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wutheringmights · 30 days

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After I finished reading The Epic of Gilgamesh today, I entered a fugue state where I sat down and read the entirety of Alanna: The First Adventure by Tamora Pierce.

On the record, I have had a lifelong love and adoration for Pierce's Tortall books. I first read the Song of the Lioness quartet when I was 11, and they rewrote my brain. I love them so much. I reread them and the other Tortall books on a semi-frequent schedule.

It's been a while since I reread any of the Alanna books, if only because my sister took our shared copies when she moved out. I've been meaning to buy my own set for a long while now but haven't been able to justify the purchase. The other week, I just so happened to find the first two volumes at my local indie bookstore. I bought them immediately, as well as ordered the third and fourth book. (And discovered that the store owner knows me by name-- when I went to pick up my order, she saw me and said, Hi Frankie! I got your books over here.) (I may be spending too much money there.)

So I have been in a bit of an emotional rut these past few weeks. Work sucks. Life stinks. The temptation to run off to Tortall and curl up in the fantasy story that captivated me as a kid has never been stronger.

Ergo, I ran off to read the first book as soon as I could.

If you're looking for any critique of this book, series, or Tortall in general, I will never give it. Sure, it's problematic and dated, and in many ways imperfect, but someone else can list out all of its issues. They're all perfect to me.

Anyway, the book. I should say something about this book in particular.

One thing I appreciate about Pierce's writing is how she handles school settings in fantasy. Learning and training is so mundane. All of her heroines have to work hard and put in extra hours of study in order to improve, much less keep up with their peers. It's so normal that it circles around to being weirdly refreshing.

Also, there is still no other fantasy author who handles period talk and birth control the way Pierce does. We make fun of the trope of fantasy birth control nowadays, but I rarely see it presented as it is here: as a part of normal puberty lessons and given long before sex is in the girl's radar. And even today with the glut of YA fantasy stories out there, I still have yet to see menstruation be portrayed as frequently or as bluntly as Pierce writes it.

There was a period of time publishers really tried to push the Tortall books as straight YA, which doesn't work for that reason alone. You gotta market them to middle schoolers. They're the ones just starting puberty talks, and getting scenes like this is so good for their brains.

Moving on: I fucking love these characters. Alanna was an icon of brash, temperamental heroines that have shaped my taste to this day. I love how even in the first book, Jon is kinda shitty. I adore George Cooper. Talk about a taste maker the way this man sets a standard.

I just can't be coherent when it comes to any Tortall books. I have no thoughts. Head empty. I am going to binge the rest of this series as quickly as I can before my library book comes in. Then normal book content will resume.

Before I go, I need to talk about the book covers.

Growing up, my sister and I had these covers:

Which, god. I love them. The black is striking. The art is incredible. Alanna looks so good. They were the perfect pocket-size too. I was going to buy the same edition for my copies, but instead I got the 40th anniversary reprints:

Not bad at all! These books have had some seriously bad covers, and these look great! Very anime, which will appeal to the 11 year olds who need to have their socks rocked by this series.

But, man. I really miss those black covers. One day I will splurge and buy a second set of them just so that I can stare at the art.

#having a not normal time on tumblr dot come right now #alanna my beloved #if you were a deity i would worship you #me rambling #me reading #bookish #books and reading #books #bookblr #Alanna: the first adventure #the song of the lioness #tortall #tamora pierce

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spidersmiceandeverythingnice · 2 years

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Ya know what tbqh I'm having a lot more fun interacting with SJM since deciding to hash tag stan tamlin but also what grinds my gears!?!? What butters my fucking croissants!?!?!

Tamlin has HOBBIES.

No no. Seriously. I have a point. Listen:

We know the following pieces of information about the Spring Court/Tamlin in ACOTAR: Most of the government falls squarely on Tamlin's shoulders because most of the old guard and the former sentries are dead, because they left the Spring Court to search for a "cure." He and Lucien actively patrol their borders and hunt for monsters that threaten humans and faeries alike. Taxes are collected once a year via the Tithe, but Tamlim absolishes the Tithe during Amarantha's rule. There are no cities. There is almost no distinction in the Court between High Fae and "lesser fae." He was a victim of abuse via his father and two much older brothers. Human slaves used to be common, but Tamlin finds his family history abhorrent and considers himself a protector type. He personally took Lucien to another Court for healing after Amarantha damaged his eye in a way that Tamlin himself could not fix. A faerie dies in his living room and Tamlin personally buries him. Tamlin takes refugees from other courts. The most important holiday is Calanmai, wherein Tamlin sacrifices his bodily autonomy and gets possessed by a god (?) in order to generate magic during the changing of seasons. He can be grouchy but he has a sense of humor; he writes silly poems for fun and plays music well enough that Feyre thinks he could make an actual career of it.

A lot of this gets re-conned, re-framed as "conservative" and sometimes actively ignored in order to attribute more positive qualities to Rhys - who in ACOTAR, is shown to be a manipulative liar who commits murder for fun and drugs/assaults Feyre. Tamlin clearly suffers from PTSD in ACOMAF but his symptoms are not "noble" or cute like Feyre. The narrative postulates that while Feyre needs to learn that she's worthy of love and freedom and that her dark past doesnt define her, Tamlin needs to be "redeemed" because his trauma is not as important or as valid as hers, and he can't be worthy of help until he repents for his "crime" of acting in ways that are - from his perspective- completely logical, and based in genuinely good/loving intentions.

In ACOWAR, Feyre states that she begins implanting/altering the memories of Tamlin in other people's heads to make them abandon him. She also steals a gift (presumably, a gift from Rhys to Tamlin) because she doesn't feel he deserves it, and contemplates burning down the rose garden which is pretty much all Tamlin has left of his mother.

This... does not make me hate Tamlin in the slightest. I read these books and actively struggle to hate him the way the narrative wants because everything about him is legitimately just tragic and pitiable.

While all this goes on the narrative goes on to reposition Rhysand - the guy who caused a lot of the main heroine trauma - as the best guy who ever lived. He's cruel to be kind, deeply misunderstood and hurting in silence. A martyr whose pain is just like the heroine's, who is an immortal ancient warrior king more powerful than any other person in the world but still somehow the narrative equal of a barely literate 20 year old woman. That sure is a choice and ya know what fine, whatever, I accept that this is the story I'm reading. But back to my earlier point:

What hobby does Rhysand have other than sex and fighting?

Answer me. Quickly.

The retcons with Tamlins character are annoying on their own because SJM clearly thinks her audience is too stupid to remember book one of her own series. But it's especially annoying for me given that Rhysand is a boring mouthpiece for the author to moralize her faerie books. As a character he's incredibly bland. There's nothing about him that's compelling because everything "bad" that he does is justified and righteous, and he can't be challenged or hurt because that would make Feyre (the other author mouthpiece) very sad. :(

Anyway remember to stan tamlin, send tweet.

#anti sjm #tamlin #anti rhysand #im so bored of feysand they are the most boring insufferable fucking couple

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mermaidsirennikita · 2 months

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ARC REVIEW: Wake Me Most Wickedly by Felicia Grossman

4/5. 4/9/2024.

Vibes: older woman/younger man, Snow White retelling, Jewish historical romance

Heat Index: 6.5/10.

Sol Weiss is looking to live up to the example (and expectations) set by the half-brother who raised him--and that means marrying the right woman. The right woman is NOT Hannah, with a shady past and a shadier lineage. But after she rescues Sol from an attack, he can't get her out of his head. And the more she tries to stay away, the more he wants her...

If you're looking for something light and fun--though not at all silly--with a good dose of interclass conflict and a rough around the edges heroine, this is for you. It's not often that we see heroines who are a) older than their heroes, which Hannah is and b) the more "dangerous" one (in theory) in the couple. At the same time--though Sol is funny and sweet, he's not a milquetoast. Seriously, how could he be with Hannah if he was?

It's like... a feel-good book, but not without stakes. Which is what I think Felicia Grossman is starting to specialize in. With, of course, a strong focus on the 19th century Jewish community in England, which--how often do you see that in romance, despite it being a huge part of the era.

Quick Takes:

--You often do see heroines who have a bit of an edge, but it's less often that you see them actually do things that make them seem more worldly and, dare I say, competent than the hero. Hannah is introduced here as someone who has a lot of responsibilities, doesn't shy away from her sexuality (but also, you get the sense, has never really had someone truly care about her needs), and isn't above committing crimes.

And then... she saves Sol. It's not that Sol isn't competent--more that he doesn't have as much life experience as Hannah. Which tracks, as he's literally younger than her and also comes from a more sheltered background. But I wouldn't say he's spoiled. He's willing to learn. He's eager to learn, really (in every way... yay, a hero who's less experienced in bed than the heroine!).

Sol is a good dude, but as I said before, he's not a boring dude. He wants to do the right thing, but Hannah quickly becomes his priority. Also, he does crochet at one point, and I did find that delightful.

--To be clear, I am not Jewish, and my understanding of Jewish customs and history is superficial at best. But it's clear that Grossman has done her research regarding the era, and I really appreciate that her characters' identities are woven in to the fabric of their beings. Like, there isn't a Very Special Episode Where We're Reminded That The Characters Are Jewish (which I've seen happen when writers who aren't Jewish write characters that are). It's just always there.

--One thing I really liked as Sol and Hannah's relationship progressed was the way that he clearly started to take care of her. I love an independent heroine who takes care of people (Hannah does not have a kid, phew, but she does have a sister she's trying to set up for a better life) and resists the hero trying to care for her. That's done really well here. Sol is like, mildly outraged that this woman doesn't have people looking out for her, and it's very sweet.

--This is a Snow White retelling! There are nods to elements like the Seven Dwarves. I don't know that I would call this a particularly heavy retelling, and I'm not sure that the retelling element was super necessary? But it was cute.

The Sex:

There are several sex scenes in this one, all of which are good, and they usually revolve around Hannah's pleasure. Sol is not super experienced, but he's READY to jump in, and it's really great. In fact, their entire sexual relationship (which begins before the halfway mark, thank God) begins with him basically going "let me help you RELAX" which. Gold. He's a GOOD boy.

For the fans of a face-sitting scene.... There is a great one in this book wherein she is shocked! Shocked I say! And he basically goes "hold on to the bed frame I'm working here".

Anyway, this is a super fun, fluffy-but-not-TOO-fluffy read that gives you something beyond the typical hero/heroine dynamic (which I still love) along with a solid dose of heat. It's for the girlies (and not-girlies) who just want to go home after a long day's work and have our shoulders massaged, and also perhaps other things too. We love to see it.

Thanks to NetGalley and Forever for providing me with a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Preorder here:

Amazon

B&N

Bookshop.org

#romance novel blogging #romance novels #book recs #arc reviews #netgalley #book reviews #books

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tangledbea · 10 months

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I really don’t like how they depicted Rapunzel and Eugene in TTS. They were so focused on making Rapunzel a badass heroine, that they forgot to give her any relatable qualities. To give her failures and setbacks. Im all for female representation in media, but that doesn’t mean that men shouldn’t be depicted as competent. Let Rapunzel be captured by an enemy or get trapped in a perilous, life threatening Situation and have Eugene rescue her. It wouldn’t make her any less of a strong woman.

While I agree with your sentiment, I can't say that I dislike how they're depicted. Eugene isn't depicted as incompetent - quite the opposite, in fact. Rapunzel is simply depicted as... more competent, which I do dislike. She has no reason to be better at *gestures at all that* than him. For years and years, he was a thief who had to get by in the world among violent people. She'd been out of the tower for six months and won the Challenge of the Brave? Why? That makes no sense! Yes, she had a lot of hobbies, but she had no formal training in combat and hadn't been actively practicing much of that.

Can she fearlessly walk a stable balance beam? Sure! Can she dance it when giant hammers are swinging back and forth and not get hit? I seriously doubt it.

Her getting stronger and more competent as the series progressed would have been much more believable. She doesn't do any active fighting in the movie. Just whacked unsuspecting people with a frying pan for a one-hit KO, and also futilely beat against people much bigger and stronger than her.

I loved seeing Eugene get to actually have the spotlight in "Forest of No Return" as someone who'd lived in the wilderness and knew how to survive it. I disliked that they immediately put him in a magical wilderness that he had no hope of understanding without help. Yeah, yeah, Eugene needs to learn humility, but also let him be right.

Just... balance, people. It's about balance.

#Tangled #Tangled the Series #Rapunzel #Eugene Fitzherbert #TTS #Answered

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taylortruther · 10 months

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i got this ask about the golden compass but i am posting it so i can put it behind a tag to help everyone avoid spoilers (since some mutuals expressed interest in reading it, specifically).

the ask:

God I read TGC when I was 13 and I wish I could experience reading it for the first time again. I was hooked since the very first scece. Something about the writing makes you feel like you're inside the book experiencing it alongside Lyra. Lyra who's one of the best heroines ever. An icon and a legend.

AND OH TONY MAKARIOS

I was shocked the first time I read it. Stared at the book for hours like 😲. I reread the series last winter and this scene is only more horrifying as an adult.

Roger's death was also shocking I didn't imagine Lord Asriel would do something like that. One of the best things in rereading it was noticing details I haven't noticed before and I wish I had these books here with me so I could look at my annotation.

I love Lyra and Iorek I love their relationship and I still think that "sivertongue" is the most badass title ever (even more badass to be recieved by a bear). I love Lee. He's such a sweetheart and he remains a loyal sweetheart till the very end.

I can't wait to hear your thoughts on the rest of trilogy! It gets so much bigger and more philosophical. When I reread it I had a hard time with TGC because I really wanted to move on to the 2nd and especially the 3rd book.

---

my answer:

agreed that pullman is an excellent writer! i'm gonna nerd out for a sec here, but he really knows how to suck you in from the first page, and the pacing of all the action, the way lyra learns information, etc. keeps you hooked. i'm so impressed by that. and i also really like how he uses parallels - for example, lyra meets iorek and pities him because he has no daemon, and soon after she finds tony makarios and sees what happens. or how she describes the bears as being at a crossroads between iorek and iofur, which they can never go back from, and soon after, lord asriel talks about how there are alternate universes where once a decision or choice has been made, it blocks out the alternative (except in another universe where those alternatives all exist.) so like, there is a world where iofur is still the king of the bears, which lyra had just been pondering while fearing for iorek's life.

and yes, i love lyra silvertongue! their relationship is so special and unique, i love it so much. and that scene where iorek tells lyra, "you tricked iofur?" and then we think iorek is about to be defeated, only for it to be a trick...! and the way lyra calls him "my dear" and helps him close his wounds. the way she says she doesn't love her father, but she loves iorek... lyra is sincerely just SO good, so fierce, a "wildcat" as pullman calls her at the beginning... i love her. i want to protect her and pan forever and i am terrified something awful will happen to him fjdaskl

super excited to start book 2 today! also if you ever want to share your annotations, i would love to hear them, seriously.

#tgc #hdm #tgc spoilers

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regarding-stories · 1 month

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Winter Was Not An Exciting Season

When I started writing this, about 3-4 episodes had dropped for most shows that started in winter 2024 season on Crunchyroll, and I came to the conclusion there was no reason to get excited... And I think that's pretty much how it worked out. I stopped watching most of these shows at some point. Eventually I dug into the archives on Crunchyroll instead... which was much more rewarding.

I by the way never bothered with "Solo Leveling" or "Shangri-La Frontier" because I don't get what's the point with these kind of shows. OP skill this, video game that, and usually no actual stakes at all. Why bother?

Delusional Monthly Magazine

Hot trash.

Weird scientist tries to place his research in a paper that's more of an "I saw an UFO manned by Elvis" style tabloid. Lots of unconvincing hijinks happen.

Stopping point: I switched off in episode 1 when somebody suddenly developed a superpower because this is all over the place. And stupid.

Villainess Level 99: I May Be the Hidden Boss But I'm Not the Demon Lord

Girl gets reborn as the hidden boss of a game she used to play. She decides to avoid becoming a problem and also levels up to 99, which is a level reached by no one in this world (and the limit).

It does not help that she has dark magic as attribute and the heroine of that game is a light magic user.

What's hard to bear is that she gets constantly ostracized way into episode 4. Everything she does is taken negatively and the potential love interests of the heroine (it's a dating sim) constantly stir trouble for her because everyone assumes the worst.

On the surface this is yet another show about being reborn into a dating sim, like "The World of Otome Games is Tough for Mobs" or "I'm in Love with the Villainess". Though I can't help but think that the setup is also a tongue-in-cheek about how being exceptional can get you bullied in Japan. "The nail that sticks out gets hammered down" is idiomatic there for a reason.

In general a decent show, but what kind of person is the protagonist that she doesn't understand social cues at all? I don't think that's established very well.

Stopping point: I'm not sure why I stopped watching around episode 6, there seems to be no strong reason beyond losing interest. Might revisit.

Sasaki and Peeps

Middle-aged salary man gets himself a pet bird which turns out to be a reborn wizard from another world.

What follows is a wild (and also illogical) mix of genres. He gets transported to an Isekai world and learns magic, but mainly he wants to open a business there by transporting Japanese goods there and selling them. (Yet he never figures out that he could transport gold back to pay for them - or just be rich.)

His magic then gets him recruited into a squad of psychics fighting other psychics. He's totally OP because psychics have only one ability and his magic works differently for every spell. Anyway, the show doesn't benefit from cutting across plots. It first tries to hit the "living the quiet life in another world" vibe, then goes into "everyday man thrust into the world of superpowers", and now seems to also tap into "adventuring in another world..."

Sasaki is likable enough, an innocent man, mostly, really drab and unassuming. What disturbs me is that so far all the females appearing are minors. There's a high school girl waiting for him every day next door - why? I don't want to know. His wild colleague at the agency who is a snappy dresser? Supposedly 17. (Yes, high school age.) The person he's supposed to protect next - a child beauty. (She seems important as she was given a completely "doll style" credits variation of her own.) I seriously don't want to know where this is going...

None of the GIFs here on tumblr feature the protagonist. Funny.

Stopping point: After Episode 3. After the third under-age girl appearing I was wondering how many other genres they are going to cram into this one.

Hokkaido Gals Are Super Adorable!

Tokyo boy moves to rural Hokkaido and meets his future girlfriend, a total gyaru (gal).

Actually, he meets several, but I can't imagine this show playing out any other way. Has surprisingly little to say about Hokkaido itself except that it snows a lot and you need to keep warm.

The show has a mellow, slice of life flair but lacks originality. I actually ended watching the full season, it's an easy show to watch. The three heroines are all pleasant people that overlap with part of his life, making the harem-ish setup of all three crushing on him a bit annoying since two of them never stood a chance.

Stopping point: I actually finished this one but I must say the drama built for the last episode was a complete no-show and completely unconvincing, even by the typical "Japanese is a language of unsaid things" standard.

The Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic

Frankly, initially this was the absolute highlight of the season. I waited for every episode.

Two talented teenagers are summoned to be the heroes saving another world. And a third, average guy, who happened to be nearby. He ends up stealing their thunder because he has the rare healing magic talent.

Surprisingly, the other two people are really decent (looking at you, "Shield Hero") and in general he's treated well. The only dramatic concern is that healing magic has found its master in his teacher, an over-the-top drill sergeant style woman.

It quickly becomes apparent that healing magic, if used wrongly, is the strongest of them all - giving you infinite stamina, instantly restoring your strength, making you the perfect tank. You just have to train like a maniac. Which our drill sergeant ensures will happen.

Stopping point: After episode 7. The show is funny and has heart up to a certain point, but somehow I lost interest, also because it's destroying its previous vibe by hinting at impending doom. Interestingly I read a review today that points to mid season being a complete drag and messing up the pacing, and the finale not saving it. I guess I'm not surprised?

7th Time Loop: The Villainess Enjoys a Carefree Life Married to Her Worst Enemy!

A woman gets reborn into another world as a noble, only for her defining moment to repeat over and over. She turned down by her prince fiancé and basically ejected from her social status.

But this filly has spirit, and so she cuts out a life of her own successfully. Only to die in a war years later and to find herself at the same scene! Since she retains her memory she starts to pick different routes, leading various lives, picking up skills and knowledge, only to die eventually in the same continent-spanning war.

Her last time around, something odd happens. Just as she's escaping her betrothal she runs into the instigator of that war, the dark prince of the empire. And he is so taken with her, he proposes to her.

An unusual setup for sure. At some point we will likely learn what is behind the whole war business, but just watching her navigate all situations in stride is actually interesting by itself. As the title suggests, big drama is mostly absent so far ever since her "final life" started.

Stopping point: Middle of Episode 6. The mini-villain little brother turns out to be the complete opposite of a schemer and actually only wants the attention of his oniiii-chaaaan!! The whole flip was so unconvincing, I couldn't anymore. It's absolutely unclear why the guy she married does anything, including telling her to avoid his brother.

Tales of Wedding Rings

It would be hard to take this show serious at any level as it mostly exists as a vehicle to get this guy together with big-buxomed vixens for plot reasons - but there isn't much plot either.

He follows his childhood love to another world and accidentally marries her, getting the first ring of power. Then he learns he must fight off some evil led by the Abyss King. For that he has to marry more princesses.

There's no logic to the action, though. In the first kingdom he can fend off abyss monsters but gets his ass handed to him by an abyss knight. So they run off, abandoning their own kingdom?!? Then, as soon as he gets the ring from the elven princess he easily hands the abyss knight their ass without even trying. Instant wipe. So that knight keeps showing up and somehow evil rings appear and there's no rhyme or reason to the drama.

Otherwise it's pretty clear that he wants things to work out with his childhood love, but the other girls want attention, too. So another unrequited harem, badly done, too. And yes, the kingdoms they encounter are sexy elves, sexier cat people, and lolicon demon people. Expect plenty of fan service.

Stopping point: Episode 9. No special reason. The show is easy to watch, undemanding, but also doesn't deliver much. You can pick it up at any point and leave it and you won't miss much. Ironically I got mostly GIFs for "Rings of Power" when searching, and frankly, even this anime is better than that.

A Sign Of Affection

I almost forgot this one.

The heroine of the story is for all practical purposes deaf but she soon gets to know an absolute boy-hunk and wonders what these feelings are. Which she then proceeds to find out since he also likes her.

As for a story that focuses on a character with a disability, it does very little with it except her having a lot of trouble reading situations around her and the impediments of communication. And people constantly getting in her space. (Which is a necessity but unusual in Japan.)

It's certainly a high profile production for a romance, with great art.

Stopping point: After Episode 2.

In spite of being a fan of romance stories, it somehow rubbed me wrong that not only does an absolute model boy (the art is good enough that nobody needs to tell us) become immediately interested in her, he also is portrayed as this interesting character who travels abroad in a moment's notice for his studies. Mr Perfect on day 1. There didn't seem to be anything interesting to be going on at all. So I lost interest.

When looking around on the internet, in most places this show is described with one short paragraph for a synopsis. A critic compared it to "A Silent Voice", but that show needs almost a full page to have its synopsis laid out on Wikipedia - because it's a complex take on multiple topics - disability, bullying, social dynamics, and the ability to change. Somehow that strikes me as a contrived comparison.

#delusional monthly magazine #villainess level 99 #sasaki and peeps #hokkaido gals are super adorable!#the wrong way to use healing magic #7th time loop #tales of wedding rings #a sign of affection

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eddie-brii · 1 year

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Well you guys liked them so much so here's more headcannons.

Since Jason went to college and actually came out with a four year degree (I'm leaning towards something to do with social work, Sociology or Psychology.) He got really tired of people not taking him seriously in his degree field because he sounds "like a dumb hick". So after too many dead end jobs he finally turned to weed as an escape. He never had any desire to go for meth or heroin, seen too many people that had destroyed themselves thoroughly from it.

He got fast tracked when joined the military to officers training because of that degree though, he learned how to read his superiors and manage to impress them, leading to him getting his own unit quickly.

He kept his distance from most of them, until he was assigned Nicky and he finally opened up to someone about everything that happened. Jason told him about the yelling, the bruises, and Nicky in turn opened up about his friend that was killed in a drive by when he was 18, all because he had said hi to the wrong person.

After their heart to heart, when the question of leave came up Jason finally took his and went with Nicky after a lot of convincing. At first he was overwhelmed, the amount of people in the home made it loud but not angry like he was used to, with a father that despite working so much was patient with his children. He'd earned Mr. Kay's respect when he didn't treat Nicky differently from anyone else. Mrs. Kay opening her arms wide as "any friend of Nicky's is welcome in this home." And that's what it was, a home, something Jason had never known. He ended up needing to take a walk to get away from it all, having no idea how to even process all of it, all of the love and warmth he wasn't used to. Nicky found him in a park not too far from the house, his head in his hands as he was trying to stop the panic that had no reason to rise up at what should be something good. Nicky stayed with him til he finally calmed down, listening to him rant through the anxiety and when they finally went home. Nicky's parents were right there waiting for them stating they weren't going to go to bed til they knew all their boys were home safe. For the first time in a long time Jason fought back tears, until Mrs. Kay hugged him and then flood gates opened. He tried to down play it, not used to someone caring but "you can't hide pain from a mama" she said while holding him. Nicky and Mr. Kay watched it all, Nick was just happy to have finally given his friend a safe place.

#house of ashes #the dark pictures anthology #the dark pictures house of ashes #jason kolchek #nick kay #hoa #eddie speaks

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msculper · 5 months

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OK so as a out of practice history buff i wanna ask for some of your fav examples of how historical fashion trends mirror cultural/social changes…. go nuts with this one i love information

HI HELLO THIS MAKES ME SO EXCITED i've narrowed it down to four of my favorites (with the caveat that i study american history so this is verryyyy western-centric)

this got long with pictures so... under the cut

1. marie antoinette's chemise a la reine

this one has gotten a lot of attention in past years, but it's still one of my favorites! so the picture above is two portraits of marie antoinette in very different dresses. the right is the more traditional court dress of the late 18th century: silk, with lots of ruffles, bows, lace, and layers. the left is one of the most scandalous portraits of the century. in both a huge pr moment to prove how very relatable she was, marie sat for this portrait wearing her approximation of what peasants wore.

this picture is much closer than marie's version (side note: i trust abby cox, pictured above, with my life because she literally wrote the book on clothing in this era). what marie is wearing is much closer to women's undergarments at the time, hence the name 'chemise a la reine,' or (essentially) the 'underdress of the queen.' but the style took off! and lead to more fabric movement over the next fifty years or so in popular fashion

2. free black women in the european colonies

this one i learned about frustratingly recently from the amazing creator khensani on instagram but i haven't stopped thinking about it! so free black women in the 18th century were subjected to all kinds of clothing restrictions designed to enforce class lines along racial lines by prohibiting them by wearing silks, jewels, and other more luxurious materials. khensani has started using visual sources from the caribbean to try and piece together what free black women in south africa wore to express themselves under these clothing restrictions. i can't really speak intelligently on it yet, but from what i've seen, free black women put together incredibly intricate ensembles that reflected their african roots and repurposed the garments and materials available to them to create variations on european standards.

3. napoleonic war

let's talk menswear!!! one of my favorite shifts ever for western men's fashion came in the early 19th century. in the first 10-20 years of the century, men's fashion was some variation of this getup:

very clearly inspired by the 19th century, with the coat designed to show off fabric and breeches to show off one's shapely calves (no seriously... fashion is conspicuous consumption and tight stockings showed off the muscles that grow from horse riding, which carried several status indicators). but then by the end of the 1820s, men's fashion looks more like this ensemble from 1833:

the waistcoat and jacket are more practical and almost uniform-like. of most note: the breeches have become trousers that go all the way down to the ankle (a style that hasn't been fashionable for centuries at this point). so what changed? anybody? bueller?

sailors came home from the napoleonic wars! and, with a wave of fresh, brave, strong men to flirt with, women flocked to them instead of the men who'd been home all war. this is an illustration of a french uniform at the time, which very clearly inspired the updated cut of... all the garments:

the main takeaway: the same men who made fun of women for wearing corsets that hid their natural silhouette changed their whole pant situation to look more like the hot, working class studs those women were into. classic.

4. consumption chic

before heroin chic or anorexia chic, there was tuberculosis chic. that's right: the biggest killer of the 19th century was also a fashion statement. tuberculosis (aka consumption, for the way people seemed to waste away from the inside), like many other diseases, caused wait loss, pallor, and flushness. so when western society was obsessed with small waists* and paleness (a product of both racism and a time when lower classes toiled outside and upper classes lounged indoors) as markers of attractiveness, tuberculosis gained a strange relationship to fashion. one could become more fashionable - not to mention interesting - if one contracted tuberculosis, as people were so obsessed with death and dying that it was desirable to die a long drawn out death surrounded by your loved ones. but people also tried to catch tuberculosis to change their skin tone, or would use chemicals and makeup to mimic the visual affects of tuberculosis.

this fashion plate shows two things, regarding color: look at the difference between their skin color and the white of their gloves (yes, they're wearing gloves). now look at the coloring on their cheeks. it's that level of paleness that - unless you're me and my irish ancestors - is impossible to achieve without a deathly illness. this right around/after a time period when women would draw on veins to make their skin look lighter. and if tuberculosis both makes your skin whiter and flushes your cheeks? two for one deal, baby.

like, maybe she's had better days, but look how thin and pale that skin is!!! fashion!

*contrary to popular belief, 19th century westerners did not care about the literal, measurable size of one's waist (unless you were insanely, top 0.0001% and had nothing better to do) as much as they cared about the relative size of one's waist. in the fashion plate above, the women's waists look so tiny in part because of the frills on their sleeves and their hoop skirts. these garments were specifically constructed to give the illusion of a tiny waist. so long as your waist was the thinnest part of your silhouette, no matter how thin that thin was, you were in style

thank you for the ask! and if you made it this long, double thank you!!

#if you'd like sources i can scrounge them up for you but this is not the long bibliography website #this was a great question thank you!!#history chat with mack

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princesssarisa · 2 years

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Character ask: Olaf and Kristoff (Frozen)

Tagged by anonymous

Olaf

Favorite thing about them: His general lovability. I like his joy and sweetness, the way his lines blend childlike innocence with dry, deadpan humor (my Norwegian-American mom has praised how authentically Norwegian his understated line delivery feels), the comedy of the various ways his body can come apart and rearrange, and his touching love for his human "family," especially Anna.

Least favorite thing about them: Nothing about his actual character, but I think he's been slightly overused by Disney in spin-off material. But then, Disney often does this with popular sidekick characters. I'm sure that '90s adults felt the same way about Timon and Pumbaa.

Three things I have in common with them:

*I tend to be cheerful and fun-loving most of the time.

*I can be slightly naïve.

*I like warm hugs.

Three things I don't have in common with them:

*I don't like hot weather.

*I wasn't brought to life by magic.

*I can't rearrange my body parts.

Favorite line:

It's hard to choose because he has so many good lines, but I'll narrow it down to these:

"I'm Olaf, and I like warm hugs."

"Oh, look at that. I've been impaled."

"Love is putting someone else's needs before yours."

"Some people are worth melting for."

"I just thought of one thing that's permanent. Love."

"I love happy endings. I mean, I presume we're done, or is this 'putting us in mortal danger' situation going to be a regular thing?"

brOTP: Anna, Elsa, Kristoff, and Sven.

OTP: Just happiness.

nOTP: Anna or Elsa.

Random headcanon: Having been created by Elsa and Anna, he's technically their closest living relative, so until Anna and Kristoff have a child, Olaf will be the legal heir to the throne of Arendelle.

Unpopular opinion: I don't think I have one.

Song I associate with them: "In Summer"

youtube

"When I Am Older" is fine too, but I like his first song better.

Favorite pictures of them:

Kristoff

Favorite thing about them: Like Olaf (though in a different way), he's a likable character in general. Strong, smart, and down-to-earth, yet quirky and funny, with a nice character arc of becoming less misanthropic and learning to love Anna, and then of course there's his steadfast, selfless devotion to her by the end of the first film and throughout the sequel.

Least favorite thing about them: His belief that all men eat their boogers. But more seriously, I do think his romance with Anna in the first film is a little underdeveloped. I'm glad the sequel reveals that they don't actually become engaged until three years later.

Three things I have in common with them:

*I have some Scandinavian DNA.

*I sometimes think animals are better than people.

*I don't care for uncomfortable formal clothes.

Three things I don't have in common with them:

*I'm female.

*I wasn't raised by trolls.

*I've never harvested ice.

Favorite line:

From the first film, his snarky dialogue with Anna about getting engaged to a man she just met.

From the second film, his proposal:

Anna, you are the most extraordinary person I've ever known. I love you with all I am. Will you marry me?"

brOTP: Sven, Olaf, and Elsa.

OTP: Anna.

nOTP: Any member of his troll family.

Random headcanon: He's partly of Northuldra descent. This reconciles the original claims when the first film came out that he was Sámi with the sequel's introduction of Sámi-like people whom he doesn't belong to.

Unpopular opinion: I'm not sure if this is unpopular or just disagreeing with a few loud critics, but Anna's reliance on him in the first film isn't "anti-feminist." The idea that a strong heroine should be able to do everything by herself is nonsense, especially when she's a sheltered princess venturing out into a frozen wilderness and climbing a mountain for the first time.

Song I associate with them:

"Reindeers Are Better Than People"

youtube

"Lost in the Woods"

youtube

Favorite pictures of them:

@true--north, @the-blue-fairie, @themousefromfantasyland, @superkingofpriderock, @ariel-seagull-wings

#character ask #frozen #frozen 2 #disney #olaf #kristoff #ask game #fictional characters #animated film

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warningsine · 1 year

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Some things here.

Debbie says "Mark owes me for the rest of his natural life," but does not extend the same punishment to Ruth, because she's already forgiven her. (See how in the previous episode, she encouraged Ruth to play her own role, the main heroine of their show, when for a whole year Ruth had been playing the cartoonish villain in Debbie's story.)

She actually listens to Ruth's advice about Randy.

Not only she brings her kid to Vegas, but when she wants to go out on a date and needs a babysitter, she goes to Ruth and not to any of the other ladies. (I'm sure Tamme or Cherry or Dawn and Stacey or even Sheila would have offered to help her.)

And that's because she listened to Ruth's "I think I avoid talking about Randy."

It's Debbie's way of saying,"I trust you now, Ruth, and I've forgiven you. I want you to be involved in this important part of my life too. I want you to have a relationship with my child."

When she comes back from her date, she finds Ruth asleep in her room. Debbie does not wake her up or take Randy and go to her own room, she only watches her sleep and then tries to relax too.

Moving on.

In 3x06, we also hear Debbie say, "I hate all of them. Men." And she actually goes on an angry rant about how all guys (including her ex-husband, including the younger jocks--whose first names she didn't bother learning--she fucked) suck--how the patriarchy sucks and limits both hers and Ruth's (professional) options.

While we're at this, it's interesting that Debbie only considers seriously dating someone (Tex) after Ruth confesses that she loves Sam. And she literally makes incredulous faces (that Ruth can't see in the dark) and goes "What?!" twice during that particular discussion.

(She did the same thing after she saw post-coital Ruth seem happy with Russell. "Welp, you're moving on. So now I guess I need to start dating too." That's how she ended up having meaningless one-night stands with those valets. Remember her s1 confession to Cherry that sex with that male wrestler wasn't good for her, because there was no emotional connection? There are hints that something similar happened with those valets. When she found herself in Cherry's room in order to scold her, she let that valet waiting outside and didn't give a shit about going back to him and starting their session. Instead, she stayed to listen to Cherry's personal problems. She got high with Cherry and admitted that her life would have been much easier if she had never gotten married and had a kid.)

She still advises Ruth to go after him [Sam] though, because she loves her and wants her to be happy.

Moving on again.

Turns out that Debbie's "all men suck" sentiment comes true for her again.

Tex seems nice and not a bigot (again, interesting how she lies to the guy that's interested in her, because she wants to help a gay man with his AIDS fundraiser and goes there crossdressed/in a Marlene Dietrich suit) and non-threatening. (So did Mark.)

And yet, it turns out that even Tex doesn't really see her as an equal.

For one thing, he doesn't respect her work (the wrestling part).

For another, when they have a discussion about how actors don't have agency/power (she naturally can't help but think of and mention Ruth), he basically tells her, "Well, my work is dirty and you need to stay away from it. You'll never be my business partner, you're gonna be my wife." He makes it clear in that moment that he wants a younger beautiful/charming trophy wife for his business meetings. Debbie seems like she's drowning again (like when she was Mark's housewife) when he asks her about his ties.

That's clearly when Debbie decides to ruthlessly and unapologetically backstab him and dump him--especially after Ruth gives her that "wake up, Debbie, you're talking about wanting bigger things, but not doing anything to get them" call/talk.

The actress went a step further. She said that Debbie's attraction to him was based on her desire to become him: wealthy and powerful. She was flattered, because he made her feel wanted and sexy. (It's hard to miss how much Debbie craves constant validation, what with her huge insecurities.) Also see here: Ruth's "he's fun, easy and he likes me" about Russell.

But what does she need from a partner? And why can she never find it?

Debbie needs someone who respects and admires her, but doesn't hesitate to call her out on her bullshit when needed. Someone that can't be scared away by her greed and anger. Someone that makes her feel good about her body without objectifying her/treating her like a blow up doll. Someone who loves and accepts her the way she is, flaws and all. Someone who's good with her kid, whom she loves. Someone who encourages her to chase her dreams and ambitions. Someone who's her equal in every single aspect and makes her a better person. Someone that sees through her when she lies to herself. Someone who understands her "better than anyone."

Hm. That someone already exists though. Maybe Debbie doesn't need a husband, after all, but a wife.

Not just a random wife either. She needs Ruth.

Even when she chases her through an airport terminal, because she can't wait two weeks to tell her that she's going to build a straight men free "Eden" for both of them, she doesn't seem to realize what the nature of her feelings for her best friend are. She only knows that she loves her a lot and that she needs to give her a warm hug (a la 1x01 before the betrayal) before they separate for the holidays.

And then Ruth rejects her (always the heartbreaker), and that finally seems to do the trick. (For Debbie, at least. I think Ruth would only dare go there if Debbie made her intentions clear first.)

"Oh. I can accomplish these things, but I can't--do not want to do them without the love of my life by my side. Because the most powerful thing I ever did was loving her." [paraphrasing the actress]

There goes the lightbulb. [cliffhangery ending]

(Before I forget: fuck you, Netflix!)

In season 3, they fully resume their close friendship, but both of them fail to notice how different their dynamic is to the one they had during their pre-Markgate era.

(Their relationship used to be intense for all the wrong reasons. Jealousy, inferiority complex, lies, lack of communication. Then again, maybe the unresolved sexual tension has always been there and complicated things.)

Like, sure, they're both in a different place and have grown as people. Ruth doesn't take Debbie's shit anymore, Debbie now knows how to treat her better and be there for her in return etc.

But there are also some strong romantic undertones there that even the men in their lives can't diminish or dismiss.

As Liz Flahive said, these two were the actual will-they-won't they of the series.

#lord s3 was so gay there's Bash's arc there's Bobby and his club there's Arthie and Yolanda's arc #and then... there's Ruth and Debbie's romcom situation #never over Ruth's stripping and 'seduction' of Debbie #debbie x ruth #glow #sine's edits #q #betting that Sam wouldn't have been surprised if Debbie had chased/pursued Ruth after 3x10 #not that they would have Ruth and Debbie's subtext canon but just sayin' here #Mark sure did seem to notice the intensity between them in s1 #'you won't even talk to me but Ruth?'

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separatist-apologist · 2 years

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Can we get a synopsis? Trope list? Description of the red-haired-snarky-could-kill-you-but-is-actually-a-cinnamon-roll MMC? Jokes…but seriously, ANYTHING??

Yes. I will tell you all those things because to me, this is all a fever dream.

It starts like every Disney move known to mankind: a girls mom is dead. Chicago native Bryn is just back from the funeral and can't stop thinking she's being stalked.

Not by a person but a raven???? That's not ominous at all.

Bryn has no memories of her life before she was nine but she DOES have a mysterious scar on her hand.

With her mom dead, she's like, well I guess I'll never know about my mysterious past.

And her step-dad is like, hey want to throw a bunch of weapons around the back yard with me? As one does. Of course Bryn does. What kind of fantasy novel doesn't have the heroine unnaturally proficient in a weapon she has no business knowing how to use. For Bryn, it's an axe.

Anyway she has a flash of memory and is like, screw you step-dad, I'm taking a week long vacation in Iceland (I WENT ONCE AND IT IS THE PERFECT LOCATION FOR ANY FANTASY NOVEL ANYWHERE EVER. Sorry Ireland but...the fog in Iceland is just unmatched). It's the place her father is from and she's convinced herself if she goes, she'll have more flashes of memory

Instead she meets a sexy stranger (CW: his hair is blonde) and his upbeat best friend. They're all staying in the same hostel.

The raven is also back. Bryn is acting like any good midwestern girl and feeding it through a window in order to make it her sidekick.

Her new hostel pals are like, hey are you aware that ravens are actually spies from the gods???

And bryn is like LOL YOLO because thats all nonsense to her.

Her new friends, quiet Alexander and tequila drinking Hulda, convince her to take a day trip out of Reykjavik to see the sights.

And because this if fiction, Bryn does without telling anyone she knows where she's going. Or calling 911. Or even taking a picture of them. Shes like "lalalala this ABSOLUTELY checks out"

Anyway it turns out her new friends are LIARS??????? I know, I'm stunned that strange people you meet in hostels might have an ulterior motive. That motive isn't murder though, its to bring her home. Bryn is actually like, super magically powerful. She's got weather magic and I'm making this sound dumb AF but I think its kinda neat.

She's just one in a long ass line of people who have been chosen by the gods to wield this magic. and shes like oh. no thank you.

And Alex is like, just like your fucking mom as he throws her over his shoulder. because women LOVE being compared to their mom and then mandhandled.

There's a war because you know I love a good narrative war. They want her to fight in it.

And maybe not everything is at it seems.

There is also:

another ginger who is a man because that's my type and Gunnar is unparalleled. He is the hero we deserve, the hero we need.

Lady friendships that don't revolve around men

Fated mates (kind of???)

Friends to lovers

A dark haired villain

Women learning the power of friendship but also the power of a bow and arrow to the face

accepting your destiny

a war?????

patricide

smut

#does that help????#I have to word it as chaotically as possible because i get nervous if i take myself seriously

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adriensaltprompts · 2 years

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Submitted Prompt: "Fixer and Wild Card"

dear submitter please write an original fiction version of this, I would love to read it

A new TV series about masked superheroes starts airing and becomes quite popular. While the characters have little in common visually with any of the real-life members of Team Miraculous, Marinette can't help but notice some similarities here and there... particularly when it comes to two cast members in particular.

One of the heroines, Fixer, is highly inventive, specializing in thinking on her feet and enacting various plans on the fly, with a heavy emphasis on trying to prevent/minimize damage during battles. There is no equivalent to the Miraculous Cure here, so her work is incredibly important... and incredibly stressful. The poor girl is shown to be a bit of a nervous wreck, constantly reviewing her equipment and resources, mentally beating herself up for any slip-ups, no matter how minor. Always berating herself for any details she misses or overlooks in the heat of the moment.

Wild Card, by contrast, takes things much less seriously. Rather than being her 'partner' or even part of the central superhero team, he's an unaligned vigilante who shows up randomly to battles or pops up to ambush heroes while they're patrolling in order to 'hang out' and chat. He regards everything they're doing as little more than a game, and is utterly unconcerned about the potential fallout of any of their fights.

While he harasses all of the superheroines, Wild Card becomes particularly fixated upon Fixer, much to her clear and ongoing dismay. Telling her that she needs to 'lighten up' and stop worrying so much. Implying that all that energy would be better spent on a relationship...with him.

His behavior steadily escalates throughout the series. He gets increasingly handsy with her, repeatedly trying to (and sometimes succeeding at) grabbing her and forcing her to focus on him rather than whatever she's trying to do at the moment, even attempting on several occasions to kiss her over her loudly protesting and resisting.

Thankfully, she has allies who intervene on her behalf, so it's not only up to her to defend herself, but this doesn't seem to dissuade him at all.

To Marinette's dismay, several fans naturally start shipping 'Fixed Card'. Adrien is among them, as she learns when she overhears him discussing the show with several of their classmates and defending the pairing. (Depending on your characterization, Adrien may be clever enough to acknowledge that 'some of Wild Card's behavior' isn't cool, but he does his best to weasel around and sidestep the issue, claiming that he enjoys the 'dynamic' while downplaying the harassment.)

Despite this fan support, though, the show itself focuses more on Fixer's discomfort and dismay, and the support she receives from her friends. Time and again, they emphasize to Fixer that she is in no way at fault or responsible for what Wild Card is doing to her. They step in to defend her from his harassment whenever possible, and increasingly confront him about his behavior even when she's not around to witness them stepping up and speaking out on her behalf.

Wild Card's lackadaisical attitude towards protecting the city is also shown to be a major problem. On several occasions, his involvement winds up getting civilians killed -- particularly when he gets in Fixer's way, delaying or preventing her from putting her evacuation and safety plans into action.

Unfortunately, Wild Card repeatedly blows off all rebuffs. Laughing about it. And when called out on his lack of care about civilians, he tries spinning it as something 'romantic', claiming that "I care more about you than them~"

Some fans eat this up, swooning about how suave and charming he is. Others start questioning his alignment, noting just how rarely he actually does anything heroic. Reviewing his behavior, they increasingly recognize that he's more style than substance -- all flashy entrances and 'witty banter', contributing very little to actually accomplishing anything of value.

Then comes a season-ending shocker: it's revealed to the audience that Wild Card was working with the villains all along, with the express purpose of targeting Fixer and hampering her ability to do her job and help protect the city and the people. He's shown to be completely unrepentant about this, regarding it all as just one big game -- one he's aiming to 'win' by ensuring he winds up satisfied, regardless of who suffers in the process.

What's the response to this? While the ship is likely to have its die-hard defenders, does this serve as a wake-up call for anyone aside from Marinette? How does she respond to the show's Chat Noir counterpart being made out as a clearly self-centered and villainous figure?

Does this get Adrien to reflect upon his own behavior, or is he just annoyed at the series highlighting how shitty it is? Does he continue shipping Fixed Card, or give up on it -- even if only to preserve his precious 'golden boy' image...?

#submitted prompt #submission #miraculous ladybug #ml writing prompts #Adrien salt #Marinette Dupain-Cheng #Marinette deserves better #Adrien Agreste #Chat Noir salt #Chat salt #Chat Noir #Ladybug #Show!Miraculous #Show!Marinette #Show!Adrien

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thekatebridgerton · 3 years

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Which Barbie movie would the Bridgerton couples watch and why?

How did you know I'm a fan of Barbie movies anon!!! this is going to be so fun. lets get started with my favorite couples.

Kate and Anthony: "Magic of the Pegasus" you get one girl willing to do anything to save her sister from a curse and a sarcastic ne'rdo well hunter who's reluctantly helping her and you have a movie Kanthony would watch with their kids. The bickering between Annika and Aiden is so on point, enemies to lovers down to the scene where Annika is half dead, and Aiden saves her and he is sitting in her bed begging her to wake up. that's just gold, you can't do better than that.

Penelope and Colin: "Swan Lake" Swan Lake is all about finding the courage to be who you really are and being brave enough to stand up for yourself when the stakes are higher than ever. And that is so Polin. Also, just like Prince Daniel, Colin takes the award for being the only hero in his franchise who has ever broken his heroine's heart by saying something he shouldn't, so I find it appropriate. (Side note: if Antonio had married Luciana instead of Ro, then Polin's movie would have been 'The island Princess' purely because of Antonio and Lady Featherington, I mean Luciana's mother)

Eloise and Phillip: "The Nutcracker" don't ask me why, it just gives off a Philoise feel. From the Nutcracker prince running away from his responsibilities and learning to own up to them with Clara's help, to Clara never losing hope and getting the useless men around her to get moving and help her look for the Sugarplum fairy already!. (And lets not forget, doing all of the dangerous stunts in her pajamas). Also it's a Christmas classic that those two Tchaikovsky purists would appreciate.

Benedict and Sophie: "Rapunzel" Do I really need to explain this one? Girl locked in a tower forced to work like a slave, prince who doesn't know who she is, evil witch getting just deserts, it even has a masquerade too. It's the type of movie Benophie would love.

Francesca and Michael: 'Princess and The Pauper' not only because King Dominick and Julian are the hottest Barbie heroes ever in my humble opinion. But also because Francesca would be the type to love all the songs and the characters. ( And as a sidenote, King Dominick seriously! the guy waited for Erika to go, pursue her dreams, cero complaining, he just was happy for her and then, when she came back to him he was just as happy to get married. That's peak Michael Stirling energy and you can't tell me otherwise.)

Gregory and Lucy: "The 12 dancing princesses" no, I'm not making fun of the amount of kids Gregory and Lucy have (ok just a little bit). But I genuinely think that Princess Genevieve and Derek are as awkwardly adorable in their friendship to romance as Greg and Lucy. Greg would love the story about a family as big as his and Lucy would be all in for the vindication of seeing an evil aunt like Duchess Rowena get wrecked

Daphne and Simon: "A Christmas Carol" This is the kind of thing Daphne makes Simon watch whenever he's being a scrooge, and they end up liking it and now it's a tradition in their homes.

Hyacinth and Gareth: "The three musketeers" It's more Hy's favorite than Gar's, but he watches it with her whenever she's in the mood because sleuthing with friends and saving the crown is exactly the kind of thing they love.

My favorite movie personally will always be Barbie and The Nutcracker because the ending is just so perfect. Thanks for the ask anon, Barbie movies are great. And I'm sure the bridgerton sisters forced their brothers to watch them all every Christmas.

#barbie movies #bridgerton #fun ask #this is them #all of it #anthony bridgerton gif #colin bridgerton #benedict bridgerton #eloise bridgerton

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mermaidsirennikita · 2 months

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Do you know any books where accidental pregnancy is done well? Preferably historical in contemporaries I usually just want the heroine to get an abortion

Yep! I actually really love a well-done oops baby plot. I'm a big fan of the DRAMZ.

Historicals:

Melissa and The Vicar by S.M. LaViolette. Melissa gets pregnant and has a whole crisis of faith thing about it due to her internalized self-loathing, which means she's not like... thrilled about it at first? Which I liked. She had to THINK about it. She doesn't tell the father at first, which I know some people hate, but... to me it was deeply understandable.

The Recruit by Monica McCarty. The heroine gets pregnant by accident doesn't tell the father immediately, but she a) kind of has reasons to both not tell him and have literal issues getting in touch what with it being medieval Scotland and b) honestly develops a pretty solid plan for concealing it lol.

The Rakess by Scarlett Peckham. The heroine gets pregnant and actually has a lot of trauma surrounding it due to a horrible loss earlier in her life. And she's also an alcoholic, so she has to like, figure out shit surrounding that. Refreshingly messy imo.

Never Seduce a Duke by Vivienne Lorret. LOVE this book. The heroine gets pregnant, she and the hero are separated due to some traveling issues/twists of fate, and she can't find him to tell him about the baby. Fortunately, she has a very supportive brother (hero of a past book, naturally). Then there's a time jump a few years later.... And our hero shows up.

Suddenly You by Lisa Kleypas. An oops baby of the "well now I'm putting a ring on it" variety. TW: this does end in an early miscarriage. I thought it was done well and was moving, but of course YMMV.

The Leopard Prince by Elizabeth Hoyt. This one is about a heroine who inherits an estate and begins an illicit affair with the rough and tumble steward... which leads to CONSEQUENCES. I really liked how conflicted everyone was about the whole thing.

The Dragon and The Pearl by Jeannie Lin. This one is towards the end, but I really love it and I ESPECIALLY love how she tells him, I gasped.

In Bed with the Devil by Lorraine Heath. This is another one where it's like when will you learn!!!! That your actions have consequences!!!!

I will say, if you want to try a contemporary that has good accidental pregnancy stuff, I would recommend:

A Holly Jolly Ever After by Sierra Simone and Julie Murphy. In this one, the heroine had been trying for a baby with her ex, I believe, so it did kinda make sense to me that she'd want to keep it. And it's not like. EASY when she does. The hero needs to get his shit together, she has very overbearing parents. She has to really grapple with tough stuff, which imo is what makes an accidental pregnancy in romance work--I don't want it to be easy and simple. I want there to be consequences.

The Friend Zone by Kristen Callihan. In this one, the hero and heroine are fairly young (like 22, though he is set for the NFL and she comes from a wealthy family, so it's like... they do have money to help) and the relationship is super new. So they actually do seriously consider an abortion. Together. It's honestly really mature. He's supportive of whatever she wants. She does end up deciding to keep it, but, TW: there is a miscarriage and it is a tough read but I like how it was handled. Nothing's wrong with her physically, she's not going to be "barren" because of an early loss. It just happens. A good amount of the time. It felt very REAL versus a plot device loss.

Jana Goes Wild by Farah Heron. I liked this one because again, consequences! It sorta happens before/in the very beginning of the book, wherein the heroine has this amazing fling with this man, only to find out that he's married.... And then she finds out she pregnant. And he's the hero! Shocking, I know. But there are Reasons. And then it jumps to like five years in the future and they're realistic, mature co-parents in their thirties (which I also liked--the heroine lives with her mom due in part to family/cultural dynamic stuff and gets that help, and she's also a successful professional with a high income so it makes sense to me that she'd be like "fuck it I'm doing this" if she had a gut feeling to keep it). But then Tension arises when they end up in the same destination wedding party...

#romance novel blogging #book recs #romance novels

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aliasimagines · 3 years

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operation fools in love//luke patterson

requested by a lovely anon

word count: 3333(!!!)

a/n: i still don’t know how to write endings

The corridor was noisy with loud chatter, quietly whispered gossip and the sound of rushing students' shoes hitting against the floor.

You hummed 'edge of great' as you started fishing out the books you need for class from your locker. It has been stuck in your head since yesterday evening when the guys played it for you and Flynn at band practice.

You were about to close your locker when he poofed next to you.

“Hi, y/n!”

“AAHHH” you screamed, earning a few side looks from passing by students.

“Ahh, I accidentally kicked my locker, haha…”you started explaining yourself before turning back to your open locker. You sent a glare in Luke’s way.

“What did Julie and I say to you? Do not teleport randomly to us at school!”

He chuckled.

“Yeah, rules, rules, I don’t care. I just wanted to drop in and say hi!” he smiled at you with his signature Luke smile.

“Well, you did. That’s all? I kinda need to go to class.” you spot Julie in the corner of your eyes as you walk over to her locker. You quickly wave at her and soon after she comes over so you can talk to Luke without looking crazy.

Luke mumbles something under his breath and goes to scratch the back of his head.

“No! Uhm..Hi Jules… So y/n I also kinda wanted to ask if you would come to our gig tonight? You know, we are playing not far from that food place you like? "

You smiled, appreciating that he remembered your favorite food place.

"Well,erm.. I guess? I want to but I might have dance practice, so I am not sure." you say, wishing you'd know for sure but you won't find out till the end of your classes.

Luke's lips formed an 'o' before his gaze fell down on his shoes.

"Oh well.. I-okay. Bye?" he says in an unsure tone before disappearing, leaving you to face Julie.

"Well, wasn't that adorable?" she asks with a smug grin.

"What? What are you talkin' bout Jules?" you ask honestly confused. She laughs and puts her hand on your shoulder.

"Sweetheart, you two are just oblivious to each other!"

"I don't… What?"

"You like him. He likes you. It's not that confusing. Really it is obvious."

"Shhh, quiet!" you shh-ed her, quickly making sure if Luke was 100 percent gone. "I.. I don't like him."

It was unnecessary, you couldn't even fool yourself and especially not Julie.

"Y/N, come on girl, I know you do. And he does like you too! I mean I am writing songs with him, do you know how many lovesick lyrics he has written lately? It is making me sick." she laughed.

"Well, he might have written them about someone else. Maybe you? You two have amazing chemistry."

Julie sighed and grabbed both of your shoulders so she could look at you.

"Y/N, honey. Believe me when I say he is head over heels for you. Why else would he want you to be at our gig so much?”

„Luke is literally so passionate about music? Of course he wants to share it with me, cause he wants to share it with everyone.”

„Ahg, girl you need glasses cuz you can't see shit. Look, if prove he likes you too will you believe me?”

„Sure. I mean you can’t prove something that is not true but, sure go ahead, ’prove it’.”

Julie rolled her eyes and opened her mouth to respond but luckily for you the bell rang.

“See you later, alligator!” and with that you were off to class, leaving Julie alone to work on her master plan.

She knew she had to pull this off because the mutual pinning was unbearable but she also knew she couldn't do it alone. She'll need all the help she can get and that includes Flynn and the rest of her ghost band.

You changed into your leggings and sweatshirt before heading into the gym where the dance practice took place. You were quite bumped. Don't get me wrong dancing is everything to you but.. You really did want to see the guys perform.

You and the other kids were warming up, waiting for your teacher to start showing the choreography. But neither of you expected what she did next. Much to your surprise Reggie and Alex appeared next to her and started messing with her water bottle before you could even open your mouth.

For a moment no one acknowledged what was going on. Some were too busy chatting and warming up and Ms Janett was too busy with her phone. The two ghosts seemed to have noticed that and after exchanging a knowing smirk they grabbed the phone out of your teachers hands. She perked up, a mixture of anger and confusion on her face. And then… she saw her own phone floating in tin air.

“Stop!!” you whisper shouted in the boys direction but they only gave you a smirk before Reggie started searching for the music player application. Alex pointed over Reggie’s shoulder.

“Uuu, play that one.”

And as soon as the Lady Gaga song started playing Ms Janett let out a scream causing everyone to look up. You saw the boys dancing with the phone and the pompoms in their hand (although you have no idea where Alex got those pompoms) but everyone else just saw those items moving by themselves.

“GHOOOST!!! Everybody RUUUUUUN!”

Some people followed the teacher, some stayed behind to take a closer look only to be scared away by a flying pompom.

“What the heck are you two doing?” you turned to them,being rather angry, once you were the only living person in the gym. Seriously, what were they thinking?

“We cleared your afternooon! You can come to our concert!” Reggie exclaimed and put down the phone.

“Do you think I would go after this fiasco you just pulled??” you were definitely angry now.

“Oh come on, if not for us then for Julie..and for Luke.”

You snapped your head in Alex's direction at the mention of Luke’s name.

“What do...No. Don’t try to divert the topic. What you did was incredebly stupid! What if.. What if someone connects the dots and figures out that Julie’s hologram band is actually a ghost band? There will be scientist and ghost busters and-”

“Shh, Y/N jeez, calm down. it will be okay. We’ll see you at the show.”

And they poofed away. They simply left you alone with your thoughts. You need to come up with some kind of explanation for the dance class but right now you need to go home and change. The boys were right, even if they kinda (really) caused a mess here you still like them and don’t want to miss seeing them live ((Winky face)).

Meanwhile you were sorting through your dresses and outfit options. Julie and the band arrived at the venue for rehearsal.

Usually it was Luke who hyped Julie up before shows but right now the roles were switched because Luke looked like a kicked puppy ever since he learned you wouldn’t be able to make it to their gig. Of course Julie knew you will be here, as she was the one to send the boys to scare away your teacher. It was all part of her little plan.

Like mentioned Luke wrote half a dozen songs, all centered around his feelings for you. He stated to Jules that he will definitely not play them for you because there is just no way you like him back, but now Luke thinks you won’t be there so Julie is on the next step of her genius plan. Convince Luke to play one of his love songs.

“Luke, Lukey-poo, my man.” she started getting more and more cringy. “I thought we could close with Hero and Heroine? I know you said you don’t want to play it but it is such a great song, you definitely shouldn’t let it be just another forgotten song that stays on a piece of paper. Plus it is perfect for closing, think about it!”

“Julie...I-I told you I don’t wanna play it.”

“You told me you don’t wanna play it in front of Y/N, which would be the whole point of writing love songs to her but that's besides the point right now. Pleeassee?”

Luke took a deep breath and looked at his ghost mates for...What for? Support? Advice? He is not sure. He does want to play the song, pour out his emotions through the song but the question is..should he? He knows you can’t be here which both makes him wanna play the song and not at the same time.

“I agree with Julie, dude.” Alex said, shrugging his shoulder like he knew of nothing. Reggie nodded along.

“Okay..If you all think I w-”

Julie stood up and clapped her hands together.

“Cool! It is settled. I’ll need to make a phone call, brb.”

“Barbeque?” asked Reggie confused. Which made Alex laugh.

“Brb actually means be right back. Willie told me.” the blond made his way over to Luke and gently punched his shoulder. “Really Luke, that song is great. And I know you think there is no way Y/N would like you back but I am sure if she could hear it-”

“I’m a ghost, Alex! I can’t just confess to her, how are we gonna date? We can’t even touch.”

“That is totally not the reason. You are afraid she would decline your affection, I get it, but believe me I have seen her look at you. That longing in her eyes when I mention your name. She likes you.”

Luke rolled his eyes.

“Not that it matters, she won't hear the song and that is my final say in this.”

As soon as Julie stepped out of the small, cigarette smelling backroom she dialed your number. You picked up after two rings.

“Hi, Jules.”

“Hi girl, I heard what the boys did, I am so, so sorry. You know they are idiots.”she said trying real hard not to laugh but she reminded herself of her plan and pulled on her poker face.”But..Are you coming to the show? Flynn could pick you up; she is about to get going.”

“Yeah I’ll come, tell the boys I will call my teacher and say it was a prank so they can thank me for saving their ghostbutts.”

Julie giggled and started playing with her hair.She walked up and down the small corridor that led to the stage from the backroom.

“I will, I better get back and warm up but you should call Flynn so she won’t leave without you.”

Of course Flynn wouldn’t leave without you. She was waiting in her car two blocks from your home waiting for your phone car.

She didn’t have to wait long, you called her and she pretended to not expect it. Flynn kinda became your and Julie’s driver ever since she got her driver's license last month.

By the time the two of you got to the venue the opening was playing their last song and the place was already packed with dancing teenagers. Flynn dragged you to the bar and asked for a cola for herself and a (favourite drink) for you.

The two of you hung back and sipped your drinks until Julie appeared on the stage. Then you took Flynn by the hand and started pulling her toward the stage. Only she held you back.

"Hey, what's up? Don't we wanna go and watch them from closer?"

"Oh, well, uhm...I'd rather hang back. The crowd kind of makes me anxious right now." Flynn said. You lifted an eyebrow at her. Flynn being anxious? In a crowd?? That did not convince you. But you didn’t argue.

"Do you need to step outside a little or…"

"Nah, it's good, let's just stay here in the back."

So you did. You sang and danced along to the songs you both knew so well. You tried your best not to stare at Luke too much but let’s be honest you failed miserably. Flynn occasionally wiggled her eyebrows at you when she caught you ‘drooling over him’ as she put it.

After they finished playing Stand Tall you expected them to bow and ‘disappear’ but much to your surprise Julie grabbed the mic and brought it to her lips.

“Hello, hello, helloo! Do y’all wanna hear one more song?” the audience erupted into a loud cheer. It was so heartwarming to watch. Julie doing what she was born to do, playing music and enchanting the crowd. Flynn seemed to have the same thought because she looked at her with such pride. You pulled her into a big hug and the two of you waited for the crowd to quiet down so Jules could go on.

“Allright, allright. Now this song will be a bit different but...I will let Luke here tell it.”

You just became more and more surprised when Luke stepped closer to the mic and spoke into it, looking kinda...nervous?

“Ohm..Hello everyone! So uh..This song is dedicated to a special someone, the songs called-”

“What’s the special someone’s name?” your eyes travelled to Reggie who asked the question with a huge grin. Luke turned to look at the bassist. If looks could kill Reggie would be double dead. But before Luke could give a voice to his disapproval towards Reggie’s question Julie spoke up.

“Yeah! What’s the name?” she turned towards the crowd and started chanting. “What’s the name?”

Soon Reggie and Alex joined with smiles painted on their faces along with the audience. You were so freaking confused. You looked at Flynn for some explanation but how would she know about it.

“OKAY, okay, stop!” Luke yelled before laughing a little. “All right I will tell you guys but you have to promise me you won’t tell anyone?”

All of a sudden you felt sick and wanted to get out of here. You were so not in the mood to hear Luke declare his love for someone.

“This song is dedicated to..To Y/N. Unfortunately she wouldn't be here today but..she is an amazing person. Hope you all like the song.”

He...He couldn’t be talking about you, could he?

He started strumming his guitar and soon Reggie joined in with the bass and Alex with the drums. Jullie clapped her hands together and kept sending encouraging looks for the boy.

“It's too late baby, there's no turning around, I've got my hands in my pocket and my head in a cloud, this is how I do, when I think about you,I never thought that you could break me apart,I keep a sinister smile and a hole of my heart” he sang into the mic, his voice filling in the whole club “You want to get inside, then you can to get in line but not this time”

“'Cause you caught me off guard, now I'm running and screaming!” Julie joined in for the line“I feel like a hero and you're my heroine.”

“I won't try to philosophize, I'll just take a deep breath and I'll look in your eyes, this is how I feel and it's so so real I got a closet filled up to the brim with the ghosts of my past and the skeletons, and I don't know why, you'd even try but I won't lie” Luke sang and you finally realised what was going in. He wrote this song. For you. You looked over to Flynn who nodded towards the stage and mouthed ‘go’.

I feel like a hero and you are my heroine. Do you know that your love is the sweetest sin?

You started making your way towards the stage, slipped through the cracks between dancing people and singing fans. The further you got the harder it was to get through but you heard Luke’s voice and you kept going.

And I feel a weakness coming on, never felt so good to be so wrong. Had my heart on lock down and then you turned me around

And I’m feeling like a new born child..

You finally break through a few screaming girls and see him.

“-Every time I get a chance to see you smile. It’s not complicated, I’m so jaded.” Luke sings and looks at the audience and- He spots you. Looking up at him with eyes wide open and admiration on your face. His voice cracks because of the sudden surprise of your presence but you smile at him and that is all he needs to continue.

“And you caught me off guard...Now I’m running and screaming”

He sang the song with such passion that even if you weren’t before now you were absolutely sure this wasn’t just a simple crush.

When they finished you didn’t waste a lot of time, you ran backstage, quickly waving your vip ticket. You almost run into Julie on your way to the door of the backroom.

“Who- Y/N!”

“This was your doing, wasn’t it?” you smiled at her already knowing the answer. She flashed a toothy grin.

“Well I had a great team behind me but yeah, Operation FiL was my idea.”

“Phil?” you ask back .

“No, no. F i L. Fools in Love. Now go get ‘im tiger!”

You shook your head and entered the backroom. Luke stood with his back facing you but as soon as he saw you in the mirror he spinned around. For a moment you forgot he was a ghost and ran to give him a hug.

“Y/N, no-” he put his hands out so he could catch you, simply out of reflex but he didn’t expect to actually hold you in his arms. You both looked at each other with eyes as wide as a 6 lane highway.

“How can I-”

“Do you care?” you closed the little distance between the two of you and pressed your lips against his. They were just as soft as you imagined oh, so many times before. He kissed back gently, afraid that this is just a dream. But this was definitely too real to be a dream. You unfortunately had to pull back to catch your breath but Luke looked leaned closer to press his forehead against yours.

“The song was so beautiful, I loved it.” you whisper. He just stared at you with a smile.

“If I knew you would kiss me, I would have played it a long time ago.” you giggled and brought your lips together for one more kiss. He let his hands wander this time but so did you. Your fingers ran through his brown hair, this being something you wanted to do for so long. He kept one hand on your waist and placed the other on the side of your face.

Your lips moved so in sync like you’ve been doing this all your lives. You were so drawn to each other, you felt like you couldn’t pull away in that moment even if you tried. Like this invisible magical force just glued the two of you to-

“Okay, that is enough! Get out I need to change!” Julie brusted in causing Luke to jump up and cling to you like Scooby Doo.

“Wow, you are so brave.''you laughed rolling your eyes at. “Come on, let’s leave alone Julie. We’ll meet ya at the car?”

Jules nodded and sent a wink in your way. You walked outside, both of you grinning like idiots.

“So uhm...Does this make us, Us?”

“Yeah. I mean if that’s what you want too.” you look at your shoes and bite your lower lip waiting for his answer.

“There’s nothing I want more.” he said. “Oh well..maybe another kiss wouldn’t be so bad either..”

#luke patterson x reader #luke patterson imagine #luke patterson oneshot #Julie and the phantoms one shot #julie and the phantoms imagine #jatp luke x reader #sunset curve imagine #aliasimagines

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