preparing the annual Pandemonium Christmas party with Magnus and everyday he was reminding Isabelle that everything needed to be perfect. The party was two weeks away and Isabelle was starting to panic a little bit. She needed to find the perfect dress and a date if it was possible. She didn’t have to have a date but with two of her brothers in relationship she didn’t want to feel like the fifth wheel. Alec and Jace always reassured her but still, having a date to the party would be nice this year.Isabelle sighed and let herself fall on her bed. She extended her arm to reach her phone on the nightstand. She double tap on the screen and dialed Magnus’ number. Hopefully her best friend would be able to cheer her up.*Isabelle held the dress in front of her and looked at herself in the mirror. She cocked her head to the side wondering if this dress was really her style. She turned around to look at her best friend sitting in a chair near the fitting room. “What do you think Magnus? I’m not sure if it’s my color.”Magnus opened his mouth to answer when a pretty redhead appeared behind Isabelle.“With a body like yours, everything is your color.”Isabelle turned around to face the other girl and blushed. “Thank you".“You should really buy it, I really mean it. I don’t want you to think that I am saying that to everybody and that I say it because of the commission”, rambled the girl.Isabelle laughed and looked at herself in the mirror again. The dress was really pretty and the color was gorgeous.“She’s right", said Magnus, “this color is amazing and you look great.”“Okay, I’ll take it.”“Great!”*“You noticed that this girl was totally flirting with you, right?” asked Magnus.“What!? No, she was not. She wanted to sale this dress, no matter what she said and clearly it worked", answered Isabelle pointing at her bag with her head, “but there is no way she was flirting.”“Oh my god, you are infuriating, no wonder you don’t have a date”, sighed Magnus.“No need to be mean.”Magnus put his arm around Isabelle’s shoulders and kissed her cheek.“You know I just want you to be happy and I’m telling you, she was flirting with you.”“Whatever.”*“You really think she was flirting with me?” asked Isabelle, a few days later.She was sure her friend was wrong but the girl had occupied her thought for the last three days and she was really pretty, so what if Magnus was right, what if? “Yes she was definitely flirting with you”, answered Magnus, “but if you want to be sure, we should go back.”“What why? No, we can’t do that, no no no. And what am I supposed to do? Ask her if she was, I can’t do that.”“Okay okay calm down Isabelle. We go back and you buy accessories to go with the dress and we’ll see what happen”, answered Magnus with a glint in his eyes that never meant anything  good.*As soon as she entered the store the pretty redhead caught Isabelle’s attention she was by the cash register with another customer, laughing at something she had probably said.“See, I told you she was not flirting with me", murmured Isabelle.Magnus rolled his eyes and sighed.“Stop that, she was and I’ll prove it to you.”Isabelle watched Magnus walked to the counter to talk to the saleswoman. He talked to her and pointed to Isabelle. Isabelle wanted the floor to open and swallow her. She couldn’t hear what Magnus was saying but she was mortified but then the saleswoman looked at Isabelle and smiled and Isabelle felt her heart skip a best in her chest. This was really stupid, she couldn't have a crush on a girl she had only met two times and didn't even know her name.Isabelle smiled back and pretended to be very interested in a scarf hanging around one of the mannequin's neck. From the corner of her eyes she saw the other customer leave and Magnus walking toward her with the girl.“Like I was saying, my friend here needs accessories to go with her dress and she could really use your help Clarissa”, Isabelle heard Magnus say with his most charming tone.“Hi, I remember you” said Clarissa, “you bought that gorgeous burgundy dress last week, right?”Isabelle nodded, not trusting her voice right now.“I have the perfect necklace and earrings to go with that dress", said Clarissa excitedly.She walked to the counter and came back with the jewels. “You should try them on to see if you like them, I know they are kind of heavy and it’s not everyone’s taste.”“They're beautiful", answered Isabelle as she took the necklace between her hands. “Let me help you", said Clarissa and she unclasped the necklace.Isabelle held her hair up and Clarissa moved behind her and put the necklace around her neck. She was standing very close and Isabelle was sure she could feel her breath against the back of her neck. Her skin tingled there and she felt herself blush. She felt Clarissa’s fingers linger in her skin before she told Isabelle she could drop her hair. Clarissa put her hands on Isabelle’s shoulders and turned her around so she could look at herself in the mirror. The necklace looked great around her neck and she tried really hard to concentrate on it instead of the weight of Clarissa’s hands on her. When she lifted her eyes they locked with Clarissa in the mirror and once again she felt herself blush. “So, what do you think?” questioned Clarissa.“I, uh, I love it. I think you are right it will look great with the dress.”“You are very pretty.”“What? I mean uh, thanks?”Isabelle couldn't have heard that, there was no way Clarissa had just told her she was pretty. Isabelle didn’t know what to do or what to answer, she looked frantically around the store for Magnus but he was on the phone, probably with Alec, on the other side of the store.“Oh my god, I am so sorry, it was supposed to stay in my head. Please don’t be mad at me. This is not okay, I’m sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable.”“It’s uh, no it’s okay. I’m not mad or uncomfortable I’m just surprised someone as pretty as you would think that I am pretty”, answered Isabelle before she could think about it. Clarissa smiled shyly at Isabelle and Isabelle’s heart fluttered in her chest.  She took off the necklace and gave it back to Clarissa.“I’ll take the the necklace and the earrings", said Isabelle awkwardly, not knowing what else to say.She was gonna kill Magnus for leaving her alone to deal with Clarissa. The girls walked back to the counter and Magnus joined them, looking very pleased with himself. Isabelle glared at him hoping he would understand she was not happy with him now.“That’ll be $47,75”, said Clarissa.Isabelle opened her purse to find her wallet but Magnus put his hand on her arm to stop her.“My treat Isabelle.”“You don’t have to do that Magnus.”“Anything for my favorite sister-in-law.”Isabelle wanted to protest but she knew it was impossible to make Magnus change his mind so she decided to just accepted the gift and that she could always pay for lunch later. Clarissa put the jewels in a box and in a cute paper bag before giving them to Isabelle. Isabelle said bye and started walking toward the exit when she noticed Magnus was not following her she walked back to Magnus at the same time she heard him invite Clarissa to the Christmas party at Pandemonium. Magnus took an invite out of his wallet and gave it to Clarissa.“You should come, it’s always the biggest Christmas party in New York and I know Isabelle would be thrilled to have you there.”Oh no! Magnus hadn't just said that.“Well, if Isabelle want me to come, I have no other choice", answered Clarissa looking intensely at Isabelle and wink.Isabelle felt her breath caught in her throat. She grabbed Magnus by the arm and dragged him outside the store.*[555-236-7890] Hi, this is Clary, Magnus gave me your number on the invite for the party. I hope you don’t mind me using it. I just wanted to be sure you really wanted me to come. Sorry if this is awkward but I want you to feel comfortable telling me. Isabelle sat on her bed and read the message at least ten times.[Izzy] MAGNUS I CAN’T BELIEVE YOU!!!!! YOU GAVE MY NUMBER TO CLARY!!! RIGHT NOW I REALLY WANT TO BE PISSED AT YOU BUT I CAN’T BECAUSE SHE JUST TEXTED ME AND I HATE YOU!!! [Magnus] I love you too, Isabelle.Isabelle sighed and put Clary’s number in her contact.[Izzy] I don’t mind that you used it. This is a little bit awkward but this is the story of my life so… I really don’t mind if you want to come to the party, in fact it would make me really happy.Isabelle hit send before she could change her mind.After the first message Isabelle and Clary texted almost every day. Isabelle learned that Clary was an art student and worked half time at the store where they met. They also flirted a little, and every time it happened Isabelle blushed for hours after. It was a lot easier for Isabelle to talk to Clary via text message. Most of the time their conversations were light and easy. Talking about their favorite movie or artist or even something insignificant as their favorite color. But sometimes at night they had meaningful  conversation, about how they came out to their family and how they took it. Clary talked about her mother’s death and Isabelle about her parent’s divorce. It was easy to say all of this by text. *The Christmas party finally arrived and Isabelle had spent all day getting ready. She walked in Pandemonium and looked around her. She found Alec and Magnus near the bar with a colorful cocktail in their hands.“Guys, this is amazing. Everything is so beautiful and he details. I have no words it’s just wow.”Alec and Magnus laughed and thanked her.“Izzy you look great, this dress is beautiful. Now where is that girl you can’t stop talking about?”“I don’t always talk about her okay, and I don’t know maybe she isn’t here yet.”“You constantly talk about her Izzy, Clary this or Clary that or did you know that Clary did this?” teased Alec.“Okay okay maybe I talk about her a bit”, admitted Isabelle.“You talk about me?” said Clary’s voice behind Isabelle, startling her. Alec and Magnus took that as their cue to leave Isabelle alone.Isabelle took a deep breath and turned around to face Clary.“Hey, I’m glad you made it", said Isabelle ignoring Clary’s question.“Do you want a drink?” asked Clary.“Yes please.”Clary walked to the bar to order their drinks. She came back a few minutes later and handed one to Isabelle.“Thank you.”Isabelle saw Alec and Magnus on the dancefloor, meaning that their booth in the VIP section was empty right now.“Do you wanna go sit down? I have a booth in the VIP.”“Who are you Isabelle? I mean you don’t seem to be very into the clubbing scene so how come you have a private booth in one of the hottest club in New York?” questioned Clary.“Perks of being the sister-in-law of the owner I guess?”Isabelle lead Clary through the crowd to the booth. They sat next to each others, close enough they were almost touching. They spent an hour talking until Alec and Magnus arrived, hand in hand, laughing.“Not that I want to kick you out of the booth but I think it’s time you two go dancing. Also Alec and me would love a little bit of privacy", said Magnus, winking at Alec.“Ewww Magnus! You’re talking about my brother!”Clary laughed and rose up from the bench and extended her arm toward Isabelle.“Dance with me?”Isabelle nodded and took Clary’s hand. They reached the dancefloor and Clary put her arms around Isabelle’s neck and Isabelle tentatively put her hands on Clary’s hips.“This okay?” she asked.“More than okay", answered Clary.They danced to a remix of a classic Christmas song until the music changed and the beat became slower. Clary brought her body closer to Isabelle.“Can I tell you something?” asked Clary.Isabelle nodded.“I wanted to ask you to go as my date tonight, but I wasn’t sure if it was something that you wanted.”“I would have said yes”, answered Isabelle, smiling.“Would it be too forward to ask if I can kiss you?”“No, not at all", said Isabelle, “we’re under the mistletoe after all", continued Isabelle looking over their head.Clary grinned and closed the gap between their lips.-FIN-

[cathygeha]

REVIEW

A Highlander Walks into a Bar by Laura Trentham

Highland, Georgia #1 Laura Trentham is an author I know will deliver a great story whenever I find a book to read that she has written. Being asked to participate in the blog tour of this first book in a new series was a special treat. I read the first book quickly and am eager for the next. Isabel “Izzy” Buchanan picks her mother up from the airport and her mother says she has a surprise. Izzy was a bit taken aback that the surprise was a man her mother “picked up” in Scotland. Gareth has a charming brogue and is a nice man but he is NOT her father. When Alasdair Blackmoor arrives, to check up on his uncle, Gareth, his brogue is equally intriguing. Izzy doesn't trust either of the men and Alasdair has similar thoughts regarding Izzy and her mother, Rose. Rose and Isabel are in the midst of putting on the annual Highland Games and both Gareth and Alasdair will be there for the festivities. Throw in some romance, some secrets, a company with dastardly intentions, a small supportive community, a hunk of a farmer guy with his eye on Isabel (hope he gets a story in this series) and a few others and this book was all that I hoped it would be. I can’t wait for the next book that will probably star friends of both Alasdair and Izzy – and the couple will definitely meet in – Highland, Georgia. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Paperbacks for the ARC – This is my honest review. 5 Stars

Buy-book link: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250315021

BLURB

The timeless romance, soaring passion—and gorgeous men—of Scotland comes to modern-day America. And the rules of love will never be the same…

Isabel Buchanan is fiery, funny, and never at a loss for words. But she is struck speechless when her mother returns from a trip to Scotland with a six-foot-tall, very handsome souvenir. Izzy’s mother is so infatuated by the fellow that Izzy has to plan their annual Highland Games all by herself. Well, not completely by herself. The Highlander’s strapping young nephew has come looking for his uncle…

Alasdair Blackmoor has never seen a place as friendly as this small Georgia town—or a girl as brilliant and beguiling as Izzy. Instead of saving his uncle, who seems to be having a lovely time, Alasdair decides he’d rather help Izzy with the Highland Games. Show her how to dance like a Highlander. Drink like a Highlander. And maybe, just maybe, fall in love with a Highlander. But when the games are over, where do they go from here?

EXCERPT

From A Highlander Walks into a Bar. Copyright © 2019 by Laura Trentham and reprinted with permission from St. Martin’s Paperbacks.

Chapter One

“I brought home a surprise!” Rose Buchanan threw her arms out wide as if embracing the world. From the sto- ries she told to the way she entered the room, Rose was exuberant and entertaining and enjoyed being the center of attention.

Isabel Buchanan, who was perfectly content on the fringes, pushed her wavy hair off her sticky forehead with hands that trembled from the nightmare drive through At- lanta to the airport to pick up her mom. Her mom’s trip to Scotland had doubled as both research and vacation. The jammed stop-and-go traffic had left Izzy flustered and al- ready dreading their exit from the airport.

Rolling her stiff shoulders, Izzy stepped around the bumper of the car, popping the trunk open on the way. Her mom had a beautiful plaid scarf of greens and browns and blues tossed over her shoulder and what appeared to be new earrings. Either purchase might inspire her mother to gush, and she would expect reciprocal gushing from Izzy. Making an educated guess, Izzy asked, “Are those ear-

rings your surprise?”

Without waiting for an answer, she hauled one of her mom’s giant wheeled suitcases closer and prepared to

2 laura trentham

heave it into the back. The sooner they got out of Atlanta, the sooner she could get back to work planning the High- land festival. Or she might pour an extra-large glass of wine and escape into a book. A guilty pleasure, consider- ing how much she still had to get in order in three scant weeks.

“Allow me, please.” A bearded man who had been roll- ing cases to the curb stepped forward with a grin and an accent Izzy couldn’t place.

She checked her pockets and winced. No cash to tip the man, and no hope her mom had thought of something so inconsequential.

“Do you like them? They’re hammered silver.” Her mom flipped her bobbed matching silver hair to the side and displayed one earring with her fingers. “And as a matter of fact, I did buy them from a lovely shop in Edin- burgh, but I brought something bigger home. Something more exciting.”

“Your scarf? It’s lovely.” Izzy gave her mom limited attention while she watched the man load suitcase after suitcase into her trunk, fitting them together like a puzzle. More luggage than her mom had left with. She waved to catch the man’s attention. “Hang on. That’s not all my mom’s stuff.”

For the first time, Izzy really looked at the man. He was close to her mom in age, and good-looking in a bear- like way with a gleaming white smile highlighted by a salt-and-pepper beard. His full head of hair was a shade darker, but graying heavily at the temples. The expres- sion on the man’s face when he looked in her mom’s direction—a mix of adoration and amusement—cleared the fog of confusion.

Lord have mercy, her mother had brought back a six- foot, two-hundred-pound-plus souvenir from Scotland.

AUTHOR BIO

Laura Trentham is an award-winning author of contemporary and historical romance, including Then He Kissed Me and The Military Wife. She is a member of RWA, and has been a finalist multiple times in the Golden Heart competition. A chemical engineer by training and a lover of books by nature, she lives in South Carolina.

Q&A A HIGHLANDER WALKS INTO A BAR

What inspired you to write A Highlander Walks into a Bar?

It was actually a Buick car commercial from a couple of years ago where a grandson picks his grandmother up from the airport and she says saucily, “I did a lot of shopping in Italy.” From behind her luggage steps an Italian gentleman. Of course, my writer brain kept picturing what happened after the three of drove off and twisted it into an entire story but had to make up a town for them to return to!

Another big inspiration is a real-life place: Helen, Georgia, is a town that has transformed itself into a German village. It’s picturesque and they celebrate Octoberfest every year. I twisted that concept and made my little town of Highland, Georgia, into a Scottish village including an annual Highland Games that the Buchanan ladies put on every summer which is an important aspect of the book.

Introduce us to your main characters!

Isabel Buchanan is the daughter who picks her mother up from the airport only to be surprised by the appearance of Gareth Blackmoor, who happens to be keeping his title of Earl of Cairndow a secret from everyone in Highland, Georgia, including Rose Buchanan, Isabel’s mother.

Alasdair Blackmoor is Gareth’s nephew and heir to the title and castle in Scotland. He’s been sent to round up his wandering uncle and to make sure he isn’t being taken advantage of by some pushy American women. Complications ensue, including love (of course!)

Lots of aspiring authors out there. Any advice for them?

To become a better writer, you must write. Sounds simple, but I know so many aspiring authors who get stuck in their own head. They plot and make inspiration boards and talk about writing, but when the fingers hit the keyboard, they get mired in doubts. Just get the words down. They don’t have to be perfect; they don’t even have to be good, but you can’t fix a blank page!

How is A Highlander Walks into a Bar different from your other books?

While it’s still a Southern small town romance, it has a definite rom-com vibe. Expect low angst and lots of laughs! I love to read reviews where they reader has literally laughed out loud at several points.

I know asking someone’s all-time favorite book is a loaded question so what’s your current favorite read?

Two series I have loved lately are Katherine Arden’s Winternight Trilogy (a fantasy retelling weaving medieval Russian history and folklore) and Deanna Raybourn’s Veronica Speedwell’s mysteries (a Victorian butterfly hunter teams up with a taxidermist to solve mysteries. I mean, seriously, how can you beat that combo?!)

Alright, the ultimate question: why should we read your book?

If you need a pick-me-up, good-time, laugh-out-loud book, then read A Highlander Walks into a Bar!

Favorite quote or scene you wrote in A Highlander Walks into a Bar?

As the woman continued to stare at him as if he were the bearer of the bubonic plague, his smile faltered. He stuck out a hand. “I’m Alasdair Blackmoor.”

Although he registered a split-second hesitation on her part, she took his hand. “Isabel Buchanan.”

Her handshake was firm and no-nonsense, but her palm was soft and her hand small in his. On closer inspection, her eyes striated into all different shades of brown and amber, and freckles dusted her cheeks. He hung on to her hand for too long, but couldn’t seem to pry himself away.

Breaking the spell, she wrested her hand from his, pulling it into a fist. Was she planning on throat-punching him? He rubbed his neck and took a step back, out of the radius of her magnetic energy, and her reach. On her approach, she’d seemed birdlike, insignificant even, but up close, he was having a hard time not staring like a first-class prat.

He was punch-drunk with exhaustion. It was the only logical explanation.

She stuck her hands into the back pockets of her jeans, stretching her red V-neck T-shirt tight. His gaze dipped instinctively and then stuck around to read the print on the pocket over the soft curve of her left breast: Highland. The Heart of Scotland in the Blue Ridge.

She cleared her throat. His gaze shot to hers, and he blinked to try to refocus his thoughts. “I was admiring . . . I mean, reading your shirt.”

“It’s not a novel.”

His face heated. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d blushed this hot and fierce.

What inspired you to become a writer?

I’ve always been (and still am) a huge reader. My youngest child started preschool and I wasn’t ready to go back to work in what I’m trained for (chemical engineering) so I sat down one morning and started writing a book. I didn’t tell anyone what I was doing until I was around halfway done and loving every minute! That book became a Golden Heart finalist, got me an agent, and is published as An Indecent Invitation, a Regency historical.

What is a typical writing day like?

During the school year, I work while the kids are in school. I love the flexibility of being there to pick my kids up and drive them to soccer or gymnastics or chaperoning field trips, etc.

Do you have any interesting writing quirks or habits?

My only habit is a bad one in that I drink *way* too much coffee while I’m writing! It’s become a ritual, I suppose.

What has been one of the most surprising things you’ve learned as a published author?

How slow the industry can move, but also how quickly changes have come because of indie publishing.

Can you tell us about what’s coming up next after this for you writing wise?

For my contemporary fans, I have my second women’s fiction releasing early February 2020, An Everyday Hero. The second book in the Highland, Georgia, series, A Highlander in a Pickup, releases late February 2020.

For my historical romance fans, look out for A Wicked Wedding in the Once Upon a Christmas Wedding anthology releasing in October 2019. And two more full length books in the Spies and Lovers series, A Sinful Surrender and A Daring Deception, coming sometimes in mid to late 2020!

How can readers connect with you online?

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorLauraTrentham

Or join my reader group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1733284316920632/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/LauraTrentham

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/lauratrentham/

Sign up for my newsletter: https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/w7o6b1

Follow me on Bookbub for new release or sale announcements: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/laura-trentham

#Laura Trentham #Highland Georgia 1 #NetGalley #St. Martin's Paperbacks #Contemporary Romance

[dem-khuya]

04022019：1114

# p/dophilia mention

writing this while in my literature class. today is remarkably cold...additionally i have a giant ass amount of hw to do and lots of stuff to study for, it’s going to be a very very busy day. i’m thinking about going out to exercise but sadly it just looks totally impossible. i might skip english tomorrow to do it though. it sounds like the weather is quite nice.

i remember talking to lhiftya about walls that people are unable to cross...one great example of this is being a person of color and having white friends. you’ll almost certainly run into ‘walls’ with them. because they don’t really understand, most of the time, the difficulty in dealing with discrimination or if they’re white and american the beauty and the curse of being part of a non-western culture, the ties one has to family. things like that.

but with any friend i’m sure there are always (seemingly) uncrossable distances and walls. i can't talk politics and history with linh bc she's just not woke. it's hard for jasmine and i to connect in certain ways because our upbringings are so different. things like that. and perhaps lhfitya and i had run into our first one when we were talking.

so for a while in her friend group there’s this asshole, i’ll refer to him as izzy, and well he’s a generally awful person, misogynistic and also a p/dophile. the bigger issue is that lhiftya’s friend C is dating him and has been for a while despite knowing abt the things he’s done. sunday, it really affected lhiftya a lot, thinking about this, which was why she suddenly disappeared. there’s more but i’d just keep it short as that for now.

in any case many of his friends have separated themselves from him, created a group chat, and invited her to it, and from what lhiftya’s told me many of them were wildly oblivious/very dumb/ignorant…they harbored resentment for a mutual friend of hers because he always made rude jabs at izzy lol. and they also clearly continued to think of izzy as a potentially salvageable human being and still turn a blind eye towards his previous acts. we both agreed that they were as such but i guess i lost my patience at some point.

i was trying to persuade her to end the conversation early and asked if it was really worth her time, engaging with people who are just making her angry and hurt, and she said probably not, but she couldn’t just put it aside. i told her that she knew her limits better than i did and she took it as me not wanting to listen. i said that i was willing to, but it was more like i didn't understand why she was doing what she was doing, and added that it was her choice in the end to engage with these people and not mine.

our conversation sizzled out pretty soon after.

i just want to take some time and analyze my feelings, my perception of her feelings, and why it was that we both came to such a conclusion.

i guess the issue with me is the following:

i am unforgiving

i lack a degree of introspection

for me, when people cross a certain line within our relationship, i cut them off without even realizing it. i don’t really know why i do this; it’s easy to say i got it from my mom but i’ve never been taught to do this so i’m not sure, i think it’s some kind of defense mechanism, just something built into me. and anything that happens to them, i lack the energy to care. i could try, very hard, but i can’t care. i just...can’t. it’s incredibly linear, and also cruel. i’m only starting to recognize it now but it’s very hard to change.

i can barely remember who exactly i’ve done this with—arnav is one, because he treated linh like shit and treated me like an ass, but i can say definitively that he’s not a horrible human being, just an annoying and self-righteous one. another is kyle, because i kept thinking he was hitting on me and showing off. i remember doing this to various insignificant people throughout school, too. a childhood friend who said he saw me as a housewife, couple other childhood friends. it is usually after a series of missteps and then a final one that really cuts it down for me.

so for me it really didn't make sense. she told me that the issue with C continuing to date izzy even though he is an awful person sent lhiftya spiraling on sunday, and when i told her that her absence made me unhappy she went to the therapist monday after work to get her feelings sorted out, and i'm happy that she thought of me and did that. but i guess i'm still confused as to why she still engages in conversations and talking with these people who, continued being friends with izzy when they excused his inappropriate behavior with a minor (a fucking minor!) and to this point in time continue to make excuses for him, and mostly seem to just test her patience. in my eyes, i perceived her as making a decision to hurt herself deliberately. which of course made me unhappy to think about too.

on monday she told me that i have to talk sense to her if C ever reaches out and asks for her help and discourage it. but if she doesn't want to listen to me regarding even this conversation/finds that i'm being more irritating and controlling instead of helpful then i have two options:

let her choose to do whatever it is she wants to do and take care what happens after, or

change the way that i'm trying to discourage her.

maybe i'm being too forward and accusatory by asking if this was worth her time; maybe instead i'll ask how she's feeling and suggest leaving if she's not feeling well. and if she feels bad but keeps doing the not very wise choice then we just move to #1. i guess i was somewhat irritated by seeing the conversation she was having and the total ignorance of her peers and confused by why she was still talking to them and asking about C, and i was a little too forward in asking if it was worth her time. so next time i need to be gentler, kinder.

i also think i'm asking too harsh a question in my actions. i'm implicitly asking her, i guess, "why are you making such an unwise decision? why are you allowing yourself to be hurt in doing so?" and that isn't right of me either.

of course we make mistakes, deliberate ones, that we really shouldn’t have. of course we do. we have thoughts that we shouldn't and it's much too easy to say, "don't think those things. don't make those mistakes." i mean this sunday i did an all nighter when i really didn’t need to. i still love my father even though he's inflicted so much trauma in my life. i'm not perfect. judgement is clouded and our choices can never always be right. i can understand my wanting her to make the right choice--to remove herself from the conversation and go to bed early instead of continuing to engage with these people, allowing herself to be open to C even when the thinking of C is both painful and stressful--but i also need to accept that sometimes the people we love make the wrong choice and we have to shoulder the burden with them. that's all we can do. it's not a competition. at the end if she does get hurt, what, am i just going to say "i told you so"? that's not conducive to anything. that's just mean

i don't think i'm wrong in wanting her to stop engaging in this conversation with people that seem to make her angry more than happy/excited. i think i was wrong in my approach, and my thinking is too rigid. i need to be more understanding too. and additionally i need to understand that the world is not the same for everyone either. and that just because i think something should be done a certain way doesn’t mean that she has to think that either. she is significantly more forgiving and kind than i am. and that is the way that she approaches the world. i’m not going to understand that for a long time but i shouldn’t let that get in the way of the relationship i have with her.

#xiaoshuo