#i love this scene so much. i love that lauren doesn't try to make it about herself in the least

[novelconcepts]

There is so much nuance to the ep 6 scene between KJ and Lauren, I can’t get over it.

the motion older!KJ makes as they walk out, reaching for Lauren, realizing just in time that they are, in fact, in her hometown in Ohio and cutting short before she can land what was probably going to be an instinctive kiss

KJ coming in hot with the world’s most polite “hello!” and managing to make what must feel lightly like small talk for thirty seconds before dropping her voice to this shy, slightly-terrified question

the inability to hold eye contact. the faltering, wordless noises. the way she blinks like she’s seconds from just passing out in the middle of this theater--that is exactly how it feels to come out to someone for the first time. the edges of your vision go a little fuzzy, your heart is in your throat, you genuinely feel shaky, and all of that is so present in this performance

the sense of mild defeat in how she just lands on “movies” instead of “girls”, like she’s embarrassed she can’t just say it

the gentle ah hah expression on Lauren’s face as she realizes what this petrified kid is trying to ask her, and how smoothly she doesn’t correct her--just rolls with this safe code word

KJ’s nod and very tiny “uh-huh” without moving like any part of her face. like she’s reverting to standing as still as possible, protective coloring coming up in every inch of her frame

Lauren actually taking a minute to think about it before answering. and and then not giving the answer KJ asked for--”how did YOU know”--but what KJ actually needs to hear. what any kid in her position would: not everyone will get it, but everyone’s journey is their own, and there is no rush

(again, this is why I’m so delighted they wrote it the way they did--KJ and Lauren, not KJ and older!KJ, because older!KJ would have a definitive answer to give. it might be “I always knew, in the back of my mind” or it might be “when I was eighteen and kissed a girl for the first time”, but whatever the answer, it would cement KJ back into a box. this is your future, immutable, and there is no journey you could take that I haven’t already gone on. I’m so fucking glad they didn’t do this, that they let her have the reassurance that any timeline is the right one if it’s hers.)

again, that flutter-blink/quick breath combo that looks like she’s gonna pass out--but this time, there’s relief in it. it’s less “how do I say this Huge Thing” and more “oh thank god, she knows what I’m asking, she knows without me saying, and she’s being kind”

It is beautifully put together, such a gentle way of saying to this baby gay, “Nobody can tell you who you are except you, but whoever that winds up being is so okay. Listen to yourself. Trust yourself. You will be happy, I promise you.” It is a critical bit of advice so many queer people just don’t get, and to write it into KJ’s story is one of the show’s biggest kindnesses.

#paper girls #paper girls spoilers #kj brandman #i love this scene so much. i love that lauren doesn't try to make it about herself in the least #she could tell her story here--but that isn't what KJ actually needs #so instead she gives her reassurance that there's nothing wrong with what she's feeling and that it really does feel amazing to be in love #even if that love isn't what she might have expected for herself #i also just love that lauren is in her early 20s and maybe has never HAD a young kid ask this before--and you can kind of feel it #in the hesitation and the slight fumble before she lands on what is most likely what she would have needed to hear at that age #admittedly--god love her--she clearly lacks a few passive perception points #because there are so many pictures of young KJ in her girlfriend's house that she HAS to have seen them #but we forgive her this observational oversight because she's so lovely in these scenes #and it really does a great job of painting the feeling that she's drawn to this kid--who is the child version of her girlfriend-- #without EVER once being creepy about it. it's just 'oh this sweet kid i want to protect her'. a lesser show would have fucked that up #'ah she says she's KJ's cousin. they have exactly the same face at different stages of pokemon evolution but sure yeah that tracks' #'how can i help?' #again i LOVE the comics. i love them so much. but this is the same kind of gentle change as giving mac her brother for a while #it's screaming from the rooftops that these kids are not as alone as they feel #and i'm so soft about it

[imagining-in-the-margins]

New Beginnings CM Challenge 🌱

The following are prompts involving a new relationship, fresh start, etc.!

This event is over (Masterlist of Fics here), but you are welcome to use any of these prompts. If you would like to be added to the existing Masterlist of entries, please check out the Rules below!

🌧 Prompts 🌱

Describe Character's first day at the BAU

Character celebrates a milestone of sobriety

Characters are getting the hang of being new parents

Character goes overboard with New Year’s Resolutions

Character decides to try something new in the bedroom

Character is entering the dating scene after their divorce

Character changes career paths with a very different job

Character introduces their new partner to their kid

Character comes out as trans and introduces themselves

Character finally agrees to get set up with a date after a long dry spell

Character learns to navigate their everyday life after a traumatic event

Character escapes an abusive relationship and the recovery is harder than they thought

Character swears that this year they will definitely fulfill all their New Year's resolutions

Character just came out as LGB and goes on their first date with someone of the same sex

Character decides to cut off a member(s) of their family, and the team reminds them that they still have a whole lot of (found) family left

Character lost a partner and swore they would never love like that again... but that hasn't stopped them from falling in love in a different way

Character got a pet for the first time and they realize how much easier it is to take care of themselves when someone else is counting on them

Character had previously come out as something, but then realized they were something else... coming out is even more daunting the second time

More prompts below + Make your own!

🌤 Dialogue Prompts🌻

"The time will pass anyway." (Earl Nightingale)

"If you jump, I jump with you."

"I can't wait to see who you become."

"I love every possible iteration of you."

"To be brave, you must first be afraid." (Bear Grylls)

"You aren't alone in this. None of us are." (Baldur's Gate 3)

"Is it too late to go back?" "Don't you dare."

"This is all new to me." "What?" "Being happy."

"I don't know what I'm doing." "No one does. That's life."

"There are always a million reasons not to do something." (The Office)

🌒Character Specific Prompts🌲

Spencer's life after prison is nothing like before

Spencer decides to pursue his dream of being a cowboy/rancher

Spencer becomes dedicated to turning his life around after relapsing

Spencer doesn't think about Maeve on a special occasion for the first time

Hotch finally stops wearing his old wedding ring

Hotch embraces his role as a single dad

JJ's children are almost grown, and she struggles to reconnect with who she was before she was their mother

Penelope realizes she doesn’t like the person she’s become after leaving the BAU, so she decides to change

Lauren Reynolds died—it’s time Emily start acting like it

Rossi struggles with suddenly becoming a (grand)father

🍂Rules🍃

The fic can be a Reader insert, an Original Character, a character/character ship, a platonic ship, or a Gen fic. It can feature any Criminal Minds character. AUs and crossovers are more than welcome.

Tag me in the fic, or send the link to me in a Direct Message. It can be already written, or you can write it for the challenge - I’m collecting both! You can also tag it “#mentioningmargins” which is a tag I track.

The fic can be any genre, but ONLY send me smut if your bio states you are 18+. I DO NOT WANT smut written by minors. Ever. At all. I will check. Platonic ships and pure, fluffy fics are 100% allowed.

Please include Content Warnings and a one-sentence Summary of the fic in your post.

Have fun!

The Masterlist of fics will be posted around March 1. If you finish after that, no problem - just send me the fic once you’re done and I’ll add it after-the-fact!

Feel free to message me if you want help developing a plot, have any questions, or just want to gush about your fic. I’m happy to help, and I’m happy you’re here ❤️

Happy Writing!

#cm writing challenge #cm challenge #cm writing prompts #criminal minds #criminal minds fanfic #spencer reid #spencer reid fanfic #spencer reid smut #criminal minds fic #criminal minds fandom #criminal minds fanfiction

[total-drama-brainrot]

Marathoned through what I can find of season 2, here's my thoughts so far:

Nichelle is a queen, an icon, literally the first total drama character to show self-improvement and character growth without being an antagonist. Can't wait to see her continue to show up everyone, though I wish we got to see her form actual friendships instead of just girlbossing 24/7.

Mkulia is more canon than literally all of the relationships. They're so fun to watch as antagonists, and I can't wait to see where the cheating arc goes. The fact that they've shared confessions since they formed their alliance? The lesbians are eating good this season. Also Julia in particular is just really well written and voice acted? She sounds like an actual teenager her age. It's 👌 chefs kiss.

Speaking of the cheating arc, the rift between Bowie and Raj because of the team's under-the-table methods is such an on-the-nose way to play it. The "boyfriend kisser" arc of World Tour handled a literal cheating scandal super poorly, but this season is handling its' 'cheating' scandal really well in terms of how it dissolves trust in a relationship. Can't wait for Bowie's guilt to reach it's apex, we never know what he'll do when it does.

Raj really does see the best in Bowie, unfortunately his glasses are a little too rose-tinted to see that Bowie is more than happy to continue enabling Julia and MK, so long as they keep winning. I'm not sure if this will lead to a breakup or a heart-to-heart, honestly this series could go either way, but it isn't called Total Drama for no reason. Keeping my fingers crossed that it'll work out.

Another relationship I unfortunately saw coming from a mile off is RipAxel, though I can't say I'm upset about it. A lot of people saw Axel as queer, myself included, and Ripper is, well, Ripper. But they had a season one Duncney vibe going on in Axel's brief run last season. Something about the misogynistic guys (Ripper called himself an alpha at one point?) and the competitive latinas 🤷‍♀️.

Their actual dynamic this season is different enough from what I thought it'd be that it's refreshing. I guess it works in a very Roger and Jessica Rabbit type of way (if Jessica Rabbit was a butch teenager), and if you're third eye is opened enough to see it as yuri it's a win. (The poetry scene was really sweet, in a way.)

Prialeb came out of nowhere though. For a character who was essentially a Justin clone last season, I really do like the direction Caleb's character is going in. He's got that competitive mindset, and is trying to flatter Priya into an alliance by being friendly/flirty, but the narrative doesn't really make it clear if he's aware that he's manipulating her Alejandro style or if he really is just oblivious enough to see his approach as platonic/friendly. Holding out for some aro or ace (or aroace 🤭) representation with Caleb if they go with the second narriative, but the "only ever had one girlfriend" line hints more towards him being gay than ace.

I'm predicting Priya's foil being her crush of Caleb. It's gonna lead to her elimination. I love the fact that that, despite being hypercompetent thanks to her upbringing, she's terrible with things like relationships and feelings.

I'm super happy that Emma and Chase ended things again. They're terrible for each other. Also, Emma was way less likable this season? IDK if that's just me. Chase was never likable but he's at least funny to watch, especially when he's taking Ls.

Lauren's antagonist arc is brewing at Playa Des Losers (if that's still a thing?) so she's definitely coming back in the merge Izzy style. That, or she'll pull an Ezekiel and sneak back onto the island.

Millie's brief character arc about learning not to take advantage of people was cute, if undeveloped, but I can't say I liked her this season. Damien didn't deserve what she did, but he did need the reality check it gave him. And some therapy to help his fear of everything- the guy's an anxious wreak, and it's not so much endearing as it is pitiful to watch.

Wayne and Raj are my two beautiful sons who deserve the world. Zee has been delightful as always. No need for elaboration.

Chris is delightful this season. All of his lines are great, and what little we see of Chef is golden too. Good job to the writing team for our favourite geriatric couple.

My only real gripe with this season, which has been more and more apparent since season 1 back in 2007, is that the characters don't really feel like they're in a summer camp. Back in the OG island we had character interactions and dynamics outside of challenges that helped set the tone of the series; it felt like they really were teenagers at a summer camp, the challenges and eliminations came second to the character plotlines.

Whereas now, most of every episode is based in the challenge itself. Every elimination is based around something that character does during a challenge. Most meaningful interactions happen during a challenge. It feels more like a gameshow than the reality tv it's supposed to imitate. The only non-competition based conflict we get to watch is Emma and Chase's thing, which is more akin to influencers beefing than two teenagers at a camp having a rocky relationship (see: Duncney S1, Gwent S2 briefly, whatever happened with Gwourtney). I wish we got to see more of the character as they are, than the characters while they're actively in a challenge.

#long post #total drama #td2023 #thoughtless posting #ophe rambling #kinda drafty in here (posts from the drafts)

[transpidergwen]

For those of you who are interested, there's a new sitcom on Hulu called Not Dead Yet with an autistic character (and played by autistic actor Rick Glassman)! The tiktok link is his scene from the pilot where he explains it and it's really great.

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTRtj3gKm/

It stars Gina Rodriguez (i know), Hannah Simone and Lauren Ash, and if you were a Jane the Virgin fan you're gonna feel like you're back in 2014 bc she's playing a writer again (she works at a newspaper obituaries with a fun gimmick, hence the title). Her roommate Edward is autistic and so far my favorite part of the show. I watched the two episodes that are out and they're promising!

He has a great arc with her in episode two that involves some neurotypical trolling that I thought were great. So far the writing doesn't feel derogatory and the jokes aren't punching down. Idk how much credit goes to the writing staff vs Rick but so far his autism (and the fact he has a girlfriend) is just as normalized as one of her friends being gay. He's not infantalized or made fun of, and in episode two he an Nell (Gina) have a solid arc about trying to figure out how to live together that features his autism but doesn't reduce him to it. They both have needs and she doesn't tiptoe around his autistic needs, she says that she has needs too (a table to eat/work at bc he has work items covering their breakfast bar) and those can coexist with his. If he needs the breakfast bar for work, then she gets a table. He doesn't need to make himself less autistic to make her comfortable but he doesn't get a pass on everything because he's autistic, he's an adult that she lives with and they will keep figuring it out as they go. He also apologizes for saying something insensitive earlier, that he didn't think about it but his girlfriend helped him realize that he hadn't considered her side. It felt very authentic and I loved it. I'll definitely be watching more and posting about it and would love to hear anyone's thoughts about it too!

#the rest of the show is decent #some good jokes some flat ones #a few that feel ripped from the mid 2000s sitcom era that I didn't care for #but overall promising #not dead yet #autistic #autism #actually autistic #autism tag #not dead yet abc

[mermaidsirennikita]

Can you recommend historicals where the heroine is more like silly? Not that she's stupid or anything just that she does or says things that are funnily awkward

When a Girl Meets an Earl by Elisa Braden immediately comes to mind. The heroine is like, super beautiful and every man wants her, but she's OBSESSED with this stoic Scottish earl. Because he's BIG. Like, she sees him lift another man off the ground by his neck to defend her friend's honor, and she's like "MY GOD. I NEED THAT DICK" and basically sets out to have him. To a hilarious degree. And he's very resistant, lol. But this bitch also doesn't even know he's Scottish until like, they're about to get married (due to her machinations)??? He drops the English accent and uses his natural one to freak her out and she's like "OH. YOU'RE SCOTTISH?" I love her.

Elisa Braden heroines are often kinda silly in general, with some exceptions. The Temptation of a Highlander has a heroine who constantly says accidental double entendres because she's so into the hero. The issue is that they're obviously not alone often? So she usually says them in a public setting? Like "hahaha you could certainly break me in half" and everyone falls silent. The poor girl is nothing but Freudian slips because she's so desperately horny.

Kleypas does a few silly heroines. Beatrix Hathaway definitely comes to mind, though I haven't done my re-listen of Love in the Afternoon yet and I remember literally nothing from that book besides letters. But she's obviously in Tempt Me at Twilight a lot, and the girl is batty. Obsessed with animals, prone to saying weird shit at any given moment. Pandora Ravenel is similar in Devil in Spring. She's really smart and super ambitious, but she's also seen as a little odd. I believe she also has an inner ear thing that makes it difficult for her to dance, so people think she's sillier than she is.

Grace Callaway is great for silly heroines. Olivia from Olivia and The Masked Duke comes to mind. Just hurtling herself into danger, constantly trying to aggressively flirt with her dad's friend who's like "PLEASE. STOP. TEMPTING ME." A true brat. The heroine from The Duke Who Knew Too Much (I think this is Olivia's parents book lol), Emma, is also similar ridic. I shall never forget the scene where she and Alaric are spying on people behind a curtain and she's all *eyebrows eyebrows* and he's like "WHAT???? BITCH NO" but she's already on her knees stuffing his dick into her mouth. Like, she literally does a full chubby bunny "try to cram as much of this thing into your mouth as possible" deal because she has no idea what she's doing and doing it behind a curtain with people in the room seemed like a good idea at the time!!!!

Naturally, Tessa Dare heroines lean towards silly a lot of the time, because her books are hilarious. The heroine from When a Scot Ties the Knot is very smart, but she has anxiety so a lot of people think she's silly, and she's also like? An illustrator who does scientific drawings of nature? And she's desperately trying to catch her lobsters fucking so she can draw lobster sex?

Eleanor from The Duke's Perfect Wife is one of my favorite heroines because she like, refuses to take a moment seriously (until she does). Literally jumps into a carriage with her ex-fiance, with whom she had this incredibly hot, intense relationship, and is all "I HAVE YOUR NUDES". And he just like. Blinks.

Sarah MacLean has a lot of somewhat batty heroines. Imogen from Knockout is really smart, but also legit insane and hilarious, And you have a hero who's just trying to keep up, lol.

Stephanie Laurens heroines are hilarious. I would for sure recommend Scandal's Bride on this front. Like, this woman is BATSHIT and says the funniest things. Again, this is the one I refer to as the hero being like "when that redhead gets freaky it DOES something to me".

#romance novel blogging #book recs #romance novels

[autismtana]

santana lopez has adhd (part 1)

^the adhd/lesbian flags^

(*disclaimer: i have adhd myself and work in education/educational psychology, which is the basis of this post in which i get wayyyyy too analytical about a fictional character; however, i'm not a psychiatrist or doctor and am not qualified to diagnose real people with adhd or anything else ... seriously, our only representation is cis white boys whose adhd is an explanation for them being the class clown and treated as a joke so please don't get salty at me for claiming a fictional character that isn't a cis white boy as part of the adhd gang)

(credit to @dojasrivera on twitter for making the og adhd!santana thread; i unfortunately wasn't able to see it as i only found out about it after their original twitter account got suspended but there may be some overlap between their thread and this post)

this ended up being really long and tumblr cut me off so there is going to be a part 2

impulsiveness - let's get this one out of the way first since this is obviously really central to santana's character; she has a tendency to just kind of say whatever she thinks in the moment without thinking about the consequence and it often gets her into trouble.  she also just does random shit like try to get into a physical altercation with lauren zizes who is in the wrestling team, and later move into kurt and rachel's apartment completely out of the blue and go through their stuff for some bizarre reason (which is funny in a tv context but also like ... santana wtf don't go through their stuff).

difficulty initiating and maintaining friendships - santana has maybe 2 secure close friendships throughout the series (brittany and mercedes) and even then there are some complications; brittany because they're in love with each other, and even mercedes competed with santana over puck (ew) but that was resolved by the end of the episode.  all of santana's other female friendships (except tina but they're not really all that close and even they have a one-sided feud in season 4 where surprisingly santana is the unbothered one) appear to be sources of stress and anxiety for her because they revolve around competing (see her storyline with rachel from 5x09-5x13).  it's also established that santana is close friends with quinn throughout the series (even if they have a tendency to compete with each other) but santana says in 5x10 that quinn doesn't live too far away from her and yet she never makes the effort to see her, even though they ended their senior year relatively amicably.  she's way more forgiving of other people than she's given credit for, but she just craves acceptance and friendship from this bunch of misfits so much and is really insecure about whether or not she has it.

rejection sensitive dysphoria - this could literally describe like 90% of her interactions with people (mostly people that aren't brittany).  the entire pezberry feud is essentially santana experiencing rsd around her friendship (or lack thereof) with rachel and then doubling down on rachel's expectations of her to save face.  another example is in 2x20 when kurt wins prom queen and santana's immediate first thought is "everyone hates me".  this post from themostrandomfandom suggests that santana has an anxious attachment type.  even in some of her interactions with brittany, she's anxious about their relationship and needs reassurance ("you didn't say you love me back" in 2x18, "are we dating or what" in 3x04).

disorganisation - santana's bedroom (see 2x15 and 4x04) and locker (see the scene in 3x22 with her mom) are both literal disaster zones, and according to brittany, her car would qualify her to be on "whoreders" (honestly same)

difficulty with time management (chronic lateness) - "i like to make an entrance" aka she lost track of time and knew she was going to be late so she planned it (credit: @smolbrittana on instagram)

emotional reactivity and difficulty with emotional regulation - santana has very visceral reactions to all emotions, positive and negative (see this post by themostrandomfandom) (see this post by drshebloggo); she's very easily affected by external stimuli (e.g. the scene in 1x03 when she gets her tanning privileges revoked).  she feels her emotions really intensely and it takes her a long time to calm down.  she has rage (and of course i'm obligated to include this awesome compilation by literallylebanese).  in the hurt locker scene (2x15), santana articulates really well that she has so many big feelings that she doesn't know what to do with so the only thing she can do about them is lash out at other people. it's also worth noting that santana is extremely defensive and reactive in her social interactions with others; she's very rarely the one to "shoot first" (for lack of a better term) and a lot of her lashing out against her peers (i.e. getting revenge on finn/quinn in 2x12, her interactions with rory in 3x04/3x06, most of her interactions with rachel in 5x09-5x12, her monologue to kurt in 6x03) are in response to perceived wrongdoing/criticism/rejection (i'm not justifying these but context and motivation matters). she also has really visceral reactions to positive emotions; her whole face just instantly lights up when brittany smiles at her or touches her or someone compliments her.

poor financial management skills - homegirl literally blew half of her college fund on post-breakup retail therapy (maribel lopez seriously i love you but why would you just hand this child a cheque if you knew she was getting a scholarship)

impulsiveness around romantic relationships - u-haul lesbian jokes aside, santana moves very fast with dani, calling dani her girlfriend within like 5 seconds of meeting her, it's unclear when she and dani officially break up (my headcanon is that things went somewhat sour after dani voted to kick santana and rachel out of pamela lansbury, especially based on what we know about santana and her feelings of anxiety around real and/or perceived rejection, but i guess we'll never know). it's possible that dani may have been a hyperfixation.

poor adult interactions/distrust in authority - homegirl has this in spades; her abuela literally threatens to beat her up with a chair and tried to sell her once, and sue mistreats all the cheerleaders on a regular basis. even will schuester who she says she likes kicks her out of glee club, refuses to defend her and pushes for her to get suspended after the finn incident (as does shelby corcoran), and shames her for reporting his subpar teaching, so that's educational trauma on top of that and she has a tendency to challenge them, mr schuester especially.

compulsive fidgeting - often has a nail file or one of brittany's funky pens, also often fidgets with her hands when she's nervous - mostly around her britt-britt (see also)

extroverted introvert - santana is simultaneously brash and outspoken while also being bashful and socially awkward (see her interactions in 5x02 with dani)

(part 2)

#santana lopez #glee headcanons #glee #brittana #adhd #glee meta #neurodiversity #adhd santana

[angelofverdum]

Yellowjackets S02e04

I just want to say give Lottie a break. My girl is fighting demons right now, and Mary can't shut the hell up. Why would you send a girl who only knows how to do witchcraft or satanic rituals, I don't know, to hunt with a tiny knife?

Just let her do her thing in the cabin, warm, without risk. If she has provided from there like Mary believes. Why would she go into the wilderness?

I know everybody was thinking that Natalie is a failure as a hunter, even Natalie, but damn is not her fault. Like what is Travis doing anyways?

Travis's lack of emotion when Javi showed up, damn. Even Shauna was more excited. I'm pretty sure that something happened to Javi, and coming back has a lot to do with Lottie spilling blood.

Like the wilderness gave them the moose, but because they lost it, then it gave them Javi back.

Why Tai can't talk to Lottie about what is happening to her? Even if she doesn't believe that Lottie has supernatural powers, she is going through something too.

Bored as hell with Walter, ngl. I love adult Misty so she makes the scene interesting enough to watch, but I just want them to find Natalie fast. My theory about him is that he is not who he said he is, probably knew Jessica, and he is trying to find out what happened to her.

I wish they didn't reveal adult Van survived. Imagine the shock when Tai entered that store and said, "Hi, Van" I would have died. I guess they wanted Lauren Ambrose to promote.

It's sad that some people aren't enjoying this season as much as season 1 because the quality is the same. I mean, I loved that nothing went right in that hunting competition. They lost a moose, Nat fell into a lake, and Lottie almost died.

I'm dying to know what the dripping is all about.

#Yellowjackets #Rambles #shauna shipman #lottie matthews #natalie scatorccio

[tuiyla]

it's always seemed obvious that SOMETHING happened in the writer's room around Quick in S2. They were promo'd as if they'd be a main couple right next to Finchel. But then all their scenes got cut, Fabrevans happened. And I just refuse to believe this was all solely about Chord and Dianna having chemistry. Something changed even before that, imo. I used to think maybe they were getting inklings that something was off with Mark, but foisting him on Idina in S3 kind of kills that theory. So I just have no clue how they went from the obvious, bordering on Finchel-level of endgame foreshadowing in S1 to the absolute ugliness of S2-3. I mean, S1 Puck was a dick, but it was at least teenage boy thoughtlessness, not the deliberately awful stuff like humiliating Quinn with the Lucy reveal, or brutally rejecting her in S3 just to then turn around and use her after Shelby rejects him, or him having absolutely zero connection to the plot where she almost DIED, etc. Part of me kind of wishes there was more Quick fic out there just so I could see how people tried to make sense of all of it.

I think you're onto something there but I'd say that even in season 1B there was a shift. I found it so weird that I could just not tell what Quick's relationship status was in the back nine at all. There's a sense that they're sort of together and Quinn is living with him until Mercedes takes her in, but by that point Quinn has completely given up on Puck. He clearly still flirts with cheerleaders and quite explicitly still hooks up with Santana. He goes after Mercedes shamelessly in Laryngitis and Quinn doesn't care about it as far as her relationship with Puck is concerned.

That, to me, is in stark contrast to how season 1A sets them up because you're right, they're poised as a second main couple after Finchel. This love square very much gives the impression that despite alternate pairings the endgames will be Finchel and Quick. We spend much time on Puck pining for Quinn and trying to be the father to their kid Quinn doesn't want him to be, plus scenes like the baking one and the overall vibe that Quinn is into him beyond status, unlike with Finn. And it's kind of a shame that was all dropped because, honestly? In season 1A I kinda dig Quick. Puck really is trying and I just get the vibe that they're destined in the same way Finchel is signaled as destined to be to us. Even Hairography implies, imo, that though it will be a journey because Puck is still young and stupid and flirts with others, they have a real shot at it together. Idk why that wasn't the trajectory they followed but it seemed to be that Santana was destined to be an obstacle that they'd eventually overcome and Quinn would further be contrasted to her as the cheerleader who got redeemed and gets the boy. I'm not sorry Santana wasn't a part of Quick's story after this but I don't get what changed.

Puck became a complete dick to Quinn in season 1B and even their Beith scene in 1x22 implies more of a quiet defeat than hints towards a future for them. Like you say, season 2 just drops them entirely and then season 3 comes back with a vengeance and all its messiness. It's like they wanted to reintroduce Quick in season 3A and changed their minds twice, leaving another Quick moment to the very end in 3x22. Which I hate very much btw thanks for asking. But who could ever ship them by this point, after season 1B and the nothingness of s2 and the pure ugliness of s3. But then... season 5 pretends episodes between 1x14 and 3x22 didn't happen. And omg you're right Quinn almost DIED and Puck didn't have a single reaction. Not even a "that's rough buddy." He only cares about Quinn when it's convenient for the plot. You know what it is, they weren't a Finchel roadblock in s1B anymore so who gives a shit and Puck was with Lauren in s2. Beyond Finchel they're an afterthought.

All this to say that idk what happened but it's weird. Whatever I'd say about the behind the scenes stuff would be conjecture and I have no idea if something similar to the supposed reason why Pucktana stopped having scenes together happened. As far as I'm aware, that wasn't the case. I don't think anything we know for a fact explains season 1B and how they went from hinted endgame couple to "we only tolerate each other because of the baby." Surely the writers should have cared more about them even after Fuinn was over. And n season 2, okay I get it Chord came in and they wanted Fabrevans to happen and then Pizes was a thing, but they were back to being so awful in season 3. It was so all over the place and based on season 1A you wouldn't guess how they were treated. Show someone just season 1A and their reunion in season 5 and they'd think they probably had a nice enough slow burn will they won't they going on for four seasons.

I'm just so confused about Quick. Something happened. They could have had a perfectly fine, even endearing story. When Rachel realizes in Mash-Up that Puck does Glee to be closer to Quinn, I feel her. I agree with her. I see that quiet devotion in Puck and I believe that he genuinely wants to be with Quinn. But then he blows it, and then we see Beth's conception, and he treats her like shit in season 3. When they're not being actively bad as a couple, they fully ignore each other. What am I supposed to make of that? How am I supposed to find reunion triumphant?

#quick #and also i guess #anti quick #they genuinely had something there #but then... yeah #and idk why we'll probs never know why #maybe it was just that they didn't give a shit #i don't think it was anything to do with bts 'drama' or m*rk #glee asks #quick asks #anon

[measuringbliss]

Glee Rewatch 1x09, Becky's here!

Hey, things are going fine between Finn and Quinn! They both have an open top. Well, they aren't downright fighting. I think Quinn's a bit harsh in this scene but I also understand her point of view. She's a pregnant teenager who's trying to maintain her reputation, and her boyfriend doesn't seem to grasp the difficulty of the situation. Naturally, she's also lying to said boyfriend about him being the father (and Puck seems much more used to making money) and she can't do cheerleading anymore. She's stressed af! But Finn didn't exactly ask for all of that either.

(Are you confused? Here's an explanation!)

Mercedes's pendant is intriguing. I love the hot pink, and it fits fine with the black and the white, but does anyone have an idea of what it means?

I think it may be the first instance of Brittany saying something and everyone else instantly judging her (Matt should stick with her though, they're both part of the "I have very few lines" team... at least until Brittany slowly becomes part of the main cast).

I'll admit it: I'm not fond of Artie. His character has nice (or at least, well-meaning) moments but he never really evolves, or is given much to do aside from specific times. I'm also not fond of his voice but that's obviously incredibly subjective--and I do like it in some songs, like for example in Let's Stay a While. However I do appreciate his underlying anger at the world, it's something that I recognize in myself.

Also wow the Artina vibes are there pretty early. Still not a fan.

Kurt what is this. What is this? At least Matt's there to talk (!!!) and comfort him.

That's Jesse Heiman! He's an extra who's in a lot of things. I know him from Chuck where he appeared quite regularly but he's basically the most prolific extra ever. I was delighted to see him in Glee. Once you start recognizing the guy, you'll see him everywhere!

Will is actually a good teacher in this instance. To those kids, he's just a Spanish and a Glee Club teacher, but he's also one of the main educators for those kids. Making them empathize with Artie is a good thing.

Puck actually made Quinn laugh! I can... I can get behind this. I can get behind them being together after the show. I'm surprised they have so much chemistry. (Also props to the French dub in this scene, it's usually good but here's it's great thanks to the use of "Tu fais chier", approximatevely "Fuck you" in a way that people Quinn's age would absolutely say at the time. It feels real. It feels accurate in a way I've rarely seen!)

Actually the French dub is incredible in this episode (and that's something I remember thinking on my first viewing too!). When Kurt says "I'm full of ennui", he says in French "Je suis dans un spleen baudelairien" which is accurate, dramatic af and perfectly adapted because using "ennui" here wouldn't be reflective of that fact that Kurt has fancy expressions... just like me... It's not a surprise that I recognized a lot of myself in Kurt.

You know, season 1 (at least, 1A) really feels like each episode tries to bring something new. You had the Acafellas episode, you had the slushie POV episode, the Single Ladies episode... they each have their own identity and personality, whereas I believe the show became more complex--and thus, more homogenous later on because they no longer had the time to experiment.

As usual I love Rachel's wardrobe.

First appearance of Becky! Another controversial character (but then again, who isn't?). I love her. And I think it's also Lauren Zizes's first episode? I love her too.

Becky and Sue's bond has always been something I loved (and their last scene together in the show is heartwarming!). Is the way people with Down syndrome are used to humanize Sue... not great? Absolutely! I still love Becky and Jean, however. The show isn't perfect, we all know it, so I don't see much point in talking about that kind of stuff in this rewatch since everything has already been said.

Finn and Puck are pretty much boyfriends in this episode (and throughout the show). Why do you, as a man, seek to touch another man this much? Methinks there's something fruity going on here.

The juxtaposition of Kurt hitting the note and Burt answering the phone is also great! And once again, their relationship is very heartwarming.

#glee #puckleberry #glee rewatch

[lopez-richter-fangirl]

Hiiii long sappy post ahead but read for info about the upcoming release of my college fic in bold!!

I’m just over halfway through final edits and the final word count is hovering at around *drum roll* 127k words 😳 If you've been following, I know what you're thinking, yes that is more words than the first draft, I promise I did cut some stuff, this is what we're working with 🤪

So now I'm like... pretty much ready for it to be out in the world? And I hope everyone loves it as much as I do because it really has become very dear to me 🥹 Structure-wise it's appalling, clearly there's still so much that needs to be cut but I'm too attached to it. But emotionally, I think it hits all the right places, there are points it makes me want to cry, there are points it was pure torture to write and yet this doesn't even cover as many years as the real life pre-relationship, there are scenes where I really think the writing is beautiful if I do say so myself. It strayed a little further from real life than I think I originally thought it might but there are still a lot of moments that feel very real to me, or at least to what I imagine they could have been. And this particular characterisation of them? They're my babies. And I had to keep reminding myself while writing it that at this point they WERE babies (18 and 21??????) 😭

I’m very excited to post the first chapter tomorrow (for a reason that will be revealed) and then twice weekly after that on Wednesdays and Saturdays 🗓 Mostly because I don't know if or when I'll write another fic so I'm not ready for this one to be over too quickly 🥺 (Side note: definitely not ruling another fic out! I truly love writing these two so much and if inspiration strikes me again I'm sure I would go for it, but this was the last solid idea I had for a whole fic and I think that's part of why I've taken so much care over it and made it so fucking long trying to include every possible idea I had, because if I am going out on this I want to be going out on a high, which I think this is. I'm gonna try and shift focus to working on some original stuff and we'll just see what happens on the fic front. Anyway!) But when I was calculating dates I realised a twice weekly schedule also means it'll be starting in September and ending in May, which feels like a fitting span for this story, even though it takes place over several years 💙💛

It's going to be a longgg journey, but I hope you'll join me for it, if you want. I've been thinking it might be fun to post the wattpad links to each chapter on here along with a little mini commentary of any thoughts I have about it, any BTS on the process, songs that particularly fit?? I know that’s what author’s notes are for but I feel more connected to my tumblr audience than to wattpad, you know? I don't know, let me know ✏️ But I'm grateful for anyone that wants to read it and any and all feedback. It's rare for me to love my writing as much as I do with this fic but I think it's because of how grounded in reality it is, they definitely feel the most true to the way I see Joey and Lauren that I've ever written them. And I'm really excited to share it with you 🥰

Shoutout to Gabi who's read all but the epilogue and tells me it's good so I know at least one person likes it before I publish it, and is also all round the best and most supportive friend ❤️

And I have to say a huge thank you to anyone who's ever read one of my fics. It started off as a single oneshot after AVPW and I now have like 175k total reads across all my works 🤯 I know that's probably the same 5 people rereading them thousands of times but that's still an absolutely mind blowing number for me. I might not have rediscovered my love of writing if it weren't for all of you. Thank you 💗

And finally here's a cover reveal for Right Place, Wrong Time ‼️ (very basic lmao but some fun/painful fitting details)

[sweepthestardust]

I posted 2,520 times in 2022

That's 782 more posts than 2021!

221 posts created (9%)

2,299 posts reblogged (91%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@ghidrah

@mc-skatkat

@inhaleass

@moltensappho

@anxietyclam

I tagged 541 of my posts in 2022

#the lauren chronicles - 41 posts

#toh spoilers - 27 posts

#wwdits - 22 posts

#miraculous ladybug - 18 posts

#funnies - 14 posts

#vet med stories - 12 posts

#ml spoilers - 10 posts

#the owl house - 8 posts

#playchoices - 7 posts

#fave - 6 posts

Longest Tag: 112 characters

#this was me scheduling a doctor's appt 4 hrs before an exam and being so anxious i was gonna be late for my exam

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

screaming at this comment on one of colin's videos

61 notes - Posted July 22, 2022

#4

i'm screaming at tikki dragging marinette for filth like "don't worry plagg. yeah she's in love with chat noir but it's not like she's gonna do shit about it."

61 notes - Posted November 1, 2022

#3

I love how much this new season has delved more into Deckard's siblings.

62 notes - Posted September 11, 2022

#2

I honestly appreciate the way the finale was handled a lot.

I was expecting it to basically pull a star vs the forces of evil (as a lot of shows like this do), where their worlds merge or there's some permanent passageway between them or some kind of reunion, etc. But they didn't. And that made it impactful to me and more emotional than any of the other recent cartoon finales I've watched lately. The finality of it. You can't even imagine what their continued adventures would've been...because there weren't anymore (you can imagine them of course, fanfic exists for a reason, but you understand the point I'm trying to make).

But I also thought it made the really beautiful point that some phases of our life are just that. Phases. People come and go. Experiences happen and end. People grow apart, either emotionally or physically. And sometimes they come back together but sometimes they don't. That doesn't make the experiences or relationships less meaningful or real. Sometimes those fleeting encounters can change your life like it did for the girls and the people of amphibia. Not inherently a good or bad thing, but just...the way it is.

71 notes - Posted May 16, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

bubbline is honestly one of my favorite ships just because of the genuine build-up without it necessarily being a main plot point.

The mysterious history (that was subject of bunch debate whether it was romantic or not). The little things of them sharing clothes, hanging out together, building back up a friendship, holding hands in the background of scenes, the little touches. It was all really cute.

120 notes - Posted August 2, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

#tumblr2022 #year in review #my 2022 tumblr year in review #your tumblr year in review

[red-riding-wood]

Ok let's see: Sunshine (2007), Dunkirk, Inception, Shutter Island, and Black Swan for the movie thing!

Thank you for the ask, Lauren!

Sunshine (2007)

Never Seen | Want to See | The Worst | Bad | Whatever | Not My Thing | Good | Great | Favorite | Masterpiece

I really want to see this one. Sci-fi is a bit hit and miss for me but you've made me gain a huge amount for Cillian Murphy's acting, and Chris Evans is always a win.

Dunkirk

Never Seen | Want to See | The Worst | Bad | Whatever | Not My Thing | Good | Great | Favorite | Masterpiece

Again, thanks to you, this one's on the list! I think I've seen a video essay or an article or something on Cillian's character in it before, actually. I've been avoiding war films since writing Heroes because I know they're gonna give me the urge to write more but I'll definitely get around to watching this one soon.

Inception

Never Seen | Want to See | The Worst | Bad | Whatever | Not My Thing | Good | Great | Favorite | Masterpiece

I bolded "great" and "masterpiece" because it doesn't make my favourites list but I still think it's a masterpiece. Was very gripping, absolutely brilliant, and I loved Tom Hardy's character so much lol. Ahh, there were so many beautiful scenes, like the last one with Robert and his father, and the train tracks scene, and the last scene of course... okay, I definitely think it will get added to the favourites with another watch or two.

Shutter Island

Never Seen | Want to See | The Worst | Bad | Whatever | Not My Thing | Good | Great | Favorite | Masterpiece

THIS IS ONE OF MY FAVOURITE MOVIES EVER and I've seen it a million times and there are so many details in it that clue you in to that twist at the end (which, by the way, is *chef's kiss*). And the final scene and that quote... and the dreamlike sequences with DiCaprio's old house and the dying soldier... the cinematography in this is amazing. You can tell with my phrasing that I'm trying really hard not to spoil things lol.

Black Swan

Never Seen | Want to See | The Worst | Bad | Whatever | Not My Thing | Good | Great | Favorite | Masterpiece

I didn't expect to like this movie, but oh my god I loved it. I was genuinely so hooked during every second of it. I'm so in love with unreliable narrators and descents into insanity, and I found myself really rooting for the main character in such a twisted way. The ending was "perfect". Absolutely floored by that ending and Natalie Portman's performance -- and the choreography!

#ask games #cinema asks

[amber-angel]

Do an analysis on your fave muppet man

Rori I need you to know that I saw this and shot straight up, sucking in a huge breath with the BIGGEST adrenaline spike I've had in days. I could literally talk about Jaskier for HOURS, and have to constantly reel myself in so I hope you know what you've unleashed.

Overall opinion: is it bad if my most prevalent opinion on him is just that he's a massive slut? Because that's the first thing that comes to mind whenever I look at him. I think he's severely underutilized, but I also understand why, like, from a management perspective, they don't want their most charismatic character taking up all the screen time. I mean, I'm only watching the show for him at this point anyway, can you imagine how much worse it would be if he was a main? Also I'm just like... fucking in love with the concept of him at this point? I mean his name is Dandelion. His nickname is Buttercup. He's a bard. People call him lark in fics. I was fucking gone as soon as I heard the bread line, but it only got worse from there

One virtue: okay, I like to insult my floppy little muppet boy (with fondness) but I really do think he's an interesting character. Reading about how they changed him from the book to the screen to fit a retelling for a more modern audience, I think it was clever that Lauren (writer) decided to pull away from Dandelion as a womanizer and instead write him like a loving puppy of a man. He's layered. He's sweet and kind, but also will stab a bastard. He's empathetic and willing to sympathize, but at the same time totally down for wishing a slow death upon his enemies. And I know that his overprotectiveness of Geralt is mostly romanticized fanon, but you cannot tell me that he wouldn't jump over a counter to punch anyone who insults his best friend.

One flaw: most of the problems that I have with Jaskier, much like the problems I have with the other characters, are not actually about the character themselves, but with the way their arcs were written, or the way character development just didn't happen. Jaskier is so neglected by the writers that a lot of his growth happens off screen. It has to, or he would just be totally stagnant. And so somewhere between his last scene in the first season and his first appearance in the second, he's turned into this serious rebel spy person, but the writers are still trying to portray him as "goofy old Jaskier! haha, he's funny!" but they're doing this while he's trying to help people escape from certain death, or after he's just been rescued from fucking torture, and it ends up giving you a bit of whiplash and wondering is there any consistency here?

Favorite moment: can't be from his arc because (AHEM) what arc?? But. I am so in love with the conversation he had with Yennefer, where they actually let him be serious and connect with her in a way that s1 Jaskier would never have done. I love love love when they let him show his compassionate side, because it's there! He cares about people so much!! And let's be honest, Anya and Joey worked so well together, I know, I know that they're never going to make Geralt/Yennefer/Jaskier canon, but if they didddd it would work so wellllll

Least favorite: GOD everything about him reuniting with Geralt/being in Kaer Morhen. Big boy just walks in there with his sad eyes and nipple armor and with absolutely no meaningful apology Jaskier just forgives him?? Honey! There are hundreds of people out there who would treat you better. Yennefer being one! Anyway, then, even though Geralt claims he "needs" him, Jaskier doesn't actually end up doing anything? He's just kind of there, I think because the writers knew that they needed to put him in that season or they would lose half their fan base. He's only ever acknowledged when he's being made fun of or pushed away, and I'm tired of it.

One relationship: well, we only really see him interact in any meaningful way with Geralt or Yennefer, but I prefer Yennefer. Like, they basically have nothing in common, but they still mesh so well, and even though I know their friendship won't be explored any more (because it reads as so genuine that Geralt/Yennefer feels like stone in comparison) it would be so cool to see them move past their initial dislike and become actual friends, maybe help each other heal from the MULTIPLE traumas

Relationship to explore: I want to see how Jaskier interacts with Ciri. I want to see it so bad. She's a child and he's a bard, can we not get him singing her a fun little song and letting her have some fun for once? Let him sing her a Cintran ballad and help her process and maybe mourn the things she's lost!! He is JUST as important as your other leads, so let him be a part of the family damn it! And let him be a father figure (or at the very least a weird uncle) to Ciri

What I would have liked to see: I think I've already said it, whoops, but really I would settle for seeing more of him. Jaskier is so good, but the show barely seems to care about him, like they don't realize that they've stumbled onto the best thing they're ever gonna have! Let my pathetic whore of a man have more screen time! Let him into the family! And maybe next time you think about using him for sex appeal don't force poor Joey Batey to do that fucking shit that male actors do to enhance their abs, that fucking dehydration shit? And don't make him shave, wtf, don't add on to our bullshit beauty standards.

#asks #anyway joey batey is a gift and the witcher writers are squandering it #that's my tldr

[il-aristosachaion]

Okay so I had a lot of time to work on shit today and I got a few more scenes written :DDD

Scene four:

Cut to overhead shot of Laurens in his bunk/hammock laying down. It's dark, thunder can be heard. Laurens is staring blankly into space; White asks what's wrong. Laurens says he's thinking about Martha, she doesn't like storms. He hopes it's not storming there. Left ambiguous if this is said in genuine (platonic) affection or to keep up appearances. This ambiguity is continues throughout the series. White reassures him she'll be okay, Laurens looks away, guilts. White misinterprets this as sadness at leaving his wife and child and says he'll be able to write to her until they see each other again. Laurens half-heartedly agrees. Laurens rolls onto his side. They say goodnight; and fade to black.

Scene five:

Shot of the sun rising over the water; it's calm and peaceful. Camera pans backward to the ship. A seagull is sitting on the railing of the middle of the ship. It's preening, then it looks up, shrieks, and flies away just before someone runs past. Another man runs behind him. The camera cuts to the two men, Laurens and White, standing in front of the poll that houses the crow's nest. One of them asks the other if they're ready, to which they nod. Laurens grabs the ropes and begins climbing. White hesitates, mutters that they'll get in trouble, and follows him. Camera cuts backwards, showing the silhouette of the ship with White and Laurens climbing up in front of the sunrise. Cut back to Laurens and White, now in the crow's nest. Both are leaning on the rail, but Laurens is leaning further out. White has his hand on Laurens' shoulder. Conversation ensues. They get interrupted by a crew member, who scolds them and makes them get down. Laurens mostly ignores him until White drags him down with him. The crew member shoves Laurens away out of annoyance, to which he attempts to fight him. White has to drag him away again.

Scene six:

Cut to White and Laurens back below deck, arguing. White says that Laurens can't go picking a fight with everyone who annoys him, Laurens defends himself. More arguing ensues. One of them storms back above deck, the other remains below. Something something something Cut to later in the evening. Both are now below deck in their bunks/hammocks. They apologize (homoerotic undertones?)

I have two notes from these scenes. The first reads: "They fall asleep holding hands? Which John and Alex do later?" Husband you don't understand how tempted I am to show them as more than just friends. Listen. They're in a boat for months with nothing to do. Point made.

The second is, "Have scenes with the colors of the pride flag throughout the show." Ngl this one is solely for our benefit and for gifmakers benefit. The idea is basically to have eight scenes throughout the show where the color pallet is/is almost entirely one color of the original pride flag. Listen. I want to be able to make a pride flag with our show. Don't question me, you know you want to as well. Also it'd be so much fun too like?? Trying to figure out how to get some of the colors? Like the blues and purple would be easy - the sky. But what about red? A legion of British troops? A splash of blood when Laurens dies, if we choose to show that? Hamilton's hair? There's so many possibilities and it sounds so fun jhgbvgyuhgvfgyhgbhjkm

@maip-macrothorax

Tbh I feel like if Laurens and White were edging around having a relationship, like they kept nearing to that point but never made anything official because they were both restrained by society's homophobic ideals of them, it could come into play later. White does soonly show up in the army because he fought at Germantown as we all know, so maybe he can run into Laurens and Hamilton prior to the battle. I'm not sure when you want to make Laurens and Hamilton confess their love for each other, but my best suggestion would be to wait until after Germantown. (I'll get to why in a moment) but we could make it that Hamilton is jealous that Laurens had such a close relationship with White but has been pushing away him in fear of being a homosexual, yet has no issues playing with White about it, but Laurens has to explain they were never actually a thing and it was just edging around that. This could help into Hamilton's realizations of his own feelings, realizing he cares about Laurens more than he likes to believe because no one would be this jealous of their friend flirting and playing around with another friend.

But anyways I believe Hamilton and Laurens should confess their love after Germantown, and give Laurens a sort of depression phase, like that he blames himself for White's death. This will help in the realization that this is war, and not the heroic fairy tales everyone hears as a kid. People risk their lives and lose so much for this world that they want, and I think it would really capture the audience as well to realize that all of these soldiers in the revolution weren't just men fighting and winning, but dying young and losing everything. And it would help in Laurens' arc that his belief of what war was, was a little childish. And that it isn't just battles and earning glory, but strategy, risking your own and other's lives, taking risks in general. So Laurens could have a mini depression at the loss of his friend, and this could open room for Hamilton to get closer to him because he is in need of a friend at his worst moment currently. Thus letting them get closer and more attached, driving their relationship forward.

As for the pride colors I think that's something we should consider in the setup, but I can't see it happening all the time. Maybe in romantic moments? Or moments when Laurens is letting loose and becomes more relaxed about being a homosexual, the color palette can show more. But that's just me.

#asks #tracyn 🎤 #amrev show

[mermaidsirennikita]

Hello! I hope you are having a good weekend, could you recommend HR with the jealousy mini trope? The hero being a jealous idiot, not that it takes the whole book but more like the hero could actually be very vocal about him not liking other men looking/talking at the heroine

Hmmmm this is kind of common, but also something I'll admit I don't think a lot of authors pull off. Not because it's a Bad Thing, but because it often feels shoved into the story as an obligatory "check a box" moment. And I hate a check a box moment, lol.

So, books I think do it well:

Charlotte and The Seductive Spymaster by Grace Callaway. I love this one because the entire premise of the book is that Charlotte and Sebastian were married young, he appeared to die, and it turns out he did in fact fake his death for Reasons. So twelve years later, she's finally beginning to open up to another man, and like. As they're kissing, a literal rock comes flying through a window. It's Sebastian! He's stalking her! (Stalking is Love in romance, and I'm fine with it.) And he's PISSED that this other dude is trying to make moves on his wife, who fully thinks he's dead, because of his own choices lol. There's more jealousy in the book; I wouldn't call it a love triangle, because Charlie doesn't ever really seriously consider the other dude and he in turn is not serious about her... But it is a love triangle in her husband's head.

Stephanie Laurens's Cynster series features generally jealous heroes because they're all alphas (with Conqueror's Blood). I think A Rake's Vow is a good one for this, because Patience is being approached by other men, and Vane is like UM???? BUT WE FUCKED IN THE OUTDOORS MARRY ME??????

Melissa and the Vicar by S.M. LaViolette. Magnus thinks Hugo and Melissa are fucking (albeit because they put on QUITE a show because Melissa has self-loathing issues and wants Magnus to leave; Magnus Will Not Leave because he's OBSESSSED) and is fuming with jealousy. Also: ? I think Hugo actually also has his own jealousy issues in Hugo and The Maiden, as some other guy is vying for his heroine's hand.

For My Lady's Heart by Laura Kinsale. The hero definitely experiences jealousy (and also a "what the fuck" moment) because the heroine is pretending to sleep with her teenage assassin, Allegreto. To be clear, she is not sleeping with the teenage assassin. Also, Allegret is pretending to be castrated but is like "SHE WANTS ME FOR OTHER THIIINGS" and our hero is all "I really wish I hadn't joined this weird traveling band of freaks". Poor Ruck. Flowers from the Storm, another Kinsale, also has a jealous hero who's like "THESE FUCKING QUAKERS ARE TRYING TO TAKE THIS WOMAN I FORCED TO MARRY AWAY FROM ME GODDAMMIT".

Monica McCarty's Highland Guard series has very possessive heroes who tend to be jealous of like. Anyone who gets near their heroines. Which is like? Actually kind of a thing. The Saint actually has the hero watch the heroine marry his best friend at the beginning, and there is much angst about it when Shit Happens.

Seduce Me at Sunrise by Lisa Kleypas. BUT OF COURSE. Julian, the Nice Guy Doctor, is trying to court Win, and Kev refuses to be with her because He'll Kill Her with His Horse Cock, but he WILL absolutely seethe with jealousy if Julian even breathes near her.

Dreaming of You by Lisa Kleypas. Derek is very jealousy of Sara's wet blanket fiancee. There's an entire scene where he finds out she kissed the fiancee (and mind you, Derek was very much the other man in this situation lol) and he's like "WHAT THE FUCK" and Sara's dad observes this, surmises that Derek and Sara have Done Things, and is all "okaaaaaay so we'll need to get y'all married ASAP".

It Happened One Autumn by Lisa Kleypas. Westcliff is, naturally, extremely twitchy and jealous when St. Vincent is doing his whole "let's court Lillian for the evil" thing. And has a whole "i think THE FUCK not" when Sebastian offers for her. Sebastian is also pretty jealous and possessive in Devil in Winter when Evie turns out to have a Hot Guy Buddy in Cam Rohan. Which he should be. Because Cam fucks.

In When the Earl Met His Match by Stacy Reid, the hero takes the heroine's daughter on as his own when she shows up pregnant by another man and in need of a marriage of convenience... and then the biological father of the kid shows up. Our hero is Not Happy.

In The Heiress Hunt, The Lady Gets Lucky, and The Bride Goes Rogue by Joanna Shupe, all of the heroes are super jealous of the Duke of Lockwood--and to be fair? In like, two and half of those situations, Lockwood WAS trying to get with their women. And we love him for it. In The Duke Gets Even, Lockwood is also jealous of this one guy Nellie has fucked recently, and additionally Nellie's cousin, because he does not in fact know that it's her cousin at first. What does kill me is that even in Lockwood's book, the beef is like still real with him and the other guys. They're all so threatened lmao. Which they should be, because Lockwood is hot, and the ULTIMATE example of Gentleman in The Streets, Freak in The Sheets.

Elizabeth Hoyt heroes are usually jealous lol. Winter Makepeace is definitely jealous of the various guys trying to fuck Isabel in Thief of Shadows.

When the Duke Was Wicked by Lorraine Heath features Human Disaster The Duke of Lovingdon being jealous of the guys he's literally trying to set Grace up with.

#romance novel blogging #romance novels #book recs

[ginjointsintheworld]

hey, vital industry leyren anon here. in my last ask it sounded like i disapproved of leyla asking for lauren's money. let me clarify it, i love leyla with all my heart and i see that it was her last resource. i will defend her against every single person who says she is using or manipulating lauren or a hypocrite. also, like you said, it would be a thousand times worse if she had just resigned and let herself be deported because of her pride. after watchinh 4x17 i started feeling more hopeful because i am always here for some angst and i saw the vision of making amends by the means of the very thing that set them apart and that it was supposed to show lauren's growth. i also thought it would be epic to watch lauren and leyla crearly still in love with each other but yearning because lauren thinks the money corrupted their relationship and doesn't want to use leyla's gratitude while leyla is afraid of making it look like she is using lauren's feelings to get what she wants. on the other hand, i've just watched 4x18 and i hate it here lol. they had one interaction and it was literaly all about money. that was exactly my fear, that their relationship would revolver around that. i'm confident that lauren and leyla will end up together but i wish the writers came up with something more creative than financial issues

i know we're down to the last couple of episodes here for s4 but in the defense of the scene in 4x18, it has only been one episode since we saw them agree on the money for the lawyer. it's natural for them to fumble through the initial awkwardness of this situation, especially when they probably didn't interact much in universe before 4x16 due to lauren trying to give leyla space. we saw both lauren and leyla be so concerned about the other person's perceptions and feelings. i think it's safe to say they're likely overanalyzing each other's reactions to try and not trend over any boundaries or feelings.

their one scene in this latest episode set up lauren's main plot which was continually growing and learning how to manage and embrace her negative emotions in a healthy way. ways that would have aided her greatly during 3x14. now unfortunately, we don't get to follow leyla's immediate reaction and processing to the same scene but i don't think that means we'll be totally left in the dark about it. as with most things, i'm sure we'll get insight into her side through her next set of interactions with lauren. in the scene we saw, leyla's smile at lauren's little snarky joke and her relatively relaxed tone while explaining the paper bag, showed that she is getting more comfortable around lauren again. her walls are coming down. but when lauren heard the explanation about the payment, she shut down and pulled back and leyla in turn reacted to that. it came through in the hesitation in her voice asking if lauren wanted to count the money and camera focusing in on the flickering unsure sadness in her face during that beat of silence before she left the table. i know lauren feels like her fears of their relationship becoming purely transactional were coming true in that moment and it's understandable. but i think leyla was open to their conversation continuing beyond the money if lauren had changed topics.

anyways, my long ass way of saying that i think their mutual realization that there is hope for their relationship to recover and that the loan doesn't have to be this massive weight is part of the process to come. trust me, it's nerve wracking for me too to have patience for these writers knowing that there's a potential this could all nose dive off a cliff but i don't think it will. after all leyla has never appeared in more than what? 3? episodes consecutively and now she's in (most likely) 7. there's a reason for that. plus it looks like lauren and casey are back in the ED by 4x20 so that should help boost their opportunity for scenes. of course if i turn out to be terribly, terribly wrong about all this you know i'll eat a slice of humble pie. but in the meantime, nothing to do but wait and see my friend.

#anon #asks