#season ten promo

[what-do-1000-swords-look-like]

One thing I love about Jensen Ackles as a performer is that every single time I watch him on screen, no matter who the character is or the show/film, I always want to know more about his character. No matter if he's the protagonist or the villain, the lead or the side character. Even if he's only in it for 5 minutes total. He has such presence and brings a certain kind of soul to the role, and it truly gets me invested into the character that he's playing. Jensen and any other characters (like Dean some like to say) melt away for me and I am in it for the character on screen and I am riveted.

For me, that's the mark of a truly great actor. The man has talent.

#jensen ackles #my monday night thoughts #big sky season 3 #the boys season 3 #spn #my bloody valentine #dawson's creek season 6 #smallville season 4 #dark angel #devour #have not seen ten inch hero i admit #but the promos i've seen look promising for him and his character #and other projects #favorite actors #jensen-relatedposts

[three--rings]

One thing I haven't seen a lot of talk about in the fandom so far is about the financials of this season.

It took us two whole months to get a confirmation of renewal from Max, and I talked at the time that I think there was probably a lot of heated negotiations going on at the time with contracts and that's why it took as long as it did.

I think we see a huge number of indications of the compromises that were made in order for S2 to be made. One obvious one that has been talked about is being making in in NZ instead of LA, to save $.

But there's also the eight episodes instead of ten. And then the cast aspect. One downside of moving overseas was having to fly out and house the cast, not just pay day wages.

We knew immediately about Guz Khan not coming back, losing Ivan as a character. At the time I was sad but I thought it had the air of a pretty harshly practical call. If you went through the main recurring cast and said okay which character will affect the fewest things, has the least character interactions of anyone? It would be Ivan. (With the only competition being The Swede IMO, but he's Stede's crew and therefore a little more central.)

And then this season started and we got first The Swede sidelined and taken out of major scenes. And then I noticed that different members of the crew were simply absent for long stretches, like Wee John isn't around for ep 5 at all. And then Buttons takes flight.

Lucius and Pete aren't at the party for most of it. Fang isn't in the torture scene. Roach and Fang aren't in the bar. Etc. SCHEDULING IS HAPPENING.

The new characters are almost entirely played by NZ local actors, which is great, but also...cheaper.

In other words there are big signs that they did everything possible to give us a giant cast of almost everyone we love from S1, and cool new characters, in the most economical way possible.

And I'm grateful for it. I'm grateful we got S2, and it looks great, and it's well written, I'm having a blast, and we get to spend more time with this awesome cast.

But I also kinda think it needs to be said that the cost-cutting shows. That it shouldn't have been only 8 episodes, the pacing is off. That we miss every time someone from the ensemble isn't on screen.

That despite what they've put on screen looking very good, there's far less costuming budget, there's less elaborate sets, and it's a little disappointing. And it's clear it's not a lack of will or talent or vision but blatantly lack of money.

Look, streaming networks want brilliant shows that people love (that will get them to subscribe) but they very don't want to pay anyone to make them. That's like, the whole moment we're having right now.

Max puts out promos about how great it is to not have unions messing shit up in NZ. Well I have friends who are union costumers in LA and guess what union costumers did amazing last season. This season, well, I guess Stede got three whole shirts, so that's cool.

So I dunno. It's just stuff I think about. I'm not trying to be negative about the show in any way. I'm extremely happy with this season; I love it more than well, possibly any show I've ever been in fandom for.

But I see you, Max. You're cheap. You weren't that cheap when you were called HBO.

#ofmd #ofmd s2 #ofmd s2 spoilers #ofmd meta #I guess #my meta

[allwaswell16]

A fic rec of One Direction fics where the characters miss an opportunity to be together but reconnect at a later time as requested in this ask. If you enjoy the fics, please leave kudos and comments for the writers! You can find my other fic recs here. Happy reading!

- Louis/Harry -

🩵 Next to your Heartbeat (where I should be) by jaded25

(M, 130k, cheating) All it takes for them to fall in love is one night. All they have to do is wait one year to see each other again.

🩵 I'll Fly Away by @juliusschmidt

(E, 122k, friends to lovers) Harry and Louis grew up together in Lake County, Harry with his mom and stepdad in a tiny cottage on Edward’s Lake and Louis in his family’s farmhouse a few minutes down the road. But after high school, Louis stuck around and Harry did not

🩵 Home To You by Crowsonthewire / @crows-onthewire

(E, 54k, friends to lovers) At fifteen, Harry wrote his first song for an oblivious seventeen year old Louis Tomlinson. Ten years later he’s a singer/songwriter who cant find any words for his second album and Louis is a closeted actor tired of LA.

🩵 Late Night Talking by @kingsofeverything

(E, 53k, famous/famous) Promo season gets underway with a stop at Late Night Talking, the late night show hosted by Harry Styles, and Harry Styles just happens to be the man who blew a chance to date Louis a decade ago.

🩵 It Had To Be You by @kingsofeverything

(M, 45k, When Harry Met Sally au) Ten years after their post-college road trip, Louis and Harry meet once again, but this time they become friends. Eventually, things get complicated.

🩵 Runner on Third by kikikryslee / @flamboyantommo

(M, 39k, friends to lovers) the AU where Louis and Harry were best friends growing up, but lost touch after Harry moved away. Ten years later, Harry has moved back to town, but he and Louis don't pick up where they left off.

🩵 Heart Beat by @allwaswell16

(E, 33k, kid fic) When Harry returns to start a music academy in his hometown, he finds himself face to face with his high school crush—and his charming daughter who wants to learn to play the drums.

🩵 With the Rising Sun by Tomlinsontoes

(M, 33k, sister's best friend) Louis had been living in NYC for two years now while studying at NYU, and was probably the least social 21-year-old ever. Somehow he got roped into his sister's brilliant idea of getting her college best friend to help him branch out and meet people. 

🩵 It's Been So Long by elsi_bee / @elsi-bee

(T, 31k, crush) Harry Styles' first crush was one of his sister's best friends, a certain someone named Louis Tomlinson. And Louis? He just vaguely remembers Gemma's younger brother from back in the day. A lot can change in ten years.

🩵 The Melody You Never Heard by bananasandboots

(E, 30k, camping) the one where Harry gets roped into a four-day camping trip with the boy who kissed him and never called back.

🩵 once bitten and twice shy by @pinkcords

(M, 19k, Christmas) in a rush of bravery only senior year can bring, Harry confesses his feelings in a letter to his neighbor and best friend, Louis, only for the entire school to hear it and laugh him out of their small town in Wisconsin. Ten years later, Harry's a successful lawyer at Columbia Records, coming home for Christmas for the first time since he departed for college. 

🩵 What do you mean he's coming? by MediaWhore / @mediawhorefics

(G, 15k, wedding) Now, not only does he have less than two weeks left to find something moving and inspirational to say, but Gemma just confided in him that her old childhood best friend is going to be in attendance. 

🩵 through the jungle through the dark by YesIsAWorld / @louandhazaf

(E, 15k, ex-friends) Louis and Harry were best friends, until they weren’t. Five years after they last spoke they’re forced to drive cross-country to visit an injured friend. If they can’t get over the past, it will be a very long week together.

🩵 You Turned Up (Like a Friend of Mine) by @lululawrence

(NR, 10k, parallel universes) the one where Harry disappears on graduation day only to show up on Louis' door looking exactly the same ten years later. 

🩵 Read My Lips by superglass / @gaymoustache

(NR, 6k, friends to lovers) Old Uni friends Harry and Louis reconcile for the holidays after Louis’ early success as an indie singer. NYE 1999/Y2K scare au.

🩵 We're Getting Better With Time by @haztobegood

(T, 5k, social media) the one where Louis is single, Harry is recently divorced, and they reconnect on Facebook forty years after they first met.

🩵 Any Man of Mine by QuickedWeen / @becomeawendybird

(T, 5k, childhood friends) Harry goes to visit his old friend Louis at his ranch in Texas after they reconnect during the pandemic. He learns a thing or two about cowboy hat etiquette.

🩵 Seems You Cannot Be Replaced by QuickedWeen / @becomeawendybird

(M, 5k, swimming) Harry and the popular boy in school, Louis Tomlinson, share a tension-filled night together when they're young. Fifteen years later they see each other again.

🩵 Time will tell, I suppose, or at least, these pages will. by Spiralblissx

(G, 5k, pen pals) Harry goes to a public diary reading thing at his local coffee shop and gets more than he bargained for

🩵 On a Day Like This You Know It's Meant to Be by @allwaswell16

(T, 2k, fate) Harry is certain he'll never see him again, even if they did make a pact to reunite should the Chicago Cubs win the World Series.

- Rare Pairs -

🩵 It’s About A Boy by @missrefridgefreetorator / mynameispiaivy 

(G, 4k, Louis/Luke Malak) when a mysterious boy turns your birthday celebration into a night you will never forget, or when it's like, what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas unless someone asks for your number and you just don't want the night to end.

🩵 Costumes Must Be Sexy, Slutty and/or Stupid by LadyAJ_13 / @ladyaj-13

(T, 4k, Louis/Nick Grimshaw) It's a bit of a blast from the past to get an invite to Nick Grimshaw's fancy dress housewarming.

#ficrec #categoryficrec #missedopportunity #hltracks #1dficvillage #trackinghome #trackinghappily #1dsource

[janeaustenbrandysmuggler]

That comma

Or, connections my brain makes when I don't sleep well for over a week because of a cold - read at your own risk :)

"I went to one meeting ten years ago. They were wittering on about the Christmas lights and passed a resolution condemning the improper use of apostrophes on signs in windows." (Mr. Arnold, s2e5)

This line always makes me laugh because I get super twitchy about certain grammar and punctuation errors. But errors happen, and you can usually tell what someone meant vs. what they wrote, so you correct it in your mind based on what you presume they meant and move on because there are bigger things to worry about in the world. Right?

Maybe we shouldn't always be so quick to presume and move on, though. Sometimes, things are supposed to be written a certain way for a reason. That reason is important, so we're taught the right way to write that thing. We all learn how to do it, and it's generally not something we screw up because there are consequences for doing it wrong. Like an address, for example. Addresses tell something or someone where to go. Maybe to a pub called The Resurrectionist - that one's at 66 Goat Gate in Edinburgh, right? It said so on the record that Maggie gave Aziraphale:

The Resurrectionist

66, Goat Gate

Edinburgh

Except - there's this annoying little comma in there that I've been ignoring for months. Right after the 66. Exactly where it shouldn't be - not if you're writing a street address. So I'm going to stop ignoring it and ask a question.

Is this actually a street address? I'm not questioning that the pub is in Edinburgh - that's well-established. It's that middle line - 66, Goat Gate - that I'm not sure of anymore. I'm having trouble making excuses for that comma.

If it isn't a street address, then what is it? I'm not sure, and I don't know if we have all the information to figure it out. My sleep-deprived brain has come up with a couple of crazy questions and ideas though. Starting with - what if the Clue is actually multiple Clues? What if we've just been thinking about the pub, but that second line contains a separate clue or clues about Edinburgh, so that Aziraphale Knows Where [He's] Going? (see what I did there?)

These ideas do require an assumption that we shouldn't just take season 2 at face value, but they aren't tied to any specific theories like time loops, dreams, etc.

This post from onceuponathyme about references to the number 66 in the show and promo posters, and gallup24's comment that the press pass in Newspaperman!Aziraphale's hat also has the number 66 on it got me thinking about whether the "address" and the hat are meant to be connected. The references to the number 66 could be an easter egg - the Book of Revelations is the 66th book of the Bible. But is it an in-show clue, too? Is the 66 on Everyday single telling Aziraphale to wear it on his hat, maybe as a signal to someone? ("The clarinet, it makes beautiful music.")

Moving on to Goat Gate. It could still be the name of a road. I have two other ideas though:

We've already seen goats turned into crows. Gate is an old term that can mean road or street. Goat Gate = Crow Road? (I don't know that I love this, but I'll put it out there anyway.)

There's also the symbolism of goats tied to Hell, Satan, and Crowley in particular - drconstellation has a lovely meta about sheep vs goats, so I'm not going to go any farther into that. But I do want to stay on Crowley, and the second place we see Aziraphale - the cemetery.

Not quite this, but I can find a gif for just about every other part of the scene except for the line I'm looking for. The one where after a bunch of hilarious noises, he says, "Do I sound like a goat?"

And then, a short while later...

The ground opens up (a gate to Hell?), and Crowley disappears, pulled down to Hell. And then we get one continuous shot of Aziraphale turning around in that spot that starts in 1827 and ends in present day.

We still don't know exactly why Aziraphale went to the cemetery. Maybe "Goat Gate" is the clue that sent him there?

One final thing I noticed in that episode that feels a little off to me now - Crowley's reaction when Aziraphale calls and asks him if he remembers Mr. Dalrymple. "Oh yeah, not a doctor, a mister! Whatever happened to him?" It's surprisingly normal and relaxed, considering what happened at the end of the night, isn't it?

#sleep-deprived meta-ing #good omens #good omens 2 #good omens meta #good omens clues #good omens analysis #good omens 1827 #the resurrectionists #aziraphale #crowley

[cinnamonglrls]

all the pills that you take to keep me at arms length don't work [rr.]

pairing: roman reigns x fem!reader.

warnings: asshole roman. toxic work relationship. injury. angst. sunshine jey.

summary: an accident that occurs backstage seems to be the straw that breaks the camel’s back for Isabel. 

wc: 2.6k.

an: the idea for this story literally made me create this account i kid u not. happy reading & leave some comments if u liked it. ♡🦋💗💞

—————————

MONDAY NIGHT RAW.

It was the reverberation of your shrill cry once your body weight leveled out on your ankle that spared you his once-over.

He’s been a complete dick to you since he’s met you to say the least, and even more so since creative pitched the concept between you two. But this? 

This is absolutely unacceptable.

Just five month ago in Seattle, you were apart of a promo segment where Roman, Cody, and his entourage get into a heated debacle. Roman was supposed to clear the premise and you were supposed to slide out the bottom ring at the first sign of trouble, but instead you remained in the ring— stuck in a corner due to missed timing. Gradually you found yourself in the center with your back facing his and then simultaneously you two turned to faced one another, chests heaving at the adrenaline of destruction and the electrifying energy zapping throughout the arena. 

To the camera, you were a deer caught in headlights. A damsel in distress, the seemingly next prey of wrestling entertainment’s most notorious apex predator. 

In reality, you were a deer caught in headlights. An amateur who’s incident of pure human error just so happened to unfurl on live television and in front of wrestling veterans.

However, to your luck, the twenty-two second clipped segment went ultra-viral and not for the reasons you feared it would. 

It was the smoldering smoke and fire between you two the clip unveiled that sent it globetrotting. A furrowed-brow herculean Roman, wet hair curtaining the frame of his face as he’s stopped dead in his track of demolition because of the presence of a sultry femme fatale a mere handful of inches before him.

Roman — like a seasoned professional — ended up slowly backing away before exiting the ring without removing his eyes from yours with The Wiseman hot on his tail, as if this was the exact way the segment was supposed to conclude. But this would kickstart the beginning of an extremely hostile and deeply uncomfortable work relationship between you and him.

He’d made it no secret that he was no fan of yours.

He was cold in every sense of the word. He’d spend majority of his free time backstage and in the lounges with your co-workers, chatting it up and cracking jokes. It was merely the addition of your presence in any room that would sour his demeanor. At first this was very unsettling for you especially due to your deep unrealistic desire to be liked by every human you cross paths with, but eventually Becky clued you in to the rumors that creative had pitched him an idea about a potential romance between you two after keeping a close eye on the brewing demand and spiked viewership. Apparently, out of respect for his wife, when he was negotiating his contract he’d requested a clause stating that he would be excluded from any future romantic narratives.

Still, stomachs grumbled for the story and viewership was gradually skyrocketing as a result of even crumbs of you two in the same frame. Roman’s wishes be dammed, according to management.

So then it began. Five months of a meticulous slow-burn. Five months of animosity. Five months of him disregarding your entire existence if there wasn’t a cameraman within a ten-foot radius. Five months of zero rehearsals despite your persistent request to prevent another blunder like that night in Seattle. Five months of snide remarks and passive aggressive comments beneath his breath. Throughout it all you made sure to hold all your grievances close to your chest and take it all to the chin, as its simply your nature to do so. Everyone knew you as the roster’s sweetheart, too reserved to really hold your ground. It was the what made those around you want to protect you so adamantly. 

Ultimately you made peace with the state of your turbulent relationship with your coworker.

But there is nothing quite peaceful about the agonizing white-hot sensation shooting up the tendons in your right calf right now.

You messily crumble to your feet, your hands immediately cupping the compromised heel as your shrill cry perks his ear, stopping Roman dead in his tracks. 

Tonight’s segment was supposed to be swift and hurried, you were supposed to be approached by Cody and a couple women backstage. The gist of the idea was Cody would sic the women on you as he’d know Roman was quite fond of you and they’d do some damage. Roman would then soar to your rescue, brawl with Cody and scare them off and it would end with him carrying you away bridal-style as one of the women would have fucked your leg up pretty badly. 

Tossing you off of him the millisecond the camera stopped rolling was never apart of the script.

Your voice is a wail yet still a burning red-hot flame, “what the fuck is wrong with you!” You can tell both by the shocked expression written on his face and the hesitant step forward he just took that he doesn’t exactly know what to do at the moment and that he didn’t intend on causing you any harm, but that doesn’t quell the hell you’re about to raise.

You’ve had it up to your wits end.

He tries to say something that you can’t quite hear because the radiating pain shooting from your ankle is too distracting to do anything but heave and whimper as your hands hover over your ankle as if doing so will prevent any further damage. Roman tries to lower and sit on his haunches, looking immensely out of his element as this is the most concerned he’s ever been about you since meeting you, “hold o-,”

Gathering the courage to apply your body weight on your other foot as you stand, you immediately scurry to your feet, inhaling a tight gust of air and squeezing your eyes shut. Desperate to distance yourself away from the catalyst of this debilitating pain. Your thunderous voice is the flame to curious moths, attracting stray eyes backstage, “get away from me you piece of shit!” your hand clutches onto a black equipment box for dear life to support your frame in staying upright despite the fact that you’re in no condition to do so at the moment.

You can see Naomi and the twins quickly approaching with concerned expressions at the commotion past Roman’s shoulders as he too begins to stand from his lowered stance. But you don’t allow that to deter your fury-driven tunnel vision, “why is it that you think you’re the first married man who’s had a romance angle? are you and your wife that insecure that a fictitious tale for television would shake the foundation of your weak marriage?”

You can hear a few distant gasps as Naomi and Becky rush to your side once they see the state of your hunched stature and how your hand keeps gravitating back towards your sorry ankle, only half-way overlooking the appalling confrontational tone of your voice as it’s the polar opposite of the timid person they’ve always known you to be. They place each of your arms around the necks and grab your hip, “cmon. Cmon. Medical’s right there on the left Beck.”

His face hardens, his jaw still locked. 

“You just sprained my fucking ankle. Answer me!”

“Aye, aye, aye. What’s going on?” Jey stands between you two, placing his palm to Roman’s chest to deescalate the situation. When Becky and Naomi turn you to help you to medic, you mumble something inaudible beneath your breath and wince as everyone who tuned in due to the commotion from wrestlers to venue staff watch you limp away.

Jey turns around to catch the tail end of a brooding Roman flexing his right hand before walking the opposite way.

—————————

Chest heaving and lungs aflame, both of your hands cup your kneecaps when your torso bends forward as you slow down to catch your breath, “shit.”

“You sit on your ass for a couple weeks and lose two decades off your knees? Up.” Becky stalks up to you, kissing her teeth when you breathlessly shake your head and sink your back into the nearest corner of the ring. Since your debut, you can’t count on both hands how many times Becky has consistently either shown up for you and or has taken the fall for you— whether that’s been through showing you the ropes when you were just a new hire or filling the holes during ambiguous social interactions with others backstage. She’s a constant through and through.

You run your tongue over your bottom lip as you glance over your shoulder and scan the empty arena hours before showtime, “you said you’d take it easy on me.”

“I am,” she alters her stance in a fashion that commands your compliance and you sigh out of your nostrils in defeat before pulling yourself out of the corner, bending at your knee and meeting her posture in the middle of the ring. You two roughen each other up for another solid twenty-five minutes before you decide to take another brisk break to take some pressure off your recovering ankle for preventative purposes.

“Izzy motherfuckin’ Osbourne! Say it ain’t so.” 

In typical Jey fashion, you hear him before you see him. He’s halfway down the ramp when you and B turn your heads and his direction makes you believe he came from the side stage. The human manifestation of sunlight, you have no choice but to cheese at him, “there she is. That’s what we like to see.” You slide out of the bottom ring and he meets you at the bottom of the ramp with open arms that you just sink into, your arms wrapped around his back. He rocks you two back and forth so sweetly it’s reminiscent of a warm older brother.

You pluck the end of his cropped top when he releases you from his bear hug, “I thought I told you to stay out of my closet.” 

His eyes widen, his index finger pointing at you as he looks at B past your shoulder, “she got jokes!” His attention gravitates back to you and specifically your heel— his tone less comedic than the second before, “how she doing?” You nod and spend a minute catching him up on your progress and recovery. He crosses his arms and listens attentively when you detail what your doctors told you and he double checks your confidence about your match later tonight. 

—————————

A month and a half.

The fact that it’s been a month and a half since you’ve been overwhelmed by the deafening roar of the crowd is all that you’re mulling about as you walk past the ramp and crossfade backstage after your first match back since your injury, your fingers mindlessly playing with your wristband. 

“Isabel.”

You toss a quick glance over your shoulder at the mention of your name, never once stopping your stroll. 

You almost want to laugh at the audacity once you see Roman using his back to push himself off the wall near the curtains and if you didn’t know any better you might even say he were waiting for you. You turn around and continue walking, “uh oh. What’s next? My wrist?”

“Can we speak?” his tone is so authoritative that even his questions sound like statements.

“We���re speaking.”

The close proximity of his voice clues you in to the fact that he’s definitely following you and as agitated as you are, last month’s confrontation diffused almost everything you were internalizing since that first night in Seattle. You don’t have anything left to say to him. Roman sighs at your stubbornness when you push the door of your locker room open as you finally reach it, “please.” 

Begrudgingly, you enter the dressing room— blind to the way his vigilant eyes swiftly scan the hallway clear of wandering eyes before he follows after you.

He’d never admit it out loud but he’d recently formed a nasty habit of bitting his fingernails raw in an unhealthy attempt to relieve tension he doesn't seem to want to pinpoint the source of. In fact, he’s formed a scroll of destructive habits here recently if the bags beneath his lower lash line are any indication. He hovers near the arm of your black velveteen sofa when you gravitate to your vanity and push your hair behind your ears, briskly removing the backs of your earrings. 

“You got a haircut.”

Your fleeting eyes meet his in the reflection of your vanity mirror like a lock and key, your hands busy at your ears. Silent at his observation.

“You didn’t answer my message.”

You hum in acknowledgement. You didn’t. Why would you? You didn’t have anything left to say to him and everything you had bottled up prior, you unloaded like a sniper the second you landed on your ankle wrong due to his negligence. You’ve never been a fan of apologies anyway. What’s the point when the damage is already done? 

“I know.”

“Why?”

You don’t answer.

“I didn’t mean to do that. You know that.”

“Do I?”

“Isabel.”

His tone is different; nearly pleading. You don’t answer.

He sighs out from his nose and you watch him lower himself to sit on the couch, his dark fitted-cargos enveloped burly thighs spread and his elbows settled on his knees. He’s spent longer than he would ever like imagining how this conversation was going to pan out when you’d return. The depth of his regret is far greater than his ability to ever express it, “I’m trying here.”

Your stomach contracts at the intensity of his gaze that you can just feel so you keep your lips sealed. Your don’t know if its because you don’t know what to do with yourself or because you want to see him suffer a little longer. Or both. 

“Why’d you cut your hair,” he tries again, his voice softer.

“Why’s it matter?”

He shrugs, “I liked it.”

“Then thank god I cut it.”

Roman chuckles, his index finger and thumb glides across his chiseled beard.

He can see you struggle to stifle a smile at your corny joke in the reflection of the mirror as you roll your wristband off your forearm.

“… Twins won’t shut up about you.”

This compels you to turn around, your arms crossed on your chest. The less-than-impressed look on your face makes him shrug obliviously, “I don’t know how to act. My bad. This is weird. I’m sorry. Man. I mean it. Even if it wasn’t my intention, you didn’t deserve that shit. That made me feel like shit for a long time. Tried to reach you after but you weren’t receptive and I get it but… you gotta know. As coworkers in an organization this hazardous, our trust and faith in one another is critical. That’s the bottom line and I fucked that up. I did.” He looks at his phone when it rings it and mindlessly silences it.

You take a deep breath at his vocalized stream of consciousness, a little startled at his honorable regard as the only regard he’s ever reserved for you before the incident were short sentences and cold withdrawn interactions. Your stomach tightens at his first genuine acknowledgement and accountability for his transgressions. You look at the floor as your fingertips flex against your arms, too intimidated to meet his eyes again for reasons unbeknownst to you.

“Thank you.”

—————————

pt 1 <3. ♡

#roman reigns #roman reigns x reader #roman reigns fic #roman reigns fanfiction #wwe #roman reigns one shot #poc writer #roman reigns angst #wwe one shot

[lofan]

I want to remind you all that Gotham writers did Nygmobs very dirty by putting them in separate prisons for ten years after all they did without even explanation. But! There was a chance to effortlessly make their ending much more promising and beautiful, and they completely LOST IT.

So when season 5 was on air, I saw this promo photo (and the one where they are hanging from a street lamp) and instantly was HYPER-hyped, because I decided that there is absolutely no way this man here isn't Martin.

Age? Check. Stripped suit? Check. The fricking umbrella and bowler hat? CHECK. He literally looks like their CHILD, come on. The man even has long hair, like Martin. And another thing? There is a ladder on the ground, so it looks like he was the one responsible for getting them down from that street lamp. AND they both look shocked. Perfectly appropriate reaction.

See what I'm talking about? And it would have been so amazing, just imagine, 3 phrases about how he heard about their arrest and came back to Gotham, finally understanding why Oswald did what he did and deciding to repay him for his kindness and lessons and be his heir if the offer still stands, and BOOM. Perfect ending, happy fans chewing their hands off from excitement, AND a very good inside on their future. Even Nygmobblepot fans would have been satisfied, and cowards writers wouldn't even have to make them kiss, confess or anything. WIN-WIN, DAMN IT.

But all we got was some passersby who, by chance, had the attributes that they needed. And scared Nygmobs creeping away from Batman, having nothing.

I'm sorry, Martin, we f*cked it all up...

#It's been 4 years... #I'm still salty #They deserved better ending #WE deserved better ending #You can't imagine how disappointed I was when saw who this man was... #I want to wipe off my memory and live in a world where this is canon #nygmobblepot #gotham #oswald cobblepot #edward nygma #martin #martin cobblepot

[miyosei]

LOVE IS A CHORE !

premise. a step by step guide on how ( not ) to fall in love with your best friend. — ft. xiao

reader is gender neutral, modern (?) au, everyone is in university here, mentions of throwing up but it doesn’t actually happen, xiao is a musician but it isn’t a major plot point i was just inspired by the newest promo video.

one. realize you are in much deeper than you thought.

The first time Xiao felt the switch flip inside of him, the cherry blossoms were starting to bloom on the first day of spring.

It was the last day of the seasonal fair—and you had invited him out to enjoy the evening together. Because your friend had bailed on you and you didn’t want the spare ticket to go to waste. Of course he agreed, what reason did he have not to?

And when he shows up ten minutes late with flushed cheeks and tousled hair and more apologies than he's ever said in his entire life—you laugh it off, assure him it's okay, and jokingly let him know that he still had the rest of the evening to make it up to you.

Xiao takes your words extremely seriously, and as nervous and paranoid and cracked out of his mind he is—he is determined to make it a night the both of you remember. And as always, he keeps his word. You aren’t sure of the last time you had this much fun.

When it’s time for the fireworks to start, he finds himself looking only at you—because you insisted that this is where you get the best view. ‘How cliche,’ he thinks to himself when you drag him to the attraction. But he makes no move to sway you otherwise, and you soon find yourself suspended in the air, sitting right beside him in the ferris wheel's carriage.

You look so nice like this. Well, you always look nice, but this time it’s different. This time it’s just you and him and the muffled sounds of the fireworks booming in the distance. And Xiao thinks that if every day could be like this, with just you and him, maybe that kind of life wouldn’t be so bad.

The realization strikes him like a bolt of lightning. That this is a problem. That he’s really screwed now. That ones Hu Tao finds the cheesy photos the two of you took at the photo booth it is absolutely over for him.

But, Xiao has never given up before. So, in theory, he should be fine… Right?

two. accidentally confess your feelings thinking you’re alone, run away when it turns out you aren’t.

The answer is no; Xiao is not fine. He has spent way too many sleepless nights cursing himself and trying to get you out of his head. It is so easy to not catch feelings for your best friend, how could he have messed up this bad? Xiao thinks it’s stupid, idiotic, and so not like him. It’s just some stupid crush, it’ll go away—it has to go away. Because it’s interfering with his every day life, and Hu Tao will not leave him alone.

The time is noon, this was supposed to be a joint study session between him, Hu Tao, Kazuha, and you. But this time you were the one running late, Kazuha is off in his own world, and Hu Tao decided that instead of actually studying, she wanted to spend her time trying to get a certain phrase out of Xiao’s mouth. One that definitely wasn’t even true.

“Are you done?” he finally speaks and looks at her from across the table with an unamused expression. “Why are you so adamant on this anyway?”

She rolls her eyes and lifts up a finger directly up to his face, “Because you are so obviously in denial! By the way, everyone already knows you like each other. The only two people dumb enough to not realize it are you two.”

Denial is a strong word. And quite honestly, Xiao thinks he could get pretty comfortable with it.

But the corners of his eye twitch ever so slightly, his grip on the pen tightens in his hold, and those two smug grins are almost enough to send him right into a coma—even if he doesn’t physically show it.

“Right… So then what if I do?” He chooses his words carefully, like he’s only entertaining the thought. Like he doesn’t actually have these feelings for you. Because that’s ridiculous, and he would never fall in love.

“You do,” Hu Tao corrects him without missing a beat, and Xiao finally gives up.

“Okay, fine. I do. Now what?”

The grin on her face spells nothing but trouble, and the regret that settles upon seeing it is enough to last Xiao a lifetime and more of embarrassment and shame.

Hu Tao echos your name, something that irritates Xiao more than it should have because yes, obviously it was you. Who else would it be, they were quite literally just talking about this? Unfortunately for him, Hu Tao finds nothing but joy in playing tricks like these—especially if it got a reaction.

“Hmm…. I don’t know, the only thing left to do is start dating and get married!”

Xiao almosts bursts at that sentence alone, his face exploding into the brightest shade of red anyone has ever seen. “Are you crazy?!” he stares at her in a flustered fury, “Don’t even joke about something like that, I’m not going to marry—”

His voice calls flat when he spots you out of the corner of his vision. You’re standing in the doorway, shocked with the most deer in the headlights look carried onto your face. Anything Xiao wants to say finds itself caught in his throat, and he decides to do something he hasn't done for years to come—he bolts for the door and rushes himself right out of the library.

three. try to go back to the way things were, curse yourself when it’s not that easy.

Three days have passed since that incident, and to say things were awkward would be a horrible understatement. Xiao, against his own will, had completely forgotten how to talk to you.

He called you later that night to apologize. That Hu Tao was just trying to rile him up, that he was sorry if you were uncomfortable at all, that you could just forget that entire thing had even happened in the first place. Anything to save both him and you the embarrassment.

You tell him it's alright—you always do. And you invite him to hang out at the nearby arcade, to make things up and to hopefully ease the heavy tension.

It doesn't work. because the moment he sees you he feels like running all over again. Xiao doesn't know if you feel it too, but the awkwardness that lingers in the air is so thick he feels like coughing up the springs in his chest. But he pushes through the discomfort—he promised a fun afternoon, and he doesn't break promises.

And he tries to avoid the subject of his “confession” by any and all means possible. It’s easier than it turns out to be, because Xiao is too busy dragging you around to even think about anything else.

There’s a monotonous buzz in his ear, something he dismisses as a byproduct of being around all of the beeping machines and blasting music. He can hear you call out to him, something out of concern he can only assume—everything is a blur, but Xiao promises he just needs to sit down for only a little bit.

When did he become so scatterbrained? It was never this bad before, he was never nervous around you before. You’ve known each other since elementary school, you were neighbors for even longer than he can remember, he’s slept in the bed of your childhood bedroom. So what changed? What happened to him?

No, nothing happened to you. It was definitely him, something was deeply and fundamentally wrong with him. Because you’re so close, and your hand is on his back because he keeps coughing up a storm, and the scent of your perfume is so sweet that it makes him want to throw up.

Xiao goes home with a high fever and guilty apologies. What was supposed to be a fun day out turned into you walking him back to his dorm room. You promise him it’s okay, and that you only want him to feel better soon. And Xiao, despite wanting to say so much more, says nothing.

He wakes up in a cold sweat later that night, smothered in bed sheets and in the same boring-walled dorm room.

Really, Xiao doesn't think he can keep up this act for very much longer.

four. know that love means being vulnerable, but not weak.

Ganyu almost drops the vase in her hands when Xiao gives her the run down. They were moving things from the concert hall when she’d noticed he was out of it, more so than usual. And against her better judgement, the ever so kind Ganyu prodded him with a stick and jumped back when he actually took the bait.

“And you just… Ran away?” She repeats, wide eyes in disbelief like he had just told her something blasphemous. When Xiao only confirms everything with a bored shrug she almost wants to pull her own hair out. Of course, she was more understanding than most other people, but even Ganyu had her limits. How could he treat this situation so casually? Like he wasn’t ruining his chances with you at this very moment? Like he wasn’t going to cause everyone in his inner circle to start aging prematurely?

Xiao doesn't even deny it and admits to everything with a straight face—that he did run away after indirectly confessing to you, that he’s been trying to avoid you in hopes that these feelings would finally die down, that it’s not working in the slightest and now he only misses you even more than he already did.

Truly, you’re the only one that knows. That underneath his blank eyes and bored expression, Xiao is just as afraid of his own feelings as anybody else. And he could never hate you for simply being you. But you know things about him that he doesn’t even know about himself—and that’s more than terrifying to think about.

He’s spent so long building his character and making sure he’ll never been used again. But you come in with that stupid smile and your dumb sparkly eyes and Xiao feels himself grow weak in the knees and heavy in his chest.

“Would you be okay with that? Dating, I mean.” Ganyu asks after a silence that lasts a little bit too long.

Xiao doesn't say anything. Would he be okay with it? Of course he would. Because you don’t flush at the thought of holding your best friend’s hand, you don’t think about what it would be like to date them, and you definitely don’t dream about kissing them under the moonlight.

And Xiao thinks to himself, that if you were willing to have him, he’d be more than okay with it.

five. confess your feelings — for real this time.

It’s raining, one of the harshest days of the season, and Xiao has caught the weather on a horrible day. He hadn't even bothered to bring an umbrella, soaked through his jacket and pounding his shoes against the slippery pavement in a rush to get to the library, where he was supposed to be 10 minutes ago in a last minute project group work.

He stops only when a shop door opens suddenly and skids to a halt just in time to avoid running straight into you. He stiffens ever so slightly when your eyes meet and you immediately shift to avoid contact, a small part of his heart squeezes in his ribcage. But Xiao’s throat is tight and dry, and any words caught in his chest are unable to come out.

Of course it would be awkward, he's been avoiding you for his own selfishness after all. And at this point, Xiao wouldn't even blame you if you began to resent him even just a little bit. But instead, you silently lean the umbrella over his head and give him a gentle smile. The same one as always.

“Come on,” you tell him, “I’ll walk you to wherever you need to go.”

He lets you, not even daring to argue back. There’s a lot of things he needs to say before his nerves finally kick in and he chickens out. But his hands are sweaty in his pockets and he can feel his chest on the verge of exploding by the second.

What are you thinking about right now, he wonders—stealing glances at you every so often when you aren’t looking. He just has to say it, just has to force the words out of his throat, but no matter how hard he tries, he just can't do it. And the two of you arrive at the library before Xiao can even blink, and he curses himself for being such a coward in such a crucial moment. Of course it would turn out this way, how humiliating.

“Well, we’re here.” You say with a smile that doesn’t quite reach your eyes, something close to regret flutters in your irises. “It was nice, seeing you again. I don't know if you have something going on, but you've been acting weird lately, I guess I missed you a little bit. But if you ever—”

“I like you!”

Xiao blurts out the words without thinking of anything else, exploding them out into the world like confetti on new year's day. His cheeks are flushed, he’s still soaking wet. It’s messy, disorganized, and it’s not even close to the perfect scenario he crafted in his daydreams. But It’s so perfectly him that you just can’t say anything else.

“I like you a lot. I always have. and I think I was so scared that you would hate me; or you would think I’m weird, or that you didn't like me back. And when you walked in that day I was so panicked I didn't—”

He stops talking only when he finally takes note of the tears that build up in your eyes. He blinks once, twice, a third time—then, the reality sinks in and his mind goes into overdrive. In one moment you were standing in front of him, and in the next he met you with a tight embrace, not caring that he was getting your own clothes absolutely drenched.

“I’m sorry,” Xiao whispers quietly when your hands tighten around the sleeves of his jacket.

“Shut up,” you grumble through muffled words and your umbrella fallen beside you on the pavement. For once, you’re thankful that the rain is able to hide your tears—or make them less obvious at the very least, “I’m mad at you right now.”

You aren’t, he knows you aren’t. But really, Xiao thinks he just might've just deserved that one.

six. remember that nothing necessarily has to change at all.

Two weeks have passed since his clumsy confession, two weeks since he’s “officially” become your boyfriend. In quotations, because it feels like it’s always been this way with you. You still watch cheesy romcoms every Saturday, you still support him whenever he has a performance due, Xiao still clings to you in your sleep like he’s done ever since the two of you entered high school.

The only difference now is that he can hold your hand whenever he wants to, and you don’t feel weird about coming around just to hug him from behind anymore. And while he still gets butterflies every time he even thinks about it, it’s more socially acceptable for him to kiss you when he feels like it.

And most times they don't even feel like dates, but now he gets the special 'couples only discount,' at the local cafe, and Hu Tao’s annoying kissy faces become more of a tease than a taunt, and Kazuha is, well, Kazuha.

It’s messy, it’s unorthodox, and it’s a long way from being perfect. But it’s with you, and for Xiao, that’s already more than enough.

#🌊 — miyosei #xiao x reader #xiao x you #genshin x reader #genshin impact x reader #genshin #genshin impact

[dailyspnpolls]

Review the following promo posters from the later seasons (8-15)...

 ⬇️ Season Eight   |  Season Nine ⬇️

 ⬇️ Season Ten    |  Season Eleven ⬇️

⬇️ Season Twelve   |  Season Thirteen ⬇️

⬇️ Season Fourteen (A) | Season Fourteen (B) ⬇️

⬇️ Season Fifteen (A) |  Season Fifteen (B) ⬇️

Tell us what drove your decision in the tags!

#spn #supernatural #spn polls #daily spn polls #sam winchester #dean winchester #castiel #crowley #jack kline #later promo posters #spn s8 #spn s9 #spn s10 #spn s11 #spn s12 #spn s13 #spn s14 #spn s15

[lopez-richter-fangirl]

Reminder that we are now in the final week of the Tinlightenment World Tour kickstarter! We are 70% funded which means we have less than $60k left to raise

Once we reach that goal, we get an incredible season of events including Spies Are Forever concert screenings in LA and London, a full run of Solve it Squad at the Edinburgh Fringe and a brand new musical at the Adelaide Fringe

All of the events will be LIVE with the option of digital tickets and some going on YouTube down the line

There really is something for everyone so if you’ve ever enjoyed any of the content Tin Can Bros have posted over the years, consider paying it back now. Literally any amount makes a difference, even if you can only back a dollar! And if you have been meaning to back but haven’t got round to it yet, now’s the time! If you can’t back, keep sharing the campaign and engaging with the promo they’re posting on social media to boost it in the algorithm

The campaign ends at 4pm PST on Saturday March 2nd and it is all or nothing. If they don’t make the goal your card won’t get charged and they won’t get any of the money so they can’t make any of these events happen

#tinlightenment #tin can bros

[iamadequate1717]

OFMD S3 (Manifesting!)

I think we've all seen Casey Bloys' comments on an OFMD S3:

“What’s a little bit different in a linear world than here is… how a show performs over a longer period of time than three weeks or something,” Bloys stated. “So we’re figuring out how it’s doing, what it’s looking like.”

My reaction:

Really, HBO? HBO, after running one of the worst, most spoilery, most front loaded marketing campaigns I have ever seen, wants to talk about the long term?

The question that was driving everyone feral for an S2 was, will Stede and Ed find each other again? HBO/MAX put their first face-to-face meeting in the trailer. Why watch the show when the marketing will just toss a greatest hits reel out to the public before the episode even releases?

The showstopping set piece of 2x3 (MerStede rescuing Ed) was spoiled in their "marketing" since they released the concept art for MerStede days before the episode aired in a BTS video.

Let's look at the finale:

The beach kisses and the inn were spoiled in BTS videos released days before the episode was released after putting a week between 2x7 and 2x8 releases. Yeah, yeah, they didn't show the kisses exactly, but what else would that pose be for? It really enforced that 2x7 and 2x8 should have been released together, but HBO/MAX choose to create a cliffhanger while immediately posting the resolution in their marketing

Ed thinking Stede was dead was spoiled by the episode promo

Ed and Stede running toward one another on the beach was spoiled by the trailer. (It didn't show them in frame together, but it was obviously the same location and the direction they were going in matched.)

Ed reading one of Stede's letters was spoiled by marketing a few days before the finale release for no discernable reason

Izzy's climatic speech to Ricky (and that he was saying it to Ricky!) was spoiled in the trailer. It could have been a good hype VO, and they didn't need to spoil whom Izzy was talking to

The crew in the British garb and taking out soldiers was in the trailer. This plot begins nine minutes before the credits start.

The Revenge Crew working with Spanish Jackie and Zheng at some point was well spoiled beforehand in their BTS promo material. Zheng saying they should team up is three minutes before the credits start.

(Has anyone seen this amount of BTS material of episodes, including the season climax, released before an episode releases instead of after? Just holding this BTS material until after seems like a no-brainer to extending a show's interest after the finale is released.)

The reason the pacing felt super "off" on your first watch is because HBO/MAX already released a bulleted run through of the episode beforehand, and you were mentally ticking it off as you went instead of watching it organically. Watching it a second time really improves the flow of the episode.

This is a show whose popularity was raised created entirely through word-of-mouth excitement. The greediness of these streaming companies is why we couldn't have the actors doing promo, but then they took away the show's next most powerful tool, the word-of-mouth discussion, by releasing large swathes of the climax of the season before it aired, and the social media hype and discussion was front loaded to before release instead of after.

S3 was set up to show Ed and Stede as a solid couple and to show the pirate community against the British, and the season climax of these two points was released by HBO/MAX before the episode, and it was excitedly discussed then. Now, a week after release, we're stuck in some horrible gravy basket of discussing the part of the last five-ten minutes that HBO/MAX didn't outright spoil (though they tried their hardest with the grave promo stills and Ed's bloody hand in the promo!): Izzy's death. No one is having fun!

There is a lot of story setup for an S3 but DJenks and company had to set up a season that could double as a series finale in a pinch, so we also lost the "What happens next??" fervor because HBO/MAX wouldn't greenlight two seasons at once of their biggest new IP of 2022. The bizarre marketing strategy didn't lend itself to a long term success, and it's up to the fans once again to do HBO/MAX's job for them.

#ofmd #our flag means death #ofmd s2 #ofmd 2x08 #hbo max #ofmd s3 #renew as a crew #talk it through as a crew #ofmd meta #renewal gravy basket #ranty rant rant #ofmd s2 spoilers #is it worth tagging s2 spoilers anymore?

[loveyourownsmiilee]

Juju, I read the article! One this: says Minear, who will serve as sole showrunner for season 7, with previous co-showrunner Kristen Reidel remaining involved as an EP.

Two: that promo video!

Three: Chris dating and Eddie goes to Buck for help! Barely anything about LIs. So we get reinforced Buckley-Diaz family dynamics. We get pre wedding chaos with Chim, Buck and Eddie probably. All in all… something is changing.

First of all I’m SO ECSTATIC that Tim is back and KR is no longer in charge. She was horrible I’m sorry but truly the worst.

The promo video killed me and brought me back to life ten times!!!! Ahhhh the move to ABC was truly a gift to all of us.

Honestly, for a second, I did worry about them, mentioning their love interest however, it was literally just one sentence of a summary because we already know what’s happening, and then it was completely forgotten about only to focus on Christopher dating and the fact that Eddie who is his parent, will be turning to Buck who is literally his second parent. This is a huge deal imo. They’re reenforcing that those three are a family unit. They’re highlighting the fact that Buck is someone Eddie trusts more than anything and anyone. They’re also highlighting his importance to Christopher, all major things for the show. And knowing that Tim is not only back but he loves writing Buck and Eddie, and wants to highlight their friendship in every episode?!?! We wonnnn I swear it’s such a massive win for us.

#juju answers #shammers86 #buddie #911 spoilers #christopher diaz #tim minear #911 speculation

[georgiapeach30513]

I know you’re past your post limit tonight but you are an unwavering ray of strength and sunshine on here. So calm so chill. That cookie jar though…😏

That being said…are yall not entertained????

For those of you who screamed PR for months (I’m talking about the crazy ones who freak out every five minutes about something new even though they claim they know PR and they know people and have sources (in their own heads LOLOL)) - you want it? YOU GOT IT. It’s been in your face for months and yall still can’t see it?

An article comes out every time ramen breathes. And soba must be inserted. Soba gets articles for IG posts…when does that happen to a third rate noodle brand who can’t even hit 1 million followers after buying bots for two years and marrying the sexiest noodle brand alive? (Just to be extra petty, Jenna Ortega got ten million new followers in a week after Wednesday launched on Netflix (same month someone’s else season two show launched and then got canceled but whoops) and she didn’t marry anybody famous. Soba isn’t even a notable brand in their home country. Soba’s name gets misspelled even in her own movie promo posts. Yet she’s getting us weekly and people articles written about her every movement now? Oh and she’s getting a square on us weekly about celebs who adopted pets - with ramen’s dog even though she didn’t adopt the dog? LOLOLOLOL ok!!

Nobody thinks that’s odd?

I’ll have to admit, I didn’t really want to believe in conspiracy theories for a long time. It felt too delusional and too qanon for me. But after ramen returned to IG and made a post about dogs - a people mag article pops up and inserts a line to make it about soba, unprovoked. Why? Almost like it was intentional to shoehorn soba in. Almost like that’s basically been the MO since this all started. The tabloids have changed but the narrative has not. The rumors turned to confirmation turned to more rumors to more confirmation but never really really by the horse’s mouth except kinda two ceremonies maybe yeah go physical therapy!!

The way that “wedding” announcement launched as an unconfirmed source from page six. Then went immediately viral. After a weekend of extreme social media breadcrumbing…it was almost like watching a puppeteer orchestrate a show in real time. I can’t be the only one…right?

They have continuously gone the route of most resistance repeatedly, for two years - and nobody thinks this is just inane? They are doing this on purpose and the more you overthink it, the more crazy and unsense it will make.

Like you mentioned many times before, people just have to wait and see. And be patient. Try not to overreact over every little thing. (Hard for some, but seriously!)

Fact is: ramen has publicly endorsed soba (well maybe not the name) and they are linked. So until this changes, why wouldn’t you expect soba to be around lurking? Ramen can’t be an investor in a brand and then not show up with it.

Though it would be funny if he was caught eating banza pasta while toting the soba brand, like Britney getting caught ordering a coke while she was a Pepsi girl. 😆

I’m totally half kidding about most of this. But I think you get what I’m trying to put down. Nobody has to agree with me. But the longer this goes, the easier it’s been to look back on how it all started and string the pieces together.

First off are the same anon who has been doing amazing with the pasta analogies?? Because if so can I call you, Mrs. Pasta??

This is what PR looks like. Articles upon articles over nothing. Pushing a name out there for what? You make some excellent points, completely. Now, I’m not confirming or denying anything. Just that this is pointed. The timing is interesting and the entertainment is amazing.

Banza past is an amazing option. Top ramen needs to add a little spice and change. Soba noodles on the regular isn’t good for everyone.

I’m just here ready for the show. I told y’all to keep your eyes open 😉

#mrs. pasta

[sgiandubh]

I was about to say something similar in response to your anon. From the glimpses we have seen it looks like Sam and Eleanor have good chemistry and enjoyed working with each other but it’s incomparable to what we see with Sam and Cait. What they have is more than good chemistry and a good, friendly relationship.

It’s much deeper than that and all you have to do is go back and watch their interactions from promo in New York this season to see the difference. Those are interactions of two people who are more than just friends. As the anon came back and said there’s an intimacy, a deeper, soulmate-like connection that’s clearly not there with Sam and Eleanor. I wouldn’t expect there to be either. That’s the difference between two co-stars who have good chemistry and enjoyed working together on a project vs. two co-stars who have an intimacy, love and affectionate for one another because they are a couple.

Apologies for the long post but I hope I was able to get my point across.

Have a wonderful evening!

Dear Soulmate Anon,

Yes. You got your point across crystal-clear and please do not apologize for the length of your post.

Going back to Season 7 premiere and if you don't mind my insistence:

If the above were -let's say, off the top of my head - a Veronese painting (the guy always included a LOT of people in his art), S&C would be its focal point (kudos @sop123456778 for noticing it first). Look with a critical eye, take a yoga pose, do whatever you want: it's a halo. A bubble. You can almost see its contours. Yes, Skeleton tries to insert herself in the halo, but C's bag blocks her.

Yes, the press shouts things like 'to the left', 'give her a kiss' (remember? what a pic it was!). But ultimately the way people place themselves in a group picture is never perfectly mechanic.

Nothing changed, in ten years.

What was the real focal point, tonight, that every damn faction will talk about ad nauseam by tomorrow (remember my 72-hours cycle theory?):

Ever since I saw that picture, this song stuck as an earworm. And no, we don't talk enough about Creedence Clearwater Revival, the most underrated among The Greats, IMHO:

🎶Trolling... trolliing.. trolling on the river 🎶

Have a wonderful evening, too! And thank you!

#Anon

[hlficlibrary]

- HL Fic Library's Enemies to Lovers Fic Rec -

Remember to leave kudos and a comment on the fics you enjoyed to show your appreciation! You can find our other recs here.

♠️ the school of extraordinary lovers by stylinsoncity / @aliensingucci [M, 191k]

harry is a third-year witch and violinist at Laitswold, the only magical academy in the UK, with dreams of taking on the world, and hopefully breaking the centuries-old curse on his family while he's at it. he does not dream of facing off against his childhood rival and duet partner, but louis is back in town after six years abroad, so that's exactly what happens.

♠️ Paint Me In A Million Dreams by green_feelings / @greenfeelings [E, 112k]

Harry's one of Hollywood's biggest actors, has made a name for himself in prestigious films and lives the life of a superstar. There's just one thing missing to make it picture-perfect, but the one Harry's in love with is completely out of reach for him. Enter Louis, one of Hollywood's biggest actors himself, who just came out of the closet and taps new genres in the industry. When Louis sacks the role Harry auditioned for in Scorsese's next big film, their irrational feud starts. Who could have guessed it would get even worse when for promo season, their teams decide to present them as a couple for publicity?

In short, Harry's in love with someone and doesn't care about dating anyone else, Louis never felt home in L.A., Liam writes love songs for someone he shouldn't write love songs to, and Niall makes everything better with good food.

♠️ Flightless Bird by audreyhheart [E, 97k]

AU where Louis Tomlinson is a principal dancer with The Royal Ballet. When his rival from ballet school, moody dance prodigy Harry Styles joins the company, old wounds are reopened and old passions reignited. During the company's production of Swan Lake the secret that doomed their love is finally revealed, but will it be too late?

♠️ An Amazing Race Around the World (And to my Heart) by Thingssicant / @sunflowervolh [E, 89k]

“This year marks our thirtieth race around the world, thirty seasons of teams bound by friendship, family, and even some people who just band together for the chance at the prize. But this year, we want to remove that dynamic,” Phil said, rubbing his hands together gently.

The cameras were whirring around them, trying to get every shocked face and gasp from the teams. Louis could feel a ringing in his ears, a new nervousness he hadn’t felt during the entire journey to this competition.

He was sweating more now, more than he could blame on the California sun, as Phil started to read the names of the new teams, the members hugging their loved ones before joining a complete stranger in their new allotted spot.

Or an Amazing race Hate to Lovers au

♠️ Nothing But You On My Mind by nonsensedarling / @absoloutenonsense [E, 83k]

Louis Tomlinson is a PR manager hired to improve the image of royal bad-boy Prince Harry Styles. Unfortunately for him, that means being faced with the Prince's constant innuendos, incessant dirty jokes, and relentless flirting. Louis just wants to make it to Princess Gemma's coronation; once she's crowned Queen, his contract is up and he never has to see the Prince again.

♠️ You Drive Me Round The Bend by TheCellarDoor / @donotdialnine [M, 77k]

In which Louis is a spoilt rich kid who’s always on the phone while he drives and Harry is a struggling musician making his way down the mountain. It’s just a matter of time before they crash and burn.

♠️ Don't Want Shelter by @kingsofeverything [E, 76k]

Louis and Harry have known each other all their lives. Friends as children, they danced around each other as teenagers, and have spent the last twenty-five years either screaming at each other or not speaking at all. Except for that one time ten years ago…

When Hurricane Nicole threatens the coast, they end up stuck together in their families' old vacation home that they begrudgingly co-own.

During the storm, and in the months after, they’re both forced to reevaluate their history and what they mean to each other.

♠️ this charade (was never going to last) by @scrunchyharry [E, 68k]

On the surface, CitizenX, an international caritative nonprofit, looked like any other nonprofit, funding humanitarian missions worldwide and striving to make the world a better place, one donation at a time.

At least, that was what Harry thought, until he was hired as a computer specialist for a spinoff agency called carish, whose true purpose was to reveal CitizenX’s tangled web of lies.

As if the whole ‘industrial spy’ business was not stressful enough, Harry found himself in a hatred-at-first-sight relationship with one of his new coworkers, Louis, a man intent on detesting Harry.

When the worst happened and Harry and Louis found themselves thrown together in hiding, with only each other to rely on, Harry never could have predicted the turn their relationship would take.

Nor could he anticipate that it would all be taken away from him and he would have to decide how far he was willing to go to get Louis back.

♠️ Why Can't It Be Like That by @taggiecb [E, 63k]

Louis Tomlinson, head of his local hospital's charity fund, suddenly finds himself in the heart of the Royal family when his mother marries the third son of the reigning monarch. Such an upset in lifestyle brings a lot of changes for Louis, one of them being the need for a stylist.

Enter Harry Styles, a cutting edge fashion stylist who loves his job and prides himself on his passion. The first time he sees Louis Tomlinson on the cover of a tabloid he wants to dress him, style him, make him as beautiful as Harry knows he could be. When he's hired to do just that, he knows this will be a perfect partnership. That is, until he actually meets the man.

A fashion AU with a royal twist, where Louis doesn't need a stylist, Harry's thrilled to have a real life Barbie doll, and they're both very wrong about each other.

♠️ somethin' bout you by @missandrogyny [E, 59k]

Of all the government agents in the world, Louis had to go and land the most charming one.

♠️ Counterbalance by YesIsAWorld / @louandhazaf [E, 44k]

Harry Styles loves two things: teaching ballet and racing motorcycles. Those two worlds collide when his greatest rival on the track, Louis “Tommo” Tomlinson brings his tiny siblings to Harry’s class.

♠️ Full Moon Dreaming by jacaranda_bloom / @jacaranda-bloom [E, 43k]

Every month, Full Moon Dreaming reveals a person’s soulmate. Sometimes it’s an object or a place, or for the lucky ones, the love of their life.

Louis has given up hope of dreaming of a person, resigned to living a life devoid of that kind of all-consuming love for another and receiving the same in return.

But when a new neighbour descends on Louis’ beloved Hanson Bay and moves into the other beach house, could all that be about to change?

♠️ make this feel like home by @soldouthaz [E, 43k]

The house on West 28th Street in London is twice the size of Louis', more expensive than the price of all of his house and car payments combined, and is falling apart at the seams.

♠️ The Truth of Hearts by Rearviewdreamer / @all-these-larrythings [M, 42k]

After rising through the ranks to become one of Hollywood’s most celebrated alpha writers, the world is Harry’s oyster. Louis, another rising star alpha, is Harry’s greatest undoing, in more ways than one.

♠️ Staring Across the Room by @allwaswell16 [E, 26k]

Harry Styles has a great life. He’s a children’s librarian at the New York Public Library, he’s got wonderful friends, and he loves cooking, green tea, yoga, and his collection of bow ties. He doesn’t mind that his life seems a little structured, maybe even a little boring. But when Louis Tomlinson joins the library staff as the new Installation Coordinator, things become a lot less predictable. Louis gets under his skin right from the start, bossing Harry around, making noise during story time, and eating the last cupcake in the staff lounge. Louis may be almost offensively attractive, but Harry will not be succumbing to Louis Tomlinson’s charms, even if the rest of the library staff have.

♠️ Better Walk That (Pap) Walk, Baby by @fallinglikethis, @lululawrence [NR, 25k]

Harry sat and stared at the print in front of his eyes where the names Louis Tomlinson and Harry Styles looked to be in neon lights. It made him think back to those early days when all they’d dreamt of was seeing their names lit up on the signs for popular venues. Back then, things had seemed so black and white. Their love had grown as their popularity had, fast and intense and overwhelming. Maybe that was part of the problem. They’d never anticipated having to weave their way through a love so all encompassing at that age, much less at the same time as navigating brand new careers they’d been lucky enough to be a part of.

Harry stared at the papers as if it wasn’t him who had just signed them. He could do this. He could. He could pretend he was still as in love with Louis Tomlinson as he had been all those years ago no problem. He was now an actor in addition to a musician for fuck’s sake, he could make this work.

Or the one where, after years filled with the anger and pain that accompany a bad breakup, Harry and Louis have to try to put it all behind them, at least for the cameras.

♠️ Like Gold by ishiplouis / @pocketsunshineharry [E, 17k]

Harry has been an Adviser for Royal Families since he was 24. From French to Russian families, he has travelled the world and handled difficult situations. That’s, at least, what he believed until a week into his new position as Adviser for his Royal Highness Prince Louis Tomlinson.

Royal AU where Harry is Prince Louis’ Adviser, and Louis is anything but helpful.

♠️ Can't Buy My Love, Can Buy Me Dinner��by LadyAJ_13 / @ladyaj-13 [G, 9k]

Is it ethical to accept a dinner date for the free food? And will you hate me when I go anyway?

Fact 1: Louis hates Harry Styles. Fact 2: Louis is temporarily living off toast and spaghetti hoops. Fact 3: ...Louis may be semi-accidentally dating his worst enemy.

♠️ What a Difference a Day Makes by phdmama / @phd-mama [M, 3k]

Louis makes a squinched up angry face at the name. Harry. Fucking Harry Styles. They’d been in the same RA group as freshmen and when Louis’d made a perfectly tasteful penis joke, Harry had made… well probably exactly the same face Louis is making now and suggested that Louis was… something. Louis can’t even remember, but he knows that whatever it was that Harry said he was doing, he wasn’t doing it. He loves penises, for crying out loud! They’ve been nemesises? nemesies? ever since.

♠️ Stole My Heart by @haztobegood [NR, 2k]

“Oh my god, Niall.” The door slams shut as Harry rushes into the flat. He’s still panting from his rush to get away from the scene of his crime. “You won’t believe what just happened!”

Niall is sitting on the couch in their tiny living room. He looks up from his laptop. “What happened?”

“The worst thing. I’ll never recover. I just reached into a box of free samples outside that new chicken restaurant. Only it wasn’t free samples. It was a man. Holding a box of chicken nuggets. His chicken nuggets. I stole this man’s food, Niall!”

#ficrec #hltracks #1dficvillage #hlcreators #hljournal #hlsource #trackinghome #tracksintheam #yourlarrysource #1dsource #enemiestolovers #haztobegood #fallinglikethis #lululawrence #kingsofeverything #allwaswell16 #stylinsoncity #phdmama #ladyaj13 #ishiplouis #rearviewdreamer #soldouthaz #yesisaworld #jacarandabloom #missandrogyny #taggiecb #scrunchyharry #greenfeelings #audreyhheart #nonsensedarling

[tarisilmarwen]

Rebels Rewatch: "Jedi Night"

Right, just going to go ahead and pass around the boxes of tissues.

Live reaction version.

And here we are at last. The entire latter half of the season had already began shifting at "Rebel Assault", but here the shift becomes permanent.

From the promos and synopsis put out before this episode, the genre-savvy among us could kind of already tell what was coming. But it was still devastating.

All right, enough stalling, let's get into it.

Aww man, this is the same spot Ezra sits in the finale isn't it?

Dammit we're barely ten seconds in and I'm already sad.

The Loth-wolf theme is heavy over this scene as Kanan is bombarded with an audio portent and foreshadowing of things to come in the WBW.

"You want a ride?" "The Jedi Temple is in danger." "Kanan, you haven't gotten me a present since we met." "You can learn what it truly means to be a Jedi." "You didn't prepare me for this, Kanan." "There's something I need to tell you." "I know I can always count on you."

Kanan hears mostly himself, and the two most important people in his life--Hera and Ezra. He hears Ezra's despair at losing him, and his resolve in entrusting his life and mission to Sabine. He knows the Jedi Temple is in danger. He's connected deeply with the wolves at this point, and either knows or at least suspects what he and Ezra will be asked to do.

This is probably where those extra episodes explaining Kanan's backstory and connection to Lothal would have come in handy. As it is we get the mysterious voiceover dump and have to piece things together after the fact.

What I think makes the most sense is that the Loth-wolves stopped Kanan from going to rescue Hera last episode precisely because--connected deeply as they are in the Force, associated with the WBW--they could see ahead to the potential futures of that course of action and knew that if he went after her, he would die. No matter what he did, no matter which way he moved, one way or another, it would happen. So they warned him. They showed him why lay ahead.

If you do this, we cannot save you, they told him.

And that's why he spends so much of this episode trying to mentally prepare the others, especially Ezra, for his absence.

Because the wolves still a Jedi to save the Temple from Palpatine's evil intentions.

Kanan is resolved in his purpose: He's going to save Hera. He's resigned to his fate: He will trade his life for the chance. And he's determined in his resilience: "Then I will make it count." He won't just make his death a meaningless sacrifice. He will ensure the completion of her mission, honor her by fulfilling the end goal of her failed attack. He will save Lothal by destroying the fuel pods and bringing the factories to a halt. He will give his life for Hera's dream.

Kanan proves in the end that he understands how to love without attachment. (Also why he makes Ezra formulate the plan, because he knows his feelings are compromised when it comes to Hera.) He will not cling selfishly to her. He will free her and then let her go and then let his own life pass away. He will take his place in Hades, and then teach Ezra how to grieve. Because Ezra won't be able to save him.

Because you can't go back down into Hades to retrieve the ones you lose.

“In mythology, if you go to Hades to get them back you’re not doing it for them, you’re doing it for yourself. You’re doing it because you don’t want to give them up. You’re afraid to be without them. The key to the dark side is fear. You must be clean of fear, and fear of loss is the greatest fear. If you’re set up for fear of loss, you will do anything to keep that loss from happening, and you’re going to end up in the dark side. That’s the basic premise of Star Wars and the Jedi, and how it works."

George Lucas, Mellody Hobson George Lucas - Virtual Speaker Interview, 2021

I love this shot, Ezra entering lightsaber-first, a visual emphasis on the fact that they are Jedi, and the Force requires much of them. Much sacrifice, much compassion, much selflessness. To whom much is given, much is required. With great power comes great responsibility.

All that jazz.

Kanan is preparing Ezra for the greatest responsibility he's going to have, to be asked to do what is right regardless of what it will personally cost him. And he's about to become a very painful object lesson.

He also talks like he's been given multiple visions of the future and is arranging things specifically so that they'll fall out in a specific way. It mirrors how Ezra speaks in the finale--If Thrawn shows up too soon, then this path, if he doesn't, then this one.

Some very painful paralleling that you don't realize the first time through.

Ezra's a bit uncertain at first, but honors Kanan's request, and gets started formulating a plan to get them into the Capital.

OH HEY WOULD YOU LIKE TO DESPISE PRYCE A BIT MORE?

Conducting the interrogation personally in her own office is quite the flex.

Once again paralleling to the Season One finale, another character comes in to start the questioning, and gets awfully personal with the digs, bringing up the interrogated party's painful past and history. In this case, Thrawn has brought Hera's kalikori down from its pedastel in his office on the Chimaera--that "place of honor" he promised her--in order to rub it in how he's deciphered the cultural meaning behind it.

Really leaning in hard on those icky cultural appropriation vibes aren't we, writers? Let's be clear, it's not that Thrawn was curious about Twi'lek culture and researched what meant what on a kalikori that's so gross, it's that he did so in order to learn more about Hera specifically so that he could hurt her more personally, namely by taunting her about her dead brother. It's the context, not the curiosity.

Thrawn is an Imperial warlord and only comes into contact with these cultural relics because he's a member of the tyrannical force currently oppressing those cultures. If he really respected or cared about them as items important to the people the Empire was conquering, he should leave them in their damn place. OR, if destruction of the relics at the hand of the Empire was inevitable, he should save them from that destruction and then be finding a way to give them back to the people they belong to or the closest equivalent. Instead he hoards them in his own art gallery to dissect and study to glean more insight into the cultures, so that the Empire might better defeat them.

Yeah no, the staging parallels to the Grand Inquisitor are super 100% on purpose and deliberate.

Also! Because I like ruining people's days, would you like some more Fridge Horror that you may or may not already have seen if you've been following me?

IT-O droids monitor prisoner vitals. Heartrate, blood pressure, adrenaline, other hormones and physiological markers. Hera's already pregnant at this point. Possibly far enough along that the IT-O was able to detect it.

Thrawn and Pryce might knowingly have tortured a pregnant woman.

~You're weeeeeeeeeelcooooooooome.~

Love Sabine whacking Zeb and shushing him to not interrupt Ezra as he's meditating and sensing out.

Also this look. <3

And also the soft conspiratorial smiles between Ezra and Sabine as they vibe on the same wavelength in regards to this plan.

The Kiners go all out on the music this next scene, as we montage building the gliders and Kanan preparing to shave and cut his hair, fully reclaiming his identity as Caleb Dume, The Last Padawan, again.

Kanan's theme plays, in bright flute, with bouncy string accompaniment. It's ritualistic how he moves. Like a samurai slicing off his topknot. Luke's Theme crossfades in through his to mark the heroism of the moment, as the preparations are finished.

And thus begins a long series of hidden goodbyes.

"This is one of those times I'm glad the Force is with you." Zeb says, about how crazy the plan is, and Kanan just silently puts a hand on his shoulder, the last time the two men would ever speak.

(The animators also go all hell out, making this episode one of the most gorgeous yet put to print.)

Cut to our favorite blue asshole. And he's been summoned to Coruscant for a meeting of heads of state to quibble about budgetary proportions lol. Of all things to yank Thrawn away from Lothal, it's politics and bureaucracy, par the course. Thrawn seems offended and claims Palpatine assured him he supports the Defenders.

And while I'm sure Palpatine has paid a bit of lip service to Thrawn's face... yeah no sorry honey, Palpatine was always going to go with the Death Star thing, it's been in the works since before the Clone War broke out. The only issue is that it's sucking all the funding and resources of everything else dry because of the constant delays and problems (Krennic is apparently mismanaging to hell) so now they are considering ganking money from other various projects to feed it.

And that's just... SO like the government lol.

So exit Thrawn, straight into the Thrawn: Treason novel. And I am still SORELY disappointed that Zahn did not take full advantage of the fact that Treason was basically a Rebels tie-in in order to have Thrawn sloooooooowly losing his mind and patience over things dissolving on Lothal while he's not there so that by the time we get him back in the finale, his irritation and annoyance is peak comedy and perfect characterization follow-through.

"I was gone for ONE HOUR and you blew up my project???!??"

The gliders are telegraphed to us with a very slight sound effect, and the rigid wings. So it's amazingly effective at fooling the Troopers lol. Rukh on the other hand has probably picked up a whiff of Zeb lingering on the others so he's alert.

Aaaaaand hidden goodbye number two, frick my heart this one hurts. There's so much Kanan can't tell Ezra, lest the fear of loss cripple him and make him unable to act, drive him towards the Dark Side. Kanan needs Ezra to be able to function for this mission, so he just praises Ezra for being a good listener--a veiled admonition for him to continue listening to the will of the Force, to his instincts, to the wisdom of others, to the wolves--and tells him and Sabine, "May the Force be with you."

He entrusts their safety to the Force, and tells them to trust in it in turn.

"Ezra and Sabine have each other, they'll find their way home."

Oh boy, on this edition of "Terrible Rebels takes that make zero sense except to the perpetually offended", there were actually multiple people who complained about Hera's confession coming about as a result of the truth serum, and they were mad that her loopy state because of the truth serum was played for laughs.

To which all I will say is, shut up, Hera drunk on truth serum is hilarious. Maybe quit having such a stick up your butt about bad things happening to female characters and let them get in on the jokes and slapstick occasionally.

Heroic Main Theme here as Kanan makes his entrance.

About 90% certain the thing Hera wanted to tell Kanan here was that she was pregnant. I refuse to accept that time on the fuel pod as the first time she told Kanan she loved him. Does not make sense, rejected.

Not gonna comment much on the Kanan/Hera scenes, they're adorable and sweet and heartwarming and heartbreaking in hindsight but I will say this soft romantic cue that accompanies them is very lovely.

Pryce sounds more than a bit pissy that Hera got rescued right from under her nose. This leads directly into her recklessness later with the fuel pods.

Love Ezra and Sabine casually commandeering a gunship. "I'm the backup pilot, so I'm in the back." And the Troopers just accept that logic lol.

And the "something" Kanan needs to tell Hera is either that he knows she's pregnant (but maybe doesn't know she knows?) OR about his upcoming expiration. Too bad Rukh interferes.

Oh hey, another sad parallel, neither Jedi have their lightsaber for their moment of ultimate sacrifice.

Hgngnh watching all the pieces move into place for what I already know is coming is awful.

Still cannot get over just how polluted the streets are, look at that rust colored smog.

Lol Ezra's little fist pump, completely forgetting where he is a moment. He's so cute I love him.

Their teamwork in taking out the other Imperials is great too.

*watches the kiss, sighs with sadness*

You did not have to dig so hard into the mood whiplash guys. You really didn't.

All right, let's just... pull off the bandaid.

The animation, the music full of mournful male chorus and high siren wail, the muted soundtrack, the emphasis on Hera and Ezra, that Kanan is so deeply utterly in tune with the Force that his blindness doesn't even matter (which is what his eyes clearing up was, clumsily, attempting to convey) he can see them...

And then he's gone.

And how awful it was for Ezra, who literally just felt his bond with Kanan snap inside his head, to have to be the competent leader and shout at Sabine to, "Go! Go!". For him to have to be the one thinking clearly, because Hera is completely numb and in shock.

Sabine wiping her eyes as she flies them out of there, somehow still able to see through her tears.

And then a stark white and gray titlecard as ashen dust flickers down around the text.

:((((((((

Frick man it still hits hard. Looking back though, it was inevitable. The death flags were all there, the pieces all set up and in place. This wasn't done on a whim, this was meticulously thought out, to devastating effect.

I was never quite as emotionally attached to Kanan as a lot of other people in the fandom, and I'm also a grown adult, so Kanan's death, while incredibly saddening, was not nearly as emotionally devastating to me as it was to quite a few younger viewers. For a lot of fandom this was their first time experiencing a fictitious loss like that, of having a character, a person they had as a staple in their lives, suddenly leaving it. Leaving behind an empty hole.

And that's one of the reasons I have to respect the writers for doing it. They had a story they needed to tell--about loss, about dealing with grief, about how to pick yourself back up and continue doing the right thing, as a Jedi specifically for Ezra, and as a person for everyone else--and they knew they needed to give it the weight and gravitas it merited.

You can't cling to things forever. It's one of the core staple lessons of Star Wars, the "point of the prequels" to borrow a common if oft-misused phrase.

Loss will happen. Death will happen. Do not give into fear about it. Do not let your fear of loss drive you into darkness.

Give yourself time to process the loss. Let yourself grieve.

And then let go.

So I appreciate that the next few episodes are spent almost as if in a funk, the cloud of grief hanging over us as we process through our loss with the characters and then pick ourselves back up and return to the mission. Because the war isn't won yet, and there are still things left to do.

It is darkest before the dawn.

#star wars #star wars rebels #rebels rewatch #kanan x hera #space dad and his precious pumpkin child #and his rainbow colored cupcake #sabezra #liveblog #spoilers #this is a pro jedi blog #meta rambling #Rebels Rambles #warning: hella sad #i'm not even kidding #grand admiral thrawn #dunking on the blue bastard #ezra bridger

[chainofclovers]

Ted Lasso 3x11 Thoughts

I have to write my thoughts down right away this time.

[Please don’t hate me if calling TL a rom-com is your favorite thing but] I’ve always felt like Ted Lasso isn’t a rom-com in the traditional sense where a protagonist finds love with an “opposites attract” kind of person and it ends right as they’ve decided to be together. Because the rom-com structure can be brilliant for what it is, but it’s all about the build-up, the whirl of questions and magic that gets you to one perfect moment of clarity. Ted Lasso is a kaleidoscope of people, all learning from the light reflected off the others. People within its world fall in and out of love, but the “movie” isn’t structured entirely around a single love story between two people. And I like that, as much as I have strong feelings about the potential for romantic love in this universe. Because a lot of times, when I watch a rom-com, I can’t quite picture what will happen to the characters who have fallen in love now that they’ve cracked the code of getting there. But, of course, what if Nora Ephron wrote a sports film? (—Jason Sudeikis.) As soon as this ep ended, my wife said she loved that this very Ephron-filled episode rather aggressively tied up a lot of loose ends all at once, with a lot of rosy moments and schmaltzy dialogue and the kind of magic that exists in a romantic comedy, revised to be about sports. Which are actually about life. Or whatever.

I appreciate that structure a lot, but even more than that I appreciate that the Ephroniest episode of this show is the penultimate one. I assume—or at least, I very much hope—that now that they’ve tied up so much and hurtled these characters so rapidly towards the close of the scene, the finale will have some breathing room to be a bit more real and more messy. I hope that it still feels like closure for this story, but I also hope that it’s open enough that we not only trust that all these people will still have lives, but will actually be able to imagine them.

It’s kind of funny how much the ending to this one felt like a cliffhanger even though I’m certain Ted is going to tell Rebecca he’s going to need to leave at the end of the season. A neat trick for the rom-com ep, cutting off the two protagonists right before their moment of clarity. Because of course Ted is already clear. And I would have HATED Rebecca’s so-self-aware-the-fourth-wall-was-quivering speech about the truth bomb if it weren’t for Ted so clearly having something to say, and if it weren’t for how casual and almost careless she is about being down in the office simply because it’s on-schedule. I mean, this woman was in no way able to handle it when Higgins merely suggested rethinking Ted’s role when the season was going badly; I’m really curious how shaken she’s going to be when he tells her, and how quickly she’ll get to acceptance. 

For all that I loved the flirtation with rom-com structure, and the big sports movie messages, and all the very intense interpersonal dynamics (Ted and his mom! Beard and Nate! Roy and Keeley and Jamie loose in Manchester! Even the ten seconds of Bex and Ms. Kakes showing up at Rebecca’s doorstep!), there’s also a big part of me that’s just aching, though, because I just love Ted and Rebecca and Ted&Rebecca and Ted/Rebecca so much. And even though their connection would never be a rom-com romance to me—because their connection is forever, and their connection has already taken so much good work, and that’s as it should be—I would love to watch them fall in love in a romantic way (if not a rom-com way). That still of them watching the movie together was sooooo lovely and soft and framed with such perfect movielight that I just feel wistful. But Ted is right about You’ve Got Mail not quite being his favorite story. It’s Sam’s rom-com, and I would have even liked the little glance between Sam and Rebecca as Sam feels his own wistfulness if it weren’t for how much I just wanted to see that promo still come to life.

(The absolute bullshit of shipping wars notwithstanding, I feel like even among the sensible non-warring people there is a camp of seeing no romance between T/R and a camp of seeing romance in everything between T/R, and I’m just. In neither place. I have seen a lot of their connection points this season as full of the potential for some kind of realized love, and I think many of the things they have said to each other and done for or with each other have a comfort and familiarity that could flip nearly instantaneously into a romantic and sexual love. Also, aren’t rituals kinda kinky anyway? And their whole relationship is based on rituals? 

It’s so weird; I don’t think I’m delusional, but I could still see them having a huge moment in 3x12 and in fact am certain there will be one, I just don’t know what it will mean to them. But I will never be like “I’m clowning again” when it comes to this shit because the ingredients are literally all there, and I guess they can make whatever cake they want, and I’ll unclownily respect it while continuing to see what I see.)

Other stuff: 

Ted’s mom added some cutesy pillows and kitchen stuff to Ted’s flat, right? I think it’s interesting that her ultimate message was that Henry misses Ted and that he can’t be scared of parenting him, but in the lead up to that truth she was doing stuff to populate his living space in London more fully. I’m curious if that was the equivalent of the cute animal videos he referenced in s1, when she’s trying to work up the courage to talk about something real, or if it was something about a parents’ desire to make their children more comfortable even if they screw up, or if it portends something more complicated on the horizon w/r/t Ted’s relationship to “home.” 

I loved Becky Ann Baker’s performance so much, and I thought Jason Sudeikis played off her incredibly well. There is nothing more irritating than being irritated by someone whose worst qualities are the exact same as your worst qualities. And when Rebecca and Beard and Higgins and the entire team just adore Dottie, it’s just so…of COURSE THEY DO. It was so good.

I think this show has something very frustrating to say about forgiveness and I think maybe there needs to be a different word for this concept they keep invoking?! I’m certain there are interesting philosophical and theological beliefs about forgiveness and how it’s not really about willfully becoming okay with someone who has hurt you but more about freeing yourself from how horrible it feels to be trapped by how that person made you feel. And I think that is what Ola advises Sam to do when thinking about the bigots who trashed him publicly and trashed his restaurant, and I think that is what Ted advises Jamie to do when he suggests how Jamie reframe how he feels about his dad. I don’t think either conversation is intended to minimize the horrors of what has happened, and it feels like the intention/vibes/overall care for the person receiving the advice/outcome in each situation is “correct” in that both Sam and Jamie end up finding the conversations helpful. But something about forgiveness as a concept just feels like they needed to invent some new word or contextualize the old word better or something.

When Jamie’s mum takes his side about his hair being walnut haze OH MY GOD.

Genuinely thought Keeley and Roy were fully back together last episode and I think Rebecca also thought this, LOL. I am unsure what I even want to happen at this point. I mean, obviously Jamie/Keeley/Roy should ride off into the sunset together. So I guess I do know what I want to happen.

Beard backstory! Ted and Beard backstory! I am so, so glad the Ted and Nate reunion didn’t happen in the Ephron ep. I am so, so glad Beard showed up and gave something of himself and grew as a human being a little bit. I’m glad that Nate did not send anyone any groveling tomes, and that this continues to be a story about forging and reforging connections rather than the economy of redemption. 

I’m sure there’s more, but I’m fuckin’ exhausted. Until next time, so long, farewell. (HAHAHAHAHAHAHA.) 

#ted lasso #ted lasso meta #meta by me #ted lasso s3 spoilers #ted x rebecca #hot dork club #ted lasso 3x11